Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog

We went for a last minute trip to Las Vegas this past weekend and I decided to go out and take some photos to keep my friendly readers up to date.

The good stuff - October 2005 Photos - The Mirage, Wynn, Bellagio and More (My RateVegas photo gallery still has some issues - Flickr for now)...

Read more after the jump...

Technorati Tags: bellagio, caesars, casino design, cirquedesoleil, entertainment, harrahs, las vegas, lasvegas, mgm mirage, mirage, vegas, wynn, wynnlasvegas

Wynn Las Vegas - Still no major changes at Wynn Las Vegas. Items like the glass rails in the villa atrium, a walk up area at the 'B Bar', closing in the high limit salon and changes at Corsa Cucina still remain on the to-do list. The property is looking good though I did notice that the carpet has lost a lot of color from folks walking through. We didn't stay here this time but we did play here for a few hours and the dealers were great - funny, accommodating to players that didn't know all the rules and courteous. Wynn has the best employees in town. One change that is underway - Wynn and Company Watches, which was next to the Tower Suites entry, is gone. According to a security guard, the area is being converted into an expanded VIP entry for the Tower Suites - they are expanding the VIP VIP area.

Bellagio - Wow. Things are going downhill fast in the interior design department. Replacing the keno area is a new 'Salon Prive' for high limit action. Inside, this room looks pretty nice. The problem is that from the outside, it just doesn't fit. Not only is it too big for its space, the colors and design match nothing else inside Bellagio. I was visiting with my wife and a friend and both were surprised at how mismatched the area looked. Compare this to the spot at The Mirage and you wonder how it could be the same design team (MGM Mirage Design Group).

The Mirage - I stay here often and this was another trip to the hotel that transformed the Strip. We were in a Tower Suite this time, which is a fantastic room. We were on floor 'A', which is the 26th with a great 'Pool View', all the way down the Strip. This view is now pretty much blocked by Caesars' Augustus Tower. The high limit room at The Mirage, opened since June, is in full swing and getting some good play. The new slot area, formerly the baccarat area, is almost done. Carpet is down and they are just waiting for the slots to come in. This could be open any day now. Service was good as was turndown. Many of the restaurants are offline as they are upgraded and changed over to new formats. Between now and December, The Mirage won't be a good place for fine dining. The new options do sound pretty interesting though, so I'm excited about it. The nightclub is supposed to be turned over to management on November 16th. I spoke to a project leader and he laughed - it's gonna be late and they know it. The theater's conversion from Siegfried and Roy's zoo into a Cirque venue is well underway - massive construction is visible on the roof. The Mirage remains a top joint and in a year will be significantly upgraded from last year's model.

KA - Cirque de Soleil's latest show at MGM Grand. There were three of us in our group and I was the only person that walked out and said the show was good. I liked it, though it the top Cirque shows will ALWAYS be 'Mystere' and 'O', in that order. Actually, I think this show (and the lackluster response to Dragone's 'Le Reve' at Wynn) proves that the 'Cirque era' is ending. There aren't any more concepts or variations they can explore. There is a (very profitable) place for Cirque, but I hope that the upcoming show at The Mirage is the last. Still, 'KA' is an enjoyable experience.

The Venetian - Had dinner at Delminco, which is always a good time... Not much to say about The Venetian, I've slammed them enough times. What I don't understand is how they can let a $1B+ property fall apart. Walking into The Venetian, a large portion of the tile overlay over the main entrance is gone, exposing the concrete. This is why I laugh when Adelson claims he owns the finest hotel in Vegas (and the reason I dumped their stock - I still hold WYNN and IGT).

It was a good time weekend. We're already planning the next one, and it will be another trip to Wynn's 'tower suites' area - you can't beat 'em.