The lions are apparently descendants from the original Leo The Lion who was MGM’s mascot – the lion you see roaring at the start of their movies. There are around 30 lions altogether, the majority being female and they actually live on a ranch just outside Las Vegas. Everyday, six or so lions are brought to the MGM where they spend the day prowling around their area. There’s a glass tunnel you can walk through so you can feel like you’re really getting close to the cats.

I was really excited to hear about the lions and was looking forward to seeing them, but I’ve got to say that it was a bit of a let down and I left feeling really quite sad.

Read why after the jump.

While I don’t doubt that no expense was spared in the development of the “habitat” I still can’t help but think that the animals would honestly rather be outside somewhere, hunting zebra and generally having nothing to do with mankind if they could avoid it. Instead, they’re placed somewhere where they have no privacy and have hundreds of people pressing their faces against the glass, desperate for a reaction from one of them. It made me think about the snake in the first Harry Potter book if I’m honest…

There are stories that the lions love their “habitat” so much that they don’t want to leave at the end of the day. Perhaps this is true. I’m sure they are treated as well as they can be, and MGM clearly state that the lions are there to be honoured and preserved, but I personally just question if such wild animals can be happy in captivity…

Still, if you’ve never seen a lion before – and you’d like to – this is a guaranteed chance to see a small pride together… but if you’re lucky enough to have seen lion before in the wild then this probably isn’t the thing for you. There’s something absolutely magnificent about seeing wild lion, not least because they’re so elusive, and seeing them padding around in a limited space behind thick glass just doesn’t have quite the same impact.

Walking up the strip to the Stratosphere hotel I was thinking to myself that the tower looked pretty high. The shapes at the top of the tower were just pinpricks and the faint sound of screams in the air could have been bird calls or similar.

Maybe…

Getting closer to the hotel I stopped thinking that the tower looked pretty high and acknowledged that it was definitely Very High Indeed (at over 1100 ft high I like to think I was right with that). Still, my excitement took me forward and had me nearly running to the ticket queue to get to the top and on the ride.

Exiting the lift on the observation floor was an amazing thing. The tower absolutely dominates the Las Vegas skyline and the view was just incredible. Seeing all the hotels laid out in front of you – almost like a little living map – is an incredible thing. And I was definitely right about the tower being Very High Indeed. From behind huge glass windows I looked down on what is surely one of the best views of Vegas and started to feel just a little overwhelmed by the height of the place. After lots of view admiring it was time to get in another lift and get up to the rides. Hurrah!

Unfortunately, when I reached the very top of the tower, where the rides are, reality hit home pretty hard and I realised that I had somehow found myself on top of a ridiculously high tower and was about to ridiculously go on a ride that would ridiculously throw me up even higher.

The Nerves had arrived….

A disappointingly short queue awaited us at The Big Shot. Never in my life have I ever wished for a longer queue on a ride, but this one had me nervous. Getting to the front of the queue and getting strapped into my seat happened in the (seemingly very short) blink of an eye and there I sat, for the longest few seconds of my life, waiting to be fired into the air like a missile, just hoping that the old adage “what goes up must come down” would be the case here, just with the added word “safely” at the end.

After several long hours (in reality probably around 30 seconds) all the other crazy fools and myself were securely strapped into our seats, our legs nervously dangling beneath us, waiting for the ominous hiss of air that would mean we were about to be flung to the heavens.

The ride itself I can’t tell you too much about as fear and adrenalin have made the memories a little hazy. It was over in probably less than a minute, but what a minute!! You are literally fired straight upwards, very quickly reaching a speed of 45mph – apparently this is more than 4Gs which would explain why I left my stomach at the bottom of the ride to be watched over by the people queuing to go next. The shooting upwards seems to take just milliseconds and the view at the top is just incredible if you can manage to keep your eyes open…

Then comes the drop.

The drop seems ominously slow after the speed of going up and as you can’t see below you you don’t know how far you have to drop until you reach the landing. Terrifying!

After the ride, with legs shaking, I was faced with the indignity of looking at the nervous wreck I’d become with the standard ride photograph. I don’t think I’d ever fully appreciated why rides are called white knuckle rides, but now I understand. I was holding on to the bars of my harness so tightly that my knuckles looked like they had been tippexed. I bought the photo. Even though my knuckles are white and my face is grey I wanted proof that I’d just gone through one of the most scary experiences of my life.

