beat the brochure

Las Vegas can be a bit overpowering on your first visit. With so much to see and do, how can you be sure that you are experiencing what it is you should be? We put a few questions to visitlasvegas.com who filled us in on what is curently going on in Las Vegas and what you can expect in the coming months!

We are on a budget but would like dinner and a bit of a dance, where can we go?

Gilley’s Saloon Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que is open for lunch and dinner and features a show kitchen, views of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, custom saddle seats at the bar, live entertainment, line dancing, mechanical bull riding, and the world-famous Gilley Girls.

I love the hustle and bustle but I want to get away from it for a bit of peace and quiet, where can I go?

Ditch the neon for nature. A few miles beyond the Las Vegas strip lays the beautiful Bootleg Canyon where adrenalin junkies can take in the breathtaking views from North America’s longest zip-line. Alternatively, burn off some of the Vegas excess with a hike, bike or just a gentle walk in Red-Rock Canyon.

I have some money to gamble, which casino should I head to?

There are too many to mention! You can choose one of the casinos at your hotel or venture to one of the many along The Strip. ARIA’s casino has an eco-friendly feel, while Wynn or Encore provides a vibrant setting. Golden Nugget or Golden Gate is unique for a vintage casino experience.

Where can we get the best view in Las Vegas?

Scarpetta at the Cosmopolitan has amazing views of the Bellagio fountains. Arrive before dusk to take in the daytime scenery set against the mountains and enjoy your Italian feast while night falls and the Bellagio fountains are illuminated.

The Mix Restaurant and Lounge which offers some of the best views of The Strip too. Mix Lounge opens at 5pm and the cover charge doesn’t apply until 10:00pm so you can enjoy the fantastic view for the price of a cocktail.

Which is the one Las Vegas attraction people often miss that they really shouldn’t?

Visitors to Vegas often don’t go past The Strip, which means they miss out on one of the most exciting attractions the city offers. The renaissance of Downtown Las Vegas has established itself as one of the trendiest places to spend an afternoon or evening.

The Neon Boneyard Museum hosts a collection of more than 150 vintage Las Vegas neon signs that range from the 1930s to the present day and is a photographer’s playground and an historian’s delight, filled with color, imagination, and unlimited stories.

The Flightlinez attraction in the Fremont East Entertainment District gives adrenalin junkies the chance to fly at 30 miles per hour under the 824 feet Viva Vision canopy and the world’s largest television light show. For those mad gamers, Insert Coin(s) is the newest bar and entertainment venue and includes Beta Bar, a fully loaded bar with domestic and imported beer, top-shelf liquors and energy drinks. The venue also includes 45 arcade cabinets with more than 60 televisions and video game consoles including fully restored classics.

What’s new in Las Vegas right now, or coming up?

The Cosmopolitan is the newest hotel to open on the Strip making Marquee Nightclub the latest on any clubbers guide. Marquee is more than 62,000 square feet, with fifty foot tall ceilings and an unparalleled multi-million-dollar sound stage designed to cater to any performer’s whim. The club is known for its resident DJs including Deadmau5.

The world’s first Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace opening in summer 2012 is an innovative concept that will integrate an exclusive hotel tower with the first Nobu restaurant and lounge. The interior of the Centurion Tower at Caesars Palace will undergo a multi-million dollar renovation to create the Nobu Hotel within the resort. The 180-room Nobu Hotel will feature 16 suites and a penthouse with a stylish interior design that showcases natural materials, fused with Nobu’s signature Japanese elegance.

The Las Vegas Museum of Law Enforcement and Organized Crime, or Mob Museum, will be an interactive museum presenting a bold and authentic view of organized crime’s impact on Las Vegas’ history and its unique imprint on America and the world. The exhibits, programs and experiences will offer multiple perspectives and provide a contemporary, engaging, challenging and educational experience.

Former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman will open Oscar’s Steakhouse, a uniquely Las Vegas steakhouse, inside the iconic dome of the Plaza Hotel and Casino overlooking Fremont Street and the heart of his Downtown Las Vegas.

In addition to the steakhouse, a new Italian restaurant and speakeasy will feature Oscar’s name and pay homage to Goodman’s years as an advisor and private attorney representing high-profile clients that played a role in making Vegas what it is today. All three areas will serve gourmet food, as well as a variety of cocktails, including martinis, the former mayor’s signature drink, which will include a supersize martini glass with his favourite tipple, Bombay Sapphire Gin.

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts will bring a whole new world of song, dance and performance to Las Vegas. It will be located on the 61-acre parcel of land across from the Clark County Government Center in downtown Las Vegas. The 2,050-seat main hall will be home for the Las Vegas Philharmonic and touring Broadway shows, in addition to housing the Nevada Ballet. A smaller, 300-seat theater will have a stage facing Symphony Park and host jazz, cabaret and other performances.

Top 3 souvenirs to bring back from Las Vegas?

1. A picture in front of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign

2. A little Las Vegas flashing sign

3. A ‘Hard Rock Cafe – Las Vegas’ T-Shirt

So there you have it. Sure Las Vegas has casinos and first class hotels. But there is so much more to see and do here. Take the advice from the experts and see more than most people do on your Las Vegas holiday.