There’s always something new in Las Vegas, from hotels and suites, to restaurants and shopping. Here’s a look at five properties reshuffling Sin City.
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| Simon at Palms Place is adjacent the hotel’s pool and offers a mixture of upscale and comfort food. |
Aria opened in December, and has already appeared in popular TV shows such as The Bachelorette, So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol.
The white-glove treatment begins before guests even leave the airport, where an alternative-fuel limousine brings them from the terminal to an exclusive arrival under a private porte-cochère. Guests are then escorted into a separate lobby for their private check-in, and can either take a private elevator right to their room or relax in the Sky Suites Lounge for a drink and hors d’oeuvres.
We hear the Penthouses at Aria are in high demand thanks to the killer views of the city and the Strip. Best Bet: A one- or two-bedroom Penthouse with a city view. Families and groups should book the two-bedroom Aria Suite or the two-bedroom Penthouse, which has a dedicated dining area. Note: The Sky Suites begin on the 26th floor and continue up to the 56th, with views of the Strip and mountain vistas.
Top Digs: For a really swank experience, book one of the Sky Villas, which range from 2,000 to 7,000 square feet and come in both two- and three-bedroom configurations, as well as single- and two-story retreats. Cool Factor: Guests can customize everything from the lights, TVs and curtains via a high-tech interface.
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| A Wynn Deluxe Resort room has remote-controlled drapes that open for city and mountain views. |
The hotel’s spa can only be described as massive (think 80,000 square feet of space) with 62 treatment rooms and 59 salon stations. Even at that size, however, we hear agents should book their clients treatments as far out as possible—sometimes even three months in advance. Naturally, with so many treatment rooms, the spa’s staff is huge. We hear great things about Artistic Style Director Stuart Matthew, Stylist Lori Mundo, Lead Massage Therapist Maggie Adams, Lead Aestheticians Julia Shintaku and Janae Frehner and Lead Manicurists Inez Buckmeyer and Tracy Dorius. Those looking to enjoy a workout in the gym will want to book a session with Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer Gary Biason.
Note: While kids can get hair and nail treatments, the spa itself is dedicated to the 18-and-up crowd.
Advisors can contact Salon Administrative/Group Assistant Ariana Panrae ([email protected]; 702-590-9607) or Spa Coordinator Britney Thomas ([email protected]; 702-590-9607) with any special requests or questions.
Director of Concierge Services Nancy Nitsche ([email protected]; 702-590-9521) can personally assist with dining and show reservations, spa and salon appointments, transportation requests, floral arrangements and any other special requests. Racing fans, take note: Nitsche can arrange for guests to drive at the official NASCAR Motor Speedway in a Ferrari or Lamborgini (think left turns at 150 miles per hour!). Those who want to get back to nature can enjoy a picnic in the desert complete with blankets, pillows, lighting, music and a personal chef preparing their favorite dishes (including wine from a local vineyard, of course).
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| The Mirage’s Penthouse Suite commands the top two floors of the hotel. |
Within the CityCenter complex, guests can go shopping at Crystals (no need for a car—it’s within walking distance), and art aficionados can enjoy the public Fine Art Collection with works by some world-class artists (think Maya Lin, Frank Stella, Henry Moore and Richard Long).
Getting There: McCarran International Airport is four miles away, and Aria can arrange for local transportation (think town cars, limousines, SUVs and specialty vehicles). Good to know: Guests staying in the ARIA Sky Suites will receive complimentary pick up and return service to the airport in one of the hotel’s CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) limousines.
Luxury travel advisors can reach out to Leisure Sales Manager Eric Pruett ([email protected]; 702 -590-7377)
Wynn Las Vegas and Mirage
Wynn Las Vegas recently unveiled the first completely renovated resort rooms at Wynn. Designed by Roger Thomas, executive vice president of design for Wynn Design and Development, the rooms feature new finishes from wallpaper, carpets and chairs, to couches and lamps. The renovation project at Wynn Las Vegas encompasses all guest rooms and suites and is slated to continue through early 2011.
The new Deluxe Resort rooms offer a modern update to the Classic Resort rooms, allowing in plenty of natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows. Technophiles will enjoy these rooms due to their fun and funky features such as remote-controlled lighting, drapery and room-service messaging. Guests can choose between one king bed or two double beds, and between views of the hotel’s golf course or the Las Vegas Strip.
The Panoramic View Deluxe rooms have views of both the Strip and the golf course from wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows. Note: These rooms have all of the techy touches from the Deluxe Resort rooms.
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| Aria Villa No. 18. |
Top Entertainment: In celebration of what would be Frank Sinatra’s 95th birthday, Wynn Las Vegas will premiere performances of “SINATRA Dance With Me” in the Encore Theater beginning in December and running through the end of January.
