Lodging

For most of the past decade, while the Las Vegas Strip has become more and more upscale, downtown Vegas has been home to the cheap rooms housed in the older hotels. Classic Vegas, as it were.

Golden Nugget Rush Tower Exterior

The one exception has been the Golden Nugget and this month, they have upped the scales even further by opening the new luxe Rush Tower.

This $150-million addition to the hotel adds 500 extra rooms, which are 20 percent larger than the rest of the property’s rooms. It also has four Penthouse Suites and 70 Junior Corner suites. The rooms themselves feature pillow-top mattresses, feather down comforters, plasma screen televisions in both the bedroom and bath area, and oversized deep soaking bathtubs with raintree showers, among other luxe touches.

Other amenities the new tower brings to the Golden Nugget are new upscale boutique stores, a lobby casino and a two-level infinity-edge pool area that adjoins the third level of The Tank, a shark tank water-slide swimming pool that has been voted one of the best pools in America.

The Rush Tower also houses the new Chart House Restaurant, an upscale seafood eatery that offers seating for 200 in a aqua-colored room accented by a 75,000-gallon fish tank that can also been seen in the separate lobby area of the tower.

Rush Tower King Room at the Golden Nugget Las Vegas

Rates for standard Rush Tower rooms start around $129 for midweek stays, though that may drop a little once the newness of the addition wears off.

The Golden Nugget sits right on Fremont Street, so there is easy access to all the fun stuff downtown, including the free nightly entertainment provided by the Fremont Street Experience.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Golden Nugget Hotel
129 E. Fremont St.
Las Vegas, NV 89101
800-846-5336

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[images courtesy Golden Nugget Las Vegas]

I love Las Vegas and one of my favorite places to stay is Mandalay Bay. But I don’t get to do it often since nightly rates tend to be $100 or more even on a weeknight, pricing it twice as expensive as, say, the neighboring Luxor.

So imagine my surprise when I received an email that the golden resort that anchors the south end of The Strip was offering rooms starting at just $66 a night through January 31, 2010.

Want to stay at Mandalay’s sister suite resort THEhotel at Mandalay Bay? This same package starts at $89 a night.

And that’s not all! Not only do you get the low rate, but the deal comes with a $25 resort credit (good on dining and entertainment), 30% off Disney’s Lion King tickets, 50% off a suite upgrade, 2-4-1 lunch at House of Blues, and a Buy-1-Get-2nd-50% off discount on spa treatments.

Now, there is a two night minimum with this package, regardless of which property you stay at, but that still puts a stay at this great Vegas resort priced less than you’d normally pay for one room-only night.

Lest you think this is one of those hard to book promo deals, I found several weeks of the $66 rate in November and December 2009. January 2010 only has a few nights at this ultra-low rate, but there are also several dates priced at a still amazing $70 or $80 rate.

To get this deal, visit Mandalay Bay online (click the Book Room Reservation button) or call 877-632-7800 and use promotional code PRFCT1 for Mandalay Bay or PRFCT2 for THEhotel. There is a similar package on the resort’s website using promo code PRFCT3, but rates start at $89 a night with that one, so definitely try the other two codes first.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[Photo: Michelle Snow]

It felt like we’d been driving for hours to find the turn-off road. Of course my traveling companion had to take an alternate route from the directions on the website, but still, how far out was this place?  Quite far as it turns out. But we eventually ended up at our destination, the Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino near San Diego.

Barona Valley Ranch Resort - Front View

The resort is very upscale, and seems themed after a Texas oil baron ranch. We had a two-bed queen room and it was spacious with a equally large-sized bathroom. It also came with in-room Wi-Fi and small touches like slippers for use during the stay. Each room also had a small standing-room balcony. Ours looked out towards the back of the resort, where the desert gave way to a lush designed golf course.

My companion had a spa treatment scheduled shortly after we arrived, so we headed up to the AmBience Day Spa on the 7th floor. I opted to sit out on spa’s larger balcony and watch the sun set over the hills, sipping some tea before supper. Very relaxing.

