Las Vegas Vacation Blog Blog

A recent USA Today poll showed 71 percent of travelers expect to spend more on transportation as well as 44 percent devise to spend more for food, lodging as well as party this summer than they did last year. With vacation budgets on the rise, travelers want to get the many out of every dollar spent as well as Las Vegas is the perfect place to ascent your average vacation to the oppulance experience without the oppulance price tag. Steal the below ideas (each costing approximately $100 or less), as well as experience the lavish stay in the suite; the respite during some of Americas most appropriate spas & pools; unexpected party options as well as mythological dining excursions for the decadent Vegas escape.

Luxury PadMany Las Vegas visitors already know they can receive the limit Vegas experience during MGM Grand as well as with rates starting during $60 per night, its hard to beat. To have their stay the bit more luxurious, guest can opt to ascent to the luxurious Deluxe Suite during The Signature during MGM Grand where rates start during $99 per night. With the separate sitting area, high-tech party center as well as kitchenette, travelers can enjoy the personal oasis in the non-smoking, non-gaming environment with easy access to all of MGM Grands amenities.Guests with the bit more flexibility will want to splurge on the lavish ascent to HOTEL32 during Monte Carlo with nightly rates starting during $170 thats the mere $100 more per night than the average standard room in Las Vegas. At HOTEL32, an disdainful boutique hotel located on the top floor of Monte Carlo, travelers can enjoy the private check-in within the comfort of their room as well as the courtesy of the Suite Assistant, who provides butler as well as concierge services throughout the stay. In addition, guest enjoy elevated amenities including the choice of twelve pillow types as well as the television embedded in bathroom mirrors for the ambience of the celebrity lifestyle.Relaxation on DemandWant to spend some quality tim! e alone as well as unwind during the spa? A day spa pass, offering access to exercise rooms as well as the variety of spa amenities, is the perfect answer. For $25, guest can enjoy the day of relaxation in the eucalyptus steam room as well as redwood sauna during the BATHHOUSE during THEhotel during Mandalay Bay. Or, guest can breathe the air of the Shio salt infused-room as well as unwind on the Japanese stone beds during The Spa & Salon during ARIA the only spa in the country to suggest both of these amenities for $30.Who doesnt love the massage that doubles as object protection? Bellagio as well as Mandalay Bay Beach suggest mini-massages with sunscreen (SPF 15, 30 or 45) that assistance to protect whilst providing the relaxing touch to the muscles. For some after-sun comfort, guest can get the reprieve from the heat with an Aloe Vera application during Mandalay Bay Beach.Stay Cool during the Pool Poolside cabanas have been popular with guest as well as tend to book up quickly. As an alternative, try the premium poolside seats now available during some of the hottest Strip properties. Starting during $25 per day, object lovers can haven as well as relax on the cushioned lounge chair whilst enjoying elevated amenities such as chilled fruits, tropical drink tastings as well as Evian misters. Hotel guest can find these seats offered during Bellagios Cypress Pool, The Mirage, Mandalay Bay, Luxor as well as New York-New York.Or return to the basics with the pool tube or raft. This verified method of aquatic relaxation costs only $10-$16 per day during MGM Grand, The Mirage, Monte Carlo as well as New York-New York, though guarantees lots of fun.
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Usually around this time, we glance backward at the year that was.

But we at In Business Las Vegas are all about looking ahead. We figure 2010 is in the rearview mirror and there’s nothing we can do about it now.

With that in mind, here’s one tourism commentator’s list of the Top 10 Southern Nevada tourism and gaming stories you’ll be reading about in 2011:

No. 10 — A new regulatory look. Some gaming industry observers saw the departure of Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander coming. He’s been on the board since 1998 and told Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval’s staff last month that he wasn’t interested in be reappointed.

But what many didn’t see coming was the decision not to reappoint board member Randall Sayre.

Sayre, formerly head of the Control Board’s investigations division, is a no-nonsense regulator who used his law enforcement skills to ask the tough questions of licensees and applicants trying to skirt what is regarded as the best gaming regulatory environment in the world.

Sayre raised a few hackles with his handling of the industry’s oversight — or lack of oversight — of nightclubs and pools. With several incidences of drug use, underage drinking and public sexual activity, Sayre led the charge to clean up the clubs to help protect the industry’s reputation.

