What’s New in Vegas

 

 

Las Vegas is constantly changing and shifting, and keeping up with every new development can quickly become head-spinning. Here are three major developments in the city’s luxury hotel scene that you need to know about.

Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace

One of the biggest openings this year will be that of Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace, a project developed by celebrity Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Robert De Niro. The hotel will be a separate private tower within Caesars Palace, offering a distinct experience from the other towers within the massive complex. 

Advisor Insight:

Hilary Wallace, a romance travel consultant with Bliss Honeymoons & Destination Weddings says that the annual Vegas Uncork’d event is “a foodie’s dream come true. Every May, the best chefs from around the world unite for a weekend of food, wine, and fun. Over the weekend guests can attend cooking demos by the chefs, dine on their famous dishes, and even play poker with the chefs. For my clients seeking the ultimate foodie experience this is a can’t-miss event and a must do while in Vegas.”

Wallace is most excited to book clients at Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace because of the luxury hotel within a hotel concept and the luxury amenities and services the hotel will provide. “My clients will love being pampered - from the luxury ride from the airport to the exclusive room service to the priority admission into the Garden of the Gods Pools, QUA Baths & Spa, Nobu Restaurant and Pure Nightclub.”

Wallace recommends a spa suite at Aria for guests who crave a little extra pampering. Guests in spa suites are entitled to their own spa attendant who handles all the little details of a relaxing day at the spa. “I love to recommend a Shio Salt Room, which combines aroma, light, sound and vibration therapies for a completely rejuvenating experience,” Wallace says.

  

Guests staying in the new tower will get some nice perks, like private pool access; exclusive in-room iPad registration (and a dedicated app for iPads or iPhones); and pillow and bath menus for a truly customized experience. (We’re curious to see what that bath menu looks like.) Foodies will be in for some special treats, too, with priority reservations and VIP access to Nobu Caesars Palace restaurant, VIP access to Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace, and 24-hour access to Nobu’s first-ever in-room dining menu. We hear the hotel team can arrange special occasion celebrations from private en-suite dinners for two to an elaborate sushi and sake party for up to 30. (Tip: Guests can even try to make their own sushi—a fun bonding experience for a family, we say.)

We hear the 10 Hakone suites, six Sake suites and two Nobu suites will be the top picks, with unique features like billiard tables, a fireplace and a sushi bar. The Sake Suites, which come in two- and three-bedroom options, have a media room and a billiard table, as well as a bar counter to entertain and enjoy. We say families will want to book the Nobu Suites, however, since they come with up to five rooms. (Neat Touch: The Nobu Suites have an authentic sushi counter space for an exclusive, personalized sushi chef, making them a good pick for intimate international meetings, as well.)

Nice touch for spa fans: Nobu Hotel guests can pick therapies from a special Nobu treatment menu at QUA Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace, which has more than 50 treatment rooms sprawling over 55,000 square feet. No word yet on what the special treatments will be, but keep an eye on LuxuryTravelAdvisor.com for the details as soon as they’re available. In the meanwhile, advisors can reach out to Spa Director Shannon Stringert ([email protected]; 702-731-7822) with any questions. 

Of course, one would expect a hotel developed by a restaurateur to have some spectacular dining options, and we hear that the hotel’s restaurant will be the largest of all Nobu’s restaurants worldwide—and the first on the Las Vegas Strip. Nobu Restaurant and Lounge Caesars Palace will have three teppanyaki table settings including one table inside the private dining room. The menu will reportedly have “a variety of signature Nobu dishes” (so we hear) along with some new additions exclusive to Las Vegas. Once the restaurant is open, reservations can be made by contacting 702-785-6682. 

Luxury travel advisors should reach out to Hotel General Manager Gigi Vega ([email protected]; 702-866-1095) with any questions.

Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas

The Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, located on floors 35–39 of the Mandalay Bay tower, will unveil a complete renovation of all its guest rooms and suites by mid-December. We hear that the biggest changes will be to the top-tier Presidential Strip View Rooms (Nos. 35336, 36336, 37336, 38336 and 39336), which used to be the 180-Degree Suites. There will now be one Presidential Suite on each floor of the hotel, and they will all have wrap-around, floor-to-ceiling windows. 

