It's strange approaching Las Vegas by plane, peering out of the window seeing nothing but desert for miles and miles and wondering if the pilot has done a wrong turn as we're told to fasten our seat belts for landing. Seriously? There's no sign of life out there, let alone a fully functioning city. Then it appears like a jewel in the desert crown. Viva Las Vegas! And it's even more magical from the air at night with all those dazzling lights. It really is the city that never sleeps.
I went to Vegas for a long weekend in September, joined by my friend Chloe. At first, I was worried that going all that way for a 3 day break was a bit ambitious and perhaps we should have planned to stay a week. But it was in fact the perfect amount of time and we managed to well and truly nail it. The main focus of Vegas is The Strip which is a 4.2 mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South, heaving with dramatic architecture made up mostly of high rise buildings and ridiculous hotels. It really is a playground for adults.
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| Paris? No, Vegas! |
We took a short cab ride to our hotel,
The Vdara
which is a very new hotel located within the equally new and shiny
Citycenter (that's the correct American spelling of centre!) complex.
Citycenter is also home to the Aria Hotel and Crystals Shopping Centre
full of high-end posh shops and has a natty little monorail service
which is free and an ideal way for guests to get around.
The Vdara
prides itself on being an eco-friendly, non-smoking, casino-free hotel
comprising of suites only. In Vegas-standards, it's actually quite small
and was a perfect retreat to relax and escape the hustle, bustle and
casino-chaos. The suites are tastefully decorated with state of the art
features and a kitchenette which even though they state as being
'fully-fitted', I must disagree as there wasn't a plate, cup or spoon
anywhere to be found. The service (as with everywhere in America) was
first class, with helpful, friendly and attentive staff who literally
couldn't do enough for you. I know some may find the
'Have a nice day'
approach a bit annoying sometimes, but I seriously think our service
industry could learn a thing or two from our Stateside pals.
The Vdara
has not one, but five swimming pools, some are just plunge pools, but
when it's 35 degrees outside, plunging is good. There's also a spa where
you can retreat for a massage once you've blown all your cash on the
slots!
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| Enormous lobby at Caesar's Palace |
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| St Mark's Square, Vegas |
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| Venetian canal complete with gondolas. But don't be fooled by that sky. |
Our 3 day stint kicked off on a Thursday evening and went something
like this... Once we'd checked in, dumped our bags and found our
bearings, it was time to explore. Our hotel was literally next to the
Bellagio Hotel (yes, that one from Ocean's 11), so we went to check out the
infamous dancing fountains which were just as magical in real life.
Almost like aqua-fireworks, dancing to the beat of Frank Sinatra, and
stunning both by day and by night. It's thirsty work in the desert, so
we soon found an oasis in the form of a bar where we sank a couple of
cocktails before heading to one of the many restaurants at the Bellagio
for a bite to eat. Before long, jet-lag had kicked in to the point where
it was time for a much needed kip.
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| Even the Venetian car park is a masterpiece |
Friday was a mammoth
day where we literally walked the entire length of The Strip, darting in
and out of nearly every hotel along the way, partly because the
walkways are cleverly engineered in a way that you have no choice but to
end up in some of the hotels, as in Vegas they are all part of the
attraction. There's the
New York, New York hotel styled on the infamous
New York skyline complete with replica Empire State Building, Statue of
Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and a mini rollercoaster. The
Paris Hotel feels
very ooh-la-la with a huge replica of the Eiffel Tower plonked outside.
Then there's the Egyptian-themed
Luxor Hotel built in the shape of a
giant pyramid with an equally giant Sphinx and obelisk. Due to the
slanted walls of the pyramid interior, rather than having lifts inside
the hotel, guests have to take 'inclinators' which are like lifts. But
slantier.
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| Vegas at dusk |
The
MGM Grand is one of the original hotels and even though it's quite
dated on the outside, its interior is still as
opulent, vast and glitzy as you'd imagine. Then there's
Caesar's Palace
which is vaster than vast and oh so shiny and OTT inside. But perhaps
not quite as bonkers as
The Venetian which was one of my favourites. A
hotel literally made to feel as if you've arrived in Venice, full of
canals complete with real gondolas (only for the really desperate
tourist), and a miniature St Mark's Square accommodating a shopping
mall. The sky is incredibly realistic as it's been painted by
professional set designers who create such backdrops for films, and
together with the adjusting sky lighting, it really is easy to believe
you're outside in the heart of Italy. Not inside a gimmicky hotel in the
heart of the desert.
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| For Egyptian pyramid chic, check out the Luxor |
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| New York, New York complete with rollercoaster |
Vast is a word I associated a lot with Vegas. Everything is vast. Most
of the hotels comprise a shopping mall of sorts, as well as casinos and
restaurants, so each one feels on a par with Wembley Stadium. And some
of the hotel lobbys alone are so vast, they could comfortably
accommodate the Vatican. Well, almost. Portion sizes are vast and almost
off-putting. Brunch is all the rage in Vegas and a perfect way to set
you up for the day. One of the most popular being the Bellagio Brunch
which is literally a feast for sore eyes as you're confronted with the
choice of bacon, eggs, steak, pizza, sushi, stir-fry, jambalaya,
waffles, crayfish, cheese platter, donuts, Caesar salad and fruit. I've
never seen such a ridiculous amount of choice in one place. Where on
earth does all that food come from in the middle of the desert, that's
what I want to know. It's no wonder Elvis loved Vegas so much!
