las vegas Travel Guide
6/10/2008 at 12:50 PM
Tags: Chinatowns, New York Times, Restaurants (all tags)
Las Vegas dining is ruled by big-name chefs like Wolfgang Puck, Joël Robuchon and Daniel Boulud. But the restaurants from the famous types are usually more expensive and less well reviewed than their New York and Paris counterparts--and are sometimes set in fake New York or fake Paris.
The New York Times has word this week, though, on a genuine ethnic neighborhood in Sin City--the makeshift Chinatown that has sprung up over the last decade. This being Las Vegas, even Chinatown is set in a mall:
Ask any Chinese tourist and you'll find that Las Vegas' Chinatown is high on their checklist. Tour buses regularly motor a mile off the Strip to stop at Chinatown Plaza, an open-air mall founded in 1994 ...
"Everyone in China knows about Chinatown here," one woman said. "They go to the Strip, and then they go to Chinatown."
Like so many other Chinatowns, Vegas' has a great restaurant scene, with everything from Sichuan to Korean on offer. And, yes, there's plenty of karaoke.
Related Stories:
· Dim Sum Amid Las Vegas' Casinos [NYT]
· Las Vegas Chinatown Plaza [Official Site]
· Las Vegas Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Evil Jungle Prince]
by BS
6/05/2008 at 4:30 PM
Tags: Tourism Marketing, Travel Advertising, Advertising, Travel Snapshots (all tags)
A tipster just sent us this snap, taken near McCarran International in Las Vegas. Why advertise one sunny destination in another? The Travel Industry Association's annual conference was on in Nevada, and Orlando didn't want to miss out on the fun.
Oh, and you're not the only one with the dirty mind. Liz Benston at the Las Vegas Sun is right there with you. The ad may work for Orlando, she writes, but it'd never fly in her hometown:
Take the double and potentially negative meaning of "stays with you forever" when applied to a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas, for example.
Related Stories:
· Orlando Spikes Vegas Rivalry with Humor [LVS]
· Meanwhile in Orlando [Gridskipper]
· Tourism Marketing coverage [Jaunted]
by pbb
5/21/2008 at 12:00 PM
Tags: Active Travel, Summer-Vacations-With-An-Edge, Mancations (all tags)
Harrison Ford received a high-octane ovation on Sunday at the world premiere of the new Indy flick, and rightfully so. At 65, Ford's kicking bad-guy ass while most American men his age are "seated on a bass boat or in a golf cart," says MSNBC.
To avoid becoming another lame statistic, take some cues from Indy and spend your summer vacation in Vegas learning death-defying stunts under the watchful eye of Hollywood professionals. We'd suggest the five-day package from Thrillseekers Unlimited. The company's film credits include "2 Fast 2 Furious" and "Vegas Vamps" (not a skin flick!), so they know what's up.
After signing your life away and reading the fine print, you can attempt a zero-G fall, a high speed car race, a bungy jump and some man-to-man combat with weapons. You'll even be set on fire at no extra cost.
Afterwards, douse the flames in a cool pitcher of sangria over at Rao's summer bocce courts and brag about your stunt-liness to those hot Bocce Bellas.
Related Stories:
· Thrillseekers Unlimited [Official Site]
· Summer Vacations with an Edge coverage[Jaunted]
by CourtScott
5/09/2008 at 2:32 PM
Tags: Missed Connections, Celeb Travel, Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz, Movie Set Travel, Bars, Restaurants, Karaoke (all tags)
This weekend's major movie release "What Happens In Vegas" promises to kill off the entire tourism trade to Nevada's largest city. Once people get the idea, however malformed, that an innocuous trip to Vegas could get you hitched to Ashton Kutcher without possibility of parole, no one will ever want to visit Sin City again!
Actually, even a movie this execrable probably can't keep people from going to Vegas. So, have fun, go mad and meet a cutie at one of these hot spots:
Hofbrauhaus :: It wouldn't occur to us to try to pick up hot guys at a German/Bavarian restaurant--sauerkraut breath is a killer!--but maybe if they're German and nude... 4510 Paradise Rd.
Ghost Bar :: HotelChatter has spotted Paris and Tara Reid at this rooftop club at the Palms, but you can meet regular people (and Canadians) there too. 4321 W. Flamingo Rd.
Krave :: Its reputation as an LGBT hot spot precedes it, but if you like drag karaoke, relatively cheap covers ($10 in Vegas is like 10 cents anywhere else) and "gorgeous" girls with pink hair, you'll enjoy it too. 3663 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Related Stories:
· Missed Connections coverage [Jaunted]
· Las Vegas Hotels [HC]
[Photo of Vegas in the '50s: avaloncm]
by egw
5/05/2008 at 12:30 PM
Tags: Casinos, Gambling, Restaurants, Sex (all tags)
Why are we not surprised that this news is out of Vegas? Caesars Palace is starting up summertime lunch-and-booze service at its Italian restaurant, Rao's. But rather than just have grilled food outside, the place is stepping it up with bocce courts and some Bocce Bellas, ostensibly hanging out to help you with your game.
The food menu is on the simple side, channeling that barbecue vibe with sausages, burgers and chicken wings. The specialty drinks sound a little sweet for our taste, but you can't really go wrong with pitchers of sangria.
The bocce bar menu is set to be a seasonal thing, starting this Thursday and running until just after Labor Day. And, yes, we have a gratuitous photo of the Bocce Bellas after the jump.
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by pbb
4/17/2008 at 4:37 PM
Tags: Table Crashing, Las Vegas, Restaurants (all tags)
What the world looks like when you get off the Palazzo tasting tour.
We were fortunate enough to get invited to the Palazzo Las Vegas last week to check-out the hotel scene. But as with most hotels these days and especially in Las Vegas, the hotel is often not about the hotel. It's about what else is at the hotel.
And aside from the gambling, the Palazzo has a ton of other distractions and ways for you to spend your cash, whether you won it at the blackjack tables or whether you're just burning your paycheck.
While the Shoppes at the Palazzo definitely caught our eye (hello, massive Barneys department store!), there are 12 restaurants to indulge in. We tested a few of them out. Be prepared to leave your calorie-counting ways behind.
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Related Stories:
Table Crashing :: Where Tom and Katie Eat
by juliana
4/11/2008 at 2:50 PM
Tags: Celeb Travel, Night Clubs, Ryan Seacrest, Simon Cowell (all tags)
"American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest and acerbic judge Simon Cowell were caught trysting at the Wynn Las Vegas. And by trysting we mean they were partying at the hotel's nightclub Tryst.
Seacrest apparently scored time off from his nine other jobs to hang with Cowell and celebrate the two-year anniversary of the club.
We've been to Tryst quite a few times, and it's one of our favorite nightclubs in Sin City because it's rather small compared to other Vegas clubs. Plus there's a grotto outside underneath the man-made waterfall (Wynnfall?). And, gals, don't forget to ride the stripper pole in the corner.
Of course, it's Vegas so you still get a mix of bachelor/b-rette parties, stripper wannabes, meatheads and Middle America types who decide to visit a nightclub for the first time ever. If you're looking to avoid the touristy Vegas crowd, go on either Sunday or Monday nights when the locals who work on The Strip like to release their inhibitions.
Related Stories:
· Tryst Nightclub [Official Site]
· "Let's Pretend We Didn't See Paula Fall Down" [Gawker]
by juliana
3/28/2008 at 10:00 AM
Tags: Movie Set Travel, Gambling (all tags)
21 is the story of six brainiacs who put their smarts to the test in Vegas, and took the town's casinos for millions in the 90s. Based upon fact, this week's pick is perfect for the card sharks.
Ben Campel (Jim Sturgess) goes to MIT and also needs to pay for it. He learns to count cards from Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) and the two quickly recruit friends such as Jill Taylor, played by Kate Bosworth, to join in, perfect the art, and take on Sin City. We hear it's a fascinating look at what actually happened, albeit some historical facts overlooked. Hey, it's a movie, they're never flawless.
In the spirit of gambling, we offer you some cool 21-related things to check out next time you're in Vegas. Just don't count cards - they'll ban you from the casinos!
Where To Stay:
Planet Hollywood Resort
The MIT boys hit the tables in the film at Planet Hollywood, where they score some major successes. While many of the casino scenes were actually filmed at the Aladdin and Venetian, check out PH for some authentic Vegas action. They've even got a "Pleasure Pit" where you can count cards, er, play blackjack and roulette at tables manned by women in lingerie. Book one of the Panorama Suites and get a 180 degree view of the Strip from your living room.
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by sedona
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