Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

MID-STRIP 85
Mexican restaurant that makes its own tortillas while you watch. There are several
bars, including one with live music at night. The Orleans Showroom is an
827-seat theater featuring live entertainment, and, of course, there’s a casino.
4500 W. Tropicana Ave. (west of the Strip and I-15), Las Vegas, NV 89103. & 800/ORLEANS (675-3267) or
702/365-7111. Fax 702/365-7505. www.orleanscasino.com. 840 units. $39 and up standard double;
$175–$225 1-bedroom suite. Extra person $10. Children under 15 stay free in parent’s room. AE, DC, DISC,
MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities: Casino; showroom; 12 restaurants; 2 outdoor pools; health
club; 70-lane bowling center; 12 movie theaters; Kids Tyme children’s center offering amusements and day
care for kids 12 and under; video arcade; concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; airport shuttle; 24-hr. room
service; laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; executive-level rooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay
movies, dataport, hair dryer, iron and board.
4 Mid-Strip
VERY EXPENSIVE
Bellagio The $1.6 billion luxury resort that ushered in the new post-
Vegas-is-for-families elegance epoch. What do you get for that money? Well, for
starters, though it is named for a charming Lake Como village, Bellagio is not,
thankfully, as theme-intensive as some of its nearest competition. There is an
8-acre Lake Como stand-in out front, complete with a dazzling choreographed
water-ballet extravaganza, plus a representation of an Italian lakeside village,
while the pool area is sort of Hearst Castle Romanesque, but that’s about it. Just
as well. This is not much like a getaway to a peaceful, romantic Italian village.
But it is exactly like going to a big, grand, state-of-the-art Vegas hotel. To expect
more probably isn’t fair, but then again, they tried to set the tone with dreamy,
soft-focus TV ads aired when the hotel debuted. Nothing with a casino stuck in
the middle of it can be that serene and restful.
But does it work as a luxury hotel? Sort of. It certainly is much closer to a European
casino hotel than a Vegas one. Fabulous touches abound, including a lobby
that’s unlike any other in Vegas. It’s not just grand, with marble and a gaudy
blown-glass flower sculpture on the ceiling (the largest of its kind in the world),
but it’s also brave with plants, natural lighting, and actual seating. There’s also a
downright lovely conservatory, complete with a 100-year-old fountain and stuffed
full of gorgeous, brightly colored flowers and plants, preposterously (and delightfully)
changed every few weeks to go with the season (yellows and whites for
Easter, for example)—it’s one of the sweetest spots in all of Vegas.
On the down side, you still can’t avoid a walk through the casino to get just
about anywhere (with the inevitable ruckus shattering your blissful state every
time you exit the elevators from your room). At least the casino is laid out in an
easy-to-navigate grid with wide aisles. (Tip: Black carpets indicate the main
casino paths.) There are hidden charges galore (a pricey fee for the spa, another
one for poolside cabanas). The rooms are nice—nicer than The Mirage even—
but maybe not quite nice enough for the price. Furnishings are plush (good beds
with quality linens, comfy chairs), the roomy bathrooms even more so (marble
and glass plus good-smelling soap and hair dryers—it works every time), but it’s
all just a busier and slightly more luxurious variation on what’s found over at
The Mirage. Strip-side rooms, while featuring a much-desired view of the water
fountains, don’t quite muffle the booms that said fountains make as they
explode. Still, service is top-notch, despite the size of the place; the staff is eager
to please and nonpatronizing.
Meanwhile, just about all the best new restaurants are found in Bellagio. Full
reviews of Picasso, Le Cirque, Circo, Aqua, and Olives are found in chapter 6,