Beer Park by Budweiser at Paris

The beer garden concept has been making its way around Las Vegas to varying degrees of success. Umami Burger at SLS has one, and there's one downtown at Plaza. A beer garden is also being planned for the new MGM Resorts Park development.

This week renderings have been making the rounds of a new beer garden planned for Paris Las Vegas that will be taking over the Chateau Nightclub space. Beer Park by Budweiser will essentially be a huge indoor-outdoor sports-bar featuring 100+ brews (likely all Bud brands).

On paper the beer garden concept seems like a good idea. Cold beer, sports on TV, outdoor bar space. All that stuff is great but there's something about it that doesn't seem to fit into Las Vegas in my mind. It will be interesting to see how these concepts play out in the coming years.






Renderings: Beer Park.

Caesars Upgrading Las Vegas Room Product

For years Caesars Entertainment has had a reputation for not maintaining their properties. While most Strip properties had routine room updates, Caesars seemed to take the approach of deferring maintenance to save money.

This provided some great room rates for budget travelers, but from a company perspective Caesars was hurting themselves by not being able to charge more for nicer room offerings.

This might be changing though. On the latest Caesars Entertainment earnings conference call yesterday new CEO Mark Frissora talked about being able to achieve higher average daily room rates by improving their properties.

Indeed Caesars has already taken steps to upgrade Las Vegas hotel rooms with the upcoming Julius Tower at Caesars Palace, new suites at Paris, upgraded rooms in the Carnival Tower at Harrah's, and refreshed Hollywood Hip rooms and suites at Planet Hollywood.

This follows some other improvements at Caesars properties including the complete overhauls at The Cromwell and The Linq, along with new hotel rooms at the Bally's Jubilee Tower and the Rio Samba Suites.

If Caesars continues to aggressively improve their room products it would give Las Vegas travelers many more options for a nicer hotel room closer to the center of the Strip.

Sam Smith - Money On My Mind - Music Video

The music video for the Sam Smith song "Money On My Mind" takes place in Las Vegas.

Some landmarks I spotted in the video include:

Golden Gate
Paris
Cosmopolitan
Fremont Street
Stratosphere
Dino's Lounge
A Little White Wedding Chapel
Fun City Motel
Flamingo

Golden State Warriors Celebrate in Vegas

I always get a kick out of athletes celebrating a big win in Las Vegas.

A few years ago I wrote about Chris Paul celebrating his All Star Game MVP award in Vegas.

This time it's the Golden State Warriors, who recently celebrated their NBA championship.

An LA Times article told the story of Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut, David Lee, Marreese Speights, Harrison Barnes and Justin Holliday living it up at Marquee at The Cosmopolitan.

The article goes on to tell how Barnes continued to party at Chateau Nightclub & Rooftop the next night at Paris Las Vegas.

Caesars Entertainment Resort Fees starting March 1, 2013

After years of advertising that they don't charge resort fees, Caesars Entertainment has changed course 180 degrees. The company will start charging the fees on all Las Vegas rooms booked after March 1, 2013.

This is quite a change from the summer of 2011 when showgirls from Bally's protested resort fees on the Strip.

All eight Caesars properties in Vegas (Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Bally's, Harrah's, Flamingo, Rio and The Quad) will start charging resort fees ranging from $10-25 a night, which will include the use of basic amenities like internet access and use of the hotel fitness center.

From an outside perspective this seems like a strange move. Since most Las Vegas Strip hotels charge resort fees, I thought Caesars was in a great position being able to advertise that the didn't have the fees. Obviously adding fees will provide a revenue boost for the company, but they could have just as easily done that by raising hotel rates outright.

Caesars obviously didn't think they could continue on with the no-fee strategy though, as eye-catching low rack rates backed up by secondary "hidden" fees are proving to be a very successful strategy for travel providers.

January Restaurant Roundup

A couple of restaurant tidbits have crossed the wire over the past couple of days.

The biggest news is probably the Gordon Ramsay restaurant rumored for Paris Las Vegas is actually happening. Robin Leach reported the Ramsay news way back in December 2010. A year went by without anything happening, but now there's an official press release stating that Gordon Ramsay Steak will be opening in the spring to replace the closed Les Artistes Steakhouse.

KJ Dim Sum & Seafood Chinese Restaurant is opening at Rio. Pulse of Vegas says they should be open in time for Chinese New Year, which is January 23rd. Las Vegas locals might be familiar with KJ's sister location in Chinatown, branded KJ Kitchen.

Lastly, Vegas Tripping is reporting that Union Restaurant at Aria is closing. It appears the restaurant might have suffered from service issues and was a tad overpriced.

Caesars All Night Pass

Back in April of last year, Caesars Entertainment introduced their Buffet of Buffets deal which allowed you unlimited access to any Caesars property buffet for a 24 hour period.

The promotion was so successful, they followed it up with the All Stage Pass which allowed you to see as many shows as you could within a 48 hour period.

Now they are extending the concept to their nightlife offerings with the All Night Pass. For one low price (currently $44.99 for Total Rewards members, $49.99 for non-members) you will be granted access to seven of the nightclubs at Caesars properties.

The clubs are Pure at Caesars Palace, Chateau at Paris, Gallery at Planet Hollywood, Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Saloon at Planet Hollywood, Crown at Rio, VooDoo at Rio and Carnival Court at Harrah’s.

The pass is available Thursday through Sunday only and is valid on the day of purchase from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Blackout dates may apply.

I'm not really a nightclub person, but I suppose this might be a good deal for those wanting to check out a few different clubs in one night. The selling point is the ability to jump the line and get into the clubs right away. If that's the case it would certainly be a time-saver at some of the more popular clubs.

For more information, check out the Caesars Pulse of Vegas Blog.

Vegas Shows Celebrate Milestones

A bunch of Las Vegas shows have passed milestones recently:

- Donny and Marie celebrated their 500th show at Flamingo, and their contract has been extended into 2012.

- Matt Goss has been at Caesars Palace for one year.

- Barry Manilow has been at Paris for one year.

- Absinthe adult carnival has opened at Caesars Palace.

- KA celebrated their 3000th show at MGM Grand.

Sugar Factory Food Looks Great

The new Sugar Factory restaurant at Paris Las Vegas is opening on March 4th. Paris posted a few pics of some of the menu items on their facebook page, and everything looks really, really good.







Credit: Paris Las Vegas Facebook.

Paris Sugar Factory Opening March 4th

The Caesars Pulse of Vegas blog is reporting that the Sugar Factory at Paris will be opening on March 4th. A few celebrities will be on hand for the opening including Kim Kardashian and Holly Madison.

I'm still a little unsure of what Sugar Factory actually is. The other locations on the Strip at Planet Hollywood and Mirage are just candy shops (I think). It looks like this location will have a restaurant, bakery, sandwich shop and ice cream shop. There will also be something called a "Chocolate Lounge" that will offer upscale chocolate offerings paired with wine and liquor. Additional bars and a nightclub will also be part of the complex.

It looks like they designed this project to maximize outdoor space and views of the Bellagio fountains, which is definitely a smart idea. The other Strip front restaurant at Paris - Mon Ami Gabi is constantly talked about as a great place to view the fountains. I'm guessing the new Sugar Factory complex will be a great place to watch them as well. It's kind of intersting to see how other hotels make design changes to maximize their views of the fountains. You could argue that The Cosmopolitan's whole design was based on providing great views of the city (and the fountains).

For more about the Paris Sugar Factory opening check out Caesars Pulse of Vegas blog.

Gordon Ramsay Restaurant in Paris De-Theme?

Gordan Ramsay will be opening a new restaurant at Paris Las Vegas in 2011. Robin Leach is reporting that Gordon Ramsay Steakhouse will replace Les Artistes, which will be closing.

The opening of Ramsay's restaurant won't be the only change. According to a Leach source, Paris will be removing some of the theme of the resort:

"I think you will see Caesars slowly taking away the French overtones of the Paris with these moves. Obviously, with the Tour Eiffel right there in the casino, you can’t ignore the French theme. But ‘les directions’ will become the directions in every way, and the staff will slowly phase out the French-language greetings."

This is an interesting move. It certainly has been a trend in Las Vegas to remove the overt themes from the resorts, but I don't know if that has been a popular move with tourists. As "tacky" as the themes may be, a lot of people still like them. I think if you're going to have a themed resort it's better to go all out with the theme than to go half way with it.

Ultimate Holiday Gift Diamond Card Package

Have you always wanted a Total Rewards Diamond Card, but didn't want to gamble the required amount to get one? Now you can buy Diamond Card status by purchasing a special "Ultimate Holiday Gift" package for a stay at Caesars Palace, Paris or Planet Hollywood.

Packages start at $699 and include 2 nights, limo to and from the airport, $200 food and beverage credit and Diamond Card status throughout your stay. You also get a private trip concierge to help you book the trip.

This package is meant to be given as a gift, so I presume it would work similarly to a gift card. You give someone the gift, then they call the private trip concierge and book the package.

