BEAUTIFUL HOTELS

Lose track of time beneath art-laden ceilings of The Venetian — a lavish Las Vegas resort offering rooms and suites nearly twice the average size of other hotel accommodations in the area. Its regal, 120,000-sq-ft casino has an impressive marble floor and hand-painted ceiling frescoes, with high-end shopping and dining at the nearby Grand Canal Shoppes only a stone's throw away. Travel tip: The airy Italianate mall offers gondola rides where visitors can float through the canals while being serenaded by mezzo-sopranos — hop on board and forget you're actually in the desert for just a moment. (