Three Nights in Vegas, on My Own Terms

women lifestyleluxury wellness for women

Oct 2

The relief started at the gate.

By the time I reached my gate at YVR airport, I already felt lighter. I was still in Vancouver, but the prospect of leaving it—and everything I had been carrying there was enough to make a difference.

This past May, I went to Las Vegas alone for three nights. The trip had a few purposes: a solo babymoon, a celebration of my thirty-first birthday, and some time to decompress from burnout at work. I wanted warmth, a beautiful place to stay, and days that I could spend however I pleased.

Vegas might seem like an unexpected choice for that kind of trip. I have always loved it, though. My first visit was with family when I was a teenager, and I have returned a few times since then. Each visit has offered something different. There is room for families, couples, groups of friends, and people arriving with entirely different ideas of a good time.

On this visit, my idea of a good time involved a pool, a book, and very little pressure.

Arriving in a city already wide awake

My outbound flight included a stop in Seattle, where I briefly thought I might receive a generous flight voucher in exchange for giving up my seat. They ended up not needing it. A near win, but I continued on to Vegas as planned.

It was my Uber driver at the airport who told me that EDC was happening that weekend. I had somehow booked my quiet escape during a major festival weekend, and the city was packed and buzzing.

I stayed at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, which felt like a destination in itself. The hotel is enormous, with so much to explore that three nights barely felt like enough. Even after spending much of my trip there, I could imagine staying a week and still finding more to see.

At check-in, I asked for a non-connecting suite. I watch enough true crime to have preferences about these things. They accommodated the request and placed me on the sixty-second floor.

The woman helping me check in also suggested a few shows. From her description, Awakening at Wynn sounded like something I would enjoy, so I booked a ticket for that evening.

That was enough planning for the moment. I went upstairs, showered, changed into my bikini, and headed straight to the pool.

A pool, a book, and an evening out

I spent those first few hours lounging and reading Belonging by bell hooks. There was something fitting about bringing a book with that title on a trip where I was giving myself space to simply be.

The pool became the most consistent part of my stay. I went every day. There was no need to keep finding something new to do when I was already enjoying where I was.

Later that first evening, I returned to my room to get ready for Awakening. While waiting for my Uber, I spotted the futuristic-looking Zoox vehicles and immediately wanted to know whether I could try one. A little Googling led me to an app that I could not download through my Canadian app store, so that particular adventure ended before it began.

After the show at Wynn, I was not quite ready to go back to my room. I also remembered that I needed closed-toe shoes for a mat Pilates class I had planned for the following morning. Shoes for mat Pilates struck me as slightly odd, but I still needed a pair.

Which is how my first night in Vegas came to include a late trip to Ross.

I walked part of the Strip, made it there before closing, and found a cute pair of shoes. There was also a Walgreens stop for snacks before I caught an Uber back to Fontainebleau. A show at Wynn, a practical shopping errand, and snacks for the room: a fairly accurate introduction to my version of this trip.

I felt safe for most of my stay, although that late walk from Wynn towards Ross had moments when I felt less comfortable. Next time, I would take a car for that stretch.

Birthday plans, with room between them

For my birthday, I had brunch at La Fontaine and, afterwards, a foot massage at Lapis Spa. The massage was so relaxing. Having those two things in the day, with room to enjoy them, felt like a lovely way to celebrate.

I ate my way through quite a few of the hotel's food options during the trip. There was pizza from Miami Slice, a bagel from El Bagel, poolside food, and the Bleauberry smoothie from Cymbiotika, which was so delicious that I went back for it twice.

The prices were another story. Much of what I ate felt expensive, and some meals were easier to justify than others.

Papi Steak was the biggest disappointment. I found the food bland and extremely overpriced for what I received. My birthday dinner at Mother Wolf, on the other hand, was so tasty. That was a meal I was happy to have chosen.

I enjoy beautiful surroundings and a sense of occasion, but I still want the experience to deliver. A lovely setting can make a meal memorable but it cannot do all the work for the food.

What I appreciated about staying at Fontainebleau was how much was within reach. I could spend hours by the pool, go upstairs to change, and choose somewhere to eat without turning the whole day into a logistical exercise. During a trip intended to help me decompress, that ease mattered.

Finding my own pace on the Strip

I did leave the hotel to explore. I used the Deuce bus, which takes you along the Strip, and enjoyed it as an alternative to Uber. It gave me a different way to take everything in.

I got off at Aria, went looking for ice cream, and visited the Museum of Illusions. That museum did not feel worth my time. Afterwards, I wished I had chosen the Diana exhibition instead. Every trip has a few decisions you would make differently.

Around Aria and the Cosmopolitan, the atmosphere was lively. People were excited, dressed for the day parties, and waiting to go in. I remember quietly chuckling because I was in such a different headspace. Pregnant, happily committed to my pool time, and briefly feeling a little old beside all that party energy.

But that is part of what I love about Vegas. Everyone can arrive looking for something different. I could enjoy the buzz around me while keeping my own plans simple.

Pregnancy meant there were things I could not try, including a gun range, which had caught my interest. There was still plenty to enjoy. I had warm weather, good food, a show, time at the spa, and somewhere comfortable to return to whenever I felt like it.

Travelling alone made that especially easy. I could stay at the pool for another hour, go out when I wanted to, or decide that I had done enough for the day. Those small choices were part of what made the trip feel restful.

What three nights gave me

Looking back, I keep returning to that first feeling at YVR. The relief arrived before the hotel, the massage, or the birthday dinner. It began with knowing I was about to have some space.

The beautiful surroundings were a pleasure. So were the smoothies, the heat, and the freedom to spend another afternoon doing something I already liked. I did not need to fill every hour for the trip to feel worthwhile. Three nights in Vegas were exactly what I needed. I would happily visit Vegas again and rebook a stay at Fontainebleau any time. There is more I would like to explore, but I would still leave plenty of room for the pool.

That is what I want to remember from this birthday: how good it felt to notice what I needed and make room for it. At thirty-one, pregnant and tired from work, I gave myself a few days of warmth, pleasure, and time on my own terms.