All Roads Lead to Caesars: Escape to the Glittering Las Vegas Empire
Las Vegas never stands still. It changes and rebuilds itself in a grander way, inviting the world to marvel at the results. It’s old, it’s new, it’s iconic.
And right at the center of that relentless reinvention stands Caesars Entertainment — the largest casino-entertainment company in the United States — which is itself in the midst of a transformation. In a blockbuster deal announced in late May 2026, Caesars agreed to be acquired by Fertitta Entertainment for approximately $17.6 billion, a combination that promises to create one of the most formidable hospitality empires in American history. With 95.3% Las Vegas hotel occupancy in Q1 2026 and growing momentum across its portfolio, one thing is clear: whatever is coming next for Caesars, the crown is very much still on.
But business deals are not why you visit Las Vegas. You come for the food, the spectacle, the indulgence, the feeling that for a long weekend, anything is possible. And on all of those fronts, Caesars delivers extravagantly. Here is your insider’s guide to the very best of what “the empire” has to offer right now, in addition to your accommodation.
Soak It All In: Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace
Before you do anything else — before the restaurants, before the shows, before the casino floor swallows your afternoon (what time is it?) — give yourself the gift of Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace. This is not merely a hotel spa. It is a Roman-inspired sanctuary of utter indulgence, where the tension of daily life is systematically dissolved. The signature Roman Baths experience — a circuit of hot, warm, and cool plunge pools — is the ideal antidote to long-haul travel or a late night on the Strip. The Arctic Ice Room, a bracing cool chamber dusted in snow, is the kind of theatrical wellness touch that only Vegas could dream up. Qua’s treatment menu spans everything from bespoke facials to full-body rituals using ingredients that read more like a gourmet menu than a product list. I felt immortal after my 50-minute CBD massage. What a civilized way to begin — or recover from — a Las Vegas adventure, and it happens to be one of the most welcoming and inclusive spas on the Strip, beloved by guests of all backgrounds and identities. Book early; this jewel fills up fast.
A Sunkissed Oasis: GO Pool at Flamingo Las Vegas
Las Vegas pool culture is important in a place where temperatures can easily reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. The GO Pool at the Flamingo Las Vegas has been making a splash since it launched in 2007. This is the Strip’s original go-to pool scene — lively, diverse, and welcoming, with a variety of pools to choose from. GO Pool has long been celebrated as one of the most LGBTQ+-friendly and intersectional daytime destinations in the city, drawing a mixed crowd that spills onto sun-drenched lounge chairs to a soundtrack of beats that carry well into the golden hour. Cabana service is available, but this is an unpretentious experience that’s all about socializing and cooling down. The Flamingo has historically been one of Las Vegas’s most queer-friendly properties, and don’t forget to take a peek at the real live flamingoes on your way out!
Absinthe Puts the “Sin” Back In
It’s not cool to call Las Vegas “Sin City.” That’s a moniker from another era. But holy moly, if you see only one show during your Caesars stay, make it Absinthe and be sure not to take the kids or grandma. Voted the number one greatest show in Las Vegas history by Las Vegas Weekly, this jaw-dropping production by outrageous Australian circus-centric Spiegelworld takes place in a tent right on the Roman Plaza at Caesars Palace — and its intimate scale is just one of many things that make it extraordinary.
There are no bad seats; every one of the 585 places in the tent feels like the front row. Hosted by the vile Gazillionaire and his nutty, ditzy sidekick Wanda Widdles, the show is a lineup of death-defying acrobatics, bold burlesque, circus, cabaret, magic—rude adult banter that operates firmly outside the lines of conventional Vegas entertainment. The aerialists perform feats that would be jaw-dropping in any setting, but seen this close, they are genuinely breathtaking. Absinthe has always had a big LGBTQ+ following — the show’s body-positive, rule-breaking, exuberantly queer ethos makes it feel like the best kind of Pride celebration dressed up as a circus. On the night I saw it, a gay male couple won the audience participation segment with an adorable lap dance. After the show, linger in the Green Fairy Garden for cocktails and conversation. Tickets are here.
A Tale of Great Tables: Dining Across the Empire
Caesars Entertainment operates some of the most celebrated restaurant brands in Las Vegas, and the current lineup represents a genuine golden era for food lovers visiting the Strip. Initially a scene driven by blokey bravado, it’s morphing into more feminine expressions (such as Giada DeLaurentiis, Lisa Vanderpump, and of course, Martha Stewart). Here’s where we ate in the empire.
Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace remains the Gordon Ramsay flagship that fans adore, with its dramatic split-design dining room — one side cool blue, one side fiery red — mirroring the high-stakes television kitchen that made Ramsay a global icon. The Beef Wellington is as wonderful as the legend suggests. The bone marrow, the lobster risotto, the scallops, the oysters…all perfection, because our favorite culinary hot-head is a perfectionist. Be sure to take a pic with the flaming pitchfork outside the restaurant.
Amalfi at Caesars Palace is Bobby Flay’s sunlit love letter to the Italian coastline, where seafood is handled with such precision and elegance that you could close your eyes and half-believe you are dining on a terrace overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. I mean, this restaurant has an on-site fishmonger, with fresh fish displayed on ice for you to select and order to your liking. There’s also handmade pasta and an outstanding wine list. This is coastal Italian cooking at its very finest. The restaurant is spacious, cool, and the service is impeccable. This was a perfect way to escape the heat in a cool, cave-like setting and enjoy a delicious, fresh, light lunch from one of America’s most successful chefs.
