Recommend January 2012 - (Page 103)

lic areas are veritable museums full of rare sculptures and paintings. Custom-made red glass chandeliers emitting a glow from real gold highlight Encore’s casino. Its Sinatra restaurant displays Sinatra’s Oscar for “From Here to Eternity.” Wynn and Encore tower suites are the only lodgings to hold a ﬁve-star rating from the Forbes Travel Guide, while Encore’s spas feature 51 treatment rooms reached past brass Moroccan lanterns and relaxation rooms. The Wynn and Encore, like other major resorts, run at more than 80 percent capacity. Bellagio has undergone a similar $70 million remodel project highlighted by an overhaul of its 2,568 rooms in vibrant, three-color schemes and outﬁtting them with modern amenities such as iHome docking stations and centralized media hubs to accommodate electronic devices. The Flamingo, the original Las Vegas Strip casino founded in 1946 by Bugsy Siegel, has undergone as many transformations as the city itself. By May it will have renovated 2,307 rooms and, last September, a massive amount of unused public space was redone into a $10 million Margaritaville casino expansion, connecting the Margaritaville restaurant with the rest of the property. The Flamingo also plans to remodel two-thirds of the Strip resort’s 3,500 hotel rooms as part of an overall renovation which will become a gateway for the planned $550 million Project Linq development. The Linq is The Strip’s answer to the Fremont Street Experience. This $500 million project will transform part of The Strip into a sprawling non-gaming outdoor complex housing bars, restaurants, and shops. Its centerpiece will be a 550-ft. tall observation wheel, the High Roller, patterned after the London Eye with 28 units that can each hold 40 people. The ride will last 30 minutes and will cost $20. Across from Mandalay Bay, an amusement park has already broken ground. It will also include a 500-ft. wheel and is expected to open next spring. many high-end venues are opening their doors to the LGBT segment. The Revolution at The Mirage, for example, is a Beatles-themed bar that holds a “Closet Night” every Sunday for “boys who like boys and their girlfriends.” Krave, meanwhile, in the middle of the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood is the only gay nightclub on The Strip and its success has served as the template for others. ■ Archived related articles (available on recommend.com): Show-Stoppers on Stage—and on the Plate (April 2011) contact information Bellagio: (888) 987-6667; bellagio.com Caesars Palace: (866) 227-5938; caesarspalace.com The Flamingo: (888) 902-9929; ﬂamingolasvegas.com Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Association: (702) 892-0711; lvcva.com Wynn: (877) 770-7801; wynnlasvegas.com R $1 AT 69 ES N F o N re IG R O so rt HT M fe LY es * Let the chips fall where they may. the LGBT market The city also has not failed to take notice of its popularity among gay and lesbian visitors, a hefty segment of the Las Vegas travel market. A decade ago, the Luxor and MGM Resorts International broke ground by becoming the ﬁrst resort groups in the city to cater to LGBT visitors. According to tourism ﬁgures, more than 83,000 room nights were booked for LGBT functions. According to Mya Reyes, LVCVA’s director of diversity marketing, “The LGBT traveler is one of the customers that just makes sense,” adding that gay couples generally have a higher disposable income than traditional couples, have no responsibility for children and also take more vacations. She explains that they choose Las Vegas over other destinations because, like other visitors, they are attracted to the world-class entertainment, dining, shopping, endless nightlife and wealth of luxury accommodations. As a result, P L AY I N S T Y L E SCOTTSDALE | 877.563.1667 | TALKINGSTICKRESORT.COM *Based on availability through January 31, 2012. Not valid with groups or with any other offer. Proudly owned and operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. 4679-3_TSR_PIS_RcmndMag.indd 1 january 2012 103 12/2/11 4:25 PM http://www.recommend.com http://www.bellagio.com http://www.caesarspalace.com http://www.flamingolasvegas.com http://www.lvcva.com http://www.wynnlasvegas.com http://www.TALKINGSTICKRESORT.COM http://www.TALKINGSTICKRESORT.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend January 2012

Editor's Note
Hotel Desk: Hard Rock Hotels and Resorts
Tour Talk: Lindblad Expeditions
Holland America's Veendam
Delta Air Lines' 2012 Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America Travel Guide
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
Las Vegas' 2012 Offerings
Hot European Tours for 2012
Hokkaido, Japan
Egypt's Antiquity Attractions are Eternal

Recommend January 2012