It took three pretty stiff cocktails downstairs in the bar for me to stop shaking like a leaf and for the first time in my life I declared that while I was glad I had done the ride, there was no way on god’s holy earth I’d put myself through that again.

As for the other two rides, the delightfully named Insanity and X-Scream, they look absolutely terrifying. If you want to read a review of those you’ll have to go elsewhere, this reviewer wouldn’t have been able to lift a pen again if she’d gone on either of those!

The Bellagio is more than just its famous fountains – much more. Whether you’re staying in one of the 4,000 rooms or just visiting the hotel to see its grand opulence, here are ten things you have to see.

1). Thousands of glass flowers

First things first, make sure you look up when you arrive around 2,000 hand blown glass flowers decorate the ceiling in the lobby if youre a fan of glass flowers or not, this is definitely worth a look as its typical of the amazing attention to detail throughout this hotel.

2). Superb swimming pools

Relax the day away with a few hours by one of the 5 gorgeous swimming pools. Private cabanas are available on request for groups of up to 8 people and a poolside massage will convince you you’ve landed in Vegas Heaven. If you’re a fan of cocktails make sure you try the signature Bellagio Mojito from the Pool Bar, infused with fresh blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and mint.

3). The famous fountain (no, not that one!)

If you like your chocolate and pastries, no visit to the Bellagio is complete without a visit to Jean Phillippe’s patisserie. Even if you can resist trying some of his amazing chocolate or cakes, you’ll be drooling over his chocolate fountain which stretches from the floor to the ceiling and has been verified by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest in the world.

4). Afternoon tea – how very civilised!

Enjoy the finer things in life with a traditional English afternoon tea in the Petrossian Bar and Lounge. Available every afternoon between 2-5pm, afternoon tea includes open sandwiches, freshly baked scones (served with clotted cream and jam, obviously), delicate pastries and an assortment of teas. Relax and enjoy your pot of Earl Grey while watching the world go by in the casino below.

Bellagio really doesn’t do Vegas like the rest of Vegas does, which is perfect if you don’t either!

5). The Bellagio Botanical Gardens – a real hidden gem

Continuing the theme of doing things differently, take a wander through the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and immerse yourself an amazing display of the best Mother Nature has to offer (combined with some Vegas showmanship, obviously!)

Flowers are replaced fortnightly to ensure they look at their absolute best and the whole area is re-landscaped five times a year. A vast array of flowers, plants, water features, bridges and gazebos make this a welcome haven of peaceful beauty in contrast to the madness of the strip outside.

6). Cirque de Soleil

See the world-reknowned Cirque du Soleil performing “O”. In residence at the Bellagio since 1998, this is a spectacular show that is set in and above water and includes high diving, contortionists, trapeze and synchronised swimming.

There are two shows nightly and it’s not cheap, but if you’re a fan of Cirque du Soleil itis well worth a visit.

7). Glorious Food in Glorious Las Vegas

Whatever your tastes you’ll find a food place to suit you in the Bellagio – from the Italian Circo to the French Le Cirque, there’s a variety of high-end restaurants to choose from, as well as some more relaxed choices, such as the Cafe Bellagio.

8). Shop till you drop

Of course, in a hotel of opulence and luxury, you’d iimagine the shops would be a bit special, and you’d be right! Like most hotels on the Strip, the Bellagio has its own shops called Via Bellagio, but unlike many others, they’re all upmarket designer stores.

So do some top class window shopping (or spend your winnings!), with boutiques including Giorgio Armani, Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Prada, Tiffany & Co and Gucci.

Dahling!

9). Dance with the stars at The Bank nightclub

Luxury pervades the Bellagio, so of course it extends to its nightclub as well. Called The Bank, it opened recently, with Leonardo DiCaprio seeing in the New Year there (which may or may not attract you to the club, depending on your views of the pixie-faced actor!)

The Bank has light gold and glass accents and has three tiers of VIP seating. At the bottom is the dance floor where you can bust your moves to Hip Hop, House and “Top 40″ (is there a top 40 in these days of the download?!)

10). Of course, the fountains!

One of the best free shows in Vegas, the Fountains of Bellagio are a truly stunning visual spectacle. Spanning an 8 acre lake in front of the hotel, the regular shows (every 15 or 30 minutes depending on time of day) combine water, music and light to create a really unique and uplifting experience.

I’d recommend watching the show two or three times as it’s different each time – and it’s definitely worth watching from different vantage points and at different times of the day. Directly in front of the hotel gives you a great view, but it’s also worth watching them from the Bellagio’s lake-side bar patio the Fontana – and from a front-facing hotel room if you’re lucky enough to have one.

And if you want the best setting for taking pics, make sure you stand immediately in front of the hotel looking out towards the Strip – Paris Hotel is directly behind, so you get some superb shots of the fountains with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Absolutely stunning!

Fortunately TI aren’t giving up on the idea of nightclubs altogether. Instead, they’ll be replacing Tangerine with another nightclub that will open on New Year’s Eve. Apparently the reason behind Tangerine’s imminent demise is too much competition from the likes of Tao, Pure, Moon and Jet.

There’s a simple answer to that – get a better DJ! Meh!

[Source: LATimes]

The photos were taken in 2006 and 2007, and show Caesar’s Palace from the outside and the inside, with quite a few pics taken from the Forum Shops. They complement the review of Caesar’s Palace I’ve just posted as well.

You can find the new Caesar’s Palace photo gallery here.

Just listing the things Caesar’s offers doesn’t do it justice, though – sure it has 120 shops, 3,300 hotel rooms, a 4,100 seat stadium modelled on the Colosseum and live entertainers from Celine Dion to Elton John – but it’s the way Caesar’s is presented in such a lavish, detailed, and, dare one say it, mad style that truly makes it one of the top places to visit in Vegas.

Read on to see the complete Caesar’s Palace review.

When I first went to Vegas, I couldn’t wait to check out Caesar’s. I had no idea what it was like, of course, I’d just heard so much about it before I went that I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. If any casino epitomized Vegas, for me it was Caesar’s.

Well, I was stunned with what I found. I was expecting a reasonably big down and dirty casino with a lot of cheese and maybe a bit of Elvis thrown in. Maybe in the 70s, perhaps, but not now!

Sprawling over 85 acres of prime Las Vegas real estate in the centre of the Strip, Caesar’s Palace is simply huge, and can be completely disorienting when you first enter. Not only is the interior huge, but it’s so sprawling, it can be difficult to know exactly where you are, and certainly which way out is!

None of this matters, though, for you’ll be so gobsmacked by what you see, you won’t care where you are!

The Forum Shops

Let’s start with the Forum Shops. As you walk up the strip from the North, the first thing you come across at Caesar’s is a gigantic heavily-detailed facade with marble columns, arches and a huge sign proudly proclaiming The Forum Shops (see pic, above).

Interestingly, though, this isn’t the entrance – it’s just a shop window! The actual entrance is round the corner, and it’s even bigger and more impressive (see pic, left).

It’s not until you go in, though, that you realise why the entrance is so huge – it opens onto what must be the most lavish, glorious shopping mall entrance you’ll ever see.

In Caesar’s own words, it’s “a grand pedestrian plaza [that] creates a signature entrance for The Forum Shops at Caesars.” Signature is certainly the word for it!

In the centre is a huge winding escalator (below) that winds its way up the various levels of the mall, flanked by gigantic statues of Roman Gods. Beneath is a beautiful water feature, while high above is a stunning domed ceiling.

The glorious opulence, lavish detail and sheer over the top nature of the place will take your breath away – and this is just the entrance!

Surrounding the central escalator are a series of shops, but it’s not until you go inside the main mall that the rest of the 120 shops are on display.

Be warned, though – the shops cover some 634,000 square feet, and with the ever-present fake sky painted onto the ceiling (a feature in virtually all Vegas hotels), and the lighting set low, you can start to feel a little disoriented, particularly if jet lag’s just kicking in!

As you delve deeper into the mall, you’ll come across one or two little features that all add to the bonkers magic. Like the giant wooden horse of Troy that suddenly appears, which is actually just part of a toy shop inside! Or the stunning statues in the middle that at least help you to get your bearings when you’re completely lost.

Best of all though is the Talking Statues at the far end of the mall (below). This is a recreation of the legend of Atlantis (well, Caesar’s version of it anyway!), with two huge statues that vividly come to life every half an hour in an animatronics extravaganza.

Complete with fire and water, the whole show is a must-see, as is the Cheesecake Factory behind the statues, which sells every variant of cheesecake known to man (well, 33 variants anyway)!

From Harry Winston to Jimmy Choo, Burberry to Boss and even Diesel, Victoria’s Secret and Ted Baker thrown in for good measure, there’s a huge range of shops on offer – there’s even the Exotic Cars area, where you can drool over Ferarris, Aston Martins and Porsches.

Trust me, if you’re bored in Vegas (really?!), lose yourself in the Forum Shops…literally!

Oh, and if you get hungry, which you will do, as your body clock will be all over the place and you’ll get so lost it’ll feel like days since you last saw daylight, there are also over 13 restaurants and speciality food stores spread around the mall as well.

Caesar’s Palace Casino

I have no idea whether the casino is good or not, as I don’t gamble, but it, too, is huge and rambling, and is another great way to get lost in Caesar’s! It’s nothing like the image I had of Caesar’s casino though – it’s modern, clean and huge, and you can wander off and see all manner of other great sights, including bars, restaurants and clubs, all fantastically decked out in Roman or Ancient Greek themes (not sure why Caesar’s chose both Roman and Greek – perhaps Roman wasn’t enough on its own?!)

Caesar’s Palace – the building

One of the great things about Las Vegas is that the hotels in which you stay have become the main attractions in their own right. Unlike other resorts, where it’s the beautiful beaches or stunning scenery around which the hotels are built, in Vegas it’s the hotels themselves that every hotel tries to provide a view of. This makes Las Vegas the most narcissistic tourist resort in the world!

So what about Caesar’s Palace, then? How does the Caesar’s Palace building compare with its fabulous neighbours?

Well, not all that well. Oh don’t get me wrong, it’s huge and majestic in a suitably Roman kind of way, and the Forum Shops and Colosseum are extremely impressive. Equally, the two hotel towers are also extremely impressive, and dominate skyline in an imperious way (they’ll also be joined by a third tower in 2009 as well), while the famous Caesar’s Palace fountains do add a bit of colour to the place.

It’s just that, compared to the Bellagio, with its huge pool, the glorious Paris Hotel opposite, or even the Mirage just up the road, Caesar’s Palace is a bit too…well, bland! The detailing is impressive, and the sheer size of the place takes your breath away. There’s just too much concrete everywhere and not enough colour, making the whole place seem like an enormous project that was never quite finished.

There’s also a mess of electricity pylons on the front, which adds to the feeling that most of the work was done to the inside, and the outside aesthetics were kind of forgotten about.

This is a shame as it’s such a huge hotel, and such great fun inside, you feel it doesn’t do itself justice from the outside. Fortunately, you can sit on its terraces, grab a beer and look at the other hotels, such as Paris and the Bellagio, safely immersed in the concrete jungle of Caesar’s, which is much better than sitting outside at Paris, say, and having to look across the way at Caesar’s!

Maybe the name Caesar’s Palace is such a huge draw in its own right that they don’t need to spend as much attention on getting the outside right as somewhere like Paris. Whatever, don’t let its concrete nature put you off – go inside and prepare to be seriously impressed (and lost!)

Caesar’s Palace Reviews across the Web

I’ve not stayed at Caesar’s, so I’ve no idea what the rooms are like, so the best thing is to check out the following reviews from across the Web.

Frommers has a great review of Caesar’s Palace, noting that “from the Roman temples, heroic arches, golden charioteers, and 50-foot Italian cypresses at its entrance, to the impressive interiors, it’s the spectacle a good Vegas hotel should be.” Couldn’t agree more! They also note, though, that “…the hotel is also getting a bit too big for its own britches. The haphazard layout has become ever more confusing and hard to negotiate, and it takes forever to get anywhere — especially out to the Strip. Sometimes you feel like just surrendering and staying in, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

Vegas4Visitors has a good review of Caesar’s, noting the nightclubs, the great rooms (some of which feature whirlpool baths in the middle of the room!) and also the glorious 4.5 acre pool area, called the Garden of the Gods, which they rate as “…among the most beautiful in town. Lush gardens surround the four pools, one of which has a covered colonnade in the center for cooling off. Adjacent to this is a spa, which among the usual suspects like massages and workout equipment, has a full-service salon, Zen meditation garden, and a rock-climbing wall.”

They also note that it’s easy to get lost in the place, though! Of course, this is deliberate, as if you can’t find your way out the casino, you might as well stay there and keep on gambling!

Sidestep give a pretty matter of fact review of Caesar’s Palace, listing its features without really saying what it’s like. They note that “the hotels 4.5 acre Garden of the Gods continues the Roman style with cypresses, palm trees, marble columns and classical statues. The garden includes four pools and two spa tubs. The 10,000 square foot Palace Pool features a gilded statue of Caesar. The on site Qua Baths & Spa features Roman baths and an Arctic Ice room. The spa provides massage and skin treatments.”

