Vdara Hotel and Spa in Vegas: How to Enjoy Sin City Solo
Vdara Hotel & Spa is a casino-free, smoke-free spa resort located on the Las Vegas strip.
I’ve probably been to Vegas a hundred times and thought I’d seen it all. But as it turns out, I saw another side of Vegas that I had never experienced.
In the past, I grew up going to Vegas as a child and flew to Vegas from Philadelphia every week when I was working as an engineer. I would say that most of these trips weren’t for fun.
I was thrilled that I could go on a solo trip to Vegas as an older woman, doing the things I loved: hotel, spas, shows, and food.
READ: The Best Spas in Las Vegas
Vdara Hotel and Spa was the perfect place to use as headquarters while I embarked on a solo trip by myself. I stayed in a beautiful, spacious suite.
The kitchenette had a microwave, fridge, and an additional fridge for leftover dishes, as it turned out I was eating dinner and a late-night meal every night. It’s truly a city that doesn’t sleep and comes alive after dark.
The living room had a couch, armchair, television, and a coffee table. A wide desk divided the living room and bedroom so I could work on either side of the desk. The large, luxurious bed faced a TV and the wide windows showed a panoramic view of the Las Vegas skyline.
My suite had a desk that divided the bedroom and living room accompanied by panoramic views of the Las Vegas skyline.
Later in the trip, I watched “The Wizard of Oz” at the Sphere, an entertainment complex with 4D capabilities for movies and concerts. I’ve seen the film dozens of times, so I had doubts about staying entertained.
It turned out to be more fun than I thought it would be, with a panoramic movie screen all around my seat. Wind machines blew air and paper leaves around the stadium, bringing the terrifying tornado scene to life.
I saw “The Wizard of Oz” at The Sphere, an entertainment complex with 4D capabilities for concerts and movies. Photo credit: Erik Mclean
The Spa at Vdara
One of the few hotels with no casinos and no smoking, the Vdara Hotel is focused on its spa and wellness. The signature Fire and Ice Facial is meant to resurface the skin with no downtime so you can enjoy as much of Vegas as possible.
A gentle glycolic enzyme peel was followed by a hyaluronic acid mask and step-by-step anti-aging serums to repair the skin quickly. Magically, I felt like I could immediately be seen in public with dewy skin. The spa menu also offers massages and body treatments like the Moroccan Oil Moisturizing Body Treatment.
The locker room had showers and fully outfitted vanity areas for getting ready. In a cozy spa space, there was a hot tub facing a waterfall, steam showers, sauna, and lounge chairs. Outside, there was a relaxing pool area and lounge chairs.
The Spa at Vdara is a luxury wellness escape spread across two floors at the resort.
Where I Dined
For dinner, I dined at Tamba, a James Beard Award finalist that specializes in contemporary Indian food with six live fires cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
I tried live-fired grilled masala butter oysters with kimchi butter, Lasooni lamb chop swimming in a cumin potato masala, banana leaf seabass roasted in a charcoal oven with Japanese binchotan, and slow-braised goat masala in bone marrow gravy.
For drinks, I tried a Darjeeling Pimm’s cup and ended the meal with a Jangiri crunch dessert, made with crispy jalebi with Makhana pudding and rose kaffir ice cream.
The dining room at Tamba, a James Beard Award finalist that specializes in contemporary Indian food.
Then I headed to The Barbershop speakeasy in the Cosmopolitan, which was behind a working salon where men were getting their hair cut.
The secret bar also had an incredible band playing on stage and people were dancing up a storm. Celebrities, like Rod Stewart and Joey Fantone, sometimes show up for surprise performances.
The Barbershop speakeasy in the Cosmopolitan is located behind a working salon and features live music and cocktails. Photo credit: David J Crewe
I also ate at the gorgeous new COTE Steakhouse, a Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse with multiple floors and a DJ booth.
I had a shrimp and scallop starter and a cocktail at Gymkhana, a hot Indian restaurant newly arrived from London.
At Sartiano’s Italian Steakhouse at the Wynn Las Vegas, I indulged in incredible caviar cannoli, crudo, fluke crudo, and Akaushi Wagyu tenderloin with truffled short rib and egg yolk raviolo.
COTE Steakhouse is a ew Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse in Las Vegas.
I headed to Jipata in Chinatown, a favorite Thai spot with incredible cocktails.
At the Top of the World at the Strat, I also dined on shrimp cocktail, crab cakes, and a Strawberry Sparkler cocktail, reminiscing about my younger days when I was brave enough to do The Shot, a needle slingshot ride from the platform above my table.
Top of the World at the Strat is the perfect spot to enjoy a drink while taking in the city views. Photo credit: Chris Wessling
How I Entertained Myself
I headed to The Venetian to watch Shin Lim do an incredible magic show. The Canadian American magician won “America’s Got Talent,” and I happened to sit next to his mother-in-law, who was visiting from Australia.
I have no idea how he did his amazing sleight-of-hand card tricks or read the mind of an audience member who brought her own toilet seat covers in her purse.
The Venetian in Las Vegas. Photo credit: Tobias Smietana
In the afternoon, I went to Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart at AREA 15, a large entertainment complex off the Vegas Strip, and Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, where I saw hammerhead sharks and a Komodo dragon.
At Resorts World, I lounged in a cabana, cooling off with an overhead water spritz in between trying every single one of the five pools.
READ: Top 10 Things to Experience at Resorts World Las Vegas
After dinner, I lounged in a pool cabana at The Cosmopolitan for its Dive-In Movie Night.
The Cosmopolitan has comfy poolside cabana daybeds, perfect for all-day lounging.
Traveling on your own in Vegas when you can spa, lounge, dine, and be entertained on your own terms is a trip everyone should take.
For more information and to book a stay at Vdara Hotel and Spa, visit their website or call (866) 745-7767. For special deals on your stay, click here. Follow on Instagram @vdaralasvegas.
2600 W Harmon Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89158
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[Photos courtesy of Vdara Hotel & Spa/individual properties]
Helen I. Hwang is an award-winning journalist, author, and mechanical engineer. Her works have appeared in The New York Times for Kids, Eater San Diego, People Magazine, Parents.com, Trip Advisor, Huffington Post, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine,TravelSavvy.com, and other publications.
She has also written a book, titled All Grown Up: Please Touch Museum and Its Move to Memorial Hall, for the Please Touch Museum, a children's museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In addition, Helen worked as a researcher for the Peabody Award-winning NPR radio program, Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Over the years, she's lived on three continents and traveled to more than 40 countries.
She currently lives in San Diego, CA, the 16th place she's called home. More about her can be found at helenihwang.com.