Work travel: how to enjoy Las Vegas when you don't want to gamble or party

"Ugh, Vegas is the worst when you're there for work," a friend said before my last business trip to Sin City. I could see their point, but I had to disagree...

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas... sometimes

The Vegas experience revolves around gambling, excess, and a little debauchery. I don't gamble, and the rest is off-limits on a business trip. (Let's be honest, the saying "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" doesn't apply when colleagues are involved.)

But I've learned that Vegas can be fun—even when you don't want to gamble or party. This is how I have fun on a work trip to Las Vegas:

1. Enjoy the eye candy

Convention/conference/whatever hotels on the Vegas Strip are massive, all-consuming, 24/7 rabbit warrens. It's easy to walk miles every day and never escape your hotel. Don't do it! Get out! Experience the smoke-and-AC-free air!

The Vegas Strip is pure spectacle, with Venice to your left, New York to your right, Paris in front of you, and a constant parade of showgirls around you. You can either embrace the fantasy, or be miserable.

Embrace it! I revisit perennial faves (the Wynn for whimsy and art, the Venetian for faux ancient architecture, the Bellagio for nostalgia) and try to find at least one new favourite every trip (this time: the 40-foot-tall Bliss Dance statue at the MGM Park). What better way to end a long day at work than a walk from New York to Paris?

2. Walk the Vegas Strip before work

Sure, I love to watch the Bellagio fountains at night, but my favourite time of day on the Vegas Strip is first thing in the morning, when the streets have been washed of the nightly detritus, there are no crowds, and no one is trying to sell you cheap theater tickets/ a helicopter tour/ a prostitute. (Seriously, what's with the hooker playing cards in Vegas?)

Want to show up at work with a smile? Go for a walk in the sunshine, remember the grey weather at home, gaze up at the Eiffel Tower, then grab a Slut in the Cosmopolitan. (No, not a slut. A Slut. Creamy potatoes, topped with a coddled egg, served with brioche toast. OMG. Thank you Eggslut.)

3. Splurge on a great meal or a show

OK, so you've got coffee, muffins and lunch at your conference/ convention/ whatever and your per diem will cover a Vegas-priced fast food joint for dinner. At this point, all I can say is: this is Vegas! Don't squander the opportunity!

With so many celebrity-chef-restaurants and big-name shows in one place, you have to whip out the personal credit card for at least one splurge. Maybe two. Or three. Hell, this is Vegas: city of excess. You have my permission to indulge.

Try Thomas Keller's Bouchon, Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen or my personal fave: Scott Conant's Scarpetta, with its exceptional food and service, and views over the Bellagio fountains.

Highlights of my latest trip: the US$22 wagyu beef Truffle Burger at Black Tap in the Venetian, a duck tongue taco and Chinese-inspired ceviche at José Andrés' Chinese Poblano, and a late-night slice at Secret Pizza (which is almost invisible to the mere passerby: look for the tunnel beside Blue Ribbon in the Cosmo).

But my best (and most expensive) decision on my last Vegas trip was a last-minute ticket to Absinthe.

If you love acrobatics and are not offended by... well, anything, you'll love Absinthe, an intimate/ blue/ hilarious fuck-you to Cirque du Soleil, which I also have huge affection for. (If you haven't seen Cirque du Soleil's O at the Bellagio, go. My favourite Cirque show, hands down.)

4. Go fantasy shopping

So, now you're broke due to #3. Join the crowd [who've lost all of their money in the casinos]. Do what I do: wander through the Shops at Crystals, or the Wynn, and pretend like you're rich. Try on $900 shoes. Ask if the $3000 pants come in other colors. Just don't ask for the price in Canadian dollars or take photos of the merchandise (it's no fun to get shooed away from Christian Louboutin, in my experience).

5. Add a day on your own dime

The #1 rule of business travel: if you can afford the time and money, add a day at the start or end of your trip. Your flight is already covered, so all you need to pay for is a hotel, food and fun.

Option A: catch an early flight home. Option B: take a vacation day and spend it lounging by the hotel pool in a bikini (sans colleagues!), watching Cirque du Soleil, or escaping the Strip to see the art deco engineering wonder that is the Hoover Dam or the natural beauty of Red Rock Canyon (yes! there is natural beauty in Vegas!).

I chose option A on my last trip to Vegas. Mistake! I spent 6 hours in the airport, my flight was canceled, then I got shunted back to Vegas for a short night of sleep and a way-too-early flight home.

Note to self: always take option B. Because you never know what you'll see or who'll you meet in Vegas...