Latest Las Vegas News and Information

Las Vegas is still booming. The number of projects under construction and planned is amazing. This is a list of the major projects that will be completed in the next 3 years or so. These 7 projects total $30.6 billion and over 30,000 new rooms.

Encore at Wynn Las Vegas: $2.2 Billion, 1818 Rooms, opening December 2008

This is an addition to what many consider the most luxurious resort on the Las Vegas strip. It will have 1,818 rooms (suites), 222 over-sized suites, 70,000 sq ft of gaming space, 6 restaurants, 8 bars and lounges including a nightclub, 11 retail outlets, 2 pools and a 50,000 sq ft spa. This is all in addition to what already exists at the current hotel, Wynn Las Vegas. Combined, this will be an amazing expanse of high-end resort amenities.

Cosmopolitan: $3 billion, 2,998 rooms, opening late 2009

Unlike most of the Las Vegas developments under construction, this project is on a fairly small parcel of land with only 400 feet of strip frontage for the 8.5 acre site. But smaller does not mean less in this case. Located just south of Bellagio, this project has some impressive stats:

• 150,000 sq ft of convention and meeting space
• A 70,000 sq ft casino
• Over 300,000 sq ft of retail, restaurant, and entertainment space
• 50,000 sq ft fitness center and spa
• 1,800 seat theater

CityCenter (MGM Mirage Inc.): $7.8 billion, 7,850 rooms, 15,900 jobs, opening late 2009

This is the grand-daddy of of Las Vegas developments. Located where the Holiday Inn Boardwalk used to stand, it is the largest privately owned project ever undertaken in the U.S. The pace of the development is incredible. The number of cranes in this space is overwhelming, it is hard to even count how many cranes are being used. Within the CityCenter space there will be 5 individual hotels/residences. In total there will be about 7,000 hotel rooms and condos in this development.

• CityCenter – 4,000 room, 60 story Hotel
• Mandarin Oriental – 400 room Hotel/Residences
• The Harmon – 400 room Hotel/Residences
• Vdara – 1500 unit Condo/Hotel tower
• Veer – Twin towers, each with 350 unit luxury condos
• 165,000 sq ft casino
• 500,000 sq ft of retail and entertainment space
• 300,000+ sq ft of convention and meeting space
• 2,000 seat theater
• 70,000 sq ft spa
• 7,500 car parking garage
• Fire station
• monorail
• On-site power plant

Fontainebleau: $2.8 billion, 3,889 rooms, opening late 2009

The 63 story Fountainebleau Resort will stand on the north end of the strip next to the Rivera. It is where El Rancho and Algiers casinos used to be.

• 3,800+ hotel rooms/condos
• 100,000 sq ft Casino
• 60,000 sq ft spa
• 3,200 seat performing arts theater
• 180,000 sq ft of retail space
• 393,952 sq ft of meeting space
• 19 fine dining and casual restaurants
• 20 bars and lounges
• 20,000 sq ft ultra-modern nightclub

Echelon (Boyd Gaming Corp.): $4.8 billion, 5,300 rooms, opening late 2010

Located north on the strip where the Stardust and Westward Ho casinos used to stand, Echelon will have 4 individual hotels with a combination of upscale rooms and suites.

• Echelon Resort – 3,300 rooms
  • Resort Tower with 2,600 rooms
  • Suite Tower with 700 suites
  • spa facilities in each tower
  • 140,000 sq ft casino
  • 25 restaurants and bars
  • 2 theaters: 4,000 seats and 1,500 seats
• Shangri-La Hotel – 400 rooms and suites
  • 20,000 sq ft spa
  • meeting space
  • 2 restaurants
• Delano Hotel – 600 rooms and suites
  • destination nightclub
  • lobby bar
  • Asia de Cuba restaurant
  • spa and fitness facilities
• Mondrian Hotel – 1,000 guest rooms and suites
  • distinctive bar and restaurant
  • meeting and conference space
  • private pool and recreation area with Skybar
• 825,000 sq ft of meeting space
• 350,000 sq ft of shopping

Las Vegas Plaza (Elad IDB): $5 billion, 3,500 rooms, opening 2011

The Las Vegas Plaza is going up where the recently imploded New Frontier hotel once stood. It will be modeled after its namesake Plaza hotel in New York City.

• Seven towers containing 6,700 rooms (4,100 hotel rooms and 2,600 resort condominium units)
• 175,900 sq ft of casino area (making it the largest casino on the strip and second largest in the valley)
• 134,500 sq ft of restaurant area
• 347,887 sq ft of retail area
• 539,607 sq ft of convention space
• 50,000 sq ft of health club space
• 1,500 seat theater
• 227,038 sq ft of open space on the roof top of the podium that includes the pool areas

Crown Las Vegas: $5 billion, 5,000 rooms, opening 2011

This towering hotel was originally proposed to be 1,888 feet tall, but the FAA would not allow a tower that tall only 2.5 miles from McCarren Airport. The new FAA-approved height of the tower will be 1,064 feet. This will be the tallest building in Las Vegas (the Stratosphere tower is taller, but not classified as a building) and the tallest hotel in the USA. It will be located on the north end of the strip, where the old Wet and Wild used to be. The original plan had 5,000 hotel rooms, but since the tower height has been reduced they might build twin 1,064 foot towers to accommodate all the rooms.

