Sin City seduction: Romantic vacations in Las Vegas

This may come as news, but Las Vegas vacations can offer just as much romance as a trip to Venice or Cancun — without the added hassle of passports and translation books. If you’re looking for a list of all-inclusive romantic weekend trips, let me sell you on something a lot of Sin City veterans already know: When it comes to planning romantic Las Vegas vacations, it’s actually the sum of the parts that’s greater than the whole.

Part 1: Canyon Ranch SpaClub
I have a love/hate, start/stop relationship with fitness (mostly tuned to hate, typically stuck on stop), so it’s a wonder I actually have any experience to speak of in what’s been called the healthiest place in all of Las Vegas, but I do. The Canyon Ranch SpaClub is shared by the Palazzo and the Venetian, and offers everything from spa treatments (massages, mud baths and facials) toa huge fitness center with indoor rock climbing. There are even two healthy cuisine restaurants that offer up the kind of eats that make you wonder why you don’t eat this way more often. If you’re wondering why Canyon Ranch is on my list of Vegas destinations for romantic weekend trips, it’s likely you have no idea what a therapeutic massage can do for your psychological and physiological disposition, especially when experienced with your special travel partner. In short: If you’re high strung like me, making Canyon Ranch your first stop gets you nice and relaxed for the romantic weekend ahead.

Part 2: Top of the World Restaurant at the Stratosphere
There’s nothing like a stunning view to set the mood for romance, and there’s no better view in all of Las Vegas than what you’ll find at the appropriately named Top of the World. Perched 800 feet above the Vegas skyline, the restaurant rotates once every hour — no need to worry about motion sickness here — so my best advice for getting the max bang for your buck: take your time ordering, eat slow and enjoy. Upstairs, the Level 107 Lounge offers romantic ambiance, drinks and live music. Not to mention the same spectacular view. You can book a room at the Stratosphere, or not. The point is, no matter which one of the Las Vegas hotels you select as your getaway HQ, an evening at Top of the World will cement the mood for the rest of your vacation.

Part 3: Paris Las Vegas
Probably one of the most striking of the Las Vegas hotels is Paris, and obviously so for the presence of the 540-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower (the real one’s actually twice the size) that rises into the night like a beacon declaring: “You want romance? We got romance.” I could talk all day about the tower itself, and the restaurant on the 11th floor, and an unbelievable wine list that made me wish I were more of a connoisseur than casual wine lover, but doing so would be a disservice to the hotel as a whole. Suffice it to say that the Stay & Play packages (which offer a combination of dinner, lodgings and a Barry Manilow concert) are the way to go, but tough guys take note: You may need a tissue to make it through Manilow’s “This One’s For You.” You’ve been warned.

There’s nothing more romantic than saving money on travel accommodations so that you can spend more on your honey. Save big by booking your flight, car and hotel together.

Related resources

• Cheap flights to Las Vegas
• Last-minute deals to Las Vegas

Vince Font is a freelance writer born in Puerto Rico and currently escaped to Utah. When not dreaming of interstellar travel, he’s on the hunt for weird, wacky and off-the-beaten-track vacation destinations. Next stop: The Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast.