Travel startup giving away three nights at the Wynn

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Want to score three nights at the Wynn Las Vegas? Travel startup company Off & Away wants to put you between those luxurious sheets.

Off & Away hasn’t even launched yet, but it’s willing to offer up a spectacular travel package to a lucky winner: three nights at the Wynn, tickets for two to La Reve, $200 a day in dining credits at the hotel, three days of spa access and a round of golf for two. You’ll also pick up access to the Penske Wynn Ferrari Museum, two 50-minute massages and entry to Blush Boutique Nightclub.

So, what is this company all about? It’s a new travel site (or, it will be) that will focus on “exceptional travel experiences.” Details are thin, but we’ll know more in a few weeks. So for now, take advantage of the contest.

“We are excited to offer this amazing experience with one of our key partners as a sneak preview into the types of experiences you can expect from Off & Away when we launch,” said Doug Aley, CEO and Co-Founder of Off & Away.

The contest is open through May 23, 2010 at Off & Away’s website. Spread the word via Facebook or Twitter, and you could score up to 10 extra chances to win. The winner will be announced on June 30, 2010.

UPDATE:

Having seen the comments left by our readers about the viruses, I contacted Off & Away to see what was happening. Following is the company’s reply:

For those who were affected by the virus earlier this morning, please be assured this is something we take very seriously and are taking all necessary precautions to ensure it does not happen again. Off & Away is founded and run by former Amazon.com, Expedia, Alaska Airlines, Orbitz, and Farecast.com employees. We always strive for excellence are committed to providing our customers with the best experiences possible. This was not one of them, and for that, we sincerely apologize.

The site promoting the sweepstakes was compromised. It appears to have started in our hosting environment. We’re still investigating with that firm. Malicious code was entered into our website causing a redirect to the suspicious page people encountered. Since discovering this, we’ve pulled down the sweepstakes on our site, and are rebuilding in a different environment and with a different, more secure host. The new host is the same one we will be using when we launch.

We expect the sweepstakes to be live again in the next few hours once this work is complete. Thanks to our customers for discovering this and for your patience.

Sincerely,

Doug Aley and Michael Walton

Sahara Hotel & Casino to offer $1 room rates on Twitter and Facebook

by Melanie Nayer on

If you’re looking for a cheap deal to Las Vegas, now is the time to become a fan of the Sahara Hotel & Casino on Facebook and Twitter. The Las Vegas hotel is hosting Twitter and Facebook only specials exclusive to followers throughout the summer.

The deal: $1 room rates during random 24 hour periods starting in May.
The game: Sahara will give notice of the special offer only through its Twitter and Facebook accounts and will provide followers with a special reservation offer code and unique booking link.

The Sahara has been a permanent fixture in Las Vegas since the 1950s and offers 1,720 classically styled guestrooms and Las Vegas suites decorated in a Moroccan motif. Sahara hosts the popular $1 blackjack tables and Dollar Days, which includes $1 beers, $1 hot dogs, $1 shots (in a free souvenir glass). Room rates range from $27 to $300 depending on the time of year you visit and the room type you book, but it’s hard to beat a $1 room rate in Sin City.

The only way to get the deal is to become on fan of Sahara Hotel & Casino on Twitter and Facebook.

Travel Trends: Orlando, Las Vegas top summer destinations for 2010

by Gadling Staff on

Perhaps fueled by a sense that the economy is improving, millions of Americans are gearing up to travel this summer. And when it comes to summer travel, Americans are nothing if not decisive about where we want to go.

This summer’s top two destinations – hands down – are Orlando and Las Vegas, according to a recent survey conducted with members of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA).

Orlando ranks highest among the trips that agents are booking – 17.7% say the theme-park capital is this summer’s Number One destination. No doubt, that’s due in some part to the buzz building over the June 18 opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort.

Las Vegas is Number Two at 16.2%.

“There are a lot of discounts and deals right now for those cities,” explains Melissa Teates, director of research at ASTA in Alexandria, Va. “But, generally, most people just know they’ll have a good time in these cities. Orlando and Vegas really exist as vacation destinations.”Also among the top 10 major destinations this summer are San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles, and Honolulu.

Another hot spot, New York City, is hotter than it’s been in some time.

It zoomed up the chart from Number Ten in 2009 — with 1.4% of ASTA members saying it was their top booking — to Number Six this year at 2.8%.

Teates says people are eager to travel after having put it off during the recession. But, she notes, many travelers are still holding down expenses. One way to do that is by staying relatively close to home.

“People want to travel more, but they’re being careful with costs,” she says. “A city like New York looks good. If you live on the East Coast, you can take a train. If you’re in the Midwest, it’s a short flight.”

[Data source: ASTA]

See more Travel Trends.

Daily Pampering: Inside the 4,300 square feet high roller suite at Paris Las Vegas

by Scott Carmichael on

So – you just dropped $100,000 on the tables of Paris in Las Vegas? Well, you may in for a treat. Top tier high rollers at Paris may receive a room key for the Napoleon Suite. Located on the 31st floor of the hotel, this 4,300 square feet suite is a little bit of paradise overlooking the Las Vegas strip.

Five bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a private bar, media/TV room, dining room, walk-in closets, a butler (with his own pantry) and a living room with grand piano. Best of all, two of the bedrooms are located at the end of a long internal hallway, so you can invite some friends over and send them off to their own corner of the suite.

Of course, the luxury doesn’t just end with the number of rooms – the entire place is decorated like a palace. Gold is everywhere (including the master bathroom) and the spa tub overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

The master bedroom features his and hers bathrooms – which are larger than some hotel rooms I’ve stuffed myself into in Europe. Of course, all rooms have their own phones, with instant access to the butler service and in-room massage therapy.

Walk-in shower / steam room.

60″ TV with DVD, VCR and even a cassette player – all controlled by a large AMX touch screen media remote. Sit back, have the butler whip up some cocktails, and enjoy the game.

What better way to start the day than with a nice bath – with a fantastic view of course. Notice the gold plated faucets – polished to perfection every single day!

Only the best gold bidet for the best customers of course – along with a gold plated trash can, gold plated toilet roll holder and a gold plated flusher for the toilet. Doing your morning tinkle never felt so luxurious.

In Vegas, you haven’t really “made it” until you trade in the buffet comp pass for a high roller suite, and a meal served in your own dining room. Of course, you can also request food from one of the many restaurants on property – which includes the amazing $777 burger from the Burger Brasserie.

The Napoleon Suite is not for rent – it is only available to important customers and celebrities at the hotel. And no – even though I begged and pleaded to spend the night in this room, I was politely shown the door. Still, it was quite an experience.

Want more? Get your dose of Daily Pampering right here.

Opening photo courtesy of Scott Roeben of the Pulse of Vegas Blog.

This trip was hosted by Harrah’s Entertainment. The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are 100% my own.

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Wynn takes on China: Opens Macau casino, plans another resort in Cotai

by Melanie Nayer on

Steve Wynn is no stranger to a challenge. The billionaire’s Wynn and Encore at Wynn in Las Vegas have shown strength against the decaying economy over the past few years, and now Wynn is placing his bets overseas. Wynn opened his latest hotel and casino in Macau on Wednesday, and at the same time announced plans to build another resort in Cotai starting next year.

At a press conference in Macau, Wynn described the new $600 million Encore hotel and casino as a “boutique hotel” meant to cater to high rollers. The casino is relatively small by Macau standards with only 400 suites, four 7,000-foot villas and 61 gambling tables. However, the new resort has already been referred to as the “the ritziest hotel in China” and according to reporters in Macau, the rooms raise the bar for China’s luxury tourism market.

The Washington Post reports the new resort would feature less than 2,000 rooms, and offer gaming tables, restaurants, shopping and meeting rooms sprawled out across 50 acres of gardens and landscape. Wynn said the luxury hotel and casino complex should be completed before the end of 2013 and feature about 450 gambling tables.

“What makes people happy and what don’t they get in China? …. What you don’t get in China is space, and the heart of a resort is space – gardens, places to gambol, not gamble,” Wynn said in an interview in Macau. “I know what I want to do on the 51 acres, not build four hotels or six hotels or any of that foolishness,” he said to the press. “I am going to build one hotel of modest size with gardens and extended space wherever you are.”

Wynn’s timing, as usual, is spot on. Macau is one of the world’s most lucrative casino markets and was one of the first places to bounce back from the global recession. So lucrative, in fact, that Wynn told CNBC he is considering moving his company headquarters from Las Vegas to Macau. Wynn Resorts reportedly gets about 60 percent of its revenue from operations in Macau.

[via Washington Post]