Las Vegas, Nevada: Caesars Palace Casino & Forum Shops; things to do

Caesars Palace  

3500 Las Vegas Blvd. S, (800) 634-6661, (702) 731-7110

●The Forum Shops at Caesars  

3500 Las Vegas Blvd S, (702) 893-4800.   Daily 10am-11pm.  With high ceilings painted to resemble the sky, long shopping lanes fan out here from a high central dome above an ornate fountain filled with statues.  Shopping choices include more than 160 stores, including Christian Louboutin shoes (the one with the red soles), Tiffany’s, and the world’s largest H&M, plus you can eat at branches of L.A.’s Cheesecake Factory, NYC’s P.J. Clarke’s, and Israel’s Max Brenner. 

●Fall of Atlantis  

At Festival Fountain.  Daily, on the hour 11am-11pm; fish feeding at 1:15 & 5:15 pm; behind the scenes tour M-F at 3:15pm.  Free.  The lost undersea city is surrounded by a 50,000-gallon saltwater aquarium.  The show consists of an epic battle with fire and smoke in which Roman statues come to life for 7 minutes.



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image c2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Las Vegas, Nevada: Bellagio Casino & Gallery of Fine Art; things to do

Bellagio  

Don’t miss the famous Dale Chihuly glass-flower extravaganza on the lobby ceiling of the Tuscan-style Bellagio Casino. 

Dale Chihuly glass-flower ceiling at Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

●Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art  

Casino level.  Reservations advised.  Daily, hours vary.  $15, 65+ & students $12.  Shows change.  When I visited recently,  I saw "Claude Monet: Impressions of Light" showcasing the French impressionists and some of his contemporaries.  A wand explains most paintings in detail.



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image c2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Las Vegas, Nevada: Aria Resort & Casino; hotel review; restaurant reviews

Aria Resort & Casino 

3730 Las Vegas Blvd. S, CityCenter, (877) 580-2742.  4,000 rooms.  Full-service spa ($30 fee without a treatment). 

Set back from the strip, this sleek crescent tower at the Aria Resort & Casino delivers spectacular views from every guestroom.  Accommodations are lavish, with posh beds and advanced technology.  Luxury Sky Suites begin on the 27th floor and include complimentary VIP services such as a snack lounge and a limo to the airport.  All rooms greet guests with button-controlled drapes that open welcomingly when you arrive, an oversize deep bathtub with tiny powerful jets all around the bottom plus bath salts, and a Japanese Toto toilet with heated seat.  My favorite amenity was the mouthwash infused with organic spearmint leaf oil.  If you become fond of the Sealy 12-layer foam bed, you can order it and the bedding to go (the only problem is the delicious white Egyptian cotton sheet set doesn’t include a fitted bottom; both sheets are hotel-style flats). 

The huge casino is glitzy and fresh, the restaurants include some famous chefs, and the mega spa features both a salt-block-lined meditation room that promotes dewy skin and improved breathing and the only Ganbanyoku heated stone beds in the U.S. (they improve metabolism and soothe tired muscles). 

A free tram runs to the Bellagio, Monte Carlo, and adjacent Crystals Shopping Center with its exclusive upscale retailers and restaurants.  CityCenter, which Aria is a part of, is an urban resort complex with hotels, residences, restaurants, shopping, casinos, and entertainment--all within walking distance of each other. 

●Jean Philippe Patisserie  

Casino level.  Daily 6am-midnight.  This confection of a cafe displays an array of colorful sweets.  Choosing is difficult.  There are crepes, fresh pastries (the almond croissant is a don’t-miss), desserts, gelatos, coffees, candies, and more, more, more.  It’s hard to beat enjoying your selection at a casino-side perch perfect for people-watching, but some do choose to carry out their goodies.

confections at Jean Philippe Patisserie in the Aria Resort & Casino
in Las Vegas, Nevada

●Julian Serrano  

Casino level.  Celebrity chef Julian Serrano prepares creative tapas, tasty housemade sangrias, and posh seafoods.  Plan to share.  Best of the bunch includes lobster salad, stuffed piquillo peppers, brava potatoes, and gambas (prawns sautéed in olive oil).  If room permits, also try albondigas (pork-beef meatballs in a light tomato sauce) and grilled Angus flat-iron steak.  For dessert, there is always room for molten chocolate cake with blood orange sherbet.

entrance to Julian Serrano restaurant at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

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images c2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers