Tag Archives: Las Vegas travel

Economy-Busting $40,000 Motel Rooms in Las Vegas

A library with dark, wood-paneled walls and a bookcase filled with leather-bound books sits adjacent to a regal living room at Caesars Palace’s Octavius Tower. You’d almost forget you were in Las Vegas if not for the tanning pool patrons outside the window. 

The antique-looking books in the library are seldom used, but they add to the villa’s residential illusion. So does the formal dining room that seats 12 and the media room with movie theater-style seating. 

The centerpiece of each villa is the patio overlooking the pool area. The villas opened last fall, but the new Garden of the Gods pool just began to welcome summer visitors. 

The three massive villas are the newest suites at Caesars Palace. With nearly 10,000 square feet of space, they’re some of the most opulent and largest suites on the Las Vegas Strip. The villas are on the second floor of Caesars’ unfinished Octavius Tower and are part of the resort’s long line of over-the-top suites.

 From the private elevator to the 24-hour butler service, everything about the Octavius villas feels exclusive, including the price tag. The cost for a night is $40,000. The price isn’t recession-friendly, but their patrons aren’t exactly struggling in today’s economy. 

The Octavius villas feel more like miniature mansions than hotel suites. Caesars spent about $15 million on each villa – a total of $45 million – to accomplish that goal. The villas are a collection of eclectic furnishings and faux artifacts, giving the feel of a collector’s well-kept home. 

Wilson & Associates designed each suite with an individual identity — an opulent Grecian palace, an Old World Spanish home and a Parisian luxury apartment.

The design firm is responsible for other suites at Caesars, as well as the fantasy suites at the Palms and the rooms and lobby at The Venetian. 

At 9,930 square feet, the Greek-style villa, which Caesars Palace dubs “Constantine,” is the largest of the three. The four-bedroom villa is far from subtle, but it’s subtly Greek with its fake marble columns and terracotta painted vases. 

After stepping off the private elevator into the marble foyer of the Greek villa, guests will find a formal sitting room, a grand Steinway piano and working fireplace. On the other side of the hall are rooms with a pool table, a restaurant-sized bar and a theater. 

Down a long hallway there are four bedrooms, each the size of a large hotel room, with walk-in closets and their own bathrooms. With custom marble and mosaics, no two bathrooms in the three villas have the same stonework. 

Inside the Greek villa, the master suite’s bathroom is almost as large as the bedroom itself. The bathroom is covered in green and beige marble and features his and her toilets, sinks and vanities. It also has a steam shower, towel-warming racks and flat-screen TVs, among other amenities. A marble-topped tub with gold-plated fixtures is the centerpiece of the lavish master bath. 

As trivial as they seem, the toilets are often the talk of the suites.  They’re controlled by remotes, function as bidets, have heated seats and the lid opens as guests approach. There’s never a reason to touch the toilet seat. 

The villas are filled with quirks galore: mirrors that turn into TVs, pianos that play themselves and chairs that massage to the beat of an iPod’s song. A networked system allows the butler to control every device in the villa. 

Though the three villas have different design schemes, they have similar amenities. The French villa is light and airy. The Spanish villa is designed with distressed wood throughout the main rooms. 

Off each living room is the patio that overlooks the pools. Each patio includes a fire pit, dining table and a private Jacuzzi. 

The view of Flamingo Road is less impressive. Those views are reserved for penthouses and other suites higher than the pool level. The resort’s two 10,000-square-foot penthouses in the Forum Tower are still the largest suites at the resort. Caesars Palace now has 11 villas, 11 penthouses and about 200 suites.

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Virgin Atlantic Plans to Increase Flight Service between U.K. and Las Vegas

British air carrier Virgin Atlantic has announced on April 7 it will increase its service between Las Vegas and the United Kingdom next year, launching twice-weekly flights from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and Manchester in England. 

The additional flights, which will start in April 2011 and are planned to operate on Thursdays and Sundays, will give Virgin Atlantic nine direct flights a week between Las Vegas and England.  

Virgin Atlantic has been flying between London’s Gatwick Airport and Las Vegas since June 200 and has carried almost 2 million passengers on the route.

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Sinners: Worship & Swim in God’s New Garden in Las Vegas

God has a new garden in Sin City?   Yep.  Scantily clad – or wearing nothing at all – Las Vegas sun gods and goddesses have a a whole new worship retreat at Caesars Palace. 

Caesars Palace has just opened its newly refurbished pool area.   Coined “The Garden of the Gods,” the complex has been completely and extravagantly redesigned by Allard & Conversano into three levels of aquatic wonder featuring eight unique and lavish pools inspired by the Roman Gods that encircle a five-acre pool complex. 

The area includes a swim-up blackjack pool, a European style pool, a family friendly pool, and even a guests-only, butler-served pool area. 

Each pool is named for a god or goddess and has its own special bells and whistles. The Fortuna pool, for example, features an 18-foot waterfall and a swim-up blackjack table. The twin Bacchus pools have butler-staffed cabanas which are, alas, for invited VIPs only. For maximum sun exposure, get over to Apollo — it’s strategically positioned to get your tan on.  And, unlike many of the other adult-oriented pools, Garden of the Gods also caters families with its Temple pool designated for young swimmers. 

At one of the pools, chocolate will be available not just as a snack or dessert but in the form of a 30-foot chocolate waterfall (good for dunking strawberries — sold by the bucket) that cascades into a 3-acre pool filled with the stuff only Willy Wonka could dream of. 

The Sokolati pool (greek for “chocolate”) is new to the Las Vegas scene and is the first swimming pool comprised entirely of chocolate. Depending on the season, you may find Sokolati filled with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or caramel.

There pools are nestled among 44 new luxury cabanas, each stocked with plush furniture, flat screen TVs and wireless Internet. 

Caesars Palace has also added a whirlpool retreat area and garden wedding venue to provide a total pool experience. 

The pool complex is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.. 

Check it out- you may just feel like you died and got a heavenly reprieve.

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Las Vegas Gamblers Fold ‘Em

Las Vegas visitors reportedly wagered less in 2009 than in previous years- more than $50 less. 

A Las Vegas Visitor Profile released by Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority found the average gambler budgeted about $481 per trip last year. That compares with almost $532 in 2008, more than $555 in 2007 and nearly $652 in 2006. 

Gambling was just the tip of the economic iceberg:  lodging, dining, shows and shopping were also casualties.  The study found hotel spending per night was down 25% in 2009, to about $76; the average cost of a tour package was down 14%, to about $640; and the total spent on restaurants was down 8%, to about $250. Spending on shopping was down 16%, to about $102. Visitors spent an average of about $40 on shows, down 23%.

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Go to Las Vegas- and Go Broke?

A careless remark by President Barack Obama about Las Vegas has triggered a furious backlash from Nevada’s cash-strapped gambling mecca and a key Democratic ally fighting a tough re-election battle in the state. 

Speaking about the economy yesterday at an event in Nashua, New Hampshire, Mr. Obama told Americans: “When times are tough, you tighten your belts. You don’t go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage. You don’t blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you’re trying to save for college. You prioritize. You make tough choices.” 

The economy of Las Vegas, the world’s most famous gambling and entertainment destination, is heavily dependent on tourism and Las Vegans were already incensed by a crack from Mr. Obama a year ago that companies should not use federal bail out money for trips to the city.   The city is still reeling from that comment, trying to keep bookings and revenues up on conventions and other events. 

Mr. Obama’s latest remark about Las Vegas prompted a swift and angry retort from Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, who is fighting an extremely uphill battle to win re-election in Nevada, which has one of the highest unemployment rates in the U.S. – a whopping 13 per cent.

Mr. Obama hurriedly dispatched a letter to Mr. Reid. “I hope you know that during my Town Hall today, I wasn’t saying anything negative about Las Vegas,” he wrote. 

Oscar Goodman, the Mayor of Las Vegas and an independent, also got into the fray, raising his voice and describing President Obama as “a real slow learner” who has a “psychological hang-up” about Las Vegas. 

Mr. Goodman added that this time an apology from Mr. Obama wouldn’t be enough. “I’ll do everything I can to give him the boot.” 

Last year, Mr. Obama apologized for his prior gaffe and during a visit to Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas said that it was good to get out of Washington and “there’s nothing like a quick trip to Vegas in the middle of the week.” 

Repercussions surrounding the current incident are not nearly over.  In a couple of weeks, Mr. Obama is planning another visit to Las Vegas, which surely will cause sparks to fly anew.

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Las Vegas Pops for $500,000 New Year’s Eve Fireworks Show

It must be nice.  Despite record Las Vegas unemployment, layoffs, foreclosures, and other nefarious economic indicators, this evening at the stroke of midnight, somehow $500,000 of fireworks will shoot skyward from the rooftops of MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island, The Venetian, Stratosphere, and the brand new entry this year- the top of CityCenter’s Aria. 

In seven minutes and eleven seconds the fireworks extravaganza, dubbed “America’s Party: A Vegas Celebration” will be over and one for the history books. 

