TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

TBO > Life

Vegas gamble pays off for vacationing family

ADVERTISEMENT

By STEVEN SOLOMON

ssolomon@tampatrib.com

Published: March 10, 2010

I have been to Las Vegas a few times and more than a dozen years ago even renewed my wedding vows there. But I usually try to avoid the place because, well, dare I say it, I'm not a gambler.

When my wife suggested we take our son for his 21st birthday gift, though, I knew it was a good idea. Those two would love the casinos, and I surely could find plenty to entertain a nongambler.

We made reservations for a January stay at the 1-year-old Encore resort at Wynn Las Vegas on The Strip. Our spacious, 700-plus-square-foot suite had a 42-inch flat-panel TV and floor-to-ceiling windows opening on views of the pool, the Strip, downtown Vegas and beyond. For $13.99, I got 24-hour access to the Internet, which was all the amusement I needed on our first day while my wife and son went downstairs to lose some money.

My son, who had taught his classmates how to play poker when he was in elementary school, wasn't intimidated by the Vegas casinos. He tried the slot machines first but soon got bored and wandered over to Encore's poker tables, where the dealer patiently explained the nuances of Vegas-style play.

After losing some of his $20, my son started picking up some wins and left the table when he was ahead (a wise 21-year-old!).

The Encore is a sprawling resort, with restaurants and a spa, all of which we gave a workout. At the spa, my wife and I signed up for the 50-minute "Encore Couples Ritual" for $175 per person. My full-body massage was administered by a masseuse who whispered when she needed to ask a question. My son had his first massage and, being the adventurous type, also tried the sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and waterfall-style shower.

As I knew we would, when I could pull my wife and son away from the casinos, we found plenty of entertainment. For $10 per person, we got to see about a dozen flashy sports cars at the Penske-Wynn Ferrari and Maserati factory-authorized car dealership. Price tags ranged from $130,000 to $250,000. An additional 20 automobiles are part of an exotic car collection. Through a glass window, visitors can watch mechanics work in an oversized multi-bay repair area. Our visit ended in the Ferrari Store gift shop, where we got to see very expensive T-shirts.

There are also shows galore. While we were in Las Vegas, so were singers Tom Jones, Johnny Mathis, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell and Bette Midler; comedians Jay Leno, Andrew Dice Clay and Carrot Top; and productions including "The Lion King," "Menopause the Musical" and "Defending the Caveman."

And if we didn't like any of those choices, we could have waited a few days for a whole new crop of stars to arrive.

We settled on "Jersey Boys" at the Palazzo. Our seats, $99 apiece, were fairly close to the stage. The show, of course, was outstanding, which is why it won a Tony, ran successfully on Broadway and is now enjoying a full-house run in Las Vegas.

At the Monte Carlo, we caught comedian Frank Caliendo, who we knew from his skits on "Fox NFL Sunday." The show included a good band and capable opening act, and dozens of jokes delivered by the 35-year-old, who did impressions of political, sports and entertainment figures.

We also checked out Cirque du Soleil's new production, "Viva Elvis," which was in previews. The show was still a little rough, but the music, dancing and multimedia story of The King look like they'll wow crowds once the bugs are worked out.

Another must-see was the Bellagio, which had a large tiger sculpture in its celebrated botanical gardens in honor of the Chinese New Year. After playing a wheel and some slot machines, we saw "the world's largest chocolate fountain" at the Jean Philippe Patisserie and tried the coconut and Oreo gelato for $4.75 apiece.

Our son's big fancy birthday dinner was slated for Encore's fine-dining restaurant, Switch. It's so named because every 20 minutes the walls and a large part of the ceiling are rotated into a completely different decor.

We were seated on high chairs on a raised platform near a very large wine collection. I had an excellent Chilean sea bass with cauliflower puree and roasted artichokes for $46, and my wife and son split the featured 32-ounce prime rib-eye "Tomahawk" steak for two for $118.

Afterward, I trundled off to bed while my wife and son hung out for some gambling. Their big win? "The Gamblers Special" at the Hard Rock Cafe.

My wife had heard of this meal, which isn't on the menu, and asked about it. Turns out, it's a late dinner of salad, steak, three shrimp and mashed potatoes for just $7.77.

And how much did I spend on gambling?

I lost $1 in a 1-cent slot machine.

IF YOU GO

Encore

3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas NV 89109

(Located next to the flagship property Wynn Las Vegas)

Reservations: 1-888-320-7125

Rooms: 2,034 rooms, ranging from a king suite starting at $169 per night to a 3-bedroom duplex

Gambling: 95 table games from Baccarat and blackjack to Pai Gow Poker and Roulette, 860 slot machines featuring coinless play, and games reels, video reels, video poker and video blackjack

Shopping: 11 boutiques; Hermès and Chanel anchor clothing, shoe, jewelry, home decor and accessory stores

Salon: 14 hairstyling stations plus manicurists, pedicure thrones and makeup artists. Women's haircut, $125; men's, $85. Full-face waxing, excluding brows, $75. Hand-and-foot paraffin bath, $45 for 25 minutes.

Spa: 37 treatment rooms including 14 naturally-lit garden suites and four couples' suites for massage, body treatments and facials; separate women's and men's facilities with showers, steam room, sauna, hot and cold plunges and experience showers. Aromatherapy massage, $160 for 50 minutes; lavender stone treatment, $250 for 75 minutes.

Restaurants: Sinatra has an Italian menu based on the famous singer. Switch is a French-inspired seafood and post-modern steakhouse. Botero serves steaks, chops and modern cuisine. Society Cafe Encore offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night bites. Wazuzu features Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Singaporean and Thai cuisines. XS is open from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. for night owls.

Entertainment: La Reve aqua theater-in-the-round is performed at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday through Tuesday. A VIP package with champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries is $179 per person.

Other things to do:

• The Liberace Museum costs $13 a person and allowed us an unguided tour of the famous pianist's cars, costumes, pianos and awards. Who knew that he owned the world's largest rhinestone, was once the highest-paid performer in Las Vegas and was one of the Queen of England's favorite performers?

• The Pinball Hall of Fame is a warehouse-sized room filled with pinball machines dating back more than 50 years. There's no admission charge, and most of the machines can be played for a quarter.

Editorial Department assistant Steven Solomon can be reached at (813) 259-7624.

ADVERTISEMENT

Coupons and Deals

Games, Puzzles & Trivia

Advergaming and Branded Media

Oops! Your email could not be sent because of the following errors: