I was fortunate to be one of a small group of journalists invited to experience firsthand how Las Vegas transforms for Formula 1 races. I watched the F1 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix from the best track view locations and attended exclusive events hosted by the top hospitality venues. The ultimate indulgence was at the Bellagio Hotel, where our hosts spoiled us at four exceptional locations.
Prime Steakhouse restaurant
We began our VIP Bellagio excursion at the Prime Steakhouse, a newly decorated fine dining location at the lake level of the hotel with a view of the Fountains of Bellagio. We were treated to samples of seafood and steak created by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
The dining room has deep chocolate brown and Tiffany blue walls, water-themed canvas screens, and magnificent chandeliers. The restaurant also has an adjacent garden patio for outdoor service and a private dining area with sliding doors.
The Prime Steakhouse has two bars with select choices of wine and liquor.
The Vault
After Prime Steakhouse, we were escorted through one of the Bellagio’s casino floors to enter what appeared to be a plain door with no signage. We followed a short hallway to The Vault, a small, private cocktail bar described as “reserved only for the few.”
Our host was Giorgio Bargiani of London’s The Connaught Bar, which The World’s 50 Best listed as one of the best bars in the world. Bargiani demonstrated how he mixes martinis personalized to customer scent preferences.
The Fountain Club
Our next stop was the Bellagio Fountain Club. We followed a path around the lake to one of the premier track-viewing locations in Las Vegas.
The Fountain Club is a three-story structure between the lake and the street on the Las Vegas Strip. The first floor is an enclosed cooking and service area. The second and third floors are large hospitality spaces with food stations featuring a long list of celebrity chefs, many bars, and loads of seating areas in many configurations.
The roof is also set up for relaxing and watching the Grand Prix. We were there during the daytime, and the races were at night, so we didn’t have the whole experience, but it was a great spot to be extremely close to the race action.
Shoey Bar
The last stop on our VIP tour was the Bellagio Shoey Bar. Some Formula 1 drivers traditionally drink part of the champagne on the winner’s podium from one of their racing shoes. The Shoey Bar features limited-edition leather racing shoes made by Sparco.
When the F1 drivers drink from their racing shoes, they just do it, but the consumer Shoeys have a plastic boot-shaped liner. The liner cap has a hole for a straw. The Shoeys that were distributed to our group were filled with margaritas—well, all except mine. I opted for nonalcoholic drinks during our tour. We were allowed to keep the Shoeys as souvenirs of our luxury Bellagio experience.
