Dolce goes to the iconic, bright light, non-stop, personality-packed city of Las Vegas and holds nothing back!
“Vegas, Baby!” should be said by all travellers once their flights land in the Nevada desert. Rightfully so, since Las Vegas continues to be one of the most iconic destinations in the world.
It isn’t just the city of bachelor parties gone wrong, or of iconic casino heists, or the host city of some of the world’s best and most famous entertainers, like Elvis Presley. Las Vegas is the city of no holds barred. If you’re going to go all out, there is no better destination. From extravagant accommodations to exceptional dining options, exciting shows to adrenaline-pumping extracurriculars, Las Vegas is for those who crave limitless opportunities.
Above all, in recent years, it has been the city that showcases the loudest and fastest engines in Formula 1 racing. Most recently, Dolce’s co-founder, Fernando Zerillo, was invited to attend the Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025 and have unprecedented access to all the city’s offerings.
Here, you can discover how la dolce vita and America’s Playground came beautifully together!
Zerillo arrived in Las Vegas with ease, thanks to Porter Airlines’ newly expanded schedule — seven flights a week that make slipping into the city smoother than ever. For the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, he stayed at his preferred accommodation, the grand Bellagio Resort & Casino, which elevated the entire weekend. Perched at the centre of The Strip and directly along the fastest Drag Reduction System (DRS) zone, the Bellagio put him at the heart of the race. From his room, he could look out over the famous fountains, the straightaway, The Sphere and the rugged red-and-black mountains framing the city.
Seeing the track constructed across one of America’s busiest tourist corridors made him appreciate the sheer scale and precision of the event. Throughout the weekend, Las Vegas hummed with unmistakable F1 energy. Crowds moved through The Strip in a kaleidoscope of team colours — reds, blues, greens, blacks — creating an electric, allegiance-driven atmosphere.
The city proved once again that it is far more than casinos: It is a seamless blend of world-class dining, luxury shopping, nightlife and spectacle, all amplified during race week. Exclusive moments defined much of Zerillo’s stay, beginning with a visit to The Vault, a discreet bar hidden within the Bellagio. Accessible through a narrow entrance tucked behind gaming tables, the space was meant for the elegant and discerning crowd. Just being in there made Zerillo feel like he was in a James Bond film.
At Carbone Riviera, Mario Carbone’s newest showpiece, he was immersed in Martin Brudnizki’s Mediterranean-inspired design, complete with mosaic walls, RIVA furniture and an outdoor deck facing the fountains. The revered spicy rigatoni, of course, lived up to its fame.
The city embraced the playful side of F1 as well. At the Shoey Bar pop-up, he toasted with Teremana tequila — Daniel-Ricciardo-style, right out of the shoe — while David Grutman’s Papi Steak at the Fontainebleau, complete with its famed $1,000 Beef Case dressed up with an F1-themed flair, delivered an exceptional steak-night experience.
Zerillo’s nights were spent at Grutman’s LIV, where Dom Dolla lit up the room, and he spent F1 qualifying day at Giada, the restaurant of beloved chef, entrepreneur, writer and television personality Giada De Laurentiis at The Cromwell — which also happens to deliver the best vantage point overlooking the DRS straight, enhanced with reconfigured seating, screens and a DJ. It’s also where Zerillo discovered his new go-to drink: an Old Fashioned made with Flecha Azul tequila.
Race night brought crisp desert air, unmatched views from the Skybox, wine and savoury food. Celebrity sightings added to the glamour — Lewis Hamilton, Machine Gun Kelly, Keegan-Michael Key and Mark Wahlberg, who was in town to promote Flecha Azul, which is his tequila brand.
For its third Grand Prix, Las Vegas proved its mastery of spectacle and hospitality. Over the course of the weekend, with more than 300,000 fans in attendance, the city delivered an experience defined by energy, exclusivity and meticulous attention to detail.
During Zerillo’s stay, he had the opportunity to interview 38-year Las Vegas resident Steve Hill, the president and CEO of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, to discuss what Las Vegas represents, how it’s evolved and its plans for the future.
Q: With events, like Formula One and the Super Bowl, Las Vegas is hosting some of the world’s largest spectacles. How do these events shape the city’s long-term tourism and infrastructure strategy?
A: There are several different impacts. One is the event itself — Super Bowl and Formula One, for instance, have billion-dollar economic impacts. You feel the dollars, and it creates tax revenue and services. When those two events were here the first time, you could see the impact on the state budget, because we’re a state set up to tax those kinds of events.
Then you get the marketing effect. We couldn’t afford to pay for the marketing we get from racing here this week — it’s fantastic. And the reputation of Las Vegas has been elevated over time.
Q: Anything you can share about the F1 extension?
A: We’ve extended it for two years, and that’s probably me more than anybody else. I wanted to make sure that the race reached maturity before signing something long-term. I wanted to know how it works financially for Formula One, for the city and how we’re doing on logistics. I thought it would take a couple more years to reach that mature point. But I think we’ve reached the Goldilocks scenario this year.
We’ve started a conversation about what the framework for a longer-term extension would be. We intend for the race to be here permanently, but we want to make sure the agreement is fair long-term.
The next step needs capital investment, so you can’t put money requiring 5 or 10 years of return into a 2-year extension. But with a long-term plan, we could reduce lane closures, eliminate the need to put a bridge up and take it down every year, and maybe build permanent grandstands across from the paddock.
All of that is expensive. But long- term investing could reduce that and make the experience better for the community.
I CAN GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHETHER THEY SPEAK ENGLISH OR NOT, AND SAY “LAS VEGAS” AND EVERYBODY SMILES.
Q: Las Vegas is increasingly positioning itself as more than just a gaming destination. How successful has the city been in diversifying its economy through entertainment, sports and conventions?
A: Been successful at that. And it’s not that we don’t still appreciate gaming. We’re setting gaming records still, and that’s great. But we want to offer things that are attractive to a broad number of people. As we continue to get bigger, we need different reasons to bring people to town, and new reasons as well. If somebody comes to Vegas, and they do that a couple of times, and there’s not something new to do — well, I’ve been there, I’ve done that. I’m going to try something different. When you build The Sphere — well, I need to go to The Sphere. And so that’s going to be a fantastic thing.
Q: How many years has The Sphere been up now?
A: Two and a half, something like that. There’s nothing like it. What’s interesting is that in the last 15 years, it’s the first time we’ve had things that were attractions in and of themselves. Before, it was “Let’s go spend three days in Vegas and do everything.” But it wasn’t appointment travel. Specific events — sports, games, races — drive people to travel.
Q: Since you stepped into your leadership role, what are you most proud of ?
A: I say all the time that I have the easiest product in the world. I can go anywhere in the world, whether they speak English or not, and say “Las Vegas” and everybody smiles, and their eyes light up. I’m proud of the city. I’m proud of the progress it continues to make. I’m proud that it is a place that tries to look for a way to responsibly say yes. We’re a platform for great ideas. If somebody brings us a great idea, we try to figure out a way to make it work instead of slowing it down — it’s what makes Vegas great and we’ve maintained that. Those things are what I’m most proud of.
JOURNEYED BY FERNANDO ZERILLO
