Part of the old Caesars Palace sign, now found at the Neon Boneyard. (Visit it if you can - there's so much to see!)
Throw a coin in the fountain for luck. Or just have your photo taken there like everyone else.
Caesars Palace is the Grand Dame in my top 5 list. Opened in 1966 and renovated in 2005, this hotel and casino has stood the test of time. Rather than play out its popularity and see its demise because of a lack of interest - and guests - it has become bigger and more popular than ever before.
Statue outside the main entrance
The area that makes up Caesars Palace as a whole is large and imposing; its footprint is the largest of any other hotel and casino on the Strip. The sports book is one of my very favorites because it is open to the casino floor with dozens of TVs on the walls and at each chair, so there is no problem finding the sporting event you want to watch, when you want to watch it.
The Colosseum is the main show venue in Caesars, and it has hosted such big name acts as Celine Dion, Elton John (seen him - loved him), Cher (seen her - enjoyed her), and Rod Stewart. It is a huge venue, and there are lots of price points for tickets to the shows.
Some of Cher's costumes. What there is of them, anyway.
Of all the Caesars Entertainment (CET) properties, Caesars Palace is the most expensive. They've got to pay for all their expansions and renovations somehow! But with a new high-end buffet (Bacchanal Buffet), and a "hotel within a hotel" (Nobu) opening soon, there's always something new and interesting to see, do, or taste.
Trevi fountain, which is right next to...the Trevi restaurant.
There are many restaurants to try in Caesars Palace, from high-end dining like Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, The Palm, Rao and Wolfgang Puck to more affordable dining like Central, Trevi and Max Brenner. In addition, they have a food court right off of the casino floor, and a small cafe' near the sports book that can fit the bill for a smaller budget. Some great places to that I've tried - with reviews and photos:
Goldfish at Beijing Noodle #9
I enjoy decorating my own vanilla ice cream bars with toppings at Max Brenner's. This is an order for one person.
Once you've finished stuffing your face, take a stroll over to the Forum Shops...and prepare for a long, loooooong walk. The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace covers almost 1 million square feet (that's 1,000,000,000 square feet if you want to be more impressed with the number) and include the original section with about 350,000 square feet and the new, 3-story addition closer to the Strip that has over 550,000 square feet and includes a circular escalator. And remember to wear comfortable shoes - the 'cobblestone' floors are very rough on your feet.
I'm sorry...I forgot what I was saying.
It is extremely easy to get lost in the newer part of the shops because there are lots of dead-ends on each floor, and some the walkways don't seem to line up exactly with the original part of the shops. Add the gawking factor to this and it's certainly easy to lose yourself - or a companion - if you don't watch where you're going. The "sky" turns from dawn to full day to dusk in the span of about an hour, and you could find yourself looking UP instead of watching where you're going.
The senators say...keep shopping!
Once you find your way back to the casino area with all of your purchases, keep your eye out for Caesar and Cleopatra, escorted by the Centurion guards. They are more than happy to pose for photos, and they can be found anywhere in the casino as well as the reception area, so keep your eyes open.
Caesar says the exit is that way...
Tired from all that walking? Sit down and gamble. There are many games to play, and many areas to play them in. Some parts of the casino are more private and are almost like smaller casinos within the larger one. In addition, the Pussycat Dolls (or reasonable facsimiles) have their own Blackjack pit near the sports book and the Seahorse Lounge, so you could always sit and watch them if you don't want to gamble. Sorry...I don't have a photo to share. Seriously, I don't.
NOT the Pussycat Dolls
If you don't want to gamble, you can head to one of the bar or lounge areas. The Shadow Bar has girls shown dancing "in shadow" behind screens, which is somewhat interesting, because I'm beginning to think they are using a projector now and there aren't actually any girls behind the screens anymore. Either that or the girls seem to just be doing the same moves over and over again. It is located near the sports book if you're interested in finding out for yourself.
In my opinion, the prettiest lounge in the casino is the Seahorse Lounge. It is also located near the sports book (and the Pussycat Dolls Blackjack pit, if you care) and has great seating areas for meeting friends - or finding your lost traveling companions.
There are seahorse decorations in the Seahorse Lounge.
Not surprising, is it?
Something else I just realized I don't have any photos of...the cocktail waitresses. They have some of the cutest uniforms of any the casinos on the Strip. They're white, toga-like, not too revealing, but very flattering and fit the theme of the hotel. Sadly, I never remember to take a photo of a friendly cocktail waitress, but I'll try to remember to take one next time.
An Asian woman was trying to pray when I took this photo. She was not happy with me. Still love the photo!
Pay them a visit and prepare to be amazed by Caesars Palace.
And, no, Caesar does NOT live there.
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