Travel with pleasure!
A trip to a casino hotel is not just a vacation, but a real game with time, luxury and luck. Here guests can enjoy gambling entertainment in an elegant setting, and after an eventful night, go to comfortable rooms with panoramic views.
Foxwoods Resort Casino, Connecticut
North America’s largest casino resort is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Based in Connecticut, there are actually six casinos here, plus a bowling alley and multiple spas, as well as a whopping 38 restaurants — including three steakhouses, one of which is Craftsteak by noted restaurateur Tom Colicchio.
Accommodations range from MGM Grand at Foxwoods, which houses one of the Foxwoods spa offerings, to the secluded Two Trees Inn. At the Grand Pequot Tower, see if you can snag an exclusive villa with private butler service.
Sun City Casino Resort, South Africa
There was a time when many entertainers boycotted Sun City, but with apartheid in the rear-view mirror it’s today one of the most popular casino resorts in the world for high rollers — with 850 slot machines and tables that feature blackjack, roulette, stud poker and punto baccarat.
This Las Vegas-esque resort is located in the middle of the bush — two hours from Johannesburg. Guests can go on safari or go elephant-back riding within the resort’s own private game reserve. There are two golf courses — but watch out for alligators on the 13th hole on the Lost City Course.
Bellagio, Las Vegas
When it was built 20 years ago (in 1998) on the Las Vegas Strip, the Bellagio’s $1.6-billion price tag was the most expensive ever for a hotel. Built by Steve Wynn and later purchased by MGM Resorts International, the 36-story property — famous for the immense dancing fountains out front — has 3,015 rooms. High-tech in-room amenities and high-end service are calling cards.
Poker players looking for high stakes games often report to Bobby’s Room, a poker room commonly called “The Office” by professional players like Daniel Negreanu, who pop in for games where the blinds might be $4,000/$8,000, and pots can sometimes exceed $1 million.
Park Hyatt Mendoza, Argentina
Inside an elegantly restored, 19th century Spanish colonial façade is the two-story Regency Casino Mendoza. European-style ambiance and personal service is enjoyed by gamblers from all over the world who come to try their luck at punto y banca, a variation of baccarat.
Whether you’re looking to enjoy fine wine or just drink away a losing streak at the blackjack tables, enjoy and take solace in the fact that the Park Hyatt Mendoza is surrounded by major wineries along the Andes mountain range — which also offers up some of the best ski resorts in Argentina.