Most notable is the new CityCenter complex, which opened last year and is described as the "largest single privately funded development in U.S. history."
But that's not all. New casinos, restaurants, bars, spas, and shows have opened up elsewhere along the Strip -- and that's just in the last few years alone. Here is a sample:
HOTELS
CityCenter: The biggest news in Vegas these days is the opening of the 27-hectare urban metropolis known as CityCenter. Located between Bellagio and Monte Carlo on the Las Vegas Strip, the $8.5-billion project features six buildings: Aria Resort & Casino (including Crystals, a high-end retail outlet), Mandarin Oriental, Vdara, Veer Towers, and The Harmon Hotel. CityCenter has 6,000 hotel rooms among its buildings and 2,400 residences among Vdara, Mandarin Oriental and Veer Towers.
The 61-storey Aria is the heart of the complex with 4,004 rooms, 16 restaurants, 10 bars, a spa and a resident Cirque du Soleil show. Room rates range from $179-$799 US with suites from $500-$7,500.
Superlatives aside, the complex is a fascinating photographic subject, particularly for shutterbugs in search of artsy shots of overlapping geometric shapes. Check citycenter.com
Tropicana: These are not the typical rooms you find on the Strip. The Tropicana hotel, has opted for a South Beach-inspired look in the first phase of its $165 million transformation. More than 1,600 rooms have recently been refurbished in a sunset palette of warm shades, with custom designed furnishings, plantation shutters and original artwork. Phase I also includes 1.6-hectares of tropical pool area, a new casino, restaurants, bars, plus Brad Garrett's Comedy Club and the Las Vegas Mob Experience -- an interactive entertainment experience opening in December.
Next up? The world's largest Nikki Beach opens in the spring. Check troplv.com.
SPAS
Spa at Aria: You could easily spend a day at the huge 7,432-square metre Spa at Aria.
Aside from the range of treatments and fitness classes you would expect at a modern facility are a few offerings you likely wouldn't find elsewhere. One example is the "indoor hike," which takes you to the most scenic areas of the Aria hotel (it's that big). Amenities worth checking out include the meditation rooms, outdoor therapy pool, a Fire Lounge, the "Ganbanyoku" stone bed and "Shio" salt-infused rooms. Check arialasvegas.com.
Encore Resort Spa: Visually stunning is the only way to describe the lavish golden path that branches off to the treatment rooms at the new Encore Spa. Oversized vases and elaborate Moroccan lamps line both sides of the hall backed by a seated Buddha statue.
You can't go wrong with the Signature Ling Triple Peel Facial -- the most rejuvenating facial I've had, though the "Good Luck Ritual" signature treatment sounds intriguing. The "Fusion Massage" based on the 5 Chinese Elements is designed to promote happiness, luck and prosperity.
Check encorelasvegas.com.
SHOWTIME
On stages: Among the newest shows are Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis at the Aria Resort, the Donny & Marie Osmond variety show at the Flamingo -- their first resident show in Vegas in 29 years, America's Got Talent winner and ventriloquist Terry Fator at the Mirage, and country singer Garth Brooks at Encore.
Fine arts: The CityCenter Fine Art Collection is the first major permanent art collection in Las Vegas to be integrated into a public space. It's said to be one of the largest and most ambitious corporate collections in existence. Pick up a free map to the 17 artworks by 15 acclaimed painters, sculptors and visionaries. Works include Henry Moore's Reclining Connected Forms, Maya Lin's Silver River, and Julian Schnabel's Zeus.
RESTAURANTS
Aureole at Mandalay Bay: To reach the dining room you must first pass the 12.8-metre-high glass-enclosed wine tower -- a star attraction of Aureole -- the Vegas version of chef Charlie Palmer's New York landmark. The extensive collection includes 4,500 wines with over 60,000 bottles -- 10,000 of which are housed in the tower. "Wine angels" -- young women clad in black cat suits -- retrieve the bottles by moving up and down the tower with the help of mechanical hoists.
Switch at Encore: Dinner at Switch is a bit like visiting three different restaurants without ever leaving your seat. That's because every 20 minutes, the decor changes right before your eyes! One minute you're enjoying the lobster salad at this steak house and seafood restaurant, and before your main arrives, the ceiling moves and the walls, covered in an orange crocodile-like fabric disappear to reveal a chandelier or Venetian glass murals. Check encorelasvegas.com.
SushiSamba: The food, they'll tell you, "unites precise Japanese technique, bold Brazilian flavors, and traditional Peruvian culinary traditions on one plate." Alternatively you could sum up the inventive fare served at this stylish establishment in one word: Delicious! And even that seems an understatement for one of the best meals I've ever had. The award winning wine and sake list is impressive. The decor evokes images of Brazil's Carnaval. For more check Sushisamba.com.
BARS
Lagasse's Stadium at the Palazzo: This is the ultimate sports bar on the Strip. Just ask the soccer fans who happened to be in Vegas during the FIFA World Cup in South Africa last summer. Many made their way to Lagasse's Stadium at The Palazzo which features 109 HD TVs including the 2.7-metre by 4.8-metre main TV, and a menu featuring some of Chef Emeril Lagasse's New Orleans style dishes and reinventions of American classics. The space seats 551 including patio seats with views of the Vegas Strip, five luxury boxes, billiard tables, sports betting stations and more. Check palazzolasvegas.com/stadium.
Minus5 Ice Lounge: Donning a warm coat, hat and boots may seem an odd thing to do in sweltering Las Vegas. That is unless you're about to enter the Minus5 Ice Lounge. As the name suggests the temperature is a chilly -5 C, and everything in the bar is made of ice including the walls, the tables and chairs, the sculptures and even the glasses from which you sip your cocktail! A welcome relief from the heat outside. Located at Suite 101, Mandalay Place in Mandalay Bay. Check minus5experience.com.
POOLS
Garden of the Gods pool oasis at Caesars Palace: With eight swimming pools on three levels, and 44 private cabanas, it's no exaggeration to say there's something for everyone. Caesars has completely redesigned its iconic swimming and lounging oasis. Options range from the Neptune pool -- the social hub of the Garden of the Gods, to the quiet cabana-lined Jupiter pool, and the Fortuna pool featuring a 5.4-metre-high waterfall where guests can challenge Lady Luck at the swim-up blackjack tables. All this amidst classically inspired landscaping, statues, and fountains. Poolside massage anyone? Check caesarspalace.com/gog.
More information
For details on visiting Las Vegas, check visitlasvegas.ca.
writer@interlog.com
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