#SummerTravel The Most Sought-After Casinos in Vegas
(Courtesy: The Bellagio)
It’s summer and the weather’s getting warm. Where do you want to head? To the desert, of course!
Fortunately, Vegas has more than enough inside its massive resorts for you to enjoy without even having to leave the grounds: pools, nightclubs, movie theaters, bowling alleys, concerts, even replicas of famous landmarks. Here are the most-searched Vegas casinos on Yahoo, and what they have to offer:
This casino, which opened in 1998, is known for its dancing water fountains. Set to music (ranging from Pavarotti to The Beatles) and lights, the 1,200 fountains perform every 30 minutes in the afternoon and every 15 minutes from 7 p.m. to midnight. The 8.5-acre lake is accompanied by a large conservatory and botanic gardens, which are open 24 hours. If you want to take a break from splurging, the horticulturists on staff offer gardening tips every day at 10:30 a.m. There are also two wedding chapels on the grounds – so you never need to wait.
Rooms: 3,933 guest rooms, including 512 suites
Rates: $240-$6,000 (the most expensive villa in Vegas)
(Courtesy: Mandalay Bay)
If you want a tropical experience in the middle of the desert, you go to Mandalay Bay. The resort has four swimming pools, including a 1.6 million-gallon wave pool, a lazy river, beachside cabanas, and a “top-tional” beach club – all set inside 11 acres of lush trees. Achieving that result takes 2,700 tons of sand. In the summer, the outdoor concert series overlooks the wave pool and has featured The Beach Boys, Sugarland, and Cypress Hill. If you’d rather watch than swim, there’s the shark reef aquarium, which has 2,000 animals, 14 exhibits, and another 1.6 million gallons of water. And not to be outdone, there are three wedding chapels at Mandalay Bay. The resort also includes a separate hotel, THEHotel, which runs an all-suite tower, and a separately run entrance, lobby, and rooms from The Four Seasons.
Rooms: 3,211 rooms, including 436 suites
Rates: $115-1,300
Can’t decide what sounds best? The Mirage has it all: Cirque du Soleil shows, a dolphin habitat, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. The second most famous feature at the Mirage is its 20,000-gallon saltwater aquarium, which features artificial corral that replicates the Great Barrier Reef. But the most famous feature is the Mirage’s volcano – erupting to life in 2008. Unlike regular volcanos, this one erupts on schedule: every half hour from 8 p.m. to midnight with fireshooters choreographed to music and a giant fire eruption finale.
Rooms: 3,044 rooms, with 281 suites
Rates: $130-800
(Courtesy: Monte Carlo)
This spring the facades of Monte Carlo and New York-New York were removed to create a pedestrian-friendly, European-style plaza entryway with shops and restaurants as guests walk up to the hotels. That includes Sambalatte, a coffee-sipping experience loved by locals, and 800 Degrees Neapolitan build-your-pizza. Inside the resort is 100,000 square feet of gaming, three pools, and several restaurants. The Monte Carlo is also home to the popular Blue Man Group, who perform in their own 1,200-seat Blue Man Theater. Hotel 32 occupies the top – 32nd floor – with its own suites and lofts, as a boutique hotel within Monte Carlo.
Rooms: 2,992 rooms and suites
Rates: $100-600
Caesars Palace, considered the first large luxury resort built in Vegas, was voted the Best Strip Hotel in 2013 by The Best of Las Vegas. And yes, everything in the massive hotel is named after Roman landmarks: the Colosseum, the Forum Shoppes, the Octavius and Augustus towers, Cleopatra’s Barge. The Garden of the Gods covers five acres and has six swimming pools – each with a different theme. The Venus Pool offers topless sunbathing and charges admission to men (women swim for free) and the Fortuna Pool has swim-up blackjack. Rooms range from 11,000-square-foot villas to penthouse suites to a separate Nobu hotel within Caesar’s Palace.
Rooms: 3,698 rooms and suites in six towers
Rates: $100-$3,200
(Courtesy: Paris)
Can’t go to Paris? Go to Paris Casino. Built in 1999 to have the same feel as the French city, Paris Casino includes a 50-story replica of the Eiffel Tower. The observation deck features views of the city – just like the real Eiffel Tower. Unlike the one in Europe, though, this one has a restaurant on the 11th floor. There are also cobblestone streets to walk down as you admire other replicas of famous French landmarks: The Arc de Triomphe and the façade of the Louvre. And, of course, you can stay in the Napoleon suite.
Rooms: 2,916 rooms and suites
Rates: $70-$400
(Courtesy: Red Rock Casino)
When it opened in 2006, Red Rock was named one of the world’s best new hotels by Conde’ Nast. Ten miles west of the Strip, the hotel is designed to be inspired by the nearby Red Rock mountains. Part of that inspiration comes in the form of 3.1 million Swarovski and Preciosa crystals used in a 32-foot-tall chandelier in the entrance and a 60-foot long chandelier in the gaming area. It also has a movie theater and bowling alley – from which to enjoy nature. The Sandbar pool acts as the centerpiece to the resort with entrances from around the casino. (It can be seen from every vantage point in the hotel.) The pool also operates as an outdoor nightclub. The hotel is currently undergoing a $35 million remodel and will host a concert at the pool Aug. 1 with the Goo Goo Dolls, Plain White T’s, and Daughtry.
Rooms: 800 rooms and 81 suites
Rates: $80-$800
(Courtesy: MGM Grand)
The MGM Grand is all about entertainment. There’s food from Michael Mina, Wolfgang Puck, or the Michelin three-star restaurant Joël Robuchon. David Copperfield and Cirque du Soleil’s show KÀ both perform at the MGM Grand. And, the 16,800-seat Garden Arena is home to the Pac-12 men’s basketball tournament. There’s also 170,000 square feet of gaming, with more than 2,500 slot machines.
Rooms: 5,044 guest rooms, including 751 suites
Rates: $85-$1,100
(Courtesy: The Venetian)
Right in Vegas is an entire European city of hotels, with The Venetian naturally substituting for Venice. Connected to the Palazzo, the Venetian offers (nearly) everything Venice would offer: shops, restaurants, and of course gondola rides. You can take a ride indoors through the resort and under bridges or outside in a canal on the Strip. The two canals hold a combined 800,000 gallons of water. Once you’re done with your ride, visit Madame Tussauds to see celebrities up close and in the wax.
Rooms: 4,027 rooms in The Venetian and the Venezia tower
Rates: $150-$700
(Courtesy: The Cosmopolitan)
Opened in 2010, the Cosmopolitan is the newest hit casino. Its 60,000-square-foot Marquee Nightclub and Dayclub has seven bars and three separate rooms within it. That includes one of the resort’s three pools, which operates as a lounge by day and an extension of the club by night. When you want to swim off your partying, there’s the Bamboo pool – with its covered walkways and grassy banks. Or, just keep the party going at the Boulevard Pool. The pool’s open-air theater overlooks the Strip. The Cosmopolitan is also home to a three-story glass, 36,000-square-foot shopping center. You never need to leave the hotel at all.
Rooms: 2,995 rooms and suites
Rates: $180-$5,000
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