Sin City is no longer a bros and bachelorette party-only destination; it’s been fitted for the gays, thanks to Lisa Vanderpump.
This month, the posh — if not occasionally saucy and always dog-obsessed — former Real Housewives star took her booming hospitality portfolio to the next level with a boutique hotel and casino on the Strip. For those keeping score, this makes the Vanderpump Rules boss the first-ever reality TV star to open namesake accommodations in the Silver State.
How about we take this to the next level?
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As a media guest at The Vanderpump Hotel grand opening, I asked Mrs. Vanderpump herself why gays should stay there, to which she sassily responded, “Because I’m here.”
Which, I had to admit, was a pretty good point.
With its plush, white bath robes, Pomeranian-emblazoned tote bags, and top-40 pop playlist, my four-night stay solidified a long-held belief that the woman who named her WeHo lounge SUR (short for Sexy Unique Restaurant) has a taste level to be trusted.
“I’ve always been a huge LGBTQ+ advocate and I’ve tried to put it on every show, even on Vanderpump Villa this year,” Vanderpump told Queerty. “It’s always on Vanderpump Rules, because I just believe in equality everywhere.”
Located on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road, its name alone makes the 188-room hotel a must-see for both casual fans and the Bravo gays who could religiously recite her biting taglines. (My personal favorite: “Life isn’t all diamonds and rosé, but it should be.”)
With a motto like “Misbehave accordingly,” the spot knows the clientele it’s going for. When I asked Drag Race’s Kahanna Montrese if she thought anyone had cruised the Vanderpump Hotel bathroom yet, she joked, “Not yet.”
Looking camp right in the eye
It helps that Vanderpump and Nick Alain, her longtime design partner, tow the line between “sophistication” and “camp” perfectly.
Not only is its marquee bar named Gigolo (after her beloved late Pomeranian, Giggy), it boasts a massive statue in his honor and serves raspberry-adorned signature “Pumptinis.” Behind its red-hot poker tables are framed black-and-white photos of Vanderpump’s most iconic moments and A-list pals. There’s no shortage of chandeliers, and its rooms are well-stocked with ritzy, purple pillows and a nightstand featuring a mirrored image of her immaculately-lined eyes. For good measure.
(Fittingly, its garage appears to be the same one Nomi Malone parked at and downed a cheeseburger in 1995 gay cult classic Showgirls. The irony was not lost during my stay as I stared out my window at the same view: Now, a giant advert for The Vanderpump Hotel’s next-door entertainment, RuPaul’s Drag Race Live. That’s herstory.)
Lisa Vanderpump basically owns Las Vegas
Of course, the woman behind zingers like, “Throw me to the wolves, and I shall return leading the pack” is a shrewd businesswoman, and her well-manicured touch extends throughout Vegas, with several earlier ventures to add to the itinerary.
There’s Pinky’s by Vanderpump, a restaurant that takes Instagrammable garden houses, slyly placed boudoir photos, and cinnamon rolls to the next level with caviar-topped deviled eggs and a cotton-candy embellished cocktail called Daddy Issues. What are those?!
French glam is the main course at Vanderpump à Paris, where charcuterie is served in cages, shots arrive in Eiffel Towers, and you can cosplay European vacation by ordering a drink that comes with a lock and key to hang in the restaurant, a la the famous Pont des Arts. (The “love lock” tradition was banned in actual Paris after causing severe structural damage in 2015, which is further proof that Lisa does it better.)
And it seems her love for the city is reciprocated. During my trip, I couldn’t turn a corner without catching a larger-than-life advertisement for The Vanderpump Hotel, featuring a cosmopolitan pup causing mischief on the Strip and sabotaging Lance Bass’ craps game.
But wait, there’s more…
That said, lodgings make up only half the time equation in Vegas. (At least until they invent bedside tabletop digital roulette.) Thanks to its prime location, The Vanderpump Hotel is also an ideal homebase for exploration.
In the lobby, next to a parked car filled with dog statuettes, is the entrance to Drai’s After Hours, a late-night club with surprisingly rich hip-hop lore that spun inventive mashups of Taylor Swift and Pitbull and famously doesn’t open until 1 AM.
Within walking distance is the High Roller, the world’s second-largest Ferris wheel, which stands at an astonishing 550 feet tall and offers panoramic views of the strip and further out, the Nevada mountains. During my 30-minute ride, the on-deck bartender told me how iconic he thought Lisa Vanderpump’s new venture was while churning out vodka Diet Cokes at an alarmingly fast rate.
Then, just across one of Vegas’ pedestrian bridges lay Caesars Palace and no shortage of shopping, gambling, and entertainment opportunities. A marquee sign for Kelly Clarkson’s upcoming residency watched guard as I spent an afternoon in the luxurious Qua Baths & Spa and tried my first-ever robot massage. (Confession: I know it was a machine, but I still said thank you.) The expansive hotel is also home to Absinthe, a racy cabaret show with an acrobatic twist, and seemingly, a house rule that all gays in the audience are automatically better. I’ve never been closer to risking it all for a shirtless man with a yo-yo.
Every night there is a Bravo party
Still, the pièce de résistance of the trip was The Vanderpump Hotel grand opening party, where a drone show spelled out the Vanderpump name before transforming into a giant grinning Pomeranian. Around a rooftop pool, we flitted around with hors d’oeuvre, watched showgirls dance in giant martini glasses, and tried to stay out of the way of filming for Vanderpump Rules: Lisa Las Vegas. Because, of course, no reality TV-forged boutique hotel is complete without its own limited series.
Which is really the biggest appeal of The Vanderpump Hotel, anyway. Why should gay excursions in Vegas be relegated to buffets, frozen margaritas, and penny slots when silk pajamas, chic doors, and Bravo show-level extravagance is in reach?
We’ve turned to reality shows like Vanderpump Rules and Vanderpump Villa for escapism during these trying times, and here, we get to eat, drink, and sleep like the icons we’ve binge-watched, if only for a couple of nights.
Besides, as Vanderpump told Queerty, the flamboyance is kind of the point. “I find all my gay friends, they love ‘extra,’” she said. “They love gorgeousness, they love everything beauty and glamour. That’s what this is.”
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