What’s in a name? Las Vegas Sands may drop “Las Vegas” from its name

by Melanie Nayer on

How iconic is a name? We might soon find out, especially if the Las Vegas Sands removes the city name from its title.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. is considering removing “Las Vegas” from its company name, giving the “Sands” name a more international presence. According to HotelsMag.com, CEO Sheldon Adelson has publicly suggested either Sands International or Sands Resorts International, although a spokesman says the company has not yet decided on a new name or when the hotel group might announce the official name change.

The Sands group also owns and operates The Venetian and The Palazzo on the Las Vegas Strip.

Paris Hilton banned from Wynn Resorts Hotels over drug charges

by Melanie Nayer on

Wynn Las Vegas has made a solid effort to keep itself at a very far distance from the recent Paris Hilton drug charges. The hotel has banned Hilton and her boyfriends from entering or staying at the hotel after the celebrity socialite was busted last week for cocaine possession.

Hilton’s car, a black Cadillac Escalade, was stopped by a motorcycle cop due to what the cop said was a strong marijuana smell. What happened next is still a bit of a mystery, but we know Hilton left behind a Chanel purse (said to be belong to Hilton, but Hilton claims it belongs to a friend) that held cocaine. The driver of the car was Paris Hilton’s boyfriend of late, Cy Waits.

Hilton left the scene, which was mobbed by people and paparazzi, and headed straight for the Wynn Resort, where she was inevitably arrested. But the hotel wants no part of this mess.

Both Wynn Resort Hotels in Las Vegas have banned Hilton and her boyfriends from entering both the Wynn and Encore for the foreseeable future. Hilton denies the charges, but the Wynn is playing things safe (and smart).

Vegas casino fined for dancing gambler

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Las Vegas has a reputation for letting visitors get away with all kinds of “bad” behavior. Activities like gambling and drinking on the street get a free pass in this anything-goes gaming capital. But apparently that permissive Vegas attitude doesn’t extend to all behaviors, particularly if you like celebratory dancing when you hit it big at the tables.

Vegas casino Caesar’s Palace was recently fined $250,000 for allowing a player at their high-stakes Baccarat tables to dance and walk on the tables during play. According to a complaint filed by Nevada Gaming regulators, the culprit got up from his chair and climbed on the game table for a stretch of 45 minutes, walking, dancing (and playing) along the way.

Why didn’t Caesar’s Palace stop this dancing fool? It probably had something to do with the fact the perpetrator was playing a high-stakes game. Apparently when there’s big money involved, you can get away with a lot more than if you start doing the jig on top of a $5 Blackjack table. Word to the wise – if you’re going to celebrate big winnings in Vegas, best leave your dancing shoes at home – or at least keep them off the gaming tables.

[Photo by Flickr user Alex Cheek]

Marriott’s Autograph Collection hits the Las Vegas Strip

by Melanie Nayer on

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, one of the most expensive hotels ever built, will undoubtedly add a bit of posh to the already flashy Las Vegas strip when it opens in December. But the bigger news: The Cosmo’s opening marks the entrance of Marriott into Las Vegas.

The hotel joins Marriott International’s Autograph Collection – a brand the hotel group launched last year as a way for unknown luxury hotels to maintain their boutique-like feel while tapping into the vast Marriott consumer database – and to date is one of the most high-profile hotels in the group. The Cosmopolitan will also be featured as a partner hotel on The Ritz-Carlton website.

It took $3.9 billion to build the Cosmopolitan, which will have 2,995 guestrooms once it is fully completed next year. The new luxury resort is located adjacent to CityCenter Las Vegas and is the Autograph Collection’s first casino resort.

[via HotelsMag.com]

Daily Pampering: The Living Art Penthouse at Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas

by Melanie Nayer on


Imagine you’re going to Las Vegas and you want more than the basic room with the view overlooking the Las Vegas Strip. Maybe you want something a little sexier, a little prettier, a little larger. How’s 4,276-square-feet sound?

Earlier this year we told that the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas was opening an all-suites tower and now, we got a sneak peak at some of the swanky digs.

From the Sex & Pistols Penthouse, which “sets the mood for a wild and crazy Las Vegas stay” to the Altered States Penthouse, “a 3D world of purple landscapes and mysterious blue skies …where women dancing in time to the music”, the Hard Rock has pimped out its penthouses for their biggest spenders.

The grand daddy of them all is the Living Art Penthouse, a 4,276-square foot space designed by architect and designer Mark Zeff, who infused dark colors and sleek furniture to create a seductive scene that includes an outdoor terrace with a plunge pool. The price of this tony pad? Rates start at $5,000 a night.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.