Las Vegas - American Southwest - page 594

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Caesars Palace Caesars is the spectacle that every Vegas hotel should be. A
combination of Vegas luxury and a good dose of camp, the hotel is graced by Roman
colonnades, marble fountains, and staff members attired in gladiator outfits and togas.
But the hotel has a confusing layout, and it takes forever to get anywhere. Accommoda-
tions occupy five towers; art in the rooms keeps to the Greco-Roman theme. The newest
rooms are handsome, if not as giggle-inducingly overwhelming as the classic ones, and
have floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a hypnotizing panoramic view. You'll likely enjoy
a lavish bathroom with marble floor, European fixtures, and oversize marble tubs (about
half are whirlpools). The Garden of the Gods pool area is a tasteful masterpiece.
3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (just north of Flamingo Rd.), Las Vegas, NV 89109. & 877/427-7243 or 702/731-
7110. Fax [phone]. www.caesarspalace.com. 3,348 units. $150 and up double; $549 and up suite.
Extra person $30. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities: 25 restaurants; nightclub;
casino; concierge; health club & spa; 4 outdoor pools; room service; executive-level rooms; 4 wedding
chapels. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, hair dryer, robe/slippers, Wi-Fi (for a fee).
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino The hip flock to the Hard Rock, drawn by the cool
'n' rockin' ambience that pervades the place, from the piano-shaped roulette tables to the
“backstage pass” room keys. The new and newly updated rooms are still a bit too
'60s-futuristic hip to come off as posh, but they're certainly less immediately drab than
the older versions, and they're more comfortable. Bathrooms are a big step forward—
bigger, brighter, shinier. On warm days and nights the Hard Rock's beach-party pool is
the hangout scene. Note: At press time, it was announced that $750 million worth of new
hotel towers, including one that is all suites for VIPs, would open in September 2009.
4455 Paradise Rd. (at Harmon Ave.), Las Vegas, NV 89109. & 800/473-ROCK (7625) or 702/693-5000. Fax
702/693-5588. www.hardrockhotel.com. 657 units. $119 and up double; $250 and up suite. Extra person
$75. Children 12 and under stay free in parent's room. AE, DC, MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Ameni-
ties: 6 restaurants; concierge; casino; small health club & spa; 2 outdoor pools w/lazy river and sandy-
beach bottom; room service; executive-level rooms; showroom. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, hair
dryer, high-speed Internet access (for a fee).
Las Vegas Hilton This classy hotel is magnificent, from its lobby, glittering
with massive chandeliers and gleaming marble, to its 8-acre recreation deck. The Hilton's
location next to the convention center makes it the preferred choice of business travelers,
and its Star Trek attraction—with its own space-themed casino—beams in the leisure
crowd. The comfortable rooms have bathrooms with large marble tubs; some rooms offer
views of an adjacent golf course. The lobby and older casino areas have been completely
remodeled, giving the whole place a much more modern feel.
3000 Paradise Rd. (at Riviera Blvd.), Las Vegas, NV 89109. & 888/732-7117 or 702/732-5111. Fax 702/
732-5805. www.lvhilton.com. 3,174 units. $59 and up double; $275 and up suite. Extra person $35.
Children 17 and under stay free in parent's room. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Ameni-
ties: 8 restaurants; casino; health club & spa; outdoor pool; room service; executive-level rooms; show-
rooms; 6 night-lit tennis courts. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, hair dryer, high-speed Internet access (for
a fee).

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Paris Las Vegas Casino Resort Sacre bleu! The City of Light comes to Sin City
in this Strip fantasy hotel. It's theme-run-amok time again, and we are so happy about it.
You can stroll down a mini Rue de la Paix, ride an elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower,
stop at an overpriced bakery for a baguette, take your photo by several very nice foun-
tains, and snicker at dubious French signage (“le car rental”). Rooms are disappointingly
uninteresting, with furniture that only hints at mock French Regency, and with small but
pretty bathrooms that have deep tubs. Try to get a Strip-facing room so you can see the