The former presidential suites have been turned into two dedicated hospitality suites that offer a nice alternative to traditional boardrooms for groups of up to 50. The 1,900-square-foot Sierra and Mojave Suites are located near the elevators on the 38th and 39th floors, and have top views of the Las Vegas Valley and the surrounding desert landscape through floor-to-ceiling windows.

We hear the new rooms are a good pick for a meeting of board of directors, or even a private dinner or luncheon. There are different areas for conversation, and the bar in the center is good for socializing. The hospitality suites are serviced by Four Seasons chefs and banqueting team.

All suites will get sofas with pull-out sleeper beds, making them good picks for families. And tech-focused travelers will appreciate the new multi-media hubs on the TVs that let guests plug in their own devices to listen to music or watch films. Cool Detail: The renovation was reportedly inspired in part by the Art Deco period—for example, a beaded vintage dress inspired wall coverings and drapery. We can’t wait to see what it looks like.

Coming Up: After the guest room renovation, Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas will embark upon a lobby renovation that will include a new lobby bar and expanded seating and fire pits in the hotel’s pool gardens. The lobby renovation is scheduled to be complete during the first part of 2013.

Luxury travel advisors can contact Associate Director of Sales Shelly Gray ([email protected]; 702-632-5000) or Director of Marketing Kim Hoffman ([email protected]; 702-632-5000) with any questions. 

The Bellagio

Following the resort’s $70 million redesign of guest rooms in its main tower last year, the Bellagio is remodeling all 928 rooms and suites in its Spa Tower. The renovation will cover 819 guest rooms and 109 suites. 

While the Resort King and Resort Queen guest rooms sound great, we’re eager to see the renovated Bellagio Suites (especially the two-bedroom ones), the Penthouses and the 4,075-square-foot Chairman and Presidential suites on the top floor of the tower. (The two suites are very similar, different only in décor and views: The Chairman Suite faces the Strip and the resort’s famous fountains, while the Presidential Suite faces the mountains. They both sound great to us!)

Bellagio
The Bellagio is remodeling all of its rooms and suites in the Spa Tower.

These suites have everything a family would need for maximum relaxation: a solarium, indoor garden and fountain, fireplace, L-shaped bar, two master bedrooms, private bathrooms with whirlpool tubs and steam showers. Business travelers will appreciate the en-suite conference room. Perks include 24-hour butler attention, VIP seating for Cirque du Soleil’s “O” and VIP check-in and lounge access. If more rooms are needed, three Entourage Suites are available on the same floor.

Also good for business travelers: As part of the remodel, Bellagio will introduce three new Executive Hospitality Suites with a billiards lounge and separate home theater living area, letting guests host intimate events in a more comfortable setting than a boardroom, but a bit more formal than their own suites.

The $40 million renovation project is expected to be completed by December. 

Executive Director of Leisure Sales Jennifer Parnell ([email protected]; 702-693-7952) is the best contact for luxury travel advisors who have any questions.

The Restaurants

Of course, since Vegas has become the culinary Mecca west of the Mississippi, we would be remiss not to note some major upcoming restaurant openings.

Mandalay Bay Tower
The Four Seasons occupies floors 35-39 of the Mandalay Bay Tower.

Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill will open at Caesars later this year as the celebrated chef’s first Vegas eatery, bringing a bit of the East End to Sin City. We hear the fish and chips, bangers and mash, Scotch eggs and shepherd’s pie will be must-trys, and the seating area will extend onto the casino floor creating a patio like environment. (Great place to people-watch, we say.) But make reservations as soon as you can: The restaurant requires more than a week’s advance notice for a weekday dinner and almost a month for dinner on the weekend.

Here’s the buzz on celebrity chef, Tom Colicchio, head judge of Bravo’s Top Chef. He will open a new restaurant at The Mirage. Slated to open summer 2013, the 250-seat restaurant will focus on meats prepared entirely over an open flame—from wood-burning ovens to charcoal grills. Colicchio’s new restaurant, located within The Mirage’s Atrium, will be open for dinner, taking the location currently occupied by Kokomo’s, which will close its doors in early 2013.