If you're planning a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate your birthday (or the birthday of a special someone), there's a great site you can check for birthday deals before you leave:
Happy birthday!
You can find some great freebies and money-saving deals to help you celebrate the special day. Savelv.com put them all together in an easy to navigate website, and wonderful Mr. Westie from LV4E found the site and shared it with his friends.
Be sure to take a look at the site before you leave for your trip so you can print out any coupons and complete your itinerary. The site is updated regularly, so the specials will not necessarily be the same from month-to-month or even day-to-day.
Either way, enjoy your trip!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Link to great website: Vegas history
A wonderful British friend of mine from LV4E, known as "JohnVegas" on the site, is an incredible photographer as well as a terrific website designer (in my opinion). He has arranged several interesting Vegas tributes in the past, including a fantastic montage set to Bon Jovi's "I Love This Town", and has now put together a great site that delves into the history of Las Vegas.
The site includes his own photos as well as some borrowed from other sources, and it is a grand accomplishment, indeed. This new endeavor of his takes 3-4 hours to peruse from beginning to end, but it's a great source of Vegas information for the newbie OR for the die-hard Vegas fan (like me) who can never get enough of that lovely city.
http://john-uk.com/LasVegasHistory/LVHISTORYWELCOME.html
Enjoy the ride! Just make sure you get comfortable before you start. I would suggest taking a bathroom break and feeding your pets first.
The site includes his own photos as well as some borrowed from other sources, and it is a grand accomplishment, indeed. This new endeavor of his takes 3-4 hours to peruse from beginning to end, but it's a great source of Vegas information for the newbie OR for the die-hard Vegas fan (like me) who can never get enough of that lovely city.
http://john-uk.com/LasVegasHistory/LVHISTORYWELCOME.html
Enjoy the ride! Just make sure you get comfortable before you start. I would suggest taking a bathroom break and feeding your pets first.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Link to article: Saving a buck in Sin City
Vegas.com recently added a page to their blog titled "Saving a buck in Sin City". The page contains links to quite a few money-saving ideas for Las Vegas visitors, including Deals (dining and other stuff), Bargain Hunting, Free Attractions and a list of 20 Deals under $20. Here's the link to check out THEIR links:
Save $$$
Six weeks until my next Vegas trip!
Save $$$
Six weeks until my next Vegas trip!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Tips for smart travel: A link and some personal thoughts
Blonde, web mistress and good friend from LV4E, found an article on airtran.com titled "Tips For Smart Travel" and shared it with us recently. It's got some great ideas for making your packing work FOR you when you're headed through Security at the airport, as well as information on packing your suitcase in layers to make it easier and quicker for the TSA agents to view and handle. Here's a link to the article: http://www.airtran.com/simplyfly.aspx
I have a few other ideas to add to the list that will help make your trip through Security a little quicker, less stressful, and easier on the TSA agents and other travellers around you:
Wait to put on jewelry until AFTER you're through the security checkpoint. You'll save time because you won't have to remove anything that causes the sensors to go off and be re-scanned, and keeping it secured in a bag or jewelry pouch will keep it all in one place safely.
Wear comfy clothes with easily removable shoes. Clothes that don't have a lot of belts, ties, or other accouterments are best. Also, shoes that don't have a lot of buckles or straps are best, and slip on shoes are ideal. I always carry a pair of socks to put on as I take off my shoes and head through the checkpoint because the thought of walking through there with nothing on my feet just doesn't sound very sanitary to me.
Put any items you think will alert the TSA agents in a separate container. Anything from round-tipped scissors to electrical cords for all of your personal devices should be placed where the TSA can readily identify them. If they have to repeatedly stop the belt to review something in your luggage, it holds up the line. I bundle my charger cords with a rubber band and place them in separate baggies; if they become unbundled somewhere along the way, they won't get tangled with everything else in my case.
Separate items like magnets and special soaps and advise the agent before you walk through. I sometimes pick up souvenir magnets for friends, and they could set off the alarm because of their density. I let the TSA agents know what I have and make sure I place it on the belt FIRST so that they can see the items I'm referring to.
Use a new 1-quart baggie for each trip to avoid contamination. If you travel frequently, changing out your previously used 1-quart bag for a new one will keep old contaminants out and get rid of any residue that may remain from previous TSA handling.
I have a few other ideas to add to the list that will help make your trip through Security a little quicker, less stressful, and easier on the TSA agents and other travellers around you:
Wait to put on jewelry until AFTER you're through the security checkpoint. You'll save time because you won't have to remove anything that causes the sensors to go off and be re-scanned, and keeping it secured in a bag or jewelry pouch will keep it all in one place safely.
Wear comfy clothes with easily removable shoes. Clothes that don't have a lot of belts, ties, or other accouterments are best. Also, shoes that don't have a lot of buckles or straps are best, and slip on shoes are ideal. I always carry a pair of socks to put on as I take off my shoes and head through the checkpoint because the thought of walking through there with nothing on my feet just doesn't sound very sanitary to me.
Put any items you think will alert the TSA agents in a separate container. Anything from round-tipped scissors to electrical cords for all of your personal devices should be placed where the TSA can readily identify them. If they have to repeatedly stop the belt to review something in your luggage, it holds up the line. I bundle my charger cords with a rubber band and place them in separate baggies; if they become unbundled somewhere along the way, they won't get tangled with everything else in my case.
Separate items like magnets and special soaps and advise the agent before you walk through. I sometimes pick up souvenir magnets for friends, and they could set off the alarm because of their density. I let the TSA agents know what I have and make sure I place it on the belt FIRST so that they can see the items I'm referring to.
Use a new 1-quart baggie for each trip to avoid contamination. If you travel frequently, changing out your previously used 1-quart bag for a new one will keep old contaminants out and get rid of any residue that may remain from previous TSA handling.
Link to article: Proper Table Games Ettiquette
My friend Westie found a great article on table game etiquette over at wizardofodds.com. It's got some great tips for a first time player: http://wizardofvegas.com/article/table-game-etiquette
The thing I always find interesting is no matter how long it's been since I last played blackjack, I always feel nervous when I first walk up to a table. I feel like I'm going to do something wrong. I'm guessing that's just a personal thing. I'm too nervous to try anything like craps at this point, too. Maybe someday...
The thing I always find interesting is no matter how long it's been since I last played blackjack, I always feel nervous when I first walk up to a table. I feel like I'm going to do something wrong. I'm guessing that's just a personal thing. I'm too nervous to try anything like craps at this point, too. Maybe someday...
Friday, January 29, 2010
A City Within A City, Part 3: Vdara Hotel & Spa
This is the third and final installment from the San Antonio Express-News article that included some good reviews the City Center hotels currently open in Las Vegas.
"A City Within the City", by Greg Morago
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Vdara Hotel and Spa
This non-gaming hotel is the best-behaved student in a class of do-gooders. While City Center was built "green" and most of its properties have earned LEED Gold certification, Vdara takes it one step further: no smoking. At check-in they underscore the smoking ban and make you sign on the dotted line. If your idea of Vegas indulgence includes hearing the bells and whistles of slot machines and breathing in cigarette smoke, Vdara is definitely not your place. But if you're looking for a sedate, well-designed oasis of civility, this 57-story curved tower of glass designed by Rafael Vinoly might be up your alley.
Vdara's 1,495 suites ($149-$2,000) are unusual by Strip standards in that each has a kitchen, equipped with sink, microwave, stove and refrigerator separate from the minibar. There's even a coffee maker, another atypical Vegas hotel feature. The bedroom/living room features a dining table with two chairs, couch, flat-screen TV, a flat screen TV, a fantastically comfortable bed and a closet with two robes and two pairs of slippers. The desk is too small to be a good work station, and the lack of a chair with wheels or the ability to adjust is a big no-no for anyone having to do computer work. For a new room I was also bothered by at least six stains I saw on the carpet.
