When it comes to luxurious accommodations, there is no fantasy
that can’t become reality in Las Vegas.
Generally the mythic high-roller suites are reserved for
celebrities or deep-pocket gamblers but top-drawer elegance is
available for those willing to pay the price.
The Las Vegas Hilton, for example, will rent one of its three
Sky Villa suites for a $17,500 a night. In 1993 the hotel spent $45
million to remodel the suites, which are on top of the hotel’s
three towers.
“We were looking for something that, when you walked in the
room, you knew you were surrounded by a level of luxury that you
had never seen before; it would just overwhelm and awe you. And we
think the Sky Villas do just that,” said Julius Kazen, the Hilton’s
vice president of hotel operations.
Each suite has its own layout and decor, but all have an
old-world, European style, with hand-painted murals, huge windows,
butlers’ pantries and telescopes to take in the view.
Few individuals are willing to spend the price of an economy car
on a one-night hotel stay but Cullen West, assistant director of
marketing, said large corporations sometimes book the suites for
parties.
The Mirage’s Villa Suites are so exclusive they can’t be rented
for any price, but opulent one- and two-bedroom penthouse suites
are available when they aren’t reserved for special guests. The
one-bedroom suite is $450 to $725 per night; the two-bedroom
version, $600 to $1,025. The beige-toned décor is luxurious, with
accents of burgundy, and floor-to-ceiling windows with
electronically controlled drapes offer views of the Strip or the
surrounding city.
“Everything in those rooms is custom. Even down to the wall
plates and switches; they are all solid brass,” said Frans Kallao,
the Mirage’s operations director. He noted that the oversized
bathrooms with their glassed-in showers, whirlpool baths and
walk-in closets are the most popular feature, “particularly for the
ladies.”
Other Mirage suites include the Junior Petite, starting at $275
a night, and the two-bedroom tower suites, which can be as much as
$800 a night.
The Bellagio’s two-bedroom Grand Lake View Suite whispers quiet
elegance even though it covers more than 3,000 square feet. The
suite is done in soft taupes and yellows with chocolate-colored
marble in the entryway and rose marble in the semi-circular living
room, which has a panoramic view of the hotel’s lake and signature
dancing fountains. Each bedroom features his-and-her baths with
steam showers, whirlpools and bidets. It rents for $1,650 to $2,250
a night.
The hotel’s four Lake View Suites occasionally are available at
$1,450 to $2,050 a night, while the 852-square-foot junior suites
are $350 to $800 a night.
Guests in the MGM Grand’s 29th-floor penthouse suites can choose
between two layouts. The first, which starts at $800 a night, is a
two-story, two-bedroom model. It includes 2 1/2 baths, a kitchen,
dining area and bar, elevator and spiral staircase.
The second version is a 1,401-square-foot, one-bedroom suite
that starts at $509.
Caesars Palace also boasts a selection of suites, including the
Ramses popularly known as the “Rainman” Suite. The Oscar-winning
film used the room, with its large Jacuzzi, for the scene in which
Tom Cruise teaches Dustin Hoffman to dance. It rents for around
$3,500 a night.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Petit Palace Tower Suite
starts at $300 a night.
The Mandalay Bay offers three suites, starting with the
610-square-foot Honeymoon Suite, a one-room suite with living area,
wet bar and garden whirlpool tub. It rents for $50 more than the
prevailing room rate of $129 to $239 per night. The Executive Suite
offers similar amenities in a slightly larger suite for $100 more
than standard rate while, for an additional $250, the two-bedroom
Parlor Suite offers a separate living area and two whirlpool
baths.
Two Vegas hotels offer only suites.
The Rio’s standard room is a 600-square-foot mini-suite with a
seating area, dining area and bathroom with a separate dressing
area. Rates run from $69 during the slow winter and summer months
to $239 or more during the high season. Higher on the luxury scale
is the Cariocas Suite, a 1,100-square-foot, one-bedroom suite with
a view from the Jacuzzi and the Super Suite, a 1,200-square-foot
accommodation with 1 1/2 baths. These suites are $200 to $1,000 a
night and must be reserved at least 60 days in advance.
The Rio’s premiere suite is the Masquerade, which offers a
180-degree view of the Strip and mountains for $700 to $1,150 or
more a night.
The Guinness Book of World Records lists the Venetian’s
700-square-foot mini-suites as the largest standard hotel rooms in
the world. They feature canopied king-size beds, sunken living
rooms and large baths lined in Italian marble for $279 to $439 a
night. The hotel also offers larger suites, including the Rialto, a
double-queen version, from $369 to $549 a night and the
1,456-square-foot Piazza, from $559 to $1,000 or more.
Guests can expect the usual luxuries: cable service, modem
access, bathrobes, room safes, makeup mirrors, ironing boards and
phones alongside the toilets. But since Las Vegas’ unofficial theme
is “anything goes,” just about anything else is available for the
asking.
