Labor Day In Las Vegas

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The Palms is proof that hotel casinos off the Las Vegas Strip can be just as hip as places on the Strip. Known for its celebrity clientele and trendy image—partly due to its role in "The Real World"—the Palms remains a popular choice for visitors and locals.

The Palms is located approximately two miles west of Las Vegas Boulevard, a short drive from the Strip. Guests at the Palms contend with less traffic and smaller crowds, but give up the option of walking out the front door to wander from casino to casino—unless they don't mind hoofing it two miles over a freeway. The resort offers a shuttle to the Strip twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  Guests who don't have a vehicle may want to budget extra dollars for cab fare.

Two styles of regular guest rooms are offered, but suites come in every size and style. Several are one-of-a-kind themed suites like the Barbie Suite, the Erotic Suite, and the Real World Suite. Rooms come with all standard amenities. Internet access is available for a fee. The boutique addition, Palms Place, offers newer, more updated rooms.

Like many off-Strip properties, the Palms has movie theaters. They also offer on-site childcare at Kids Quest. Their hip pool area has a weekly pool party, Ditch Fridays, and the assortment of nightlife—ghostbar, Playboy Club, Rain, and Moon—can keep a club hopper very busy. For especially wild and crazy nights, there's also a tattoo parlor. Nine restaurants and a food court are available.

Our Local Expert Says:

Downtown Las Vegas' best hotel

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Always the standout hotel in the Downtown area, a recent face-lift has made it more appealing than ever, so while it's not the cheapest accommodations, it is by far the nicest. A massive face-lift has made the place look terrific; a new color scheme has given it a rich, deep look that is most posh and fresh. Everything feels brighter, lighter, and more spacious. The re-do is a good complement of the best of old and new Vegas; new enough not to be dated, but still user friendly.

The Golden Nugget opened in 1946 as the first building in Las Vegas constructed specifically for casino gambling. Steve Wynn, who is basically responsible for the "new" Vegas hotel look, took over the Golden Nugget as his first major project in Vegas in 1973. He gradually transformed the Old West/Victorian interiors (typical for Downtown) into something more high-rent and genuinely luxurious, especially for downtown Vegas. The sunny interior spaces are a welcome change from the Las Vegas tradition of dim artificial lighting. Don't forget their mascot (well, it ought to be): the world's largest gold nugget. The Hand of Faith nugget weighs in at 61 pounds, 11 ounces, and is on display for all to see.

Deluxe rooms are done in pretty floral schemes, and are attractive and comfortable enough that you don't need to splash out on the more contemporary gold-club rooms. In the North Tower, the rooms are slightly larger than in the South (smaller than the newer Strip places but not at all "small"). You don't have to walk through the casino to get to your room, but you do have to walk a distance to get to the newly redone pool, a chic and snazzy highlight, complete with a water slide that goes right through a glass tunnel in the shark tank. And check out that underwater restaurant! The presence of the pool, and general overall quality, makes this the best hotel Downtown for families; the other Downtowners seem geared toward the much older set and/or the single-minded gambler set.

The Golden Nugget Buffet is home to a fine Sunday brunch. Oh, and yes, there is a casino. Don't think they'd forget that!

The Nugget's top-rated health club ($20 per day) offers a full line of Universal equipment, Lifecycles, stair machines, treadmills, rowing machines, free weights, steam sauna, and massage. Salon treatments include everything from leg waxing to seaweed-mask facials. Free Sebastian products are available for sprucing up afterward. The spa's opulent Palladian-mirrored foyer is modeled after a room in New York's Frick Museum.

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The Flamingo is the Strip's senior citizen, boasting a colorful history. It's changed a great deal since Bugsy Siegel opened his 105-room oasis "in the middle of nowhere" in 1946. It was so luxurious for its time that even the janitors wore tuxedos. (Hey, new Vegas? That's class.) Jimmy Durante was the opening headliner, and the wealthy and famous flocked to the tropical paradise of swaying palms, lagoons, and waterfalls. Renovations and expansions over the years aren't going to make Siegel's a "real class joint" cause you to forget about, say, the rooms at The Palazzo, but they have freshened the joint up -- including making it somewhat easier to reach the outside world, which in the past was often difficult. A recent addition is a branch of singer Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville nightclub, a theme locale that makes us wince when it's in, say, New Orleans, but this one, here in Vegas? Not bad!

