As I drove south down Highway 15 at dusk, I saw the desert turning to black as the sky turned a deep shade of red; it seemed as if the heavens were sucking the light out of the earth. I timed it right, and rounded…Read More

As I drove south down Highway 15 at dusk, I saw the desert turning to black as the sky turned a deep shade of red; it seemed as if the heavens were sucking the light out of the earth. I timed it right, and rounded a right-hand bend between two cliffs just as the darkness hit the ground, and I could see the city spread out beneath me. This was where the sky was spitting the light: into America’s playground, if you believe the brochures.

Welcome to Las Vegas – the only place on earth to treat losers like winners.

The powers that run Las Vegas prefer their visitors to arrive at the airport, as I had done on my initial visit a week previously. The first slot machines greet travelers before they reach the luggage carousels and the advertisements, pandering to any conceivable entertainment need, stare down from every available inch of wall space. It is a short taxi ride to any of the colossal hotels on the Strip, so all I saw on the way was glitz, glamour and neon. The streets are packed with limousines and flash cars; the crowds of people on the pavements means that walking is seriously slow as everyone stares upwards, eyes agog at the sound and light overload. In fact, there is so much light that some drivers dispense with headlights and put on their sunglasses instead. The promise of easy money lures people into casinos; you only know you are indoors because the air-conditioning hits you and the temperature drops.

I found driving into the city from the North to be a somewhat different experience: the sidewalks are in darkness and empty apart from the occasional lone stroller, inevitably walking along with head down and eyes focused on the ground. The streets are lined with cheap motels rather than luxurious 5-star hotels and the neon signs here all have broken bulbs and missing letters. Not to worry though, 24-hour gambling is still available everywhere and, in case you are ever embarrassed by a cash shortage, there are pawn shops where you can add your electric guitar or engagement ring to the rows already on display behind the reinforced windows. Even a losing encounter with the law need be nothing other than a temporary inconvenience: a quick call to one of the bail bond agents here will secure your freedom, for a price.

If Las Vegas had a sign at the city limits, it would probably read: "Abandon all guilt ye who enter here". Whatever you desire, be it money, excitement or 24-hour buffets, you may have here in excess and never be called upon to explain or justify yourself. Hedonism is the raison d’être of this city, and it comes at a price; the constant sensory stimulation allows no room for a functioning conscience. Actions here have no consequences: gambling incurs no losses and alcohol does not impair judgement.

I only had one expectation of Las Vegas: that it would be tacky and kitsch, but the place blew my mind. If I said that the Sphinx, outside the pyramid-shaped Luxor hotel, was tacky, then how would I describe the gondola rides on the lagoon at the Venetian? And if I mocked the fake skyline of New York, New York then what would I say to the ½-scale model of the Eiffel Tower, complete with its authentic Eiffel Tower Experience?

These thoughts had bothered me, back on my very first night there, as I entered the casino at the Luxor. I handed $20 to a woman sitting at a counter behind a glass window; she passed back rolls of quarters and I decanted them into an enormous regulation plastic beaker: the coins barely made a dent in the bottom.

The slot machine section of the casino was neatly arranged into rows: in the centre were the $1 play machines with, in prime position, a small car revolving on a dais below a screen displaying a vast sum of money. I went in search of cheaper gambling and found groups of 25¢, 10¢ and, finally, 5¢ slots. I settled myself on a gold bar stool in front of one of the cheapest machines; I couldn’t tell the difference between any of them. Next to me, also perched on a stool, was a white-haired old lady whose feet didn’t quite reach the ground. She was wearing a dusty pink velour tracksuit with white pumps and had a burning cigarette clamped firmly between two fingers of her left hand. The smoke was disappearing upwards, into a distant, invisible vent. She did not have a beaker, but a card stuck into the machine. I had seen these for sale in the hotel lobby: they were credited with money and thus saved one from the tedious bother of putting coins into slots. She cast a brief sideways look at me and went back to pressing buttons on the machine. I noticed that a piece of red shock cord went through a hole in the card and was tied around her right wrist. If she keeled over backwards of a heart attack or stroke, the card would follow her and nobody else would be able to take advantage of her credit.

I noticed that the old lady had a half-empty bottle of beer in front of her, and wondered where I could get one. Just then, a waitress glided silently into view around the line of machines; she held a tray, laden with empty beer bottles and crumpled dollar bills, aloft on her left hand. Her uniform was a sand-coloured, A-line short skirt with a hieroglyphic-patterned top. Her shoes were black, clumpy high heels and her feet looked swollen and tired. She looked tired, but not through lack of sleep or overworking. I smiled, and tried to catch her eye, but she looked straight through me and said "Cocktail, Ma’am?"

"I’ll have a Budweiser, please," I replied; she glided on past me and rounded the machines once more.

I decided to start my gambling spree, and dipped my hand into the beaker for a handful of quarters. As I did so, I remembered Winnie-the-Pooh with his honey pot and realized that I was in a world that I didn’t really understand.

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This is an amazing place. It fluctuates from very tacky, very OTT, to totally amazing. Each hotel here is huge, most have a different theme, and each is amazing in its own way. You need to visit each of the hotels in Vegas--they're attractions in…Read More

This is an amazing place. It fluctuates from very tacky, very OTT, to totally amazing. Each hotel here is huge, most have a different theme, and each is amazing in its own way. You need to visit each of the hotels in Vegas--they're attractions in their own right.

