JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort

The J.W. Marriott Las Vegas Resort seems to be frequently overlooked in Las Vegas vacation guides.  This is a shame as a lot of people remain unaware of this quiet and classy luxury resort located not far from the Strip in Summerlin and very close to the rugged mountain walls of Red Rock.  The J.W. Marriott hotel resorts are named after John Willard Marriott, the founder of Marriott International, and they are the best of the best of the Marriott properties.  No two J.W. Marriott properties are alike.  Each and every one is intended to have understated elegance that reflects the authentic art, architecture and cuisine of its locale.  There are more than forty-five J.W. Marriotts located all around the world, and the one in Las Vegas certainly seems to achieve the intended goals.  Rooms are available with scenic views of the mountains, golf courses, or the strip.  The beautiful resort blends in with rugged desert surroundings, and fine local cuisine is available in addition to Asian and Mediterranean fare amongst the eleven onsite dining options.

The gorgeous grounds at the J.W. Marriott are meticulously kept.

The J.W. Marriott Las Vegas resort may have a relatively quiet and peaceful air about it in contrast to the centers of action like the strip and downtown, but that does not mean you can't have any fun there.  For starters, what self-respecting Las Vegas resort would not have a casino?  The J.W. Marriott Las Vegas has the European-styled Rampart Casino with over 1,200 slot machines, 40 table games, and sports and racing betting.  There are a number of bars with live music to get the blood pumping.  Rather than spilling drinks in the bar, you might want to spill some sweat at the Aquae Sulis Spa where you can have an aerobic or weight workout.  There are free fitness classes for resort guests.  There is a Bocce ball court as well as a sandpit volleyball court, and an 11,000 square foot oasis of an outdoor pool with a cascading waterfall.  The pool is open from March 18th through November 28th.  If you do find at any point that you are in need of a little sensory overload, the resort does have regular shuttle runs to the Strip, which is only a fifteen-minute ride away.  

The Rampart Buffet Chocolate Fountain

The J. W. Marriott Las Vegas is an excellent destination for golfers.  There is an executive golf desk to help set up duffers as well as pros with tee times or anything else they might need, and resort guests enjoy preferred tee times at eleven nearby courses.  They also have a formal partnership with Tournament Players Club at the Canyons, home of the Frys.com Open.  At this pro course there is a complimentary caddy option available.

A crustacean-craving diner's dream!   All-u-can-eat crab legs that are perfectly cooked  and endless in supply!  The Rampart buffet is not the biggest or the best in Las Vegas, but it is still quite good and easy on the wallet for a Las Vegas buffet.

If you are interested in coming to Las Vegas for a wedding, but you want elegant and tasteful rather than Elvis kitsch, the J.W. Marriott Las Vegas has a lot to offer such as all-inclusive wedding packages, and they have a professional wedding specialist to assist with planning and facilitating events.  One helpful feature we like is the Honeymoon Registry.

Ordinary view of indoor fountain at the J.W. Marriott Las Vegas.

Hunter Thompson-eye view of indoor fountain at the J.W. Marriott Las Vegas.

Overall, the J.W. Marriott Las Vegas is a classy option if you want to experience serene luxury as well as wild action on your Las Vegas vacation.  Traveler reviews of the J.W. Marriott Las Vegas have been overwhelmingly positive.

Paris Las Vegas

A perfect mid-strip location right in the middle of the Las Vegas Boulevard action, and a touch of old world Parisian charm in a clean and tidy Disneyesque environment, make the Paris Las Vegas Hotel a great vacation pick.  This hotel boasts a two-thirds scale replica of the Arc de Triomphe and a half-scale Eiffel Tower that stands 540 feet tall and makes a striking visual landmark, especially at night with its vivid yellow lights.  

The interior of the hotel is finished in a Disney Pirates of the Caribbean fashion with an artificial sky on the ceiling, walls and shops with Parisian building facades, and walkways finished like cobblestone streets.  The deep blue sky sprinkled with stars and the subdued lighting make it feel like perpetual twilight.  Very pleasant on the eyes.  Le Boulevard, the main cobblestoned indoor walkway, runs from the main entrance past the registration desk and then past a series of shops and restaurants and eventually leads down a promenade to Bally's, a sister property located next door.

Fountain on Le Boulevard

The Paris Las Vegas has a number of notable features that set it apart from other hotel casinos.  Not only does it have that half-sized replica of the Eiffel tower, but for a small fee you can ride to the top and enjoy magnificent views of the Las Vegas Strip and the Bellagio water fountain shows right across the street, as well as the entire Las Vegas Basin.  The Eiffel Tower Restaurant is one hundred feet above the base of the tower and Las Vegas Boulevard and offers some of the best French cuisine in the city.  Along with the Eiffel tower replica, the Montgolfier tribute balloon sign at the front of the hotel offers a  knockout visual punch at night.

The Eiffel Tower replica viewed through the Bellagio water fountain show.

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Paris, Palms and People

Paris Las Vegas also has the recently opened Sugar Factory.  As a bit of counterpoint to the rest of the Paris/French themed hotel, the Sugar Factory is an American Brasserie serving traditional American dishes.  It also boasts the Sugar Factory Chocolate Lounge where visitors with a hardcore sweet tooth can find nirvana with a huge selection of fine chocolates from around the world. There is also a chocolate fondue experience than can be paired with Champagne, cognacs, port or desert wine.  This sugar head's experience can set you back from under $30 up to $1,000,  depending on your hedonistic needs.  Above the Sugar Factory is the Chateau Nightclub and Gardens where visitors can put their sugar rush into action.


