9/18/2010 - Diane Siskin: Las Vegas On Sale - Travel - Chattanoogan.com
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Prices for a purchase of a residential condo in a luxury complex or a new hotel, such as the Mandarin Oriental or at Trump Las Vegas have fallen from the high $700,000s to less than $200,000.
While the current economy is bad for Las Vegas business and residents, it is attracting the attention of some new visitors to the city. The $8.4 billion, 76-acre CityCenter is one of the projects leading the way to the new renaissance of the physical look of the Las Vegas strip.
According to Tony Dennis, CityCenter?s executive vice president, ?It?s been very difficult the past two years. When the Las Vegas market fell apart, CityCenter scrambled to defend itself from the rest of the market. To do that, we had to reduce prices 30% everywhere in CityCenter," Mr. Dennis told USAToday in a recent article.
Another result of the downturn in this city?s economy has been the growth of visitors who have traded staying in a hotel on the famous ?Strip? to buying a condo or even making a long-term stay in a rental or time-share condo.
New condos on the Strip offer hotel-style lodging, with restaurants, concierges, pools, spas and fitness centers.
Veer Towers, designed by Helmut Jahn, shimmer as light hits the two glass towers which soar above CityCenter. Included in this complex in CityCenter are loft-like residences, Infinity edge pools, cabanas, and stunning sun-decks.
Vdara is an internationally inspired hotel and spa designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects. This hotel with 1,495 suites is non-gaming, non-smoking retreat which sports the U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold Certification.
Any visit to the city should now include a look at City Center, from shopping, dining and recreational standpoints, it is an amazing architecturally.
Oh yeah, it also has gambling, from slot machines of every description to poker parlors and beautifully and artfully arranged blackjack tables.
The artwork featuring betting motifs; such as decks of cards or poker chips is tastefully and eye-catching displayed throughout the gaming areas.
Inside the Aria Resort & Casino modern chic does meet Hollywood-style glamour. It is setting that appeal to celebrities and millionaires. But, luckily is now currently in the realm of many mainstream visitors to the city.
The Aria?s restaurants, shops, including the mouth-watering French patisserie of Jean-Philippe (which serves freshly made crepes, along with Chef Jean-Philippe Maury?s exquisite pastries and chocolates), is open for all visitors.
The works of fine art featuring artists such as Maya Lin, Jenny Holzer, Henry Moore, Claes Oldenburg and Dale Chihuly, is everywhere, indoors and out, in CityCenter.
Viva Elvis by Cirque Du Soleil, featuring musical legacy Elvis Presley, is offered within Aria?s 1,840-seat- Theater.
We wandered through the large expanse of the hotel?s outdoor pool and spa complex, and gained access to the famous ?Liquid? Pool, by just presenting our driver?s license.
We dined at the hotel?s popular buffet, one that rival?s the hotel?s signature restaurants, such as Jean-Georges Steakhouse, Sirio Ristorante, Julian Serano and American Fish for diners.
The Buffet features live-action cooking stations which prepare a very wide variety of fresh selections and exotic cuisine in an all-you-can-eat dining experience.
In a city for known for ostentious and ?no expense spared? construction and design, the CityCenter stands out.
Another standout of our visit was the Fremont Street Experience. This is a pedestrian promenade, created when the city closed off the older downtown street to create a Downtown Las Vegas area. The stand-out reason for visiting this area is the after dark light-and-sound shows offered free to all.
More than 12.5 million synchronized LED modules and concert-quality sound produce a happening on the promenade?s ceiling that takes place from dusk till midnight daily on the top of the hour.
Despite the depressed economy, visiting Vegas offers some new blessings.
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Photo by Diane Siskin
Diane Siskin: Las Vegas On Sale
by Diane Siskin
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]posted September 18, 2010[/FONT]
Used to be you could get off the plane at Las Vegas? McCarran airport and immediately be greeted by the distinctively noisy sounds of ?one-armed bandits? (slot machines) being played right at the airline passenger gates.
When we made a quick visit to the city this past month the sounds at the arrival gates were definitely quieter. And there were fewer passengers in the large airport than we had seen on prior visits.
Since the purpose of our visit to this Nevada city was to visit relatives, we were pleasantly surprised and happy with our low-key arrival.
Las Vegas is feeling the recession much more than many other tourist and vacation destinations. The unemployment figures are topping 14 percent and the hotel and condo market has suffered greatly.
