Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

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CHAPTER 9 . SHOPPING
stores (which you will perhaps find less disappointing than we have), you’ll find
Casual Corner, Liz Claiborne, Perry Ellis, Calvin Klein, Levi’s, Nike, Dress Barn,
Oshkosh B’Gosh, Leggs/Hanes/Bali, Esprit, Carter’s, Reebok, Spiegel, Jockey,
Oneida, Springmaid, Bose (electronics), Danskin, Van Heusen, Tommy Hilfiger,
Burlington, Royal Doulton, Waterford (crystal), Black & Decker (tools), and Geoffrey
Beene. There is also a carousel and a food court. Open Monday through
Saturday from 10am to 9pm, Sunday from 10am to 6pm. 7400 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
(at Warm Springs Rd.). & 702/896-5599. www.belz.com/factory/locations/lasvegas/index.html.
Fashion Outlet at Primm Dedicated bargain hunters may want to make the
roughly 40-minute drive along I-15 (there’s also a $13 shuttle from New
York–New York or MGM Grand) to this big outlet complex, right on the border
of California and Nevada. On your left is a large factory outlet with some designer
names prominent enough to make that drive well worthwhile—Kenneth Cole,
Donna Karan, Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, even Williams-Sonoma, among
several others. Why so far out of town? Our guess is because all these designers
have full-price boutiques in various hotels, and they don’t want you ignoring those
in favor of discounted items. Open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 9pm
and Sunday from 10am to 8pm. 32100 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 888/424-6898. www.fashion
outletlasvegas.com.
3 Hotel Shopping Arcades
Just about every Las Vegas hotel offers some shopping opportunities. The following
have the most extensive arcades. The physical spaces of these shopping
arcades are always open, but individual stores keep unpredictable hours. For
addresses and telephone numbers, see the hotels’ listings in chapter 5.
Note: The Forum Shops at Caesars, the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian,
and the Desert Passage at Aladdin—as much sightseeing attractions as
shopping arcades—are in the must-see category.
ALADDIN The most recent Vegas “dazzle the tourists out of their money”
shopping experience (the others being over at Caesars and The Venetian), the
Desert Passage uses the mystical and romantic architecture (or re-creations
thereof) of the Middle East (Egypt, Morocco, Turkey) as its theme, and the
results are pretty swell. Even the ceiling overhead is painted to replicate sultry
days and nights, with occasional thunderstorms hitting. There is a lot to look at
beyond the shops, even more than usual, since, at this writing, they have frequent
live entertainers—acrobats, jugglers, belly dancers—to add to the visuals.
And it’s not just visual but odiferous: They pipe in spices and other evocative
scents appropriate to those regions. The whole thing allows you to have that
Middle Eastern souk-shopping experience without all the pesky touts trying to
drag you into their stall for hours of haggling. You can even take a pedicab (that
would be a bicycle-powered vehicle pedaled by some comely worker) for a tour
of Morocco, kinda. The stores are the assortment of mid- and high-end name
brands one would expect (so the gouging happens in a different way than in the
souks!). It’s one of our favorite shopping areas in Vegas, for sure. The thing that
worries us the most about the purchase of the Aladdin by Planet Hollywood—
and the expected shift of the hotel’s thematic focus—is how that might affect
this mall and its appearance.
BALLY’S Bally’s Avenue Shoppes consist of around 20 emporia offering, you
know, stuff (kitschy card-shop knickknacks and the like). In addition, there are
several gift shops, art galleries, and a pool-wear shop. There are blackjack tables