Forum Shops at Caesars Palace

Information

Forum Shops at Caesars Palace
Location: Caesars Palace
3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Contact: 702-893-4800
website
Hours: Sun-Thu 10am-11pm
Fri-Sat 10am-12am
Type: Mall
Vegas4Visitors Rating: B+

At a Glance

What is it?

A high-end mall themed to look like a Roman street scene complete with a sky above and talking statues.

Where is it?

At Caesars Palace on the Center Strip.

What do they sell?

There are more than 160 stores, boutiques, and restaurants offering just about everything including clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, lingerie, collectibles, and much more. Here are a few examples: Abercrombie and Fitch, Agent Provocateur (lingerie), Armani Exchange, Ann Taylor, Anthropologie, Apple Computers, Bettie Page Boutique, Brooks Brothers, Cache, Cartier, Christian Audigier, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin, Diesel, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Faberge, Fendi, GAP, Gucci, Guess, H&M, Harry Winston jewelry, Jimmy Choo, Juicy Couture, Lacoste, Louis Vuitton, MAC Cosmetics, Marc Jacobs, Nike, Swarovski, Tiffany & Co., and Versace.

What are the prices like?

Most of the outlets here are high-end and not for budget shoppers. Even the stores that you might find in the malls near where you live (e.g. Gap) often have higher prices than what you’ll find in other places.

What should I be sure to check out?

Some notable stores include one of the biggest outlets of clothier H&M (3-stories and more than 100,000 square-feet), the sassy fun fashions at the Bettie Page Boutique, and the gadgets galore at the Apple Store.

Why should I shop here?

This is one of those shopping as experience things and even if you don’t actually buy anything you should at least wander through to gawk. Oh and be sure to ride the circular escalator!

What else do I need to know?

Check the related reviews at the bottom of the page for restaurants and attractions in the mall.

What’s the bottom line?

Pure Vegas kitsch – a must-see attraction, but usually too expensive for most people to make it a true shopping destination.

Full Review

Yes, you could go to a mall and shop, but you can do that anywhere. This is Las Vegas, where even the relatively pedestrian act of exchanging currency for goods and services becomes an over-the-top experience that seems to require that you bring a camera almost as much as bringing your credit cards.

The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace led the charge toward this “shoppertainment” when it opened in 1992. Done as a Roman street scene, the mall features store fronts that appear to be straight out of a gladiator movie, an overhead sky that changes based on the time of day, and stone “streets” to walk upon. Add in the columns, the filigree, and the statues (some of which move and talk), and it’s like you’re back in Caesar’s time, only with a Gap and a Victoria’s Secret nearby.

The mall has more than 630,000 square-feet offering up more than 160 stores, most of which are on the higher end of the price scale. Designer names like Dolce & Gabbana, Tiffany, Armani, Cartier, and Christians Audigier, Dior, and Louboutin abound and to say that things aren’t exactly cheap in these stores is the understatement of the century. There are plenty of more moderately priced outlets like the aforementioned Gap and Victoria’s Secret, but it’s worth noting that you will most likely pay a few bucks more the t-shirt or wonder-bra that you buy at these stores than you would in the same company’s stores in the mall near your house.

There are plenty of food opportunities as well, including a branch of New York’s popular Italian eatery Carmine’s, and a Planet Hollywood Restaurant to name a few.

You can access the mall from inside Caesars Palace, near the Colosseum showroom but I recommend going in from the street entrance, which is on the north end of the property near the walkway to The Mirage. Why? Because this is where you get the first, full wow-factor of the place with a soaring three-story rotunda complete with fountains and a circular escalator (supposedly one of only two in the world when it was built).

If you happen to be there when the Fountain Show is running it is a bit of silly fun but not worth going out of your way for. It involves the statues “coming to life” and talking about gods and mythology and a bunch of other overly-dramatic stuff with fire and faux-drama.

It’s worth noting that if you are driving here you’re going to have to pay to park your car. Self-parking at Caesars Palace is $10-$12. Instead, consider using the Forum Shops valet (under the building). It’s $7, which is not only cheaper than the hotel’s main valet but also cheaper than self parking.

Whether you actually buy something at The Forum Shops is totally beside the point. After all, this is not shopping… this is an “experience!”