Las Vegas Vacation Blog Blog

It was 1986 when an up-and-coming music TV network first touched down in Daytona Beach for its inaugural spring break special.

It was before anyone had ever heard of a reality TV show, but the throngs of inebriated college students and bikini-clad girls made an instant hit for MTV.

Twenty-five spring break seasons later, the network this year was in Las Vegas, where MTV chose the Palms as its base for spring break debauchery, a resort once home to the popular “Real World” series.

The party wrapped up Wednesday after four days of concerts, but Las Vegas resorts will be feeling the spring break buzz for the next few weeks. The season arrives in mid-March, when most college students have a weeklong break from academics, and it can last through April.

Spring-breakers braved cool temperatures and packed the pool at the Palms last week for performances from artists including PitBull, Ne-Yo, Wiz Khalifa and “Jersey Shore” star-turned-celebrity-DJ Pauly D.

“This helps solidify our brand as a place where people come to have fun and enjoy themselves, and it promotes our pool,” Palms owner George Maloof told the Sun last week.

It also generates revenue. Maloof said the four-day party surpassed the numbers the Palms initially projected.

Other Las Vegas resorts are hoping to do the same as the spring break season gets into full swing this week. MGM Resorts International is marketing spring break as “6 resorts. 1 party” at its mid-level Strip hotels.

“We expect this spring break to be a great one for our resorts. It’s difficult to track numbers since the break spans nearly a two-month period, but we anticipate an increase in visitors of about 20 percent over last year,” said Jenn Michaels, MGM Resorts’ vice president of public relations.
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Apparently Disney World is a riskier vacation spot than the Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas ranked No. 3 on a list of the 25 most dangerous U.S. spring break destinations, just below Orlando and Daytona Beach.

The analysis was put together by Avvo, a website that offers ratings and profiles for doctors and lawyers. The company evaluated the 25 cities based on data including violent crimes, murders, rapes and fatal car crashes.

Other cities in the top 10 include Myrtle Beach, S.C.; New Orleans; Panama City, Fla.; and Miami. Florida had 10 cities on the list.

Further down the list, Reno took the No. 23 spot.

The list comes during a week when many college students are beginning their travels to spring break destinations around the country. Since this past weekend, MTV has made the Palms the headquarters. for the network’s spring break debauchery.

Las Vegas ranked at No. 2 on Orbitz.com’s list of the most popular destinations for the 2011 spring break season. Orlando bumped the city from the top spot, which it had held for two years.

The travel booking website said Las Vegas room rates during spring break increased 15 percent compared to last year, from $88 in 2010 to $101 in 2011.

Ortbiz.com senior travel editor Jeanenne Tornatore said airfares to Las Vegas from March 1 to May 31 have also increased 15 percent compared to same period a year ago.

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Las Vegas-based hotel-casino MGM Grand has firmed up plans to check into the hospitality district near the international airport in Delhi. This will be MGM’s first destination in India, and it expects to be ready by early 2014. There won’t be any casino here, though.

MGM Grand, with its characteristic lion at the entrance, is one of the prominent structures on The Strip, referred to a long stretch in Vegas lined with hotels and casinos on both sides.

The MGM Grand and Skylofts in New Delhi will be part of a dynamic multiple-hotel development in the national capital, MGM (hospitality) vice-president of development-India Rishi Kapoor told Business Standard. “Groundbreaking on the project is scheduled for this month and MGM Grand New Delhi is expected to welcome its first guests in early 2014,” he said.

Replying to a questionnaire sent by this newspaper, a spokesperson of DIAL (Delhi International Airport Ltd) said it had leased land to developers and it was the developers’ responsibility to tie-up with hotel operators. “It is our understanding that one of the developers has tied up with MGM ,” the DIAL spokesperson said. DIAL is a consortium led by the GMR Group.

The MGM Grand will offer a variety of accommodations and the full-range of luxury services, according to Kapoor. “The new hotel will feature approximately 480 MGM Grand guest rooms, along with a number of exclusive Skylofts brand suites and serviced apartments,” he said.

Located in The Strip area of Las Vegas, Skylofts is a luxury boutique hotel on the top of MGM Grand. The group describes it as a “private sanctuary tucked within the clouds”.
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Of all the groups of visitors that come to Las Vegas annually, you’d be hard pressed to find one that can actually transform the city and make it known a big event is going on.

Las Vegas absorbs so much from all areas like a machine that it almost looks the same day after day, unfazed.

When the NBA All-Star Game came and went, other than a few skipped bills and much publicized incidents, you wouldn’t have known. When the rodeos come to town, you see the cowboy hats and Wranglers, but for most other visitors, they wouldn’t even know it.

Comdex and MAGIC shows are only identified by casino employees, just because the tokes are always down.

The thing that really makes NASCAR stand out is the colors and fun, good-natured time all their fans have. When over 100,000 people come in for a weekend, all decked out in their gear along the Las Vegas Strip, it’s a pretty impressive sight.

Most of these fans have circled Las Vegas on their calendars as their destination spot for a vacation because they can kill two birds with one stone. Not only do they get to go to a race, but they also get to satisfy their vacation needs like no other race can. It’s Las Vegas! And they have NASCAR too!