The bathroom is small by Vegas standards, with just a single sink and a magnifying mirror. But there's Aveda amenities and a separate closet - a thoughtful touch for someone who might want to get dressed in the bathroom. Another nicety: Most of the suites have washers and dryers. Odd but cool.
The three times I checked out the hotel's sole restaurant, Silk Road, it was almost completely empty of customers and without a single person at the bar. Not very inviting. Neither is the lobby's bar, which has no personality or energy. The tidy and compact spa doesn't seem very special and the pool was still under construction. Without a fun spa, a buzzy restaurant or a come-hither bar, what's there to do at Vdara? After all, you can't even gamble or smoke. I guess you could always go upstairs and do your laundry.
From my bed I could make out the top of the Flamingo hotel wrapped by an advertisement for Donny and Marie Osmond's show. All night I looked at Donny and Marie's Chiclet smiles and couldn't help but think that Vdara is neither a little country nor a little bit rock 'n' roll. And what it needs is a little of either - or both.
www.vdara.com
"A City Within the City", by Greg Morago
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Vdara Hotel and Spa
This non-gaming hotel is the best-behaved student in a class of do-gooders. While City Center was built "green" and most of its properties have earned LEED Gold certification, Vdara takes it one step further: no smoking. At check-in they underscore the smoking ban and make you sign on the dotted line. If your idea of Vegas indulgence includes hearing the bells and whistles of slot machines and breathing in cigarette smoke, Vdara is definitely not your place. But if you're looking for a sedate, well-designed oasis of civility, this 57-story curved tower of glass designed by Rafael Vinoly might be up your alley.
Vdara's 1,495 suites ($149-$2,000) are unusual by Strip standards in that each has a kitchen, equipped with sink, microwave, stove and refrigerator separate from the minibar. There's even a coffee maker, another atypical Vegas hotel feature. The bedroom/living room features a dining table with two chairs, couch, flat-screen TV, a flat screen TV, a fantastically comfortable bed and a closet with two robes and two pairs of slippers. The desk is too small to be a good work station, and the lack of a chair with wheels or the ability to adjust is a big no-no for anyone having to do computer work. For a new room I was also bothered by at least six stains I saw on the carpet.
The bathroom is small by Vegas standards, with just a single sink and a magnifying mirror. But there's Aveda amenities and a separate closet - a thoughtful touch for someone who might want to get dressed in the bathroom. Another nicety: Most of the suites have washers and dryers. Odd but cool.
The three times I checked out the hotel's sole restaurant, Silk Road, it was almost completely empty of customers and without a single person at the bar. Not very inviting. Neither is the lobby's bar, which has no personality or energy. The tidy and compact spa doesn't seem very special and the pool was still under construction. Without a fun spa, a buzzy restaurant or a come-hither bar, what's there to do at Vdara? After all, you can't even gamble or smoke. I guess you could always go upstairs and do your laundry.
From my bed I could make out the top of the Flamingo hotel wrapped by an advertisement for Donny and Marie Osmond's show. All night I looked at Donny and Marie's Chiclet smiles and couldn't help but think that Vdara is neither a little country nor a little bit rock 'n' roll. And what it needs is a little of either - or both.
www.vdara.com
A City Within A City, Part 2: Mandarin Oriental
Here is the second installment from the San Antonio Express-News article.
From "A City Within the City", by Greg Morago
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Mandarin Oriental
Discreet elegance is this chain's hallmark, and that pretty much sums up the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas. The 47-story hotel designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox looks important but un-fussy from the outside; and even its public spaces inside show luxurious restraint. But once you slip into one of the hotel's 392 rooms, Mandarin Oriental lets its hair down (inasmuch as it allows itself). The rooms, designed by Adam Tihany (who crafted the hotel interior top to bottom), are tidy affairs that ooze opulence. Everything has its place in the room ($350-$15,000) but everything also is thoughtfully designed.