Attention Monty Python Fans!

There will be a one-night-only screening of Monty Python’s Life of Brian in the Grail Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on Thursday, February 21. This will be the only theatrical screening in America of the re-mastered movie, the night will also feature a cocktail reception and a special appearance by SPAMALOT star John O’Hurley.

This screening celebrates the release of Monty Python’s Life of Brian: The Immaculate Edition on DVD and Blu-ray Disc(TM).

Tickets are $30 each, with proceeds going to Nevada Public Radio. Call (702) 952-5537 or Buy Tickets Now!

NASCAR Weekend at the Sahara!

Clint Bowyer Signing
NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer will be signing autographs and taking photos with fans from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, February 28, 2007 in the NASCAR Entertainment Center at the Sahara Hotel & Casino. Bowyer currently pilots the #7 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the NEXTEL Cup Series. Come join the fun and meet all-star driver Clint Bowyer plus the beautiful Jack Daniel’s Girls!

NASCAR Racewear Sale
Visit the NASCAR Racewear shop at the Sahara Hotel & Casino for a vast collection of the latest NASCAR driver merchandise, authentic racing jackets and more. Pick up one-of-a-kind, exclusive items or shop the huge sale, just in time for NASCAR Weekend!

NASCAR Cafe
NASCAR Cafe offers an entertaining dining experience and tasty grill favorites, including juicy hamburgers, spicy chicken wings and barbecued pork sandwiches. Dine amongst authentic NASCAR stock cars and the world’s largest Pontiac Gran Prix stock car, designed by Dale Earnhardt. NASCAR Cafe broadcasts all NASCAR races live and in surround sound throughout the restaurant and bar, bringing guests as close to the race track as possible.

Cyber Speedway
Turn your race car dreams into heart-pounding reality in the NASCAR Cafe Entertainment Center’s 35,000-square-foot Las Vegas Cyber Speedway racing simulators. This is as close as it gets to the real deal – with speeds reaching as high as 220 mph! So if you have a need for speed, start your engines… Height requirement is 48″ NASCAR Race Week Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Check out NASCAR weekend hotel packages and deals.

FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE FEBRUARY EVENT SCHEDULE

February 22-24
Taste & Sounds of Soul. Celebrate Black History Month and Fitzgeralds 6th Anniversary with this block party of top-notch local restaurants and performers, national musicians and authors.

February 29-March 2
Race Jam. The party’s on Fremont Street when race fans come to town. Race Jam features free nightly headliner entertainment, interactive NASCAR activities and vendors.

FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE FEBRUARY EVENT SCHEDULE

March 15 Fitzgeralds St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
March 26 Las Vegas Corporate Challenge Competition
March 27 Mint 400 Fanfest

After being closed for 3 week because of a fire on the roof, the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas re-opened its doors today at 10:30am. All of Monte Carlo’s restaurants, shows, bars, and meeting facilities are open for business, except for the buffet and the brew pub. These will be re-opened as demand picks up, but no later than February 22nd. Right now 1,200 rooms are open for guests. 1,300 more will be open in a week and the remaining 500 will be open some time later, after undergoing complete renovations.

“Today we celebrate the spirit of Monte Carlo,” said Monte Carlo President and COO Anton Nikodemus. “After three weeks of hard work and dedicated effort, we are back where we belong — doors open, staff at their posts and welcoming customers. Today is a day of celebration for our Monte Carlo resort family, our guests and our employees alike.”

Lance Burton is re-opening his show today, and in appreciation of the work the emergency responders did during the fire, many of them will be guests of the magician at this show.

Monte Carlo is obviously trying to get people back to stay with them, and they are offering some great deals.

Monte Carlo is planning on re-opening the hotel on Friday, February 15th. That will mean the hotel will have been closed for three weeks after the January 25th fire closed the hotel. They will be opening 1,200 rooms on the 15th, and then will be adding an additional 1,300 rooms a week later. The 500 remaining rooms, located on the top levels of the hotel, will be closed for mor extensive renovations.

Monte Carlo has a page of information about the temporary closure.

Every Year Mobil Travel Guide rate hotels, restaurants, and spas across the country. The best of the best receive four and five star ratings, and they announced the winners this week. This year only three establishments in Las Vegas received five-star ratings. In the hotels category, The Tower Suites at Wynn Las Vegas got top marks. For restaurants, Alex at Wynn Las Vegas and Joel Robuchon at The Mansion (MGM Grand) received five stars.

Here is the complete list of 4 and 5 star recipients in Las Vegas.