We ate at the Oaks Steakhouse, which is actually located in the casino building next door. Service there was impeccable – quite possibly the best we received the entire trip, aside from the spa personnel. After every dish, crumbs were instantly whisked off the table, and after my friend’s napkin fell to the floor, the server immediately gave her a new one without her even saying a word. That kind of attention to detail was wonderful to experience. The food was excellent, too, with everything cooked to order. Expect average entree prices in the $20-$30 range, and they do have a dress code.

Barona Valley Ranch Resort - Two Queen-Bed Room

Neither of us were huge gamblers, which is probably why we didn’t thoroughly enjoy our stay. The resort, which is operated by the Barona band of Mission Indians, is located on reservation land, and as such, it is so far away from the heart of San Diego (the nearest major city) that if you’re not here for the casino action, there’s really not much else to do.

It was also a bit inconvenient to have to go to a totally separate building for our dining options, even with the walkway. I was also a bit mystified that they made the resort building so nice looking, but the casino was housed in a barn-themed building.

Basically, as nice as the resort was, there’s no reason to stay here if you don’t want to gamble or play golf or just enjoy being in a luxury hotel in the middle of nowhere. But if you’re in Southern California – more specifically the San Diego/Temecula area – and want to get away for some peace and quiet with some gambling mixed in, this would be the perfect place to do it.

Weekday room rates start at $129, with weekends starting at $219.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino
1932 Wildcat Canyon Rd
Lakeside, CA 92040
619-443-2300 or 888-722-7662

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[photos courtesy Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino]

I was beginning to think I was going to need a GPS unit to find The Orleans lobby.

Mardi Gras Lobby at The Orleans Las Vegas

Theoretically, I should have been able to just follow along the wall from the self-park garage and with a few left turns, I would have been at the lobby. What I hadn’t taken into account is the sheer size of the hotel or the labyrinth layout of the casino floor.

After about 15 minutes, though, I did find the front desk, checked-in without difficulty (after another 15 minutes waiting in line) and headed up to my room with my friend.

Even though The Orleans is an older hotel, located just west of the Strip, it has been upkept relatively well. My room looked more mid-70s Americana motel than the Mardi Gras theme of the public areas of the resort, but the two of us had plenty of room in our two queen-bed room with sitting area. The room itself was clean, if sparsely decorated. The bathroom was separated from the bedroom/sitting area by a sliding door and featured a tub/shower combo, though the air ventilation system seemed to have seen better days. Opening the tiny window above the tub did help.

Two Queen-Bed Room at The Orleans Las Vegas

Our third floor view was of the parking garage, as if to mock us getting lost, but I’m sure higher floors would have a view of the mountains since we were facing west. Ask for a room on one of the upper floors facing the Strip, if a view truly matters to you. I’m told some of the rooms do feature an updated decor, so you may with to request that, as well.

The Orleans has outsourced many of its dining options to chains like TGIFridays (must give props to the all-day happy hour with its $1.50 cheeseburger sliders for cheap eats) and Fuddruckers, but its Mexican restaurant Don Miguels had 2-for-1 specials on margaritas and fajitas the day we stayed and both were pretty tasty.

Amenities offered at the hotel include an outdoor pool, a spa, an 18-screen movie theater and a 70-lane bowling alley. It also offers complimentary scheduled shuttle service to The Strip. For those looking for on-site entertainment, The Orleans Arena and Showroom venues offer everything from sporting events to national music and comedy headliners,

Considering I nabbed the room for only $27 (plus tax) a night midweek via an online promotion on The Orleans website, I probably shouldn’t nitpick. But I would be remiss if I didn’t call them out on the fact that not only is their high-speed internet not Wi-Fi (I hate being tethered to a desk) but they charge $12.99/day for it. I was also upset that they tacked on a $5/day “resort fee” at check-in to cover the “free” unlimited local calling and such, as well as put a $100 hold on my credit card, which was refunded at check-out. Neither was disclosed when I booked the room.

I would stay here again, if I could nab another low rate. But with Vegas room rates what they are nowadays, you might want to look at nearby Strip properties like Excalibur for special deals, first.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Orleans Hotel & Casino
4500 W. Tropicana Ave
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
800-ORLEANS (800-675-3267) or 702-365-7111

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Considering how much money the MGM Mirage company is investing in removing all traces of Egyptian-theming from its Luxor property in Las Vegas, I find it ironic that this last week they would announce they are opening a new MGM Grand resort in the country of Egypt.

