Vegas Baby!
Getting excited for summer vacation is something our brains have been perfecting since we were running around playgrounds getting skinned knees. The excitement of getting in a car, on a train, or on a plane and getting out somewhere new and thrilling and being able to explore and relax in a world away from home is something even this horrifying recession shouldn’t keep us away from. Whether it’s your fi rst time or you have a collection of player’s cards from the various casinos, this summer is all about Las Vegas and they certainly have some deals ready for you. BLUFF has done the research, so all you have to do is pack up and ship out!
The Rio
The Rio, home of the World Series of Poker
If you are looking for the ultimate poker pilgrimage, then the Rio needs to be on your radar. The offi cial home of the World Series of Poker since 2005, this all-suite hotel and casino not only will be the stomping ground of all the poker legends you can count, but also offers up an enormous variety of poker options if the featured events are beyond your bankroll. There will be a plethora of live action games as well as single table satellites for as little as $125, and multiple lower buy-in nightly tournaments.
The Rio is offering a number of different packages – all available at their website RioLasVegas.com – including the WSOP Weekend Golf & Sapphire Pool Package, which includes:
Two nights at the Rio All-Suite Hotel
A round of golf at the famous Rio Secco Golf Club
Admission for two into the hottest pool in Vegas, the Brazilianstyle (yes, that means topless) pool run by BLUFFfs favorite gentlemenfs club, Sapphire
. Admission for two to the 51st-fl oor VooDoo Lounge, Riofs high-end nightclub where you can sip on cocktails while gazing out onto the entire Las Vegas Valley
. Two drinks at iBar where the interactive, Microsoft-designed tabletops let you make reservations, order drinks, and fl irt with others at the bar without leaving your seat
. perfect for a poker player!
MGM Mirage
MGM Mirage Madness
While the all-new MGM City Center won’t quite be ready for summer, MGM Mirage is offering a ton of cool packages at their various casinos in hopes that once you see how sweet City Center will be when it opens this winter, you’ll surely want to get back on a plane and head to Vegas. Mandalay Bay is offering a Summer Escape Package starting at $89.99 that includes $100 in cabana credit for the pool and a Fly Back Free certifi cate ($350 value) that entitles the recipient to a roundtrip airfare return to Mandalay Bay at a later date. New York New York, while lacking a poker room, is still worthy of consideration with their Playcation Package, which includes:
Park Avenue Strip View upgrade, allowing you to look down on your Vegas conquest
. Two welcome cocktails
. $25 retail credit, hopefully to buy an gI heart NYh T-shirt
. Two for one Il Fornaio breakfast, the perfect spot for fueling up before a day at the tables.
. Two for one passes to the roller coaster
. Entry to the Rok Vegas, NY NYfs all-new nightclub.
The Venetian
Venetian’s Deep Stack Extravaganza for the low stakes grinder
Not all of us can afford to play the full slate of tournaments at the Rio this summer. Even if you could, with the current state of the economy it’s nice to be able to play a lot of poker for not a lot of dough, making the Venetian a perfect option. With tournaments ranging from $330 to $5,000 and starting stacks at 10,000 for most events, this series gives you great bang for your buck. Cash in a couple of these tournies and you’ll be well on your way to poker stardom down the road over at the Rio. The Venetian is offering up rates for those looking to play in these events starting at $99 a night, a great deal for this top-tier hotel. For those looking to have a bunch of amenities thrown into the mix, The Venetian is offering up an array of package deals as well, including The Extraordinary Entertainment Package starting at $169 a night, which offers:
. A Luxury Suite at the Venetian
. $25 off at Dos Caminos, the ultra trendy margarita hot spot within The Palazzo
. $30 off at Woo, whose amazingly tasty Pan-Asian will leave you craving more.
. Comped Internet, so you can play the evening slate of tournaments when you bust out downstairs
. $25 slot credit, for mindless gambling after taking a bad beat
. $40 off seats at Phantom . The Las Vegas Spectacular, which is sure to keep the wife and kids happy.
Nightlife
For more on the Vegas social scene, we thought it only appropriate to turn the reins over to our resident nightlife expert, Antonio Esfandiari. Take it away, Antonio!
Right now there are so many great nightclubs in this town it’s unreal. Often I wonder to myself how they manage the fi ll them ALL up on any given night. It’s something I’ve never understood. I feel like the number of nightclubs has quadrupled in the last fi ve years. Could it be that the number of visitors has gone up that much? How can that be true?? Aren’t we in a major recession?!? Then please explain to me how you can go to any club in Las Vegas on Friday night and there is a line around the corner! Not to mention a plethora of honeys running around. But I digress.
Clubs are obviously the biggest part of Vegas nightlife, but there isn’t just one “best” club. That title varies by night of the week. Believe it or not, there is a great party on any given night, not just the weekends. Even Mondays! That’s right… only in Vegas can you fi nd such an amazing club night on a MONDAY! (There are great parties on Mondays in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami but on a much smaller scale – in Vegas, it’s the real thing.)
Mondays – There are three hotspots on any given Monday: JET at mirage, Privé at Planet Hollywood, and XS at Encore. You can’t go wrong with any of these parties – my choice is usually JET because I always have a great time there.
