Tag Archives: Stratosphere

Las Vegas Thrillseekers Salivate over Planned 855 Foot Tall Base Jump

Las Vegas thrillseekers are salivating, waiting for a new out-of-this-world free fall ride at the 1,149-foot Stratosphere. 

The hotel known for outrageous thrill rides, is adding SkyJump Las Vegas, a “controlled free fall” of 855 feet from the top of the tower to a landing platform on the second level. 

Many experts predict that SkyJump, based on a ride in Australia, will become one of the top tourist attractions in North America. 

Jumpers will have a fabulous view of the Las Vegas Strip — if they dare to keep their eyes open. 

SkyJump joins the Big Shot, X-Scream and Insanity rides at Stratosphere.

Construction of the $3 million SkyJump ride began this month and the new attraction is expected to open in April. Cost is $100. Tickets for X-Scream and Insanity are $12, while the Big Shot is $13. 

The ride is similar to skydiving and base jumping. After a short safety lesson, riders put on custom “jump suits.” They’ll then be connected to a patented high-speed “descender” machine and led to the edge of a small platform where they leap from the 100-story Stratosphere. Guide wires keep them from slamming into the concrete structure. The entire experience takes about 30 minutes. 

Frank Riolo, chief executive officer of Stratosphere parent company American Casino and Entertainment Properties, said the new thrill ride is part of the company’s commitment to reinvesting in the property at all levels. Recent improvements include new carpets and refurbished hotel rooms and rest rooms. A new bar also opened at the top of the tower.

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Topless Vampire Show Takes Bite in Las Vegas

The topless vampire show “Bite” is still going strong, celebrating its fifth year at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas.   More than a half-million fans have attended 1,500 performances of the offbeat rock ‘n’ roll musical, produced and written by Tim Molyneux. vampire

“Vampires allow us to do the things that provide the ingredients for a great Las Vegas show:  fun music, high-energy, acrobatics in the air and on the stage, magic, martial arts, gymnastics, contortion, comedy, drama, great dancing, live singing and sexy girls.  The show tells a compelling story through the lyrics of the sons and the classic vampire lore of lost love,” says Molyneux.

Wow, what a mouthful- and what a vampire feast!  The show is at 10:30 p.m. Fridays though Wednesdays, dark Thursdays; $49.45; 702-380-7711.

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Thousands Head to Las Vegas to get Hitched on 09/09/09

What does Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Elvis Presley and Priscilla Anne Beaulieu, and Mickey Rooney and his eight brides all have in common?  They, and many other celebrities like them, were all hitched in Las Vegas. weddings

Weddings are one of the primary reasons why many make the trek to Sin City.  And the Wedding Destination Capital of the World is more than just a hotspot reserved for celebrities or those wanting a wedding that’s scandalous and spontantaneous.   Las Vegas weddings are growing increasingly popular in the most respectable circles. 

Bridal couples and Las Vegas also have something else in common:  They love their number sequences.  Last year it was August 8th, 2008 which drew in huge crowds because in Asian cultures 8’s a lucky number.  Two years ago it was all about the 07/07/07 which is the jackpot-y-est of all dates. 

Many times, the pros of having a Las Vegas wedding outweigh the cons, particularly in today’s current economic reality, in which many Americans are hemorrhaging money and watching all their pennies. 

It’s hard not to find a Las Vegas casino or wedding venue that is not getting in the spirit of 09/09/09 weddings.  Whether it be Cupids Wedding Chapel, Little White Chapel, or the Riviera, all are offering some package deal to draw in thousands of wedding couples that will, hopefully, improve long-sagging wedding industry revenues. 

On the haute style end, Bellagio is offering a very special package.  For $5,000, the bride and groom can treat guests and themselves to a wedding that includes one hour of chapel time, a bride’s bouquet and groom’s boutonniere, two mantle floral arrangements, bottle of Dom Perignon bubbly, wedding certificate, an officiant, rose petals and more. 

Caesar’s Palace offer packages that fit any budget and that offer up the outdoor plaza or the Venus Garden as settings.  They also have a category called “Unforgettables.” These are the details that personalize a wedding. With the help of a wedding planner, couples can design a unique wedding cake or even arrange for a live character such as Cleopatra or Roman guards to attend the wedding. 

Arguably one of the most romantic of all wedding sites in Las Vegas is the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Casino and Hotel.  Although only big enough to host 12 guests, the Eiffel Tower Observation Deck allows couples to wed night or day, with the bejeweled Las Vegas vista behind them. 

If you more into the big crowd feeling, on September 9th, 2009 at 9:09 pm, 99 couples are paying $99.09 for the privilege of getting married on the Stratosphere’s enclosed observation deck, enjoy a champagne celebration, get themselves superimposed in a Stratosphere souvenir photo and get two tickets to ride the roller coaster. 

Despite the spontaneity that can come with a Las Vegas wedding, it is important to allot enough time to get the marriage license at the Marriage Bureau at 201 Clark Ave. The fee is $55 in cash. Anyone applying for a license must be at least 18 years old and must be able to prove their age. Social Security numbers are also required. 

For those of you that can’t make this memorable date, don’t forget THE largest Las Vegas wedding convention – the Las Vegas Bridal Spectacular – will be August 21 and 22 at Cashman Center.  The event offers all the wedding resources under one roof to make your special day a lifetime memory.

Viva Las Vegas!

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Bikini Blackjack Offers Las Vegas Eye Candy to Boost Revenue

There is now an added incentive to want to double-down in Las Vegas.  Everywhere you turn,  more and more Las Vegas casinos are changing out their neatly dressed dealers, replacing with scantily clad ones to boost revenues.  For one, the Stratosphere is bringing gambling outdoors for the summer, featuring bikini-clad blackjack dealers who are overseeing a gambling pit on the resort’s eighth-floor pool deck. bikiniblackjack

The pit with the mostest is available for customers from noon to 7 p.m. Fridays through Sundays during the summer months.  Eye tests are free. 

The Stratosphere recently completed a renovation of its pool area, including its swimming pool, by adding a hot tub and upgraded cabanas.

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Claude Gaty Named Chef at Stratosphere in Las Vegas

American Casino & Entertainment Properties recently named Claude Gaty chef de cuisine for the Top of the World restaurant in the Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower. Gaty brings with him 26 years of culinary experience primarily in French cuisine. 

Gaty’s responsibilities as chef de cuisine include recipe and menu development, training the staff, and insuring guest satisfaction. Gaty works closely with Executive Chef Rick Giffen and Executive Sous-Chef Carlos Vargas. 

Prior to joining the Stratosphere, Gaty took a hiatus from the restaurant industry and spent most of 2008 traveling in France, learning the fine art of artisan bread baking at the San Francisco Baking Institute and being schooled in Thai cooking on the island of Koh Samui. 

With a passion for working in a lively restaurant environment, Gaty became chef and partner for the Lettuce Entertain You organization where he played an integral role in the collaboration and creation of Mon Ami Gabi, a classic French bistro restaurant. In the late 90s, Gaty joined the Las Vegas restaurant industry where he spent 10 years as chef and partner for Mon Ami Gabi’s Las Vegas location. 

Gaty has spent his career not only as a chef, but also as an entrepreneur. He has opened a number of restaurants including La Bretagne in Maui, The Hatchery in Petaluma, and Bistrot Zinc in Chicago.

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19-Year-Old Las Vegas Jazz Jam Session Still Wails

West Las Vegas was historically a proving ground for many of a young musician. Ray Anthony, Lionel Hampton, Sy Zenter and others picked a spot at one of the six clubs on Jackson Street in Las Vegas on Monday nights and jammed, because most musicians were off on Mondays. HuckDaniels

Those old days still live on in Las Vegas at the Huck Daniels Celebrity Jam at 8 p.m. Saturdays in the Fiesta lounge in the El Cortez.   Usually the sessions are packed and last until 1 or 2 in the morning, with more than a dozen musicians and vocalist usually taking their turn onstage, providing some of the best “hidden” entertainment in Las Vegas at a price that’s hard to beat: a two-drink minimum. 

It has not been easy for the Huck Daniels Celebrity Jam session, which began 19 years ago at the Aladdin, then bounced around to the Maxim, Continental, and the Stratosphere before landing at its present home at the El Cortez. 

“Now it’s a struggle to survive,” says guitarist Huck Daniels, who moved to Las Vegas from Reno in 1962.  “Back in the day, young musicians with a lot of experience could play smaller clubs till they got up on their instrument and stuff.  We don’t have that anymore and as a result you have guys who don’t know how to act on stage. 

“About a third or the people here are singers and musicians, the rest are just fans,” Daniels says.

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Michael Jackson Acts in Las Vegas Get Tribute Style Facelifts

Michael Jackson’s death has caused Las Vegas impressionists and comedians to scurry and quickly alter their acts, turning satirical scenes into sincere tributes. TerryFator3

Mirage headliner Terry Fator said he would cut a segment where he dresses up as Jackson and asks a cowboy puppet named Walter for country music lessons, where the cowboy is a little wary of the superstar. 

Golden Nugget headliner Gordie Brown is changing his Jackson impression of the “Billie Jean” song that has a parody of jokes about the singer having body parts fall off after too much plastic surgery. 

“American Superstars,” which features Frederick Henry performing at the Stratosphere, is looking for a way to pay a serious tribute to Jackson. 

Carrot Top’s publicist, Steve Flynn, said the Luxor comedian’s crew has already started editing the show-closing rock sequence which features Jackson’s music.  The comedian has removed all jokes that made fun of Jackson, but kept in a moment where he strikes a Jackson pose in front of an industrial fan, repositioning it as a tribute.

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Las Vegas NASCAR Weekend, Meet the Drivers & More at Stratosphere

The Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower in Las Vegas is featuring a full line up of NASCAR weekend activities from February 26 through March 1 including raffle drawings, show cars, race simulators, and drink specials.nascar2
 
From Thursday, February, 26 through Saturday, February 28, the Stratosphere will hold casino drawings for NASCAR and Coca-Cola merchandise including autographed helmets, BBQ grills and apparel. Participants may earn tickets from 7 a.m. Thursday, February 26 through 8:45 p.m. on Saturday, February 28.
 
The drawing schedule is Thursday, February 26 at 3:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Friday, February 27 at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday, February 28 at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. All drawings will take place on the casino floor.
 
Then on Friday, February 27 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in front of Rudy’s Inc. on the Stratosphere casino floor you can meet and greet NASCAR drivers, getting autographs from Hermie Sadler, Scott Wimmer, Todd Bodine, Kenny Hendrick, Reagan Smith, Jeff Green, David Green, Terry Cook, Eric McClure, Dexter Bean, Scott Riggs, Dave Blaney, Casey Atwood, and Kirk Shelmerdine. 

On Saturday, February 28 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. the iRacing.com racing simulator will be outside the front entrance to the Stratosphere.
 
The Stratosphere is located at 2000 Las Vegas Boulevard South. For information, call 702-380-7777.

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‘Scale the Strat’… Las Vegas’ Ironman?

Pike’s Peak has their racing car climb.  And people are always climbing this or that in search of some new record. stratosphereNow, not to be outdone, Las Vegas offers THE competitive event for the fearless and definitely not the light of heart: “Scale the Strat”  

Over 400 people are expected to compete in a 108-floor vertical ascent, climbing up the 1,445 steps inside the Stratosphere.  It is not recommended for the average couch potato or acrophobic.  The first 26 flights of stairs are configured like a typical stairwell, but the upper flights are suspended inside the middle of a hollow tower with open air on each side.  

The top 50 athlete climbers with the fastest times on Friday morning, February 20.   Then they will do it all over again the next morning, Saturday, for top awards, psychic satisfaction- and psychiatric evaluations.  

In addition to the hearty competition there will be plenty of food, cocktails, and entertainment. 

Proceeds from Scale the Strat will help support the many life-saving programs of the American Lung Association of Nevada. 

For more details, call 702-431-6333 or visit http://www.scalethestrat.com

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