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Las Vegas is a city like no other. Where else can you find a place built almost entirely on values that are considered vices everywhere else?br
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Gambling, or more euphemistically, gaming, is the lifeblood of the town, the major industry and the main reason people came here in the first place. Today, the draw goes beyond the gaming tables, but it is fundamentally at the heart of everything. The excitement and energy of Las Vegas is reflected in its neon lights – and the city shines 24 hours a day. br
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The world-famou s Strip is a continuous display of the biggest and brashest, with a total disregard for overkill or bad taste. From the enormous sphinx that guards the pyramid of the A HREF="http://www.americas4u.co.uk/hotel/hotel_details.asp?hotel_ID=46"Hotel Luxor Las Vegas/A to the Eiffel Tower outside the A HREF="http://www.americas4u.co.uk/hotel/hotel_details.asp?hotel_ID=56"Hotel Paris Las Vegas/A, the symbols of the Strip seem to say, “We can give you anything”. There are castles, tropical hideaways and luxurious palaces. You can travel to Venice, New York and ancient Rome by foot. You can dine in some of America’s best restaurants, or shop for the best European designs. For the brave, or maybe the foolish you can finance (or lose) it all with one roll of the dice!br
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Whether this is your first holiday in Las Vegas, or perhaps you are returning to try and recoup some previous losses, we have hotels to suit every budget and taste!br
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Call us now on b0871 7020 416/b or A HREF="http://www.americas4u.co.uk/booking.asp"email us/A with your enquiry.
To view all the tours available from this resort click here
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 The Strip
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Since the early 1950s, visitors arriving on the southern Strip were greeted by the now-famous sign proclaiming “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas”. Its classic design, brightly illuminated with neon, has been featured in countless photos and films. To get close enough for a decent photo, you will have to brave the traffic on busy Las Vegas Boulevard to get to the island on which it stands.
High rollers from across the globe flock to Las Vegas for the same thing: fast action, glitzy glamour, and pure fun. Whatever you want to do Las Vegas has it in abundance, you can dance the night away, dine on world-class cuisine, shop till you drop, catch some of the oldest names in entertainment, or put your life savings in the hands of fate. And it’s available all day and all night.
Most of the fun occurs on Las Vegas Boulevard, otherwise known as “The Strip.” Many of the modern billion-dollar casinos are situated here. And every couple of years more of these structures crop up, each one bigger and grander than the one before it. Within the last five years, the city has seen the opening of Bellagio, revered for its old-world Italian opulence and the most luxurious pool area in Vegas; Mandalay Bay, which attracts a younger crowd with some of the hottest clubs and restaurants on the Strip; The Venetian, with its Italian décor and indoor gondola rides; Paris, featuring replicas of French landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe; and, most recently in August 2000, the refurbished Aladdin, a casino once owned by Vegas’ living legend Wayne Newton. One can spend an entire week on The Strip, fully entertained and well fed (if a little poorer), without ever stepping outdoors; not to mention that, in the summers, when temperatures regularly surpass 100 degrees, it makes sense to stay in the cool.
Las Vegas has made an art form out of neon, cheesy theme shows and reckless abandon. But clean fun and natural wonders are in abundant supply here as well.
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Beyond The City - Hoover Dam
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Hoover Dam – lies about 30 miles from Las Vegas, straddling the states of Nevada and Arizona. This engineering marvel, one of the seven man made wonders of the world, harnesses the powerful Colorado River and provides water and electricity to nearly 20 million people in Nevada, Arizona and California. Without it, there would be no arable land in most of the Southwest, no communities to flourish there and certainly no neon in Las Vegas. The statistics are mind-boggling – the dam is 726 feet high and required as much steel as the Empire State Building and enough concrete to pave a two-lane highway from New York to Los Angeles. An entire town had to be constructed and the mighty Colorado River diverted in preparation. |
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Beyond The City - Lake Mead
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Lake Mead – The largest man-made lake in the country is the result of water from the Colorado River backed up by the Hoover Dam. It is Nevada’s second most popular recreation destination, offering visitors swimming, fishing and boating. Diving is especially fascinating, with several sunken yachts and an entire Mormon town below the surface. |
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Beyond The City - Laughlin
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Laughlin – Armed with a gaming license and a small parcel of land, Don Laughlin arrived here during the 1950s and set about creating a mini-Las Vegas on the river. By all accounts, he was successful. Today, nine casinos are scattered along Casino Drive, their back doors open to those arriving via the river walk or the docks along the Colorado. |
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Beyond The City - Grand Canyon
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Grand Canyon – Many visitors see Las Vegas as the gateway to the Grand Canyon. Words cannot approach an adequate description of the sheer wonder and beauty of the Grand Canyon. It is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable natural sights on the planet, a gouge in the earth’s surface 277 miles long, a mile deep at its lowest and 17 miles across at its widest.
Visitors have access to the canyon from both the North and South Rim, but the latter is much more popular thanks to the services and conveniences of Grand Canyon Village where you can find lodging, dining, trails, scenic vista points and the National Park Service’s Visitor Centre.
One of the most impressive highlights of the South Rim is Mather Point, where you can glimpse part of the canyon.
Lipan Point, along East Rim Drive, is the canyon’s widest point. East Rim Drive also provides access to Desert View and the 70-foot high Watchtower, built in the 1930s in the style of ancient Indian towers.
The North Rim facilities, thanks to higher elevation and more hostile winter weather, close from October to May, though day visits are possible if the roads are open. Thus access can be more difficult to the more secluded North Rim.
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Beyond The City - Death Valley National Park
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Death Valley National Park – Located just across the Nevada border in California. At more than 3 million acres it is the largest National Park outside Alaska. Death Valley is one of the hottest, driest places on the planet – and spans a wide range of natural phenomena such as sand dunes, salt flats, canyons, mountains and a huge variety of flora, some of which are unique to the valley. |
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Dining out in Las Vegas
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Until recently dining out in Las Vegas meant all-you-can-eat buffets, 24-hour diners, ridiculously cheap shrimp and prime rib specials and the occasional fine dining establishment. In the wake of the 1990s’ building boom, however, Las Vegas has made vast strides towards becoming one of the nation’s top dining scenes.
The latest luxury resorts have set new standards, and the trend of importing the nation’s top chefs and restaurants results in a gourmet food lover’s dream come true. The early 1990s saw the first wave of celebrity chef transplants with restaurants like Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in the Forum Shops at Caeser’s Palace. More recently, the Venetian, Bellagio and Mandalay Bay each offer a good range of eateries.
The Venetian boasts more than ten upscale dining establishments, among them Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio and Emeril Lagasse’s Delmonico Steakhouse. Direct from New York City, the top-notch Lutece is rated one of the country’s best.
Among the highlights at Bellagio is another New York import, Le Cirque, along with San Francisco’s Aqua and Boston’s Olives. Old-world charm and service can be experienced at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Prime.
Mandalay Bay offers the New York eatery Aureole, Wolgang Puck’s Tuscan-themed Trattoria del Lupo and China Grill of New York, Miami and Beverly Hills, renowned for its “world cuisine”.
Las Vegas is not only about star chefs and renowned restaurants. Bargains can still be found here, though with a little more effort than in past years. Downtown is undoubtedly the place to find them: from the free foot-long hot dogs at the Lady Luck to the 99c shrimp cocktail at the Golden Gate Hotel to the $6.99 prime rib dinner at El Cortez. These places are not shy about advertising, so if you keep your eyes open, you’ll find plenty of special deals.
Generally, each of the major resorts has a wide selection of dining options ranging from cafes and delis to gourmet rooms. Highly recommended is the ubiquitous buffet where you can enjoy unlimited servings of a wide variety of dishes, usually for less than $10 a person. Some of the best are the Village Seafood Buffet and Carnival World Buffet at the Rio, the Feats Around the World Buffet at Texas Station and Bally’s Big Kitchen Buffet.
For mid-priced American fare, both New York, New York’s America and Mr. Lucky’s 24/7 in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino match value with a fun atmosphere. For more run-of-the-mill fare, head to one of the better quality major chains, which include the Cheesecake Factory at Caeser’s Palace and Tony Roma’s.annerupd.c |
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Shopping Las Vegas style
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With the amount of money changing hands in this town, it is no surprise that retailers have devised countless ways for visitors to part with it. From tacky gift shops to luxury retail complexes, Las Vegas covers the entire spectrum of shopping possibilities.
The recent influx of luxury resorts has brought the level of shopping in Las Vegas to a new high. At shopping galleries like the Via Bellagio, in the Bellagio resort, designer clothing boutiques such as Chanel, Prada and Gucci stand side-by-side with jewellers like Tiffany & Co. and Fred Leighton.
The Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes feature equally chic boutiques, including clothier Donna Karan Couture, French perfumery Sephora and Mikimoto, the jeweller known for its exquisite pearls.
The Forum Shops at Caeser’s impress with their refined retailers, as well as a wide selection of more affordable ones. With more than 100 stores under its painted cloud-filled sky, the complex is designed to resemble ancient Rome, with giant columns, arches and fountains and a fancily costumed staff.
Carrying out the French theme of the resort, the shopping area of Paris Las Vegas features quaint cobblestone streets and winding alleyways.
The authentic streetscape is enhanced by live entertainment and there is a selection of European-style boutiques, plus speciality shops selling gourmet food, pastries, wine and cheese.
Although many of the resorts feature one-stop shopping areas, many visitors opt for one of the many traditional malls found in and around Las Vegas. Perhaps the most popular is the Fashion Show Mall, located on the Strip. This upmarket complex is anchored by department stores Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
At the opposite end of the scale are several factory outlets, including Belz Factory Outlet World, situated on Las Vegas Boulevard, just a short drive south of the airport. This enormous discount emporium boasts more than 150 stores offering goods at savings of up to 75% off. Highlights include Waterford/Wedgewood, Levi’s, Nike, Reebok and Saks Fifth Avenue outlets.
The area surrounding the University of Nevada Las Vegas is filled with budget shops and services, catering to the immense student population. Record stores, vintage clothing shops and artsy home stores are typical finds on the streets here.
Don’t miss the unique shopping opportunities at Buffalo Exchange, One of the most popular second-hand stores in town.
The Sampler Shoppes Antiques Mall is a haven for antique collectors, with over 200 separate dealers represented here. A wide range of merchandise is available, from furniture and decorative art to porcelain, militaria and other collectables.
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Las Vegas Nightlife
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From quiet dinners to showgirl revues to all-night dance clubs, Las Vegas offers an incredible range of things to do by night. With casinos open non-stop and no legal cut-off time for serving alcohol, Las Vegas is the true “city that never sleeps”.
If you are looking to dance the night away, you will find an abundance of opportunities to do so. The two-storey complex The Beach, situated across from the convention centre, is decorated as the name suggests.
Club C2K opened at the Venetian resort in late 1999 and quickly established itself as one of the most fashionable dance clubs in Vegas, with top international DJs adding to its kudos. This vast venue boasts spectacular light shows, five bars and VIP “skyboxes” for private hire.
In a tribute to New York’s legendary nightclub, Studio 54, situated in the MGM Grand, pays homage to the original. A gallery of black and white celebrity photographs taken from the early days is a reminder of the key role Studio 54 played in 1970s pop culture.
With its many dining and nightlife options, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is an oasis for the cool crowd to party the night away. After midnight on weekends, The Joint concert venue is converted into the dance club Orbit Lounge. If you prefer drinks to dancing, the Viva Las Vegas Lounge is another Hard Rock hot spot, as is Baby’s late-night club.
Also extremely popular with the trendy crowd are the restaurants, bars and clubs of Mandalay Bay, especially Rum Jungle, one of the hottest hangouts in town. There is also a branch of the popular House of Blues nightclub.
Although there are plenty of opportunities to see showgirls in Las Vegas, X-rated spectacles are becoming rarer. In a sort of compromise, many of the shows feature an early performance in full costume, with a later one featuring topless showgirls.
For a more family-oriented spectacle, the gorgeous productions put on by the Cirque du soleil can be seen at both Treasure Island in Mystere and at the Bellagio in O. Kids and adults alike will love the clamour and excitement of the Tournament Kings at Excalibur, where medieval knights joust and clash-swords for honour, glory and the hand of a fair maiden.
For magic and special effects, illusionists are in no short supply in Las Vegas. At the Monte Carlo, you can watch Lance Burton: Master Magician in one of the Strip’s most impressive theatres, while The Soul of Magic, starring Victor and Diamond, plays at Bourbon Street. If you can stand the long wait and exorbitant ticket prices, you can catch the grand-daddies of all magicians Siegfried and Roy and their flock of rare animals at the Mirage.
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