If you can use this package on a weekend (I didn't see anything that said you can't, although the fine print says "Subject to availability. Blackout dates apply.") it might be a pretty good deal. Let's use Paris as an example at $719. The package gives you a Red Room, which on average could run you around $500 for the weekend. Add the food credit and limo and you are getting $750 worth of stuff for $719, plus the perks of a Diamond Card.

It might be a bit of a splurge for the low rollers out there, but I think it could be worth it to get some VIP Diamond Card treatment for a weekend.

Check out Caesars Total Experiences for details.
NOTE: The package is advertised as "Only available for the holidays."

Bring Your Dog to Caesars Palace

Caesars Palace, Imperial Palace and Rio now allow guests with dogs to stay at their hotels. I'm a little surprised that Caesars would allow dogs especially at the Agustus Tower since that is a fairly new and nice tower, but I guess if the pets are contained to a specified area then everything would probably work out and other guests wouldn't be disturbed.

UPDATE - January 2011: The Pet Stay program has now been expanded to include Caesars Palace, Paris, Planet Hollywood, Harrah's, Flamingo, Bally's, Rio and Imperial Palace. Please check with each hotel for details.

Here's the policy:

Caesars Palace, Imperial Palace and Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas are rolling out the red carpet for traveling dogs, with the launch of "PetStay," the resorts' new pet-friendly hotel program.

Guests participating in the PetStay program are greeted by several canine-friendly in-room amenities including a mat, food and water dishes, disposable waste bags and dog treats.

Caesars Palace, Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino and Imperial Palace each host a designated PetStay area within the hotel, equipped with welcome packets that direct guests to outdoor relief areas and dog walking routes as well as specialty room service menus. Additional Information about dog-friendly items for purchase and nearby dog services (such as grooming, walking and veterinary care) is available upon check-in at each of the participating resorts.

Policy
Caesars Palace, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino and Imperial Palace have the following pet policy:

* Dogs staying at any of the three hotels must weigh 50 pounds or less and be present at the time of check- in.
* Up to 2 dogs per room are allowed
* Dogs are permitted to walk through designated common areas while on a leash and accompanied by the owner.

Hotel room rates for owners traveling with a dog are competitively priced at a $25 per night upgrade for designated pet-friendly hotel accommodations in the Augustus Tower at Caesars Palace; a $20 per night upgrade applies to similar accommodations at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino and Imperial Palace.

Source: Harrah's - Pet Stay Las Vegas.

Harrah's Announces All Stage Pass

Following their successful Buffet of Buffets deal, Harrah's now has an "all you can see" show package.

For $99 (plus taxes and fees) you can see as many selected Harrah's shows as you can for a 48 hour period. There are currently 17 different shows to choose from and the clock starts ticking as soon as you buy your pass.

There are also "premium" shows that aren't included but you can pay $40 to see them during your 48 hours. Premium shows include Cher, Barry Manilow, Donny & Marie and Penn & Teller. It looks like Peepshow isn't included in this promotion even though you have to buy your pass at Planet Hollywood.



This has the potential to be a great deal, but like the Buffet of Buffets deal it requires some planning. You pretty much need to see 3 or 4 shows to get your money's worth. This is definitely possible since there are a few afternoon shows to choose from, and you could theoretically see 2 shows in the same night as well (say a 7:30 and a 10:00). I like seeing shows in Las Vegas, but I'm not sure how I feel about trying to cram 2 or 3 shows into the same day.

Another thing to consider is that the "retail" prices for many of these shows could be greatly reduced by using a coupon or discount ticket outlet. For example you might think you're getting $24.95 worth of show by seeing Mac King, but free passes or 2 for 1 coupons this show are often easily available. Similarly the retail price for X Burlesque is $49.95 but I've seen this show sold at the discount ticket brokers for under $30.

If you are looking to see as many shows as possible on a budget then this is probably a great deal for you. If seeing 2-3 shows a day seems a little overwhelming, then using coupons or discount ticket brokers might be a better option.

Source: Harrah's All Stage Pass. Please check them out for all the details.

Paris building Sugar Factory on Strip

Paris is making some changes to the front of the hotel on the Strip. What used to be a fountain is now being transformed into a Sugar Factory store. Sugar Factory is an upscale candy shop. They have locations at Mirage and Planet Hollywood.

This is what it will look like when finished:



The thing that strikes me about this project is the amount of space that will be taken away from the sidewalk. This is a very busy area of the strip and what once was a wide area for walkers to move will now be pretty narrow. Hopefully this spot won't turn into a pedestrian bottleneck similar to the sidewalk in front of Margaritaville.

