Las Vegas Tourism Information
Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:48:01 +0000
January 15th, 2010
Harrah’s takes over Planet Hollywood’s hotel operations.
By ARNOLD M. KNIGHTLY
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Harrah’s Entertainment is taking over management of the Planet Hollywood Resort’s hotel operations at midnight Saturday while the gaming giant continues to work on buying the property.
Harrah’s will replace Sheraton Operating Corp., a subsidiary of Starwood Hotel & Resorts Worldwide, which signed a 20-year management contract for the hotel in 2004.
Harrah’s will operate the 2,496-room hotel tower as well and take over some of the property’s food and beverage operations. The management agreement does not include the newly opened 1,201-room PH Tower, which is owned by Westgate.
The Planet Hollywood’s rooms will not be offered in Harrah’s customer reward system, Total Rewards, at this time.
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/Harrahs-takes-over-Planet-Hollywood-hotel-operations-81749017.html
Las Vegas Monorail files for bankruptcy protection.
BY: Kyle Hansen/Las Vegas Sun.
The Las Vegas Monorail Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday, but will continue to operate, company officials said.
In a statement, President and Chief Executive Curtis Myles said the system has suffered as fewer people have visited Las Vegas.
“The current economic downturn, including a 30 percent decline in convention traffic to Las Vegas, has increased the financial strain on the Monorail, like it has with every other tourism-dependent Las Vegas company,” Myles said. “Despite these challenges, the Las Vegas Monorail generates sufficient revenue to pay its operating expenses as well as a portion of its finance costs, and that will make it possible to restructure the company’s debt through the Chapter 11 process.”
Myles said the company won’t reduce services or hours of operation while going through the restructuring.
More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/13/las-vegas-monorail-files-bankruptcy-protection/
Steve’s Las Vegas Quickies:
BOA Steakhouse and Sushi Roku, both at The Forum Shops at Caesars, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. South, are celebrating their five-year anniversaries by offering 50 percent off all food items from Monday through Thursday. The promotion is available at both lunch and dinner.
New items have been added to the Sunday brunch menu at Simon at Palms Place, 4381 W. Flamingo Road. They include new Benedict-style dishes such as lobster and havarti or pulled pork with corn bread and a new all-you-can-drink champagne bar for an additional $16. The price of the brunch remains at $38 per person, $12 for kids 12 and younger.
The Cherry Nightclub at Red Rock Resort has been permanently closed by the resort’s owners, Station Casinos. Station Casinos spokeswoman Lori Nelson confirmed the club’s closing, saying the nightclub has run its course and the company wants to bring in something that is better focused on the locals market.
A 14,300-square-foot mansion in Spanish Hills here, which is the former home of actor Nicolas Cage, is on the market for $4.95 million. The estate was purchased for investment and resale purposes by the screen star who had invested in many real estate properties in the Southwest over the years. The property was listed for sale in August 2008 at an asking price of $9.95 million.
Now when you go for drinks or dinner at a bar or restaurant in The Venetian or Palazzo, you can literally take the gaming with you. The new Pocket Casino is available on the Strip only at the two Sheldon Adelson properties. It allows guests the ability to play blackjack, video poker, slots and Xtra Odds Baccarat while roaming bars, lounges, restaurants, the sports book and other designated areas — away from the casino floor. The system was tested so successfully in The Venetian Race and Sports Book and Emeril Lagasse’s Stadium sports bar in the Palazzo that hotel President and COO Robert Goldstein ordered it to be rolled out at the properties.
The new SkyJump Las Vegas being added to the rooftop of the Stratosphere will undoubtedly — even at the $100 ticket price — become a top tourist attraction. It will be a controlled free fall of 855 feet at as fast as 40 mph. SkyJump, the only one in the U.S. and the highest in the world, is set to open in April, runs until 2 a.m. and joins Big Shot, X-Scream and Insanity atop the tower. The entire experience for the six to 10 riders per hour, from preparation to landing, takes 30 minutes.
At The Mirage, a two-night stay with two tickets to The Beatles Love is $318. When you book at either Monte Carlo or New York-New York, there’s free welcome cocktails, 50 percent off bottle service in the nightclubs, free appetizers at Gallagher’s Steakhouse and D’Vino and 25 percent off spa services, plus two tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity or Frank Caliendo’s show are $99 for the pair.
It gets even better at the Luxor: Room rates start at $55. Stay a minimum of three nights, and you get the night with the lowest rate for free. At MGM Grand, where the rate has dropped to start at $75 a night, guests receive $60 of that in spa and dining credits, plus 15 percent off all retail shopping.
Chef Simon To and his Zine Noodles Dim Sum in the Palazzo were awarded as one of the Top 10 Chinese restaurants in the U.S. during the 6th Annual Top 100 Chinese Restaurants Awards at the Palazzo last night. Chef To also prepared and oversaw the evening’s eight-course Chinese banquet, which included dried scallops in jade squash, twice-boiled ginseng and quail soup, pigeon and abalone.
The world’s top-rated travel magazine Travel & Leisure has chosen five of our Strip luxury casino resorts in its just-published ranking of the Top 500 World Hotels. The list is based on the magazine’s reader survey results for rooms, facilities, location, service, dining and value.
In order of ranking from the highest, the five Las Vegas properties are Four Seasons Las Vegas, Wynn Las Vegas, Palazzo, Bellagio and The Venetian. I am presuming that Steve Wynn’s other Las Vegas property the Encore is too new to be added this year, but expect it and Aria to turn up on the list next year.
The 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards comes to the MGM Grand Garden arena on April 18.
Gino Ferraro, a Las Vegas restaurateur since 1985, has opened Ferraro’s Restaurant & Wine Bar at 4480 Paradise Road. It includes two chef’s tables, a cellar of 10,000 Italian and California wines, an outdoor patio, live music daily and an expanded version of the menu from his Flamingo Road restaurant. Call 364-5300.
The Edwards Twins have opened a new dinner show downtown at Hennessey’s Tavern on Fremont Street in a newly converted showroom. Identical twin bothers – Anthony Edwards and Eddie Edwards – impersonate male singers Elton John, Sonny Bono, Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli and female stars Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Cher and others. The cost is $45 with the show and a steak, seafood or chicken and pasta dinner included. Dinner seating is at 6:30 and shows are at 8, call 702-205-5313.
Donn Arden’s “Jubilee!” at Bally’s will celebrate its 17,000th performance during the 7:30 p.m. show on Jan. 16 and offer locals a $17 ticket. The specially priced tickets are available for section D with a $20 upgraded ticket deal for both the early and 10:30 p.m. show, call 702-967-4567.
Society of Seven and “American Idol” star Jasmine Trias are continuing their high-energy variety show at the Gold Coast. The group performs two shows at 3:30 and 7 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $29.95.
Jerry Mitchell’s “Peepshow” at Planet Hollywood will remain dark until Feb. 28. During this period, undoubtedly changes will be made.
The Thirsty Third Thursday Pub Crawl is being held monthly at Fremont Street downtown. The six-stop crawl begins at Hennessey’s Tavern, 425 Fremont Street, at 7 p.m. and also stops at visiting Mickie Finnz, Brass Saloon, Hogs & Heifers, Beauty Bar, Brass the Lounge, and the Side Bar. Everyone gets six drinks and half-price food for $20, call 702-382-4421 to RSVP for Jan. 21.
Last week, Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar in Town Square revised its hours of operation to 6 p.m. – 2 a.m. Tuesday – Sunday with the dueling pianos beginning at 8 p.m. Every Sunday half-priced drinks are being featured all night long.
Beginning Feb. 18, Playboy Comedy’s to get a permanent residency in The Lounge at the Palms, where it’s been performing sporadically for some years now. The award-winning comedy club is hosted each week by Cort McCown and Paul Hughes and kicks off its residency with East Coast comic Nick Di Paolo Feb. 18 through 20 and Sebastian Maniscalco Feb. 25 through 27. Tickets are $39.99 (inclusive of taxes), which includes entry into the Playboy Club following the show.
Michael Morton’s N9NE Group, which owns and operates several dining and nightlife venues at the Palms, will open a new “intimate and edgy” wine bar at Wynn Las Vegas this fall in a newly renovated space adjacent the Terrace Pointe Cafe.
The Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino is celebrating its 20th anniversary with deals for locals and visitors alike from Jan. 15 through Feb. 4. Special offers include $20 per night/per person room rates (mid-week only, commencing Jan. 20th); get 20% off the entire meal at Voodoo Steak and Buzios Seafood Restaunt; buy one ticket to Penn & Teller and receive a second for $20; $20 Chippendales tickets, and more. Click here for the complete list of offers. http://www.riolasvegas.com/casinos/rio/casino-misc/rios-20th-bday-detail.html
Cirque du Soleil is to launch a new glossy quarterly in-theatre magazine that will be presented to guests upon entry into each of their seven Las Vegas-based shows. The digest-sized publication will showcase the shows and the artists behind them.
Sugar Factory, the celebrity-beloved candy store which opened its first Las Vegas location last year at the Mirage, is to open a full-blown restaurant at Paris in the Strip-side space currently occupied by Ah Sin.
The 15,000-square-foot restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night menus, with an emphasis on desserts, and will also feature a gelato bar and retail space. Style-wise, according to the press release we should think “imaginative world of Willy Wonka meets the trendsetting style of MTV.” It’s slated to open sometime this fall, we understand.
According to Monti Rock III’s latest Las Vegas entertainment blog entry, there are potential plans to turn the Steve Wyrick Theater in the Miracle Mile Shops into additional retail space, although Wyrick’s reportedly still trying to raise additional funds to keep the dream alive. We’ll keep you posted.
Minus 5 Ice Bar at Mandalay Place has just announced news of a remodel, with 19 tons of new ice added, including a showgirl sculpture, and a $40,000 lighting upgrade, which includes a new laser light show.