The exterior of the CityCenter features a Monorail which circles the complex and takes visitors to other locations on the Strip Diane Siskin: Las Vegas On Sale
by Diane Siskin
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]posted September 18, 2010[/FONT]
Used to be you could get off the plane at Las Vegas? McCarran airport and immediately be greeted by the distinctively noisy sounds of ?one-armed bandits? (slot machines) being played right at the airline passenger gates.
When we made a quick visit to the city this past month the sounds at the arrival gates were definitely quieter. And there were fewer passengers in the large airport than we had seen on prior visits.
Since the purpose of our visit to this Nevada city was to visit relatives, we were pleasantly surprised and happy with our low-key arrival.
Las Vegas is feeling the recession much more than many other tourist and vacation destinations. The unemployment figures are topping 14 percent and the hotel and condo market has suffered greatly.
Prices for a purchase of a residential condo in a luxury complex or a new hotel, such as the Mandarin Oriental or at Trump Las Vegas have fallen from the high $700,000s to less than $200,000.
While the current economy is bad for Las Vegas business and residents, it is attracting the attention of some new visitors to the city. The $8.4 billion, 76-acre CityCenter is one of the projects leading the way to the new renaissance of the physical look of the Las Vegas strip.
According to Tony Dennis, CityCenter?s executive vice president, ?It?s been very difficult the past two years. When the Las Vegas market fell apart, CityCenter scrambled to defend itself from the rest of the market. To do that, we had to reduce prices 30% everywhere in CityCenter," Mr. Dennis told USAToday in a recent article.
Another result of the downturn in this city?s economy has been the growth of visitors who have traded staying in a hotel on the famous ?Strip? to buying a condo or even making a long-term stay in a rental or time-share condo.
New condos on the Strip offer hotel-style lodging, with restaurants, concierges, pools, spas and fitness centers.
Veer Towers, designed by Helmut Jahn, shimmer as light hits the two glass towers which soar above CityCenter. Included in this complex in CityCenter are loft-like residences, Infinity edge pools, cabanas, and stunning sun-decks.
Vdara is an internationally inspired hotel and spa designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects. This hotel with 1,495 suites is non-gaming, non-smoking retreat which sports the U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold Certification.
Any visit to the city should now include a look at City Center, from shopping, dining and recreational standpoints, it is an amazing architecturally.
Oh yeah, it also has gambling, from slot machines of every description to poker parlors and beautifully and artfully arranged blackjack tables.
The artwork featuring betting motifs; such as decks of cards or poker chips is tastefully and eye-catching displayed throughout the gaming areas.
Inside the Aria Resort & Casino modern chic does meet Hollywood-style glamour. It is setting that appeal to celebrities and millionaires. But, luckily is now currently in the realm of many mainstream visitors to the city.
The Aria?s restaurants, shops, including the mouth-watering French patisserie of Jean-Philippe (which serves freshly made crepes, along with Chef Jean-Philippe Maury?s exquisite pastries and chocolates), is open for all visitors.
The works of fine art featuring artists such as Maya Lin, Jenny Holzer, Henry Moore, Claes Oldenburg and Dale Chihuly, is everywhere, indoors and out, in CityCenter.
Viva Elvis by Cirque Du Soleil, featuring musical legacy Elvis Presley, is offered within Aria?s 1,840-seat- Theater.
We wandered through the large expanse of the hotel?s outdoor pool and spa complex, and gained access to the famous ?Liquid? Pool, by just presenting our driver?s license.
We dined at the hotel?s popular buffet, one that rival?s the hotel?s signature restaurants, such as Jean-Georges Steakhouse, Sirio Ristorante, Julian Serano and American Fish for diners.
The Buffet features live-action cooking stations which prepare a very wide variety of fresh selections and exotic cuisine in an all-you-can-eat dining experience.
In a city for known for ostentious and ?no expense spared? construction and design, the CityCenter stands out.
Another standout of our visit was the Fremont Street Experience. This is a pedestrian promenade, created when the city closed off the older downtown street to create a Downtown Las Vegas area. The stand-out reason for visiting this area is the after dark light-and-sound shows offered free to all.
More than 12.5 million synchronized LED modules and concert-quality sound produce a happening on the promenade?s ceiling that takes place from dusk till midnight daily on the top of the hour.
Despite the depressed economy, visiting Vegas offers some new blessings.