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Women Take on Sin City |
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We assembled a group of eight —coworkers, friends, goddesses one and all. We are girls who just wanna have fun. So naturally, we picked a weekend to collectively converge on Las Vegas.
Vegas isn’t just the domain of macho sports junkies and bleary-eyed guys stumbling from gambling tables to strip clubs. More and more women are teaming up to take on the town. We gamble (a little). We dance (a lot). We shop (till we drop). And we ogle the male eye candy (at every chance).
Here’s a breakdown of how our eight-pack sashayed into—and survived—Sin City.
Taking chances.
We love to gamble, but only when we’re winning. A friendly word of advice: Don’t get a cash advance from your credit card. Instead, stand behind a blackjack table fully seated with handsome men. Watch them play. Sip your drink and give an occasional smile. They might offer you some chips to join in. It can happen!
If not, limit your losses. I recommend a $5 table with a personal $20 limit. If you lose your $20 in three minutes, gracefully excuse yourself and try your luck at the slot machines. I (painfully) watched one friend lose all her cash in a few hands.
Beds, bathing and beyond.
Beauty sleep is a nice—though unrealistic—thought in Vegas. Sleep before you arrive. A two- to three-hour nightly catnap is average for Sin City. Our pad of choice was the MGM Grand. Rooms are spacious and are decorated with classic movie star photographs. The black-and-white checkered bathroom, with spectacular oval wall mirror, was a hit.
The huge MGM holds nightclubs, a theater, shops, a spa, pools, restaurants and sports bars. Be sure to visit the Lion Habitat, where two real lions flaunt their beauty inside an enormous glass enclosure.
The hotel’s pool complex is, well, complex. There are five spacious swimming pools, three whirlpools, a flowing river with rafts to glide on, fountains, lush tropical landscaping and sparkling waterfalls. There are other sights here, too. Picture ripped abs, bulging biceps ... whew.
Looking beyond the men, we all know an amazing spa is a woman’s best friend. Your best friend here is located on the first floor. The Grand Spa has graceful sculptures, soothing music and trickling waterfalls. With the popular “Sun, Spa and Studio 54” package, you get all-day pampering and VIP passes to dance all night at Studio 54.
I got the “Grand” massage. This signature treatment combines shiatsu, pressure and classic Swedish techniques. An exfoliating body scrub found my naked body being painted with lime-green mud from the Dead Sea. I looked like the Incredible Hulk’s sister—yet far more serene than normally dictated by the Hulkster’s gene pool.
I shop; therefore, I am.
You can never have too many pairs of shoes. The same can be said of any article of clothing, actually. Shopping in Vegas is a must. The Dessert Passage in the Aladdin Hotel was our group’s top pick. (Here’s the place to break out that credit card.) The indoor fantasy rainstorm—with thunder and lightning—is an interesting effect. Parallel, Vertigo and FCUK (French Connection United Kingdom) are must-shop destinations. There are so many shops, I can’t see doing them all in one day. Which means you’ve got the perfect excuse to go back the next day.
Or peruse the offerings in Caesar’s Palace. The shopping experience here is done under a faux sky that changes colors. There’s also the Grand Canal shops at the Venetian (get some Jimmy Choo shoes). And the newly renovated Fashion Show mall—right on the Strip—houses Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, with many more stores still to open.
A little Italian.
Women love fine dining. My secret place for elegant atmosphere and mouth-watering Italian cuisine is Piero’s. A few minutes off the Strip near the convention center, Piero’s is often visited by celebs (though we didn’t see any this time). Sit in the Monkey Bar before dinner. Drink an apple martini and sing along with the pianist. The menu here is pricy, but the food is delicious. I recommend the fettuccine with scallops and scampi in a pink vodka sauce. Don’t worry about calories. All-night club dancing will burn them off.
Party all night long.
We dressed to impress, put on dancing shoes and headed to Studio 54 in the MGM Grand. It’s a two-level party palace. A mix of music—trance, disco, house, rap and hip-hop—keeps this club fresh. Sexy go-go dancers thrust to the beat; wall-climbing hunky performers flip around on ropes.
There’s no shortage of clubs in Vegas. We made the rounds—in style. A company called 24/7 Limousines has a variety of group travel options. We went for 24/7’s party bus: high ceilings, neon lights, soft leather couches, stereo system and lighted bar. Are we VIPs or what?
The party bus dropped us at Light, inside the posh Bellagio. A live saxophonist accompanied a mix of slammin’ beats.
We also poured into Rain at The Palms hotel. Here, flames explode to the ceiling while water rains down the walls. The club is jam-packed and dark. If you’re claustrophobic, or care about being able to tell if the guy in front of you is good-looking, pass on Rain.
But the Ghost Bar, atop The Palms, is worth the wait. And you will wait in line. The bar offers a breathtaking view of the city from outside patios. Inside lounges are candlelit and romantic.
Time for one last show.
Women can appreciate beauty in all forms. So first up was the MGM’s production of La Femme. Classically trained ballet dancers—barely dressed in see-through attire—take the stage in choreographed routines. I got past the bared flesh and enjoyed the seductive performances.
But fair’s fair. We had the other side of our visual appetites satiated by a trip to see the Chippendale show at the Rio hotel. Whoa, Nelly. Gorgeous men graced the stage with choreographed routines, with the occasional excited volunteer from the audience. Sure it’s cheesy—but this cheese made us smile. And after seeing the G-stringed hunk dance the Officer and a Gentleman routine, I needed a tall glass of ice water.
If You Go |
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