The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star is well-known for her love of pups, which is woven through her new 188-room, pet-friendly property. It starts at reception, where a statue of a glamorous bulldog adorned with a gold crown and sparkling jewels sits surrounded by lush magenta florals. On one side of the moody lobby, which could double as a speakeasy, is a wall of elegant cups and saucers fit for Vanderpump, 65, to royally raise her pinky from, while books, dog ornaments, and multi-coloured liquor adorn another wall. <\/p>\n
Gigolo Bar. Photo \/ Leena Tailor<\/p>\n
The mystic vibes continue as I emerge into the enigmatic eighth floor with its exquisite black and gold wallpaper and curious wisps of vapour circling the lights. From here, the dim, flowery hallway feels like the next stage of an Alice in Wonderland adventure, which lands me in a lilac-themed room designed by Vanderpump and business partner Nick Alain and features photos of Gigolo (aka Giggy) and Vanderpump. Dazzling views of the Bellagio fountains await. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s the same impressive view from rooftop pool Soleil Beach, where I cool off from 42-degree heat, then freshen up in a shower lined with motivational words like, \u201cBless the ones who curse you\u201d, before slathering on Vanderpump\u2019s luxurious body lotion, which I could only describe as smelling fancy.<\/p>\n
The Vanderpump Hotel Double Queen Room. Photo \/ Credit Caesars Entertainment<\/p>\n
Fancy\u2019s how I feel presenting the gold token guests receive at check-in to Gigolo bar staff in exchange for a cocktail. \u201cLisa sits in this spot so she can have her back to the casino,\u201d we\u2019re told, while being escorted to a black velvet banquette surrounded by roses, red lamps and Giggy\u2019s statue.<\/p>\n
Vanderpump 1K Bathroom The Vanderpump Hotel Standard Room Bathroom. Photo \/ Caesars Entertainment<\/p>\n
\u201cCreating a bar in [Giggy\u2019s] honour has always been a dream,\u201d Vanderpump shared in a press release. \u201cTo see a giant statue of him in Las Vegas is a meaningful moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The must-try for margarita-lovers is Safe Word, made with reposado and hot jalapeno honey before waiters douse it with sprays of firewater tincture until drinkers reach their spice limit.<\/p>\n
Phone Booth. Photo \/ Leena Tailor<\/p>\n
The firewater warmed my insides and sent me on my merry way to snap photos inside a London phone booth \u2013 a nod to Vanderpump\u2019s British heritage \u2013 and along a hallway of photos showing the media personality and restaurateur with husband Ken Todd, children Pandora and Max, and friends like *NSYNC\u2019s Lance Bass. The gallery\u2019s popular with fans, who frequent the hotel, also home to underground club Drai\u2019s After Hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are die-hards like my guests earlier who were so hyped,\u201d says my driver. \u201cLisa\u2019s here throughout the week, so there\u2019s a good chance of seeing her.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Vanderpump Hotel Casino Floor. Photo \/ Caesars Entertainment<\/p>\n
As my game of spot-the-dog turns into spot-Lisa\u2019s-initials \u2013 imprinted everywhere from carpets to casino chairs \u2013 the exception is chef Giada De Laurentiis\u2019 second-floor Italian restaurant Giada. \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t think a view of traffic would be so amazing,\u201d enthuses a friend. The seafood tower\u2019s octopus salad is a highlight, but the standout was the creamy jumbo scallops staff threw in with my branzino. <\/p>\n
Pinkys. Photo \/ Leena Tailor<\/p>\n
However, it\u2019s Art Deco-inspired Pinky\u2019s by Vanderpump at neighbouring resort Flamingo that feels like it belongs inside The Vanderpump Hotel. With blush pink, green and brass decor, it feels like stepping into a greenhouse, tearoom and fairytale all at once. Chef Joshua Grimes says Lisa \u201ccomes here the most and loves us the most!\u201d <\/p>\n
Pinkys Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough. Photo \/ Leena Tailor<\/p>\n
While some chefs hesitantly adapt their creations, Grimes simply wants everyone to enjoy his food, and happily whipped up a lettuce-wrapped, Keto take on his mini lobster rolls – the best meal of my trip. The cocktail menu offers an indulgent espresso martini with a chocolate bridge from France, and I was delighted to see Vanderpump Wines (also served throughout the hotel) includes a sauvignon blanc made by Marlborough\u2019s Steve Bird Wines.<\/p>\n
Bird\u2019s LA-based importer, Concurrent Wines, approached the M\u0101ori winemaker about producing the sauvignon. \u201cI took a deep dive into other wines in the Vanderpump portfolio and noticed several strong themes, [like] family, food and a passion for place,\u201d says Bird, who used grapes from Waihopai Valley\u2019s Pyramid Farm. \u201cThese themes [align] perfectly to the ethos underpinning our business \u2013 whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga.\u201d It\u2019s also the perfect bottle to take back to your room and practise the hotel\u2019s tagline \u2013 \u201cMisbehave Accordingly\u201d.<\/p>\n
More must-dos for dog-lovers in Las Vegas<\/p>\n
Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre <\/p>\n
From a beautiful blue Frenchie dressed as a firefighter rescuing pups, to a schnauzer strutting out of the vet\u2019s on two legs, this entertaining show stars dogs, cats, pigs and horses rescued from animal shelters. The 75-minute spectacle is led by Gregory Popovich. \u201cI\u2019m not training them,\u201d he says, introducing his cats. \u201cI look for their natural habits and entertaining things they like doing, then encourage them to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stray Pirate <\/p>\n
Dubbed a \u201cdog-inspired, sunken pirate ship cocktail lounge,\u201d the downtown Vegas bar offers rum cocktails like the Stray Dog Grog and artwork of dogs dressed as pirates.<\/p>\n
Poodle Room <\/p>\n
Perched 89 floors atop Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Poodle Room is members-only, but there are other ways in, like booking the extravagant hotel\u2019s Fleur de Lis suites or dining at omakase restaurant Ito. The elite spot features poodle decor, a cigar lounge, cocktails named after award-winning poodles, and a dessert cart.<\/p>\n
Leena Tailor was partly hosted by Vanderpump Hotel and Brand USA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star is well-known for her love of pups, which is woven through…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":599128,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[138,11424,6735,2944,42910,41569,295362,58,12001,111,139,69,295361,295360,206937,3057,175442,223,30645,295359,295358,20249],"class_list":["post-599127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-finds","tag-hotel","tag-inside","tag-las","tag-lavish","tag-leena","tag-link","tag-lisa","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-pinkies","tag-pomeranians","tag-pomp","tag-steps","tag-tailor","tag-the","tag-unexpected","tag-vanderpump","tag-vanderpumps","tag-vegas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=599127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599127\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/599128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=599127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=599127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=599127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}