For the past four days, 65 pyrotechnicians from the famed Grucci brothers have been rigging the big bangs to delight Las Vegas locals and mesmerize an estimated 315,000 out-of-town partiers. 

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department will have every commissioned officer – all 3,200 of them – keeping order in Sin City.  The Strip will be close to vehicular traffic and several on-ramps and exits on Interstate 15 will be shut down starting about 6:30 p.m. 

And if you were thinking on bringing your six-shooter and firing it wildly into the air, think again.  Police are promising to step up enforcement of firearms laws to reduce celebratory gunfire to ring in the New Year. 

Anyone for just imbibing on sparkling grape juice and crackers in their abode?

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New Hotel Rooms Aplenty in Las Vegas Create Buyer’s Nirvana

Recession?  What recession?  Apparently, Las Vegas is being true to its persona- betting heavily that 1,575 new hotel rooms are just what the doctor ordered- if not now, maybe in the future? 

A mere two weeks after the debut of the Aria at the $8.5 billion new CityCenter, two more casino properties have entered the Las Vegas lodging fray in a market already straining to fill the rooms it already has, witnessed by an average mid-80 percent fill rate and drastically declining room rates. 

The 52-story PH Towers at Planet Hollywood Resort have just added 1,201 rooms yesterday.  The rooms are being marketed at $229 midweek and $349 weekends.   And the top four floors will be 16 condominiums for sale, ranging from 6,000 square feet to 18,000 square feet.

Not to be outdone, the Hard Rock Hotel also yesterday added their HRH tower, bringing 374 more rooms that include seven penthouse suites and eight spa villas.  Opening with their tower is the 25,000-square-foot Reliquary Spa, a new parking garage with a porte-cochere and 40,000 square feet of new casino space.  Think it ends there?  Hardly.  A new Hard Rock nightclub, the 14,000-square-foot Vanity, waits opening on Dec. 31, which will also mark lights out for the venerable celebrity hangout, Body English.

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Las Vegas Freeze Approaches– 16-Foot Polar Bear Appears!

The Palazzo in Las Vegas is uniquely celebrating the holiday season with artic décor complete with a larger-than-life 16-foot polar bear poinsettia sculpture that raises awareness about conservation of polar bears and Arctic habitat. 

While guests of The Palazzo Las Vegas will enjoy the usual sunny weather for the holiday season, from December 9 through the New Year they’ll also encounter the winter décor display anchored by a special Arctic visitor: a 16-foot tall polar bear mother and 6-foot tall polar bear baby, made entirely of a specially-developed white poinsettia named “Polar Bear.”

The “Polar Bear” Poinsettia is developed exclusively by Ecke Ranch, the largest grower in the world of poinsettias.  The strong white coloration of the “Polar Bear” Poinsettia with its bracts of deep green veining is the perfect topiary fur for the polar bear display. The custom, hand-sculpted and hand-painted heads and paws, constructed by Design Solutions, bring the bears to life.  The mother and baby bear, consisting of approximately 10,000 poinsettias planted in sphagnum moss and weighs in at approximately 5,000 lbs. The bears snuggle on a custom-sculpted ‘arctic ice float’ that hovers over a water feature located at The Palazzo Atrium. 

In addition to the larger-than-life polar bears, The Palazzo embraces the holiday season with Arctic inspired décor elements that combine to create the breathtaking winter wonderland display. The gardens are filled with a variety of unique poinsettias and 25-foot silver tip pine trees; an 80-foot whimsical vine transitions to holiday with oversized pine cones, holiday berries, poinsettias and twinkling holiday lights; over 225,000 cranberries donated by Ocean Spray float above a water feature creating a sea of cranberries and snow will elegantly fall from above the décor adding to the Arctic theme. 

The white “Polar Bear” Poinsettias have an important message to promote awareness of polar bears and the loss of their Arctic habitat due to climate change. Ecke Ranch is donating a portion of the proceeds from each poinsettia cutting sold to Polar Bears International (PBI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the worldwide conservation of polar bears through research and education.  This event will serve as the official launching pad for Ecke’s “Pay-it-Forward for Polar Bears” campaign which benefits PBI.   

“In a part of the world that never sees snow, it can be challenging to explain why the most important initiative that we can undertake at this time is saving polar bear habitat in the Arctic. Polar bears need sea ice for their survival, and so does the rest of the planet. The Arctic is a key regulator of the global climate system, and loss of Arctic sea ice will impact people and wildlife around the world. So when we save the polar bears, we save so many other species from butterflies to frogs,” said Robert Buchanan, president of Polar Bears International. 

“Currently the world’s CO2 level is at 385 parts per million (ppm) and growing at an average of two ppm per year. Scientists believe that the tipping point in the Arctic is around 400 ppm. Once this level is reached, the domino effect may not allow the summer ice to return for tens of thousands of years. This of course will not only affect wildlife but the ocean currents and humans in the end. This is not an irreversible situation. Individuals can and must make a difference. It can be as easy as packing a reusable bag when you shop, buy carbon off sets for your flights and purchasing products with limited and/or recycled packaging,” continued Buchanan. 

On December 9, The Palazzo will host the unveiling of the Arctic-inspired winter décor display to kick-off the holiday season and raise awareness about conservation of polar bears. The event will take place at 5 p.m. in The Palazzo Waterfall Atrium and the general public is welcome to join in the celebration.

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New Store Openings Continue at CityCenter in Las Vegas

CityCenter, the largest $5.8 billion completed construction project in the U.S. this year, continues with gala Las Vegas store openings and special events.  40% of available space is reportedly currently occupied. 

Openings Today, Dec. 3:  

Huge high-class retail Crystals venue opens including Beso (Eva Longoria Parker’s restaurant), Mikimoto, CENTERPiece Gallery, H.Stern, Tom Ford, Marni, Bvlgari, Robert Cavalli, Nanette Lepore, Cartier, Assouline, ILORI, Porsche Design, Tourbillion, Tiffany & Co., de Grisogone, Louis Vutton, Bottega Veneta, Bally, Paul Smith, The Cup, Rodney Lough Jr. Wilderness Collection Gallery, Phillip Plein. 

Opening Dec. 16: 

Aria, the centerpiece 4,004-room hotel casino, opens plus Kiton, Kiki de Montpamasse, Brasserie PUCK, Van Cleef & Arpels, The Pods by Wolfgang Puck, Carolina Herrera, the GALLERY featuring Dale Chihuly, The Art of Richard MacDonald, T.E. Pub 

Opening 2010: 

Mastro’s Ocean Club, Ermengildo Zegna, Emilio Pucci, Prada, Christina Dior, Hermes, Versace, Miu Miu

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USA Sevens Rugby Tournament Prepares for Huge Las Vegas Tournament in February

Sports fans may find something to interest them during the usually quiet February when Las Vegas, the so-called Entertainment Capital of the World, hosts the USA Sevens rugby tournament and an International Fan Festival on February 13 and 14.

Set to take place at the Sam Boyd Stadium, the two-day weekend rugged and highly competitive event will feature some of the world’s leading rugby sevens teams, including vanguard teams representing England, South Africa and New Zealand. 

Currently ranked 11th internationally, the U.S. team, departed last Thursday, Nov. 26 for the Series opening tournament in Dubai, UAE (Dec. 4-5), where it will face England, Kenya and Russia.

Returning players from the U.S. squad that went to Dubai in 2008 are Matt Hawkins and Mark Bokhoven, who both return from injuries, Nese Malifa and Shalom Suniula. The remainder of the U.S. team is comprised of relatively new faces, but the players are reportedly fast, fit, strong and very skillful.

Captaining the U.S. team is veteran Jone Naqica, who is the most capped U.S. Sevens player and all-time leading scorer for the Eagle Sevens team.

Attendance at the 2009 games was more than 37,000, an increase of greater than 40% from 2007, with 2010 games anticipated to grow even more. 

Featuring 16 professional teams from all parts of the world, the Las Vegas weekend event captures international attention with 44 games providing more than eight hours of play on each day. 

Each game of the round-robin style tournament is less than twenty minutes, providing fast and intense competition.  Watching some of the quickest and most agile athletes in the world, spectators are entertained by the fast paced, high scoring games, as well as the electric atmosphere created by the avid fans. 

To learn more, please log onto http://www.usasevens.com/

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Wynn Las Vegas Launches Jetsetter Getaways

Wynn Las Vegas is now offering the convenience and luxury of air travel from a private terminal with the Jetsetter Getaway Package, offering flights from Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport and John Wayne Airport now through November, 2009. Premier passengers receive complimentary valet parking and hassle-free check-in and boarding for the Wynn VIP treatment.

These incredible packages include roundtrip air transportation in a beautiful, 50-seat jet and begin with complimentary valet parking upon arrival at the private terminal. Passengers skip the typical airport stress and check-in immediately. A dedicated pre-flight Wynn Concierge is on hand with each guest’s room key prepared and ready. Wynn in-flight concierges are available to assist with any and all resort arrangements. Complimentary champagne is offered prior to takeoff, and light snacks and beverages are provided during the flight.

