OH! Magazine - Australian Version May 2015 | Page 28

( Where, Oh Where? )

‘SIN CITY’ NOT SO SINFUL
ANYMORE!
Toni Krasicki experiences the new Las Vegas,
as it tries to shed it’s mischievous reputation.
ove it or loathe it, Las Vegas is the
kind of place you have to see for
yourself. Actually one in four Aussies
heading to the US makes a stop in Vegas
for this very reason. Essentially, an
upmarket mega theme park for adults,
it’s packed with something for everyone
including themed hotel casinos that take
you to Egypt, New York, Paris and Venice,
into dungeons, castles, pirate ships and
make spectacles of erupting volcanoes.

L

But Vegas is changing. Non-gaming
revenue is on the rise as the city plays
host to 21,615 conventions a year and
with over 150,000 hotel/motel rooms
available and enough entertainment to
keep even the most fickle amused, why
wouldn’t you? The cheap buffets and
two-for-one drinks that Vegas is renowned
for are still there, but in the last few years
the city has become home to some of the
best restaurants in the world.
The choice of world-class dining venues
is huge, and some have added quirky
extras without detracting from style.
Aureole at Mandalay Bay has a four-story
wine tower in the middle of the restaurant
where ‘wine angels’ ascend and descend
the tower on harnesses to fetch bottles,
while the late night venue Rose. Rabbit.
Lie in the bowels of The Cosmopolitan of
Las Vegas, offers a den-like restaurant
coupled with speakeasy-style bars turning
out hip cocktails.
Not interested in shooting craps or
slipping coins into a slot machine? No
problem. Alongside the theme park rides
and the ‘free’ diversions like walking the

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MAY 2015 ( OH! MAGAZINE )

strip,
an
astonishingly
extensive
entertainment schedule awaits. There are
musicals, comedy, adult, magic and
tribute shows. Headliner acts such as
Britany: Piece of Me, Olivia NewtownJohn and Elton John The Million Dollar
Piano join Cirque du Soleil’s eight
permanent shows. Nightclubs like
Hakkasan at MGM Grand pull in
headlining DJs, and Light at Mandalay
collaborate with Cirque du Soleil to
feature innovative acrobatic acts.
Reinvention is a tough gig and keeping
40 million visitors a year happy during
the process is no mean feat. Punters have
been enjoying ‘Sin City’ since gambling
was legalised in 1931, and movies such
as the ‘Hangover,’ ‘What Happens in
Vegas’ or ‘Last Vegas’ are not helping
dispel the cities’ reputation as a gambling
mecca and all night party town.
Without a doubt, Vegas is big and brash.
The place is a major drawcard for
occasions such as Hens and Bachelor
parties and fuss-free weddings (there are
about 350 weddings a day). But if you
look beyond the gambling and the kitsch,
a visit to Vegas may just surprise you.

Getting there
Avoid the long queues typically
encountered in Los Angeles and clear US
Customs and Immigration in Honolulu.
Hawaiian Airlines flies from Sydney and
Brisbane to Las Vegas via Honolulu and
includes a free stopover.
www.hawaiianairlines.com.au
Need a break from the Vegas nightlife?
If you want to blow off some cobwebs, try
these adventure activities:
•

Hike and mountain bike through
Bootleg Canyon or take to the skies
for four thrilling zipline rides.
www.flightlinezbootleg.com

•

Tear up the track in a Ferrari F430
GT Race Car at the Las Vegas Motor
Speedway. www.dreamracing.com

•

Take a helicopter flight over Las
Vegas, Hoover Dam, and Lake Mead
or as far as the Grand Canyon.
www.maverickhelicopter.com

The writer was a guest of Las Vegas
Convention and Visitors Authority and
Hawaiian Airlines. For more details about
travelling to Las Vegas go to
www.visitlasvegas.com.au