Red Rock Resort opened on 18 April 2006 in Summerlin, on the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley, and took its name from the conservation area in the mountains beyond. Station Casinos spent $925 million on it, its most expensive property. The first plan was a 300-foot tower; residents fought it to save their view of the canyon, and the compromise of 2004 capped it at 198 feet. The design is desert modern, in sandstone and onyx under crystal chandeliers, and the resort has held AAA's Four Diamond rating since it opened.
There are 795 rooms and suites, and 770 were redone between August 2019 and early 2020. The Luxury King and Luxury Two Queens rooms are about 515 sq ft (48 m²), with a marble bathroom, a soaking tub, a separate shower and a 65-inch television, and you book them by view: east to the lights of the Strip, or west over the pool to the red sandstone of the Calico Hills and the Red Rock mountains, about 6 miles (10 km) away. Executive corner rooms run to 615 sq ft (57 m²) and the Signature suites to 1,030 sq ft (96 m²), with a wet bar and a jetted tub. The Villa Suites come with a butler and a private pool terrace.
The reason to stay is what lies outside. The 13-mile scenic drive through Red Rock Canyon starts 12 minutes west by car, and the concierge books guided climbs on its sandstone, hikes, bike tours of the loop and horseback rides. From October to May the drive needs a timed-entry reservation for arrivals between 8am and 5pm, so book it before you fly. Back at the resort, the 3-acre pool area has a main pool with a fountain, 19 cabanas, daybeds and its own bar, and an over-21s pool opens at weekends in the warmer months. The 25,000 sq ft spa adds a steam room, a sauna, a cold plunge and an outdoor spa pool. Parking, self and valet, is free, and Downtown Summerlin's shops are four minutes' walk away.
The trade is distance. The Bellagio fountains are 24 minutes away by car and there is no shuttle, so most nights on the Strip mean a car or a taxi each way. It is a locals' casino as much as a resort, and non-smokers notice the smoke on the casino floor. A mid-May Tuesday costs $249 before tax and the $55 nightly fee, and a Friday or Saturday can cost about twice that. Book it to hike in the morning, swim in the afternoon and drive in for one show, or if you know the Strip and want the other side of Las Vegas.