It is incredibly hot here--110 degrees when we went in June--and it's quite an oppressive heat which makes you feel very tired, very quickly. We found we needed to keep popping into hotels just to get a blast of air conditioning. We also found that we needed to carry a drink around with us as we got extremely thirsty (water is best).

There are so many hotels and attractions here that it would be impossible to include them all, but I will give you a run down of my top ten, in no particular order.

a) Race for Atlantis--This 3D IMAX simulator ride is located in Caesar’s Palace. Be prepared to queue for this ride. The adventure starts when you're greeted by a toga-clad gentleman who explains that you have been chosen by Neptune to act as his champion in a chariot race. You are then given 3D goggles before moving onto the ride itself. You then sit in a chariot and experience a simulator ride that blows your mind. The 3D effects are brilliant and so is the IMAX effect--you feel as if you're really taking part of the race. The ride is quite jerky and fast but well worth it. It was great! It costs approx US$10 per adult.

b) Star Trek--The Experience--This is another simulator ride, this one based on the Star Trek films. This ride is located just off the strip, at the Las Vegas Hilton. Again, they make the most of the experience by allowing you to tour the History of the Future Museum first. Here you will see all the costumes, guns, phasers, etc., from the movies and get to tour the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. You are then told you need to evacuate the ship and get into a space shuttle. This is where you'll experience a simulator ride through space, eventually flying over Vegas and landing back at the hotel. When you get off the ride, there is a shop selling all manner of things and a restaurant–-Quarks–-which sells very strange sounding items that end up being very down-to-earth burgers etc. The cost is US$24 for all-day admission--you can ride the simulator as many times as you like by getting your hand stamped when you first go in.

c) Freemont Street Experience-–Literally, a downtown Vegas street located at the end of the strip. Above the street is a canopy of over two million light bulbs that are used nightly for different 6-minute light shows with fantastic lighting and brilliant sound. I cannot put into words how amazing this actually is--you'll have to go and see for yourself. The cost: FREE.

d) Eiffel Tower--A replica of the Eiffel Tower (50% size) at the Paris Hotel that rises 50 stories above ground. You go up in a lift and the views over the strip are amazing. This costs about $9 per adult and you can stay up there as long as you like. It's an excellent photo opportunity.

e) Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy--This attraction at The Mirage Hotel, is actually a mini zoo. As you enter the hotel, go past a very large glass wall; behind it is a large water pool with white tigers playing in it. The garden entrance fee is about $10 and you'll get to see many different wild cats, such as lions and tigers, as well as elephants and so forth--all the animals that Siegfried & Roy used in their magic act. You'll also get to see the Dolphin Habitat; they don't train the dolphins, they just let them swim about and you can see them underwater.

f) Manhattan Express--This roller coaster is in the New York, New York Hotel at the top end of the strip. The coaster runs through the hotel and outside it. It's good to watch from outside too. Costs US$8 per person.

g) Big Shot--A ride at the top of the Stratosphere Hotel. The only trouble is that the hotel is 1,149-feet high--or 100 stories! You are strapped into a ride based round a very tall pole on top of the hotel and then shot 160 feet into the air in 2.5 seconds at 4 Gs, then back down again. Cost is US$14 to ride the Big Shot and High Roller (see below).

h) High Roller--This is a roller coaster on top of the Stratosphere Hotel. It's the world’s highest roller coaster and it's tilted at a 32-degree angle so you are literally hanging off the edge of the hotel. Cost is US$14 to ride the Big Shot and High Roller

i) Helicopter Rides--There are several companies offering helicopter rides over Vegas and the Grand Canyon. We chose the Vegas Night Ride, an after-dark ride that took us over the sights of Vegas. When you visit Vegas, you tend to stick to the 'Strip,' and don’t realize how vast the place actually is. From the helicopter you see the large sprawling town and realize that, yes, people actually live here. It's also amazing how flat the place is. It's definitely an enlightening experience. It can be quite expensive, but it's worth it.

j) Speed--The Ride--Another roller coaster, this time at the Sahara Hotel. It goes 224-feet high and contains loops, curves, and drops at a rate of 70 mph. Once you have completed the run, it goes in reverse and you go through the whole thing again--backwards! It's worth braving the lines you'll probably encounter and costs US$6 per adult.

There are many, many, other attractions in Vegas, such as: the Luxor Hotel which has the IMAX theatre and King Tut’s Tomb; the Mandalay Hotel; Shark Reef; Circus Circus; Adventuredome; Canyon Blaster; Rim Runner; Treasure Island; Pirate Battle; and The Venetian, which has Madame Tussaud's and gondola rides.

Every hotel also has huge casinos, but you only have to spend a few dollars as the slot machines start at 5-cents. You can eat whatever you want here, too--some places are expensive, others cheap, some in between--and there's food to suit everyone. Lots of shopping available too.

Las Vegas is an amazing place. I know I have gone on a bit, but with a place like this, it's hard not to. I will probably not visit Vegas again, but I am very glad I have experienced it first hand. Close

Apparently I didn’t do my pre-trip planning very well because I didn’t discover comedian Kevin James was at the Mirage in Las Vegas until I got in line for the Mirage buffet and saw his poster hanging on the wall at the event ticket counter.…Read More

Apparently I didn’t do my pre-trip planning very well because I didn’t discover comedian Kevin James was at the Mirage in Las Vegas until I got in line for the Mirage buffet and saw his poster hanging on the wall at the event ticket counter. "One Night Only" the poster said. I told my mom what a funny guy Kevin James was, you know, Wednesday nights, the King of Queens? Unfortunately, the West Wing was on at the same time so my mom had no idea who Kevin James was. Since the line for the Mirage buffet was quite long, I sauntered over to the ticket counter to inquire about the show. He was there for one night, two shows; one at 9pm and the other at 10:30pm. We already had tickets to see Gladys Knight at the Flamingo, but that show was at seven. Plenty of time to make the 10:30 show. I asked the woman at the counter if there were still tickets available. No, sold out. However, I was told, if I came back to the ticket counter 15 minutes prior to the show, the Mirage will release any held tickets that haven’t been picked up yet for the general public to buy. Ok, I thought, good to know. I took my place back in the buffet line with my mom and relayed the same information to her. The Mirage was one of her favorite casinos so she had no problem coming back after the Flamingo show.

Timing is everything, they say. While my mom played nickel slots near the front entrance of the Mirage, I quickly strolled back to where the event sales desk was at the back of the casino. A line had already formed and it was quite long. It snaked around the side of the ticket counter down the hall toward the Danny Gans Theater. The end of the line was near the restrooms, which were quite busy as people on their way to the Kevin James performance stopped in before entering the theater. I took my place in line, but fortunately I still had a good portion of my margarita left that I had purchased from the walk up bar at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville restaurant (also at the Flamingo) to keep me company. There were two gentlemen in front of me and a young couple behind. A woman from the ticket counter kept coming around the corner and counting us. She did this several times. Why she didn’t just write the number down I don’t know. Every time she came an older man in front of me would ask if they had any tickets. She kept saying, "I don’t know."

At 10:30, when I thought there was no hope, the ticket woman came around the corner to count us AGAIN, and when the older gentleman asked his question, she replied they did have tickets available, but she didn’t know if they had enough for everyone in line. With that the two gentlemen in front of me left along with several of the couples and a group of students. I had no money to gamble and I was sure Mom was perfectly happy plucking down her nickels so I kept waiting.

Now with the on-call line thinned out the ticket woman came back and announced that they had tickets. Someone ahead of me in line asked if they would miss any of the show. She said Kevin had an opening act and wouldn’t actually take the stage until 11pm and that we should all have our tickets by then. That made everyone very happy and soon the line was shortening as the ticket counter started to sell the remaining tickets.

I approached and announced I wanted two tickets, a different woman told me I was getting the last pair and that there were only single seat tickets left. Fantastic! I soon as I had the tickets in hand, I ran, yes ran, back through the Mirage casino, past the baccarat tables, the sports book and all the slots until I reached the small group of nickel machines near the front. Then, of course, I had to search to find which machine my mother was perched at. When I found her I held the tickets high and said, "I got ‘em!"

"Really?" She couldn’t believe it. The slots kept her so busy; she thought I’d only been gone a few minutes. We quickly headed back through the casino, again, and walked the broad hall that led to the Lance Burton Theater. There was a bar between two grand staircases that led up to the theater entrance. We skipped the bar and went up the steps to the closest usher to find out where our seats were. He walked us down the theater stairs and in the very middle right on the isle were two empty seats just for us. We couldn’t have had better seats unless we were in the front row.

The opening act had just finished and he announced Kevin James onto the stage while ACDC/’s Back in Black played over the system. The next hour contained laugh after hysterical laugh as Kevin went through his set. Even my mom, who’d never heard of him, could not contain herself as Kevin told jokes about playing black jack, being engaged to his girlfriend and best of all, the "Water Ski Bit."

It was after midnight and I was exhausted from all the laughing. Nothing left to do now but gamble, I guess. Thanks to the Mirage Ticket Counter Attendant for telling me about the released tickets. They do that for every show if anyone ever needs something to do at the last minute. I wonder if Caesar’s does that for Celine Dion???

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Las Vegas is without question one of the easiest tourist desintations to visit on wheels, but since most of the hot spots have been built within the last decade and they are intended for visitors, I have very high standards for accessibility. There is no…Read More

Las Vegas is without question one of the easiest tourist desintations to visit on wheels, but since most of the hot spots have been built within the last decade and they are intended for visitors, I have very high standards for accessibility. There is no reason that new architecture should not be fully and conveniently accessible.

If you do a search for "accessibility Las Vegas" on most search engines, you will find a few pages whose writers assure you that it is no problem to visit as a tourist with wheels. After my first wheeled sojourn, I can report that overall it is quite possible and enjoyable, but it is truly more of a challenge to visit Las Vegas on wheels than to visit it on feet. A little preparation and some intestinal fortitude can really pay off.

McCarran airport, as with most airports, is possessed of corridors wide enough to accommodate my scooter. The tram from the United terminal to the is navigable, but be careful if the tramcar is full! Because the cars have floor-to-ceiling poles for passengers to hold, a wheelchair/scooter passenger must either park themselves in the middle of the aisle or in front of a door. Either can lead to being leaned on or bumped into. Also, I immediately gave up on the idea exiting through the door opposite the one through which I had entered, and instead positioned myself to exit through the next door ahead of me. This is a good strategy for subways/trams in general, but can confuse one's nonwheeled companions, as they will be accustomed to leaving through the counterpart to the entry door. The elevators at McCarran have a lot of signs announcing that there ARE elevators: this is different from elevators being "well-marked." Keep your head up and look for shiny doors. The elevators themselves are of an excellent size.

Each taxi company in Las Vegas is required to have a couple of wheelchair-accessible vehicles. If you are able to get out of your chair, there are also a great many vans and Ford Explorers that can hold the mobility equipment in the cargo area. In three days, I ran into only one cabbie who did not want to "deal with it." Aside from this brute, I found the cabbies very professional and willing to help my husband lift my scooter into their vehicles. However, nothing beats a taxi equipped with a lift...if you can plan a few minutes ahead and have the taxi valet at your hotel call for one of these, I absolutely recommend it. The lift changes the pleasant taxi experience from a bit of a gamble to a sure thing.

