Living Las Vegas

gambling,nightclubs,travel,hotels,bars restaurants,money,holiday,North American,restaurant Las Vegas skyline With so much depressing news surrounding the credit crunch, it’s not surprising to hear that Las Vegas is still full to the brim with people dreaming of winning big. Around 40 million people visit The Strip every year and with large hotel suites from as little as £60 per night for two people sharing, Las Vegas doesn’t need to be an expensive trip – unless you’re planning on splashing your cash in one of the hundreds of casinos. Anneke Hak spent three days finding out what else the strip has to offer sans gambling.

Fly me to the moon...

nightclubs,travel,pussycat dolls,holiday,North American Virgin Atlantic As I checked in to my flight from London Gatwick to Las Vegas, my heart was already pumping with adrenalin. I was headed for the ultimate Sin City, the adult’s playground of the world and I was a little uncertain what to expect. I headed straight for the Virgin Atlantic Club Lounge to kill the hour and a half I had to wait for my gate to open, and tucked into a complimentary breakfast, relaxed and watched the planes taking off and leaving. Once onboard I sunk into my Virgin Atlantic Upper class lounger and perused the films on offer, the rest of the 10-hour journey was spent napping, eating and chatting to the friendly hosts about where the best places to go in Las Vegas were – the unanimous vote appearing to be The Pussycat Dolls lounge at Pure Nightclub. Most people on the plane seemed to be on the same trip as me, a few day’s whirlwind tour of a playboy’s paradise – and there was an excited buzz in the air. I tucked into my Millionaire’s Shortbread thirty minutes before landing, already feeling lucky and arrived in Las Vegas refreshed and ready to start my rock n’ roll break.

Where to stay

Elton john,gambling,nightclubs,travel,hotels,bars restaurants,pussycat dolls,holiday,cher,North American,restaurant Caesars Palace With so many hotels to choose from on The Strip you’re simply spoilt for choice. Stepping up to Caesars Palace, you can feel the grandeur and glamour of the Roman Empire - I could hardly wait to see my room. Caesars is one of the most famous landmark hotels in Las Vegas, nestled between the glamorous Bellagio and Caesars forum, one of the best shopping destinations on Las Vegas Boulevard. My room in Augusto Tower was the ultimate in elegance and sophistication with glamorous and magnificent gold-leaf mirrors, a marble tiled bathroom with it’s own jacuzzi tub and walk in shower and a breath-taking view of Las Vegas strip. And if I needed anything at Caesars it was all on my own doorstep. The hotel resort is on 85 acres of land, with its own swimming pool, shopping centre in the form of Caesars forum, 24 unique restaurants and cafes, two nightclubs including the world-famous PURE, the infamous Pussycat Dolls lounge and the world renowned Colosseum which has housed such headliners as Elton John, Cher, Bette Midler and Jerry Seinfeld. It’s like a city within a hotel, and I didn’t want to leave.

Top Five Las Vegas Hotels
1 Caesars Palace
2 Trump - A non-gaming, non-smoking hotel for those wanting an oasis from the Las Vegas scene, and with the best views of The Strip
3 Palms Place - Check out the kingpin suite, with its own bowling lane. A whole lot of fun, if your budget will allow it.  
4 The Bellagio – Probably the best known hotel, thanks to its mighty fountains.
5 Wynn Las Vegas – Over 12,000 staff keep this glamorous hotel running, all out of eyesight underground. It’s a mammoth operation.

Getting around

gambling,nightclubs,travel,hotels,bars restaurants,holiday,North American,restaurant Celebrity Coaches Although Las Vegas is only 3.5 miles long, nobody walks. Which was hard to take, considering the copious amounts of food and drink we were going to be eating on the trip.  

If there’s a large group of you, consider hiring a luxury coach with your own chauffeur to ferry you from hotel to hotel. Celebrity Coaches do a wide range of luxury limo coaches ready to pick you up at any hour – although by the end of our trip I think our driver Mitch had seen and heard enough (especially after I showed him my picture from Stripper 101). If there’s a smaller group of you, or a luxury limo just doesn’t fit the bill, there are taxi ranks outside every hotel, and a monorail system does run, although it could be seen more as a tourist attraction rather than a mode of transportation. If you do go against the grain and take a stroll along the strip (which is a fantastic way of seeing the sights) keep in mind that you need to cross the road at the travelators adjacent to your hotel, otherwise your stroll can turn into more of a midnight hike.

