Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Quiet Las Vegas? I'm not kidding!

If you love to party... but want to be able to "turn it off" at times, there is more to Vegas than the circus-like atmosphere of The Strip. As I wrote about a year ago in my Quieter Side of Las Vegas blog post, there are hotels or sections of hotel complexes where you don't need to wade through throngs of gamblers in a cavernous casinos to get to the elevator to your room. A good example is the new Palazzo Towers at the Venetian. It features a private off-Strip entrance and quiet elegance - still you are just a 5-minute walk to the main attractions of the Venetian. Link back to that post for descriptions of such meccas as THE hotel at Mandalay Bay or the Signature Towers adjacent to the MGM Grand.

On my visit last week, I ventured out to Lake Las Vegas and the incomparable Ritz-Carlton Resort Hotel. This place is magnificent! (What else would you expect from Ritz-Carlton?) The casino is not actually in the hotel, but is adjacent as part of the Italian Village with numerous restaurants and shops. So, you can have the excitement that most go to Las Vegas for - when you want it! And, for a night on The Strip for a major show or just to go for the whole enchilada, you only have a 25 minute drive. I stopped at the Ritz-Carlton for breakfast before playing the incredible Reflection Bay Golf Club. All through my stay in the dining room everybody - even the bus boys - addressed me by name. OK, so that's just very good training. Right? Here 's where they go way beyond training... I walked around the property and the Village including the lakeside stage where Andrea Bochelli performed a couple years ago. Almost an hour later, I came back through the restaurant and again was greeted by name by the hostess. That's cool!

The other Resort Hotel at "the Lake" is Loew's. It's not a bad place but, with the R-C just down the road, don't bother. Very confining since the Reflection Bay golf course wraps around it. There is no comparison! Whatever the price, the Ritz-Carlton is well worth it!

Cheers,

Dick


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