Upon arrival in Las Vegas, limousine shuttles whisk guests directly from the tarmac to Wynn or Encore for a three-night stay, and travelers avoid the baggage carousels to find their bags awaiting them in their rooms. All guests also receive transportation back to McCarran Airport’s Executive Terminal in Las Vegas.

Personalized elite packages packages from Burbank are offered Friday to Monday and packages from Orange County are offered Thursday to Sunday. All packages start at $780 per person for double occupancy and $1,193 per person for single occupancy, including taxes and fees. Call 866.770.7929 and mention rate code WYNNBUR for a Burbank departure or WYNNORG for an Orange County departure to book your Wynn Vacations Jetsetter Getaway Package today, or visit www.WynnVacations.com for more information.

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Study Says Business Travel to Las Vegas Stimulates the Economy

At a time when companies are scaling back travel and attended costs, a new study shows it pays to invest in travel. It’s not only a win for those businesses, but a win for Las Vegas, which banks on those travel dollars. 

Las Vegas is not only the entertainment capital of the world, but it has long been the top destination for conventions, meetings, and trade shows which brings in an estimated $8 billion annually. That is until now. 

“When economy took a dip and there was some bashing of meetings by some federal officials, it really hurt Las Vegas,” said Cathy Tull with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Association. 

Las Vegas saw a 26-percent drop in convention travelers this year compared to last. But there’s hope things will soon turn around, thanks to a new study. 

Adam Sacks of Oxford Economics, a global research firm, has established a clear link between business travel and business growth. “For every dollar a company spends on business travel, incrementally that drives $12.50 in revenue and almost $4 in profits,” he said. 

The study simply states that business travel will stimulate the American economy. The study also points out that for the average U.S. business that does not travel in the first year sees a 17-percent drop in profits. 

And that’s not a chance business owners like Mike Weeks gamble on. “When you specialize like I do in personal injury attorneys and you are looking for the premiere firms, you have to go where they go,” he said. Weeks owns an advertising company and is in Las Vegas for a four-day convention to network and stimulate business– which is what the LVCVA says corporations should keep doing in this economy.

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Who will Headline Paris Las Vegas Theater?

The 1,450-seat Theatre des Arts in the Paris Hotel & Casino has sat vacant since “The Producers” closed 18 months ago- a very long wait for such a prominent piece of Las Vegas real estate. 

The latest rumor is that long-running Las Vegas entertainer Barry Manilow will jump ship from the Las Vegas Hilton at the end of this year. Hilton officials acknowledge they’ve heard that talk, but say no decisions have been reached.

 Other rumored candidates have fallen by the wayside or gone elsewhere. A Marie Osmond daytime TV show is on ice. A live version of “America’s Got Talent” is going to Planet Hollywood, moving in with “Peepshow” for at least 10 weeks starting Oct. 7, with none other than Jerry Springer hosting.

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Las Vegas Hires Terrorism Analyst

Travelers to Las Vegas can perhaps feel a bit safer as they spend, win or lose money in the popular city. Last week, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) voted to create a terrorism intelligence analyst position to work with the Metro police in the Southern Nevada Counterterrorism Fusion Center. 

The board voted to spend nearly $480,285 over three years for the position, which they hope will also assure business travelers, meeting planners, and conventioneers of their safety. 

According to the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, intelligence analyst would be appointed by Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie and would serve as a liaison to the LVCVA on terrorist activities. Metro officials told the Sun that there have been no major terrorism threats to Las Vegas but they recognize the city is a potential target.

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M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas Celebrates Labor Day with Style

M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas has pulled out all the stops for a Labor Day celebration.  The resort will host ‘End of Summer Festival ‘09’ a Labor Day bash on Sunday, September 6 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. poolside. Admission is free to the public.

Mix and mingle will be the order of the day as the M Resort pays homage to the holiday, complete with live musical performances, a fresh lemonade stand, watermelon-eating contest, a festival of food and a fireworks show. 

Much-loved ‘70s and ‘80s tribute band Loveshack will perform from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Loveshack is famous for their nostalgic, high-energy renditions of classics like “Hit Me with Your Best Shot,” “Jesse’s Girl” and “Come On Eileen.” Las Vegans  favorite, Nitro will perform from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nitro delivers a rockin’ good time with well-known rock and pop songs. 

Guest foodies are invited to enjoy a feast of food favorites including south of the border fare, American classics, barbeque, burgers and hotdogs, cotton candy, gelatos, shaved ice and even M’s homemade pastries. Or, if that doesn’t strike your fancy, just gather around the pool deck for a wide variety of free activities for the kids including face painting, temporary tattoos and balloon art.

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Tropicana in Las Vegas Undergoes Major Rebranding Campaign

tropicana2As part of a $125-million renovation, the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is undergoing a complete rebranding campaign, starting with a logo change announced on August 6. The company is working to build buzz about the brand and spread the message of the rebrand to influencers, tourists, and feeder markets in Southern California, Arizona, Texas, and New York.

Tropicana Las Vegas is led by chairman and CEO Alex Yemenidjian, who acquired the property with Onex Corp. after it emerged from bankruptcy July 1.

“We have new ownership now and a new management team,” said Trish Gilbert, VP of marketing for Tropicana Las Vegas. “It’s not just bringing [the property] up to today’s standards, but really adding the flare of a new brand to it,” Gilbert added. She described the new brand theme as “a Havana, old-Cuban theme, [with] Latin flare.” 

Tropicana is using traditional media relations—reaching out to travel and tourism publications, bloggers, and regional business news outlets—and social media, focusing on a soon-to-launch Tropicana Las Vegas blog, Facebook, and Twitter. 

The company is not currently working with a PR firm, Gilbert said, but it is ”talking to several agencies of how they could come on board and help us during the actual launch,” which is currently scheduled for the third quarter of 2010.

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Fliers Shun Las Vegas in July

July was a real bummer for fliers coming to Las Vegas via McCarran International Airport.   The Clark County Department of Aviation said that 3.56 million people flew in and out of McCarran in July, down from 3.92 million a year earlier. McCarranAirportColorConv80dSMALL

For the year-to-date through July, McCarran’s arriving-and-departing flier count is down 11.5 percent, having fallen to 23.78 million fliers from 26.86 million fliers in the same period a year earlier. 

Michael Boyd, an airline consultant with the Evergreen, Colorado firm Boyd Group, said the year-to-date passenger drop is wider than the nation’s current 8.5 percent drop. 

Boyd also suggested that the passenger traffic drop could have been shallower if not for the comments made earlier this year by President Obama (prior article by Las Vegas Backstage Access).

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Nevada Bill Proposed to Stem Anti-Resort Travel Policies by U.S. Government

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., recently introduced a bill that would make it against the law for government bureaucrats to implement travel policies that prohibit official travel to destinations “perceived to be a resort or vacation destination.” 

Reid’s bill, called the “Protecting Resort Cities from Discrimination Act of 2009,” is the result of months of bureaucrat wrangling and issued in response to reports of myriad federal offices banning travel to resort destinations (especially Las Vegas) in favor of more staid locations.

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Government Agencies Shun Las Vegas

With agencies like the FBI moving conferences out of destinations like Las Vegas, the U.S. Travel Association recent release of a comprehensive study of the ROI of business travel couldn’t come at a better time.

It’s not just corporate meeting planners that are afraid to hold events in beach, resort or entertainment destinations. Now government agencies are saying that both formal and informal policies have them avoiding destinations like Las Vegas and Orlando, FL., to avoid any criticism that their business meetings are really junkets.

“What’s going on is a lot of fear in the marketplace,” says Geoff Freeman, senior vice president of public affairs of the U.S. Travel Association (USTA). “That started in the corporate world and has shifted to government agencies. Folks from different agencies are admitting this is going on.”

It has gotten so bad, Freeman adds, that planners arranging meeting for government agencies “are willing to spend more money—taxpayer money—to avoid the perception of wastefulness.” Among those who agree is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), whose state relies upon Las Vegas as a major economic engine.

Noting that the director of the FBI recently ordered an agency conference relocated away from Las Vegas because it is a “vacation and leisure destination” as well as “an unmatched location for conducting business in terms of cost and availability of convention and related space,” Sen. Reid recently wrote to Rahm Emanuel, President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, asking for his “assistance to reverse the current informal federal policy which prohibits and/or discourages government meetings and conferences in Las Vegas and other cities on the basis that they are too leisure oriented to be awarded such business.”

Last week came the reply from White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel: Viva Las Vegas! 

The federal government has no business forbidding government meetings and conferences from taking place in communities “known for attracting vacationers,” Emanuel wrote. “For me, the test of government travel is what will be accomplished by that travel and whether the cost to the government is reasonable as opposed to other options.”

No word on how the “what happens/stays” formulation might be affected by the federal Freedom of Information Act.

“What’s really going on here is most people don’t think other people’s meetings are necessary,” says Freeman. “We must fight that as an industry.”

So far, he adds, the meetings, incentive, conventions and events (MICE) industry has failed to present the business case or defend the value of meetings and conventions. To that end, on July 28, the USTA will unveil a comprehensive study on the ROI of business travel—the quantifiable impact of business travel on business bottom lines.

But that’s only one step, Freeman warns. The MICE industry must continue along that path by continually making this point to the government, to the media, to business executives and to the general public if the message is to get through.

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Lose Your Clothes; Join Pajama Parties in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is all about being kitschy- dancing like no one is watching you.  Now you can translate that rhetoric into reality by joining in on a unique Pajama Party like no other.pajamaparties

Don your cutest nightie, feetsie pajamas, or wear your best Hugh Hefner robe and go bar hopping at many of the hottest clubs in Las Vegas, arriving with no pain on a luxury bus.  Imagine partying without the hassles of waiting in long nightclub lines, avoiding driving the Strip- and without the risk getting a DUI.  

Life can’t get better than that. 

For more information, visit www.pinkelephantgames.com

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Mandarin Oriental Provides Las Vegas Step Down to Haute Luxury at CityCenter

The check-in lobby for the Mandarin Oriental at CityCenter in Las Vegas will actually be on the building’s 23rd floor, causing guests to go down to their rooms at the boutique nongaming hotel that offers customers a panoramic view of the Strip and the rest of the $8.5 billion CityCenter through floor-to-ceiling windows inside the property’s Sky Lobby. MandarinOriental

After years of planning, Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental is removing the wrapping from the company’s first luxury resort in Las Vegas. The company operates 41 hotels in 25 countries. In the United States, Mandarin Oriental has hotels in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Miami and San Francisco.

The 47-story Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas has 392 rooms and suites, ranging in size from 600 square feet to 3,000 square feet. The building also has 227 residences, which will be accessed by a separate entrance and elevator from the hotel side. 

Hotel rooms will offer numerous technological enhancements including keyless door locks and automated control panels that allow guests to manage the lighting, room temperature and entertainment systems. Mandarin Oriental will have a 27,000-square-foot spa and fitness center and several restaurants and bars. 

The Sky Lobby serves as a sort of buffer zone. The floors beneath the lobby are for hotel guests and the 24 floors above house the residential units. The 23rd floor is also home to The Mandarin Bar, the Tea Lounge, and the property’s signature restaurant, the first U.S. offering from celebrity chef Pierre Gagnaire.

One thing Mandarin Oriental lacks is a casino. 

Gaming at CityCenter will be exclusive to Aria, the centerpiece 4,004-room hotel-casino operated by MGM Mirage. That shouldn’t concern Mandarin Oriental’s guests, said Jhingon, who spent five years as the general manager of the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore. 

“We’re in walking distance to all the activities at CityCenter,” he said. “Our guests come here for our personalized service and experience.” 

The Mandarin Oriental is scheduled to open Dec. 4.. The property will begin accepting hotel room reservations on Aug. 17. Room rates have yet to be established, but Jhingon said the luxury property will set prices at levels that will be considered reasonable in a market that has seen hotel room prices decline to their lowest levels in over two decades because of the sour economy. 

“I believe it’s the perfect time for us to open,” Jhingon said. “We’re a boutique hotel by Las Vegas standards and we’re very visible. I believe we will be a choice for a lot of people from Day One.”

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Human Nature, Smokey Robinson Take Las Vegas Back to Doo-Wop’n Roots

Human Nature, below, the Australian all male vocal group that formed as a doo-wop band called 4Trax in 1989, while theVBAIMG_1149SMALL four boys were still in high school in Sydney, has now turned into a top chart-smashing Motown group that is wowing sold-out crowds at the Imperial Palace with feel-good music.  Long in talent, they also have the distinction of having the longest show name in Las Vegas:  “Smokey Robinson Presents Australia’s Human Nature – the Ultimate Celebration of Motown.” 

The band already has 17 Top 40 hits and five Top 10 hits in Australia since 1996, when their first album Telling Everybody was released.   Their three follow-up albums all went multi-platinum in Australia.  

The King of Motown, Smokey Robinson, right, their producer along with Adam Steck, is also in talks to perform solo at Imperial Palace on Friday’s, Human Nature’s day off. VBAIMG_0939SMALL

“Very seldom do I get really excited about something musically,” said Robinson when he recently introduced the singers.  “But these guys blew me away.  They are singers’ singers.  In their area of the world they are the Beatles.  They haven’t been exposed in the United States yet, but they’re getting ready to take us by storm.”

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Las Vegas Monorail Races For Federal Bailout

The Las Vegas Monorail is not up for sale- yet.  It’s a transit line running 3.5 miles from the MGM Grand to the Sahara, speeding Las Vegas tourists to their destination.   Different than funding methods used now, it was a privately funded traffic solution not built with tax dollars- one of the few public transit systems in the country not backed by taxpayer money.monorail

Until now. 

Despite the promise of nine years ago, monorail officials now acknowledge they have been quietly begun seeking pubic dollars in a bid to the keep the financially troubled elevated train running. 

Fitch Ratings recently downgraded the $450 million in bonds for the Las Vegas Monorail project to “CC,” which means the credit rating agency believes a default “appears imminent or inevitable.” 

The project has $200 million in other debt, which can be repaid only after the $450 million “first tier” is repaid. 

Ingrid Reisman, vice president of the Las Vegas Monorail, said the train is now looking for federal loans through the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act.  Other sources with knowledge of the discussions said monorail officials are also looking at room tax money to help repay the debt. 

The project has failed to meet ambitious ridership projections used to originally sell it to public officials and investors. 

Despite it all, Las Vegas continues to wrestle with the viability of an expensive high-speed electric train or maglev line to whisk people back and forth from Southern California.  [Las Vegas Backstage Access June 21 article.]

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Magician Lance Burton to Perform Six More Years in Las Vegas

After breaking his right foot during a show in May [previous Las Vegas Backstage Access article], magician Lance Burton is staying on the Las Vegas Strip for another six years.LanceBurton2

Burton and the Monte Carlo hotel-casino said yesterday that they have agreed to a new contract that will keep him as the resort’s headliner through 2015. 

The 49-year-old illusionist says he plans to return to the stage on Tuesday, July 7. 

Burton began his Las Vegas career 27 years ago with an eight-week trial engagement at “Folies Bergere,” which turned into a nine-year run.

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Get Naked in Las Vegas

For those enjoying the company of other naked people while in Las Vegas, please complete the contact link at the top of our Las Vegas Backstage Access blog and we’ll send by return e-mail a compiled listing of Vegas hot spots to let it all hang out, ranging from Las Vegas locations, groups, pools and more.

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What do Las Vegans do when the thermometer hits 120 degrees? RUN!

Sounds crazy- but, then again, Las Vegans are the epitome of crazy.  

Running with the Devil (he owns a couple of foreclosed houses in Sin City) is exactly what a group of hardy – and deranged – athletes will do when they gather at Lake Mead National Recreation area in Boulder City, Nevada this Saturday for the Running of the Devil races. 

Starting and finishing at Boulder Beach, runners will compete in five distance options, with the longest being 50 miles, roughly a DOUBLE marathon.   It’s about an 11-hour race-  for those that survive. 

Participants are described by event organizers as athletes looking for a challenge that goes beyond a mere morning job through the neighborhood.  Really? 

Running with the Devil is all about facing the challenge of extreme heat.   Last year the temperature reached 112 degrees, and it hit 116 the year before.

 All those who finish the race alive will receive a medal.  So far, 45 people have signed up to run the 50 mile gauntlet. 

Some runners are using this race as a warm-up (?) for Badwater, a 135-mile run though Death Valley in California starting July 13, where the temperature can reach 125 degrees or higher, with the race taking up to 60 hours to complete.  Now, that’s endurance! 

Interested?  Check out www.calicoracing.com for more information.  You can register for the race on Friday at the Hacienda Hotel in Boulder City from 5 to 9  p.m., or on the day of the race at Boulder Beach.

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Las Vegas is a Kid’s Haven?

Traveling to Las Vegas with your children can be a challenging proposition.  Many parents are hesitant to take their kids inside a Strip casino for anything more than a walk through to the indoor mall.  And the idea of staying there with the family is many times out of the question.  Now, a new website makes it easier to find and identify where to go and what to do with your children while in Las Vegas. 

Created by Las Vegas Retreats, Vegas Vacation Village lists most major and minor activities that a great for kids. Along with listings for shows, tours, excursions, and other good kids stuff, you’ll find information about what makes each item kid worthy and general reviews as well. 

Linda Logan, owner of Las Vegas Retreats, says “Being in the vacation rental business, we see parents struggle with the adult nature of our city. We wanted to provide an easy way for parents and their kids to find the best of Las Vegas for families with children”. “We hope that providing this information in a useful kid friendly format, we can encourage parents to bring their families to Las Vegas.” 

The website is set in an illustrated cartoon” style with a Vegas Rocker character for the kids, http://www.VegasVacationVillage.com is also a great source of information on kid friendly lodging and accommodations. 

Useful information regarding lodging alternatives is listed. Popular among these are the vacation homes and condos for rent offered by Las Vegas Retreats. Vacation home rentals are a great alternative to hotel lodging. Guests have their own pools and privacy and aren’t burdened with the expense of constantly eating out and the inconvenience of waiting in line.  

