I’d been hearing about the new Vanderpump Hotel Las Vegas all over Instagram and YouTube. Every Vegas creator seemed to be talking about it, and from the way some of them were carrying on, you’d think Lisa Vanderpump had personally reinvented the casino.
So naturally, I wanted to check it out.
Not because I’m some huge Vanderpump fan. I don’t think I’ve ever watched an episode of Vanderpump Rules. But I love Las Vegas casinos, especially checking out places I’ve never been before.
And even though I’d walked past The Cromwell plenty of times, I’d never actually gone inside.
It just wasn’t ever on my list.
But with all the attention the Vanderpump transformation was getting, I figured this was finally a good reason to stop in.
Nikki and I were walking from Horseshoe toward Flamingo around 5 PM, and we decided to check it out. We weren’t just looking to take pictures, either. We were actually considering sitting down and doing some gambling.
That plan didn’t last very long.
For context, we visited in May 2026, while The Cromwell was transitioning into the Vanderpump Hotel. This is our experience walking through the casino before the hotel’s official June 2026 grand opening, not a review of the completed rooms or property.
First Impressions: Where’s Everybody At?
The first thing I noticed when we walked inside was how empty the place was.
I looked around and immediately thought, “Where’s everybody at?”
Seriously.
It was around 5 PM, we were right in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip, and there was hardly anybody there.
I’m not saying I need to walk into a casino with a thousand people screaming at slot machines. I’ve spent plenty of time gambling in quiet casinos, and sometimes that’s exactly what I’m looking for.
But this was different.
There were so few people that the whole place felt strange.
And because it was a smaller casino, I expected it to feel a little more intimate. Instead, there was a surprising amount of open space between the machines.
It didn’t really feel like a casino to me.
It felt more like a nightclub that happened to have some slot machines in it.
Which is fine if you’re looking for a nightclub.
I was looking to gamble.
Was Vanderpump Trying to Be The Cosmopolitan?
As I walked around, I started getting the impression that Vanderpump was trying to be a smaller version of The Cosmopolitan.
And I understand why.
The Cosmopolitan has built an entire identity around being a little different from the traditional Las Vegas casino. It’s trendy, upscale, and has a nightlife atmosphere that attracts people who aren’t necessarily there to sit at a blackjack table all night.
I actually enjoy The Cosmopolitan.
I’ve stayed there, I’ve gambled there, and I think it’s a beautiful property. I go into more detail about my experiences in my Cosmopolitan Las Vegas review.
But there’s a big difference between a casino that has a nightclub atmosphere and a nightclub that happens to have a casino.
That’s what Vanderpump felt like to me.
Everything seemed spaced out, and without many people inside, the casino floor didn’t have much energy.
There was nothing pulling me toward a slot machine or making me want to sit down at a table.
And that’s important because Nikki and I genuinely walked in thinking we might gamble.
Instead, we decided to keep moving.
Nikki Thought It Was Too Small. I Thought It Was Too Empty.
Nikki wasn’t particularly impressed either.
Her biggest complaint was that the place felt too small.
Mine was that it felt empty.
Which is a funny combination when you think about it.
Somehow, we managed to walk into a casino that felt too small and too spread out at the same time.
I’m sure the lack of people had something to do with it.
Maybe if the casino had been packed, the layout would’ve made more sense to me.
But on that particular afternoon, it just wasn’t the atmosphere we were looking for.
We didn’t even bother checking the blackjack minimums or payouts.
Normally, that’s one of the first things I do when I walk into a casino.
This time, I didn’t make it that far.
We looked around, Nikki decided to use the restroom, and I snapped a few pictures while she was gone.
That was pretty much the entire Vanderpump experience.
It’s also a good reminder of something I talk about in Find Your Vegas. What makes one person love a Las Vegas property might be exactly what makes somebody else walk right back out.
Nice AC, Nice Bathrooms, Zero Soul
Now, I don’t want to make it sound like everything about Vanderpump was terrible.
There were two things we both appreciated.
First, the air conditioning.
If you’ve ever walked the Las Vegas Strip in the middle of a hot afternoon, you know that sometimes the best thing a casino can offer is a blast of cold air.
I don’t care how much money they spent on the renovations.
When you’ve been walking around Vegas in the heat, good air conditioning is worth stopping for.
Second, the bathrooms.
Nikki came back and mentioned how nice and clean they were.
So credit where it’s due.
We had excellent air conditioning and a positive bathroom experience.
Unfortunately, neither of those things was enough to convince us to stay and gamble.
Which is probably not the review the people behind Vanderpump were hoping for.
But it’s the one I’ve got.
This Isn’t Because I Don’t Like Fancy Casinos
I know I talk a lot about loving the older casinos, cheap gambling, and places that don’t necessarily look like they’ve had a hundred-million-dollar renovation.
But that doesn’t mean I dislike luxury properties.
I enjoy Bellagio. I love The Cosmopolitan. I’ve spent time wandering through Wynn and plenty of the other high-end resorts.
Even Paris is a good example of a property where the atmosphere makes a difference for me. As I explained in my Paris Las Vegas review, I can enjoy a beautiful resort even when I’m more interested in finding somewhere else to gamble.
And when Nikki and I checked out Fontainebleau, I was genuinely impressed.
Fontainebleau is a perfect example of what I think an upscale Las Vegas casino should feel like.
The gaming floor is better laid out, the food options are fantastic, and the whole property just feels more impressive.
Even the overall aesthetic and atmosphere work better for me.
And it isn’t because Fontainebleau is necessarily my kind of place.