The Las Vegas Hilton is well-equipped with completely accessible rooms, but I try to stay in regular rooms, leaving the others available to guests who have greater mobility problems than I do. If you stay in a standard room at this Hilton with a scooter/wheelchair, I recommend a room with one king bed. This configuration has a great deal of floor space in which to zoom around. It is possible to get a scooter into the two queen bed room (where my parents stayed) but it necessary to park somewhere by the wall, as the second bed is taking up a majority of zooming-space. The elevator in this Hilton are just fine and the layout of the casino is very nice; the ramps are in plain sight and most of the slot machines have unattached seating, so it is possible to scootch the casino's chair out of the way to wheel up to them.

The Venetian is another matter. The best way I can describe it is to say that the property's two parts, hotel and casino, have very different personalities. The elevators in the residential section are extremely easy to find and large enough to accommodate a wheelchair/scooter plus family members. The rooms, which I have visited but not stayed in, are capacious and well-suited to traveling with mobility equipment. The Guggenheims, which I discuss generally in another entry, have excellent access. Timed reservations to the exhibits ensure that the wheeled patron is not stuck behind a gaggle of standing people. The casino is more of a challenge. Elevators in this section are few and far between, forcing one's companions on foot to slog long distances, and the Grand Canal shops are true-to-life in that it is impossible to wheel in a straight line; a bench, person, curve in the path, or little statue is bound to pop up every few feet. Additionally, the railing to the canal itself, where gondoliers are singing to floating tourists, is just about at head-height for the seated tourist. I am not at all claustrophobic but I noticed that the combined noise, obstructions, and visual cut-off made me tired very quickly and we left after about ten minutes--no shopping done there, the Venetian's loss. Sincerely, if your desire to is to shop Burberry and Mikimoto at the Venetian on wheels, do yourself a favor and book your room there so you have someplace close to decompress afterwards. (That, or stay at Ceasar's and shop the Forum which I find a lot less tiring, believe it or not.)

So, keep some Chex Mix or a candy bar in your bag and a screw-top bottle of your favorite drink in your basket, remember to ALWAYS bring a sweater, attach your sense of humor firmly to your chin, and hit Vegas on wheels. A few barriers aside, I had a lot of fun without being a burden on my non-wheeled family members.

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I ride a Pride Sundancer personal mobility scooter and I am very glad to be able to report that a visit to Hoover Dam is a true pleasure for the special-needs traveler. I had been to the dam many times pre-scooter, but this last trip,…Read More

I ride a Pride Sundancer personal mobility scooter and I am very glad to be able to report that a visit to Hoover Dam is a true pleasure for the special-needs traveler. I had been to the dam many times pre-scooter, but this last trip, 12/27/01, was my first time with wheels. If you park in the parking garage or in one of the outdoor lots within a quarter-mile of the dam, you can ride away from your car or van and onto the walkways very easily. The elevator down to the Visitors' Center entrance is easy to find, clearly marked and near the parking garage; it is also large enough to wheel in and out of easily and hold a some family members at the same time. It's even large enough to hold two wheelchairs at once, as long as both people don't mind manuvering out of the center once in.

Two caveats:

1. If your wheelchair/scooter is too heavy for a companion to carry down a long set of stairs, and/or you cannot descend stairs, do not park in any lot more than 1/4 mile away from the dam. You will not be able to leave these parking lots. There are plenty of blue spaces in the parking garage, so don't worry.

2. If you are only partially mobile on your feet, do not make the mistake (as I did) of visiting a restroom on the dam itself; go to one in the Visitors' Center. The restroom doors on the dam lead to two short flights of stairs that end in three stalls--for the women's room, anyway--and maybe a line. Because I am partially mobile I went up the stairs and then I was stuck with no place to sit while waiting for a stall. I won't do that again and hope that if the little things add up for you during the day that you won't either.

All in all, Hoover Dam is a wonderful place to see on wheels. As I said to my father, "It's easy to tell that this is a government structure."

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I stayed at a great central hotel on the famous strip called Harrah's. You say it like Harrods, but without the ah at the end. My local travel agent booked us in and we paid something like £50 a night for the room. Apparently my…Read More

I stayed at a great central hotel on the famous strip called Harrah's. You say it like Harrods, but without the ah at the end.

My local travel agent booked us in and we paid something like £50 a night for the room. Apparently my husbands friend found a great internet site which offered you the rooms for £20 a night. I was naffed off then.

Harrahs is next door to the Imperial Palace and The venetian. Across the road is The Mirage and Caesars Palace. This is the hotel where Chris Evans and Billie Piper stayed when they recently got married in Vegas last year. This wasn't why we had picked it by the way.

The building consists of different towers which lead you to your rooms, we were in the Mardi Gras Tower, on the 5th floor. We wanted a lower floor as I'm not keen on lifts so the less time I spent in one the better.They go so fast up the many, many floors they had. I'm not too sure how many rooms this hotel had, I know there were quite a lot. It wasn't exactly a themed hotel compared to the likeness of the Luxor etc, but it did have a good feel to it. It was done up in nice bright colours, with carnival music playing everywhere even spilling onto the streets to entice the custom in to the casinos.

There were many restaurants, those I will list below.

