Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
dining out. And you'll get a tiny glimpse into the everyday life of this extraordi-
narily popular city, to which 8,000 people are currently moving each month.
RENTING A HOME OR CONDO OF YOUR OWN
Because point #5 (about renting a condo or home) is such an important one, we're
going to discuss it in full ahead of hotels.
Please note, first, that on-Strip condos do not, at the time of this writing, gen-
erally exist. Yes, there have been dozens of projects announced that should even-
tually come to fruition, and will blanket the Strip with as many condos and
timeshare apartments as hotel rooms. For the time being, however, all of these are
still in the planning or early construction stages; and many of those that seemed
to be legit and well-funded have been going belly up faster than whales caught in
canals (both Ivana Trump and the usually tarnish-free George Clooney have
attached their names to projects that went under in less than 2 years). Experts I've
spoken with are guestimating that the very first Strip condos will open no earlier
than mid-2008 (and probably later than that).
This is a long way of saying that if you MUST stay on the Strip, you can skip
this section. There are no affordable condos on what is commonly called the Strip.
Period. (Don't fall for it if some fellow on VRBO.com claims to have a Strip-
accessible property just because it's near Las Vegas Blvd. That's a mighty long
street and the actual Strip only runs from the Stratosphere to Mandalay Bay.)
But if you're the type who enjoys having a patch of grass all to yourself to
lounge on regardless of whether it's on the Strip . . . if what you mainly crave is a
separate room for the kids, should the romance of the desert make you and your
wife eager to do more than renew your vows . . . if you chief desire is a kitchen to
call your own—then a condo or private home rental should be just your speed.
Though not as quirky or original as you'll find in other cities—in Vegas, 99% of
vacation rental properties are never lived in by their owners and are purchased
simply as investments—every one I've seen or stayed in has been spacious, clean,
comfortable, and competitively priced. Yes, by and large, the decor is bland in the
extreme (the common look: innumerable shades of tan for the furniture, carpets,
drapes, and walls), but the privacy rentals afford, and their overall amenities, more
than make up for their appearance.
So what do you get with a Vegas condo stay? Pitched to the sporting, gam-
bling, and convention crowd, many come with private pools, Jacuzzis, pool tables,
and access to adjoining golf courses. (I have even visited one that had a mini-put-
ting green in the backyard!) As these are often used by groups of traveling busi-
nesspeople, high tech touches are common and I have yet to see a unit without
flat-screen or oversized TV's; multi-disc CD and DVD players; and either Wi-Fi
or high-speed cable Internet access. Also common are cutting edge video-game
systems, microwave ovens (along with full kitchens), washers and dryers, and for
some reason, really snazzy blenders (I guess people visiting Vegas are partial to
blended cocktails).
My only real disappointment about condo stays in Vegas (and I say this as
someone who's now visited dozens of condos) is how difficult it can be to find the
right one. Because the casinos have a stranglehold on the accommodations market,
you won't find information about condo rentals in any of the tourist literature or
