Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

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CHAPTER 5 . WHERE TO STAY
as is a review of the buffet. And the man who brought us a free pirate show and
a volcano explosion now brings us a water ballet , courtesy of a dancing
fountain with jets timed to a rotating list of nine songs (everything from pop to
Sinatra to Broadway to opera). This sounds cheesy, but it absolutely is not. It’s
really quite delightful and even witty (no, really), and is the best free show in
Vegas. Hotel guests should try to stay on the Strip side so that they can watch
from their windows (although there are some booms as the fountains explode,
we didn’t find it annoying). Note that a channel on the TV will play the songs
as the fountains dance because you can’t quite hear the music from your room.
Bellagio also features an upscale casino, and O (p. 249), perhaps the most
incredible show from Cirque du Soleil.
The hotel’s pool area has skidded to the top of our favorites list; it boasts six
swimming pools (two heated year-round and two with fountains) geometrically
set in a neoclassical Roman garden, with flowered, trellised archways and Italian
opera piped in over the sound system. The Grand Patio could have come right
off a movie set (pillars, domes, you get the idea). Arguably a more sophisticated
environment than the tropical party over at The Mirage (our other favorite), it
is sure to be the place where thonged model types hang out with moneyed Eurotrash—it
comes off as that chic.
The spa and health club are marvelous, but at $25 a pop, it’s pretty pricey if
all you want is a simple session on a treadmill (though with your fee, you are
allowed to return throughout the day for additional soakings/steamings/workouts).
The gym has the latest in cardio and weight machines, but can get very
crowded. Attendants ply you with iced towels and drinks. The spa offers a full
range of pricey treatments and has a serene soaking area, with sumptuous plunge
pools ranging in temperature from icy to boiling. In addition to drinks and
snacks, smoothies are often offered—take one.
The shopping area, called Via Bellagio, features all the stores that advertise
in color in glossy magazines: Tiffany, Armani, Gucci, Prada, Hermès, and the
like. And there’s also an art gallery (p. 176) that boasts enough highly regarded
works to draw some million visitors a year.
What does all this add up to? The ultimate in the new Vegas luxury resort
experience, certainly. If it doesn’t quite work, that’s probably more the fault of
the initial concept than the hotel itself. And in 2004, look for a new tower with
900 additional rooms, a second spa, and more shopping and restaurants.
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (at the corner of Flamingo Rd.), Las Vegas, NV 89109.& 888/987-6667 or 702/693-
7111. Fax 702/693-8546. www.bellagio.com. 3,005 units. $139–$499 double. Extra person $35, no discount
for children. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities: Casino; showrooms; wedding
chapel; 16 restaurants; 6 outdoor pools; health club and spa; concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; business
center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; executivelevel
rooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, dataport, high-speed Internet access for a fee, hair dryer, iron and
board, safe.
Caesars Palace Since 1966, Caesars has stood simultaneously as the ultimate
in Vegas luxury and the nadir (or pinnacle, depending on your values) of
Las Vegas cheese. It’s the most Vegas-style hotel you’ll find, covering all the bases
from the tacky fabulous cheese of the recent past to the current trend in high-end
luxury. And it’s moving ever on, with the most over-the-top showroom in town,
specially built for Miss Thang herself, Celine Dion, and yet another expansion to
the Forum Shops, the first themed shopping experience on the Strip.
When Caesars was originally built to reflect Roman decadence, its designers
probably had no idea how guffaw-inducing this would be some years later. It’s