Shopping scene

Nearly every casino in town has a retail street lined with upscale boutiques, from Bally to Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Make the Daniel Libeskind-designed Crystals your first destination; with its angular, multi-faceted façade, CityCenter’s three-level shopping district is worth a trip for the architecture alone, but the shops are some of the swishest in town. Stop by the new Donna Karan New York for stunning gowns – and make an appointment with the in-house style concierge for a head-to-toe, red-carpet-ready look. Next door, find silk lingerie at the boudoir-chic Kiki de Montparnasse, while specialist bookstore Assouline is the go-to spot for limited-edition coffee-table tomes. Stella McCartney’s new outpost features a giant, sparkly horse sculpture (named Lucky Spot and made from 8,000 Swarovski crystals), not to mention select items from the designer’s ready-to-wear, Adidas and children’s lines. Further north, the Fashion Show Mall has seven department stores to choose from, but head to the home-grown Talulah G for a well-curated selection of designer brands, such as Zac Posen, Chloé and Missoni. And across the street, the 7,500sq m art-filled Barneys New York anchors a slew of high- end labels, including Chloé, Christian Louboutin and Diane von Furstenberg.

Sightseeing highs

Locals argue about the best place to take in the Strip’s glittering lights, but Mandarin Bar at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas is undoubtedly the classiest. Located 23 storeys above the Strip, the intimate space attracts a stylish crowd. Go for a pre-dinner glass of Ruinart and for floor-to- ceiling views of the faux Eiffel Tower. Further afield, on Las Vegas Boulevard South, the Top of the World restaurant and Level 107 Lounge, both at Stratosphere, are undeniably touristy but still worth a visit for fantastic bird’s-eye views.

Art affair

Culture is not Vegas’s strong point, though there’s more to do and see than one might suspect. For contemporary art, go to the George L Sturman Museum of Fine Art which has works by artists from Matisse to de Kooning, and the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art, which offers an artist-in-residency programme as well as an impressive, wide-ranging permanent collection. The 18b Arts District is the centre of Sin City’s surprising gallery scene and, a few miles north, the Neon Museum is an ode to the city’s love affair with neon lights. With a planned opening this summer, the Mob Museum will pay tribute to organised crime and its impact on Vegas, while the newly refurbished Pinball Hall of Fame houses machines ranging from the Fifties woodrail style to the latest in electro-mechanical multi-player gaming.