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| Anything goes in Vegas |
As well as taking in all the crazy hotels, we also wound our way to the infamous
'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas'
sign at the far end of The Strip which was erected in 1959 and is still
a star attraction. Nearby is 'The Little Church of the West',
a quaint wooden wedding chapel built on a perfectly manicured lawn with pretty trees full of fairylights. And surrounded entirely by a giant highway.
A wedding was in progress when we were there, so I gave the newlyweds a
congratulatory wave although it didn't feel like a real wedding.
Nothing in Vegas feels real.
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| Wonky buildings at Citycenter |
With weary feet it was time to return to the hotel for a quick rest and change, before heading out for dinner at
'Sirio' at
the nearby Aria Hotel. The food here was excellent and a far cry from
the usual exaggerated American-fare. Top notch Italian cuisine, Chloe
and I enjoyed butternut ravioli with truffle shavings; beef carpaccio;
perfectly cooked lamb cutlets; homemade pasta with beef ragu; chocolate
souffle and fine wine. This was without a doubt the best meal we
encountered in Las Vegas and if you want a break from steak, then I
highly recommend it.
Feeling full and happy, it was time
to try our hand at gambling, so off to the Bellagio casino we went to give
the chips a whirl. Casinos are a curious place and gambling is a strange
game. Old dears sitting at slot machines, clutching their handbags,
smoking their heads off and ploughing all their cash into these lean,
mean fruit machines. On the Blackjack, poker and roulette tables,
players from all over the world united in gambling knowledge and a
secret international language full of knowing glances and discreet nods.
Chloe and I had absolutely no idea what was going on and giggled
nervously into our mojitos as we attempted a flutter on the giant wheel.
I attempted a turn on the roulette table, but at $10 a pop, decided to
purchase just 2 chips which looked so pathetic compared to my fellow
players' giant chips stash. Unsurprisingly, I was out within a matter
of minutes. We decided our safest gambling bet was to just watch! Quite
fascinating studying players feverishly placing their chips with such deft confidence and apparent know-how. Some losing hundreds,
if not thousands of dollars in one fell swoop. Whilst others hit the
jackpot time after time. You have to be over 21 to gamble (and drink) in
the USA, so I felt like a real winner when asked for my ID, not once,
but twice that evening. Kerching!
Saturday was a more low-key affair with the morning spent mostly by
the pool and a spot of shopping in the afternoon at Caesar's Forum which
is full of real shops for real people. That evening we dined at Nine
Steakhouse at the Palm Hotel which was highly recommended by several
people, but I personally found it quite disappointing and lacking in
atmosphere. The Ghost Bar upstairs at The Palm however is definitely
worth a visit as it affords excellent views across the city by night.
Then it was time for a show. No trip to Vegas it complete without a show
and as Cirque du Soleil seem to monopolise the show front with one at
pretty much every hotel, we booked ourselves tickets to see 'O' at the
Bellagio. The show was full of clever signature Cirque du Soleil circus performances
based entirely around a deceptively deep pool and was
completely beautiful and mesmerising.
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| Magical dancing fountains at The Bellagio |
Sunday was soon
upon us and before heading to the airport, Chloe and I decided to end
our trip with another 'only in Vegas' moment. Gospel Brunch at the House
of Blues. Where else in the world can you tuck into bacon, eggs and
fresh orange juice at 10am on a Sunday, in a dark seedy blues club whist
being entertained by a fantastic gospel choir singing their hearts out?
It was absolutely bonkers, but I loved it. Praise the Lord!
So that was Vegas. A strange place with something for everyone.
Everything is geared towards The Strip which is like an enormous
theatrical stage, where everything and everyone has its part to play. Be
it Elvis impersonators, blushing Vegas brides, crafty croupiers,
lapdancers, hotel concierges, taxi drivers or even you, the spectator.
Nothing is done in half measures in Vegas. It's extreme, decadent,
glitzy, glamorous, stylish, sophisticated, tacky, kitsch and downright
vulgar all rolled into one. But it doesn't feel like real life as
there's nothing normal going on. No sign of any kids or animals. No
school, post office, park or supermarket. I didn't even spot any insects!
Being such a manmade, sterile and fake environment, it's purely made for
pleasure. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm sure if you step 'off-stage'
to the residential areas surrounding The Strip, you'll find signs of
real life, run down buildings, dogs lying on the warm pavement, kids playing on the street in the sunshine and mom buying groceries at the store. But that's another world...
It
must have been especially wonderful to have been in Vegas in the days
of of Frank, Sammy & Dean, I'd love to have seen it then. And if I
had stayed a little longer, I would have headed Downtown to check out
Fremont Street, the Golden Nugget casino and the Neon Boneyard for a
taste of old, nostalgic Vegas. Perhaps with a little helicopter ride
over the Grand Canyon thrown in for good measure. Oh and a night at The
Wynn which in my mind, is the best hotel in Vegas. I thoroughly enjoyed
Miss Immy's adventure to Las Vegas and I'm so glad I've been as it's
definitely one of those places you should experience at least once in a
lifetime.
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| Vegas by night |
