The freshest face on the Strip might be Wynn Las Vegas, but the
$2.7 billion resort isn’t the only newcomer to Sin City. In the
past several months there have been changes up and down Las Vegas
Boulevard as properties put their wallets behind new projects in an
attempt to find the next hot nightspot, must-see attraction or
can’t-miss restaurant.
So if a client hasn’t been to Las Vegas recently, here is a
quick guide to a few of the newest restaurants, nightclubs and
shows the latest gems not to be missed.
Hot Tables
Wynn has brought in some extraordinary James Beard Award-winning
chefs including Alessandandro Stratta (Alex), Paul Bartolotta
(Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare) and Takashi Yagahashi (Okada), as
well as Daniel Boulud (Daniel Boulud Brasserie), and the dining
here will surely rank among the city’s top tables.
Meanwhile, American Iron Chef and grill-meister Bobby Flay has
brought his signature Southwestern cuisine and barbecue-style
cooking to Caesars Palace, his first venture outside of New York
City. Caesars is also home to a more casual eatery, Viale, a
230-seat Italian trattoria with an outdoor patio.
High atop THEhotel at Mandalay Bay you’ll find Mix, a restaurant
from Chef Alain Ducasse, whose French-influenced fare is served in
a modern all white room with seating in egg-shaped pods under a
massive Murano 15,000-bulb blown-glass chandelier with hanging
bubbles. The restaurant, with separate lounge, is a bit overpriced
but the view of the Strip (even from the restrooms) is arguably the
best in town.
For prix-fixe French fare stay at Mandalay Bay and check out the
upscale Fleur de Lys or for those on the run hit the Burger Bar, a
build-your-own burger joint inside the resort’s new mall Mandalay
Place.
The Studio Walk at MGM Grand has also undergone renovation and a
number of new restaurants have taken up residence there, including
Diego, a brightly-colored Mexican restaurant with a wide tequila
selection; Michael Mina’s Seablue, featuring seafood flown in
daily; and the Chinese eatery Pearl. In the casino is the laid-back
Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill.
The Aladdin (soon to be the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino)
will get a complete facelift in the coming year, but for starters a
Hollywood favorite, Pink’s hot dogs has found a home inside the
resort. And another Los Angeles haunt, the Rainbow Bar & Grill
opened across from the Hard Rock Hotel.
Nightlife
The nightclub scene in Las Vegas has never been hotter. From
upscale lounges to dance clubs, competition is fierce. The city has
even reached back to its roots breathing life into the burlesque
scene with three new lounges.
Tangerine was the first to open inside Treasure Island and was
followed by two successful L.A. clubs Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce
(Mandalay Bay) and the Pussycat Dolls (Caesars Palace).
Among the best of the newcomers are the Hard Rock’s Body English
and Caesars’ PURE, a mammoth 36,000-square-foot club with a glass
elevator that leads to an outdoor terrace complete with cabanas,
dance floor and Strip view.
Others to check out: the MGM’s Teatro Euro Bar where
high-rollers can drop $2,200 on a single cocktail, the High Limit
Kir Royale, or the casino’s Centrifuge lounge, a circular bar in
the heart of the action near the newly renovated sports book.
Wynn’s two entries include Lure, a lounge with a small patio and
firepit, and the resort’s signature club La Bete, an upscale
nightclub that stares out onto a large man-made lagoon with
cascading waterfalls and a dragon statue that changes color.
Shows and Attractions
Barry Manilow is now headlining at the Las Vegas Hilton. Wynn has
introduced “Le Reve,” a water-themed production from Franco
Dragone, creator of Cirque du Soleil’s “O” and “Mystere.” The
resort will bring the Broadway hit “Avenue Q” to the city this
fall. And Cirque’s fourth Las Vegas production “KÀ” at MGM Grand is
perhaps the troupe’s most amazing yet.
Want to get your blood pumping? Try the Stratosphere’s new
thrill ride Insanity. The ride dangles passengers over the tower’s
edge as it spins in a circle at 40 mph. But for those clients who
want to keep their heels on the ground, Caesars Palace has opened
Exotic Cars, a two-tiered, 34,000-square-foot showroom where
clients can find the Lamborghini, Bentley, Aston Martin,
Rolls-Royce or Mercedes-Benz of their dreams. And unlike Wynn’s
dealership ($10 admission), it’s free to take a peek here.
