What Happens in Las Vegas. . .

What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas.  That’s the prevailing wisdom, and for those of us that still walk (or stumble) on the wild side, it’s probably a good policy.  But since it’s our job to report on travel, we’re going to break that rule and report on our five-day trip to America’s oasis in the desert.

We went for the sun, the pools, the restaurants, the shopping, the glitz, the show. . .and The Mob Museum.  And we enjoyed it all.  We flew out on United (45,000 miles round trip) and stayed at Marriott Vacation Club’s Grand Chateau (as low as 27,500 points per night), where we had a very comfortable two-bedroom villa located just off the Strip, but right in the middle of the action.  There’s no casino at the Grand Chateau, but there’s a rooftop pool with a great little bar and another pool on the fifth floor that has a poolside restaurant and bar for lunch and libations.

The rooftop bar at Marriott’s Grand Chateau, Las Vegas

We picked Las Vegas to celebrate Mrs. E’s birthday, along with our great friends and fellow ETs Melissa and Tim.  The girls had never been to Sin City, and the boys had only been there for business trips, so we did a lot of exploring.  The one thing we didn’t do is gamble. . .not because we’re morally opposed, but it’s just not our thing.  Every casino we walked through was up and running, but most only looked to be at about half capacity during the week, because the big conferences and trade shows had not yet resumed.

The city is just now returning to normal and discarding most of its pandemic restrictions.  We didn’t see too many masks, indoors or out, since they are no longer required for the vaccinated.  Most higher end retail shops still required masks and were limiting the number of customers allowed inside.  About half of the cab and Uber drivers we rode with asked us to wear a mask.  There is still an expectation that people practice social distancing, and it was never crowded enough to make that difficult.

Until the big conferences return to town, weekdays will seem pretty quiet and tame.  But conferences are starting to happen. . .the big Concrete Conference was scheduled for the week after we were there, and the calendar will be full by this fall.  There seemed to be bigger crowds on the weekend, but most of the shows were still shuttered.  They’re all reopening during the month of June, including the big Cirque shows that required a couple of months’ rehearsal time to be ready for prime time.  We learned that during the height of the pandemic, none of the performers were allowed to work out or rehearse together, so there’s work to be done prior to opening night.  There are a few performances by musical artists on the weekends as they restart national tours.

We went to one show during our visit.  “The Rat Pack is Back” takes you back to a Sixties-style show featuring Frank, Dean, Sammy and a great band.  We are way too young to have seen the real Rat Pack in their heyday, but this was an entertaining reboot.  All of the characters had the voices down pat, and the Dean Martin character was a spitting image of Steubenville’s most famous son.

Paris, Las Vegas style.

We walked the entire Strip and poked around in every major hotel lobby during our visit.  The best of the bunch were also its most popular:  The Wynn, the Venetian and it’s newer sister resort, the Palazzo, The Cosmopolitan and Bellagio.  At each of these, the lobbies, restaurants and shopping areas were all very attractive and interesting.  There may not be another place in the world with so many first-rate choices in such close proximity that compete for your credit card’s attention.

The Shops at Crystals, in the ARIA Hotel, Las Vegas

Turning it over to Mrs. E for the shopping part of this report:

As a lifelong fan of retail, I usually prioritize shopping when exploring a new destination.  I’ve shopped in some amazing cities in the U.S. and Europe, as well as a handful of Caribbean islands.  What’s noteworthy about Las Vegas is the number of high-end, designer jewelry and fashion names that have three, four and five locations within the Strip’s four-mile length, some of which are in adjacent hotels.  Many of these luxury shops are strategically located just outside of the hotel’s casino…just in case you want to spend some of your winnings and don’t want to leave the hotel.

We explored the shops at The Crystals at the ARIA Hotel, Bellagio, Caesars, and the Venetion, among others.  The Crystals and Bellagio shops were collections of exquisite brands, such as Bottega Veneta, Fendi, Prada, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Rolex and Omega.  Not only was the selection incredible, but Las Vegas stores are usually among the first in the US to receive newly released collections for display (and sale, of course).  We happened to be in one of the Cartier boutiques the first day that the new “Must” tank watches were available.

The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace definitely were the largest, loudest, and most over-the-top, with literally everything to offer from low to high end.  It would be easy to get lost in this mall, at least for the first time or two. However, I found the shops and the ambiance at the Venetian to be more to my liking.  They even offer an indoor and outdoor “gondola ride,” complete with an Italian serenade. In all, it’s worth a trip to Las Vegas even if ALL you want to do is shop!

As far as restaurants go, Las Vegas features all of the best chefs, restaurants and a lot of terrific lesser-known eateries that just have great food.  Here’s where we went:

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, Las Vegas.  Photo courtesy of 10Best.

• Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, part of the Lettuce Entertain You group, is everything you would want in a fine dining restaurant. The food is tremendous, the service impeccable, and the atmosphere is elegant.  It’s expensive, but if you crave stone crab, or have never had stone crab, it’s worth every penny.  You can find Joe’s just outside of the Forum Shoppes at Caesars.
• Bouchon at The Venetian, a Thomas Keller creation, features wonderful French cuisine in a Parisian style setting. Lots of choices on their menu, and the dishes are light and flavorful.  Another great pick for a special night out.
• We had lunch at Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris Las Vegas hotel.  You can dine inside or out, and the menu is huge, French and fabulous.  Their drinks are good, too, and you’ll feel like Paris has been reconstructed in the desert.

Make sure you stop for a drink at Parasol Down at the Wynn.  Or at Parasol Up, in the Wynn’s casino.

• There’s a restaurant called BRERA Osteria tucked into The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian.  They serve great Italian food and wines for pretty reasonable prices.  It’s a great place to get away from the sometimes maddening crowds and enjoy a terrific meal.
• For more tasty Italian food, we ate at Lago at the Bellagio.  We had brunch in their noisy, large and airy main dining room, with a great view of the Dancing Fountains that entertain every half hour or so.  The Linguine al Frutti di Mare is delizioso.
• Since we just didn’t have quite enough Italian food, we stopped at Giada at the Cromwell Hotel for dinner after the Rat Pack show.  We’re big fans of Giada De Laurentiis’ TV shows and recipes, but her Vegas restaurant was a bit of a disappointment.  The menu was pretty limited and the service wasn’t great.  The food was pretty good, but perhaps we had been spoiled by the time we got there.

The Mob Museum, Las Vegas.  The two people in the foreground are not suspected of any crimes.

To tie it all together and learn about Las Vegas’ roots, as well as the good old-fashioned story of the Mafia in America, we made a trip to the old downtown area and toured The Mob Museum.  Conceived and developed by the legendary Kathy and Dennis Barrie (also TET subscribers), the museum chronicles the ongoing hundred year plus war between law enforcement and organized crime in the US.  It’s so well done and well presented that we nearly had to be thrown out of the place at closing time.  But we made them an offer they couldn’t refuse, and, well. . .  Anyway, make sure to allocate enough time to experience everything this great museum has to offer.

As Las Vegas continues to re-establish itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, this is a great time to get out there and absorb all of the glitz and glamour before it gets too crowded again.  There’s something for everyone, and the people watching might be the most entertaining show of all.

Do you have a favorite spot or a favorite moment in Las Vegas?  Please share it with the TET community in the comments section below.  Don’t worry. . .the statute of limitations has probably tolled by now.