Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lively . . . unless you're one of the weary guests staying in a room that
overlooks the loud Carnival Court.
Paris Las Vegas, by contrast, is downright pretty and has a pleasant
expansiveness to it, from its slate gray
trompe l'oeil
sky, which arches high
above the casino, to the meandering cobblestone country lanes back where
the buffets, restaurants, lounges, and shops are. It gets crowded, too, but
somehow the height of the ceiling makes that less problematic. And though
it's a caricature of the City of Light, with its Eiffel Tower sticking up the
top (you see three of its legs on the casino floor), and its myriad of Beaux
Arts street lamps lining the path through the casino, it doesn't offend. It's
nowhere near as beautiful as the real Paris—
sacre bleu,
what could be?—
but this charlatan has a dignity and charm that some of the other mock-
ups lack. Guest rooms feel small at the lowest price level, but are so
bursting with overstuffed, colorful Empire-style furnishings—settees,
armoires, carved wooden headboards—that they'll charm away any disap-
pointment. The pink marble bathrooms, I should say, are positively divine.
There are other ups and downs at Paris—pool's not so hot . . . great
buffet (p. 83) . . . restaurants of varying quality . . . spa with the best
masseuses in town—but on the whole it outclasses Harrah's by a mile. And
a half. And yet when you look at the pricing of the two, they're neck and
neck a lot of the time, with sometimes only $10 separating them. I've seen
Harrah's dip down to $77 and Paris $89, and then several days later soar
up to $199 (at Paris) and $218 (at Harrah's). Highest prices I've seen at
both have been $395 at Harrah's and $315 at Paris, with prices at both
generally toggling between the mid-$100s and the early $200s.
This is all a long way of saying that in Vegas, as anywhere, quality can't
be judged by price tag alone. Hey, we should add that thought to the
shopping chapter, too.
themselves from the geeky pirate theme (sorry, no more treasure chests and skele-
tons), and their one remaining swashbuckling element—the outdoor pirate battle
show—is now fought between open shirted hunks and bootylicious Playboy models,
er, I mean “sirens.” Suffice it to say, much that was once family-friendly is now
somewhat salacious and the focus within the casino has shifted from all-ages fun
to burlesque shows, chic restaurants (including the terrific Isla, p. 86), and hot
lounges. Hey, I'm not judging—that's the direction the entire town is moving in,
and I think it's appropriate (my kids have told me in no uncertain terms that they
never want to return to Vegas after the 2 weeks they spent here with me).
As a holdover, the rooms still have a look that's pirate era . . . though these are
rooms the captured prisoners would have lived in, not the pirates. Elegant, period
touches include brocade swooping down each side of the bed and pretty, antique-
looking padded headboards. Gold, like pirate booty, is the predominant theme,
but it's subtly done. Large windows and one mirrored wall make the rooms appear