Tuesdays – Depends on what you are looking for. For me personally I am a BIG fan of Blush at Wynn. It’s an ultralounge/nightclub and smaller than your average club but has everything any partygoer is looking for and Tuesday is their industry night. Filled with locals and hotties it’s impossible to not have a great time. For those hardcore party seekers PURE at Caesars and LAVO at the Palazzo are still pumping strong on Tuesdays.
Wednesdays – I usually stay in on Wednesdays. For me its movie night but for the visitor that needs to go out I’d recommend LAX at Luxor. If you’re going there, try to get a reservation for Noir Bar – it’s a smaller, high-end bar attached to LAX. Noir Bar is a celeb favorite and understandably a bit diffi cult to get into. If you do make it in you’ll be sure to fi nd David Williams hiding out. Pretty sure he pays rent there.
Thursdays – Thursday nights at Tao at the Venetian are my ABSOLUTE favorite. Without a doubt the best night to go out in Vegas is Thursday and the best place to go is Tao. It’s the locals plus some of the pre-weekenders making the crowd near perfect. Loaded with quality girls and incredible music from one of my fave disc jockeys, DJ Five, it simply cannot be topped. Check out the semi-naked girls in the bathtub – they are absolutely stunning!
Fridays – This is a tough one. Almost every club is jamming on Fridays. For me personally it’s a tossup between The Bank at Bellagio and XS at Encore. I absolutely love the setup at The Bank. Whoever designed that club gets an A+. Most clubs have very few quality tables – The Bank is setup so that nearly every table is a great table. And the service cannot be topped. XS, on the other hand, is the newest, hottest spot in all of Vegas right now. This club is so gorgeous words do not do it justice. They must have spent thirty million… I actually have no idea but man when you walk into this club you cannot believe the lengths they have gone to make this place exist. This is an AMAZING club. A must see for all.
Saturdays – Again I think Tao takes the cake. Maybe I’m a bit biased because that’s where I spend most of my time! But seriously, you cannot go wrong with any club on a Saturday.
Sundays – Sundays are one of my favorite nights to go out. LAVO at Palazzo is awesome. Body English at the Hard Rock jams. The Bank is also very good. You really can’t go wrong with any of these spots on Sundays.
Afterhours – If you’re not quite ready to call it a night, come fi nd me at Drai’s Afterhours at Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon. I love Drai’s. It’s hard to imagine this place is real. You must experience it to understand it. You would never think that this smaller venue that’s basically in a basement ROCKS the house on the level that it does. But it does and it’s a MUST for those leaving the club at 3am looking for something to do… I often stay home until 3am and go only to Drai’s. It’s simply that unreal.
Day Parties – Yes, you heard correctly… DAY parties! It’s that time of the year and all the pools are opening up. You would not believe the parties that go on during the DAY… but they do. Tao Beach is my personal favorite… it’s smaller than most and the door is super controlled. Inside you will only fi nd cool people and unbelievable girls… Oh, did I mention going TOPLESS is encouraged?!? Bare at The Mirage is awesome. Wet Republic at MGM Grand is supposed to be super cool, though I have yet to attend. And of course you always have Rehab at the Hard Rock, which is no joke.
One tip on getting into these places – in this town it’s really about who you know, and if you don’t know anyone, you better know Mr. Benjamin Franklin. He is your only hope.
Fine Fare
Another Buffet? Unless you’re trying to pull a Tiffany Michelle and plan on eating only while at the poker table, you’ll need to fi nd some spots to satisfy your taste buds. Of course everywhere in Vegas is still happy to greet you with a buffet, but why not try indulging in some of the awesome food that has boosted Vegas’ luxury status in the last few years?
Wazuzu at Encore Located within the walls of Steve Wynnfs brand new resort, Encore, this place will dazzle any Pan-Asian-loving taste buds with dishes boasting Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese infl uences. For sushi lovers, try the Crunch Roll, with pankocrusted shrimp, masago aioli, cucumber and avocado, topped with Japanese rice crackers.
Martorano’s Back to the Rio this South Philly-inspired Italian food should not be missed. On top of the great gangsta’ fl icks that play in the background, your buddies will thank you for bringing them here to feast on giant meatballs, braised pigs’ feet, Sicilian rice balls with prosciutto di parma and buffalo mozzarella, and savory make-ityourself cannolis where you can choose whether you want fi ve chocolate chips or fi fty… most choose fi fty.
Craftsteak Tom Colicchio elevates the defi nition of a steakhouse with Craftsteak – inside MGM Grand – with amazing entrées. An affordable, family-style tasting menu is available for $75 and includes:
First Course – grilled quail with vincotto, romaine caesar salad, roasted red pepper and baby beet salad
Main Course – prime fl at iron steak, Angus beef skirt steak, diver sea scallops
Sides – potato puree, brussels sprouts with smoked bacon, sautéed mushrooms
Desserts – chef’s selection of desserts
Spago
This Wolfgang Puck eatery, located in the Forum Shops at Caesars, is the perfect place to grab lunch. They also offer a $29 pre-fi xed menu that includes items that are not even available on the regular menu. Or you can go with one of their excellent signature pizzas, salads, or entrées like the Handmade Four Cheese Agnolotti or USDA Prime Nebraska Corn Fed Côte de Boeuf. Have fun!