Just imagine- your kids can have plenty of entertainment options while staying safe and sound in their own private Las Vegas digs.

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Bask in the Las Vegas Sun- – it’s Healthy!

Las Vegas annually boasts the unique distinction of being one of the world’s best places for experiencing the most sunny days.  But for many, enjoying the sun’s rays merely means sneaking in and out under the shade of umbrellas and lathering on sunscreen with the highest SPF lotions that can be found.  But is that necessarily a good thing for your health? poolparties

The answer to that question is based on how much vitamin D you get.  Three out of four Americans today aren’t getting enough vitamin D, and the ramifications from that deficiency could be severe.   Numerous studies have shown the benefits of D:  It aids calcium absorption, keeps us agile as we age, and may even fend off those pesky colds.  The vitamin D deficit has been linked to everything from cancer to diabetes, osteoporosis, and heart disease.   

A University of Manchester study found that adolescent girls with higher levels of vitamin D have stronger muscles and can jump higher than their peers. 

A Creighton University study revealed that adequate levels of vitamin D could significantly cut your risk of cancer. 

Cardiovascular disease can also be significantly decreased with vitamin D according to the American Heart Association. 

And while one eight-ounce serving of orange juice is all you need to get your daily fill of vitamin C, to get enough vitamin D you’d need to drink ten tall glasses of milk or eat seven pounds of wild salmon-  every single day. 

“There is essentially no vitamin D in your diet,” says Michael F. Holick, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of medicine at Boston University.  His surprising solution?  Embrace the sun again- sans sunscreen. 

Our body synthesizes vitamin D naturally when exposed to sunlight, but high-SPF lotions block the ultraviolet rays needed for its production.  The UV triggers a form of cholesterol in our skin that is converted into D in our kidneys. 

“Different skin types and diets make everyone’s sun needs unique,” says Robyn Luca, M.D., Ph.D.  But generally, “short sun exposure of more skin is a lot safer than longer exposure on just your face and hands.”  Even the American Cancer Society is getting on the bandwagon, recently issuing a joint statement with the Canadian Cancer Society that concluded “supplementation and small amounts of sun exposure are the preferred methods of obtaining vitamin D.” 

Many health experts recommend that 3 to 10 minutes of sun exposure with 40% of your skin bared, twice a week during the summer is enough to get almost a year’s worth of vitamin D.  (If you’re out any longer than that, apply sunscreen.) 

Still, lounging in the sun is never safe for some.  If you have a fair complexion or a family history of skin cancer, experts advise to stick to nonsolar vitamin sources.  Also, if you have dark skin (which, like sunscreen, impeeds vitamin D synthesis), aim to get 1,000 international units (IU) a day through vitamin supplements.   Most multivitamins contain only 400 to 600 IU of D, so you many need to add an extra tablet of pure vitamin D to your daily intake. 

So, popping pills may be your best way to get your vitamin D fix, but for many the controlled basking under the Las Vegas sun may be just the ticket for maintaining good health- unless of course you want to eat seven pounds of salmon daily.

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Speeding Tourists into Las Vegas at 150 or 300 mph – or not at all?

Sooner of later, most predict, the stagnant Las Vegas economy will recover.  The only question is what the crowning stimulus will be and when will it happen.  To have over 42 million visitors annually to come to Las Vegas and stay in the projected 157,000 hotel rooms projected by 2011, bringing about a true economic recovery, what better of an enticing solution than to provide a high-speed train to supplant current driving and flying modes, whisking riders between Las Vegas and Southern California, the route usually taken by visiting tourists.maglev

It sounds like a good idea to goose Nevada and Southern California tourism numbers, but is it really a viable solution?  Political jaw flapping has been ballyhooed for years and especially now with the $8 billion in federal money available for competing fast trains that offer the best solution.

Two alternative proposals are currently on the table.  One is a publicly-funded maglev train, smoothly propelling tourists at speeds up to 300 mph by magnetic levitation into Ontario, California, close to the airport and hub for Southern California.  It uses a technology untried in this country because it is so expensive to build. The price tag- $12 billion.

The other is the DesertXpress, which would use traditional steel wheels on steel tracks, driven at speeds up to 150 mph with electric or diesel-electric power. It would end in the desert town of Victorville, requiring more than an hour’s drive to get to the terminus  proposed by the the maglev. Although the $4 billion project was pitched as a privately funded venture, its backers say now they may seek government loans.

Both of the proposed lines would transport passengers between Las Vegas and Southern California in about 80 minutes for about $50 — with one going at half the speed and covering two-thirds the distance of the other.

The choices raise pivotal questions as the nation weighs its appetite for risk and considers whether such a system should be in public versus private hands.   Would people in these financially trying times even consider hopping aboard either of these futuristic trains?  Las Vegas Backstage Access contends that that’s the key statistical profile that first needs to be researched prior to any determination on which method, if any, is best to deploy. 

This week, the federal Transportation Department is planned to unveil guidelines for those seeking to apply for a portion of the $8 billion passed by Congress as part of the economic recovery package. Decisions will be made this year.   Hopefully, the guidelines will follow from a robust, statistically valid needs analysis.

The maglev project desperately needs public dollars and has appealed to Obama’s transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, for $1.8 billion to develop the first segment — from Las Vegas to the state line at Primm — and to continue planning the rest of the route.

DesertXpress Enterprises LLC has shunned federal aid, promising to be privately financed and turn a profit, a feat no other modern rail line has been able to accomplish in this country. But it is also in the market for federal loans.

If the maglev project gets a federal boost of stimulus dollars, it could make it difficult for DesertXpress backers to raise private equity. If DesertXpress can leverage its newfound support from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, it could knock maglev out of the picture.

Maglev’s boosters say that even if DesertXpress is constructed, it will still pursue its own project. But skeptics doubt there is sufficient appetite, financial or otherwise, for the Federal Railroad Administration to permit both trains.

This maglev project is the brainchild of the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission, a highfalutin name for a nonprofit entity formed in 1988 with the sole purpose of developing a fast train between Las Vegas and Southern California.

The commission, made up of private citizens and public officials, entertained several technologies before choosing magnetic levitation in 1991 and choosing American Magline Group as its developer in 1993.

The maglev train,  proposed originally in 2002, proposes to zoom passengers between Vegas and the Disneyland area, enabling tourists in either city to experience the other, just 80 minutes away, without need of automobile. The northbound maglev would stop in Ontario to connect with the airport, and would stop southbound stop at Ivanpah, to connect with an airport planned for there. The project could break ground in 2011.

With California separately building a north-south high-speed train line between San Francisco and Orange County, the maglev team envisions passengers being able to connect to the California train at its stop in Anaheim station to continue to Los Angeles’ Union Station.

Groundbreaking for the California network could happen in as little as the next few years, funded by an $11 billion bond issue approved by California voters last year.  It is considered a front-runner in being awarded federal stimulus money.

Maglev critics, though, deride the technology as wishful futurism, and transportation experts say it is maglev’s price tag, not the science, that has left it undeveloped in this country.

In fact, the world’s only operating commercial maglev line links Shanghai and Pudong International Airport — a 19-mile-long run completed in 7 1/2 minutes.

That system, now in its ninth upgrade, is what American Magline wants to build between Anaheim, California and Las Vegas.

Not only Reid, but much of Nevada’s political class has at times supported the maglev train. And then DesertXpress plans emerged, relatively suddenly, to pose a competitive challenge.  That has left lawmakers to rework their support. Democratic Rep. Dina Titus, a former commission member as an appointee of three governors, thinks maglev is the “technology of the future,” but is now giving some thought to DesertXpress, her spokesman said.  Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley is among those who support “whichever one is successful.”  Sitting on fence.

Over the years, the commission has raised $10 million for maglev — more than $7 million in federal allocations championed mainly by Reid and more than $2 million in state and local funding.

Internal Revenue Service filings from recent years show that most of the commission’s annual expenditures go to the American Magline Group, the consortium of private companies that is developing the project.

Rail lines are an expensive undertaking:  Before a single track is laid, millions are spent drafting the inches-thick environmental review required by the federal government.

After two decades, the commission’s maglev project is suddenly losing the paper war.In just a few short years, the DesertXpress backers have spent $25 million producing an environmental report.  DesertXpress is the nation’s only privately financed train proposal before the Transportation Department’s Federal Railroad Administration.

If their plan is approved this year, DesertXpress backers say, they can raise private funding and break ground in 2010. Earlier groundbreakings have been postponed.

Although Reid secured another $45 million last year for maglev, the money has not been spent because the commission had been unable to raise the required matching funds until American Magline Group contributed the $11 million two months ago.

Should precursor rider statistics first staunchily justify the real feasibility/usage of any high-speed train, before reviewing and selecting of any particluar method, Las Vegas Backstage Access would favor the maglev proposal.  

The DesertXpress appears to be a dead-end train to nowhere proposal, a mass transit system doomed to economic and ridership failure from the get-go.  Few riders from Las Vegas, it is believed, would relish the idea of stopping in desolate Victorville and then wait to catch another train or rent a car to drive or find an airline to fly their last leg across the Mojave Desert to Southern California, adding considerable more time and expense to their trip.   

The maglev train would provide a relatively more successful ridership and would greatly boost Las Vegas tourism numbers and relieve traffic congestion at McCarran International Airport, on the I-15 freeway and in Clark County, especially along the Strip corridor. Without having the maglev option, passengers could just as easily and economically fly the entire route in one stop.  And more may just opt to do the usual four-hour plus grueling drive. Looking to long-term debt, the DesertXpress would most likely be severely challenged and potentially cause much more relative public funding than the maglev to stay afloat.

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CineVegas Film Festival in Las Vegas Offers Movies Galore- And Much More

Running over six days and one weekend, the 11th annual CineVegas film festival, starting this Wednesday, June 10, at the Brenden Theatres inside the Palms in Las Vegas offers a broader range of movie screening opportunities than ever before, providing something for every discriminating taste and style, from world premieres to sneak previews of independent film features that will be soon playing in theatres around the country.  

If that’s not enough, many seminars, parties, and A-list celebrity awards are also on tap, offering participants the opportunity to rub elbows with some of the best filmmakers in the country. 

Not surprisingly, Las Vegas itself plays a major role in several of the world premiere movie selections. 

Although there are way too many movies and events to list here, Las Vegas Backstage Access has put together our best picks, listed in date chronological order: 

Wednesday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m.

“Saint John of Las Vegas”  Opening night world premiere movie starring Steve Buscemi as a gambling-addicted Albuquerque insurance adjustor, who returns to the scene of his temptation to investigate a fraud case, encountering a variety of offbeat characters, including a wheelchair-bound stripper and a human torch. 

Thursday, June 11 at 3:00 p.m. & Sunday, June 14 at 1:00 p.m. 

“Vegas: Based on  a True Story,” from Iranian director Amir Naderi,  the movie focuses on ex-gamblers trying to keep their family out of trouble- until the temptation of finding cash in the desert proves too irresistible. 

Thursday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Friday, June 12 at 12:30 p.m.

“All In:  The Poker Movie,” is a documentary world premiere movie that was filmed in Las Vegas that focuses on poker as “a way to chase the American dream,” according to director Douglas Tirola.  

Saturday, June 13 at 5:30 p.m.

“Thor at the Bus Stop,” is a U.S. premiere movie all about a Norse god that finds himself in a Southern Nevada suburb trying to save the world. 

Sunday, June 14 at 3 p.m.

Willem Dafoe receives Vanguard Actor Award 

Sunday, June 14 at 5 p.m.

Filmmakers and Honorees Awards Ceremony & Reception at Rain Nightclub inside the Palms.  In addition to awards to Jon Voight, Willem Dafoe and the Kuchar Brothers, Jenova Chen and Kellee Santiago will receive the Planet Illogica Award for New Media. 

Sunday, June 14 at midnight:

“Lookin’ to Get Out,” is a totally revamped version of Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight’s 1982 made-in Las Vegas comedy movie filmed at the original MGM Grand (now Bally’s), which director Hal Ashby recut and donated to the film archives of the University of California, Los Angeles just before his 1988 death.    Voight will also receive the Marquee Award that accompanies the screening. 

Movie screenings listed here are at the Brenden Theatres at the Palms.  Individual screening tickets are $10, except for Wednesday’s opening movie premiere of “Saint John of Las Vegas,” which is $25.  Festival movie screening passes range form $40 to $500, with Las Vegas, senior, student and military discount packages available.  Tickets may be purchased at the CineVegas box office at the Palms, or online at www.cinevegas.com or by phone 888-883-4278.

Be sure to check out prior January 6,  April 25 and May 29 Las Vegas Backstage Access articles on the CineVegas film festival.

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Las Vegas Welcoming Sign is One for the History Books

The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” sign on the south end of the Strip has been greeting motorists entering Las Vegas for a half century.  Now the Strip icon has elevated status, just being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  This designation comes in a year that marks the sign’s 50th anniversary.WelcomeSign

“The sign is one of he most recognizable images associated with Nevada and its tourism industry,” said Ron James, Nevada Historic Preservation officer.

Designed by Betty Willis in 1959, the sign stands in a traffic median on Las Vegas Boulevard, just south of Russell Road.  The Young Electric Sign Company owns the sign and leases it to Clark County.

Much in that area has changed since the sign was first installed.  Mandalay Bay towers above where the Hacienda Hotel once stood. The Signature Executive Terminal has replaced the old McCarran airfield.  And the boulevard is no longer the main route from Southern California.

In December, the county opened a 12-space parking lot and walkway on the median, making it safer for people to snap pictures of the sign.

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Sunflowers in Las Vegas

If you’re looking for a FREE mini visual vacation to clear your senses, Las Vegas Backstage Access recommends going to Sunflowersthe Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens which has unveiled its summer tribute featuring sunflowers, a lemonade stand, a 42-foot-high Ferris wheel and an aviary completed with exotic birds.

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It’s No Bull: Bullfighting Comes to Las Vegas!

Las Vegas constantly is reinventing itself as a city.  So it comes with surprise that bullfights are now coming to Las Vegas, starting on September 14-15 at the South Point Arena.  That follows with the second event on September 27-30. The matador lineup includes Mexico’s Eulalio Lopez, known as “El Zotoluco.” Bullfighting

The bill of faire, though, will be made more palatable, featuring bloodless bullfights. 

 It has been more than 40 years since bullfights were held in Las Vegas.

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Can’t make it to Las Vegas to watch the World Series of Poker?

Can’t make it next week to Las Vegas to watch the World Series of Poker?  That’s not a problem according to WSOP officials. Twenty-four of the final tables for the 40th Annual WSOP will be streamed live via the Internet. 

Click on the following link to view the online poker schedule:

http://www.pokerlistings.com/select-wsop-final-tables-to-stream-live-online-41326

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Nevada Cops Issue Tickets Like Crazy

If you’re travel plans call for driving to Nevada over this holiday weekend, be careful- be very careful. Nevada sheriffs handed out thousands of tickets on Nevada highways last weekend, mostly for speeding.   One can only imagine how many tickets will be issued over the three-day Memorial Day weekend.

Between last Friday and Monday, the Nevada Sheriff Highway Patrol issued 4,074 tickets, as well as helping remove 21 suspected impaired drivers from the road and arrested 31 people for outstanding arrest warrants.

The tickets handed out included:

* 3,020 speeding violations.
* 113 seatbelt infractions.
* 17 child restraint infractions.
* 154 Gaming and Liquor Act violations.
* 47 failing to stop at a stop sign infractions.
* 134 other hazardous violations such as careless driving, stunting.
* 589 non-hazardous violations such as no insurance, suspended drivers.

The Nevada Sheriff Highway Patrol, launched in 2006, conducts traffic enforcement on the state’s highways. When asked whether or not many of the speeding tickets could have been avoided, the NSHP responded:  “There are plenty of online resources available for people to use. Programs such as www.TrafficTicketInformation.com offer tons of good advice on how to go about dealing with a traffic ticket.”

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Phantom of the Opera Fanatics Invited to “Fans Week” in Las Vegas

Famed Broadway director Harold Prince will give the keynote address and share his experience of putting together The Phantom of the Opera at a “Phantom Fans Week” Sept. 16 through 20 in Las Vegas. PhantomoftheOpera

Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular — Prince’s 95-minute environmental adaptation of the smash by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Venetian Resort — will host the week-long celebration of all things Phantom. 

That week, according to producers, fans will get exclusive access to the show at special ‘Insider Sessions’ and hear from the biggest names in the Phantom world.  With different registration levels available, ranging from $250 to $450 ticket prices, fans can spend a full week or a short weekend. 

All registration levels include admission to all six “Insider Sessions,” including the keynote address by multiple Tony Award-winning director Prince, the chance to attend up to four performances of the 90-minute, uniquely-tailored Vegas Phantom and “exclusive access into a grand Masquerade Ball with the cast of Phantom.” 

A special dinner with executive producer Scott Zeiger at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio Restaurant or a Farewell Brunch at Bouchon Restaurant are also offered. 

“Insider Sessions” include a Q&A with Tony Award winner Anthony Crivello, who plays The Phantom; meetings with Phantom’s production designer Paul Kelly, associate costume designer Sam Fleming and other personnel who will share their secrets of success. 

Phantom was adapted for the sitdown Vegas run in a venue that re-creates the Paris Opera like no other production of the Lloyd Webber musical. 

“We’re proud to host the first ever Phantom Fans Week and offer this kind of exclusive access,” said Scott Zeiger, co-CEO of BASE Entertainment and executive producer of Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular. “In addition to hosting this extraordinary affair, we’re also thrilled to have Harold Prince, our illustrious director, return to Las Vegas.” 

Packages start at $250 a person with special discounts for those who register early. 

Phantom at The Venetian is produced by The Really Useful Theatre Company Inc. and BASE Entertainment. 

Phantom performs at The Venetian Resort on Monday and Saturday at 7 and 9:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday at 7  p.m. (dark Sunday). 