*Asia* Chinese and Asian Cuisine, even though we didn't eat in there, we saw how lovely it was. The prices were displayed outside so not to embarass you if you thought they were too expensive. I think the prices ranged from £6 to £20 a head for one course.

*Carnaval Court Bar and grill* This is an outdoor bar/cafe area, which is situated on the carnival court area. There is plenty of seating with a live band playing blues/rock, and dance music. They serve imported beer even Boddingtons. The prices are reasonable, and they start around £3.50 for a burger etc. It is open 11am to 12pm during the week and closed at 2am at weekends.

*Cafe Andreotti* Typical Italian Fayre, pasta etc. Smelt strongly of garlic each time we walked past it, it put me off as I'm not that keen on garlic. Looked a nice place though, very romantic.

*Fresh Market square Buffet* All you can eat breakfast for £6.00, and champagne Brunch for about £10 a head. Remember with these buffets, you can eat all you want. There were plenty of choice, they served international cuisine and a variety of lavish desserts.

*Garden cafe* This is the place where we ate everyday for at least one meal. It was a very colourful cafe. You had to queue and the lady would come to you and ask if you wanted smoking or non smoking. The non smoking you had to wait a while sometimes. What was annoying though was the casino gold members or whatever they were called got to jump the queue. This we found annoying. They did serve enormous portions in there though, it was worth the wait. I had a steak and onion sandwich and couldn't eat it all. It cost £6.00 and came with fries, coleslaw. There was plenty of choice here, but mostly on the sandwich, salad side. everyday they would put on a special, sometimes it would be a burger and a budweiser, it would cost less than a fiver. The staff were a bit slow at serving, but were friendly enough.

*The Range Steakhouse* Here you can get a view of Las vegas from every table. The decor was all rustic. The prices were quite high, usually over £20 a steak or so. We gave it a miss.

*Winning Streaks Stadiulm bar and Grill* They serve hamburgers, sandwiches and deli food. There are large screens for you to watch whilst eating , all containing sport. The entertainment there consisted of the Casino of course. A show called skintight, which is a late night revue, with sexy girls. We didn't bother with that.

We saw a comedien called Mac something or other at a free show. They give you two free tickets when claiming your room key. We had to buy two drinks though to make sure we got in. They cost us about £9.00 for both of us, but we could have anything, I chose a Pina Colada. He was a magician with comedy thrown in, he was quite good. All the hotels seem to be doing this, offering you free tickets but you have to buy at least one drink each. The showroom is where Clint Holmes stars, apparently he's been voted the Best Singer by the las vegas review journal. He appears regularly. Theres also the Playa lounge with Live bands on, we saw some seventies gear knocking about. The band had on curly afro perms and groovy gear. They sounded ok. You can get up and dance if you like.

*The Rooms* The rooms were very nice and spacious. We had two large beds, there were wardrobes here which is quite unusual for the US, they normally just have a clothes rail in other hotels I've stayed in. The wardrobe was built round a unit which housed a large screen TV, 25" I think. It was meant to have an nintendo built in, but it never worked . There was also a table and chairs and a nice spacious bathroom, with hairdryer etc. Everyday we got new toiletries, I couldn't even open a soap without another popping up again. We had tissues in a dispenser in the bathroom and plenty of vanity space for our own toiletries. The maid service is always excellent, they even fold your loo roll in a fancy way.

We also had a mini bar stocked with beer, liquers, pop and chocolate. it was quite pricey, you paid £1.50 for a small tube of prigles. The bar had a sensor so everything you lifted off even if you didn't eat it would get charged to the room. I realised this when scanning a bar of choccie, I quickly put it back once I realised I would get charged even for looking. Luckily because I had put it back straightway, I didn't get charged.

The rooms also had a great temperature control, which was automatic. They called it an energy control sensor. The units purpose was to minimise energy waste when the room is unoccupied. So when you return back to your room, it sensors you and puts the temperature back to a comfortable temperature. it says you shouldn't feel any discomfort so it won't get too hot or too cold.

When we checked in we were surprised to pay a $3.00 a night energy charge which has never happened before. My mum and dad stayed at the Stratosphere and it was cheaper, it must be a new thing.

The check in was very quick, and apparently you can do a quick checkout on your tv screen when it works. If you don't have any costings, then you can just check yourself out and go, leaving the key behind of course. This wouldn't work, but because it was very early in the morning, we got a quick checkout anyway.

*Facelities* Laundry service, picked up by 10am anmd returned by 6pm, just place your dirty things in the bag provided. Vending Machines on all floors, usually found round the corner from an elevator. Baby Sitting service. Beauty salon and barber shop. Swimming pool. Medical Services. Religious services.

Free Safe Deposit at reception.

Shoeshine Outlet.

Shops galore.

To use the Gym and sauna it cost £10 a day for hotel guests from 6am to 8pm. It had treadmills, Tetrix Bicycles, Circuit Workouts, Whirlppols and Steamroom.

Spa The treatments were, massages ranging from $120, $80 and $50 dollars. A body wrap was $125 dollars facial treatments were $125 and $85. Perms were $75 dollars and up, a colour was $55 and up. A blow dry was $30 and up. They also did waxing, bikini line, brows and manicures. I thought that they were a little too expensive for my budget.

If I happened to go to Las vegas again, I would stay here again. I found it friendly, clean, fun and very central for all hotels and entertainment.

