Forget heart-shaped chocolates and cheap teddy bears. You can’t buy romance at the drugstore, but on the Las Vegas Strip you can book it for date night. Whether that means cruising the city’s neon skies, gliding along a turquoise canal or clinking glasses at a coveted table, a Valentine’s Day to remember awaits you and your honey—no Hallmark card required.
1. SlotZilla (Fremont Street Experience, 702.678.5780)
Science has shown that adrenalin boosts sexual attraction, and that makes this towering slot machine-shaped zipline an ideal date activity. Soar high above downtown’s famed Fremont Street Experience in a seated position or choose the more adventurous Superman-style to jumpstart a heart-pumping holiday.
2. Qua Baths & Spa (Caesars Palace, 866.782.0655)
Turn this 50,000-square-foot relaxation destination into a private retreat with a couples massage or special service. The Kama Sutra with Shirodhara starts with warm botanical oils poured onto your forehead, followed by a coconut scrub, shower for two and a final rubdown to leave you both totally blissed out.
3. Backstreet Boys (Feb. 13 & 15-16, Planet Hollywood Resort, 702.777.2782)
Oh my god, they’re back again—with 90 minutes of hit-soaked nostalgia full of teenage heartbreak and tight choreography. Twenty-plus years into their careers, the now-grown-up Boys haven’t lost a beat or a step.
4. Top of the World (Stratosphere, 702.380.7711)
Every city has restaurants with a view, but nowhere else has the Stratosphere. Perched on the hotel’s 1,100-foot spire, you can soak in the desert expanse and neon circus while dining on steakhouse fare that would be worth a visit even without the windows.
5. Gondola Rides (The Venetian, 877.691.1997)
You and your partner, slicing through aquamarine water aboard the elegant frame of a gondola, your straw-hatted boatman singing as he steers. Las Vegas is a fantasy, and few experiences encompass that magic better than this classic, high-on-the romance attraction.
6. NoMad Restaurant (NoMad Hotel, 702.730.7000)
A New York clubhouse from the team behind Eleven Madison Park, given an extra dose of glamour for the Strip. Here, books line the walls, seafood towers float across the room and the roast chicken for two will redefine how you think about poultry.
7. Maverick Helicopters (702.261.0007)
From above, Las Vegas is a surreal wonderland, a collection of glittering glass castles interspersed with a giant wheel, an Italian palace, an Egyptian pyramid and an actual castle. Raise a toast, then step aboard for a 15-minute aerial tour.
8. Zumanity (New York-New York, 866.606.7111)
This is cirque du seduction, fiercely talented Cirque du Soleil artists turning bathtubs, chains and fishbowls into a celebration of the erotic in every combination. Check your inhibitions at the airport for this one.
9. Barry Manilow (Feb. 14-16, Westgate Las Vegas, 702.732.5111)
The crooner is back, regaling fans with more than 40 years of hits. Grab your sweetie, pick your seats and imagine the legendary vocalist is serenading only you.