Palace Station has opened the Gambler’s Den slot parlor, with more than 200 games with returns above 99%. We gave it a quick look and there’s plenty of 9/6 Jacks or Better, 8/5 Bonus Poker, and near full-pay versions of Deuces Wild, Joker Wild, and other games in denoms from 50 cents to $5. We’ll have a full report in the February LVA.
The Imperial Palace is currently home to The King’s Ransom, a multi-million dollar exhibit of Elvis Presley artifacts and personal treasures, including his 1977 Licoln Continental. It’s open from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily and admission’s $10.
One of the men convicted of planting a deadly pipe bomb in the Luxor parking garage in 2007 was this morning sentenced to life imprisonment. The bomb killed the lover of Omar Rueda-Denvers’ ex-girlfriend. Sentencing of co-defendant Porfirio Duarte-Herrera has been delayed until Jan. 28.
TV veteran David Milch (”Deadwood,” “John From Cincinatti”) has teamed with filmmaker Michael Mann (”Miami Vice,” Public Enemies) to produce a pilot for a proposed HBO horse-racing drama series. “Luck” is described as “a provocative look at the world of horse racing and gambling told through a diverse group of characters surrounding a racetrack.”
As part of the divorce settlement, Steve Wynn today agreed to transfer control of $741 million worth of his stock in Wynn Resorts Ltd. to his wife Elaine. The transferred shares were previously communal property.
The additions and renovations to Caesars Palace’s pool area, much of which was closed for construction last summer, will be unveiled this March. Apparently, the new “Garden of the Gods” will include five new multi-layer pools (Apollo, Fortuna, Jupiter, and two side-by-sides known as Bacchus), which increase the total pool area to five acres. The amenities include new poolside furniture and 45 state-of-the-art cabanas.
Having heard word from an LVA member, we just called the Golden Gate to check and received confirmation that the venerable 99-cent shrimp cocktail, a staple of our Top Ten Values for many years, has now officially raised its price to $1.99. The price was hiked back in 2008, but since then the downtown delicacy was still available to members of the players club for 99-cents. No more.
Stratosphere plans SkyJump thriller, 855-foot free fall.
By HUBBLE SMITH
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
A few people have already jumped from the 1,149-foot Stratosphere, though usually for reasons beyond the pure thrill of it. Now gamblers who drop a wad at the casino can find out what it feels like to take that plunge and live to see another day.
The hotel known for outrageous thrill rides is adding SkyJump Las Vegas, a “controlled free fall” of 855 feet from the top of the tower to a landing platform on the second level.
SkyJump joins the Big Shot, X-Scream and Insanity rides at Stratosphere, where the sheer height of the tower makes any ride a little more exciting than anything at the county fair.
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/news/stratosphere-plans-skyjump-thriller-855-foot-free-fall-81060722.html
Only in Vegas…almost.
SOUNDS PRETTY SHADY
The Shady Lady Ranch brothel, 150 miles northwest of Las Vegas, won final approval for its plans to hire men and start servicing women.
The Nye County Licensing and Liquor Board signed off on a compliance agreement that will allow for the practice to take place so long as the male sex workers wear condoms and undergo weekly health tests.
Owners of the small bordello said they could have their first stud on staff within two weeks.
MIKE WEATHERFORD: Honest opinion not always welcome.
An entertainer was joking with me about what I’d do if newspapers go down the tubes. He suggested I become a consultant.
The joke went like this: Since it costs at least $100,000 to put up even the tiniest Las Vegas show, I would listen to the pitch and then say, “Here’s my advice: Don’t do the show. That’ll be 10 grand. I just saved you $90,000.”
It doesn’t seem so funny now, in light of the strange saga of Cheryl Terhune Honore versus an Italian magician named Antonio Casanova, and the producers, MK Events, who attempted to launch his show at the Greek Isles.
More from The LVRJ here:
http://www.lvrj.com/living/honest-opinion-not-always-welcome-81087997.html
29TH ANNUAL BEST OF LAS VEGAS: Resolve to Vote.
R-J readers can start new year from position of strength by participating in poll.
By PATRICIA MORGAN
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Are your New Year’s resolutions already starting to wear thin even though you’re not? Then welcome a new fresh start by participating in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s annual Best of Las Vegas poll.
Don’t always settle for the same old picks. Use the ballot as a springboard to try new places — and then tell us about them. This whole voting thing can be fun if you let it. And this first of three series of ballots is the easiest because it emphasizes food and we all gotta eat.
The poll will work just like last year. You can fill out the ballot on Pages 8 and 9 in this section and return it to us, or you can fill out a paper ballot when it repeats in the Review-Journal on Monday and Thursday.
If writing on a paper ballot is not your thing, you can respond in an online ballot at www.lvrj.com/bestoflv.
The deadline for all of the first ballots is 5 p.m. Jan. 18.
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/living/resolve-to-vote-81092332.html
HEIDI’S PICKS.
BY: Heidi Knapp Rinellla/LVRJ
CAFE HEIDELBERG
610 E. Sahara Ave.; 731-5310
Despite a pronounced service shortage (read: one woman to serve the entire restaurant) we enjoyed our dinner at Cafe Heidelberg, thanks to the Old World German soul food. We loved the Bavarian potato soup, a special of creamy curried soup, Leberkäse with fried eggs and the Schnitzel Combo, which brings together Wienerschnitzel and Jägerschnitzel. And we sure didn’t go away hungry. (5/22/09)
Overall: A- $$$
THE GRAPE
Town Square, 6599 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 220-4727
Two things surprised us about The Grape: That the wine list wasn’t more broad, and that the food was so good. We thoroughly enjoyed our glasses of 2007 Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Barossa Valley Shiraz, however, as well as a classic Caesar salad; cambozola, prosciutto and fig flatbread; baked brie in pastry; and a tenderloin steak sandwich. (6/19/09)
Overall: A- $$
ROY’S RESTAURANT
8701 W. Charleston Blvd. (also at 620 E. Flamingo Road); 838-3620
Among the wave of places introducing happy hours in these trying times is Roy’s Restaurants, where the food and service during the weekday Aloha Hours live up to the island-hospitality theme. We tried the crunchy golden lobster potstickers, tempura-crusted ahi roll, pork and shrimp shu mai and Wagyu beef sliders and were pleased with all. (1/1/10)
Overall: A- $$ (at happy hour)
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/heidis-picks-80983902.html
Wynn Las Vegas’ Blush draws lounge, nightclub crowds.
By Sonya Padgett
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Blush at Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South, tries to impart a residential mood, giving guests the feeling that when they walk through the door, they’re walking into a party in someone’s living room.
Granted, a very nice living room, says Blush owner Sean Christie, one where you can sit, have a drink, talk and then dance the night away.
The boutique nightclub, as Christie calls it, opened in August 2007. At 4,500 square feet, it’s smaller than most nightclubs, but the design serves a dual purpose.
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/wynn-las-vegas-blush-draws-lounge-nightclub-crowds-80983852.html
FRESH DECADE: Wishes for 2010.
Here are 10 things we’d like to see in the new year.
By SONYA PADGETT
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Self-help gurus claim that, in order to reach a goal or make something happen, you need only to visualize the outcome you desire then put it out in the ether, verbalize it to the universe.
This will somehow mysteriously create the perfect conditions for your wishes to be fulfilled. Yes, it sounds a bit naive, but at least it’s hopeful. And who couldn’t use more hope these days?
So, on this auspicious date of Jan. 10, 2010, we hope to create a little good luck by letting the universe know that there are a few things we want for Las Vegas this year. Enough with the bad news, high foreclosure rates, stagnant job market and the all-around misery caused by them.
Give us 10 good things for 2010, starting with:
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/living/wishes-for-2010here-are-10-things-wed-like-to-see-in-the-new-year-81088007.html
Nevada gaming revenues increase for the first time in 23 months.
By HOWARD STUTZ
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Let’s not break out the party hats and the self-congratulatory statements just yet.
November’s modest statewide gaming revenue increase, the state’s first monthly rise in almost two years, is just a start to the casino industry’s recovering from a recession that has curtailed consumer spending, especially discretionary entertainment dollars spent by gamblers, according to analysts.
Nevada casinos collected $873.2 million from customers in November, a nearly 4.4 percent increase compared with $836.8 million won from gamblers in November 2008.
The figures, which ended a streak of often-times double-digit declines in monthly gaming revenues, were released Tuesday by the Gaming Control Board.
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/Nevada-gaming-revenues-increase-for-the-first-time-in-23-months-81226642.html
NORM: Divorce finalized, and all seems well.
Steve and Elaine Wynn’s second marriage apparently ended on an amicable note.
They were spotted together in public twice last week, around the time their divorce was being granted by District Judge T. Arthur Ritchie Jr.
Vegas Confidential learned Wednesday that the divorce decree was filed in District Court on Jan. 5.
Steve Wynn filed for divorce March 5, citing incompatibility, and the divorce papers were sealed. That came shortly after he started seeing British divorcee Andrea Hissom.
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/news/divorce-finalized-and-all-seems-well-81453587.html
MIKE WEATHERFORD: Wyrick mired in financial woes.
The future of the Steve Wyrick Theatre is up in the air, but it’s pretty clear we won’t be calling it that anymore.
Wyrick has been sidelined since his show and the theater both closed last month at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. This week, mall management moved to block him from removing fixtures from the theater or subletting it to another production.
A complaint filed in Clark County District Court reveals a key term of the lease: Wyrick had to perform his magic show to hang on to the venue, and the lease can’t be transferred without mall management’s approval.
That eliminates two scenarios that surfaced in recent weeks. One was that Wyrick would attempt to book another rent-paying production to keep the doors open, buying time for him to line up new investors.
More from The LVRJ here:
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/wyrick-mired-in-financial-woes-81453467.html
Las Vegas Top Ten Values/January 2010.
From: The Las Vegas Advisor.