Get Him to the Greek - Las Vegas Scenes

Movies and TV shows like to take creative license when filming in Las Vegas. The NBC show "Las Vegas" was famous for their fictional hotel which seemed to change locations up and down the strip every episode. In the movie 21 the characters had a suite at the Hard Rock (off the Strip) that seemed to magically overlook the Bellagio fountains. The iconic Vegas movie Swingers had the characters entering the Stardust, but the interior scenes were actually shot at the Fremont hotel. The Hangover actually did a pretty good job with their Vegas exterior shots. I love the scene where they are overlooking the strip from Caesars and then night fades to day focused on Flamingo and Bally's.

Earlier today I saw the new release Get Him to the Greek. Aside from looking like a reasonably funny movie, I heard that part of the film was in Las Vegas, which was an added incentive to see it. Turns out the Vegas scenes are kind of minor. The characters have a suite at Planet Hollywood. They then see the Rat Pack is Back show at Plaza. After that they are partying in another suite which I guess is supposed to be their original suite at Planet Hollywood. The only problem is the view overlooked the strip from a vantage point which looks south from Trump. The characters then exit the hotel and appear to be around Fashion Show Mall, which makes sense... but then the camera cuts and they are suddenly in front of Paris going north. I'm sure 99% of the moviegoers wouldn't notice this, but it was a pretty obvious goof for Vegas geeks to spot.

So bottom line, Get Him to the Greek was a pretty funny movie, but if you were going for the Las Vegas scenes you might want to wait for DVD.

Cheap Trick coming back to Vegas

"Sgt. Pepper Live" featuring Cheap Trick will take the stage for a limited engagement beginning June 11 at the Paris Las Vegas Theatre. Tickets will start at $75 and will go up to $275 for VIP packages.

Cheap Trick previously had performed this show at Las Vegas Hilton last fall.

A celebration of The Beatles' influential album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the show is an energetic performance that features an orchestra and a captivating experience of light and sound as Cheap Trick perform the entire album live as well as select Cheap Trick songs that lend themselves to orchestral arrangements. Geoff Emerick, the renowned engineer of The Beatles' classic 1967 album, supervises the audio production. Never performed in its entirety by The Beatles due to the complex studio technology of the day that was employed in the making of the album, "Sgt. Pepper Live" allows Cheap Trick to incorporate their brand of power-pop into the classic songs while paying tribute to music legends in an unforgettable musical experience.

Source: Paris Press Release.

Harrah's Raises Buffet of Buffets Price

Harrah's has raised the price for their 24 hour all day buffet deal. As of today the price is $34.99 for Total Rewards members (and their companions under 21), and $39.99 for non-members. The old price was a flat $29.99.

UPDATE: As of March 3, 2011 the price has risen again to $44.99 for Total Rewards members, and $49.99 for non-members. Please check directly with Caesars Entertainment for current pricing.

Harrah's reason for raising the price:

During our initial test period, the response from our guests was overwhelming. The Buffet of Buffets proved so popular that it made it challenging to maintain reasonable wait times. In order to ensure that our guests receive the level of service they expect and deserve, we adjusted the price to better manage the demand for the Buffet of Buffets pass.

Even with the new price it still seems like a decent deal. If you are someone who can carefully plan your time in Vegas (not always easy) you could definitely get your money's worth and theoretically even get four meals in (not saying it would be a good idea).

If this deal really is this popular I wonder how long it will be until we see a similar offering from the MGM, Boyd, or Stations properties?

Harrah's offers All-Day Citywide Buffet Deal

Harrah's is offering a new deal for the buffets at all of their properties.

UPDATE: As of March 3, 2011 the price has risen to $44.99 for Total Rewards members, and $49.99 for non-members. Please check directly with Caesars Entertainment for current pricing.

Visit any of the following buffets, as often as you’d like, within a 24-hour period:

* Carnival World Buffet at Rio
* Flavors at Harrah’s Las Vegas
* Paradise Garden Buffet at Flamingo Las Vegas
* Emperor’s Buffet at Imperial Palace
* Le Village Buffet at Paris Las Vegas
* Lago Buffet at Caesars Palace
* Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood
* Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace (opened September 2012)

Total Rewards members will be able to use their cards, while others will be given a wristband for the 24 hour access.

This looks like a great deal. Other properties have offered a similar 24 hour deal, but this one allows you to go to different buffets, which adds greater variety and flexibility.

Spice Market and Le Village are both very highly regarded, so for them to be a part of this deal is an added bonus. You might want to skip Imperial Palace, but I've had their breakfast buffet more than once, and they actually have a very good omelet station.

Check out Buffet of Buffets for current pricing and more information.