They also give a good detailed summary of the facilities on offer at Caesar’s.

Summary

So there you have it – Caesar’s Palace in all its glory. If you go to Las Vegas, you have to visit Caesar’s Palace for the true Vegas feel. The rest of Vegas may be going upmarket, but Caesar’s will never lose its camp, over the top feel, and is exactly the antidote that’s needed to all the new hotels that are sprouting up that seem to be taking themselves far too seriously!

Caesar’s Palace is like no other hotel on the planet (and that’s saying something given its immediate neighbours!), and you have to visit it simply to see what true decadence on a massively camp scale is really like. Fun, kitsch, fascinating and gloriously grand in equal measure, Las Vegas’s Caesar’s Palace will put a huge smile on your face. Just make sure you take a map and a compass with you!

If you want to see more of the place, check out our new Caesar’s Palace photo gallery.

From the press release:

Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., (NYSE: HET) today announced an approximately $1 billion expansion of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, a key initiative in the development of the company’s renowned Caesars brand. This expansion is another project in the extensive growth portfolio announced in the past 24 months by Harrah’s, including: London Clubs International, Margaritaville Casino & Resort in Biloxi, Miss., The Pier at Caesars(R) Atlantic City, a new hotel tower at Harrah’s Atlantic City, a new hotel at Harrah’s New Orleans, and a substantial expansion to the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind.

The center piece of the expansion is the luxurious new 665-room hotel tower — the Octavius Tower. The Octavius Tower will be located adjacent to a new 263,000-square-foot meeting and convention center. Three new luxurious pool villa suites will be built along the second floor of the new tower and will overlook three new swimming pools that will rim an expanded outdoor whirlpool spa retreat, a poolside cafe and nearby garden wedding venue. This expansion is slated for completion in early 2009.

“This billion dollar investment in our flagship property, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, is an important part of our comprehensive global growth strategy,” said Gary Loveman, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. “From the United Kingdom to Las Vegas and beyond, we will continue to enhance our network of branded properties to deliver unforgettable guest experiences and provide good jobs for our nearly 100,000 team members around the world.”

“With 2006 operating income up 63% over the prior year and impressive increases in customer service scores during the same period, Caesars Palace hasn’t just gotten bigger since the 2005 opening of the Augustus Tower, it’s gotten better,” said Tom Jenkin, president of the Western Division of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. “Our expansion plans in Las Vegas are a reality thanks to the hard work of a great employee team.”

Octavius Tower

The heart of the Caesars Palace expansion is the Octavius Tower, located along Flamingo Road on the southeast corner of the Caesars property. The new Octavius Tower will include:

• 665-room, 23-story hotel tower rising 350 feet;
• 594 hotel guest rooms (floor plans from 600 square feet);
• 19 1 1/2-bay suites;
• 41 two- or three-bay suites;
• 4 four-bay suites;
• 3 five-bay suites;
• 1 six-bay suite; and
• 3 lavish pool villa suites.

Named for the great-nephew of Julius Caesar, who later changed his name to Augustus, the $375 million Octavius Tower will adjoin and resemble the resort’s Augustus Tower that opened in August 2005 with a new hotel registration lobby and VIP check-in lounges. In addition to convenient access from the hotel lobby and VIP reception areas, Octavius guests also will enjoy panoramic views and direct entry to swimming pools and gardens.

In addition to the new Octavius Tower, the resort’s existing 512-room Forum Tower will undergo a major refurbishment. A regal new front entrance and expanded valet parking will open to expansive new casino interior decor, inviting guests to a remodeled buffet restaurant, redesigned Cypress Street Marketplace casual restaurant and enlarged Race & Sports Book.

Internationally acclaimed designer Wilson & Associates will create Octavius Tower interiors. Spacious guest rooms will offer the finest entertainment amenities, including large, flat-panel televisions and bedside clock radios with iPod(R) docking stations. Beds will be dressed with premium linens and bolster pillows; fashion-forward matlasses (mat lah SAYS) will replace traditional duvets. Luxurious marble bathrooms will feature generous dual-head showers and whirlpool tubs, with televisions above double vanities. Bathrooms will be bathed in natural light through doors that open into the bedrooms. With a nod to the resort’s Greco-Roman heritage, guest room entry doors will be customized with Greek key patterns, where electronic doorbells and electronic “do not disturb” features will ensure guest privacy. Floors 21 through 23 will be comprised exclusively of suites; special key cards will be required to access these levels.

Scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2009, the Octavius Tower will increase the Caesars Palace room/suite offering from 3,348 to 4,013.

“Our guests have been thrilled with the Augustus Tower and its associated upscale services and amenities,” said Gary Selesner, president of Caesars Palace. “This new expansion opens an exciting new chapter in the renaissance that began with opening of The Colosseum, and continues with the February 2008 debut of Bette Midler’s all-new production, which will be presented a minimum of two years. With a spectacular new show, new guest rooms, suites and more, Caesars Palace will be well positioned to continue to welcome the world’s most discriminating clientele.”

Pool Villas – Villa Corridor – Swimming Pools – Wedding

Along the tower’s second floor will be three pool villa suites designed to be the industry’s most coveted hotel accommodations. Each of the palatial residences will span more than 10,000 square feet. These suites will be connected by a new Villa Promenade to the resort’s existing two pool villas (10,000 and 11,000 square feet). New villas will be accessible via a private Octavius Tower entrance at Flamingo Road and by private elevator. Interior decor subtly inspired by the former Roman Empire regions of Spain, France or Greece, will feature exquisite custom furnishings and original works of art. Villa guests will be pampered with private butler service, advanced entertainment systems and private terraces overlooking the resort’s Garden of the Gods swimming pools and gardens.

Three new swimming pools will replace the resort’s Apollo pool and outdoor spas. The three will be elevated to set them apart from the Temple, Venus and Neptune pools. One (1,600 square feet) will be available only to invited guests and will offer premium amenities and services. Two 1,900-square-foot pools will adjoin the new meeting and convention addition. These pools will be created not only for hotel guest use, but also for private pool parties and catered functions.

Lush classically designed landscaping, replete with the resort’s signature fountains and statuary, will surround the pools. Scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2009, the pool expansion will accommodate added cabanas, chaise lounges and daybeds, along with a new poolside cafe, an expanded outdoor whirlpool spa retreat and a picturesque new garden wedding venue.

Meeting and Ballroom Addition

Underscoring Caesars commitment to prized convention and catering clientele, the expansion includes a 263,000-square-foot ballroom and meeting facility, constructed on two levels, and connected to the resort’s Palace Tower meeting and convention center.

The 263,000-square-foot building will feature 110,000 square feet of flexible meeting, ballroom and exhibit space with additional breakout areas, grand promenades, banquet kitchens and support facilities. Included will be two regal ballrooms, each expandable to 52,000 square feet, and two executive boardrooms. The upper tier will offer a large terrace overlooking two new swimming pools.

The addition will provide an ideal environment for product and entertainment productions, with ceiling heights of 26 and 28 feet and industry-leading audio visual and data systems. Direct access to fiber optics hubs and the perfect positioning for satellite transmission will provide efficient broadcast solutions.

Interiors will be designed by Marnell Interiors, a division of Marnell Corrao Associates of Las Vegas. These will complement the Palace Tower meeting center design. The addition will increase the property’s total meeting room offerings from 240,000 square feet to 300,000 square feet.

Site improvements including central electrical plant expansion and relocation of power lines along Flamingo Road will take place near the convention addition and along the south property border.

Forum Tower

The complete remodel of the 24-story Forum Tower will include:

• 452 guest rooms;
• 10 two-story suites, which became widely known after the release of the movie “Rain Man”;
• 60 two-bay suites; and
• 18 executive suites and two penthouses (9,500 and 12,500 square feet).

In-bedroom whirlpool bathtubs will be removed to provide more spacious sleeping and lounging environments. Like the Octavius Tower, guest accommodations will feature blissful bedding, dressed in premium linens and stylish matlasses, as well as large, flat panel televisions, iPod(R) docking stations, electronic doorbells and “do not disturb” messaging. Distinctive in the Forum Tower will be giant, marble, surround showers that can easily accommodate two people. These will be equipped with both rain shower and regular showerhead fixtures and bench seating.

The complete refurbishment of the Forum Tower is scheduled to be completed in January 2008 at a cost of $83 million. The tower’s two penthouses will be remodeled by the first quarter of 2008.

Renowned design firm Hirsch-Bedner Associates is creating all Forum Tower interiors except the two penthouses, which were created by, and will be remodeled by Wilson & Associates.

