Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Flamingo Hotel Review – Las Vegas
Owned and operated by Harrah’s Entertainment, the Flamingo Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The site, which occupies
40 acres, was originally owned by one of the first settlers of Las Vegas, Charles “Pops” Squires. He paid $8.75 an acre for the land. In 1944, Margaret Folsom bought the tract of land for $7,500. She later sold it to William R. “Billy” Wilkerson, who owned Café Trocadero, Ciro’s and LaRue’s, located on the Sunset Strip. He liked exotic birds, and had seen the pink flamingos when he traveled to Florida.
Wilkerson purchased 33 acres of land, located south of the Las Vegas Frontier, so that he could build a hotel. His hotel would include a casino, nightclub, restaurant, indoor shops, and a health club with steam rooms and a gym. He didn’t have enough funds to complete his vision. On February 26, 1949 Wilkerson formed a partnership with a man who introduced himself as Harry Rothberg. In reality, this led to “Bugsy” Siegel, his partner, opening the Flamingo for a total cost of $6 million on December 26, 1946.
Entertainment at the opening of the Flamingo included Xavier Cugar, George Jessel and Jimmy Durante. Unfortunately, the opening was a disaster. The crowds of celebrities “Bugsy” Siegel hoped for didn’t materialize. The desert’s first air-conditioning system kept breaking down, and the luxury rooms being built to attract people to stay at the hotel weren’t ready. Also, the chefs, waiters, bartenders, etc. weren’t experienced. Within two weeks of its opening, the Flamingo was almost $300,000 in debt. The entire operation was shut down in late January, 1947.
Through the years, the Flamingo Hotel has been renovated and enlarged. One pf the more recent features of the Flamingo hotel was the addition of a Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville nightclub. There are now over 3,500 rooms, which have been upgraded. Prices vary from $75 for the smaller rooms to $350 and up for suites. Timeshare suites are also available. Children under the age of twelve stay for free in their parents’ room. Some rooms are designed based on the old retro Rat Pack theme (a reminder of the days of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin), and have hot pink accent walls. You can find hot pink lights, TV screens set into the mirrors and iPod stations in the bathrooms.
The Flamingo offers eight restaurants, several bars, and a rather large casino. Shows by the Second City are featured as a nightly event. If you are traveling with your family, the Flamingo Paradise Garden Buffet offers good food.
Enjoy leisure time at any one of five beautiful outdoor pools, three night-lit tennis courts, or the health club and spa. There are also whirlpools, water slides, many fountains, and actual live groups of the exotic flamingos on islands around the hotel. In addition to these birds visitors will also be greeted by the sight of swans, ducks and koi fish that swim in the ponds. The health club provides a variety of machines, including treadmills and stair machines, for just $20 a day.
Take advantage of spa services, which include massages, facials, and full body wraps. This modernized hotel also offers 24-hour room service, and laundry and dry cleaning services. You can even find wedding chapels within the hotel. Where else can you find so many varied activities, and a rich history!
Bellagio Hotel and Casino Las Vegas
The Bellagio Casino is a big favorite with poker lovers. The Casino has made a name for itself for the heavy elite bets which its high roller games draw. The best poker halls in the Bellagio include Bobby’s poker room which has been named after the world poker champion Bobby Baldwin; in addition to this the hotel also host several other gaming rooms and events such as the club drive, slots, table games and many other such activities which become the primary hangouts for all poker lovers and gamers who stay at the Bellagio. Also, the high table limits in the poker rooms pull a huge crowd of poker players from all over the world.
The Fountains of Bellagio are known all over the world for their magnificence and beauty and any and everyone who comes to Las Vegas must see this spectacular show!
When the fountains of the Bellagio dance to the music of popular Broadway scores, they are soothing and exciting to watch and a spectacular delight for the whole family to enjoy. The fountain show is choreographed with automatic computerized lights and music and is one of the world’s best musical fountains. The fountains are set in a lake of fresh water and mesmerize the audience with its brilliant mix of light and music. Some of the music used is well known numbers such as the background scores in many films like the one in the film Ocean’s Thirteen.