With Neilander and Sayre gone from the three-member board in 2011, it sets the stage for an inexperienced majority, although most observers are confident that Sandoval, a former gaming commissioner, made good selections in Shawn Reid, chief of investigations for the board, and A.G. Burnett, deputy chief of the securities division, whose names were forwarded to Gov. Jim Gibbons for appointment.

With several properties changing hands as a result of the economy and several revisions in regulations in the pipeline, it will be interesting to watch how that tier of regulation functions.

No. 9 — Las Vegas’ arena bid. As 2010 winds down, the latest proposal to build an arena appears to be headed to the courts.

In 2011, we’ll see if the arena proposal by Caesars Entertainment, which has demonized by MGM Resorts International, moves ahead or gets hogtied in court.

Although many critics say Southern Nevada doesn’t need another arena — especially one financed all or in part with public funds — new sports facilities have been proven economic drivers. They can house major entertainment and sports events, and building them could be a boost to the struggling construction industry.

Read full story: Tourism Stories You’ll be Reading About in 2011

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Following the launch of 3DHawaii.com earlier this year, 3D Travel, Inc. introduces www.3DLasVegas.com, the newest addition to the first-ever collection of interactive 3d travel portals. Available collectively at 3DTravel.com, the sites incorporate Google Earth™ technology and are an innovative, experiential way to plan and book travel on the web.

Travelers who visit 3DLasVegas.com can explore the most comprehensive selection of hotels, resorts, casinos, restaurants, shopping centers, shows and visitor attractions available on the web, most in 3d, to help them plan their vacation or business trip to Las Vegas. After researching all the options, travelers can make reservations directly with featured properties.

“With the early success of 3DHawaii.com, which launched in July, Las Vegas was a natural choice for our second site,” said Craig Carapelho, CEO of 3D Travel, Inc. “Las Vegas attracts a huge number of business and vacation travelers every year. 3DLasVegas.com offers an entirely new, immersive way of seeing what the city has to offer, allowing visitors to best design their Las Vegas experience. Plus, the city’s creative architecture and the vibrant skyline of the Strip look incredible in 3d.”

With the launch of 3DLasVegas.com comes upgraded technology. The new platform has multiple language capabilities, the user interface has been streamlined for easier navigation, street-view accuracy has been improved, and the overall speed of the site has been optimized. Other planned new features include an itinerary builder and a shopping cart, allowing travelers to save preferred hotels and activities while exploring the site.

MGM Resorts International is a client with ten major Las Vegas Strip resorts it operates, including world-famous resorts such as Bellagio, MGM Grand Las Vegas and The Mirage, presented as in-depth 3dLasVegas.com experiences.
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Skip two movies or a week’s worth of venti-sized lattes and you could underwrite a Las Vegas getaway at the Excaliber hotel-casino, where rooms have been discounted to $22 a night.

The deal: The Lowest Rates Online offer starts at $22.40 per night, plus tax and resort fee, and includes a tower room a, free Jell-O shot at Dick’s Last Resort, free eats for up to two children 11 years and younger (with the purchase of two adult buffets) and $10 off the Steakhouse at Camelot.

When: The offer, which expires Nov. 26, is good for stays through Sept. 30, subject to availability and blackout dates.

Tested: It’s hard to believe that you could spend around $100 on a three-night stay in any big city, let alone Vegas. (I’ve run up a bigger tab camping, and had to bring my own sleeping bag and tent. ) I recommend reserving online because extra charges apply if you book by phone.

I checked the hotel’s website and found three nights starting Dec. 12 for a room with two queen-sized beds (sleeps four) for $75.26 including tax. Add another $34 (includes tax) for daily resort fees and the entire bill comes to $109.

In checking the hotel’s online reservation calendar, I also found many dates, mostly midweek, available in December for $22 plus tax per night. This deal has a long lead time, perfect for locking in cheap digs for a girls getaway or spring break escape. So step away from the lattes, and you’ve got a vacation paid for.

Contact: Excalibur, (877) 750-5464

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LAS VEGAS, NV–(Marketwire - November 15, 2010) - Trump International Hotel™, a Las Vegas luxury hotel, is making the holidays sparkle this year with an array of irresistible stay, shopping, spa and dining offers. Whether guests are looking to dazzle or decompress, Trump Las Vegas has festive getaways and gift options to help usher in the holidays — Vegas style!

