Photo Courtesy Caesar's Palace Couple’s Treatment Studio, Qua Baths and Spa at Caesars Palace

Sin City continues to reinvent itself as one of the coolest places to visit.

For the majority of the year, the heat of the south Nevada desert renders the term “cool” and Las Vegas contradictory. Yet, figuratively, the two often go hand-in-hand, with chic hotels, casinos, spas, restaurants and entertainment venues sprawled along Las Vegas Boulevard.
 
Ironically, for a story about the coolest, newest places to see in Sin City, this writer experienced a surreal reminder that Vegas can be both cool and cold at the same time. During a mid-December visit to the Strip, glowing multicolored orbs permeated the sky as hotel and casino lights reflected off of falling snow and ice particles. The leaves of palm trees drooped, outdoor escalators shut down, schools closed and McCarran International Airport teemed with delayed travelers.

Photo by Joan Marcus Jersey Boys

Yet, hot or cold, day or night, snow or ice, the entertainment and gambling mecca is always open for business. The streets are alive, the casinos buzz with a constant “ching-ching” and the millions of lights never dim.

The Las Vegas of today couldn’t be further in appearance from the tent city and trading depot it started off as in the late 1800s. Trains and horses have evolved into people-movers and Lamborghinis. Campfires and canned beans have been replaced by robata grills and filet mignon. Billions are spent to accommodate and amuse visitors of any ilk, as the latest and greatest are steadily one-upped by the next latest and greatest.
 
This pace is what draws 30 million eager visitors to the city each year and creates a hotbed of cool things to see and do. Here are a few of the coolest places to stay, restaurants to enjoy and activities to partake of during your next visit to Las Vegas.