Business Travel Guide: Las Vegas, Nevada
Las
Vegas
isn't just a place where people come to play, it's also a sophisticated, well-oiled convention-center machine. In addition to the monstrous Las Vegas Convention center, almost all hotel casinos have their own vast areas for meetings, so it's no wonder Vegas
hosts some of the largest and
most widely attended conferences in North America. In Vegas,
virtually all business is show business. The local economy,
driven by hotels, gaming and recreation, accounts for 80 percent
of Nevada's taxable revenue, and seven of the city's
top ten employers are casinos. Now that's entertainment. |
Facts
to Know Before You Go |
Transportation:
Rental
Cars – Most of what happens in Vegas happens
on the Strip or Downtown, and almost anything is a short
cab, limo or monorail-ride away. For business in neighboring
areas, like Henderson's Lake Las Vegas, we recommend
a rental car. Most national car rental chains such as
Avis, Budget and Hertz can be found at Las Vegas McCarran
International Airport. |
Taxis
and Shuttles – Taxis are metered and accept
credit card payments. A ride from the airport to the top
of the Strip will run you about $16, but expect to pay
between $20 and $25 for a trip Downtown. For those willing
to share an airport shuttle with up to 20 passengers,
a ride from a hotel on the Strip can be
less than $10. |
Limousines – Limousines are a popular way to travel in Vegas
and can be arranged at the airport without reservations.
The minimum fare is generally around $35. |
Monorail – The Las
Vegas Monorail travels the entire length of the strip
from the Sahara to the MGM Grand.
It runs between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday through Sunday. A single ride costs $5, and passes good for up to three days are available. |
Information:
Ready to book a trip now?
Click here for exclusive savings. |
Set
within twenty lushly landscaped acres with a sprawling courtyard
as its centerpiece, this all-suite resort offers a quiet
alternative to the Strip's bustle. Although within
walking distance of the Strip, the property is casino-free. There's not a slot machine in sight. Some of the
suites are two stories with fireplaces, and all feature
European wet bars, high-speed Internet access and refrigerators.
On-site facilities include a bar and grill, a fully equipped
health spa and an exercise room. This property is popular
among business travelers for its audio-visual and secretarial
services as well as its flexible meeting space for up
to 1,600 people.
 |
Since it opened in 1966, Caesars Palace has been practically synonymous with Las Vegas, and this Las Vegas icon survives thanks to its ability to constantly reinvent itself. New towers, such as the most recent Augustus Tower, keep going up around the property, adding to the over 3,300 rooms onsite. The Augustus Tower rooms themselves are modern and luxurious with amenities such as 42-inch plasma screen TVs and oversized soaking tubs for optimum relaxation. Some 240,000 square feet of meeting and convention space houses events and gatherings of all sizes, with rich appointments for a truly executive feel. Entertainment is always top notch, with headliners such as Bette Midler or Cher in residence at the Colosseum (see Off the Clock section). Dining can be as casual or as formal as you choose, with options such as Payard Patisserie & Bistro, California-inspired cuisine from Bradley Ogden, New York's legendary Rao's and Restaurant Guy Savoy.
Four Seasons took a gamble and opened the only non-gaming
hotel on the Strip, occupying the top four floors of
Mandalay Bay. In this haven, you'll find a serene lobby
lounge, one of the best spas on the Strip and a gorgeous
tranquil pool. Dining
includes the Verandah for indoor/outdoor meals plus high tea every afternoon.
Guest rooms feature special touches such as bathrobes
and L'Occitane bathroom amenities (Bulgari in the suites).
All rooms also come with wireless Internet access,
DVD players and video conferencing capabilities. Couple
these in-room amenities with secretarial services, translation
assistance and meeting rooms with wireless Internet,
and you have the best business hotel in Vegas.
Opened by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian in 1968 as
the International, this hotel pioneered some of
Las Vegas' top entertainment, including Barbra
Streisand and Elvis Presley. Adjacent to the Las
Vegas Convention Center, the hotel now draws a large
business crowd. Its own 220,000-square-foot meeting
space includes the pillar-free Conrad and Barron
rooms that seat nearly 9,000 guests. Among amenities
in the 3,000-plus rooms are high-speed Internet
connections and visual strobes for the hearing impaired.
A high-tech business center also offers shipping,
binding and computer rentals in addition to the
expected copying and fax services. Among the many
dining options are Benihana and the Hilton Steakhouse.
The
63-acre resort re-creates the romance, Old-World
charm and festival-like atmosphere of old Venice.
Rooms, the most spacious in town, are done in a
rich blend of burgundy and gold with velvet-canopied
beds and floral armoires. Even larger, suites have
sunken living rooms and enormous marble bathrooms.