Dining Out

gambling,nightclubs,travel,hotels,bars restaurants,holiday,North American,restaurant Yellowtail at the Bellagio

Las Vegas is the gastronomic centre of the universe; restaurants are in a world of their own and have developed into a sensory experience that will define your whole trip, if you eat in the right places. The city has become a celebrity chef haven, whether it’s Kerry Simon at the Palms or Bradley Ogden at Caesars you’re after, there’s something for everyone.

Jet-lagged and weary on our first night in town, we headed to Yellowtail, where Bellagio posh meets Japanese cuisine. The restaurant overlooks the world-famous Bellagio fountains, and is unmissable because of the 12-foot long golden fish fin mounting the wall. As with the décor, this isn’t any ordinary sushi, the Bellagio chefs pride themselves on their unique takes on Japanese culinary delights; try the yummy strawberry Sushi roll or the fabulous popping spicy crab (all £12 per piece) to get your taste buds tingling. And keep an eye out for celebrity diners, a nightclub rep told us that Usher had popped in only a few days beforehand – we just missed him!

If sushi doesn’t take your fancy head to the LAVO restaurant at The Palazzo, a perfect stopping place before you get your dancing shoes on in the LAVO Nightclub. The restaurant takes its design from ancient Mediterranean bath houses, and creates a relaxing atmosphere for enjoying dinner with friends. The menu includes dishes from Spain, France, Italy and other Mediterranean classics.

Our third evening was spent eating at the plush Botero Steak at Encore. This poolside space, with tunes of Saint Tropez, houses three original Boteros including a giant Botero statuette that graces the centre of the room. The food here is delicious, but most impressive are the puddings. Botero Ice cream cupcakes, PB & J Brioche doughnuts and milk chocolate bon bon lollipops  (all £8) arrived at our table just as we thought we had little room left, only to be devoured within minutes with much lip-licking along the way.

Top Five Las Vegas Dinner Destinations
5 BLT Burger at The Mirage – If you want burgers, BLT Burger is the ultimate hotspot.  Get the original BLT Burger with Skinny sweet potato fries, delish! Or if you’re looking for a liquid lunch, order a Fuzzy Bear milkshake – peach schnapps, peaches and vanilla ice cream - £8. Just see how many innuendos you can come up with.
4 LAVO at The Palazzo
3 Simon at Palms Place  - With celebrity chef Kerry Simon cooking your meals you can’t go wrong.  
2 Botero at Wynn
1 Yellowtail at the Bellagio

Spending some dollar

gambling,nightclubs,travel,hotels,bars restaurants,holiday,North American,restaurant The Pussycat Dolls casino Although Las Vegas has much more to offer than gambling, you can’t visit the gambling capital of the world and not have a little flutter – even if it’s just putting $1 into the 1 cent slots (which, by the way, can keep you entertained for hours). If you fancy more of an experience, make your way to the Pleasure Pit in Planet Hollywood or The Pussycat Dolls Casino in Caesars Palace, where scantily clad and extremely beautiful women will deal your cards as you play blackjack, roulette and poker.  They’re a lot less intimidating and a lot more fun than the burly dealers that usually grace the tables, although you should try not to get distracted by the girls swinging on their poles.  These sinful casinos create a whole new experience in themselves and make for lots of girly, or boyfriend-related fun (If you’re not the jealous type).

Top 5 Las Vegas views (excluding the beautiful women)
5 The view from the top of Palms place
4 Walking The Strip at night
3 PURE nightclub patio
2 Trump hotel room views
1 Taking in the view of The Strip from a helicopter at night

Living it up in Las Vegas

gambling,nightclubs,travel,hotels,bars restaurants,holiday,North American,restaurant LAVO Las Vegas is known for it’s magnetic nightlife. So if the jetlag hasn’t got to you yet, or like me you’ve found yourself on your second wind, you’ll want to head to one of the many nightclubs in the city and spend your hard-earned winnings. And boy, do you have a lot to choose from. Having spent time gambling with beautiful ladies we swayed our way towards The Pussycat Dolls lounge in Caesars Palace, to watch the girls perform. This burlesque performance would make Dita Von Teese proud, as the girls (not the original Pussycat Dolls line-up) swung from the ceilings and splashed around in over-sized cocktail glasses to their heart’s content. A show which both men and women can enjoy. Once the show’s over, head into the adjoining PURE nightclub, a cool, pure white and eloquent room, and dance the night away, or kick back in the Red room with some bottle service. There seems to be an abundance of celebrities dropping into PURE, Hayden Christiensen was rumoured to have arrived while we were there.

