A Fabulous Vegas Weekend (with Adele)
I would attend over and over again!
I have been a huge fan of Adele since her debut album, and was devastated when I was waitlisted and unable to get tickets to her first round of tour dates for her Las Vegas residency. When she announced she was extending the tour through November 2023, I honestly thought my wishes to the universe made this dream come true. I mean, I have Adele on my vision board! I immediately signed up for Ticketmaster’s Adele Verified Fan Presale, and was so ecstatic when I got the notification that I had been selected for one of my chosen dates!
The ticket buying process was even more stressful than Coachella’s, and beads of sweat started to form on my forehead as I monitored the sluggish bar moving across my page. Thankfully I got in, only to play a virtual whack-a-mole with seats as they quickly sold out upon each click. I kept debating between corner seats in the first section versus better viewing options in the second section, and decided to commit to the second. Upon purchase of the tickets my adrenaline was still pumping and I was giddy with glee! I decided that this trip would be my sister’s present for her 30th birthday — but I had to keep it a secret for 3 full months before her actual birthday.
The day finally arrived to reveal the secret surprise to my sister during her visit to me in LA for Cinco de Mayo. I made some served up margaritas and handed her a card with the Adele concert weekend written inside. She was so excited upon opening it, and I could finally be free of this secret surprise! We blasted Adele all night, and discussed details of the trip as it wasn’t until mid-September (double whammy for both of our birthdays).
My sister and I are very attuned to Vegas, as we have done yearly trips ever since we were very young, plus yearly Vegas formals in college at USC. I booked us a room at the Cosmopolitan, as it is in close proximity to Caesar’s and I had yet to stay at the hotel (we normally stayed at the Bellagio as it was our grandparents’ favorite).
For dinner reservations, I booked Lisa Vanderpump’s new restaurant, Vanderpump à Paris, at the Paris hotel for Friday night. We planned to go clubbing afterwards at XS at the Wynn hotel. I booked an early dinner on Saturday before the show at Nobu inside of Caesar’s for easy access to the concert venue, and brunch at Cipriani (again at the Wynn) on Sunday.
The concert weekend was finally approaching within a week, when I started to get videos of the Las Vegas hack popping up in my TikTok algorithm. What a crazy world we live in! Thankfully, the Cosmopolitan was not fully integrated with MGM quite yet post-acquisition, so was not hit as hard as some of the other MGM-owned hotels.
After checking in, we headed to explore the restaurant area. We started with some ginger cayenne shots at The Juice Standard like the LA girls we are, and chowed down some massive burgers and fries with a side of sparkling rose. We spent some time unpacking and relaxing before dinner, then got ready for dinner and XS.
Vanderpump à Paris was so well decorated inside, and a similar vibe to Sur and Pump (RIP) in LA if you have ever been. As you can probably already tell, I am a huge fan of anything Parisian or Parisian-inspired. I love the details of the newspaper menu, and all of the crystal and glassware on display. I would say the main highlight is their cocktails — but stick to the menu if possible.
My sister first ordered their martini and I ordered an off-menu espresso martini — only hers arrived with the most gorgeous presentation I had ever seen while mine was very plain with not even a single coffee bean garnish (don’t worry, I redeemed myself with another aesthetic and delicious on-menu cocktail). I’m spoiled with some of the highest quality restaurant food in LA, so am always weary of comparing but I will say that the baked brie came very close to Wally’s.
We headed to the Wynn to go to XS, and were on the list via my most trustworthy promoter. As some of you are aware, clubbing in Vegas is always hit or miss but we actually had one of the best possible outcomes that night! We were at the promoters’ table for the majority of the night, and had a clear side view of the stage — which was so fun once Marshmello finally came on. His set was amazing, and we had an absolute blast!
After we got back to the Cosmo, I made my sister tag along to Secret Pizza which had the longest line — I’m pretty sure we stood there for almost an hour. But every perfect night ends with some delicious pizza, so I could sleep like a baby knowing the mission was accomplished.
The next morning, we were on the list to go to Encore as I’ve always only done Vegas nighttime clubs but never a day club! I lasted longer than I thought I would, but my sun allergies acted up as they always do and sadly left before The Chainsmokers came on (it’s okay — I’ve seen them several times before).
We stopped for a quick lunchtime snack at Urth for some recharge fuel (it was actually better than I remembered - I took note to not completely avoid it in LA), walked around the Wynn, then went back to the Cosmo. After a well deserved nap, my alarm went off at 4PM so we could get ready in time for our early dinner reservation.
