Plans Announced for New Henderson Resort

Plans have been announced for the new M Resort, Spa and Casino to be located on approximately 80 acres of land at the southeast corner of St. Rose Parkway and Las Vegas Boulevard. The project, expected to be completed in the Spring of 2009, will be the largest resort built within the city limits of Henderson.

The 11-story resort will consist of 390 rooms and suites with a 20,000-square foot spa as well as multiple restaurants, dining and entertainment options to provide guests with a top South Strip experience.

M Resort, Spa and Casino, located in the southern area of the Las Vegas valley, will be situated 400 feet higher in elevation than the resort-casinos on the world-famous Strip, providing optimal views of the Las Vegas skyline from every room, suite, restaurant and lobby within the resort. The resort will also include a 100,000-square-foot canyon feature pool area with waterfalls.

We'll keep you posted as we learn of family-friendly aspects of this promising new resort.

Floating Ice Rink at Lake Las Vegas Resort

It's almost time for the holidays and, for the fourth year, Lake Las Vegas Resort will celebrate the season with a Rockefeller Center-style ice rink. The rink will open November 16 and remain open until February 17.

The ice rink floats on the 320-acre lake off the shore of MonteLago Village and will be open to skaters of all ages. It uses 110 five-gallon buckets of water and 12,000-pound chiller units to help keep the ice cold, and can accommodate up to 60 skaters at one time.

As the ice rink freezes, stay warm with other activities at Lake Las Vegas Resort, including a ceremonial tree lighting, appearance by Santa Claus and a special musical performance by Green Valley High School Choir and Helen Joy Choir on Friday, November 16.

The Mirage Unveils Aquarium

The Mirage lobby has always been a favorite with families thanks to its spectacular aquarium and now it's better than ever. After a two-month transformation, The Mirage’s famed lobby aquarium – located directly behind the front desk– now offers visitors a new sensory escape.

Now you'll find nearly 1,000 marine life forms thriving in this 20,000-gallon undersea community. Sharks, stingrays and porcupine fish can be seen swimming side-by-side with eels, sea bass and puffer fish behind four-inch thick acrylic walls.

Top aquarium design experts collaborated to enhance the 53-by-8-foot display. The aquarium’s filtration and life support systems also were replaced with new technology to improve visibility and monitoring.

The New Frontier Hotel Set to Implode

In true Vegas fashion, another hotel is set to implode to make way for something bigger, better and newer.

A longtime icon of the Las Vegas Strip, the New Frontier Hotel & Casino, will be imploded Tuesday, Nov. 13 promptly at 2:30 am PST to mark the beginning of the new home of the internationally recognized brand, The Plaza, a multi-billion dollar project set to open in late 2011.

Fall Arrives at Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

If your family will be staying at Bellagio this fall, don't miss a visit to the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Through November 24, the facility will feature fall witha towering, 35-foot-tall cider mill set powered by a slow-moving stream. It's all set amidst a stand of white birch trees. Just steps away, a bountiful harvest of more than 1,000 Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples evokes memories of piping hot cider and homemade pies.

An unexpected surprise resting atop a bed of pumpkins awaits guests. A 10-foot-tall Ent, a mythical talking tree, sits amongst the colorful gourds and enchants passers-by with a sweet smile, gentle eyes and wild botanical hair made of moss and bittersweet root.

Weekly Moroccan Souk at Loews Lake Las Vegas

Here's a fun experience for families looking for a themed event and a chance to see the area around Las Vegas a little bit. Every Saturday, the Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort (located on Lake Las Vegas) is hosting a Moroccan Saturday Souk. You'll find unique shopping with works by local artists, jewelers, and craftspeople as well as wine tasting from the resort's restaurants.

The event takes place every Saturday from 11am-3pm. It takes place next to the resort’s Marrakesh Marketplace, a gourmet coffee bar and deli that offers a full range of specialty coffees and teas, wines, pastries, sandwiches, salads and snacks, as well as specialty gift items.

For directions to the resort, see the Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort website..