One of the best and most affordable of the twelve dining experiences available at the Paris Las Vegas is Le Creperie.  Located on Le Boulevard where you step up to an open window to order, Le Creperie offers a broad variety of main course and dessert crepes of nice proportions and reasonable prices.  Once your belly is full of crepe it is just steps away to shops offering French imports such as Yves Saint-Laurent and Christian LaCroix, food and wines.


Entertainment highlights at Paris Las Vegas include a modest but attractive casino with all the usual games and typical stakes available.  However, poker players will need to take the short stroll through the promenade to Bally's if they want to Hold 'em.  The hotel also is home to the 1,200 seat Le Theatre des Arts where Barry Manilow is currently the featured long-term performer.

Paris at night...Man, oh, Manilow!

The Montgolfier Balloon Tribute Sign

 To sum up our experiences at Paris Las Vegas, faux France was fine and it is a top Las Vegas vacation pick.  Tres magnifique!!!

Be sure to look up every once in a while to catch some beautiful artwork!
This is a ceiling shot on Le Boulevard.

Arriving in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a long drive from anywhere.  So, unless you are coming from another place in Nevada or neighboring Arizona or Southern California, the odds heavily favor that you will be arriving by air into McCarran International Airport.  McCarran International sees more than thirty-five million passengers pass through its terminals every year.  That's like having the entire population of Canada parade through this portal to the City of Lights!  McCarran has an incredibly convenient location being situated right next to the southern end of Las Vegas Boulevard, a.k.a. The Strip.  Because of the typically clear and sunny weather, the views of The Strip are almost always fantastic as you make the final approach to McCarran and touch down.  While taxiing to the terminal passengers are treated to early and good looks at the big hotel casino resorts at the southern end of The Strip.

The MGM Grand can be seen in the background.

View of the Mandalay Bay and Luxor resorts from inside the McCarran International Airport terminal.

It is immediately obvious that you are not in Kansas anymore when you disembark your plane, walk through the passenger chute and enter a terminal filled with slot machines.  There are more than 1200 slot machines located at McCarran.  If you came to Vegas to gamble, no need to waste any time!   But be sure to pace yourself, you wouldn't want to burn through your bankroll before even setting foot on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Numerous major airlines serve McCarran International Airport which is a real plus when planning a Las Vegas vacation.   McCarran is an easy airport to navigate with most flights going in and out of terminal 1 and its four concourses with 96 gates.  International flights and most charters go through terminal 2 and its 8 gates.


Ground transportation is easy to get at McCarran with numerous limousine and shuttle services.  Rental cars benefit from the brilliant idea of centralizing all major car rental fleets in a single location at the McCarran Rent-a-Car Center.  Dedicated shuttles run directly from the airport terminals to the center which is only a five minute ride away.  Like the airport, the McCarran Rent-a-Car center is open, spacious and well organized making the process a typically easy and pleasant experience.  Another transportation option are the buses run by Citizens Area Transit (CAT).  Buses run from the airport, along the strip, and to the downtown area, and the cost can't be beat at just a couple of bucks.

Once you have your wheels, whether a taxi, shuttle, or rental car (Maybe a nice droptop to enjoy the sunny days or make you feel oh so cool when cruising Las Vegas Boulevard with the top down?) it is a very short trip to most hotels and resorts because of McCarran's great location.  Having a rental car is a great way to see a lot of Las Vegas and the surrounding attractions.  If you do have one, we highly recommend that rather than going directly to your hotel you cruise the Las Vegas Strip once to wet your appetite for what is in store.  Day or night, the sights and sounds can quickly ring the stimulus overload bell!

In Las Vegas, Elvis is everywhere.  

  

Viva Las Vegas!

Palm Trees and Neon

  Las Vegas sits in the middle of the Las Vegas basin like a big, ripe and juicy cherry sitting in the center of a bowl waiting to be gobbled up.  A bite of Vegas for your vacation will have all of your taste buds fired up on stimulus overload.  The lights!  The shows! The weddings!  Throngs of fun and fortune seekers on the teeming streets.  Endless indulgence in fine dining.  Glittery opulence in every direction.  Countless casinos, from small laid back venues to mega hotel resorts, all offering the possibility that today could be the day, the day you hit it big!  No matter the long odds, at least you're in the game!  And if you don't win enough money to swim in your own cash-filled bank vault like Scrooge McDuck, you will at least come away with a wealth of memories.  Don't like to hand your hard earned cash over to the god of chance?  Well, Las Vegas is so much more than just casinos.  There are enough shows, rides, sporting events, day trip excursions, museums, art venues and shopping to easily fill a dozen vacations.  


  The energy in Las Vegas is BIG, and so is the FUN.  So come along on a virtual tour of our Las Vegas Vacation Picks for samples of the smorgasbord of places to see and things to do in a fabulous and favorite vacation destination.  Viva Las Vegas!

This is a picture of the Bellagio's dancing water show, a free to see extravaganza of fountains, lights and music.  Click on the picture for an expanded and dramatic view.