Getting ready for a night out is always so funny in girl world, as we allot at least 1-2 hours to get ready and somehow were still late for our reservation. But, we at least put in the work to look as fabulous as possible for the one and only Adele. Thankfully, Nobu still accepted us and we had an amazing pre-show dinner full of market margaritas, yellowtail jalepeno, rock shrimp, crispy rice with spicy tuna, and of course their mouthwatering black miso cod.
The show start time on the Ticketmaster ticket says 8PM, and I had received an email prior to the show stating that doors open 75 minutes before showtime. We first got our merch, and were so ecstatic with our new “Hello It’s Me” oversized sweatshirts. We stopped by a drink stand to get some wine cups, then headed to our seats. We sat in section 206, row C, seats 616-617 and I was so pleased with the view and proximity to the stage. Though it was in the 200’s section, it is actually an extension (only one step of elevation) to the 100’s section. She starts exactly at 8:15, so make sure you get to the theatre and secure merch, drinks, and food prior.
Upon the curtains opening, I immediately got chills hearing her voice. It is astronomically even more gorgeous and powerful in person — if you can believe it! I instantly sobbed when she started singing “I Drink Wine” as that is my favorite song from her 30 album. She sings popular songs from all of her previous albums and singles, which brought on a lot of nostalgia.
I gasped as she came walking around the aisles during “When We Were Young”, and I got to witness firsthand her stunning beauty less than a couple feet away. There were people of all ages in the audience, who sang along to each lyric and exuded such love and awe towards Adele. My favorite was an older couple sitting right next to us, and the husband was unabashedly singing and dancing along the entire concert. It was so special being there with my sister, and such an amazing experience we will cherish forever.
The end of the show leaves you in such a blissful state, and we even collected some confetti memorabilia from the ground. I would take pictures by the stage before the show starts, as by the time my sister and I got to the front of the line we were ushered to exit the theatre. Also, we were so glad we got merch before the show as the lines were absolutely crazy. We called an Uber in the parking area which was a huge mistake, as we were essentially in a scene of Rush Hour with our Uber navigating through the stopped cars. I would either hang around Caeser’s for a bit or try the taxi line instead, as the taxi’s at least have a better runway out of the hotel.
When we finally made it back to the hotel, we had a little photoshoot on our balcony in our “Hello It’s Me” sweatshirts, then put on matching sweatpants and ventured around the hotel. We decided to stop by the Chandelier Bar for a cocktail — thank goodness they let us in with our lounge wear. It is only on very rare occassions that I will indulge in a chocolate martini, but this was a special night to commemorate. We picked up some of our favorite snacks — my guilty pleasure being nacho cheese Doritos. I dragged my sister along to play some fun slot machines, as she witnessed my winning streak then sudden downfall that cued our time to go to bed.
The next morning, we had a last brunch at Cipriani. Our brains must have still been in a daze from Adele, as we arrived early but somehow were still late to our reservation after several wrong turns and loops around the hotel. I was hesitant to book Cipriani, as the last time I went to the New York location their ceiling was flooding with buckets on the floor, and it was a very chaotic experience.
I was so pleased with the Vegas location though; it had amazing service, people watching, drinks, and food all around. I did laugh hysterically when my Cosmopolitan arrived in a shot glass (see below) — but I guess that’s the Cipriani way! I definitely recommend ordering their ‘Homemade Baked Tagliolini with Ham’, it is such a yummy, unique dish that you won’t find elsewhere. I also recommend their Venetian Spritz (essentially an Aperol Spritz), which was so fresh and a 10 out of 10. We got our drinks in to go glasses, and played some slot machines before it was time to go pack for our flights!
I had booked the Cosmo far in advance as it was already filling up for our concert weekend, but upon reflection it really did not align with reservations location wise. But, I am glad we had the chance to experience the hotel. I love that it has spacious rooms, a balcony (I believe one of the only hotels that does), and a fun ambiance — but is lacking in the amount of food options and shopping areas. Based on where we tend to go, I will probably book the Wynn next as it makes the most sense — so stay tuned!
As far as my experience at the Adele concert, I could not recommend it enough! It is such a privilege to witness her talent in person, and I would go again and again if I could. I am so happy that she decided to extend her tour again so many other people get to experience her talent, and I hope this blog is helpful for any of you that do! Big shout out to my sister for sharing this very special experience with me — the 30th birthday celebrations continue year round! XO