When the first Cup race came to town 14 years ago, it also signaled the birth of NASCAR wagering as we know it today with every sports book carrying the odds and some offering a multitude of driver propositions, almost like a Super Bowl. Prior to that, only a handful of books even took bets on the weekly races.

Over the years, the 100,000 visitors a year on NASCAR weekend have become well educated on how to bet, and it adds another angle to making the race fun. You can’t bet the race in Daytona, at least legally anyway.

The Las Vegas Hilton Super Book, MGM Resorts properties and Lucky’s sports books all figure to have the most extensive list of propositions this week. Beyond odds to win, they’ll have driver matchups and all types of other things found in a box-score, like over-under cautions, winning car number, lap leaders, and picking more points combined in the race between Hendrick Motorsports drivers against Roush Racing drivers.
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Trump International Hotel™ Las Vegas wants guests and their four-legged friends to feel at home during their next Las Vegas vacation with the newly-enhanced Trump Pets® program.

As one of the first hotels in Las Vegas to welcome pets, guests can now take part in the Paws Massage Package* which offers a 30-minute Trump Classic Massage for guests and a 30-minute massage for their pooch. The Las Vegas vacation package, which starts at $150 (excluding tax & gratuity), will allow pets and their parents to relax and unwind in the comfort of their own suite with dual treatments, both performed by a Spa at Trump® massage therapist.

Debuting to rave reviews, celebrity pup Misty, star of the recent blockbuster hit movie “Marley & Me,” will be one of the first to receive the pet friendly service.

To ensure a comfortable stay, guests at Trump will find their Las Vegas suites are outfitted for their playful pups with amenities including a plush dog bed, gourmet treats, a water bowl and fresh bottled water. Studio suites starting at $99.

Trump Las Vegas also announced today that it will donate a portion of the $200 cleaning fee for every dog that stays at the property to the Nevada SPCA No-Kill Animal Sanctuary. The Nevada SPCA is a nonprofit charitable organization completely dependent on private donations to help save and protect animals in need in the Las Vegas community.

Located just off The Strip across from the Fashion Show Mall, Trump Las Vegas delivers an unprecedented level of personalized service and world-class amenities. The Las Vegas hotel features a non-gaming, smoke-free environment while providing all of the comfort and services of a boutique hotel. The Spa at Trump features exclusive products and treatments, along with a state-of-the-art fitness center.

Boasting floor-to-ceiling windows, custom-designed furniture, European kitchens, marble bathrooms with spa tubs, and signature sleep systems with luxurious linens, each suite at Trump International Hotel Las Vegas features incredible city views. Meanwhile, DJT, the hotel’s signature restaurant, offers chic dining and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

These special offers and Las Vegas vacation packages are based on availability. Trump Las Vegas is only able to accommodate pets up to 25 pounds. To make reservations, please call (866) 939-8786 or email Trumplasvegas@trumphotels.com to book directly.

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Would you plunk down $30 to guarantee that a king-size bed would be waiting for you in Las Vegas?

Although mandatory resort fees have spread among many Las Vegas resorts during the recession, MGM Resorts International has quietly added several options in recent weeks. Besides the bed fee, which allows guests at Mandalay Bay their choice of a king or two queens, MGM now lists differing surcharges for differing check-out or check-in times at several properties and has extended the resort fee to the Bellagio for the first time.

But a $20 charge to guarantee a nonsmoking room at the MGM Grand was quickly snuffed out after it threatened to billow into a public relations fiasco.

“These options provide yet another tool for us to personalize the guest experience, according to each guest’s individual preferences,” MGM officials said in a statement. “We’re receiving some very positive feedback from guests.”

Not all of the MGM hotels have the new fees. The ones put into effect vary by property.

But some industry experts wonder whether that will lead the hotels down the same runway as the airline industry, which has become a lightning rod of consumer antipathy for charging extra for everything from checked baggage to food to seat assignments.

Some hotels around the country have listed extended time fees, said Bobby Bowers, senior vice president at Smith Travel Research. Such options largely disappeared during the tight economy.

However, Bowers added, “I don’t think I’ve seen a bed size fee before. It’s hard for me to fathom. I think there is definitely the danger of people feeling nickeled-and-dimed for everything they do.”

Despite the complaints directed at airlines over what management terms unbundling or a la carte pricing, the extra revenue has contributed to the industry’s best profits in years. Many airline executives go out of their way to highlight fee income in Wall Street presentations.

Starting in the current quarter, MGM told gaming industry analysts that it would create a separate line item in its financial reports to show the revenue that comes from the resort fees. That comes against a backdrop of Las Vegas room rates falling 22 percent since 2007, a source of concern to securities analysts, and only recently started to rebound.
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Bags To Go travel services, a leader in off-airport baggage check-in, baggage storage and baggage claim and delivery services, today announced its partnership with The Sahara Hotel and Casino. Upon checking out of the Sahara Hotel, guests can now conveniently check their luggage with Bags To Go, which will conduct Transportation Security Administration-approved screening, check the bag for the guests and ensure the luggage reaches their home airport or final destination for only $10 per bag.

