Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The surrounding shops and restaurants, all 500,000 square feet of them, are
touted by PR gurus as “world class,” which in layman's terms translates as pricey
(that desert canal doesn't pay for itself, you now), and trendy. You'll find 80 stan-
dard to high-end restaurants and shops, including Burberry, Kenneth Cole, St.
John Sport, Pal Zileri, Mikimoto, Lior, Ca' d'Oro, Jimmy Choo, the award-win-
ning Canyon Ranch Spa, and many more.
At this writing, the transformation of the Shops at Desert Passage into the
Miracle Mile Shops
(at Planet Hollywood;
%
888/800-8284; www.canyouhandle
thismuchshopping.com; Sun-Thurs 10am-11pm, Fri-Sat 10am-midnight)
is taking
place as part of the $200 million renovation and rebranding of The Aladdin, and
that includes removing all traces of the Arabian themes. Where there were once
cobblestones there will now be people movers, water features, and ubiquitous
LED screens as the mall assumes its new modern makeover.
The latest incarnation will have 170 stores and 15 restaurants, many of which
are holdovers from the days of The Aladdin (more tried-and-true mall offerings
like FCUK, Bebe, and Betsey Johnson). The mall, as it stands, has become a kind
of locals' secret. It's not as well traversed as Fashion Show and The Forum Shops,
so it's rarely crowded and often has great sales. I'm hopeful that this will remain
the case, though it's doubtful, with the added press and the arrival of new stores,
such as Urban Outfitters.
Located in the esplanade that also leads to Bally's,
Le Boulevard
(at Paris;
%
877/796-2096 or 702/946-7000; www.parislv.com; daily 10am-10pm)
is yet
another cobblestone walk down a quaint cityscape designed to imitate the Rue de
la Paix. It's dotted with living statues and lined by the exteriors of Parisian build-
ings that actually serve to frame the French boutiques in this shopping area. You'll
find 31,500 square feet of primarily specialty stores, peddling jewelry, art, and
home accessories. The stores have French names and actually sell French items.
Les Enfants is a children's store selling French apparel and toys; for provincial
French home and garden items there's Le Elements; La Cave peddles French wine
and cheese, and the list goes on. Watch out for the bikers that ride through the area
toting bread. They're here to add ambience, but could cause a collision if you get
too sidetracked by the stand that sells frozen drinks in Eiffel Tower shaped cups.
The Avenue Shoppes
(at Bally's;
%
702/967-4111; www.ballyslv.com; daily
9am-10pm)
are small by Vegas standards, with just 20 stores and no theme or even
cobblestones (gasp!). But there's okay variety here, from fresh flowers to Harley
Davidson's clothing boutique and rental referral service, as well as different cloth-
ing and gourmet food options. It's actually a sensory relief to be able to focus on
shopping rather than “shoppertainment” (it's amazing that term has yet to be
trademarked and claimed).
The shops of
Via Bellagio
(at Bellagio;
%
888/987-3456 or 702/693-7111;
www.bellagio.com; daily 10am-midnight)
target the same clientele as the hotel—
and there's nothing “budget” about them. If ever you've wondered what people
with more money than god do with it, look no further than the floors here, paved
with imported Italian tile that takes on designs of flowers and bugs as it winds
around the designer boutiques.
The stores are limited in number, of course. Why go for quantity,
sniff,
when
you can have such quality as Tiffany & Co., Giorgio Armani, Chanel, Dior,
Fendi, Gucci, Hermes, Fred Leighton, Prada, and Yves Saint Laurent? Think