1. CityCenter – CityCenter – Daily – Free
Needless to say, MGM Mirage’s newly opened CityCenter is number one this month. The newest hotel-casino on the block is always number one when it opens, but this isn’t just a hotel-casino. This, as you’ll read throughout the issue, is a massive metaresort with four hotel towers, two residential towers, a huge mall, a major convention center, two dozen restaurants, a new Cirque du Soleil show, underground valet parking, rooftop pools, sky bridges, an automated tram, even a new public street running through the place. We’re barely scratching the surface in this issue and will no doubt be reporting new things about CityCenter for months to come. But if ever a Las Vegas resort qualified for #1 just for its exploration value, this is it.
2. Room Rates – Hooters et al. – - $20 and up
Room rates continue to be a hot topic around here, especially now that 5,500 new rooms have been added to the inventory. Prices have deflated so much that hotels are closing towers—in addition to a public closing at Binion’s, others are quietly putting rooms on ice, and we’ve even seen a $109 deal at Aria that includes $50 in food-and-beverage credits and $25 free-play. We’ll be watching this trend very closely throughout 2010, as we did in 2009.
3. Steak Dinner – Ellis Island – 24 hours – $6.95
The complete steak dinner at Ellis Island is the best-value meal deal in a city full of good-value meal deals. It’s a 10-ounce filet-cut sirloin, which comes with salad, garlic green beans, choice of potato, and fresh microbrewed beer, all for $6.95.
4. Buffet – M Resort – Daily – $14.95-$25.95
M Resort has tweaked its buffet slightly: It no longer serves a full-scale spread for breakfast (a mini-smorgy is available in the coffee shop). Our Top Ten ranking didn’t account for breakfast anyway; it was based on a lunch audit and many raves about dinner. Nor were the prices raised. But it’s still our choice for the best buffet in town.
5. Prime Rib – South Point – 24 hours – $12.95
We keep trying prime ribs, but we keep coming back to the big slab at South Point (#4) for the one-two combo of quality and price. It’s served 24 hours a day in the coffee shop, with your choice of soup or salad, potato, and rolls if you ask.
6. Shrimp Cocktail – Golden Gate – 11 am-2 am – 99¢A tiny tweak in the Golden Gate’s deal for getting the 99¢ price for the shrimp cocktail means you must earn a minimum of one point on your GG players card to get the deal. Previously, you got the dollar discount simply by showing a players card. What does that mean? Not much. It’s a one-time requirement and $1 earns 1 point, so all you have to do is play a dollar in any machine with your card inserted and you’re good for life (or until the deal changes again). It’s a mathematical change akin to a $1.95 special being raised to $1.99.
7. Dollar Days – Sahara – Daily – $1
Dollar Days continue at the Sahara: dollar beer, shots (with souvenir glass), hot dogs, and blackjack, all in the rear of the casino near the NASCAR Café.
8. Lunch Comp – Crown & Anchor – Daily – $20 buy-in
The free lunch with a $20 video poker buy-in, available 11 am to 3 pm, is still going strong at the Crown & Anchor pubs. Plus, if you miss lunch, the $20 buy-in entitles you to a free appetizer (including the great chicken fingers) from 3 p.m. to midnight. And all the while, you’re also drinking comped premium draft beers from around the world. It’s ironic that the best comp in Comp City is now available outside the casinos (locations are at 1350 E. Tropicana and 4775 Spring Mountain).
9. Steak & Eggs – Arizona Charlie’s Decatur – Daily – $3.99
The Arizona Charlie’s Decatur steak-and-eggs breakfast special is served 24/7 and costs $3.99, but you have to show a player’s club card to get that price (four people can get the deal on one card). You can also get the steak (or ham) and eggs at Arizona Charlie’s Boulder for $3.29, but it’s a bit more difficult to travel there and the coffee shop isn’t open around the clock.
10. Beer – Casino Royale – Daily – $1
The $1 beer special at Casino Royale is back. You can find a lot of dollar beer deals around town, but Casino Royale serves bottled Michelob around the clock right in the heart of center Strip. Or you can opt for $1 margaritas (traditional or strawberry served in 12-ounce plastic glasses).
http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/topten.cfm
Bellagio Introduces Stunning Fountains Brunch In Las Vegas.
For the first time in the AAA Five Diamond resort’s history, Bellagio offers an unrivaled brunch experience, featuring a bevy of gourmet and traditional cuisine, while enjoying sweeping views of its lake and world-renowned fountains. Fountains Brunch at Jasmine now redefines Sunday brunch in Las Vegas.
Upon arrival, guests are welcomed with a tempting Tableside Bakery Trio – a selection of miniature pastries, muffins and Danish – along with seasonal berries to tease the appetite as patrons decide which of the many bars and stations they should visit first.
From there, guests may be drawn to the Lakeside Shellfish Bar offering seafood indulgences such as freshly shucked Oysters on the Half Shell with a tasty mignonette sauce; Alaskan Red King Crab deliciously presented with creamy lemon aioli; Scottish Smoked Salmon or Dill- and Vodka-cured Lox, paired with traditional garnishes and mini-bagel chips; and American Caviar served with chive crème fraîche and buckwheat mini-waffles.
The sounds of cracking eggshells and sizzling hot pans may lead patrons to an Organic Egg Station where they can choose from Build-Your-Own Omelets and Eggs Benedict to scrambled or fried. Or perhaps the mouth-watering aroma of Peking-style Duck, Roasted Prime Tenderloin or house-made Sausage from the delectable Carving Station will tempt taste buds first.
“Between our extensive gourmet offerings, personal tableside touches and awe-inspiring fountain views, Jasmine is the spot for Sunday brunch in Las Vegas,” said Bellagio Vice President of Food & Beverage Ana Marie Mormando. “For anyone who appreciates great food in a beautiful setting, this experience is unparalleled on the Las Vegas Strip.”
For those who yearn for more choices, additional dining options abound. At the Cold Table, guests can partake in such distinctive dishes as Lemongrass Panna Cotta garnished with crystallized wasabi; Bocconcini and Cherry Tomato Spiedini with lemon basil; and Kobe Beef Roulade prepared with enoki mushrooms and miso-butterscotch dressing. At the Hot Table, savory Mini-Lamb Meatball Brochettes, Dungeness Crab Cakes and Crystal Prawns tantalize. Other choices such as Nigiri and Maki Sushi, Pan-fried Asian Chicken Buns and an Asian Noodle Soup Station satisfy guests’ cravings for authentic Asian fare.
The meal’s sweet end comes in the form of decadent desserts such as Chocolate Fondue, White and Dark Chocolate-dipped Strawberries, miniature French Pastries and an assortment of Truffles, Bon Bons and Tea Cookies.
Priced at $55 per person excluding tax, an unrivaled array of culinary delights combined with the dramatic beauty of Bellagio makes the Fountains Brunch at Jasmine the premier Sunday brunch destination for Las Vegas visitors and locals alike. Service takes place every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Reservations are suggested. To secure seating, call Bellagio Restaurant Reservations at (866) 259-7111 or (702) 693-7223.
New Years Eve Fireworks Show from www.accessvegas.com
http://www.aaavegas.com/events/las-vegas-new-years-eve-fireworks-video-welcomes-2010/2010/01/08
Lion King Shatters Box Office Records.
From: www.accessvegas.com
Disney’s landmark musical event, THE LION KING, has broken its own Mandalay Bay Theater box office record with a gross of $1,314,161 during the eight-performance week of December 21-27, 2009. The previous Mandalay Bay Theater record held by THE LION KING was a gross of $1,200,128 (set week ending July 26, 2009).
For Las Vegas, Disney hand-selected an international cast of performers who have won acclaim in productions of THE LION KING across the globe, including Broadway, Taipei, South Africa, London, Los Angeles, Australia, Toronto, Shanghai, Paris and Holland.
Based on the 1994 Disney animated film, THE LION KING continues to reign as one of the most popular shows around the world, recently welcoming its 50 millionth guest worldwide. The global phenomenon is the winner of more than 70 major awards worldwide, including the 1998 Tony Award® and NY Drama Critics Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy for Best Musical Show Album, and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design. The show has been seen in 13 different countries (US, Canada, UK, Japan, Germany, Holland, France, Mexico, Australia, China, Taiwan, South Africa and Korea) and translated into five different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch). In addition to Broadway and a North American tour, THE LION KING can also be seen on stage in London, Hamburg, Paris, Tokyo and Las Vegas. A new production will bow in Singapore in September 2010 – a first for Disney Theatrical Productions.
The show is performed Monday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday shows at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The Scintas Return to the Suncoast Showroom February 13-14.
Following a series of well-received weekend dates in 2009, The Scintas bring their one-of-a-kind act back to the Suncoast Showroom, Valentine’s Weekend, February 13 and 14.
The Scintas, Buffalo, New York-raised brothers Joey and Frankie, sister Chrissi and “Irish Scinta” Peter O’Donnell, entertain, surprise and provide an anything-but-typical performance filled with music, comedy and impersonations. Their Las Vegas act, which got its start in a bar owned by former Buffalo Bill and present-day ESPN commentator Paul McGuire, includes “guest” appearances by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and others, singing songs audiences love.
Collectively, they’ve dazzled sell-out crowds in Las Vegas showrooms and on the road. Individually, each member of The Scintas has enjoyed a stunning rise to fame. Frankie, recognized as a musical prodigy, appeared on The Merv Griffin Show at age 11. He plays the keyboard on the show and is also a master guitar, mandolin, banjo, drum and bass player. Joey, who originally intended to become a music teacher, developed and mastered his talent for comedy and impressions. The baby of the family, Chrissi, is known for her stunning renditions of the big ballads. Although not related, Peter O’Donnell has been a member of the close-knit clan since joining The Scintas in 1988. He has played gigs with more than 700 bands.
A family on stage and off, The Scintas often welcome their mother Mary Scinta, affectionately known as “Mama Scinta,” and their brother Tony, a retired Buffalo homicide detective, and his family, as special guests at their shows.
Tickets are now available starting from $29.95, plus tax. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 702.636.7075, or by visiting www.suncoastcasino.com.
‘Restless City’ Las Vegas crime noir/ Book Review.
NOTE: Co-Author Briam Rouff is a longtime friend who also wrote Dice Angel and Money shot. Briam also donated copies of “Restless City” and “Money Shot” as prizes in this years football contest.
How do you get seven different writers together to write a single story without seven different outcomes? (And without them killing each other!) Very, very carefully, I would imagine.
But that’s just what Geoff Schumacher, on behalf of the Vegas Valley Book Festival, managed to do when he gathered seven of Las Vegas’ best known authors to form Las Vegas Writes. Given a few simple guidelines — the story had to be set in Las Vegas, had to be fiction, and each chapter had to be 3,000 to 4,000 words in length — the group of seasoned writers has produced the gritty, fast-paced suspense novel in “Restless City.”
Private investigator Daniel Brady has been hired by one of Vegas’ high-rolling gamblers to find out why a seemingly harmless old lady has been murdered and why her granddaughter suddenly has tried to commit suicide. What seems to be a routine case quickly turns into a deadly web of intrigue and deceit as the story travels from the tired, old-school casinos of downtown Vegas to the spectacular high-rise towers of the Strip.
Brady soon finds that the people he thought he could trust and count on have turned against him, and his own life is in eminent danger as he seeks the truth. Scam artists, hookers, Christian bikers, and a hand or two of naked poker, and the answers Brady seeks will come soon enough; but not before a beating or two has taken place. It’s a hard way to earn a buck.
“Restless City” is a fascinating book on two different levels. This is a great crime noir story, reminiscent of the style of crime writers of days gone by. But it also is captivating for the reader to experience the diverse writing styles of seven different authors in one tale. H. Lee Barnes sets the tone of the story from the start, with character development and back story. John H. Irsfeld gives readers a taste of downtown Vegas, and Brian Rouff takes them on a field trip out to Laughlin, the poor man’s Vegas.
Surprisingly, it’s Leah Baily, one of the two ladies of the group, whose chapter deals with the violence of the Vegas underworld, while John L. Smith remembers the glory days of Vegas’ past. Constance Ford visits the ancient mobster who knows all and sees all, and has all the answers, but you’ve got to get naked to get them. Vu Tran wraps up the action in a satisfying manner that brings closure to the story.
Having lived in Vegas, and being familiar with the area, I was pleased by how instantly this story took me back to the glitz and glamour, the muck and filth that make up Sin City. There’s no where else like it in the world, and these seven diverse authors capture the mystery of Las Vegas beautifully in “Restless City.”
http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Restless_City_Las_Vegas_crime_noir.html
Las Vegas Entertainment News/ January, 2010
By Chuck Rounds
The New Year is supposed to be a time of renewal…a time when we get to look back and see what we did right and wrong in our lives, and then as we look ahead, we have to figure out how to make this year better than the previous one. We have to figure out the path that will make more things go the way we want them to. It is a time for resolutions…It’s time to get fit and healthy, a time to get thin, or rich, or married, or divorced; a time to stop smoking or drinking; a time to be a better, more committed person both personally and professionally. It is a time when we are forced to try and figure out how to do less of what is bad for us and more of what is good for us. The New Year always brings new hopes and new challenges to people. We fill ourselves up with resolutions and hope that the New Year will bring us into a better and more prosperous time of our life. With these hopes also comes the pressure to achieve…that personal commitment within us that is undoubted
ly going to take a lot of time and energy.
It is different for the entertainment industry. Simple barometers of sales measure the success and failure of just about any production. Did it make money or not? Oh, would that our lives be so easy to figure out…
It’s 2010!!! Happy New Year!!
Not that I want to get nostalgic for 2009, but…2009 had some interesting occurrences…
When so many shows suffered and did badly, Donny & Marie flourished at the Flamingo. They started off with a six-month contract, and their show was so great and popular that after two-weeks, they were extended to two-years.
Also, the Lion King has been setting attendance and revenue records.
Bette Midler will end her show at Caesars after two years, leaving only Cher in the showroom.
Folies Bergere closed in late March. The show had just celebrated its 49th year, and it was moving toward 50, but owners of the Tropicana decided to pull the plug. This show was the last true connection to the past glory of Las Vegas. Its showgirls were synonymous with the city. It had been the longest running show in America. Jubilee still has showgirls, but that show opened in the 80’s, not the 50’s…there’s a big difference. It is merely a pup in comparison. Folies was the quintessential Las Vegas show.
It was replaced by Wayne Newton starring in his new show, “Once Before I Go – Celebrating 50 Years on the Strip.”
Gordie Brown Live officially opened at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino Feb. 5, in the Golden Nugget’s newly named Gordie Brown Showroom.
ND’s Fuego – The Evolution of Nightlife” debuted a multi-faceted club experience at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino…it closed after about a week.
The third longest running show in town, after 24 years, “An Evening at La Cage” shut down.
The Scinta’s ended their run at the Hilton, and replacing the Scinta’s in the Shimmer Cabaret at the Las Vegas Hilton was Earl Turner and Lani Misaluci in “Voices.” Later in the year, Turner left the show, and Misaluci was the only “voice” to continue.
“Peepshow,” opened at Planet Hollywood. It started with Mel B and Kelly Monaco; it has continued with Holly Madison.
Terry Fator successfully opened at the Mirage, and then was surrounded by controversy for dating one of his assistants and divorcing his wife.
“Ignite” opened at the Greek Isles, ran for six months and then was forced to close.
“Scarlett: Princess of Magic” suddenly closed her show at the V Theatre…the re-opened her show as a sexy topless magic show at the Riviera, and then closed that show a couple of months later.
Trent Carlini opened his show “Evolution” at the Steve Wyrick theatre…and lasted about three weeks. Then, Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” came to the Wyrick theatre and closed after a couple of shows… “Rockstar” had a few performances there…and left. Andrew Dice Clay had a couple of performances there…and left. “The Platters, Cornell Gunter’s Coasters & The Marvelettes” moved into the theatre…and then closed.
…and finally, Steve Wyrick himself closed his show. It is a shame…it closed due to internal conflict and not for lack of sales… Wyrick is very positive about re-opening his show on the Strip.
Charo opened at the Riviera, and then got hurt, and never came back. She was replaced by Andrew Dice Clay.
“Sgt. Pepper Live,” featuring Cheap Trick had a successful limited run at the Hilton.
Bobby Slayton moved to the Tropicana…and closed.
Rich Natole moved to the Tropicana…and closed.
The Primm resorts introduced the “Freecation.”
The V Theatre open a second and then a third venue and now has eleven shows running.
Rick Thomas came back from a two-year break and moved into the Sahara.
“Shear Madness” opened and closed its doors at the theatre in Town Square, but the operators say that they will be reopening with a production of “Schoolhouse Rock.”
“Matsuri,” came back to town. The smaller version of the original reopened at the Imperial Palace.
“Divas Las Vegas,” the new Frank Marino show also opened at the Imperial Palace.
The Naughty Boys of Hypnosis has managed to survive at the Harmon Theatre when so many other shows failed…such as Cashetta, Rockstar, and Rich Natole.
A BRONX TALE made a huge impact with Chazz Palminteri
Garth Brooks cut an amazing deal with Steve Wynn to come out of retirement.
Barry Manilow’s record-setting five-year engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton ended on December 30th. He will reopen shortly at the Paris.
And the sad news of Danny Gans passing away at the age of 52, stunned and shocked the city.
It is always interesting to look back at an entire year…it is amazing to see the things that you forgot.
CES convention will be the big news for January…it comes in the first part of the month. It is a huge time in the city, and the Adult Entertainment convention runs at the same time…always interesting to see.
Week number three has:
David Copperfield
MGM Grand Jan 13
UNLV Men’s Basketball vs San Diego
Thomas and Mack Center Jan 13
Frankie Avalon & Bobby Rydell
Orleans Hotel Jan 15 – 17
Home and Garden Show
Cashman Center Jan 15 – 17
International Sporting Arms Show
Riviera Hotel Jan 15 – 17
Johnny Mathis
Buffalo Bill’s Jan 15
Keith Sweat
Silverton Hotel Jan 15
Las Vegas Antique Arms Winter Show
Riviera Hotel Jan 15 – 17
Las Vegas Custom Knifemakers Show
Riviera Hotel Jan 15 – 17
Paul Revere & the Raiders
South Point Jan 15 – 16
It’s Madame with an E
Suncoast Hotel Jan 16 – 17
Psychic Medium John Edward
Flamingo Jan 16
Take Control of Your Life – Lectures
Las Vegas Hilton Jan 16
UNLV Men’s Basketball vs Utah
Thomas and Mack Jan 16
The fourth week has:
Andrew Dice Clay
Riviera Hotel Jan 18 – 31
Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy
Thomas & Mack Center Jan 20 – 24
Tom Jones
MGM Grand Jan 21 – 27
Garth Brooks
Encore Las Vegas Jan 22 – 24
Kathleen Madigan
South Point Jan 22 – 24
The Temptations
Orleans Hotel Jan 22 – 24
Five Finger Death Punch w/ Shadows Fall, Throwdown, and 2 Cents
Mandalay Bay Jan 23
Las Vegas Showdown Cheerleading & Dance Championships
Cashman Center Jan 23 – 24
Ted Nugent
Green Valley Ranch Jan 23
Las Vegas Bridal Expo
Mandalay Bay Jan 24
Rick Faugno “Songs My Idol Sang (And Danced)
South Point Jan 24
The last week has:
Miss America 2010
Planet Hollywood Jan 26 – 30
UNLV Men’s Basketball vs Air Force
Thomas and Mack Jan 26
David Copperfield
MGM Grand Jan 28 – Feb 3
Bridal Spectacular Expo
Cashman Center Jan 29 – 30
Heart
Las Vegas Hilton Jan 29 – 30
LeAnn Rimes
Eastside Cannery Jan 29
Sheena Easton
South Point Jan 29 – 30
Air Supply
Buffalo Bill’s Jan 30
Mosley vs. Berto
Mandalay Bay Jan 30
Open Wings — Broken Strings
Venetian Resort Jan 30
Utada “In The Flesh” 2010
Mandalay Bay Jan 30
Wes Winters
Suncoast Hotel Jan 30 – 31
And the first week of February has:
Nile
Mandalay Bay Feb 3
Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits
Hard Rock Hotel Feb 3 – 21
Drew Carey: The Improv All-Stars
MGM Grand Feb 4 – 7
Henry Cho
South Point Feb 5 – 6
Led Zepagain
Las Vegas Hilton Feb 5 – 6
Badfish – A Tribute to Sublime
Mandalay Bay Feb 6
George Strait and Reba McEntire w/ Lee Ann Womack
MGM Grand Hotel Feb 6
National Collegiate Cheerleading Championships
Cashman Center Feb 6
UNLV Men’s Basketball vs BYU
Thomas and Mack Center Feb 6
For dates and times, be sure to log onto the Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide: ( www.lvol.com ).
