Las Vegas’s Durango Casino & Resort, opened today in southwest Las Vegas. The 17th property by Station Casinos is about 10 miles off the strip — and yet, it's well worth a visit.
With multiple entrances, guests can access the gaming floor, the hotel's entire culinary district, and hotel tower with ease. The resort, curated by Albie Colotto of Station Casinos and design teams from Studio Munge and Rockwell Group, is a contemporary desert oasis that melds a midcentury modern aesthetic with Vegas glitz. The gaming floor and restaurants are flooded with natural light. There are numerous outdoor patios, water and fire features, and lush plant life, capitalizing on Nevada’s desert charm.
Upon entering, guests will find 15-foot ceilings and a striking sculpture of polished brass called "Ghost Vines" by Brooklyn-based artist Teresita Fernández framing the hotel’s pod-like check-in desks. The hotel’s elevators banks and Bel-Aire Lounge lie just beyond, affording residents quick access to their rooms and the resort’s amenities without a need to pass through the casino.
Durango’s 209 rooms and suites start at 488 square feet and are dripping in hand-carved stone, wood, and warm metal accents. All have firm Beautyrest Black Napa mattresses, personal steamers, and oversized showers — while the 29 suites boast Dyson hair dryers, 85-inch TVs, and personal butlers. The gym has an array of Matrix Fitness equipment and the pool is illuminated by colorful LEDs at night.
Naturally, there is gaming (83,000 square feet with 2,300 slots, 60+ table games, and three private high-limit salons). But it’s the Durango’s food and beverage portfolio that makes the property truly travel worthy. The flagship restaurant is Nicco’s steakhouse, which showcases cuts of Hokkaido snow beef. Summer House by the Lettuce Entertain You group is bringing its Santa Monica, California, beach house vibe with a smorgasbord of house-made pastas, pizzas, live-fire roasted fare, and of course, their iconic oversized cookies. Mijo from Clique Hospitality will feature modern Mexican coastal cuisine with a heavy seafood emphasis — think tiraditos, grilled whole fish and lobster — plus amped up land-based proteins such as duck carnitas, aged moles, and birria. Mijo’s beverage program will be agave forward with catadores (tequila experts) on hand to guide guests through their liquid library.
Tucked farther inside is Wax Rabbit, a 1,000-square-foot speakeasy, proffering more extravagant libations and ‘80s vinyl. Capstoning the property’s more traditional restaurant portfolio is The George. Nestled among the sports book, it has a 56-foot LED screen and classic American fare.
The pièce de résistance is the Eat Your Heart Out food hall with 11 mini-restaurants, stalls, and bars. Some of the most exciting offerings? Top Chef alum Gene Villiatora’s Orange County–based Hawaiian street food bastion Ai Pono Café; James Beard winner Marc Vetri’s Philadelphia pasta bar Fiorella; LA’s iconic Irv’s Burgers; NYC’s Sicillian pie house Prince Street Pizza; the NY-styled, LA-originated Uncle Paulie’s Deli; Chinese hand-pulled and knife-cut noodle den Shang Artisan Noodle; and Vesta Coffee Roasters, one of Las Vegas’s best coffee houses.
Durango Casino & Resort is now open; rooms start at $399 and you can book your stay at durangoresort.com.