The 550-room MGM Grand New Giza will be located just outside of the capital city of Cairo, with views of the legendary pyramids.

In a deal made with a company called New Giza For Real Estate Development that is developing a luxury, mixed-use community on the outskirts of Cairo, MGM Mirage will partner in building the newest MGM Grand property.

“It’s a great opportunity for the company to leverage our brands and reach out to our guests who have come to know and love our brands in their own countries and in their own cities,” Gamal Aziz, MGM Mirage Hospitality chief executive officer and president, said in a press release.

The goal is to have the Egyptian resort open by 2013.

MGM Mirage owns the MGM Grand Las Vegas and the MGM Grand Detroit. It also has a licensing agreement with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns and operates the MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Connecticut.

The company also owns and operates the MGM Grand Macau in a 50-50 partnership.

Besides Egypt, MGM Grand properties are in various stages of development in Vietnam, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and China, where the company has agreements to build two.

My husband, Dan Dion is a photographer who travels a lot for business leaving me solo with my two kids, aged four and one. This time, I got smart and roped him in to guest blogging for me. Here is his take on the Rio Hotel in Vegas.

I’m not a big VEGAS guy. I can usually handle it for two or three days, tops. Gambling…I’m sorry…”gaming” isn’t really my thing, though I can kill a fair amount of time with video poker while sucking back beers and watching sports.

So I was actually looking forward this trip because I was only going to be there for one night. I had a photo shoot with Penn Jillette- the mouthier, bombastic half of comedy/magic/illusionist duo Penn and Teller, who have an ongoing show at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.

Having mostly been there on weekends previously, I was curious what Vegas was like on a Tuesday in the off-season. Would the cream rise to the top, or would the worst features stand out? Turns out it was a little of both.

As an “all-suite” hotel, The Rio delivers at a great price. My room was just $70 and enormous. There was a comfortable king-sized bed, a couple of couches, and a bathroom larger than some hotel rooms I’ve stayed in in New York for three times the price. There was both a stocked mini-bar refrigerator, as well as another one for personal foodstuffs. My biggest beef? No WiFi, which in this day and age is like having a hotel without running water. DSL was available via a cable (a cable is a plastic-encased wire that “plugs in” to a computer) for $10 a day.

But suite or no suite, Vegas is not meant to be spent in one’s room, and I had an hour or so before my shoot, so I want to explore the hotel. Rio’s theme is Carnival, which is a better concept than, say, Venice, for a Las Vegas casino. I just think scantily clad cocktail waitresses go better with modern festive Brazil than the Renaissance. But then I’m a history buff.

The staff at the theater couldn’t have been more different. The box office was very polite, and the bartender was gregarious and joking with almost every customer. It had been over 15 years since I’d seen Penn and Teller, and was pleasantly surprised that their show is actually much more nuanced and low-tech than when I’d seen their “Broadway” show at The Curran Theater in San Francisco. It is truly one of the most sophisticated comedic shows in Vegas.

The show let out around ten, and I expected that I would have many choices for a late dinner. Not so. Although there are more than ten restaurants and cafes in the hotel, at that hour on a Tuesday my options were bleak. RUB BBQ? Closed. All American Bar & Grille? Sign said “Open Late Night”, but not serving. McFadden’s Irish Bar? Transformed from pub into a raunchy Karaoke bar. It seemed my only choice for a proper meal was the Sao Paulo Cafe, which had about as much charm and ambiance as a hospital cafeteria.

To be fair, there were amenities I did not avail myself of- Bret Michaels’ Tattoo Parlor, The Chippendales beefcake review, the popular seafood buffet, and the stunning rooftop bar I’d experienced many years ago, the view from which is the single greatest advantage to staying off the strip.

Dejectedly, I found a Wetzel’s Pretzels, and had a pretzel dog for dinner. I was in bed by 11:30, somewhat ashamed, but not for doing anything naughty, the way Vegas promises I will.

Photos by Dan Dion