Front Entrance – Casino Remodel

The existing Caesars Palace front entrance will be expanded in breadth and height, opening to palatial new casino interiors, created by globally renowned design firm Allard & Conversano. The central ellipse will remain, highlighted by new decor and flanked by grand ceiling heights, raised to 20 feet. New interiors will extend to the Casino Cashier and Cleopatra’s Barge corridors, inviting guests to explore new dining, entertainment and gaming offerings. During the transformation of the central front entry, Caesars guests will enter and exit through resort entrances a few steps on either side of the central doors.

The construction team will be led by long-established builders and architects:

• Marnell Architecture, Executive Architect
• Bergman Walls, Architect of Record.
• Marnell – Keating, Joint Venture, Contractor

For the huge new billion dollar hotels that are currently being built in Vegas aren’t just changing the skyline – they’re also changing the type of visitor and their corresponding tastes.

Most of the new hotels focus exclusively on luxury, and will therefore attract a much more up-market crowd. As Las Vegas grows up, the existing themed hotels that looked great back in the 1990s when they were built will soon start to look quaint and not a little outdated. Consequently, these hotels are racing to overhaul themselves in an effort not to be left behind.

Personally, I’d rather have the themed hotels, as they’re great to see and part of the reason you go to Vegas. I’d much rather the new hotels being built all had mad themes as well, rather than being just very large buildings. I mean, what would you rather go to the middle of the desert to see – buildings like the Venetian, New York New York and Paris, or buildings like Bally’s and the MGM Mirage? But what do I know?!

So what’s the Luxor doing with its $300 million to attract the new fresh (and rich!) youngsters that will soon be pouring into the city? Well, aside form changing some of the nightclubs and adding new bars, they’re getting rid of the Egyptian theming throughout the hotel, remodelling the guest rooms and the pool area, and making the atrium more adult by adding more lounges, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Most shocking of all though is the rumour that might be doing away with the huge replica Sphynx hat sits outside the hotel. This would be sacrelage! You can’t get rid of the Luxor’s Sphynx – all you’d be left with is a giant black hollow pyramid, causing first time visitors to wonder why a hotel has been built like, well, a giant black hollow pyramid!

I don’t like this one bit- update the place, sure, but mad Vegas should be left just as it is – it’s the madness that makes it great!

[Source: VegasTodayAndTomorrow]

New York, New York – so good they built it twice! New York New York is one of Las Vegas’s many themed hotels. Situated on the south side of the strip directly opposite the MGM Grand, New York New York features a scale replica of the Manhattan skyline, but with one slight difference – a giant rollercoaster twisting its way amongst the skyscrapers!

I’ve always liked New York New York. Not only does it look great, it’s got a great vibe inside – a real party atmosphere, which seems to be present wherever you go (particularly in the bars and clubs!).

Check out our review of the New York New York hotel, and also check out our new New York New York photo gallery to see just what I’m on about.

Read on to see what Caesar’s Palace’s new extension will contain.

For the money, Caesar’s are adding a new 29-storey 1,017 room tower that will rise 350 feet, and which will frame (or dominate!) the existing pool area. As you can see from the renderings, unlike the existing towers, the new one will be less decorative – indeed, bland might be a better word! Hopefully the finished product will look better than this.

Caesar’s are also adding more casino space – 37,000 square feet more in fact – as well as more restaurants, convention centre space and yet more shops.

There will also be a new pedestrian promenade that will feature decorative fountains and landscaping to lure the passing walker into the depths of Caesar’s Palace (well, the casino, anyway!). Underneath this new promenade, a garage will be excavated, with room for 389 valet-parking spaces.

I’ve always liked Caesar’s Palace form the inside, as its combination of themed shops (the Forum Shops) and sprawling casino makes it a really interesting place to be. It’s one of the more extravagant hotels (not that any of them are subtly, you understand!), and contains features that make your jaw drop. The huge wooden replica of the Trojan horse, for example, which stands proudly inside the Forum Shops, but which is actually just an extra bit of shop space for teddy bears for a toy store! Like I say, extravagant!

Outside, though, Caesar’s is a bit of a concrete jungle, with only the fountains breaking up the endless monotony of concrete, which conspires to blind you in the Las Vegas sun. Adding yet another large slab of concrete in the form of the new tower certainly won’t be adding anything to the attractiveness of the Caesar’s complex.

[Source: VegasTodayAndTomorrow]