Mr. Steve Wynn, Chairman of Mirage Resorts, was the person who conceived and designed the fountains of the Bellagio. The complex, choreographic structure of the fountains will stand as a testament to his skill and as a masterpiece model for all the future works on fountain shows. The Dancing waters at the Bellagio mark the highest entertainment for all age groups visiting the hotel.
Another crowd pleaser and entertainer of the masses in the “Bellagio Surprise” which is an travel package offered by the hotel includes the world renowned Cirque du Soleil’s aquatic production of the “O” show. This theatric and acrobatic performance of dance, acrobatics, music and water form a fluid entertaining session. It is a unique piece of the entire Bellagio experience. The aquatic troupe of world renowned acrobats, divers and swimmers are sure to capture the attention of the gazing crowd with their exhilarating performance.
In addition to the entertainment available, there is also the actual hotel and its exquisite amenities which will certainly make your stay here an experience in luxury.
To stay at the Bellagio is yet another splendid experience and must not be missed if you can afford it. Get some rest and relaxation in one of the finest luxurious rooms in the Spa tower where the luxurious steam bath will add its worth for your money. One of the best rooms in the hotel is the spacious room in the main tower which is sure to leave any guest enchanted and delighted at their stay.
Although the rooms are expensive and a stay here probably designed for an elite group of the rich and famous, it is also possible for the average planner to find an equal share of the Bellagio experience and stay at the hotel for more reasonable prices especially if they take advantage of some of the seasonal packages and offers.
Multi-Tasking Las Vegas Tours for Short Trips
When you have limited time in Las Vegas, tours that combine destinations are your best bet for being able to see everything possible. These tours are usually very good for the budget, as well, since you are paying for one Las Vegas tour and getting the opportunity to see a variety of places for one price. If you check it out, you will often save quite a bit of money doing things this way.
Two of the biggest Las Vegas tour destinations are the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam/Lake Mead. So if you are wanting to see these, it´s a good idea to check out the possibility of taking just one tour to see both destinations. For many, this is the best way to go about taking in the Las Vegas sights in a short vacation.
When it comes down to it, you probably won´t want to take any Las Vegas tours that require driving for long periods of time. The majority of these multi-tasking tours use helicopters to get you quickly from one place to another, so they might not be great option if you are afraid of flying. On the other hand, it´s an excellent way to enjoy a helicopter ride!
Las Vegas tours are so varied that you are bound to find something that you like. The more places you can go in one tour, the more money and time you´ll save.
Las Vegas Skydiving – Don’t Hesitate Just Do It!
Ok so you have decided to pack your bags and head to the city of sin, Las Vegas. You have been waiting for a vacation for a while now and you want to take full advantage of what the city of lights have to offer. How about coming home to your friends and family with a skydiving story?
Skydiving can be a great way to have an amazing experience in Las Vegas that would include some real outside of the box activities. This tandem skydiving jump would be done with a professional instructor so you can ensure a safe and peaceful fall just in time to grab some dinner and cocktails. Experience a fall for one full minute followed by a controlled decent with your instructor tightly strapped in. Nowhere in Las Vegas will you be able to experience spectacular views like this high above the cities sidewalks. This will be an experience to remember and something you can someday tell your grandchildren. You will be equipped with all the proper and necessary equipment and gear to make your jump a safe jump. You will also have the option have your entire jump recorded onto a DVD so that you view it at a later date. All tours depart from the Tropicana Resort and Casino and drop off will also be at the same location.
People sometimes spend their whole lives talking about how they want to go sky diving but now is your time to stop talking and actually doing it. Having the DVD can allow your family and friends to watch and see how amazing the jump was. Skydiving can be single handedly one of the most breathtaking and exhilarating things you do. Why not do it visiting Las Vegas.