CityCenter Sustainability: BY Rick Garman
The idea that anything as massive – as epic – as CityCenter could be considered environmentally friendly is almost laughable. It’s just too… big! And really, to be honest, something this gargantuan can’t really be put into the Friends of The Earth category. But short of not building it at all and letting the patch of ground underneath it return to its dusty, desert roots, the folks behind CityCenter did take unprecedented steps to make sure that it was conceived, designed, and built in the most ecologically sound way possible. And that it will continue to operate that way for years to come.
Six of the buildings in the CityCenter complex received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification. The rating system was developed by the US Green Building Council, an organization devoted to encouraging environmentally friendly building practices. At CityCenter the Aria Hotel and Casino, Aria Convention Center, Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Spa, Vdara Hotel and Spa, Veer condominium towers, and Crystals shopping complex all got the Gold rating, making it the largest development to get that kind of recognition.
They did it in a variety of different ways. It all started before the first shovel full of earth was turned during the design phase. The heavy use of glass a metal on the exteriors is more than just for sleek looks – the radiant surfaces and high performance glass reflect sunlight and so it takes less energy to cool the buildings. Sun shades were incorporated into architecture to further divert the harsh Vegas rays. Showers were invented that deliver high pressure but with one-third less water. And the water that is used is reclaimed to irrigate the low-consumption landscaping around the property.
They even built their own gas-powered generation plant to provide some of the energy for the complex. Not only does it mean that less power is drawn off the grid, but they use the heat from electricity generation to warm the water that you are taking a shower with.
During construction they focused on recycling the waste generated by building such a massive project. 93% of all construction waste was diverted from landfills including most of the Boardwalk Hotel that was torn down to make way for CityCenter. In addition, they tried to use as many materials as they could from within 500 miles of Las Vegas, therefore reducing the energy required to transport it to the site. You see that rusty stone on at the entrance of Aria? It’s from Jean, Nevada, about 30 miles away.
In addition, wood inside the casino was brought in from sustainably managed forests and the carpeting and paints are designed to emit fewer toxins.
Moving forward, operations at the property will continue the sustainable mindset.
In the Crystals mall, the floors feature radiant cooling – cold water runs through pipes under your feet – allowing only the space where people are to be kept comfortable. As our guide put it, “We don’t care how hot it is up by the ceiling.”
At the Aria casino, a new air conditioning system was invented that pumps air into the room from the bases of the slot machines. This is much more efficient than trying to force the cool air down from the ceiling and should also improve overall air quality.
They are even encouraging good environmental practices for people coming to CityCenter.
The property has the first ever fleet of limousines powered by compressed natural gas. Twenty-six of them were designed and built from the ground up.
Throughout the property you’ll find preferred parking for hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles and there’s even a bicycle valet to hold your two-wheeler while you are onsite.
As I said at the onset, the fact that this place even exists is probably a shock to the planet, but that a company is willing to go to these links to at least try to minimize the impact is a very good thing.
http://vegas4visitors.com/column/index.htm
Aria Review/BY Rick Garman
To say that Aria is unlike any Las Vegas casino hotel that has come before it is an understatement of huge proportions. It is, quite literally, a game changer from a design perspective and may very well chart the future of what you’ll see in the city for decades to come. As the centerpiece of the CityCenter development, the 4,004 room Aria is a modernist wonder; visually delightful in just about every way. Granted, this is all a matter of taste, but has been a long time since a Las Vegas hotel made such an immediate and lasting impression on me.
The exterior of the building is deceptive. At first glance it looks like a glass and steel skyscraper. But look closely and you’ll start to note the intersecting curves and echoing angles that make up an almost silky shape. It’s certainly a welcome change from the bland, slab sided boxes that most Vegas hotel towers have become.
But it is inside where the place really soars. The interior spaces are simply stunning, with a soaring lobby filled with lots of natural light, sculpture (art and architecture), and plants combining to create a warm welcome. Check out the huge reception desk with the giant window behind it – that’s a Maya Lin (designer of the Vietnam War Memorial) art piece hanging in front of it.
The casino is just off the lobby and it stretches off in a 150,000 square-foot semi-circle making it the second largest gaming space in Las Vegas (behind only the MGM Grand). If you can ignore the slot machines and table games for a minute, you can really start to appreciate the design details here.
It’s dark in there – darker than just about any other casino on The Strip – but there are shafts of natural light that peek in here and there and provide interesting offsets to the heavy use of wood, metal, stone, glass, and fabric around the room. It’s as if the whole thing is one big art installation, with sinewy colored glass structures, fabric covered walls, copper and wood clad support columns, and more everywhere you look. It is, without a doubt, the most visually dramatic casino in town.
But of course you didn’t really come here for the scenery; you came to gamble and there is plenty of that. Thousands of slot video poker machines offer all of the latest high-tech bells and whistles, including an electronic concierge service of sorts that can give you information about all of the property’s offerings without ever having to leave your seat. Many of them are also server based, which means the themes can be changed out by the casino or by you. They have machines of all denominations and both video and reel versions of the slots.
Dozens of table games include all of your favorites and there is also a large, well-equipped sports book, a poker room, and two high-limit lounges (one for slots and one for tables).
A number of bars, lounges, and restaurants, from high-end to casual, ring the room.
But wait, there’s more. A lot more. Although it may not actually be significantly larger than most modern Vegas hotels, it certainly feels like it.
Head up the escalators to the mezzanine level and you’ll have your choice of more restaurants (more than a dozen total), a buffet, a theater showing the latest Cirque du Soleil production, “Viva Elvis,” an Elvis lounge and gift shop, a couple of boutiques, and a massive convention center.
This is where you’ll also find the full service 80,000 square-foot spa with 64 treatment rooms, a salon, a workout facility that is larger than most gyms in your town, and the entrance to heavily landscaped pool area, scheduled to open in the spring of 2010.
A lower level off the north valet lobby features a nightclub, Haze, from the same company that does Bank at Bellagio and JET at The Mirage.
To get to the guest rooms from the lobby or the parking garage you do have to pass through the casino, which is annoying, but if you really want to avoid it all together after you check in you can by using the north valet and heading up the escalators to the mezzanine level. Guest elevators stop here, which means you won’t have to traipse by the craps table to go to the pool.
Standard rooms are about 520 square feet so not exactly huge but bigger than the shoeboxes at older hotels. The furnishings are all sleek and modern but the heavy use of dark woods and rich fabrics gives them a bit more warmth than you’d expect. Each comes equipped with a 42″ LCD TV, mini-bar, robes, iron and board, safes, and high-speed Internet (both wired and wireless, for a fee). The bathrooms have dual vanities, soaking tubs, and separate shower stalls plus some high-end amenities for you to stuff in your suitcase. Interestingly, you have to go through the shower to get to the tub, but hopefully you’ll know whomever is using the other facility while you’re attempting the maneuver.
Of course larger rooms are available, from corner rooms with impressive views all the way to their Sky Suites, which act as a separate club-level style boutique with concierge service, private elevators, and private check-in.
All of the rooms are packed with technology that has never been used to this degree in Las Vegas before. Using the television or a touch screen panel, you can control the lights, drapes, temperature control, music, and much more. Settings can be created that will allow you to create different moods and even program the environment in which you want to wake up. For instance, you could have the lights come up to 50%, the drapes open, and soft music start to play. The screen will even tell you if the front door deadbolt has been engaged and warn you if you have accidentally left it ajar.
In case you’re concerned, or a technophobe, there are manual controls for things like lights and air conditioning as well.
Prices for all this can be surprisingly moderate if you go at the right time. Weekdays go for as low as $149 per night and weekends as low as $199, although you can expect to pay $50-100 more on many weeks. Not exactly cheap but considering this is a hotel that in better economic times would be going for well north of $400 a night, you can see where my surprise comes in.
Service throughout the facility was among the most friendly I’ve ever experienced on The Strip. The people who work here seem to be really proud of what they have done at Aria.
And they should be.
http://vegas4visitors.com/column
Vdara Review/BY Rick Garman
The location of Vdara on the CityCenter property says a lot about the hotel. The extravagantly luxurious Mandarin Oriental and audaciously designed Crystals mall sit right up front along The Strip. Aria, the centerpiece, sits literally in the center of the acreage CityCenter takes up. But Vdara… well, it’s tucked away in the back with a separate driveway, elevated off of Harmon Avenue and across a wide expanse from the rest of complex. What that says, intentionally or not, is that Vdara is different from the rest of CityCenter. That’s true in a variety of ways.
It is a condominium hotel, the only of it’s kind on the property. What that means is that people can buy the units and either live in them or use them as investment units by putting them in a rental pool for the public to stay in like they would stay in any other hotel room. As a result perhaps, Vdara feels separate, removed, and reserved from the excess that is CityCenter.
The entire building is subtle by comparison to pretty much anything else in Vegas. The public spaces are simple, the units done in muted, grown-up décor schemes, and the amenities list is not much beyond what you’d find at a luxury apartment building.
The ground floor has a sedate check-in desk, a simple bar, and a restaurant that charges entirely too much for meals. It’s all done in modern, sleek terms that say “Hey, we’re elegant! Take your Vegas shenanigans elsewhere.” Not saying that’s a bad thing, just saying.
On the second level is a nice spa, salon, and fitness center and a smallish (again, by comparison) pool deck above the main entrance. They call the latter a Sky Pool but that’s being a bit grandiose. It’s not like they slapped the thing on the 40th floor, it’s more like the 4th. It’s also overlooked by one of the CityCenter parking structures but that’s a valet only facility so you’ll just have employees watching you sunbathe instead of tourists.
Speaking of which, it’s worth noting that there is no self-parking here – valet only.
That’s it in terms of things to do inside the building. The good news is that the rest of CityCenter is a short walk away and there’s a (very long) hallway/walkway that leads to Bellagio. That’s also where you can catch the tram that will take you to the heart of CityCenter or to Monte Carlo if you so choose.
There are several different floorplans available in the 1,500 unit building. The simplest are the Deluxe Suites and at about 600 square feet these studios are not much bigger than your average Vegas hotel room. There is a small kitchenette and two-person dining table, a couch and chair, a desk, an entertainment unit, and a bed. There is more of the muted design scheme here with browns, blacks, and greys being offset by the occasional splash of color on the throw pillows. It’s tasteful.
Bathrooms are moderately sized but full equipped.
Stepping up from that are the Vdara Suites, one bedroom units with a more extensive kitchenette, a 4-person dining table, a washer and dryer, a living room, a proper bedroom, and a much bigger bathroom.
Things go up from there with corner suites, two bedroom units, and even grand two-story penthouses.
All the units come with high-speed and wireless Internet (for a fee), a media hub for your MP3 player or DVD player, safes, robes, irons and boards, mini-bars, and some form of a refrigerator, sink, and cooking appliance.
Rates for the standard studio suites start at around $129 during the week and $199 on the weekends although the more common prices will probably be about $50-60 higher than that.
Service at the property was as buttoned down as the building itself, with a crisp, polite, and efficient staff that didn’t exactly exude warmth.
And that’s the thing about Vdara – it feels a bit cold, especially in comparison to the rest of CityCenter and Vegas as a whole. It’s not exactly cold but it certainly isn’t warm. The word I kept coming back to was stark.
I liked Vdara and I definitely would stay there if I was in town on business or with a family or had an extended visit that would make the kitchens very handy. But if I was in town for the fun and thrills that Vegas has to offer, I’d be a bit disappointed to find out that I wasn’t going to find them at Vdara.
http://vegas4visitors.com/column
Hotel rooms dark, but there is still action at Binion’s casino.
BY: John Katsliomentes/Las Vegas Sun.
What’s happened to Vegas landmark Binion’s over the past five weeks reminds one of the Mark Twain quote, “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”
Wait. That’s not the line. I’m thinking of the famous quote, “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
It seems a great many Binion’s customers — past and potential — across the country and even the globe have wrongly deemed one of the city’s most famous hotel-casinos as lacking a pulse. Out of business. As in, forever.
No.
More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-report/2010/jan/12/rooms-dark-there-still-action-binions/
2010: Las Vegas Ushers In New Decade.
More than 300,000 New Year’s Eve revelers packed the Las Vegas Valley Thursday evening and into the early morning hours today to say goodbye to a decade and one of the hardest years the city has faced.
All NYE related stories are here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/new-years-eve-2009/
The Strip as Main Street.
They have more in common than you might think.
BY: Ken Miller/Las Vegas Sun
What if the Las Vegas Strip was your Main Street?
If you’re a local, it sort of is. Would you know where to get your everyday needs met — without checking into a hotel?
Turns out, for all its glitz, the Strip isn’t much different from any other Main Street USA. Most of what you’d look for on almost any other primary thoroughfare can be found between Mandalay Bay and the Stratosphere.
A few examples:
More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/14/strip-main-street/
Strip secrets of the natives.
Tips on where to park, eat and take care of your business – from people that know.
From: The Las Vegas Sun writers:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/14/strip-secrets-natives/
If it smells like Northern Italy, it must be Bellagio.
The very real – and carefully researched – world of casino aromas.
BY: Brenda Buhler/Las Vegas Sun
Why do casinos smell like they do? No, not the smell of menthols, sticky drinks and desperation. That’s everywhere. Rather, why does the Bellagio smell like the Bellagio and why does the Venetian smell like an old man who has been wearing the same cologne for 40 years and steadily adding more as his tolerance grows?
The simple answer is that there are metal devices the size of breadboxes attached to the ventilation systems of nearly every Strip resort. The boxes vaporize highly aromatic and shockingly expensive oils into the ducts, where the airflow dilutes and distributes them. The first such systems in Las Vegas were installed into the Mirage in the fall of 1991 by Mark Peltier, president of a company called AromaSys. Since then, the systems have spread up and down the Strip and now Peltier has competitors.
But a better question is why would anything so profit-minded as a casino bother?
More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/06/if-it-smells-northern-italy-it-must-be-bellagio/
Bellagio Conservatory celebrates Chinese Year of the Tiger.
BY: Robin Leach/Las Vegas Sun
An early Happy New Year to all of our Chinese friends! Starting yesterday, the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens began its celebration of the 2010 Chinese New Year with a display rich in history and meaning. Chinese New Year falls on Feb. 14 this year, so it’s a double celebration! Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue received an advance photo shoot on Saturday.
2010 is the Year of the Tiger, and the conservatory’s design is guided by the ancient practice of Feng Shui, the art of using surroundings to attract harmony, balance and positive life energy. The centerpiece of the exhibit is a majestic tiger, whose coat is comprised of dried botanicals. The tiger stands among a garden of Taihu rocks and overlooks a tranquil pond of Koi, a symbol of abundance and fortune.
Rocks and water are viewed as essential features of any traditional Chinese garden and symbolize the larger world around us. After spending decades forming underwater, Taihu stones were chosen because they are believed to encourage circulation of ch’i, or natural energy.
Legend has it that Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year, and 12 came. The third animal in the Chinese zodiac, the tiger serves as a symbol of luck and bravery. Those born in the Year of the Tiger tend to be natural leaders, competitive and self-reliant.
Just steps away from Bellagio’s courageous feline ambassador, an 18-foot-tall Chinese God of Prosperity stands amid gold-leafed I-Ching coins, a traditional Chinese money symbol. Widely recognized as the strongest symbol of good fortune and great luck in the New Year, the God of Prosperity is flanked by two Ming Dynasty-styled dings, ancestral vessels that protect against bad fortune.
Nearby, a trio of 6-foot-tall giant pandas, made of more than 9,000 living plants, frolic in a lush garden filled with towering bamboo. Considered a national treasure in China and listed as an endangered species, pandas spend at least 12 hours each day eating as much as 84 pounds of bamboo.
A zigzag bridge leads to a wing-tipped Ming Dynasty-styled gazebo painted a deep red lacquer with gold trim and green-tiled roofs. Red signifies happiness, while the upturned roofline wards off evil spirits. The sharp pattern of the bridge protects against negative energy and bad spirits, and a majestic mountain, seen as a pillar between heaven and Earth, serves as a backdrop.
Feng Shui was used to position the flow of water into the conservatory, and not away, ensuring the flow of positive energy. Silk Chinese lanterns add to the auspicious nature of the exhibit on display through Feb. 28.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/11/bellagio-conservatory-celebrates-chinese-year-tige/
Viva Elvis commemorates Elvis’ 75th birthday.
BY: Robin Leach/Las Vegas Sun
The original plan was for Cirque du Soleil to open its seventh and newest Strip production last night, with the premiere of its $100 million spectacular Viva Elvis to coincide with the anniversary of what would have been Elvis Presley’s 75th birthday. Construction delays and other staging headaches delayed the move and onstage rehearsals, pushing the premiere back to Feb. 19.
Instead, the cast is amid three weeks of rehearsals and fixation before resuming preview performances. Executives at Cirque’s Montreal headquarters, however, decreed that Elvis’ birthday should be marked with a special performance of the show last night. I watched the spectacular and joined the audience, several in sequined Elvis jumpsuits, in a rousing standing ovation.
Then before curtain call ended, the cast celebrated Elvis’ 75th birthday in true Las Vegas-style. An epic masterpiece of a cake from Bellagio and Aria French pastry chef genius Jean Philippe Maury was rolled onto stage center as the cast sang “Happy Birthday” and a black-and-white portrait of the King of Rock and Roll appeared on a giant rear screen.
More here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/09/photo-gallery-emviva-elvisem-commemorates-elvis-75/
Never-Ending Magic.
Penn & Teller keeps colorful show evolving.
BY: Matt Kelemen/Las Vegas Magazine
Penn Jillette and his longtime partner in magic, Teller, consider the Rio home, but they have a dizzying array of extracurricular activities and interests. Their Showtime series Bullsh*t! is in its seventh season of debunking popular conceptions of subjects such as organic food, orgasms, stress treatments and taxes. A Penn & Teller iPhone app made its debut before Christmas. Both performers participated in a film about Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer on a pre-holiday break, and in the new year are throwing themselves into working on a television project for ABC in which they play Vegas magicians who solve crimes by day.
The seemingly inseparable duo does engage in individual pursuits. In 2008, Jillette, a devotee of the upright bass and a Twitter addict, appeared on Dancing With the Stars while Teller co-produced a bloody, well-received Macbeth in New Jersey. They also actively participate in HIV benefit work and sponsor an annual holiday blood drive for which they reward donors with tickets to their shows. “We do make people pay for their tickets in blood, and that’s kind of funny,” said Jillette. Jillette is somewhat of a connoisseur donor, opting for an hourlong procedure that removes platelets and recycles his life source back into his body. That helps when your act requires you to be attentive enough to catch a bullet in your teeth.
“I usually do it when I have a day that we’re dark,” he said. “It’s not very strenuous or difficult. I like to pretend that the reason I do platelet donation is to help other people, but I think its possible that the reason is because it’s the only time I can’t move and can read for a full hour straight.”
Despite all the activity, Jillette and Teller managed to work five new tricks into their act last year including a bit using a metal-detecting apparatus obtained from the Transportation Security Administration.
“We see ourselves, in terms of the creation of new material, more like a band,” said Jillette, citing Bob Dylan’s ever-evolving Never-Ending Tour as an inspiration. “Since we started working in Vegas we’ve done five-and-a-half hours or so of unique material. We’ve done the equivalent of three of four complete and different shows. We just kind of mix it in, and the nutty thing about our show is when we put a new bit in, it’s a domino effect. We sometimes change 40 minutes of material to put in one five-minute bit.”
Where: Rio
When: 9 p.m. Sat.-Wed.
Cost: $85.80 and up
http://lasvegasmagazine.com
Happy Days Are Almost Here Again.
Now more than ever, Las Vegas is catering to the thrifty traveler with special dining menus, stay-and-play packages and cheap drinks.
BY: Jack Houston/Las Vegas magazine
where to play
While cheap craps, roulette and blackjack have always been hard to come by on the Strip, Casino Royale, Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon and O’Sheas are a few places that have managed to keep limits low over the years. Off the Strip, downtown along the Fremont Street Experience is your best bet for gambling on the cheap. Fitzgeralds offers $2 blackjack, casinos like La Bayou and Mermaids have drawings for free slot pulls and many of the hotels have slots that dispense actual coins (most Strip machines dispense a more contemporary, if not as much fun, paper voucher). Of course, it all depends on how much you bet. For more perks as you gamble, most casinos offer a players card. Every card has different rules and rewards for repeat play, and some offer free play for just signing up.
where to drink
If you’re gambling, there are usually cocktail servers making the rounds offering complimentary alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Tip well, and they’ll come back more frequently and perhaps tell the bartender to make the next one a little stronger. Some casinos have running specials on drinks: Casino Royale offers $1 Michelobs and $1 margaritas, O’Sheas has $2 domestic drafts and Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall gives up $2 Buds. Happy hours aren’t as common as you might think on the Strip, but places such as Japonais at The Mirage, McFadden’s at the Rio, Ra Sushi at Fashion Show and Coyote Ugly at New York-New York are known for having twilight specials. Rockhouse at Imperial Palace sports great deals on drinks, and downtown is the place for reduced rates on beer in footballs and yardlong margaritas.
where to dine
Buffets are big business in Las Vegas, and if you’re a particularly big eater, it’s the best way to get the most bang for your buck. Luxor and Excalibur offer fixed-price, all-day buff et deals that should fi t any thrifty diner’s budget. Prix fixe or pretheater (if you’re seeing a show afterward) menus are all the rage in the new economic climate, and they’re the best way to take advantage of top restaurants. A sampling: Aureole, Fleur de Lys, StripSteak and RM Seafood (Mandalay Bay); Joél Robuchon, L’Atelier, Craftsteak, Fiamma, Nobhill, Seablue and Shibuya (MGM Grand); Guy Savoy (Caesars Palace); Fin, Kokomo’s and Onda (The Mirage); House of Lords (Sahara); Morels, Cut and Carnevino (The Palazzo); B&B (The Venetian). Slots a Fun, in front of Circus Circus, has $1 half-pound hot dogs and $1 shrimp cocktail. Downtown, Golden Gate recently upped its shrimp cocktail to $1.99 after 50 years at 99 cents, and Mermaids has delectable deep-fried Twinkies and Oreos and hot dogs – all for $1.
Luckily for tourists, some of the best entertainment in the city is not found in fancy showrooms. Free attractions up and down the Strip keep the wallets at a distance and make for great photo ops, too. The Fountains of Bellagio has been a staple of Stripside entertainment for more than a decade, but cash counters would be advised to also check out The Mirage Volcano, Sirens of TI, Rio’s Show in the Sky, Flamingo’s Wildlife Habitat and the fountain shows at The Forum Shops at Caesars. No trip to Vegas is complete without a visit to downtown, and the Fremont Street Experience, a pedestrian promenade featuring vendors, live music and hourly shows on the immense VivaVision canopy, is where old-school Vegas meets new-school technology. Music fans should head straight toward any number of lounges in the city, where everyone from cover bands to solo pianists come to play. Carnaval Court at Harrah’s, Petrossian Bar at Bellagio and The Pub at Monte Carlo (featuring the high-energy music of Zowie Bowie) keep the music going into the night.
where to party
Since so many people are still willing to pay $50 to get in and $400 for bottle service, most clubs are not an option for novice night owls. However, there are many great lounges, or so-called “ultra lounges,” with DJs (Caramel, Eyecandy) or live music (Gold Diggers, Fontana Lounge, Tempo, Level 107 Lounge) without a cover charge. Bars, too, are a great place to party: Shadow Bar, Nine Fine Irishmen, Blondies, McFadden’s, Kahunaville and The Back Alley Bar have no cover and plenty of style. Some places have a cover beginning at a certain time, but if you get to Rumjungle, Mix, Diablo’s Cantina or Coyote Ugly early enough, you won’t have to splurge at the door. It helps tremendously if you are a female and are accompanied by several other females. Packs of dudes rarely make an impact on doormen looking to keep a high female-male ratio.
tips
When deciding how best to spend your hard-earned money, follow a few basic rules: 1. Plan ahead. Before arriving at a show, restaurant or club, call ahead to see if any deals are being offered. Hotels are especially generous to guests that are staying with them and love to keep their guests on the property. 2. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary of deals that don’t seem legit. 3. Be open-minded. There’s nothing wrong with taking pictures of the Bellagio and gambling at O’Sheas. In fact, some of our best moments on the Strip have come when we least expected it. Or, in the case of some nights, when we least remember it.
http://lasvegasmagazine.com
Where The Girls Are.
Divas Las Vegas puts a modern twist on classic drag shows.
By Molly Brown/Las Vegas Magazine
After a long stint in a long-running impersonation show, Frank Marino said he wasn’t in a rush to start another production too soon.
Apparently, Las Vegas couldn’t wait, and the pieces quickly fell into place because the longest-running headliner on the Strip didn’t take much of a hiatus. Marino is back in full force with his new show at the Imperial Palace, Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas.
Marino intends to make his new show, which he is producing and starring in, “the biggest drag show in the world,” according to the Las Vegas Sun. When his previous show closed, he did take a brief hiatus, but it wasn’t long before he was making plans – putting costumes, performers and music in place – to open Divas Las Vegas.
And Divas Las Vegas is not just simply part two of his previous show. Marino has taken the staples of a drag show – impersonators performing their hearts out to a medley of their favorite singers’ hits – and modernized it, taking as many cues from MTV as from the classics. The show features 16 tribute artists appearing as icons Tina Turner, Celine Dion, Dolly Parton, Madonna, Liza Minnelli and Cher right alongside today’s hottest stars like Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Beyoncé.
To say the 75-minute show is high-energy is an understatement – Marino’s cast commands the stage with their hits, while the master of ceremonies, dressed like a signature, Joan Rivers, plays the emcee, seamlessly cracking jokes as he introduces each diva to the stage. “Marino is sassy, spunky and stunning in his ever-changing wardrobe of extravagant sparkling gowns and feather boas,” wrote Vegas.com about the show. “He puts on a different outfit between each act, bringing an international whirlwind of couture to the stage with every entrance.” And in true Vegas style, the costumes are an integral part of the production. Marino tapped designer Bob Mackie, who’s famous for outfitting stars like Cher, Diana Ross and Barbra Streisand.
Marino has inked a one-year contract with Imperial Palace, and plans are ion the works for an all-new set design that will appear in 2010. If all goes well, Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas should be around much, much longer. He has, after all, performed for more than 10 million people in Las Vegas during his 25-year career. This is one diva with staying power.
Divas Las Vegas
Where:Imperial Palace
Cost: $69 and up
When: 10 p.m. Sat.-Thurs.
http://lasvegasmagazine.com
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http://www.vegas4locals.com/coupons.html
Waynes World: January 2010.
City Center is open now. What a colossal boom to Las Vegas. When I
moved to Las Vegas on New Year’s Day of 1973 we had steak and eggs for
$2.99 including coffee at the Bonanza which is the site of Bally’s and a
week later it was demolished and MGM Grand was being built with a
budget of $100 million. They went over budget by 25 percent and opened
in December of 1973 working around the clock.
Good luck to City Center in setting off an economic boom for the Las
Vegas Strip.
The Mirage recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. It’s hard to believe
that one of the most successful mega-resorts turned 20 years old since it
opened Nov. 22, 1989. I remember as the entertainment editor and writer
for ShowBiz Weekly (now called Las Vegas Magazine) meeting Alan
Feldman (Steve Wynn’s PR chief at the time) introducing me to Kevin
Wynn who gave me the grand tour at 7 a.m. that chilly November day after
they put the last ceremonial tile down at the entrance of the hotel.
Les Artistas at Paris Las Vegas hosted a French wine tasting to sip, swirl
and sip the wines of the leading wine merchant Georges Duboeuf with
export director for North America Yann Borigault in what amounted to
Wine 101 to celebrate the harvest. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon
where Las Vegas temps were in the upper 60s.
Don’t forget to send your fares to see “Lance Burton: Master
Magician” at the Monte Carlo. His full production show has more
accolades than any show on The Strip. His show times are 7 p.m. Tuesday
thru Saturday. The second ticket is only $25.
The Golden Nugget’s Gold Rush Tower’s grand opening was a golden
opportunity to see the new $300 million addition with a 3rd floor pool.
The new valet is a welcome addition at 1st Street and Carson. Upon
entering at the new entrance you will be able to check-in but a 75,000-
gallon tropical aquarium is the backdrop. Compare it to the 5,000-gallon
behind the check-in at The Mirage. The guestrooms are 20 percent larger
than those in the rest of the hotel. For great eating the Chart House
Aquarium Restaurant and the Red Sushi offers Japanese cuisine with
sushi. A glowing Mayor Oscar Goodman was on hand to cut the ribbon at
4 p.m. on Nov. 23rd. The Grand Events Center can accommodate 1,300
guests. This is the jewel of Downtown.