The address is 3475 Las Vegas Boulevard. Telephone number is (702) 369-5000

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My heart was set on going there as I wanted to take a gondola ride with Chuck. The night we headed over there, we followed the route leading to the ticket sales area, and found out that they were not selling any more tickets for…Read More

My heart was set on going there as I wanted to take a gondola ride with Chuck. The night we headed over there, we followed the route leading to the ticket sales area, and found out that they were not selling any more tickets for that day. Talk about disappointment.

However, there is plenty to fill your eyes at the Venetian. Besides the exquisite details on some of the ceilings and walls, you'll love the reproduction of the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square)minus the pigeons. There are a number of al fresco restaurants all around the Piazza, and free opera was to begin at 8pm. We were back there at that time and I was honestly astonished at the talent that was performing. Women and men dressed in period costumes ambled around the square, while a diva accompanied by a sole musician did not get the attention and respect she deserved. She was excellent.

Canyon Ranch , Sephora , Madame Tussaud have all esablished a presence at the Venetian. In fact the entrance to the Canyon Ranch Spa is on one of the banks of the Grand Canal.

The gondolas are new and shiny black. The gondoliers are dressed in red striped pullovers and will serenade you if you are coupled. The rides can be shared, and if you wish to be alone, you may rent them for $40.

Some of the workers there apparently improvise with some of the visitors and offer song and anecdotes. You can really lose yourself in the ambiance at the Venetian. If you do anything, try to attend some of the entertainment offered at the Piazza. The ladies of the court will glady pose for pictures with you.

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I've been to some of these, but not all. I just did a bunch of research for my trip on the nightlife (so I'd know where to go or not go), and I thought it's pretty good info... (and it's a culmination of many,…Read More

I've been to some of these, but not all. I just did a bunch of research for my trip on the nightlife (so I'd know where to go or not go), and I thought it's pretty good info... (and it's a culmination of many, many different websites)...

Clubs on the Strip:

V Bar (@ the Venetian) - No cover - It's one of the newest clubs in Vegas, in one of the nicest hotels, so it attracts lots of celebrities. Inside, it's very pretty with simple Mod furniture and dim lighting. The music is mostly jazz and "quiet" techno. Drink prices average at about $10 (Martinis are $14) and the bartenders come up with new drinks every single week so be sure to ask what the latest concoction is.

Jack’s Velvet Lounge (@ the Venetian) - No cover - A small club with a great atmosphere, where everything is white except for the exposed wooden beams on the walls. There's also a nice outdoor patio where you can look out at The Mirage across the street. Lots of locals hang out here, but the crowd is pretty mixed. No dance floor, but they do pump trance and house music in through speakers.

C2K - (@ the Venetian) - $5 for girls - A four leveled club, with lots of couches, chairs and plenty of bars.

Club Utopia - (next to MGM Grand) - opens @ 10:30 - Cover ranges from Free to $20, depending on the night. It's touted as "THE underground club in Las Vegas" and the whole club inside is completely white. Top DJs from all over the world spin the latest in dance music. Also, it's been said that sometimes lines of club-goers suddenly appear at this club at 8 in the morning!

Drai's (@ Barbary Coast) - $10 cover - An after hours club (Opens at 3 AM). Before I went on my trip, I talked to a bartender in Houston that lived in Vegas for several months that said this was THE club to go to. While I was in Vegas, I met a muscle-head guy at Baby's that lived in Vegas who also told me that Drai's was the best club in Vegas. I have never actually been there, but based on these two guy's glowing reviews, checking it out couldn't hurt.

Baby's - (@ Hard Rock) - Always no cover for girls, $20 for guys - It's called the "secret" nightclub, but you can usually find it by the line (if not, find the bathrooms, it's near there). The crowd is young and single. The club consists of 2 separate rooms and a VIP area where you can check out the dance floor action, an oxygen bar and a lots of pools of water. Can't get into the VIP room? In the main room, head past the dance floor and go "behind" the DJ booth. It's somewhat more private back here, and not as crowded as the rest of the club. Drinks were pricey: $4 for beer, $7.50 for a drink, and $8 for a shot of tequila.

Circle Bar (@ Hard Rock) - no cover - In the center of the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel. A great place to begin any night. It's always packed with young singles, and the drink prices are pretty reasonable for Vegas. Lots of people hang out here before heading into Baby's... Celebrities are known to hang out here too.

Rumjungle (@ Mandalay Bay) - $20 Cover (even if you're staying there!!) - Even though they play a nice mix of hip-hop and techno, it's too crowded inside (after you wait in the hour or so line) to dance or get a (expensive) drink. Yuck.

Red Square (@ Mandalay Bay) - no cover - This place rocks. It's a martini lounge located next door to Rumjungle. Although it plays no music, it does attract a lot of the young, fun crowd tired of waiting in line next door. Their specialty is (duh) martinis and your drink will always be cold, since you'll keep it on the long , thick strip of ice running the length of the bar. For something good and different, try the rootbeer float martini - Yum!

House of Blues (@ Mandalay Bay) (doors open 11 for dancing) - Cover is $15 - On Fridays, it's '80s night. Saturday is more modern music. Earlier in the nights there are sometimes concerts or other events. For a schedule, see their website.

China Club/The Dragon (@ Mandalay Bay) - Opens @ 3AM - Located around the corner from RumJungle, lots of celebrities hang out here. Good luck getting in - the door guy is very discriminating.

Light - (@ the Bellagio) - Opened in December 2001, it's the newest club in Vegas. Good luck getting in: if you want to sit at one of the 37 tables surrounding the bar and dance floor, you better reserve it advance and get ready to shell out the dough: Instead of a cover, each table is expected to buy bottles with bottle prices start at around $250 a pop, with a 1 bottle minimum for a table of 4. Don't want a table? The general public is allowed in (if you meet the dress code, of course), but only if you're a girl or possibly a couple. Be sure and stop by P. Diddy's table and say hello.