For more information or to register for Phantom Fans Week: http://www.phantomvegasoffers.com/newsletters/fansweek/full/index2.html 

For more information on Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular:

http://www.phantomlasvegas.com

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British Press Speaks Out on Las Vegas’ World Record Bikini Parade Love In

“The publicity stunt, which saw around 300 bikini-clad women parade down The Strip, will do little to improve the city’s reputation for a lack of political correctness (women were asked to send in a photo along with their hip, waist and bust measurements, before participations could be approved) but plenty to publicise the city’s famous pool party scene.”

Charles Starmer-Smith, writing in the Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom about last week’s bikini parade in Las Vegas.

“The mayor of America’s entertainment city also joined in the festivities, although he remained fully clothed at all times. He opened the event by issuing an official proclamation declaring its summer in Vegas, one month ahead of the rest of the northern hemisphere.”

Sarah Gordon, writing in the Daily Mail of the United Kingdom about the same event.

Las Vegas Backstage Access wrote on the event on May 15.

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Carlos Santana, Ganja & Bogeymen

Carlos Santana under hypnosis must feel he’s died, gone to heaven, then was  lucky enough to have been mysteriously reincarnated smack dab in Sin City.  To be honored and appear in a Las Vegas concert series no less, with ticket prices hovering in the rare ionosphere air, most likely exudes an unsurpassed nirvana feeling for the music icon that’s managed to live out his 1960s in 2009.  CarlosSantanaUSE

“Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits” is Santana’s new 72-show residency at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas that launches May 27, with 36 concerts planned for this year and 36 in 2010. 

With Santana anything is possible- and usually you can bank on it.  Talking and singing about love, light, and spirituality, you never know quite how to read him. 

What drives this man of superhuman music talent?  Some might arguably say it’s money and really his last stand to go for the gusto, with ticket prices for his new Las Vegas shows ranging from $79 up to $299 — which is a lot of money for many people in this economy. 

But their apparently all wrong; Santana says it hogwash:  “I have no clue about that. I’m more with, ‘This finger goes onto this note and it makes juicy sounds, and I’m going to make people dance and laugh.’  It’s not like I don’t care or I’m ignorant. It’s just that I’m not wired to have that insignificance on me other than what I’m going to get to give back to other people. 

His viewpoint on drugs, on the other hand, is a totally different matter. “I think that the solution to all of this stuff would be to legalize it, decriminalize it, reinvest all that money into teachers in schools.” says Sanatana. 

“If we would teach in schools the incredible sensation of climax that it feels to be of service to other people — like Mother Teresa, or Desmond Tutu or the Dalai Lama — smoking pot, and drinking tequila, and watching porno or whatever people do, it pales in comparison when you actually wake up to be of service to people.” 

I think we should legalize marijuana. I think Barack Obama should bring the brothers and sisters home — the soldiers. If I was to see him, I would go, ‘Listen to Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ and John Coltrane, and bring the boys home from the war now, like we did with Vietnam.’ They’re not going to come here. People in Vietnam did not come here to attack us after we left them alone. So let’s get rid of that fear, that fantasy, that stuff. Let’s get rid of the bogeyman, because the bogeyman is us looking in the mirror of each other.” 

So just maybe his residency in Las Vegas might also be his ticket for euphoric happiness, proving to offer a symbiotic relationship with his favored ganja.  Where Las Vegas is not really Amersterdam where anything does go, it’s somewhat friendly to marijuana smokers.  “Medicinal use” of course. 

After all, Nevada’s voters legalized marijuana for medical purposes in 2000. Patients diagnosed with a “qualifying condition” are allowed to possess small amounts of the drug.  They also are allowed to grow it for their own use. 

They are not allowed to grow it for lots and lots of other people and sell it to them.  But any licensed doctor can prescribe marijuana in Nevada. 

But regardless of Santana’s passion and love for good vibes, cannabis and dislike of bogeyman, his upcoming Las Vegas concert series will surely test the mettle of our local entertainment-based economy in these challenging times.

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Las Vegas Room Occupancy Rates Bounce Back

roomsLas Vegas is not going back to their heyday of charging $500 per night room rates.   With ever increasing competition and the growing room inventory, those days are probably gone forever.  

But visitors are now at least starting to return to the bright neon of Las Vegas, lured by the lower relative room rates and successful direct marketing drives by Las Vegas hotels that are filling the weekday void left by conventiongoers whose budgets have dwindled. 

Las Vegas vigorous room marketing efforts are at last starting to pay off.  

With Las Vegas hotel demand and occupancy rates inching upwards, Las Vegas resort executives are rethinking their room strategies and are considering increasing room rates, a move that could contribute to improving their sagging profit margins and contribute to the start of a healthy Las Vegas business rebound in 2010. 

“The weekends are consistently solid now,” MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren said during a conference call last week to discuss first-quarter earnings.  “Even when we don’t have a major event we are able to occupy rooms at a solid level.” 

In January, MGM Mirage’s hotels had an occupancy rate in the 70s- a respectable statistic for many major cities but ranked poor for Las Vegas, where hotels have historically operated at higher than 90 percent occupancy.  That figures has risen each month this year, reaching 95 percent in March and 97 percent in April, in line with a year ago before business worsened. 

Las Vegas room rates although increasing, are still depressed, according to official figures from earnings reports and tourism officials.  MGM Mirage’s revenue per available room was $102, or 34 percent lower in the first quarter than the year-earlier period. 

Undaunted, Phil Ruffin, who bought Treasure Island from MGM Mirage in March, plans to raise their room rates.  “I’m not going to give rooms away.  That’s a heads-in-beds philosophy,” Ruffin said.  “I don’t want the $50 customer.” 

You can still make money – more money, in fact – by running at 70 to 90 percent occupancy and charging more for rooms, according to Ruffin.

Whether this strategy and others like it continues to work depends on the ongoing reaction of recession-battered tourists that have now tasted sweet vintage hotel price deals in Las Vegas.  

Las Vegas tourism growth, analysts say, will only continue if tourists believe they’re getting a bargain and a good combination deal- not just a good room rate, but meals, shows and drinks as well.

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Holly Madison to Star on ‘Peepshow’?

Hugh Hefner’s former No. 1 squeeze, who now provides almost daily eye-candy photo ops in Las Vegas, will reportedly co-star opposite former Spice Girl Mel B in the adult cabaret “Peepshow” at Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas.    TheHollyMadison2 show has recently converted its format and is largely topless.

Madison is replacing Kelly Monaco, who never planned to go beyond her three-month contract. 

Yesterday, Madison lead the pack in the world’s largest bikini parade in Las Vegas – 281 bikini-clad women set a world record, according to a Guiness World Records represenataive, parading on the Strip from the Wynn resort to Fashion Show mall.

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Woodstock Las Vegas

Forty years ago the Woodstock music festival featured tie-dyed bedecked hippies that espoused peace, love, happiness, fused with lots of freebies - speech, sex and pot - and a plethora of equally mind-blowing music.  Now Las Vegas plans to vicariously relive those groovy days and, hopefully, provide a much needed boost to Las Vegas’ sagging economy as well, reeling in more visitors that spend more money on food, entertainment and gambling.  woodstock

That’s the hope. 

And the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas (three miles north of the end of the Las Vegas Strip) is banking on it, spending about $1.7 million on the promotional campaign between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends- $500,000 more than it normally would during the season.   

They’ll be paying tribute to 1969 all summer long with free rock concerts and seasonal themes that feature the likes of yesterday’s music heavy hitters Blood, Sweat and Tears; Three Dog Night; the 5th Dimension; Rare Earth; the Grass Roots and Canned Heat. 

John Van Hamersveld – artist known for his artwork for “The Endless Summer” in 1966 and for making the cover of the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” album in 1967 – will be painting two buses, one to be used as a stage. 

Special videos shows are being planned for a giant screen hanging over the street that include rolling credits memorial for the 58,000 Americans killed or missing in action from the Vietnam War. 

Each of the 10 casinos on the Fremont Street Experience are also making plans to tie to the 1969 theme.

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Terry Fator’s Quantum Las Vegas Leap

Just three years ago Terry Fator was giving a performance at a fair near Houston, Texas to an audience of one.   He considered walking away from show business but made a fateful decision to audition one more time and after winningterryfator2 the second season of America’s Got Talent, Fator has stopped wondering whether he’s in the right profession. 

Fator has signed a five-year contract to perform nightly at The Mirage Casino and Resort in Las Vegas. He is replacing Danny Gans, who has moved to Steve Wynn’s Encore, and will be presenting his show at the Terry Fator Theatre. 

But if the ventriloquist act isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, take a look at the artists who are working the room on the nights that Winston the Impersonating Turtle is taking a break.   Ray Ramono and Brad Garrett, Ron White and Lewis Black will all give it a whirl in the Terry Fator Theatre in 2009. 

Don’t  count out the entertainment value of a night with Fator and company:   ”I look at myself as a talk show host and the characters are my guests,” says Fator. “I can guarantee anyone who comes to my show, within a second or two, will feel that the puppet is the real entity.”

