By Valentina Zuric
Las Vegas, the most visited city in America, is filled with the glitz and glam that any tourist or supreme local can enjoy. It is a city overflowing with high rollers set on receiving the best of Vegas on a silver platter. While the luxurious choices in Vegas may seem as abundant as slot machines, What’s Haute Las Vegas breaks down your best bets for hotels, nightclubs, entertainment, and more. We deliver the lowdown on the things and places that make Vegas haute this year.
TAO NIGHTCLUB
From its lush velvets and silks, to its hand-carved 16-foot Buddha, Tao Nightclub has changed the face of Vegas nightlife while drawing the biggest names in the world, with a celebrity list ranging from Paris Hilton to Bono. Its newest addition is Tao Beach, open daily from 10 a.m. to sunset, with a staff of masseuses, tanning butlers, and catered lunches. On Saturday nights, Tao Beach is complete with a pool light show and floating Chinese lanterns, and according to Anne-Marie Whitmore-Zepeda, concierge at the Four Seasons, “Tao at the Venetian is the place to be.”
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
Many people have described this Cirque du Soleil as a transformative experience, putting the spect-acular at number one. As a vibrant kaleidoscope of powerful athleticism, the jaw-dropping show also includes a mixture of circus-style gymnastics and acrobatics, and hydraulic staging with ethereal music, making this Cirque du Soleil production awe-inspiring. Deemed as the “flower in the desert” by Guy Laliberté, founder and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, the production includes a cast of 75 international artists, ranging from a mischievous clown to an electrifying red bird. With tickets starting at $60, guests are advised to get there early in order to appreciate the majestic stage and antics that happen before the show begins.
BLUSH
At the former location of Lure, casino developer Steve Wynn and nightclub operator Sean Christie have partnered to create Blush Boutique Nightclub, which opened Labor Day weekend. Blush Boutique Nightclub is known as the first boutique in Las Vegas, offering “a unique option to the Las Vegas scene as the club seamlessly transforms from elegant lounge to high-energy nightclub,” says Christie.
THE VENETIAN
The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, one of the world’s premier destination resort casinos, is an all-suite hotel located on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, offering guests three levels of suite accommodations to satisfy various tastes and styles. The splendid décor is inspired by Venice, Italy, offering suberb European-style suites, service, amenities, and special entertainment and dining such as Tao Nightclub, Tao Beach, and Tao Restaurant. According to Rob Goldstein, president and chief officer of The Venetian, “The Venetian is one of the most luxurious properties in Las Vegas,” with exemplary service and extraordinary accommodations.
SHADOW CREEK
Sculpted from the Nevada desert by renowned architect Tom Fazio, Shadow Creek is a private golf course only available to the highest rollers staying at one of the MGM resorts. The restrained golf etiquette is a large part of why golf in Las Vegas is so haute, especially to A-list celebrities. And while Caesars Palace’s elite guests can play at the Cascata, an über high-end course filled with important individuals, the big spenders at the Harrah’s properties are golfing at the Rio Seco, another high-end prestigious golf course. Yet, only a select number of individuals from one of the MGM resorts will have the ability to play at Shadow Creek, and are readily waiting to shell out $500 for each round.
CARL’S JR.
The Palms, a Maloof Casino Resort, is set to steal the mantle of the “most expensive burger in town,” from Mandalay Bay’s Fleur de Lys restaurant. The Maloofs are going to trump the $5,000 Fleur burger with a $6,000 Carl’s Jr. hamburger, available via room service and in the coffee shop. Like the Fleur Burger, the sandwich will be served with a bottle of 1982 French Bordeaux. The 25-year-old bottle of wine pairs nicely with Angus beef, fresh produce, melted American cheese and a fresh, sesame seed bun. Horrible in concept, but excellent in execution, the $6,000 Carl’s Jr. Combo Meal even throws in the fries for free.
TRYST
Imagine this: You’re descending down an elegant staircase into a 12,000-square foot nightclub, and into one of the most enticing atmospheres in Las Vegas-Tryst nightclub. As you luxuriate near the 100-foot beautiful waterfall, you can’t help but notice all of the gorgeous people surrounding you in the $2.7 Wynn Las Vegas. The partially open-aired lake front venue is well-known among locals, offering its table customers some of the best service of any Las Vegas nightclub. With the combination of Vegas style and sophistication, the intimate ambiance of Tryst enables the nightclub to seduce, summon, and promise an amazing time. Who could ask for more?
RESTAURANT GUY SAVOY
An experience so transcendent it’s poetic, Restaurant Guy Savoy is taking Las Vegas fine dining to extraordinary new heights. With a dinner for two just under $1000, Guy Savoy, located on the second floor of the Augustus Tower in Caesars Palace, offers an enviable view of the Roman Plaza. According to poker pro and early Microsoft employee, Richard Brodie, “The tip for two at Guy Savoy is more than most families of four spend on dinner. It’s a paradise for the gourmet and the expense-account owner, but the day of the bargain is gone.” Guy’s charismatic cooking fills your plate with festive culinary creations, baring ones soul to an undeniably delicious standard. Given his penchant for fine dining, it comes as no surprise that Guy’s restaurant is one of the only six nominated for the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant for 2006, and the only Las Vegas restaurant included in the bunch.
CAESARS PALACE
Since 1966, Caesars Palace has been reflecting Roman decadence with lavish colonnades and pillars, and gigantic faux-marble Roman statues. Their staff is attired in gladiator outfits, and the rooms, with accommodations occupying five towers, keep to the Greco-Roman theme with floor-to-ceiling windows and luxurious marble floor bathrooms. The hotel holds a reputation for superior in-house restaurants, indulging guests with such great dining as the Hyakumi, Spago, and The Palm. And after its $100-million renovation of the Garden of the Gods, Caesars Palace has created a “Caesaresque” masterpiece, including three pools measuring 22,000-square feet. The Forum Shops and The Caesars Spa are also wonderful amenities, and if you’re in the spirit, visit the 4,000-seat Coliseum, a replica of the original building in Rome, built for one purpose only-for diva Celine Dion to perform.
RITZ CARLTON
The Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas is an unexpected oasis where the desert gives way to a sparkling lake situated 17 miles from the strip on Lake Las Vegas. The hotel is the best option for those looking for a resort experience, with mountain and desert views adjacent to a Jack Nicklaus signature design 18-hole golf course. The AAA Five Diamond resort offers 349 rooms and suites with views of the largest man-made lake in the United States. In addition, romantics can treat their significant other to the exclusive “Love at Lake Las Vegas.” A package worth $100,000, one of the most expensive to be offered by the resort, it includes a yacht, helicopter, and gondola ride, a champagne bath, dozens of roses, diamonds, and much more.
