Photo Credit: Aria
Las Vegas is an Angeleno’s playground. Some of the best restaurants, nightclubs, hotels and pools in the country are just a hop, skip and a jump away (that’s a flight or a four-hour ride in a 2014 Porsche Cayman to you). Sin City is a quick escape for a weekend of fun in the sun. Maximize your time in the hautest way possible with our 48-hour Las Vegas itinerary.
STAY
Those who really want a discrete, indulgent experience should book a stay at the AAA Five Diamond Award-winning Sky Suites at Aria Resort & Casino. Here you’ll find exclusive porte-cochère entry with a personal curbside welcome after arriving in a luxury vehicle, before enjoying private check-in in a VIP entrance that few will ever see. You’ll then be whisked to a secluded lounge with complimentary food and beverage amenities including a daily wine and cheese pairing before heading up to your one or two bedroom suit via private elevator. There you’ll find a complimentary iPad/Laptop to play on during your stay, customized mattresses with triple sheeted, 100% Egyptian cotton linens, as well as stunning bathrooms with stone showers, a separate whirlpool bath, dual granite vanity sinks and a private water closet with TOTO electronic fixtures. It isn’t like you’ll be in your suite much, but if you are, you’ll have access to three TVs, including a 52″ baby in the living area, as well as a Plug and Play laptop, video devices, cameras and MP3 players.
Photo Credit: Vdara
Conversely, you can check into the posh Vdara if you’d prefer to leave the traditional Las Vegas casino craziness behind. The Vdara is wonderful for those who are looking for a much more serene environment (though who still want to be close enough to indulge in all the Sin City action). Here, whether you book a long-term or short-term rental, you’ll enjoy complimentary roundtrip limousine transportation to and from the airport, a concierge pre-arrival call, a washer and dryer, a frameless, glass-enclosed, walk-in shower with built-in sea and a large spa-style soaking tub. This pet-friendly paradise will feel like your home away from home, we swear.
Vdara Hotel & Spa, 2600 W Harmon Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89158, (702) 590-2111
DINE
Photo Credit: Jean Georges Steakhouse
Jean-Georges Steakhouse, an eatery courtesy of French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, is one of the most stunning restaurants we’ve ever had the pleasure of dining at, and hosts some of the most amazing food we’ve tasted. In fact, the Waguy beef filet was literally the best we’ve tasted to date. This eatery pushes the boundaries of a traditional steakhouse with its sexy, moody ambiance, its menu of meats and seafood, its Asian-inspired seasonings and its house-made steak sauces, mustards, rubs and flavored salts. Its cocktail menu, delivered on an iPad, is as fun to peruse as it is to imbibe.
Photo Credit: Julian Serrano
A second option is Julian Serrano‘s eponymous eatery, which serves up both traditional and non-traditional Spanish tapas Narrowing down your perfectly-portioned plates will be the hardest part of your dining experience. We literally ordered almost everything on the menu, and found that the seafood paella was delectable as promised. What you’ll find here: fabulous dishes like Ahi tuna tempura with avocado rocoto mayo, seaweed and ponzu sauce, goat cheese and tomato marmalade cake with Spanish goat cheese, pesto, panko and balsamic reduction as well as sinfully indulgent lobster saffron, with saffron oil, Iberian pork, creamy potatoes and asparagus. The ambiance here is warm with its accents of orange and red, which is fitting: from the moment we stepped inside the eatery to the moment we left, we were catered to as if we were family. Thank you, Albert.
RELAX
Photo Credit: Canyon Ranch
The name “Canyon Ranch” in synonymous with unparalleled luxury, which is exactly what you’ll find at this Las Vegas retreat located within the Palazzo/Venetian. The spacious SpaClub environment is centered around Aquavana, a European-inspired aquathermal oasis offering intriguing treatment suites designed to relax your muscles, enrich your blood with oxygen and rid your body of toxins. Devise your own journey through an astonishing range of multisensory experiences, or explore the comforting, rejuvenating power of alternating hot-and-cold treatments with one of our classic Spa Circuit sequences. Cool features you’ll find here include the Crystal steam room, experiential rains, a Finnish sauna, an herbal laconium, a HydroSpa and an igloo. The facial, delivered by top-notch aesthetician Kendra, was one of the most educational beauty experiences we’ve ever encountered—and this gal may just have saved our skin.
If you’re seeking supreme relaxation, the ESPA spa at Vdara is a cool, quietly elegant space in which to find it. We recommend you take a break from getting your cocktails on the rocks and order up the “On the Rocks” body treatment, which includes body brushing, exfoliation and one heck of a massage.
ESPA at Vdara, 2600 W Harmon Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89158, 702.590.2474
Heading from the Marquee DayClub pool to a night of revelry at the best eateries and nightclubs in Las Vegas is tough unless you have a great place to do your ‘do, which, thanks to Claude Baruk, you do. This Frenchman will address your tresses and tell you what your mane needs to look its personal best, be it a conditioning treatment, a trim or even a full-blown cut. We wouldn’t expect anything less from a man who was personally persuaded to move west by Steve Wynn himself.
Claude Baruk at Encore Las Vegas, 3121 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109, (702) 770-8000
PLAY
We’re sticking to our guns and maintaining that Light, the Cirque du Soleil-esque extravaganza at Mandalay Bay, is one of the best in Las Vegas, while Drai’s Beach Club and Marquee DayClub are great options for some fun in the sun action, and Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana and some serious gambling is good for the none-nightlife crowd, but our world was absolutely rocked by Rose. Rabbit. Lie., a spot that is almost indescribable. Rose. Rabbit. Lie. is a reinvention of the typical Sin City venue, and it’s all the better for it. This is a social club, an Alice in Wonderland-like enchanted evening where one room always look different from the next, where entertainers tap dance across your table as you dine and where gals sing “Happy” better than Pharrell does. We could try to define it or describe it further, but we refuse to ruin the experience for you: Rose. Rabbit. Lie. has to be seen to be believed, but once you see it, you’ll be a lifer.
Rose. Rabbit. Lie. at the Cosmopolitan, (877) 667-0585
u’re tempted. Snack or dine, if you like. Let the night take the lead.
TRAVEL
Photo Credit: Porsche
Trust us, when you arrive in Sin City driving a 2014 Porsche Cayman S in racing yellow, you’re going to stand out. This sleek machine is a great way to arrive in style and also completely fun to drive with its compelling mid-engine concept, which provides a low and central centre of gravity for a precise and direct driving feel and offers improved performance at the same time as enhanced efficiency. You may not be speeding on the Strip (it’s almost impossible), but on that long, (hopefully empty) drive from L.A. to Las Vegas on the 15, the Cayman is a blast thanks to its six-speed manual transmission, which races from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds and reaches a top speed of 283 km/h. Note to potential buyers: even sportier figures are achieved with optional Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK): which goes from 0 to 62mph in just 4.9 seconds and has a top speed of 174.61 mph.
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Photo Credit: Vdara