Or if you’re looking for something a little more sophisticated head to the Mediterranean themed LAVO nightclub at The Palazzo, one of the newest additions to The Strip, where you can enjoy fashion shows on the main stage and sashay to the latest tunes 6 nights a week from 10pm to five am. If LAVO restaurant was the ultimate in Mediterranean dining LAVO nightclub offers the ultimate in Mediterranean nightlife. With a bathhouse feel to the club, from the terracotta stoneware to the fabulous murals on the walls, LAVO brings ancient Mediterranean culture into the present day.

If you’re on more of a fly-by-night trip, and looking to meet people during your stay, head to Christian Audigier at Treasure Island. Although this club wasn’t to my taste, and more lush than plush, it seemed to be the place to go to meet and mingle. Although you shouldn’t have any trouble in Las Vegas, everyone seems to drop their inhibitions at the airport when they arrive.

Top Five Night Spots in Las Vegas

5 Tryst at The Wynn – Tryst can hold up to 2,000 people, so it’s one hell of a party.
4 Tao at The Venetian – We only heard good things about this club, and everyone recommended it to us.
3 Jet - Jet offers three different rooms with their own dance experience.
2 LAVO
1 PURE Nightclub

The morning after the night before

gambling,nightclubs,travel,hotels,bars restaurants,holiday,North American,restaurant Simon Kerry If like me, you can’t function in the morning without a cup of coffee and some food in your belly, you’ll need to know where to head for breakfast. One of the most important names when it comes to breakfast in Las Vegas? Simon at Palms Place.  From an extensive range of breakfast options, all cooked under the watchful eye of celebrity chef to the stars, Kerry Simon (who I left with a little crush on), I opted for Simon’s Classic Diner Breakfast: eggs, bacon and two pancakes. But bear in mind that these are American portions. The waitress warned me that the pancakes were large when I added sides of Hash Browns and Sausages to my already big breakfast.  I scoffed and laughed that Nikki next to me would help me with my hash browns, but I actually found that what came to the table could have fed me for three days straight! Unfortunately our other breakfast outings during our stay, at Trump and Payard Patisserie at Caesars Palace, just didn’t live up to the standard Simon set. Simon is set in a wonderful location, with a poolside and Las Vegas skyline view. You can also enjoy Simon’s cuisine after a relax in the Palms Place spa, with hamman saunas, or try his Junkfood Platter (£7) for desert – the sound of which left all of our mouths watering – cupcakes, cookies and cotton candy among other things. I’ll be going back to Las Vegas just to try it!

Top Five Las Vegas Spas

5 Trump
4 Palms Place
3 Spa at Caesars Palace
2 Spa Mandalay
1 The Four Seasons Spa

Viva Las Vegas In Vogue

gambling,nightclubs,travel,Marc Jacobs,hotels,bars restaurants,holiday,versace,North American,restaurant,shopping,gianni versace The Forum Shops at Caesars The best thing about the Las Vegas strip is that you can find anything you’ve ever wanted within a three-mile radius, and casinos that want you to spend your money are willing to cater to your every whim.

So once you’ve outdone yourself on breakfast, relaxed in one of the many spas Las Vegas has to offer, and won lots of money on the slots or tables, what else does Las Vegas have to offer? Shopping of course! If the casinos are happy to give you money when you win it, there’s a wealth of shopping malls and designer outlets happy to take it away. The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace are one of the ultimate shopping destinations on The Strip and should be the first stop for anyone staying at the hotel.  With its Roman décor and fake blue sky, you could be forgiven for believing that you’ve been transported back to Rome in its heyday. Only the list of designer names as long as your arm will bring you back to the present day, with your choice of Marc Jacobs, Bvlgari, Burberry, Gianni Versace and Valentino to whet your appetite. Our first stop on our shopping trip was Marc Jacobs, where I bought a gorgeous necklace with my winnings and considered splashing out on my friends and family at home.  Naaaaa!

