Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mall Savings
Coupon clipping works at home, and it also works in Vegas, so be sure to
pick up the free coupon books that are available at each of the malls and
outlet malls and offer savings at individual stores. Each mall has 'em (they
generally have some variation of the word “passport” in the name: VIP
Passport, Premier, and so forth) and along with discounts to both stores and
restaurants, they often entitle the bearer to free gift offers with certain
purchases. Here's the rub: To get the coupon book, you must first print out
a coupon and take it to the customer service desk at each location. The
coupons for the coupon can be found at various websites, including
www.
destinationcoupons.com
. It's worth printing them out before you leave
home, or seeing if the concierge at your hotel will do the deed for you.
fun and unique mix of shops—particularly by Vegas standards. The layout is sim-
ple, open, theme-free, and actually fulfills a dual purpose: In addition to retail
space, it also provides a skybridge to the Luxor.
Start on the first floor with the
Reading Room
(
%
702/632-9374),
one of
Vegas' few independent bookstores, with an impressive variety of offerings
(including an extensive array of Vegas-themed publications) for its size. Located
next to the
Chocolate Swan
(p. 80),
it's not a bad place for relaxing with a guide-
book and a snack or people-watching. Or continue up the elevators, and you'll
find a wonderful wine shop (and tasting bar) to the right, called
55 Degrees Wine
+ Design
(
%
702/632-9355).
They really know their wine here, and the salespeo-
ple don't get snotty when you tell them you're looking for something inexpensive.
My favorite part about 55 Degrees is the (free) packaging they provide: Your bottle
is suspended in an inflated plastic bag, so you don't have to worry about breaking
it as you walk around, and it looks space-age and snazzy.
Other highlights among the 41 shops and restaurants are
Urban Outfitters
(which specializes in clothing, but also carries some fun and funny trinkets for
semi cheap);
Lush Puppy
and all of its dog-centric accoutrements; and
The Art of
Shaving,
a metrosexual's HQ. For easy access and exit there's a valet parking lot that
few people know about right at one of the first-floor entrances to Mandalay Place.
CENTRAL STRIP
For sheer entertainment value,
The Forum Shops
555
(at Caesars Palace;
%
702/
893-4000; www.forumshops.com; Sun-Thurs 10am-11pm, Fri-Sat 10am-midnight;
statue shows held hourly beginning at 10am)
are by far the best. From the giant
replica of Michelangelo's statue of David to the imported Italian marble, the
winding escalators, and the painted ceiling that changes in brightness according
to the time of day, it almost feels like a living museum of sorts, as costumed
Gladiators, Cleopatras, and toga-dwellers circulate among shoppers. On the east-
ern and western ends of the mall, animatronic statues act out nonsensical dramas
(p. 125).
