Exquisite, opulent, gracious—these descriptions convey the appeal of Bellagio to world travelers who wish to vacation like royalty. A marble lobby features a ceiling of 2,000 glass blossoms created by renowned artist Dale Chihuly. Via Bellagio offers shops and designer boutiques under a ceiling of etched glass and green wrought iron.

What to expect: Refinement permeates the nongaming Four Seasons Las Vegas, making it an oasis amid the dazzle of the Strip. A porte cochere just off the Strip welcomes guests, who enter a marble lobby graced with two grand staircases. Three express elevators, exclusively servicing the hotel's five floors, whisk guests upstairs.

Amenity highlights: Jamu Asian spa treatments feature mud wraps, herbal massages, and body treatments. The staffed fitness center has steam rooms, strength-training equipment, and cardio machines with personal TVs and headphones.

In-room babysitting can be arranged (surcharge).

Business services are available 24 hours a day, and the business center is staffed Monday-Saturday (surcharges).

This Mediterranean-inspired hotel is located on the shores of a pristine lake, with 10 miles of quiet desert shoreline. The Ritz-Carlton offers personalized service, sunset views, and daily activity programs, attracting families and couples from around the world. Old-world charm pervades Italian gardens, ornate bridges, vine-covered balconies, waterside promenades, and romantic trellises.

Created by hotel impresario Steve Wynn, this lavish, $2.7-billion resort opened in spring 2005. The curved building, sheathed in bronze-tinted glass, stands like a beacon at the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip. A pine-covered artificial mountain with shimmering waterfalls rises at the entrance. The light-filled lobby is a floral fantasy, brimming with spheres of colorful blooms. Parasols suspended from the ceiling dance up and down in time to music.

This 17-story Las Vegas hotel has a small, contemporary lobby with marble, wood trim, and leather seating. Situated off the Strip, the Westin Casuarina has a more relaxed atmosphere than its mega-resort neighbors. Even the casino and dining areas are more subdued than many of the area’s larger properties.

What to expect: The Platinum Hotel and Spa is an all-suite, smoke-free property 1.5 blocks from the Strip. A well-lit, contemporary lobby with natural wood, glass accents, and clean lines welcomes guests. The hotel caters to guests who prefer a spa-like atmosphere to the bustle of area mega-resorts.

Amenity highlights: The hotel has heated indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a fitness center with cardio and strength-training equipment and locker rooms with showers. The Well Spa (surcharge) features massage, body scrubs, wraps, facials, waxing, manicures, and pedicures. The hotel also has a fine-dining restaurant and bar/lounge as well as a business center and concierge. Wireless Internet access is available throughout the hotel (surcharge).

Insider tip: When you tire of the glitzy cuisine and buffets on the Strip, head for Las Vegas' famed Restaurant Row, which begins about a quarter-mile from the hotel on East Flamingo Road and features some of the country’s best names in dining, including Roy’s, Lawry’s The Prime Rib, Morton’s, McCormick & Schmick’s, Buca di Beppo, and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.