Donny Osmond won 1st place on “Dancing with the Stars”. About 15
years ago I did a story “A Day in the Life of Donny Osmond” for ShowBiz
Weekly now Las Vegas Magazine. We went to the Meadows Mall and he
was approached by throngs of young ladies for autographs. He told me he
couldn’t play Las Vegas and no hotel would book him. It was a slow
winter night and Bobby Wade & The Imperials were playing Caesars
lounge. Wade stepped aside for Donny and about 500 people gathered to
watch him.
“X” at the Flamingo isn’t as good as “Crazy Girls” but out does all of
its other competitors. Comedian Nancy Ryan is funny but should open the
show as a warm-up.
Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar lives up to the highest
standards in the Italian eatery standards. Gin Ferraro just took over a
second location on Paradise where the Rainbow Bar & Grill used to be. I
give this restaurant a “10.” Bon appetit!
MANILOW’S SNEAK PREVIEW. BY: Norm Clarke/LVRJ
Barry Manilow will headline the Keep Memory Alive gala on Feb. 27, six days before he opens his new show at Paris Las Vegas.
The fundraiser will be held at Bellagio, with proceeds going to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Brain Institute.
Chefs Wolfgang Puck and Thomas Keller will hold court in the kitchen, with Steve Schirripa of “The Sopranos” and comedian Brad Garrett joining auctioneer Christian Kolberg and celebrity blogger Robin Leach, co-hosts of the live auction.
Landing Manilow was a coup, said Leach, who lines up talent and handles publicity for the event. The timing was perfect: The former Hilton headliner is releasing his new album, “The Greatest Love Songs of All Time,” on Jan. 29. Manilow will unveil several songs from the album during an appearance Tuesday on the QVC shopping cable channel via satellite feed from Paris Las Vegas, starting at 6 p.m.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/pure-rolls-up-red-carpet-for-salahis-81666177.html
SHOW REVIEW: Bette Midler.
Bette Midler says this is likely the last time she will play the Strip with a big production. production. BY: Mike Weatherford/LVRJ
The Showgirl is almost gone, and it adds extra resonance to nearly everything Bette Midler says onstage.
There are 10 more performances of “The Showgirl Must Go On” before Midler wraps two years and about 180 shows in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Jan. 31. If the 64-year-old superstar plays Las Vegas again, she says it’s likely to be in more subdued circumstances.
Even though she outlasted Paula Abdul on “American Idol” — making a video clip seem dated — Midler fans still don’t know when they will see her again. So they laugh harder when she cries out, “Oh my God, I’m exhausted! Come back Celine! All is forgiven! … Donny and Marie, cross the (expletive) street!”
And they find it more poignant when she thanks them for listening to the same dirty jokes for the past 40 years. “If that’s not unconditional love, what is?”
More here:
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/bette-midler-81666137.html
Brett’s Vegas Views BY Jackie Brett.
BARRY MANILOW PREPARES TO OPEN AT PARIS LAS VEGAS.
Legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow has ended his run at the Las Vegas Hilton and will open his new resident show at the 1,500-seat Paris Théâtre at Paris Las Vegas on March 5, where he’ll perform 78 shows each year for two years. The shows are produced by AEG Live in conjunction with the resort. Tickets for performances March 5 through July 18 are on sale. Tickets are $250, $175, $125, and $95, call 800-745-3000.
With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time, according to R&R (Radio & Records); with no less than 25 consecutive top 40 hits to his credit between 1975 and 1983 on the Billboard Hot 100. As a singer, songwriter, arranger and producer, Manilow has worked on more than 40 albums over the course of his career. He recently released “In the Swing of Christmas” his third collection of holiday songs and will release “The Greatest Love Songs of All Time,” a new album chronicling the most touching love songs ever written, on Jan. 26, 2010.
Las Vegas middle school and high school music programs will benefit from Manilow’s new contract with Paris by sharing in the proceeds from a special weekly Platinum Experience Tickets, which include a front row seat, pre-show champagne reception, meet and greet and photo with Barry Manilow, and an autographed show program, visit www.ManilowParis.com or call 310-957-5788. Proceeds will go directly to the Manilow Music Project, which is part of Manilow’s non-profit, The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, and will provide instruments for Las Vegas students.
LAS VEGAS ROCKS CAFÉ FEATURES SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH
Tony Sacca’s new Las Vegas Rocks Café (LVRC) downtown at Neonopolis on Fremont Street features Sunday Champagne Jazz Brunch in the Marquee Room from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with Grammy Award winner Gary Anderson and Friends providing the entertainment and jazz beat. Cost is $19.95 plus tax, which includes a special menu brunch, a glass of champagne and entertainment, call 702-227-5872 (LVRC).
American musician Anderson spent five years, beginning in 1973, touring with Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd as music director, playing saxophone and arranging. He is credited on seven albums. After leaving Herman’s band, Anderson settled in New York City where he composed, arranged, and orchestrated for television, films, and stage. He recently re-located to Las Vegas.
THE CUPCAKERY OPENS OUTLET AT MONTE CARLO
The Cupcakery, Las Vegas’ cupcake-only bakery, opened its third Las Vegas location and first Strip outlet last month on the Street of Dreams at Monte Carlo.
The Cupcakery has become popular with signature flavors including Kir Royale, a raspberry cake with champagne frosting; Tickle Me Pink, a classic white cake with pink buttercream frosting; and the award-winning Southern Belle, a moist red velvet cake smothered in cream cheese frosting. The bakery also offers frosting shots for a quick dose of sugar. The Monte Carlo Travel Special includes one cupcake and a large coffee for $6.
Baked fresh daily, The Cupcakery features a signature lineup of 12 to 20 distinctive flavors each day as well as seasonal specials. Hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and until 11 p.m. on weekend.
UPDATE ON TROPICANA’S ONGOING RENOVATION
The historic Tropicana property is currently transforming itself into a vibrant, South Beach, Miami themed escape. The Tropicana’s more than 100,000 square feet of meeting and convention is nearing completion and should reopen with a new look for 2010. Legends Steak and Seafood is currently undergoing renovations and work continues on the Tropicana pool area. The Island Tower walkway is undergoing a top-to-bottom revamp with imported Grecian marble. The Paradise Tower will begin undergoing renovation in early January. On the main casino floor, a new snack shop is Havana Go Go.
The Tropicana is offering a room special for $69 per night for two nights if you book through Jan. 30, you can get a free two-night stay in the new rooms May through September 2010. Call 888-381-8767 and mention Code RREBB09.
RICARDO’S WILL ATTEMPT ‘WORLD’S LARGEST MARGARITA’
Ricardo’s Mexican Restaurant will commemorate 30 years in 2010 with a weekend celebration that will include a Guinness World Record attempt for the “World’s Largest Margarita” sponsored by ROSANGEL™ tequila. The event will consist of a three-day celebration, May 21-23, with proceeds benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure of Southern Nevada.
During the 30th Anniversary celebration, patrons will be able to purchase samplings of the “World’s Largest Margarita” throughout the weekend. Product for the “World’s Largest Margarita” will be donated by Gran Centenario’s new hibiscus-infused tequila, ROSANGEL™. This new hibiscus-infused tequila will give the margarita a pink hue in the spirit of breast cancer awareness.
The event will also include food and drink specials, live outdoor entertainment, celebrity appearances and prize giveaways. For more information, visit www.RicardosofLasVegas.com.
Ricardo’s first restaurant opened in the Meadows Mall in 1979. Bob Ansara has co-owned the Ricardo’s brand and operation since its inception three decades ago, and has operated numerous locations across the Las Vegas Valley. The current eatery is located at the northwest corner of Flamingo and Decatur.
http://www.lasvegas-nv.com/brett/010310.htm
Posted on January 15th, 2010 by MrVegas98
Filed under: Newsletter
Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET) will be an exhibitor at the Jan. 28 Preview Las Vegas program, presented by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. The event will feature dynamic national speakers, local economic experts and industry leaders in a conference and trade-show event that is unmatched in Las Vegas.
Jim Murren- Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
MGM MIRAGE
TOPIC: Las Vegas’ future from the perspective of the city’s largest employer
Jim Murren is chairman of the board and CEO of MGM MIRAGE, one of the world’s leading and most respected development companies with significant holdings in gaming, hospitality and entertainment, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Steven D. Levitt – Economist and Bestselling Author
TOPIC: Unconventional thinking for an unpredictable economy
Steven D. Levitt is the best-selling author of FREAKONOMICS and SUPERFREAKONOMICS. FREAKONOMICS shows that the modern world, despite a great deal of complexity and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and-if the right questions are asked, is even more intriguing than we think.
Rossi Ralenkotter- President and CEO, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA)
TOPIC: The state of Las Vegas tourism and how Las Vegas will recover from this recession
As president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Rossi Ralenkotter is responsible for marketing Las Vegas and Southern Nevada as the world’s most desirable destination for leisure and business travel.
Jeremy Aguero, Principal, Applied Analysis
TOPIC: Statistics and economic indicators to show where Las Vegas is headed in 2010 and beyond
Jeremy Aguero attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he graduated with honors in 1996. Aguero’s project history demonstrates a wide range of abilities. He has worked for clients in the private and public sectors, and undertaken projects of local, regional and national significance.
Punam Mathur – Emcee, Vice President of Human Resources, NV Energy
TOPIC: A unique perspective on the history of Las Vegas’ business evolution
Punam Mathur is vice president of human resources for NV Energy. She was previously senior vice president of corporate diversity and community affairs and a corporate officer for MGM MIRAGE.
With nearly 2,000 attendees, Preview Las Vegas attracts executives and decision makers from all industries looking to get the latest information about the key trends that will effect business in the year ahead and are ready to make key contacts.
Location:
Thomas & Mack Center/Cox Pavilion
4505 S. Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89154
For information on attending, call 702.641.5822 or visit www.previewlasvegas.com.