Drink! - (close to Aladdin) $5-10 cover - Supposedly the best place to hear hip-hop music in Vegas. With eight different-themed bars (some only lit by candlles) inside the same club, there's sure to be something for everyone. There's lots of drink choices: from the 75 micro-brewed and imported beers at the beer bar or 20 types of vodka at the vodka bar. Celebrities have been seen here.

Clubs off the Strip:
Voodoo Lounge (53rd floor of the Rio) - $5 cover, large specialty drinks ($7-20) - AWESOME view of the strip, nice laid back atmosphere, attentive waitstaff. There's a jazzy band that plays inside and a small dance floor surrounded by tables. Outside - more tables & the great view.

Club Rio - (@ the Rio) - $5 cover - Just like any big club in Any City, USA: Top 40, hip-hop, and dance music and cheap drinks. Also known as a "meat market."

Ghost Bar (55th floor of The Palms) - Take the super-fast lobby elevator to this indoor-outdoor lounge and sky deck. With it's 12-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, you'll have an awesome view of Vegas. Head outside to get a 360-degree view of the skyline. There's a VIP lounge, a dance floor to dance to the electronica music, all underneat a ghost-shaped ceiling that changes colors with the music.

Rain (@ The Palms) - $20 cover - A multi-level club and concert venue, located on the Casino level. Millions were obviously spent on the gorgeous decor - from the elevated bamboo dance floor to the computer-programmed "river" of water, fog, and pyrotechnics. Millions are also meant to be spent here: either in the private VIP rooms (you enter via a scanned thumbprint) that include personal bartenders, cabanas with mini-bars, and specialty furniture or perhaps in the private booths with water sofas or the skyboxes with private balconies and self controlled interior experience. On the back of the concert stage, there's a huge color-changing water wall, and in the front of the stage is a "curtain" of water pouring down.

The Beach - (365 Convention Center Drive) - No cover before 10 (No cover for girls all night) - Spring Break anyone? The crowd is casual, young, bikini-clad, and wild. Tiki hut decor, with everything you would expect from a club in Florida.

Glo - (1650 E. Tropicana Ave) - No cover till 1 AM (opens at 11) - A really new club that gets "good crowds on Fridays and Saturdays." Saturday night is ladies night and the music is Hip-Hop and R&B and there's a complementary champagne toast.

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Steve Wynn’s new casino will do at least one thing for him - it will make the average citizen take note of what’s going on in the business trenches of Sin City. Why? Because it’s starting to look as if the Emperor has no clothes…Read More

Steve Wynn’s new casino will do at least one thing for him - it will make the average citizen take note of what’s going on in the business trenches of Sin City. Why? Because it’s starting to look as if the Emperor has no clothes on and that's always fun to talk about.

Even if you go to Vegas to lose yourself to flash and bling with no interest in the business of Vegas beyond how much you hope to win , you can’t visit the town without learning that Steve Wynn is a major player on the Vegas strip. He literally carved a new image for the town with the construction of Bellagio and its high class art collection and décor. Talk to anyone, any cabbie and clerk on the strip, and they will have an opinion and proposed insights into Wynn. If you dig just a wee bit deeper you soon learn that Wynn is one of those amazing creatures who is bold, brilliant, a risk-taker, calculating, opportunistic and -- well, don’t all fellows like this have a tragic flaw? -- vengeful.

Isn’t vengeance one of the seven deadly sins? If not, it should be.

You see, apparently Kirk Kerkorian snatched the Mirage from Wynn’s grip not unlike the way Steve himself had orchestrated financing for some of his past coups. Although he’d already topped himself by building the Mirage, Treasure Island and Bellagio (still the most beautiful hotel on the strip) Wynn needed to get back at the MGM boss who broke up his empire. Or, so the story goes.

To do so, Wynn pledged to build yet another "dream" greater than the Bellagio (which cost a mere $1.6 billion in 1997). He would build a bigger - no scrap that - smaller, more luxurious - no forget that - almost as luxurious, more beautiful - well not quite - hotel as Bellagio and would call it Wynn. Because that’s his name and Wynn’s is the only hotel that actually carries his name AND because the name "Wynn" shows you just how much Steve intends to live up to his moniker. He needs to fight back and Wynn against Kerkorian, see? Yeah, you get it.

Wall street was betting on Wynn last time I checked but I can’t say I am; not after spending the last five days nosing around and luxuriating in his newest product, trying desperately not to be overly critical. Yet, I couldn’t help myself.

Oh, there’s no arguing the resort is beautiful. All those flowers! That manmade lake! That golf course! Those suites! But nothing here is more beautiful than Bellagio or the Venetian nor as welcoming, friendly and fun as Ceasar’s and Paris. Even in Vegas there is nothing more sophisticated and classy as The Hotel, The Four Season’s and Mandalay Bay. Not even now. I’m really sorry to have to report this because I know it was so important to Steve that he spent $2.6 billion on his little "get back" hoping to make it the best and brightest. I sigh as I say it -- it’s not.

To the disappointed Mr. Wynn I would offer this suggestion: if what you wanted was a draw so you could steal the "whales" and high-rollers from the MGM/Mirage group why not just build an all-suite enclave just for them? Why not construct a high-roller-only haven and leave the rest of us out of it? Put a helicopter landing pad on the roof, install butlers, doorman and chauffeurs at the ready and invite them gamble at $5-10,000 a hand while their beautiful escorts with million dollar faces and other extraordinarily expensive body parts stroll the catwalks called Dior, Chanel, and Gaultier. If you are going for exclusive why not make it a members-only deal?