Packages now available at Trump International Hotel Las Vegas:

‘Merry & Bright’ with Ivanka Trump
We can’t promise snow, but the holidays will certainly shine brightly thanks to Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry and Trump Las Vegas. With the Merry & Bright* limited-time offer, when booking any stay of three or more consecutive nights between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, 2010, guests will receive a $300 gift card to Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry (applicable toward a minimum purchase of $1,000).
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So Andy Rooney hates gambling and has no fun in Las Vegas. Not fair, because his money’s always welcome here.

“60 Minutes” viewers who tuned in Sunday night were treated to another exhausting diatribe from the 91-year-old commentator, who this time argued in favor of shutting down the gaming industry.

“How come the government doesn’t protect citizens from losing their money by making gambling in casinos illegal?” he asked, while applauding reports that gaming revenue is on the decline.

“There’s only so much money in the world and if it’s lost at a gambling table, it’s money that isn’t spent on things America makes,” he continued. “I mean who’s best for this country — a machinist at an automobile plant in Detroit or a blackjack dealer in Las Vegas?”

At this point, Mayor Oscar Goodman was likely clenching his fists so hard he may have injured himself.

Make gambling illegal? Somebody cut this man’s microphone!

Perhaps he’d like to help a few hundred-thousand casino workers find new jobs in Detroit, after the city solves its own unemployment crisis, of course.

Gambling produces nothing? Last time I looked it produced this beautiful city in the desert. It also produced a few winners along the way, although Rooney, who said he’s always lost, wasn’t one of them.

Upon hearing that, one can automatically assume he has a bias and a bone to pick with the city.

But the outrage is just our gut reaction. In reality this case doesn’t call for finger-wagging. Instead we should be thanking Andy Rooney.

He’s just given Las Vegas a great endorsement, the kind you can’t buy with billboards promoting pool parties at the Hard Rock. First of all, it’s a safe bet the swimsuit crowd has never heard of Rooney, so no loss there.

As for the rest of the audience, Rooney’s ramblings may actually inspire them to roll the dice in our fair city.

Why? Well, first of all, no one likes to be called a loser or a sucker, two words he used to describe his viewers.

Secondly, everyone knows that when a grown-up tells you something’s bad for you, it makes you want to do it more and more. Frankly, at 91, who’s more grown-up than Andy Rooney?

Rooney’s audience may have just been reminded of what happens when the fun stops, if I can borrow a line from those gambling addiction pamphlets.

Life is short, and if given the choice between watching a roulette wheel spin or listening to a lecture about the problems with manual transmission, I’ll bet most people would reach for the remote.

At least there’s a chance the roulette wheel can give you a return on your investment.

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Casino operator Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS: 25.15 +1.86%) will look to the planned sale of retail outlets and apartments to recoup construction cost on its Macau properties.

CEO Sheldon Adelson said in December that the sale of the Four Seasons apartments, shopping areas in the Venetian Macau and condominiums at the St. Regis would raise enough money to pay Sands debt.

The last available data on the gaming company’s’ debt showed an outstanding amount of $12.2 billion of bonds and loans due next year through 2015.

“That is our fundamental business model — we get our money back from the sale of non-core business assets,” Adelson said in an interview in Singapore yesterday.

With construction resuming now on the St. Regis hotel and condominium tower, Adelson said the sale of such assets will begin within the next 2 ½ years.

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Las Vegas Gas Prices on the Rise
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LAS VEGAS - Nevada drivers are paying more at the pump. In the past month, gas prices in Las Vegas have risen 15 cents per gallon. Experts say prices will climb higher as summer approaches.

Nevada drivers say the economy is already making life difficult. Rising fuel prices only add to their financial problems. “It makes it hard, hard to even go to work or do anything,” driver Curtis McOsker said. “At these prices, (I’ll pay) about $85.”

Kesheana Shelby is also feeling the pinch at the pump. “It’s ridiculous how much the prices are going up,” she said. “I believe we’re probably going to be up to about $3.50 a gallon. I wouldn’t be surprised if we made it to four dollars. It’s bad how they’re doing it out here.”

A gallon of regular unleaded costs, on average, $2.90 in Las Vegas. Last year at this time, Las Vegas drivers were paying $2.13 a gallon.

“The trend for 2010 has really been a roller coaster ride with gas prices,” AAA Nevada spokesman Michael Geeser. “They’ve gone up and down and up and down and down again, and now we’re up for the past month.”

Geeser says the global market is driving up gasoline prices. “China’s demand went up 30 percent compared to a month ago last year, which signals a manufacturer country like China is really starting to use more product.”

Geeser says despite global conditions, Nevada drivers did not see price hikes the rest of the country did in the past month. Likewise, while prices are going up, they are still lower than the record prices drivers paid in June 2008.

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Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that’s why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

“The Hills” will be returning for one last season when it premieres Monday, April 27 on MTV. The final 12 episodes of the long-running series will deal with rumors about Kristin Cavallari, the brief return of Lauren Conrad and the ongoing drama that is Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt. The trailer for the final season hints at both marriage trouble and the controversy surrounding Montag’s series of plastic surgeries, which have severely altered her appearance. The singer, whose album Superficial has stalled despite early buzz, unveiled her new body in Las Vegas on Saturday (April 10) when she donned a bikini to sit poolside at the Liquid Pool at Aria at CityCenter.

She wasn’t the only star showing herself off over the weekend, as the Backstreet Boys showed up at the Silverado Resort in Napa Valley (where they played an intimate acoustic set) on Sunday (April 11) and Khloe Kardashian rolled through Miami on Friday (April 9).

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That was no mirage Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. That really was Jeff Gordon riding around the slick, 1.5-mile oval as if he owned the place.

You remember Gordon, don’t you? Four NASCAR Sprint Cup championships. No. 6 on the all-time list with 82 wins.

So where’s he been?

Well, where he was Sunday was in cruise control, dominating a race with such precision it was as if someone had turned back the clock and it was the 13-win, 1998 championship season all over again, a season in which a vintage Gordon amassed an astonishing 19 top-five finishes during the final 20 races.

Although Gordon wound up third on the leader board following the checkered flag, he led 219 of 267 laps, the first time he’s led the field for that many laps since leading 313 laps in a win at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in October 2003.

Gordon also led 168 laps while finishing runner-up at the second Martinsville race in 2007, a race some believe is the last time he’s delivered such a dominating run, and 173 laps in a fourth-place finish at the following race at Texas Motor Speedway. But Gordon said there is no comparison between the Martinsville and Las Vegas races.

“The mile and a half tracks are where championships are won because there’s quite a few of them,” Gordon said Monday during a brief pit stop in Phoenix, where he took part in a Jeff Gordon Day ceremony with Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. “Having a strong team and car like that on a mile and a half to me means more than going and dominating at Martinsville.

“So in my opinion, it’s been a lot longer (between dominating races) than Martinsville.”

One thing appears certain. It appears Gordon might be ready to challenge teammate and Las Vegas winner Jimmie Johnson for NASCAR superiority.

“(Sunday) felt good,” Gordon said. “As disappointed as it was to finish third, it felt awesome to be up there. When they dropped the green flag, I was driving by guys and just pulling away.

“The 48 (Johnson) was strong. Had he gotten in front of us any time during the day, he was going to be tough as we were. We knew he was our competition. It just came down to the final pit stop.”

Gordon’s bullish run meant a nine-position jump to No. 13 in the driver standings and only reinforced what he already believed before the season’s first lap, which is he remains optimistic a fifth title hardly is out of the question.

“I really don’t have anything out there I have to accomplish,” Gordon said. “But I really want to win a fifth championship and I’d like to do it before Jimmie Johnson.

“I’ve been optimistic all winter. I feel like (crew chief) Steve Letarte and the team really has been on top of their game and is just really going that extra mile to make us better. I’ve been trying to do the same with communicating with them, working out and doing everything I possibly can.

“So I felt really good about our team just coming into the season. I feel like we ran great at Daytona (26th) and I felt like we ran great at California (20th). Then, we backed it up with a great run and finish (Sunday), where we didn’t have the finishes to show for it in the other two races. But I still felt like our performances were there. We’re definitely building momentum for this year.”

Gordon’s beliefs are a 180-degree turnaround from last season at about this same juncture, even after finishing runner-up at Fontana in February and winning at Texas Motor Speedway in April.

“Even though we won at Texas and we were strong at California, I just don’t feel like we’re going to flatten out t his year,” said Gordon, who never led the most laps in a single race in 2008 and only did it one time last season. “I feel like we’ve got some extra strengths built into the team right now and that’s going to be make us stronger.

“I felt like last year we were at our peak at the beginning of the season. I feel like this year we haven’t reached our peak yet. I really feel like we have a team that can compete with them (Johnson’s team) this year and we showed it at Las Vegas.”

Did he ever.

Mark Armijo is the former auto racing beat writer for the Arizona Republic and is now a frequent contributor to RacinToday.com

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