Las Vegas - American Southwest - page 597

3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (at Tropicana Ave.), Las Vegas, NV 89109. & 800/929-1111 or 702/891-7777. Fax
702/891-1030. www.mgmgrand.com. 5,034 units. $120 and up standard double; $145 and up suite. Extra
person $35. Children 13 and under stay free in parent's room. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free self- and valet
parking. Amenities: 15 restaurants; nightclub; casino; concierge; Lion Habitat; large health club & spa;
Jacuzzi; 5 outdoor pools w/lazy river; room service; executive-level rooms; showroom; cabaret theater;
2 wedding chapels. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, hair dryer, high-speed Internet access (for a fee).
The Mirage You walk into the Mirage and breathe the faintly tropically perfumed
air, and it's just a different experience from most Vegas hotels. The hotel, fronted by water-
falls and tropical foliage, centers on a very “active” volcano that erupts every 15 minutes
after dark. Inside, you'll find a verdant rainforest. The rooms have been redone and while
the results are not distinctive, they are handsome. The overall effect is more beach than
Caribbean. Super-deluxe rooms have whirlpool tubs. The staff is genuinely helpful; any
problems that may arise are quickly smoothed out. The pool is one of the nicest in Vegas.
3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (btw. Flamingo and Spring Mountain roads.), Las Vegas, NV 89109. & 800/627-
6667 or 702/791-7111. Fax [phone]. www.mirage.com. 3,044 units. $109 and up double; $350 and
up suite. Extra person $30. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities: 11 restaurants;
casino; concierge; health club & spa; beautiful outdoor pool & Jacuzzi; room service; executive-level
rooms; showrooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, hair dryer, high-speed Internet (for a fee).

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Monte Carlo Resort & Casino This European-style hotel casino is not as theme-
intensive as its Strip brethren—a nice change of pace from the usual Vegas kitsch. Its pool
area, once the very last word in local pool fun, is now put to shame by better versions at
Mandalay Bay and the MGM Grand. We love that the guest rooms are accessible without
going through the casino, but we don't really love the rooms themselves, which are
unimaginatively decorated and smaller than what we've grown accustomed to, especially
in terms of bathroom square-footage.
3770 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (btw. Flamingo Rd. and Tropicana Ave.), Las Vegas, NV 89109. & 800/311-8999
or 702/730-7777. Fax [phone]. www.montecarlo.com. 3,002 units. $90 and up double; $140 and up
suite. Extra person $25. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities: 7 restaurants plus a
food court; casino; concierge; health club & spa; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool w/wave pool & lazy river; room
service; executive-level rooms; watersports equipment/rentals; showroom; wedding chapel. In room:
A/C, TV w/pay movies, hair dryer, high-speed Internet access (for a fee).
New York-New York Hotel & Casino Kids A visit to this spectacular hotel,
which looks like the New York City skyline (complete with a roller coaster running
through it) is a must. Subtle it isn't. You can gamble in a casino done up as Central Park
or play games in the Coney Island arcade. Recently redecorated rooms come in 64 dif-
ferent styles, with the original Deco-inspired decor having been replaced by something
they call '40s inspired. Light sleepers should request a room away from the roller coaster.
If you're a pool person, go elsewhere—the one here is pretty mediocre.
3790 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (at Tropicana Ave.), Las Vegas, NV 89109. & 800/693-6763 or 702/740-6969. Fax
702/740-6920. www.nynyhotelcasino.com. 2,023 units. $90 and up double; suite $190 and up. Extra
person $30. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities: 9 restaurants plus a food court;
casino; concierge; small health club & spa; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool; room service; executive-level rooms;
showrooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, hair dryer, high-speed Internet access (for a fee).

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Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Those looking for the pop kitsch sensibil-
ity of the Planet Hollywood restaurants will be disappointed; it's actually kind of classy
and design intensive. What it really offers that's different are the rooms. Each has a movie
or entertainment theme. Beds have purple velour padded headboards and the beds them-
selves are the Sheraton Four Comforts pillow-top thing. Bathrooms are larger than the