Parasols Up!

Why let in the riff-raff who crowd the nickel and quarter slot machines clog up your casino? They can’t wager enough to make it worth it as their presence will not impress those big sharks you really are hoping to attract. Gawlers and rubberneckers stop in to see how the other half supposedly lives. It’s obvious as they press their noses against the glass of the Ferrari dealership. Since they are there to snap photos for the folks back home, I, for one, would not be buying my Ferrari in plain sight of them. As it’s unlikely the common folks are buying Ferrari‘s I must ask what is this all about? Who but show-offs and celebrities would actually invite those photo ops?

Even better than the real thing, baby. Bono and I share a magic moment at Madame Tussands!

What I learned in my short stint in the business retail/marketing world is that everything is about perceived value. Even for the filthy rich, unless they have a hole in their head and are destined to lose their fortunes fast, they want value for their money. So the way I figure it, if I want to luxuriate in an enclave of cool I do not want to dodge white tennis shoes or curiosity seekers in the casino. If I want the world’s best service and great linens I will stay at the Four Seasons, thank you very much.

It may have just been growing pains but the service at Wynn’s, although he reportedly lured away top talent from the other hotels, was the worse I’ve experienced in Vegas. Unforgivably long lines to get a taxi, impossible waits for a bellman that required we haul our own luggage through the casino. No sir, this sort of thing does not equate to value or luxury for me. So far no one has beaten the Four Season in these categories so as Mr. Wynn raises the rates on his hotel’s rooms to match the quintessential conciege, the later is where I will rest my head next time I‘m in town.

Admittedly, the most touted "value added" elements of the Wynn are wasted on me. Since we live in Hawaii, the Wynn’s desert pool scene is as much a bust on me as is the contrived middle of the arid wasteland golf course was on my husband.

For $400 a round, who cares that you’re golfing directly on the strip? My husband love-love-loved the Anthem course nearby for half the price. Wynn’s spa is delightful but no more so than the Mandalay Bay’s or Canyon Ranch at the Venetian which again turns my sights back to the opposite end of the strip for accommodations that are worth the high price tag.

To me the biggest mistake Wynn made was making the new hotel’s main attraction (ala Bellagio’s fountains and Treasure Island’s pirate show) so private that guests must make a special effort to nab a table and pay the drink minimum to watch the darned thing. As a result, hoards of curiosity seekers pour into the hotel wandering the walkway leading to the viewing platform that serves as nothing more than a giant peephole enticing them to take a table or book a restaurant reservation so that they may fully enjoy (or see) the show. The result? Clogged tables in the restaurant, crowds in the main walkways, and guests such as myself who miss the show entirely. I’d have loved to have seen the much touted spectacular in the way I’ve watched Wynn’s other attractions -- casually, in passing on my way to elsewhere. To be required to make an ordeal out of it? That wasn‘t going to happen.

Perhaps it’s just me. I still can’t see the value in a jeans priced over $50 when my butt looks just as good in Levi’s no matter what the fashion editors try to preach. So I’m not likely to get caught up in paying for anyone’s unsubstantiated "hype" without substance to back it up.

It seems to me that for $2.6 billion I would have been more impressed. I guess it’s like this - I have just as much fun sipping Moet as I do drinking Dom. It’s obvious that about $1.8 billion of the details lavished on Wynn’s new shrine will go unnoticed to the average Jane, which I heartily claim to be, and the rest of the dames will only be impressed as long as their friends claim to be. None of mine were.

I’ll be at the Mandalay Bay if anyone cares to debate the opinions expressed here …

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It took me three trips to Sin City to figure out that the best place to get a sunset photo in Las Vegas was from the top of the Stratosphere tower on the far north end of the Strip. Since Las Vegas is on the…Read More

It took me three trips to Sin City to figure out that the best place to get a sunset photo in Las Vegas was from the top of the Stratosphere tower on the far north end of the Strip. Since Las Vegas is on the “edge” of its time zone, the sun sets a little earlier than you’d expect. This fact slipped our mind – as our cab driver went all NASCAR on us to get us to the tower as we were watching the sun slip behind the mountains.

We did manage to arrive at the tower, get our tickets ($9 just to go to the observation deck), and get up to the top to see a little color left in the sky. We also got to watch from high above as the Strip began to light up in all its neon glory – one hotel at a time.

While we were on top of the world, we got to watch the newest thrill ride in Vegas – the Stratosphere’s new XScream ride. This is essentially a big see-saw that throws its riders over the side of the building. Maybe it’s because I’m older and wiser now, but I’m just not ready to trust something that hangs me over the edge of a building. Next year – April 2005 – the Stratosphere will take crazy people to a whole new level of craziness with a swing ride that is suspended off the tower. Um, I’ll say no to that as well. I have, however, ridden one of the tamer rides on the tower – the roller coaster that circles the top. Although it’s still quite scary – you see nothing but the strip below – I didn’t feel like I was going to be plummeting to the concrete below. There’s one more ride (yes, it’s nearly a theme park in itself) that essentially shoots you up the Stratosphere’s needle.

While you’re at the Stratosphere, take some time to play the slots. It’s a Vegas secret that the Stratosphere offers better odds on their slots to attract visitors all the way up the Strip to their slightly-more-remote location. There are also some good restaurants (see the Fellini’s journal) and some interesting shops as well.

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