The pool at Red Rock Casino.
Las Vegas gets about 300 days of sunshine a year. For the most
part, however, the big hotels don’t want you spending too much time
in it (unless you’re lounging poolside and slinging back $14 mai
tais). Those glittering behemoths on the Strip make money by
keeping guests, and their credit cards fully occupied indoors, not
out.
But Red Rock Casino Resort a new addition to the Vegas
megaresort landscape does things differently. This billion-dollar
hotel, located in northwest Las Vegas within striking distance of
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, actually encourages
guests to give the slots and blackjack a rest and get out into the
fresh air to enjoy the spectacular desert scenery. The hotel will
even give guests a nudge out the door by fixing them up with gear
and guides.
Red Rock calls this aspect of the hotel its “Adventure Spa.” The
name conjures images of floating down the Colorado River while
getting a Thai massage, or sweating out last night’s excesses in a
Native American steam hut. The Adventure Spa in fact offers
neither. It’s simply Red Rock Casino’s way of helping hotel guests
take advantage of the fabulous array of close-by outdoor activities
in southern Nevada, from biking and hiking in nearby Red Rock
Canyon to kayaking on Lake Mead or rafting on the Colorado
River.
The “spa” enters into the picture after guests return to the
hotel, exhausted but exhilarated and ready to reward themselves
with a rubdown or hot-stone massage in Red Rock Casino’s
35,000-square-foot spa.
Biking in the Red Rock
National Conservation Area.
“Our whole concept is, in the morning, I’ll take you out and beat
you up and bring you back to the hotel. Then the massage therapist
will make you all soft and squishy and the salon can make you
beautiful and you can go out and party all night long,” said David
Bert, who runs the Adventure Spa.
Bert is the ace up the Adventure Spa’s sleeve. Many concierges
at Strip hotels have passing familiarity with outdoorsy day-trip
destinations, but Bert really knows his stuff. This longtime Las
Vegan is an enthusiastic and respected Southern Nevada
outdoors-man. For many years he has hosted Nevada Public Radio’s
outdoor-themed “Along the Way” program, which is how the management
at Red Rock Casino came to know him.
If you give Bert a few parameters about your client fitness
level, favorite activity and time horizon Bert will suggest a
suitable adventure. For those who want to see Red Rock Canyon on
foot, one of Bert’s favorite outings is an easy-to-moderate hike of
about 2½ miles through Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, an oasis
set among cottonwood trees beneath colorful sandstone cliffs. For
clients with more time and energy, Bert might suggest a 6½-mile
loop trail that takes hikers through pinion forest and past Native
American rock art.
Bert leads some group hikes himself. For the most part, however,
guides and transportation are supplied by outside vendors or
agencies. Most Red Rock Canyon hikes, for example, are led by the
knowledgeable staff of the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive
Association.
One of the advantages to booking outdoors-minded clients at Red
Rock Casino is the proximity to Red Rock Canyon. This Mojave Desert
wonderland of rust-colored sandstone cliffs, spiny yucca and
manzanita is just six miles from the hotel. A bicycle path that
leads into Red Rock Canyon runs past the hotel. The Adventure Spa
will arrange for rentals of mountain or road bikes.
Despite the easy access to Red Rock Canyon, the Adventure Spa’s
most popular outing is an early-morning expedition to Lake Mead and
the Colorado River for hiking, soaking in hot springs and kayaking,
Bert said.