Renovated Tower Rooms Debut at Las Vegas Hilton

The Las Vegas Hilton (a top stop with many families because of its Star Trek Experience attraction) has unveiled renovated rooms in its North Tower (with 923 rooms) and East Tower (with 600 rooms).

The rooms now feature new beds, premium bed linens, a pillow package, 37" plasma TVs, wireless Internet access, high-end amenities and MP3 ports for digital players.

Also, 221 executive level "Resort Club" rooms have been added with additional amenities and access to the "Resort Club" lounge on the 24th floor. These rooms also offer plush spa robes, upgraded bathroom amenities, slippers, IPOD Docking Station, in-room business printer, safe and refrigerator. The "Resort Club" lounge on the 24th floor features complimentary food and beverage selections, power breakfast, afternoon cookies and light snacks, and complimentary evening wine and cheese reception.

MGM Mirage, Others Creating Multi-Billion Dollar Resort

If you're planning ahead--about five years ahead, that is--look for an incredible new project at the corner of the Strip and Sahara Avenue. MGM MIRAGE, Kerzner International Holdings Limited (best known for its Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas) and Istithmar Hotels FZE have announced that the companies will develop a multi-billion dollar integrated resort property on the Las Vegas Strip.

Under the terms of the agreement, MGM MIRAGE will provide the land for the resort and Kerzner and Istithmar will provide cash equity. MGM MIRAGE, Kerzner and Istithmar will own 50 percent, 25 percent, and 25 percent, respectively of the newly formed joint venture.

The land being contributed by MGM MIRAGE is being valued at $20 million per acre. The new integrated resort complex is anticipated to be a multi-billion dollar project. The new resort will be designed for approximately 40 of the 78 acres of land owned by MGM MIRAGE, located on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. Kerzner will lead the planning and conceptualization of this project. The joint venture is expected to draw upon MGM MIRAGE's substantial presence and experience in Las Vegas and Kerzner's experience in developing and operating some of the world's most recognized and successful destination resorts.

Sol Kerzner, Chairman and CEO of Kerzner International, observed: "We are excited to be partnering with MGM and Istithmar to create one of the most exciting integrated resort destinations in the world on the Las Vegas Strip. I expect that construction will commence in the first half of 2009 and that we will open in 2012."

Photo courtesy PRNewsWire

Luxor Losing Egyptian Theme

If your family likes the Egyptian theme of the pyramid-shaped Luxor, visit now because it looks like the longtime theme will be out by next year.

The hotel, which was recently in the headlines for the Britney Spears opening of the popular LAX nightclub there, will be moving toward a more cutting edge style and losing its Egyptian motif including many of the family attractions. We haven't received all the details yet but here's a recent article on the planned changes:

Ancient Egypt out, sex appeal in at Luxor | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/19/2007

Caesars Palace Announces $1 Billion Expansion

One of the largest hotels on the Strip will soon be even bigger thanks to a $1 billion expansion of Caesars Palace. Look for the construction of a new 665-room Octavius Tower with three new swimming pools that will rim an expanded outdoor whirlpool spa, a poolside café and garden wedding venue. The expansion is scheduled for completion in early 2009. The project will also include a major renovation of the existing 512-room Forum Tower.

Luxor Announces Renovation Plans

Luxor, with its distinctive pyramid shape and family-friendly attractions like the King Tut Museum and motion simulator rides, has announced a multi-phase renovation. The project will take place in several stages. Phase One will include a new Cirque du Soleil show featuring illusionist Criss Angel. The second phase will bring about changes to the property’s atrium and galleria areas including a new buffet. The third phase will focus on room remodeling; that stage is planned to begin in 2009.

Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas Offering Babymoon Package

The Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas has always been one of the most family-friendly hotels on the Strip with special amenities for all ages of travelers, from infants to teens. Now the hotel is offering a special package designed for parents and the very youngest of travelers.

The Babymoon Package is for brand new parents and their new family member and includes the weekend in a one-bedroom suite overlooking the glittering Las Vegas Strip.

Upon check-in, the new parents will receive a basket of baby products and a $500 gift certificate to the famed FAO Schwarz before settling into their baby-proofed suite.

For More Information:
• visit Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas