Las Vegas Travel Guide
POTUS Hotels / Viva Vegas / Element Hotels / Green Hotels / Barack Obama / Hotel News / → All Tags
The POTUS Is Just Like Us--He Stays at The Element Hotel!
It's been a while since we checked in on the hotel habits of the POTUS but yesterday we we were psyched to see that Barack Obama stayed at a hotel that we've actually stayed at before...twice!
When visiting Las Vegas on the campaign trail, Obama eschewed the hotel casinos on the Strip and instead took over the entire Element Las Vegas hotel in Summerlin, about 15 minutes from the Strip. 8newsnow.com reports:
Onlookers were curious as to why President Obama chose to stay farther away from the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip. "This Element is earth friendly, and I think he's trying to promote that on his visit," Carol Bieganowski said.
Celebrity Scoop / Hotel Crime / VIva Vegas / Mike Tyson / → All Tags
Possibly The Stupidest Hotel Thief Ever Tries To Burgle Mike Tyson
If we could be handing out more HotelChatter awards this week, this story would be a slam dunk in the "stupidest hotel thief ever" category (which shouldn't be confused with most inventive thief, or luckiest thief).
An unnamed intruder broke into a room at The Cosmopolitan shortly after midnight on New Year's Eve—probably assuming its inhabitants would be out partying. Which they weren't. Nor, he soon found out, were they just any old hotel guests. Fast asleep in bed, with his family around him, was heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who woke to strange "rustling sounds" and the glare of the intruder's flashlight, TMZ reports.
Incredibly, the thief got away with his ear face intact. On second thought, maybe that "luckiest thief" title should go to him after all.
Viva Vegas / Hotel Valets / Hotel Transport / Hotel Amenities / Video / → All Tags
At Aria Las Vegas You May Actually Want The Valet To Take His Time
Being bored as you wait for a valet to pull out your car is such a first world problem, but that doesn’t make it any less irritating. Which is why we were so taken by this light show we got as we waited for our car at Aria Las Vegas last week.
Aria’s main valet is notoriously slow, but the back valet – or, rather, the North Valet, out by Haze nightclub – was much better. Or maybe it just seemed that way, as we were watching the pretty sentences heading across the screen. They made us think, they made us smile, they made us wonder how much of a Vegas funk you have to be in to find them profound, and they made us wonder who came up with them.
They also made us recollect the entrance to the Cosmopolitan, across the road – so it was interesting to learn that this video screen has been here since Aria opened – a year before Cosmo did.
HotelChatter 2011 Awards / Viva Vegas / Manhattan Hotels / Morgans Hotel Group / Hotel Openings / Hotel Video Tours / → All Tags
People's Choice Award: Cosmopolitan Las Vegas
It's what you've been waiting all year for--The 2011 HotelChatter Awards! We'll be bringing you the best and worst of the year all day today and part of tomorrow. Agree or disagree with our picks? Air your thoughts in the comments below.
Despite a slew of juicy celebrity scoops and noteworthy hotel openings, it seems the one story line you guys just couldn't get enough of this year was in Las Vegas, at The Cosmopolitan. Might that have something to do with a particular bathroom incident that took place last spring in the lobby? Maaaaybe so. But, after three consecutive apologies from the hotel's PR team, we're willing to focus on The Cosmo's other, more appealing qualities—least of all, the fact that it still remains one of the prettiest hotels on the Vegas strip.
And we don't feel at all bad about sharing some of the Cosmo's glory with another crowd-pleaser from this year: New York's Mondrian Soho, which opened to a dizzying array of A-listers during Fashion Week in February.
HotelChatter 2011 Awards / Killer View / Viva Vegas / → All Tags
Best Killer View of 2011: Las Vegas as Seen from Caesars Palace
It's what you've been waiting all year for--The 2011 HotelChatter Awards! We'll be bringing you the best and worst of the year all day today and part of tomorrow. Agree or disagree with our picks? Air your thoughts in comments below.
Las Vegas is well-known for its terrible anti-views but we were left stunned by this view from the bedroom inside a Senator's Suite at the Augustus Tower Caesars Palace back in September.
Not only was it a clear sunny day but we actually had prime view of the Bellagio fountains and the new hot casino on the strip, The Cosmo. (As opposed to looking out at a forlorn rooftop which is what we usually get in Vegas. Of course, premium views come at premium prices.
The 1,500-sq.ft. one-bedroom suite, which comes with a living room, a dining table for six, three bathrooms and a king bed with a TV dresser at the foot of it starts around $2,600 a night. Don't forget to add in $14.99 a day for WiFi.
Celebrity Scoop / Britney Spears / Viva Vegas / Engagement Hotels / Hotel Cakes / Room Upgrades / Hotel Suites / → All Tags
When You're Britney Spears, You Don't Just Get Upgraded, You Get 'Mega Suite' Upgraded
For most people, an engagement party involves a little champagne, some friends, and a chance for the bride-to-be to show off her ring. Britney Spears is not most people. Well, we knew that already, but we sure got a chuckle out of seeing these photos released of the betrothal festivities that went down this past weekend at Planet Hollywood in Vegas.
