Once upon a time, splurging in Las Vegas meant going back to the buffet for thirds or blowing a wad of dough at black jack. These days, Sin City offers far more sophisticated and creative ways to part you from your cash.

Conspicuous consumption is raised to an art form at such resorts as Bellagio, where the likes of Chanel and Prada vie for your attention; the Venetian, with shops like Jimmy Choo, English sandal maker to Carrie and Miranda; and the Aladdin Resort’s Desert Passage, interspersing tony boutiques like BCBG, Sur la Table (and its high-fashion housewares), and Hugo Boss with exotic open-air marketplaces.

Along with top-notch shopping and fine wining and dining, elaborate pamper palaces abound. Canyon RanchSpaClub at the Venetian features the Lulur King’s Bath, derived from a 40-day prenuptial ritual created for royal Indonesian brides. Here it’s available to everyone and takes a mere 110 minutes—and it’s okay if you’ve already tied the knot. At the Regent Las Vegas Resort’s Aquae Sulis Spa, you can float together through a stimulating hydrotherapy course, with stations ranging from a spritzing chaise lounge to a column of tiny “champagne” bubbles.

Bali Hai, the Strip’s spectacular new $32 million golf course, will call to you—at least if you’re a duffer duo (or a sucker for old show tunes). The course has a South Pacific theme—aquamarine ponds, volcanic-rock outcroppings, Polynesian cuisine at the Pacifica Restaurant—in addition to three beach bunkers, seven acres of water, 4,000 palm trees, and 100,000 tropical plants. But who’s counting?

Prefer one of Mother Nature’s grand gestures? Sundance Helicopters can swoop you into the Grand Canyon for a champagne picnic. You’ll hover over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead before returning for a bird’s-eye view of the Strip. Or hike a gorge closer to hand: Spectacular Red Rock Canyon is just 20 minutes from town. Sky’s the Limit can guide you to ancient Indian petroglyphs, or help you scale the heights with an intro to rock-climbing.

If you’re channeling Jack Kerouac with On the Road fantasies, Resort Rental Car has your number. Va-room into the desert on a Harley or gun your Corvette’s engine down Las Vegas Boulevard.