When you enter your room - your bags are whisked away from you at arrival and already in your room - the lights and TV go on and the curtains dramatically slide back to reveal your view. A little bit of theatricality never hurt anyone. State-of-the-art technology rules here, which means that the hotel thought of every single thing, and then some, to keep you entertained and plugged in. But it's the more sensual elements of the room design that enchant: the frosted glass-walled bathroom with its train case of amenities; the Frette robes, umbrella, yoga mat and baby alpaca blanket inside the closet; the bath salts and orchid near the soaking tub; the tea kettle and assortment of leaves for steeping; the yoga DVD; the wardrobe foyer with its valet closet that allows you to retrieve the morning paper and your shined shoes without having to open your room door to the hallway.
Check in at the MO is done on the 23rd floor Sky Lobby. Hotel guests occupy floors below 23; the floors above 23 are for owners of 227 apartments and condominiums in the Residences at Mandarin Oriental.
Hotel guests and residents both have use of the indulgent 27,000-square-foot Spa at Mandarin Oriental and fitness center.
The typical Vegas visitor might see the hotel's lack of a casino (it is deliberately non-gaming) as a disadvantage. But the luxury-seeker is going to love the Mandarin Bar on the 23rd floor, which boasts the most stunning views of the Strip in the city, and Twist restaurant, which gives the hotel bragging rights in a competitive foodie city. Twist is the first U.S. restaurant from three-star Michelin chef Pierre Gagnaire CQ. A wee jewel box of a space, Twist has the local epicures buzzing with excitement over its menu of French classics with a "twist".
Unfortunately, the two days I could eat there, the restaurant was closed. If that was Mandarin Oriental's sly way of getting me to return, they needn't have worried. This is the property that raises the stakes of hostelry in a city that likes to amaze.
www.mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas
From "A City Within the City", by Greg Morago
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Mandarin Oriental
Discreet elegance is this chain's hallmark, and that pretty much sums up the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas. The 47-story hotel designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox looks important but un-fussy from the outside; and even its public spaces inside show luxurious restraint. But once you slip into one of the hotel's 392 rooms, Mandarin Oriental lets its hair down (inasmuch as it allows itself). The rooms, designed by Adam Tihany (who crafted the hotel interior top to bottom), are tidy affairs that ooze opulence. Everything has its place in the room ($350-$15,000) but everything also is thoughtfully designed.
When you enter your room - your bags are whisked away from you at arrival and already in your room - the lights and TV go on and the curtains dramatically slide back to reveal your view. A little bit of theatricality never hurt anyone. State-of-the-art technology rules here, which means that the hotel thought of every single thing, and then some, to keep you entertained and plugged in. But it's the more sensual elements of the room design that enchant: the frosted glass-walled bathroom with its train case of amenities; the Frette robes, umbrella, yoga mat and baby alpaca blanket inside the closet; the bath salts and orchid near the soaking tub; the tea kettle and assortment of leaves for steeping; the yoga DVD; the wardrobe foyer with its valet closet that allows you to retrieve the morning paper and your shined shoes without having to open your room door to the hallway.
Check in at the MO is done on the 23rd floor Sky Lobby. Hotel guests occupy floors below 23; the floors above 23 are for owners of 227 apartments and condominiums in the Residences at Mandarin Oriental.
Hotel guests and residents both have use of the indulgent 27,000-square-foot Spa at Mandarin Oriental and fitness center.
The typical Vegas visitor might see the hotel's lack of a casino (it is deliberately non-gaming) as a disadvantage. But the luxury-seeker is going to love the Mandarin Bar on the 23rd floor, which boasts the most stunning views of the Strip in the city, and Twist restaurant, which gives the hotel bragging rights in a competitive foodie city. Twist is the first U.S. restaurant from three-star Michelin chef Pierre Gagnaire CQ. A wee jewel box of a space, Twist has the local epicures buzzing with excitement over its menu of French classics with a "twist".
Unfortunately, the two days I could eat there, the restaurant was closed. If that was Mandarin Oriental's sly way of getting me to return, they needn't have worried. This is the property that raises the stakes of hostelry in a city that likes to amaze.
www.mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas
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