Mobil Five-Star Lodging
The Tower Suites at Wynn Las Vegas

Mobil Four-Star Lodgings
Bellagio Las Vegas
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
Venetian Resort Hotel Casino
Wynn Las Vegas

Mobil Five-Star Restaurants
Alex at Wynn
Joel Robuchon at The Mansion (MGM Grand)

Mobil Four-Star Restaurants
Aureole, Mandalay Bay
Bradley Ogden, Caesers Palace
Michael Mina, Bellagio
Mix – Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay
Picasso, Bellagio
Restaurant Guy Savoy, Caesers Palace

Mobil Four-Star Spas
Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino
Spa Bellagio at Bellagio
The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
The Spa at Wynn Las Vegas

Performing at Mirage Las Vegas, the popular Cirque Du Soleil show, LOVE, is based on music from The Beatles. The soundtrack has received two Grammy nominations.

LOVE brings the magic of Cirque Du Soleil together with the spirit and passion of The Beatles to create an intimate and powerful entertainment experience. With LOVE, Cirque Du Soleil celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles through their timeless, original recordings.

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television and other Visual Medium.

Best Surround Sound Album.

Click here for more information on The Beatles LOVE by Cirque Du Soleil.

Click here to get great hotel rates at The Mirage.

Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus with special guest Aly & Aj.

Book now to purchase tickets for this sold-out event. Limited tickets available for Friday, January 18 – Sunday, January 20, 2008.

Tickets prices from $56.

To purchase Hanna Montana tickets, call 1-800-929-1111.

Click here to book a room at MGM Grand.

Officials from Las Vegas Events and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) joined city leaders and Fireworks by Grucci today at the Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip to announce the details for America’s Party: Las Vegas New Year 2008, the citywide celebration planned for Dec. 31.

America’s Party is the official moniker coined by the LVCVA and Las Vegas Events to signify the annual citywide celebration on Dec. 31. This year’s festivities include both a themed fireworks extravaganza firing from the rooftops of seven casinos along the Las Vegas Strip as well as the live concerts at the Fremont Street Experience. America’s Party Live in Concert will feature performances by the Doobie Brothers and the Bangles.

The fireworks extravaganza on the Las Vegas Strip will ring in 2008 in classic Las Vegas style. The theme of the pyrotechnic display will be “The Best is Yet to Come,” featuring swing and big band musical elements from yesterday and today.

The seven rooftop locations for the pyrotechnic display include the MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Flamingo Las Vegas, Venetian, Treasure Island (TI), Circus-Circus and Stratosphere.

More than 30,000 effects will be fired from the seven locations during the 8 minute, 20 second program. Effects such as tourbillions, comets, mines and peonies are all part of the core program. Special effects such as the colorful buzzing bee’s will be displayed for Gretchen Wilson’s “Here for the Party” and six-pointed chrysanthemums will be highlighted during Christina Aguilera’s “Candyman.” In addition, revelers can watch as waves of comets creating a rainbow of color will crisscross the rooftops to the song “Hey Big Spender.” For the Grand Finale, the show will conclude with a thunderous roar of Titanium Salutes to the percussion section of Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing.”

“Each year, Las Vegas’ New Year’s Eve festivities get bigger and better, and this year’s celebration will be no exception,” said Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman. “It is so fitting that this year’s theme is ‘The Best is Yet To Come,’ because 2008 promises to be another healthy and prosperous year for the citizens of our great city.”

“America’s Party has become an annual tradition in Las Vegas, one that continues to grow each year,” said Las Vegas Events President Pat Christenson. “In addition to the pyrotechnic display on the Strip, there will be live entertainment at Fremont Street. Visitors and local residents alike have come to expect a lot out of this production, and we’re glad that we can continue to solidify New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas as America’s Party.”

According to the LVCVA, if the destination effectively sells out for New Year’s Eve as it has in the past, Las Vegas will host upwards of 303,000 visitors. The visitation estimate for New Year’s Eve reflects Dec. 31 only.

“Every year Las Vegas readies itself to welcome visitors on what is without a doubt one of the busiest nights of the year,” said Terry Jicinsky, senior vice president of marketing, LVCVA. “In addition to the Strip-long fireworks display, top entertainers fill our showrooms and arenas, while our nightlife venues – many of them featuring celebrity-hosted parties – draw revelers until dawn.”

Fireworks by Grucci of New York, innovators in state-of-the-art displays including several presidential inaugurations and Olympic performances, is world renowned for its pyrotechnic creations. Locally, Fireworks by Grucci has produced many of the Las Vegas’ special events and grand openings, including the official Las Vegas Centennial celebration.

“We are honored to be commissioned by Las Vegas Events to produce the America’s Party fireworks show for the fourth time,” said Donna Grucci Butler, president of Fireworks by Grucci. “This year we are pulling out all stops to create a pyrotechnical myriad of color that will bathe the night’s sky and celebrate the theme ‘The Best is Yet to Come.’ This show will be America’s largest New Year’s Eve Party, and it will be done in true Las Vegas style.”

For visitors and residents spending the evening downtown, America’s Party Live in Concert at the Fremont Street Experience opens at 6:30 p.m. All attendees must be 18 years of age. Tickets are $60.00 per person and available at www.VegasExperience.com or by calling 877-834-2748.

Here is a list of specials at Hotels in Las Vegas for New Years