From the new Linq hotel to the fab Cromwell, we’ve got the dish on Las Vegas.
ESPA at vdara
Late last year, Vdara Hotel & Spa opened the doors to the first ESPA-branded spa experience on the West Coast. Set over two floors, this 18,000-sq.-ft. oasis has 11 treatment rooms, a co-ed meditation room, sauna, hot plunges and heated lounge chairs. We’ve heard from a little birdie that ESPA devotees love the Desert Rose treatment, which includes a body massage that is a systematic application of oils and ESPA’s Body Butter. vdara.com or vdara.com/espa
delano las vegas
Part of the “boutique hotel” boom that seems to have taken Las Vegas by storm, Delano Las Vegas will be opening its doors next month at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. This non-smoking, all-suite property will feature 1,100 suites. Situated on the 64th floor and boasting stunning views of the Strip, Alain Ducasse’s Rivea and a new lounge are expected to open this upcoming winter. delanolasvegas.com
new menu at S+O
The 24-hour S+O restaurant at Downtown Grand Las Vegas Hotel & Casino has expanded its menu to include Northern Chinese specialties such as spicy mini-wontons with garlic sauce, crispy beef with carrots, and shiu-mai, pork and shrimp dumplings. Other new lunch and dinner offerings include “hangover” oxtail soup with hearty braised oxtail and simmered vegetables, and the Jalapeño Burger, which is exactly what it sounds like! The Red Mansion Chinese restaurant is being converted to a private dining space. downtowngrand.com
Part of the Caesars group, The Cromwell is the first stand-alone boutique hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. It features ONLY 188 rooms and suites (and boy, are they divine), as well as one of the most eye-catching rooftop pool/beach clubs we’ve ever seen (and we’re from Miami, so we’ve seen plenty!). Located on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road, this chic vibe and unique, unlike-anything-you’ve-seen-in-Vegas property caters especially well to hipsters. thecromwell.com
There’s a new wedding spot in Las Vegas—the Neon Boneyard North Gallery, located on the Neon Museum’s downtown Las Vegas campus. At the Neon Boneyard Annex and Outdoor Wedding Chapel, couples can say “I do” amidst rescued signs from Palms Casino Resort, New York-New York, Lady Luck and O’Shea’s. It all affords a very unique and picturesque backdrop. neonmuseum.org
liaison nightclub
Bally’s Las Vegas has just become home to Liaison Nightclub—the 7,000-sq.-ft. venue specifically catering to LGBT patrons. Open every night of the week, it features two club rooms, two DJs, multiple bars, and a stage. The music consists of international house, edm, top 40 hits, hip-hop mashups and a drag night. We’ve come a long way baby—this is the first nightclub catering to the LGBT community to be located inside the doors of a Las Vegas Strip casino venue. liaisonlasvegas.com
anyone for a bull ride?
At Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino’s PBR Rock Bar there’s a new “Ring of Honor” wall that honors bull-riding greats as well as famous bulls. Your clients will probably not get their mug shot on that wall, but they have the opportunity to try their skills on a bull with the bar’s hydraulic mechanical bull. pbrrockbar.com
the westin lake las vegas resort & spa
Located 17 miles from the Strip, “The Other Vegas” is home to The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa, which is offering an Escape to the Lake package ($119) through Sept. 30 that includes accommodations and daily breakfast for two at Rick’s Cafe. Come fall, the adjacent Reflection Bay golf course will re-open. westinlakelasvegas.com
jeff dunham makes vegas his home
“JEFF DUNHAM: Not Playing with a Full Deck” will open Nov. 28 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. He will be calling Las Vegas his exclusive home through May 31, 2015. Shows will run six times a week Wednesday thru Sunday with 7 p.m. performances Wednesday thru Saturday and late-afternoon matinees Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. Tickets, which are already on sale, are $72. planethollywoodresort.com
bugsy siegel is back
For clients interested in organized crime, the Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas has just unveiled two separate displays that are sure to get Old Vegas devotee’s hearts pumping. One of the displays, located in the museum’s Open City section, features rare, early to mid-20th century casino chips, photos and memorabilia from the 1946 opening of Bugsy Siegel’s Flamingo Hotel. The other display, located in the Evidence Room, focuses on artifacts from legendary illegal gambling halls around the U.S. themobmuseum.org
it’s a bird…it’s plane… no, it’s a zipline
For adrenaline-junkies, the VooDoo Zip Line at the 2,522-room Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino is now open. The attraction, which starts on the 50th floor of the Masquerade Tower, propels riders at speeds up to 33 mph to the adjoining 20-story Ipanema Tower. Guests then make a return trip to the starting point traveling backwards at 20 mph. The line boasts scenic views of the Strip and mountain ranges. voodoozipline.com
MR CHOW is coming to town
MR CHOW is expected to open its seventh restaurant location over at Caesars Palace Las Vegas in early 2015. The menu will feature staples of this luxe Beijing eatery including chicken satay, green prawns, hand-pulled MR CHOW noodles and Beijing duck. caesars.com
open-air plaza at monte carlo
There’s a new place to dine and hang out as Monte Carlo Resort and Casino has completed a multimillion-dollar reinvention of its Strip-facing facade, debuting an open-air plaza with six dining concepts, including the 800 Degrees pizzeria and Diablo’s Cantina, a 2-story Mexican restaurant. There will also be a roster of performers taking over the plaza daily. montecarlo.com
SLS shines
The SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, which will open its fab doors on Aug. 23, is set to bring some 1,600 guestrooms to the Las Vegas scene. We know you’ve been reading up on all the cool stuff that’s going to be part of this “we-can’t-wait-till–it-opens” property, but did you know about: Foxtail, an upscale lounge, open-format nightclub and expansive outdoor pool area; or about The SLS Buffet and The Perq coffee bar? Just a couple of new goodies that have been added to the hotel’s already impressive restaurant and nightlife brands. slshotels.com/lasvegas.com
golden nugget
This summer saw the opening of two new restaurants at Golden Nugget: Claim Jumper and Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar. Claim Jumper serves burgers, sandwiches, fresh-baked pot pie, and baby back pork ribs, as well as the “chocolate motherlode cake,” which Food Network has hailed as one of America’s “Top 5 Most Decadent Desserts.” Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar, meanwhile, has 70 boutique tequilas. goldennugget.com
westgate las vegas resort & Casino
The property formerly known as Las Vegas Hilton has been renamed Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Located one block off the Strip and adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Westgate property features a 95,000-sq.-ft. casino, the largest Benihana in the U.S., an expansive pool area and a spa. westgateresorts.com
the lanais & villas at the mirage
Recently opened for public reservations (and travel agent bookings, of course), The Lanais at The Mirage are elegant accommodations on the Strip that feature private backyards with dipping pools, two spacious living areas, a wet bar, master bedroom and bath with dual vanities and whirlpool tub. Rates start at $1,000 per night. For those with even deeper pockets, The Mirage has also opened up The Villas for public reservation, with rates starting at $2,225. mirage.com
the linq hotel & casino
The current Quad Resort & Casino will be re-imagined as The LINQ Hotel & Casino, set to open its doors Oct. 30. This gateway to the LINQ promenade will feature 2,256 brand-new rooms and suites (204), a completely renovated welcome experience built around a signature lobby bar, new retail and spa amenities, and a new pool deck. Opening rates are $89. thelinq.com
contact information
Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority: lvcva.com or lasvegas.com/travelprofessionals
