Diehard Bravo fans, a smattering of cameras, and a few bewildered gamblers lined the pathway of gleaming white tile that cuts through the casino lobby as Lisa Vanderpump made her grand entrance. For the opening party of her namesake hotel in Las Vegas, the 65-year-old reality star wore a strapless sequined gown, a wink to showgirl culture, and tempered the sparkling look with opera-length lavender gloves that echoed the hotel’s new color palette. Though she’s opened nearly 40 other venues during her career as a restaurateur, even Vanderpump seemed slightly overwhelmed by the scale of the crowd watching.
But since the start of her television career, Vanderpump has been admired for her strategy, and her approach to Vegas is no different. When other Beverly Hills socialites were busy starting fights and taking TV drama personally, she used her Housewives fame to launch a different show, Vanderpump Rules, and eventually left the Housewives franchise to focus on that series. She tethered the young, volatile cast to several popular West Hollywood restaurants, effectively giving audiences an on-set hangout that spawned its own subculture. Some would argue that subculture was trashy, but few would dispute that it suits Vegas better than LA.
Not all of those WeHo venues lasted—particularly those built around toxic cast personalities—but her own status as both an iconic reality star and a savvy entrepreneur grew exponentially. That status is exactly what Caesars Entertainment has tapped into for the launch of The Vanderpump Hotel, a savvy rebrand of their never-quite-defined boutique hotel, The Cromwell. In the social media era, the need for more celebrity, more exposure, and more viral moments is always top of mind. Especially for Vegas hotels, where the sheer number of competitors means that if you’re not drawing in guests, someone else will. And on the heels of the so-called “Scandoval” season of Vanderpump Rules, which showcased a cheating affair and brought a new level of national attention to the stars, there’s no denying that interest in the show has renewed.
To be clear, the original hotel was never bad—in fact, I loved it in theory—but the property never really developed a core identity or aesthetic. Just 188 keys, The Cromwell was renovated and relaunched back in 2014 with a vaguely British theme, the smaller footprint designed to appeal to guests who are overwhelmed by (or simply don’t like) larger, multi-tower resorts. The chance to stay right across the street from Caesars Palace, but return to a hotel with fewer than 200 rooms at the end of a long night, is a fantastic option, and this resort was a boon for a certain kind of traveler. A decade later, it’s been remade again, done up in delicate silver, gold, pink and lavender—and with the likely chance of spotting Lisa in the building.
With a killer location and a team that already knows Vegas inside and out, this property will surely fare better than, say, Schwartz & Sandy’s. This is a hotel designed for fans of Vanderpump Rules and the Bravo universe in general, so of course those who have zero interest—or actively avoid—the world of reality TV likely won’t be particularly happy here, even if the smaller footprint is appealing. It’s not a traditional luxury hotel, with rates well below $300 a night on average (for now, that is). At the same time, there’s a lack of privacy that goes along with the property’s—well, its owner’s—fame; similarly, one side of the lobby opens directly onto the Strip, and that proximity can make the rooms loud.
The thing that will surprise haters of Vanderpump Rules the most about the hotel is that it’s actually good. Great, even. The thing that will surprise diehard fans of Lisa Vanderpump most, however, is that it’s not because of her. It’s her partnership with a Vegas behemoth that will likely make the hotel successful. Yes, she spent a significant amount of time and energy putting her signature stamp on the property, and there are some high points in the work she did with designer Nick Alain, but ultimately, it’s the scaffolding of Caesars that she’s betting on.
One of the two major corporations that define the Vegas Strip, Caesars has traditionally been associated with the typical bachelor-party-esque side of the city, emphasizing gambling and sports. The Vanderpump Hotel is an unapologetically feminine and decidedly queer-friendly space within Caesars’ portfolio, aimed at guests who have already responded well to Lisa Vanderpump’s aesthetic across three Vanderpump-branded venues opened at different hotels—the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars, Vanderpump à Paris, and Pinky’s at the Flamingo. Introducing her gradually across its other hotels was another step in ensuring this one’s success.
Given Vanderpump’s spread of restaurants around the Strip, it made more sense to keep the hotel’s pre-existing restaurant, Giada’s by Giada De Laurentiis, firmly in place, along with iconic hip-hop nightclub Drai’s After Hours—at least for now. Casual, comforting Italian food that can easily be elevated with enormous seafood towers or caviar cannolis at brunch is a natural fit for guests at the rebranded hotel, and, given how much the cast of Vanderpump Rules likes to party, keeping the legendary nightclub intact was another wise decision. Those who do want all things Vanderpump can walk less than a block over to Pinky’s or grab a drink at the hotel’s new lobby bar.
What Vanderpump did add to the hotel footprint is a dark, cocktail-focused venue named after her beloved late dog, Gigolo (known better as “Giggy” to viewers), and that’s where her experience in nightlife really shines. I’d tap this bar as a go-to spot for pre-gaming late-night parties at Drai’s, escaping the sun after an afternoon at the rooftop day club, or getting a break from the crowds at Caesars across the way. There are just a few true cocktail bars on the Strip where guests can get a thoughtfully designed drink in a small, quiet space, and this one is a fantastic balance of showmanship, drink quality and atmosphere.
As for the rooms, they’re fairly standard aside from the signature color palette, with a large glass-and-tile shower adorned with platitudes as the most unique piece: “Bless the ones who curse you,” “c’est la vie,” etc. The minibar and snacks are dominated by Vanderpump products, with the occasional nod to Britain (don’t miss the English shortbread cookies), and room service from Giada’s is available within specific hours. I also appreciated how soft the towels were, and that the one-size-fits-all robe was actually telling the truth. The aesthetic upgrade from The Cromwell is significant, and the lobby features Instagram-coded vignettes like a Vanderpump-themed car and a red British phone booth.
According to Vanderpump, she currently has no plans to make this hotel the backdrop of a new show, but time will tell if that’s just opening-week posturing or an honest response. During the party, though, reality TV was still at the forefront. The cast of Vanderpump Rules was, of course, attending, and their film crew flitted around the hotel all weekend. After her casino floor entrance, the grand dame of Vanderpump Rules was quickly surrounded by past and present castmates and gave a surprisingly emotional speech, thanking her family for their support.
Former Housewife Garcelle Beauvais was there, and so was her son, Oliver Saunders, who has become a sort of fixture in the Bravo universe by working at Vanderpump à Paris in Las Vegas, but not really appearing on Vanderpump Rules. His path might actually be the best way forward for staff at the hotel, as a job here allows them potential access to the Vanderpump Rules world without the commitment of constant filming. After all, the twin forces of reality television and social media influencers have changed a lot in the last two decades. Once laughed off as trashy or campy, these new media modalities are arguably the most prominent path to fame and fortune in 2026—and there’s no better proof than the existence of this hotel.
