The Venetian Las Vegas: Peeling the onion!

Here goes the first review using my new rating system. If you want to know how the system works, I have explained it in a previous blog post. Basically I rate each hotel on several data points. The ratings range from 1 to 5 for each data point. 1 is poor, 2 is fair, 3 is acceptable, 4 is good, and 5 is excellent. There will be a total # of points available and an actual score for each data point. I will only judge the services or facilities that I use on each stay.

The Venetian 10/21/09 to 10/24/09. Weather at check in was 80 and sunny. My room was 10107 on the tenth floor. The AARP convention checked in on day 2.

Alright... where to begin? For anyone who has ever been to The Venetian, its opulence can be overwhelming. Or is it just the piped in fragrance? Seriously, what is it with Vegas and the trend to permeate every building with the latest signature scent of the day. I never thought I would say this, but I miss the good ol' days when the mob ran Vegas and nobody tried to cover up the smoke.

I have decided to break this review into two parts. Part one will be exclusively about the room and the accommodations. I will review the dining experience in part two of this blog series. On this specific stay, I evaluated 80 data points with a total of 400 points available. I used no bell service, parking, room service, or spa service of any kind. I didn't use the business center, but I did retrieve a package there ($7 charge). It is a half mile walk through the property. It is so far from the hotel elevators, I would judge it as unusable. I didn't evaluate the concierge service, as there was always a line 5 or 6 deep. I also didn't evaluate the travel kiosks, as I couldn't find any. If the Venetian has travel kiosks, they are well hidden.

I broke the evaluation down to four pages on a spreadsheet. On page one I reviewed things like the reservation experience, Check-in / Check-out, Doorman, Lobby, etc. The Venetian scored a combined 63 points out of 95 points available. The doormen are generally unfriendly and never greet you as sir or ma'am. Although the check-in went smoothly (approximately 12 min), the check-out could have been better. When you come down to check out, you are faced with a very large check-in line. After a few minutes, I noticed some women holding up a placard with a "V" on it off to the side of the main check in area. I learned this was for people checking out only. Hey - how about holding up a sign that says "check out"? In what culture does the letter "V" represent the notion of paying one's bill? There is no signage to indicate you don't have to wait in the check-in line. It was cheaper to book online than through the dial-in reservation system. The lobby scored good points for being clean, accessible, and open.

On page two, I cover the room (including the bathroom), housekeeping, and the property overall. There are lots of points up for grabs in these categories. At this location, I evaluated 43 data points for a total of 215 points. The Venetian garnered a woeful 81 points in this section. The room looks beautiful on first blush. You are impressed with the two level suite, TVs everywhere, and the remote control blinds.



It takes a day before you realize the blinds have several holes in them, the handles are broken on the furniture, and the chairs in the suite appear to be stained with some type of bodily fluid.



I did rate the bed as comfortable and the linens clean. Then I realized the headboard hadn't been dusted in months. I did however give high marks across the board for the bathroom in both appearance and cleanliness.



Unlike the Hyatt and Starwood properties that I frequent, the housekeeping staff was generally unfriendly when passed in the halls. The property itself rates as fair to good. The size of the property makes it a nightmare for the typical business traveler.

On page three I covered the workout facility and the spa facility. I didn't rate the spa services, as I only viewed the facility during my morning workout. The spa and workout facility at Canyon Ranch are first rate. There were 60 points available and The Venetian scored 48 points. This was their strongest category and I may have been extra tough, as I am a workout aficionado. I highly recommend this gym and the berry smoothies at the cafe when you are done.

My last section is reserved for location, concierge level service, comments, and general opinions. There were 30 points available in this section and The Venetian scored 17.

This property scored 209 points out of 400 points available. That gives it an average rating per data point of 2.61. That puts The Venetian consistently between fair and acceptable on The Travel Brain rating system. My overall opinion of the property is mediocre. This property is not recommended for the business traveler. Everywhere you go you wait in a line. Want a cab? wait in a line. Want your car? wait in a line. This is not conducive to effective business travel. If you are a gambler on vacation this property may suite you well. The casino is one of the nicer I have been in. I personally love the sports book at The Venetian. There is no shortage of things to do on the property.

However, If you are a person traveling on business this is on my "Can't Recommend" list.

Tomorrow I will rate my dining experience in part two of The Venetian Las Vegas: Peeling the onion!

Full Disclosure: For the benefit of the FTC, I did not receive any compensation directly for this blog post. All opinions expressed are strictly those of The Travel Brain.