If you’re looking for some top designer-names at not-so-designer prices hale a taxi and ask for the Las Vegas Premium Outlets, located in the Downtown area. With more than 150 stores, you can spend a whole afternoon browsing the bargains. Here you’ll also find designers such as Dolce and Gabanna, Armani and Sarkovski at run-down prices, and fun fashion stores like Banana Republic and True Religion. Perfect for whiling away a sunny Nevada afternoon, just remember your sunscreen. I had to stop myself from going in all the shops, it was more dangerous than gambling!

Top five shopping spots
5  Via at Bellagio – has the only Tiffany’s store in Nevada.
4  Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood
3  The Forum Caesars Palace
2  Las Vegas Premium Outlets
1  Fashion Show Mall

Family fun

gambling,nightclubs,travel,hotels,bars restaurants,holiday,North American,restaurant The Dolphin Habitat Although most parents will probably leave their children with their in-laws before heading to Vegas, there were a surprising amount of children in the Adult playground of the world.  Caesars Palace has a babysitting and nanny service at your disposal, so you know the kids will be looked after while you spend the nights in swanky bars, but what do you do to keep the little nippers interested during the day? Although children friendly activities are probably the only thing in Las Vegas that aren’t in abundance, there are a few things that are fun for all the family.

At The Mirage’s Dolphin Habitat and Secret Garden, you can organise your own Dolphin petting session, or become a Trainer For The Day. As a Day Trainer you’ll play with, feed and train the Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins. This fun activity will keep the family occupied for the whole day, so make sure you don’t make other plans, and prepare to be at the poolside at 9:45am sharp. Unfortunately children under 13 years old aren’t allowed to take part. And it’s not for wimps either, having a dolphin launch itself onto the side at your feet was quite a daunting experience, but it was worth it for the photo opportunities. It was also nice to hear that The Dolphin Habitat doesn’t offer the opportunity to swim with the dolphins, and puts its emphasis on educating its visitors about the dolphins and their habitats.

If you’re looking for more excitement, the Rollercoaster at New York New York is possibly one of the scariest I have ever been on. At £7 a ride, it’s expensive but worth every penny as it twists and turns through the New York skyline, leaving you unsure where the ground is. If you want to do more thrill-seeking Circus Circus has even more rides. Roll up roll up!

Las Vegas can leave you feeling stir-crazy and if you want to get out of the strip, take an excursion around Red Rock Canyon with Pink Jeep Tours, you’ll get to have a look at the Nevada wildlife, and even do some off-roading, it makes for a great and beautiful escape from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas and proves there’s more to Nevada than the neon lights of the strip.

Top Five Family Fun spots in Las Vegas
5 The MGM Lion Habitat
4 Sharkreef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay
3 Circus Circus Advenuredome Park    
2 The Rollercoaster at New York New York - unmissable
1 The Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage

Adult fun

gambling,nightclubs,travel,hotels,bars restaurants,holiday,North American,restaurant SushiSamba So you’ve left the kids with the nanny service, or you’re on a bachelor or bachelorette holiday – what do you do with your spare time? There’s so much adult fun to be had in Las Vegas, and it’s not just at the casinos. You’ll be hard pressed to find a moment when you do get bored.

My favourite adult activity from my trip was Stripper 101 at V Theatre in The Miracle Mile, Planet Hollywood. For £35 I was taught how to give a mind-blowing lap dance and move like a professional pole dancer by Kendra, a stripper with the most amazing body I have ever seen. After our first cocktail and initial giggles of uncertainty everyone got used to the vibe in the room and chuckled together as Kendra spoke about her Cookie, and teaching your man to “respect the lap dance”. It was a great class, which instilled confidence in all the participants, old or young. (And I even got to practice my moves on the Christian Audigier nightclub’s pole later in the evening).

If you’re looking for more of a mixed-sex activity head to Sushi Samba at the Palazzo, for Sushi Sake 101. Here Tiffany Dawn Soto, who makes up 50% of the world’s female sake experts, will teach you everything you need know about enjoying sake and change your perception of the Japanese rice wine as a hangover-making machine. As Soto says at the beginning of her class, “The rules are short and simple: It’s cold not hot, sips not shots, and if you drop it in a beer I’ll call security.” Soto poured us sake from £60 bottles, to allow our palettes to taste the difference. Almost everyone in the room was in agreement, if they didn’t like sake before, they did now.  Having warmed ourselves up with the sake 101, resident sushi chef at Sushi Samba Koji Kagawa, showed us the tricks of the trade when it comes to mastering sushi before leaving us to our own devices, rolling and eating sushi to our heart’s content. Yum!

Top Five adult activities
5 Dinner a top the Las Vegas Paris Eiffel Tower
4 The Pussycat Dolls Lounge at PURE
3 Sushi Sake 101
2 The Pleasure Pit Planet Hollywood
1 Stripper 101

Showgirls

gambling,nightclubs,travel,hotels,bars restaurants,holiday,North American,restaurant La Reve Having decided on our Las Vegas Showgirl names on landing, I was really excited about seeing our first show in Las Vegas and although Donny and Marie at The Flamingo was full of pensioners I wasn’t disappointed. Donny Osmond really is a dream, and even though at 23 years old I was one of the youngest in the audience, I batted my eyelids and swooned along with the rest of them – some of whom looked like they were about to have heart attack when he sang to them. The most embarrassing part? Thinking that Donny was trying to get me up on stage when he actually just wanted to shake my hand, but it was all right he came back down and laughed in my ear, “You thought I was asking you to dance!” This girl has definitely bought a huge crush back from her trip to the neon city! And I will be buying my first Donny Osmond poster as soon as I can find someone in the UK who still prints them.

If Donny doesn’t float your boat then taking in a showing of Le Reve at The Wynn hotel is a must. With a cast of 85, the show is set in an aqua-theatre and offers breath-taking performances, live music and special affects, delving the audience into a world of magic and fantasy. We had the best seats in the house, at the top of a stand, with extra leg room, leather lining, chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne between two.  We could even see what was happening backstage before the performance and had underwater views during the show, through the TV screen in front of our seats. Absolutely Magnificent.

Top Five Las Vegas Shows

5 V – Ultimate Variety Show
4 Donny and Marie at The Flamingo
3 Love at The Mirage
2 Phantom Of The Opera at The Venetian
1 Le Reve at The Wynn

Leaving Las Vegas

gambling,nightclubs,travel,hotels,bars restaurants,holiday,North American,restaurant Leaving Las Vegas So, after a whirlwind tour of the bright lights of Las Vegas, I left a little weary and definitely ready for a long sleep. What had I learned? What was the point of this three-mile strip of sin? I still wasn’t quite sure.  Las Vegas is in its own little bubble; cut-off from the rest of the world, where the rich and famous come out to play and the rest of the world loses their inhibitions at the door. As you leave Las Vegas and travel across the rocky mountains of Nevada, you realise how far away the neon strip is from humanity, it’s a one of a kind, seven nights a week kind of show and it can get you hooked. I’d certainly take a trip back to Vegas, with girlfriends or a partner, as it makes a great place to forget all your worries and concentrate on letting your hair down, I’m just not sure how long-a-stay would be too long, as you soon miss normalcy and rules. It’s almost like that TV show Kid Nation, where they leave kids in a house without any parents to see what havoc they cause. And Las Vegas can cause plenty of havoc. Trust me.

Visit Las Vegas

gambling,nightclubs,travel,hotels,bars restaurants,holiday,North American,restaurant Lights of Las Vegas

Flights and four nights at Caesars palace £849 per person, on a room only basis.  Price is per person based on 2 adults travelling and sharing a standard room with return economy international flights from London Gatwick direct to Las Vegas.  The price includes car hire and all applicable taxes and surcharges, which are subject to change.  Prices are based on two adults sharing from 19 Apr 2009.  

Virgin Holidays is fully ATOL protected.

To book - www.virginholidays.com 0844 5573 860

For more information on everything Las Vegas has to offer, contact the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority at www.visitlasvegas.co.uk and 020 7367 0979.