Peter Luger Steakhouse at Caesars Palace brings the legendary Brooklyn institution’s reverence for century-old dry-aged beef to the Strip, with the same unapologetic simplicity that has made it one of the most beloved steakhouses in American dining history. The lip-smacking, precisely seasoned porterhouse is nothing short of a religious experience, delivered sizzling, sliced, and bathed in butter. And you must try the “schlag”— their legendary house-made, extra-thick whipped cream. Derived from the German word Schlagsahne, it was famously served for us with berries. Simple. Delicious.
Stanton Social Italian delivers downtown New York energy and Italian-American comfort classics in a warm, convivial setting that reminds you why sharing plates and great wine make the best evenings. If you’re in the mood for meatballs and a big glass of red wine, this is the place. It’s also known for its theatrical presentations: Extra Crispy Chicken Parmigiana, with the mozzarella fondue poured tableside, and the Super Tomahawk—a massive steak with braised short ribs and bone marrow. A good choice if you’re not seeing a show. Enjoy the service, which may also include pyrotechnics.
The Bedford by Martha Stewart — Farmhouse Charm Meets Fine Dining
Here is the truth: among all the extraordinary dining options across the Caesars portfolio, one restaurant stands apart — not merely for its food, but for what it represents: a strong trend of female excellence helping to rebrand the Strip. The Bedford by Martha Stewart at Paris Las Vegas is possibly the most elegant, most personal, and most quietly satisfying dining experience in town, and it deserves every superlative I’m throwing at it.
This was Martha Stewart’s first-ever restaurant, opened in August 2022, and it announced itself as a triumph from the very beginning. Now celebrating its fourth year — with a refreshed, seafood-forward menu launched in 2025 and a good direction to order in if you are visiting this summer.
The menu, developed by Martha and her team of culinary experts, is a celebration of French-American comfort. The house-made bread basket — grape-rosemary focaccia, Parker House rolls, JuneBug’s garden flatbreads — arrives like a warm embrace from a family member and sets the tone perfectly. Big Martha’s Pierogies are very popular: pillowy, buttery, comforting. The seafood tower, piled with Maine lobster, oysters, and clams, is a showstopper of the highest order. The Stovetop Clam Bake — lobster tail, clams, mussels, shrimp, Spanish chorizo, corncob, and potatoes in a spicy butter sauce — is one of the best single dishes currently being served on the Strip, and great value, too.
Photos: Instagram
For dessert, the Upside-Down Lemon Meringue Pie is a delicious twist: beneath its meringue crust hides a vibrant Meyer lemon curd that reveals itself with the first bite, a moment of citrus surprise, quintessentially Martha.
The space itself is a masterpiece of personal storytelling. Designed as a faithful reimagining of Martha’s beloved 1925 farmhouse in Bedford, New York, the 194-seat restaurant wraps guests in the warm sense of occasion that has defined Stewart’s brand for decades. Farmhouse charm meets fine-dining confidence (a vast array of copper pans hangs from the open kitchen), and the result feels both genuinely homey and unmistakably special. The most sought-after reservation in the house?
The legendary Brown Room — a faithful reproduction of Martha’s own living room — where parties of two to four can dine at her personal table or sink into the iconic winged-back chairs that have become the restaurant’s defining image. It is the closest most of us will ever get to dining in Martha’s actual home. Here, along with the lovely decor, are windows that are actually scenic projections of Martha’s Katonah, N.Y., property, which change with the seasons.
The cocktails are superb — the Meyer Lemon Drop is perfection in a sugar-rimmed glass, while Martha’s Perfect Manhattan (Woodford Reserve, sweet and dry vermouth, Angostura bitters, Luxardo cherries) is for sitting and appreciating the moment.
But what elevates The Bedford above even its menu is what it stands for. Martha Stewart is one of the most iconic female entrepreneurs in American history — a woman who built an empire from a genuine passion for craft, beauty, and making things extraordinarily well. The Bedford is a testament to her vision and taste, operating in one of the most competitive restaurant markets on earth. In a city whose dining landscape has long been dominated by male celebrity chefs, The Bedford is an act of feminine excellence — and it is winning on its own terms.
Our server told us that Martha Stewart herself visits The Bedford whenever she can — and she has her own table in the Brown Room that you can request. Her presence lingers there, as do her standards, which are palpable in every detail. All things Vanderpump aside, The Bedford is our other pick of the Caesars portfolio. So go, eat, linger, and consider making a reservation before you have even finished reading this sentence.
A Kingdom Built on Allyship and Innovation
One of the most compelling things about Caesars Entertainment is the consistency of its commitment to inclusivity. For over a decade, Caesars has received a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index — one of the longest-running streaks in the gaming and entertainment industry. The company’s dedicated LGBTQ+ employee resource group, EQUAL, was the first of its kind in the gaming world, and Caesars actively participates in Pride parades across Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, and New Orleans each year.
Las Vegas itself scores a perfect 100/100 on the HRC Municipal Equality Index, and Nevada boasts some of the most comprehensive LGBTQ+ legal protections in the country. For LGBTQ+ travelers — whether visiting for Las Vegas Pride (October 9–11, 2026, centered on National Coming Out Day weekend) or simply looking for a city that reflects their values — the Caesars properties are a natural home base.
And here’s a fun gay fact: Caesars Palace features an exact, true-to-size replica of Michelangelo’s David. The 18-foot-tall, 9-ton statue is carved from Italian Carrara marble, located in the Appian Way corridor between the main hotel lobby and the Forum Shops, and is well worth a peek.
Caesars Entertainment’s empire keeps doing the creative, human work of giving people genuine reasons to celebrate. From the Roman soaking pools of Qua to the vision of female entrepreneurs and LGBTQ+ allies, these are places built with care and designed to make you feel as civilized as you like.
For reservations and information, and all that is offered across the empire, go to caesars.com. Grab a deal right now here.