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Don’t be a Scaredy-Cat- Be Their Prey in Las Vegas

When I was a kid, my brothers and I would spend hours each week hanging on the fence at the sand pit.  I couldn’t tell bulldozeryou what those bull dozers and earth excavators were doing – it wasn’t a proper rock quarry or even a real sand pit – but we would race around the bend, following those machines around that acre-wide hole in the ground, super impressed with the big loads, loud noise and heavy hauling.  Those drivers were our rock stars. 

Now there’s a new company in Henderson, Nevada that has made a bet that there are plenty of similar people who have never lost their childhood fascination and attraction to ‘dozers and Cat’s.  Big Dig Las Vegas is offering even the most novice of equipment operators – no experience required – the chance to get behind the controls of one or more real earth movers.  They will pick-up visitors at their hotels and wisk them to their 10-acre ‘playground’ for a day of car-smashing and earth-moving fun like no other.  You’ll hear the metal-gnawing machine groan with each bite and the earth shake with each excruciatingly juicy grab-and-drop. 

Some restrictions apply – you have to be 18 and sober to participate.  But as long as you meet those criteria you can select from the Dozer Adventure, Agression Session or Hard Core Challenge  (maybe that allows you to rain destruction down on one of the half-finished casinos?) and you could just get your agresssions out and spend part of your family reunion enjoying the most healthy and legal form of destruction that the Las Vegas Valley has to offer.

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Liberace Show, Museum & Foundation Sparkles in Las Vegas

As the promotion of Las Vegas culture continues to be challenged, with many museums closing or facing severe budget cuts, the Liberace Museum continues to weather the economic storm.  In fact, it’s just celebrated its 30th anniversary. liberace1

Liberace’s fan popularity continues to soar.  A new show titled Liberace: The Man, The Music & The Memories has been announced for Broadway this fall. The musical will recreate the experience of a Liberace concert in a Las Vegas show room. The musician and comedian Wayland Pickard has been cast in the leading role. 

Liberace opened his museum in 1979, three years after establishing his Liberace Foundation for helping students of the arts.  All proceeds from the museum still support the foundation’s mission.  So far, 2,500 scholars have received $5.2 million in awards. 

Over the years, the museum hasn’t changed much.  And though his fans are aging, still about 50,000 people tour the Liberace Museum daily, says museum director Tanya Combs.  Featuring his cars, pianos, clothes, and jewels, the people who come through the doors watched Liberace on television, saw him in concert, or just heard the museum in a fun attraction, she adds. 

Then there are those people who know Liberace, with his bejeweled costumes, larger-than-life jewelry and penchant for flashy shows- the kin of Las Vegas kitsch. 

Liberace performed in Las Vegas for the first time in 1944, playing the piano at the Las Frontier Hotel.  He dubbed himself Mr. Showmanship in 1956 during an engagement at the Riviera, and make Las Vegas his official residence.  

Liberace represented a style of entertainment that became the very essence and embodiment of the City of Entertainment.

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‘Fearless’ Taylor Swift Makes Tracks Back to Las Vegas

Not many artists have an opportunity to make a concert entrance by descending from the rafters in an elevator and exiting to the showroom floor via a David Copperfield magic illusion, but young country music star sensation Taylor Swift had just that, stealing the moment at the 2009 Academy of County Music Awards at the MGM Grand Las Vegas on April 5.  taylorswift1

Swift will be back in Las Vegas on May 23 as she brings her Fearless Tour 2009 to the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.  Opening acts will be American Idol alum Kelli Pickler and country music group Gloriana. 

A few tickets are still available if you want to watch the Nielsen 2008′s top-selling artist perform.

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Stay and Play in Las Vegas- PLEASE!

Las Vegas visitor volume, occupancy and spending are down as businesses and casinos continue to struggle and reinvent themselves in the recession.  Now Las Vegas is turning to their residents to help them survive.  Hopefully, this will be the winning hand that convinces residents to stay and play awhile before, during, or after their regular vacations. 

There are package deals galore offered at resorts, not only in Las Vegas, but also in Primm, Boulder City, Mesquite and Laughlin. Almost every resort and restaurant is jumping on the bandwagon by offering amazing deals so sweet, locals are opting for a staycation. 

“Stay and play here” is the new Las Vegas slogan aimed at getting locals to spend money in their own backyard. “That’s what we want them to do. We want them to stay in Las Vegas and spend the night instead of traveling to other cities,” said Palms Resort Owner George Maloof. 

Maloof, along with other resort CEO’s are making a deals people can’t refuse. Half-off dinner at Paris, discounts on rooms and rides at New York New York, to name a few. 

“I think the local people just need to be reminded of how great this city is and what great amenities we have. There’s nothing like it in the world,” said Maloof. 

The deals range from entertainment, to shopping, dining and room reservations are all listed on the website http://www.stayandplayhere.com , a site created by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. 

Almost every Las Vegas hotel and casino has jumped on the bandwagon. 

To take advantage of all the deals, all you need is your Nevada State ID.

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Miss Nevada’s Gown to Win the Crown?

For decades there’s been a standard beauty pageant look- Aqua net hair, bright red lipstick and that too bright never fading smile.  But in the last 10 years, a new image has emerged.   The padded shoulders and brittle taffeta skirts have slowly been replaced with more current fashion designs including an evening gown created by Project Runway designer Kayne Gillespie. 

This year, Miss Nevada-USA Georgina Vaughan will take the fashion focus all the way to haute couture with a wardrobe of designs by Lana Fuchs of Lana Fuchs Couture. 

A Las Vegas resident since 1995, Lana Fuchs has designed one of a kind clothing worn by celebrities such as Paula lanafuchs1Abdul and Meaghan Martin.  And now she has created a weeks worth of looks for Georgina Vaughan including a fashion forward evening gown that is expected to help set the Las Vegas local apart from the other 50 Miss USA contestants. 

“There’s such a mold of the typical pageant girl,” she says. “Being blond, people prejudge you.”  

Lana Fuchs had a successful runway debut at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Los Angeles in October 2008.  She’s also been featured in Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, In Touch Weekly and 944. 

The Miss USA Pageant will be televised live from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Las Vegas on Sunday, April 19th, starting at 7 p.m. on NBC.

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All Rise: The King is Back in the Building

For some, death is really not in their cards, it’s just a lifetime spent in purgatory.

Keeping with tradition, Las Vegas will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Elvis Presley this July with one of the largest Elvis conventions in the world. According to John Stuart, a long-time Las Vegas producer and the mastermind behind “Legends in Concert,” an award-winning celebrity impersonation show in Las Vegas, the idea is to bring back to faux life “all major people who were in the original concert 40 years ago.”

Though not an original Elvis band member, Sean Klush, the BBC’s “World’s Greatest Elvis” in 2007 is also planning to make his sparkling appearance. 

Elvis fans will get a a chance to take a special backstage tour and even participate in an Elvis impersonation contest. 

The King’s once-in-a-lifetime revival extravaganza is scheduled for July 15 through 19 at the Las Vegas Hilton.

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World’s Largest Heliport Plans Grand Las Vegas Valley Liftoff

Our economy is tanking, but don’t tell that to the thousands of tourists that daily fly in helicopters to get a birdseye view of the majestic Grand Canyon.  An average of 99 helicopters fly out daily from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, just six fewer than the 2005 peak.  And that doesn’t include the additional 3,500 customers that are planned to fly daily from the new Boulder City Aerocenter [Las Vegas Backstage Access April 2 article].

The first phase of the proposed 229-acre Sloan heliport, costing an estimated $115 million and projected for a mid-heliport2011 completion, will provide the home for 80 to 110 helipads.  

That will make the heliport the biggest on the planet, say Federal Aviation Administration officials. 

The heliport will also clear McCarran airport space for jetliners to bring much-needed tourists to boost the Las Vegas Valley’s economy, while safely moving helicopters away from crowded city neighborhoods. 

The FAA has recently signed off on the environmental assessment that now paves the way for the Bureau of Land Management to transfer the Sloan heliport property to Clark County.

Heliport project groundbreaking is planned for early 2010. 

Maverick Helicopters is planned to be the first tenant to lease heliport space, which may approved as early as April 7 when the Clark County commissioners meet to discuss the matter.   Two more tour operators could join Maverick in occupying the heliport.

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NASCAR Award Ceremonies Planned for Las Vegas

Although some minor details need to be ironed out, it’s almost a done deal that Las Vegas will be the new home to the NASCAR Sprint Cup banquet, awards ceremonies and postseason celebrations in the first week of December, most likely December 4. nascarawards

The event honors the top 10 NASCAR drivers from the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. 

A major event acquisition coup for Las Vegas,  for the past 27 years the prestigious event was held in New York City. 

Planning has been in the works for the past two years by Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) president Rossi Ralenkotter and his team.  Speedway Motorsports Inc., owner of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, has lobbied for the event. 

The LVCVA would reportedly pay NASCAR between $500,000 and $1 million for each year of the contract, which may be for three to five years. 

NASCAR would be the second major professional sport to shift its awards ceremony to Las Vegas this year.  Ralenkotter negotiated a three-year deal to bring the NHL awards to the Palms Casino & Hotel on June 18.

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