Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian
The first thing you wonder when you get to the second floor of the Venetian is if you took a wrong turn. The shops here are made to look like outside Venice on a warm spring day. The illusion is complete with an azure sky above and gondola rides around the hotel. A boatman will serenade you while you take a lazy stroll down the river. You may even meet a famous Venetian while you are here. Marco Polo may discuss his travels or Casanova exerts his famous charm to the ladies.
The boat ride ends at a replica of St. Mark’s Square which is a central landmark in Venice. You can also listen to strolling musicians, opera singers, or watch glass blowers make their vases. It is the normal hustle-bustle activity of a Venice marketplace.
The Shoppes themselves are directly accessible from the outside so you don’t have to try to navigate the casino. Walking through the casino is taking the long way around, but you do get to view the fabulous artwork on the ceilings and in the lobby. Even the floor of the lobby is eye-catching.
The Venetian recently added another tower to its structure called the Venezia. This building will adjoin the shoppes at the far end to St. Mark’s Square. Thus making it easier for guests to get back to their specific tower and making it easier for visitors to find their way around.
The shops themselves are medium to high-end brand names such as Jimmy Choo, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Rockport, and a Venetian glass and paper shop. They have a food court at one end of the shopping mall and the other end leads to Tao, a nightclub where you must be 21 to get into.