All rooms have high-speed Internet access, while a business center provides computer rentals, shipping
services and photocopies. |
|
HOTEL SPECIALS
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort & Casino
This beautifully renovated resort hotel is serene, located on the lake amidst the trees of the North Shore. It has been reinvented as a 1920s style lodge, with high beam ceilings, overstuffed chairs and huge fireplaces. more... |
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|
American/French/Contemporary
16/20
$$$$$ |
Dine
at this Mandalay
Bay restaurant just to see the unique four-story wine
tower. Showgirl-style wine "angels" ascend the
tower with the help of cables and pulleys to choose your
trophy bottle. The changing menu features
small plates to share, such as scallop ceviche with crispy shallots and a spicy Serrano vinaigrette, or rich and savory beef tortellini in a truffle port wine sauce. Choosing dessert may be difficult—the
chocolate torte with a warm liquid center is tempting,
but wouldn't it be fun to order one of the notable
dessert wines and watch the "angel" rappel the
tower to get your choice? |
|
Steakhouse/Contemporary
15/20
$$$$$ |
There seems to be a Wolfgang Puck restaurant in almost every hotel on the Strip, but none have received more fanfare than CUT at The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino. CUT is Puck's steakhouse concept gussied up with contemporary treatments. From 35-day dry-aged prime steaks from Nebraska to true, beautifully marbled Japanese Wagyu, this is some of the best beef you'll find in Las Vegas. Non-steak entrées include double chops of Kurobuta pork, and fresh big-eye tuna. Sweet endings to the meal include fruity cherry beignets and creamy almond panna cotta. |
|
Seafood/Contemporary
17/20
$$$$$ |
This
elegant restaurant delivers among the very best cutting-edge
cuisine on the Strip. How such pristine dishes manage
to explode with flavor wows us every time. It's
difficult to pick an entrée when the choices range
from smoked bacon and herb-crusted turbot with fingerling
potatoes to a truffle butter-poached wild salmon with
shrimp and pea lasagna. We therefore suggest ordering
a five-course tasting menu, one of which is vegetarian.
That's the fastest way to attain Michael Mina bliss.
Among à la carte sweet finales are a dessert sampler,
and a chocolate cheesecake.
|
|
French/Contemporary
18/20
$$$$$ |
Famed
chef Julian Serrano left San Francisco for the Bellagio's
contemporary restaurant, where guests are surrounded by
Picassos—not reprints, but $50 million worth of the
real thing. What's on the plate is dramatically
presented and delicious. Surrender to such delicacies
as warm lobster salad with mangoes; langoustine pulled
live from a tank, then grilled and drizzled with porcini
oil; sautéed foie gras with Madeira sauce; squab
breast cut into tiny slices and moistened with jus spooned
from a tiny copper pot; and truffle-crusted lamb with
Parmesan potatoes. In a town full of splendid fine-dining
restaurants, this one is hard to top. |
Wine aficionado Piero Selvaggio, whose restaurants are
renowned for their superb wine lists, has decorated his
stylish Valentino as a monument to its 24,000 wines from
around the world. Located inside The
Venetian, the furnishings and artifacts are, appropriately,
from Italy, including the terrazzo flooring, Venetian
glass lighting and soft leather chairs. Among the
imaginative appetizers, we like the crab salad with warm
artichokes in a fig-balsamic sauce. Main courses include
striped bass with saffron sauce and veal osso buco with
saffron rice. To make the most of a splendid dinner here,
we suggest choosing one of the multi-course tasting menus. |
Cher at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace
3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Flamingo Rd.)
702-731-7604
www.harrahs.com
There are some 4,300 seats in the Colosseum and Cher fills almost every single one of them during her shows. Joined onstage by eighteen dancers and aerialists, Cher puts on a high-energy show of her greatest hits, including "Believe" and "If I Could Turn Back Time," in some of the most dazzling, breathtaking costumes—even by Vegas-showgirl standards.
"O" - Cirque du Soleil
Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Flamingo Rd.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-693-8105
www.cirquedusoleil.com
Cirque du Soleil promotes its spectacular "O" as an aquatic celebration of life, love and death. And oh, what a celebration it is! Taking its name and theme from the French word eau for water, the extraordinarily talented cast performs in, on and above the water in a show that dazzles all the senses with its colorful tableaus and state-of-the-art synchronization, backed by the magnificent music of a ten-piece orchestra. The quality of "O" and its spectacular ever-changing settings have made this one of the most popular shows in town since its debut in 1998.
The Reflection Bay Golf Course at Lake Las Vegas
75 Montelago Blvd.
Henderson, NV 89011
702-566-7618
www.lakelasvegas.com
Located in Henderson's posh Lake Las Vegas Resort,
this 7,261-yard, par-72 course meanders along the lake's
picturesque shoreline. This was the first public golf
course in Vegas designed by Jack Nicklaus and it is renowned
for its incredible views and world-class golf school.
Double-loaded fairways, strategically placed bunkers and
carries over water and arroyos make for a challenging
game. Although it's a 30-minute drive from the Strip,
the peaceful resort is a great place to play.
Scenic
Airlines
2705 Airport Dr.
Las Vegas, NV 89169
800-634-6801, 702-638-3300
www.scenic.com
Short
trip? No problem. See as much as you can, as fast as
you can, with this bird's-eye tour. With door-to-door
service, Scenic Airlines will show you Las Vegas, the
Hoover Dam, the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon—and
you'll be back at your hotel within three hours.
Although the airline offers a dozen tours, some as long
as three days, those pressed for time will appreciate
this whirlwind trip.
Red
Square
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Tropicana Ave.)
Las Vegas, NV 89119
702-632-7401
www.mandalaybay.com
After
a day in the city of capitalist decadence, take a trip
behind the Iron Curtain to Red Square, Mandalay
Bay's swanky Soviet-style lounge. The Communism-themed
nightspot comes complete with a headless statue of Lenin,
an extensive caviar menu, a bar topped with a sheet
of ice and a frozen locker chilling more than 100 brands
of vodka. Guests don fur coats and caps, then brave
the walk-in freezer to hand-pick their poison. |
Ready to book a trip now?
Click here for exclusive savings. |
Going to Nevada? See our guide. |
|
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