The show follows four couples as they fall in and out of love at a swinging nightclub. All the while, the sweet melodies of Ol’ Blue Eyes play over.
Luxury travel advisors can contact Concierge Adam Clough ([email protected]; 702-770-7070) with questions about the show and the hotel.
At The Mirage, the sweet new penthouse suites are located on the top two floors of the hotel. Guests can choose between a one-bedroom or two-bedroom suite depending on their needs, and the rooms connect to a separate room with a king-size bed. Top Touches: Refrigerators in the rooms have ice-makers built in (no need to run down the hall to an ice machine), bathrooms have hydrotherapy tubs and bedrooms have illuminated walk-in closets. Beyond that, guests in these suites can get line passes for all casual dining outlets; priority seating for entertainment like Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles tribute, LOVE, ventriloquist Terry Fator and other headliners; and priority seating in the Mirage restaurants.
Added Bonus: Guests in the penthouse suites can enjoy “The Suite Life” service. This includes personalized pre-arrival concierge service, limousine service to and from McCarran Airport, exclusive VIP check-in, a bottle of wine and a cheese plate upon arrival, a pillow menu, complimentary spa access, personalized wake-up calls and expedited room service orders (wonderful for late-night snacks!).
Note: Before booking any room at the Mirage, ask if your clients would prefer rooms with a volcano view or pool view. The former view looks out at the Strip and the volcano, which erupts nightly on the hour. The pool area looks out on Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat and the south side of the Strip.
Speaking of the spa (remember the complimentary access your clients can get when they stay in the penthouse suites?), we hear the most requested treatment is the Swedish Massage, which can last for either 50 minutes or 80 minutes. Another popular therapy is the Pear and Apple Facial and Body Treatment, an 80-minute experience that involves a full-body exfoliation and a moisture-rich facial. Contact Director of Spa Operations Stephanie Doud ([email protected]; 702-791-7472) with any questions, and be sure to book early for weekends.
Contact Chief Concierge Heather Buttery ([email protected]; 702-791-7445) to arrange such unique experiences like the “Trainer for a Day” program, which lets guests interact with the resort’s expert dolphin care specialists as they train the family of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Day trainers will get to play with, train, swim with and care for the dolphins.
Luxury travel advisors can contact Director of Leisure Sales Kaci Rippetoe (702-791-7168).
Shopping at The Cosmopolitan
Upon opening on December 15, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, will unveil a line-up of boutiques and youthful brands (think shopper’s paradise!).
The hotel will feature nearly 36,000 square feet of retail space, including a collection of nine luxury boutiques, such as AllSaints, RetroSpecs & Co. and Droog.
Simon at Palms Place
One of the original chefs on the Las Vegas scene, Kerry Simon, and Elizabeth Blau, his business partner, joined forces this past May with George Maloof to open Simon at Palms Place.
The restaurant looks out on the Palms Place pool and the Red Rock mountains. Simon’s modern American menu offers steak, seafood and sushi. Note: We hear the tuna dynamite (a combination of lump crab, tuna and red chili aioli), the surf-and-turf tacos and the sushi pizza with tuna, crab, avocado and cucumber are the top choices.
For breakfast, guests can try the “toad in the hole,” a classic combination of toasted brioche, sunny-side-up eggs and bacon.
Kid Bonus: The restaurant’s popular junk food platter, a selection of Hostess cupcakes and Snoballs, cookies, chocolate caramel popcorn, a mini sundae, milkshake, Rice Krispies and Fruit Loop treats, brownies and cotton candy.
Kids and adults will want to have brunch at Simon at Palms Place, where they can sit in the main dining area with floor-to-ceiling views of the pool, or poolside on the Simon patio while they are attended to by pajama-clad wait staff. Multiple TVs throughout the restaurant broadcast both football games and cartoons (something for everyone in the family!), and pajamas are the encouraged attire. (Seriously. We couldn’t make this up!)
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| Palms Place’s Pool has views of the Red Rock mountains. |
The buffet brunch is served each Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. À la carte dishes include the Simon French toast on frosted-flake crusted brioche and different plays on Eggs Benedict, including lobster havarti and steak hash.
In addition to brunch beverage staples like bellinis and mimosas, guests can create their own Bloody Mary at the beverage station, which has numerous vodkas, juices—ranging from sweet to spicy—and all the extras for a perfect Bloody Mary. Note: For those looking for a healthier option (or a quick hangover cure), the Antioxidant Station offers an assortment of antioxidant juices, whole-wheat blueberry muffins and high-antioxidant fruits and vegetables.
And, of course, there’s the candy bar station, where guests can find vintage lunch boxes and large glass jars filled with candies. Upon finishing, each table receives the chef’s signature junk food dessert platter, which includes cotton candy, Snoballs, cupcakes and cereal-and-marshmallow treats.