“The Sahara Hotel and Casino employs a policy based on high-quality customer service when selecting the amenities offered at our hotel,” says Perry Azarra, hotel manager at the Sahara. “Bags To Go’s services further allow us to cater to our guests, especially those who wish to maximize their experience in Las Vegas and extend their business or leisure vacation without worrying about transporting their luggage to the airport.”

Bags To Go’s off-airport check-in services are available in the main lobby of the Sahara adjacent to the check-in desk and allow guests flying out of McCarran International Airport to bypass the airport check-in counter. The service permits passengers to conveniently check-in their luggage and receive their boarding pass up to 12 hours before departure, extending business or leisure time luggage free for $10 per bag. Travelers can be assured that their luggage will arrive to their final destination safely and securely, allowing travelers to experience all that Las Vegas has to offer.

“Bags To Go is excited to expand our services to guests of the Sahara Hotel and enhance their Las Vegas experience,” says Keith Wiater, founder and CEO of Bags To Go. “Our secure baggage handling services save time, eliminate stress and help extend patrons’ vacations.”

Las Vegas visitors can also access Bags To Go services at the Luxor Hotel, the MGM Grand Hotel, the Venetian Casino, Hotel and Resort, the Palazzo Resort, Hotel and Casino, the McCarran International Airport Rent-A-Car Center, the Las Vegas Convention Center, and the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Passengers can conveniently pre-book these and many other travel solutions at www.bagstogo.net.

In addition to its service offerings for Las Vegas patrons, Bags To Go also offers convenient services to passengers embarking on and disembarking from cruises in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, Fla.

About Bags To Go
Bags To Go has been a leader in advance off-airport baggage check-in, baggage storage and baggage claim and delivery services since 1999. A trusted partner with McCarran International Airport and Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, Bags To Go provides an array of baggage handling services that make leisure or business travel easy, convenient and luggage free. Leveraging its proprietary web–based technology and tracking systems, Bags To Go provides its clientele with an unparalleled level of security, reliability and customer service. Fully insured, Bags To Go is one of the few companies in the United States authorized by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to partner with airports to perform off-airport check-in, luggage storage, baggage claim and delivery services. Trained airline industry specialists, Bags To Go also provides staffing services to aviation companies seeking qualified and highly trained employees. For more information, visit www.bagstogo.net, engage on Facebook or follow our tweets @bagsfreetravel.

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Celine Dion and her family were greeted by fans, friends and employees yesterday as they returned to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Celine, 42, held baby Nelson, while husband Rene Angelil, 69, held little Eddy. The twins are almost four months old. Son Rene-Charles, 10, was there, along with Celine’s mom, Therese.

Earlier in the day, Celine taped an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Oprah gave away trips to Vegas to see Celine, reports Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

USA TODAY’s Lorena Blas has confirmed that Celine will sing Smile during the “in memoriam” segment of the Oscars on Feb. 27, in advance of her Vegas show opening on March 15.

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A spring-like Valentine’s Day is on the way for Las Vegas — skies will be mostly sunny and temperatures will climb to nearly 73 degrees by mid afternoon.

The dry and unseasonably warm weather will continue through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

A large and complex low pressure system over the Pacific Ocean will affect the region beginning Wednesday, the weather service said.

Strong southwest winds, mountain snow and valley rain are likely Wednesday into early Thursday, especially north of Interstate 40, forecasters said.

High temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees colder Thursday than Monday, they said. The colder damp weather will continue into the weekend as the area of low pressure slowly moves across the region.

At 4:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 36 degrees. The normal low for today’s date is 41 degrees. The record low was 18 degrees, set in 1949.

Around the valley just before 5 a.m., temperatures were 34 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 33 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 31 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 54 degrees by 9 a.m., to 66 degrees by noon and reach a high of 73 degrees by 3 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today’s date is 63 degrees and the record high was 78 degrees, set in 1957.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 67 degrees by 6 p.m., to 61 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 57 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Tuesday’s morning low will be 49 degrees and Tuesday’s high will climb to 7 degrees, they said.

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Though Las Vegas knows how to cater to high rollers, it’s also a surprisingly affordable destination…so long as Lady Luck is on your side at the casino tables. And thanks to a floundering economy, many of the city’s hotels offer frequent sales to lure visitors. Right now, book a Las Vegas flight and hotel vacation package on Southwest Airlines for three or more nights and save $25 per night on travel from through Aug. 11.

Book by Thursday, and use the promo code LAS25PNFEB at the time of booking and save up to $125 on your package at any hotel. Or, book at select hotels and get even more for free. Stay at the Mandarin Oriental or Tropicana and get a free night, receive free upgrades at the Venetian or Las Vegas Hilton, or get a $50 dining credit at the Cosmopolitan. Twenty other hotels, including MGM, the Bellagio and the Luxor, are also offering discounts ranging from 25 to 30 percent off. Package prices for flights from Portland to Las Vegas plus three nights hotel for two start at around $800. That puts the cost of the hotel room at around $100 per night.

As always, details are subject to change, and blackout dates do apply, so check directly with the hotel and airline to confirm.

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