I’m probably not their ideal customer.
But I can walk through that property and appreciate what they’ve created.
Vanderpump didn’t give me the same feeling.
Obviously, Fontainebleau is a much larger resort, so it’s not a completely fair comparison.
But both properties are trying to offer an upscale Vegas experience.
One made me want to spend more time exploring.
The other made me want to get back outside and continue walking to Flamingo.
The Sportsbook Was Nice, Though
I will say that I liked the look of the sportsbook.
It was one of the more visually appealing areas we saw.
But just like the casino floor, there wasn’t much happening.
I remember seeing only a couple of people sitting there.
Maybe we’d have had a different experience if there were some big sporting event going on, but during our visit, it was just another quiet part of the property.
Nice-looking area.
Not much atmosphere.
That pretty much summed up the whole stop.
Would I Actually Stay at Vanderpump Hotel?
Here’s where things get interesting.
Even after everything I just said, I’d still consider staying there once.
I’ve heard stories about some of the old Cromwell hotel rooms having mirrors on the ceiling.
Now, I have absolutely no idea whether those survived the Vanderpump renovations.
But I’ll admit that’s something I’d probably bring up to Nikki if we were discussing booking a room there.
I’m not sure whether that conversation would end with us making a reservation or Nikki asking me what’s wrong with the perfectly good hotel room we already have.
Probably the second one.
But I’d still be curious to see what the finished rooms look like.
And that’s an important distinction.
We didn’t stay at the hotel. We didn’t see the rooms. We didn’t eat at any of the restaurants or spend time at the bars.
We simply walked through the casino during the transition.
Since our visit, Caesars Entertainment has celebrated the property’s official opening. You can read more about the finished hotel in its Vanderpump Hotel grand opening announcement.
But I can’t tell you whether the finished rooms are worth the money or whether the completed hotel delivers the experience Vanderpump fans are looking for.
Maybe it does.
I’d be willing to give it another chance.
And if you’re trying to figure out which property fits the kind of Vegas trip you want, I put together a Vegas Hotel Personality Quiz that might help you narrow things down before booking.
Would I Recommend Visiting Vanderpump Hotel Las Vegas?
Yeah, actually.
If you’re walking between Horseshoe and Flamingo, I’d recommend cutting through and checking it out for yourself.
It’s right there, it doesn’t cost anything to walk inside, and you might have a completely different opinion than I did.
Plus, the air conditioning is excellent.
On a hot Vegas afternoon, that’s reason enough to walk through just about any casino.
Would I make a special trip across the Strip just to see it?
Based on our first experience, probably not.
But if you’re already in the area, there’s no reason not to stop in.
And if you’re a huge Lisa Vanderpump fan, you’ll probably appreciate things about the property that went completely over my head.
That’s one of the great things about Vegas.
Not every place needs to be for everybody.
If you want to explore the completed hotel’s amenities, Caesars Entertainment has an official Vanderpump Hotel property overview covering the rooms, restaurants, and other features.
Final Thoughts: We Came to Gamble and Ended Up at Flamingo
I think that sums up the entire experience better than anything else I could say.
Nikki and I walked into Vanderpump planning to do a little gambling.
We didn’t look at table minimums.
We didn’t play a single slot machine.
We didn’t even sit down.
Nikki used the bathroom, I took a few pictures, and we continued walking toward Flamingo.
There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with the place.
It just wasn’t what we were looking for.
Maybe the timing was bad. Maybe the renovation wasn’t far enough along. Maybe the lack of people made everything feel a little more lifeless than it actually was.
Or maybe Vanderpump is simply targeting a completely different type of Vegas visitor.
Either way, I walked out feeling like I’d just visited a nightclub with a few slot machines instead of an actual casino.
And for somebody who goes to Vegas primarily to gamble, that’s not really what I’m looking for.
Still, I’m glad we checked it out.
I actually enjoy stopping in casinos I’ve never visited before, even if I don’t end up playing anything. That’s part of how Nikki and I ended up starting our collection of Las Vegas casino cash-out tickets, although this particular stop didn’t contribute anything to the collection.
The AC was great, Nikki liked the bathrooms, and we eventually made it to Flamingo.
Not exactly the exciting new Vegas experience I’d been hearing about on Instagram.
But at least we didn’t lose any money.
Have you visited the Vanderpump Hotel since it officially opened? Was our experience just bad timing, or does the casino still feel more like a club than a place to gamble?
Vanderpump Hotel Las Vegas FAQ
Is Vanderpump Hotel Las Vegas Worth Visiting?
If you’re already walking between Horseshoe and Flamingo, I think it’s worth checking out for yourself. My first visit during the renovation wasn’t particularly exciting, but the location makes it an easy stop while exploring the Strip.
Is Vanderpump Hotel Las Vegas the Old Cromwell?
Yes. The former Cromwell property was transformed into the Vanderpump Hotel, which officially celebrated its grand opening in June 2026.
Is the Vanderpump Hotel Casino Good for Gambling?
I didn’t end up gambling there. Nikki and I originally planned to play, but the lack of atmosphere during our visit made us decide to head over to Flamingo instead. I didn’t check the table minimums or blackjack payouts, so I can’t speak to the actual gambling conditions.
Did You Stay at Vanderpump Hotel Las Vegas?
No. We only visited the casino and public areas during the transition. I haven’t personally stayed in one of the hotel rooms.
Would You Stay at Vanderpump Hotel Las Vegas?
I’d consider staying once, depending on the room rates. I’m curious about the finished renovations and would like to see whether the hotel experience changes my opinion of the property.