Celebrating first at the resort's Strip House Steakhouse, a very visible "ph" emblem was positioned on top of the cake so it would show up in every photo. We doubt the couple ever actually sat down to taste the cake, but it's the thought publicity that counts.
Also on the agenda? A night at one of the resort's 3,100-square-foot, Jonathan Adler-designed "mega suites" (which we couldn't even find on the website, but apparently include a Murano glass chandelier, living room, dining room, and a jacuzzi). Then again, let's face it: she wasn't exactly about to get stuck with a Spaceballs-themed room, now was she?
Hotel Key Cards / Celebrity Scoop / Kim Kardashian / Viva Vegas / Las Vegas Hotels / Hotel Shopping / The Kardashians / → All Tags
Just Call Her Kim 'Key Kard'-ashian
No surprise here: professional egomaniac Kim Kardashian, who recently expressed a desire to open her own hotel in Dubai (and was swiftly shot down by the WSJ), is absolutely smitten with a particular keycard in Vegas. Why? Because it has her face on it.
Back in August, when The Mirage announced the opening of Kardashian Khaos, some gave it the thumbs up, and just as many outright disowned the hotel. Kinda like when that petition was circulated to cancel all Kardashian programming on the E! network. But unlike TV, which can always be shut off, a hotel takeover is slightly more cataclysmic. And when it gets to the point that you can't even enter your room without seeing their faces, that's surely grounds for hotel boycotting.
For a twitpic of the key card, see below!
Hotel Spas / Hotel Yoga / Hotel Exercise / Viva Vegas / Las Vegas Hotels / Hotel Animals / → All Tags
If You Find Dolphins Relaxing, You Should Consider Doing Yoga With Them
When we first learned that The Mirage was offering yoga classes inside their underwater dolphin viewing area, we wondered just how productive those classes would actually be. Isn't yoga supposed to be about focus and self-discipline? Last time we visited an aquarium, we were so excited we literally ran from tank to tank.
The unconventional yoga space has multiple windows looking into the "habitat," so students will be more likely to be spying on the dolphin families than fine-tuning their poses. As for the dolphins? They see people every day—whether sitting in rows on the bleachers, or twisted into a pretzel on the floor, an audience is an audience. This is nothing new for them.
Viva Vegas / Hilton Hotels / Las Vegas Hotels / Hotel Woes / Hotel Rebrandings / → All Tags
What is Happening with The Las Vegas Hilton? (If We Can Still Call It That)
Back in June, we heard the sad news that the Las Vegas Hilton, home to Elvis' Las Vegas residency, would be losing its Hilton status although the hotel owners promised to announce a new hotel partnership before the end of the year.
Our little sibling, VegasChatter has been keeping a close eye on the troubled property which was found to be delinquent on some of its mortgage payments in September putting it in danger of both foreclosure and closing. Then just a few weeks ago, VegasChatter learned that the hotel filed a trademark for the name, LVH Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Very interesting name choice.
Now, the latest development is that the Las Vegas Hilton may actually stay open for another year. VegasChatter got the scoop from a hotel employee who said:
Portable WiFi / Viva Vegas / Hotel Technology / Hotel WiFi / → All Tags
There's a Mobile Hotspot for Sale Right In This Hotel
We've long lamented about the terrible internet connections in Las Vegas (never free, never fast) so we got a little excited when we saw one of these Best Buy Express vending machines in the lobby of the MGM Grand which offered all sorts of techy gadgets for sale, including a 3G mobile hotspot from Rocketfish Mobile.
What got us even more excited was the note from Best Buy on the left that said "No contract required. Plans start at $10." That was less than what we were paying at the MGM Grand a day (The internet is included in the $20 + tax resort fee.) But of course we weren't going to buy the hotspot there and then, we weren't that desperate. And we're glad we didn't.
Design Thursdays / Power Outlets / Viva Vegas / Hotel Design / Hotel Technology / → All Tags
Something We'd Like to Never See Again in Our Hotel Room
Welcome to our newest new feature, Design Thursdays! Thursdays are now our day to focus on hotel design through photo tours, video walk-throughs and interviews with hotel designers. Got a cool hotel design story we should know about? Let us know.
Ok, today's purpose of Design Thursdays is actually a Design Don't. We stayed at the massive MGM Grand in Las Vegas the other month and when we went to plug in our cellphone near the bed, we found this--a full up power outlet and an unsightly jumble of cords. Obviously, those cord controllers were not working.
We did find a free outlet on the other side of the bed but along the wall near the foot of the bed, making it impossible to keep our phone next to us while sleeping. The outlet was also a little loose.
The MGM Grand is undergoing major room renovations right now so we hope that more convenient outlet options--such as the one we love at Encore--are in the works.
Hotel Wallpaper / Viva Vegas / Hotel Design / Autograph Collection Hotels / Marriott Hotels / For The Sake Of Hotel Art / → All Tags
The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas Splashed on Italian Wallpaper For Their Guest Rooms
Hotel wallpaper: underused but always appreciated when it does make an appearance. As long as it’s funky wallpaper, not gross stuff like you’d find in your nan’s back room.
One of our lasting memories of the rooms at The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas is opening the cupboards and seeing the weird faces staring out at us. So we had a blast from the past when we were in Italy the other week, opened up a copy of Grazia and came face to face with the faces again.
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