By Vegas standards, the old girl is Paleozoic, but not only is it hanging in there, some of the changes have made us reconsider it entirely. Gradually, all their dated rooms are getting upgraded. The first set off the conveyor belt are flatly terrific. Rushing headlong into the Dean Martin/Rat Pack retro vibe, they are kicky candy modern, with hot pink (the signature Flamingo color!) accent walls, hot pink lights in the bathroom where you can also find TV screens embedded in the mirror, candy-striped wallpaper, black-and-white photos of The Flamingo from its early days, squishy white beds with chocolate accents and vinyl padded headboards, huge flatscreens with HDTV, iPod docking stations, and more. Two-bedroom suites scream classic playboy bachelor pad. It's ring-a-ding fun and Dino would surely have approved, well worth the extra $50 currently charged for the upgraded rooms. It's uncertain whether further room renovations will follow this design, but thus far, the hotel has inspired confidence.

The Flamingo Paradise Garden Buffet is a decent choice. There are also several bars, plus a huge casino and the improv production show The Second City. And the monorail has a stop out back.

For those planning some leisure time outside the casino, The Flamingo's exceptional pool area, spa, and tennis courts are big draws. Five gorgeous swimming pools, two whirlpools, and water slides are located in a 15-acre Caribbean landscape amid lagoons, meandering streams, fountains, waterfalls, a rose garden, and islands of live flamingos. Ponds have ducks, swans, and koi, and a grove of 2,000 palms graces an expanse of lawn. Although the water can be a little chilly, kids should be able to spend hours in the pool area.

A health club ($10 per day for machines only; $20 for spa and health club) offers a variety of weight machines, treadmills, stair machines, free weights, sauna, steam, a TV lounge, and hot and cold whirlpools. Spa services include massage, facials, salt glow, and body wraps.

Facilities: 8 restaurants; casino; showrooms; wedding chapels; 5 outdoor pools; 3 night-lit tennis courts; health club; spa; small video-game arcade; car-rental desk; UPS store; shopping arcade; 24-hr. room service; laundry service; dry cleaning; executive-level rooms

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Poor Downtown. For years now, it's been overlooked in favor of the Strip. And no wonder: It's so . . . small . . . by comparison. Even its once-dazzling collection of hotel marquee lights seems like candles next to the klieg-light voltage of the Strip. But things are cheaper down here, people; and speaking of people, if you get tired of feeling not pretty or rich enough for the Strip, you are not alone. Come join us in admiring the project that closed off the heart of "Glitter Gulch" and turned it into a much more user-friendly pedestrian mall.

The Fremont Street Experience is a 5-block open-air landscaped strip of outdoor snack shops, vendor carts, and colorful kiosks purveying food and merchandise. Overhead is a 90-foot-high steel-mesh "celestial vault"; at night, it is the most successfully revamped Viva Vision, a high-tech light-and-laser show (the canopy is equipped with more than 12.5 million lights) enhanced by a concert-hall-quality sound system that takes place five times nightly. There are a number of different shows, and there's music between the light performances as well. Not only does the canopy provide shade, but it also cools the area through a misting system in summer and warms you with radiant heaters in winter. It's really cool, in that Vegas over-the-top way that we love so much. Go see for yourself; you will be pleased to see how a one-time ghost town of tacky, rapidly aging buildings, in an area with more undesirables than not, is now a bustling (at least at night), friendly, safe place (they have private security guards who hustle said undesirables away). It's a place where you can stroll, eat, or even dance to the music under the lights. The crowd it attracts is more upscale than in years past, and, of course, it's a lot less crowded than the hectic Strip. This helps give a second life to a deserving neighborhood. Note: A good place to view the Sky Parade light show is from the balcony at Fitzgerald's Casino & Hotel.

And in a further effort to retain as much of classic Las Vegas as possible, the Neon Museum is installing vintage hotel and casino signs along the promenade. The first installation was the horse and rider from the old Hacienda, which presently rides the sky over the intersection of Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard, while the Lamp from the old Aladdin Hotel twinkles at the northwest corner. Eventually, the Neon Museum hopes to have a complex at their Neon Boneyard, using the old La Concha Motel, itself a piece of classic Vegas architecture thankfully saved from the wrecking ball, as a centerpiece. It's uncertain when the complex will open, but in the meantime, you can do a self-guided walking tour of sign installations in downtown. (Go to www.neonmuseum.org for information.)

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First Friday is a monthly arts, entertainment and social event that takes place only on the first Friday of every month. If you thought the concept was unique enough wait till you see the exhibits. There is visual and performing arts of all kinds to suit a wide range and variety of tastes. This fest involves the work of more than hundreds of artists which includes paintings, ceramics, photography, jewelry, textile arts, sculptures, hand-blown and fused glass. First Friday known as one of Las Vegas' best fest so don't miss it.

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The freshest & finest ingredients simply prepared – "The Italian Way" whether on the grill, tossed with Pasta or drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon… It's food brought to Life! Set in one of the most stunning restaurants ever created. The experience at NOVE is an extraordinary opportunity to feel directly connected to the richest culinary histories, period.

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Outfitted for guests looking to be transported to paradise, Margaritaville is the perfect place to dine out or even have a drink and socialize. While sitting in a tropical setting, you will sip from an over-sized, refreshing margarita and enjoy fajitas, barbecue ribs, fresh salmon, and much more. With the outdoors, tiki style décor, and friendly service, this restaurant brings locals and tourists together. Many private parties have been held here in the past, and both small and large groups can rent out the space for a pretty penny. Taking after the commercial atmosphere of Las Vegas, this restaurant even offers you the chance to buy a t-shirt, pair of flip-flops and interesting souvenirs on your way out.

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This buffet has often been voted number one in Las Vegas and while we wouldn't go that far, it certainly is top quality. Most of the seating is in plush booths. The buffet tables are laden with an extensive salad bar (about 50 items), fresh fruit, and marvelous desserts. Fresh seafood is featured every night. Most lavish is the all-day Sunday champagne brunch, which adds such dishes as eggs Benedict, blintzes, pancakes, creamed herring, and smoked fish with bagels and cream cheese.

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Las Vegas chef Andre Rochat's restaurant at the top of the Palms, Alize, is well-known for two things: the food and the view. Alize has received the AAA Four Diamond and a Michelin One Star for its French menu. No award exists for its fabulous view of Las Vegas, although diners may remember that as much as the food.

The menu changes seasonally, but selections generally include classic items: appetizers like foie gras, lobster salad, or escargots, and entrees like duck breast, veal, or filet mignon. An extensive cheese selection is available. An extensive selection of wines is available. Five-course and seven-course tasting menus are offered, as well as a la carte selections. The tasting menus start at $105.00 per person, and there is a $45.00 per person minimum.

The floor-to-ceiling windows give every table a view, and the décor is elegant—making Alize a good choice for a romantic, intimate dinner. The dress code is resort-style evening casual. Jackets and ties aren't required, but sweat suits and sneakers aren't acceptable. Alize opens at 5:30 p.m., and reservations are strongly suggested. 

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Food Network darling Bobby Flay has his fans and his detractors, and we aren't going to mediate that argument here, especially since the man isn't cooking in the kitchen any more often than most celebrity chefs in this town. More significantly, regardless of where you fall in the debate, this is a worthy restaurant, if, like so much in Vegas, a bit overpriced. Just about every well-spiced entree is over $30, and sometimes well over.

Still, there is so much that is fun here; blue-corn pancakes with barbeque duck, even the chicken quesadilla (made in a special dedicated oven) comes with garlic crème fraîche. Presentation is over the top -- yes, yes, this is playful food, we get it, now stop it -- but those who are a bit on the wimpy side when it comes to spices will appreciate how each entree comes with its own cooling element (the aforementioned crème fraîche, for example). Desserts are equally frivolous, though not particularly theme-intensive (unless you consider an exceptional raspberry and white-chocolate cheesecake "Southwestern"). Those wishing to try it without breaking the bank should either come at lunch or consider splitting appetizers as a light meal.

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Hugo's Cellar is indeed in a cellar, or at least below street level in the Four Queens hotel. No, they aren't ashamed of it -- quite the opposite. This is their pride and joy, and it is highly regarded by the locals. This is Old School Vegas Classy Dining. Each female guest is given a red rose when she enters the restaurant -- the first of a series of nice touches. The restaurant proper is dimly lit, lined with dark wood and brick. It's fairly intimate, but if you really want to be cozy, ask for one of the curtained booths against the wall.

The meal is full of ceremony, perfectly delivered by a well-trained and cordial waitstaff. Salads, included in the price, are prepared at your table, from a cart full of choices. In Vegas style, though, most choices are on the calorie-intensive side, ranging from chopped egg and bleu cheese to pine nuts and bay shrimp. Still, with a honey-orange-walnut vinaigrette, it's good enough to consider paying the $14 a la carte fee and just sticking with it. Unfortunately, the main courses are not all that novel (various cuts of meat, seafood, and chicken prepared in different ways), but on a recent visit, not one of six diners was anything less than delighted. The filet of beef stuffed with crabmeat and wrapped with bacon is over the top for us, but others loved it, while the roast duckling rubbed with anise and flambéed at the table is a guilty pleasure, just the right effect for this Old School Vegas dining experience. The T-bone steak was tender enough to cut with a fork. Vegetables and excellent starchy sides are included, as is a finish of chocolate-dipped fruits with cream.

The service is impeccable, and it really makes you feel pampered. The fact that salad, the small dessert, and so forth are included makes an initially hefty-seeming price tag appear a bit more reasonable, especially compared to Strip establishments that aren't much better and can cost the same for just the entree. While it's not worth going out of your way for the food (though here we admit that well-prepared Old School is better than careless nouvelle any day), perhaps it is worth it for the entire package.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best Nightclub in Vegas...Period.

Description:

XS at Encore is among Las Vegas's most popular and acclaimed clubs. Guests enjoy indoor and outdoor areas in this large, busy club. Inside, 5 bars serve customers. Outside, customers will find twenty-six two-story cabanas and 4 bars.

The elegant interior design incorporates gold in everything, including a gold-plated chandelier over the dance floor.

XS is a very popular club, and it has the lines to prove it. If you'd like to experience this Vegas ultra-club, plan ahead—check online to get on the guest list.  Naturally, XS has all the standard Vegas nightclub amenities: bottle service, go-go dancers, VIP areas, celebrities, and a roster of guest DJs and other performers. Check the club's website for a full calendar of events.

XS is closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Cover charge is $20 for women, $30 - $50 for men. The dress code is enforced here: nothing baggy or athletic, and no hats.

Our Local Expert Says:

Part of the New Cool scene on East Fremont.

Description:

When you think of "Vegas cocktail lounge," do red leather booths, fireplaces, and a juke box come to mind? If so, plan a visit to The Griffin in the Fremont East District. The Griffin combines aspects of both Old and New Vegas, attracting a crowd usually described as "hipster."

The Griffin is the anti-Strip, the kind of place with no cover and no bottle service that Las Vegas locals adore and that many tourists are thrilled to find. Expect to find moderate drink prices, indie music on the juke box, and a décor that might be described as "dingy chic."

The Fremont East District is busiest during First Friday, the Arts District's monthly street festival that livens up the entire downtown area. You may encounter a crowd at that time, but you're unlikely to during the rest of the month.

Description:

Located atop the trendy Palms Hotel Casino, Ghostbar's views of Las Vegas will probably have you snapping pictures to try and capture all those lights on the Strip. Unless, of course, you take a look down through the glass panel in the outdoor area's floor and decide that you'd be more comfortable inside.

Inside, the retro-futuristic décor gives customers plenty of places to sit and enjoy the club. Ghostbar isn't as dance-oriented as other Vegas nightclubs—maybe it's because of that incredible view. As with most trendy Vegas lounges and clubs, you may spot a few celebrities here. Stylish nightclub attire is required.

Passes and packages for the Palms nightclubs include entry to Ghostbar and other clubs at the Palms (Playboy Club, Rain, and Moon), and/or a selection of premium drinks. Their signature drink, the "ghostini," is Absolut, Midori, and a splash of sour.

Regular cover, without any passes or packages, is $20 - $30.

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Vegas Indoor Skydiving, is an indoor skydiving facility located in the heart of The Strip in Las Vegas. The individual experience's a sky dive through simulation. The chamber has trampoline floor and padded walls. This is done with the help of a vertical tunnel that shoots up air that supports the weight of an average individual, the result is the feeling of a free-fall from a plane. As the sky dive begins, individuals can experiences a free-fall from a plane without any plane or parachute.

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Everyone (ourselves not nearly least among them) scoffed when then-Bellagio owner Steve Wynn opened an art gallery on his fabulous property. Sure, Wynn's been a serious and respected fine-arts collector for years, and consequently there was good stuff on display (though there are no masterpieces, there certainly are serious works by masters), but who would go see art in Las Vegas? Tons of tourists, as it happens, so many that they had to almost immediately relocate the gallery to a larger space.

When the MGM MIRAGE company bought Wynn's empire, the future of the gallery, which did rely on his collection (he took most of it with him), was in doubt. Surprise again, you scoffers (and that again includes us). The gallery is not only open again, but it's also getting written up by real art critics, thanks in part to such well-chosen shows as Warhol, Monet, Picasso ceramics, and Ansel Adams retrospectives, and an exhibit from the collection of none other than Steve Martin -- yes, we mean the stand-up-comedian-turned-actor-turned-playwright/author. See, he's a longtime, well-respected collector, too, and, consequently, there were real-life reviewers, hushed with happy reverence, who took the entire show seriously indeed.

Now, will there be as interesting a show when you go? Beats us. (When we wrote this, it was a collection of American Modernism organized with Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.) Then there's that ticket price. Do let us point out that the Louvre -- needless to say, quite a bit larger and with, one can safely say, some notable works -- is about $5 cheaper than the entry fee to this museum.