Las Vegas Redefined

In Las Vegas’ previous incarnations—from mafia hangout to budget vacation spot to land of the animatronic pirate—there was very little to appeal to the upscale, sophisticated traveler. But today, Vegas is all about over-the-top luxury, rock-star treatment and decadent nightlife.

Virtually all the city’s growth these days is in the upscale market, and by upscale, we mean Vegas standards of upscale:

• Lavish penthouse suites
• Butlers who unpack, press and hang your clothes
• Dawn-to-dusk, spring-break-for-grownups pool parties
• Michelin-rated restaurants
• Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses

Today’s Vegas caters to the refined tastes (and hedonistic impulses) of work-hard, party-harder visitors who want to play high roller for a weekend, without having to put their 401(k)s on the line.

Of course, being a high roller isn’t just about extravagant spending; it’s about perks and comps, insider status and preferred treatment. Here’s how you can get the best of Las Vegas—if you play your cards right.

Next: Where to Sleep

Where to Sleep

To be treated like a high roller, you need to be recognized as one, and booking a suite at one of the major casino-resorts on the Strip is the best way to announce your presence.

• For an outrageous fantasy suite, try the Penthouse at the Hard Rock: $10,000 for a 5,000-square-foot, three-bedroom, with bowling alley and six-person hot tub.
• If you want refined luxury, go for one of the $1,600 Salon Suites at the Wynn, one of only eight hotels in the country (and the only one in Vegas) to receive the Michelin Guide’s highest rating.
• Just $1,000 gets you a modern, stylish one-bedroom Skyloft at the MGM Grand with butler service and airport pickup in a Mercedes Maybach.

Keep in mind that while a $10,000-a-night suite will make you a celebrity (the entire staff will be aware of your presence and at your disposal), suites in the $1,000 to $2,000 range will get you many of the same benefits:

• Personal concierge
• VIP treatment at any nightclubs, restaurants or shows in the casino complex
• Plenty of other high-roller perks

Insider Tip: Consider not only the amenities in your suite, but those offered by the casino. Both Shadow Creek, the top-rated golf course in Las Vegas, and Joël Robuchon, the city’s most esteemed restaurant, are operated by the MGM. Only MGM guests may tee off at the former, and they will find it much easier to get a table at the latter. So even though the $10,000 penthouse will give you celebrity status at the Hard Rock, if you’re a serious golfer or foodie, one of the more modest lofts at the MGM might be a better choice.

Next: Where to Eat

Where to Eat

Vegas is a celebrity-chef mecca, and top restaurateurs from New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and beyond have opened lucrative outposts for fine dining in Sin City.

• Snag a table at Joël Robuchon in the MGM Grand for a $385 16-course tasting menu. The man does wonders with langoustines.
• When Wolfgang Puck brought his Beverly Hills steakhouse CUT to the Palazzo hotel, carnivores started salivating over 100 percent Japanese Waygu beef and Kobe short ribs.
• Guy Savoy in Caesars Palace is the only stateside outpost where you can taste this lauded French chef’s creations. Do it in 10 courses.
• Fleur de Lys in Mandalay Bay famously offers a $5,000 burger with black truffles and more black truffles. Wash it down with a bottle of Chateau Petrus.
• The new Simon Restaurant and Lounge from celeb chef Kerry Simon recently opened in the Palms Place condo-hotel.
• Keep an eye out for Mr. Chow at the Harmon Hotel, set to open in 2009 at MGM’s gargantuan CityCenter project. The Beverly Hills outpost of the restaurant is a favorite stalking ground for paparazzi.

Insider Tip: Don’t wait to book your table, hoping your losses at the craps table will land you a prime dinnertime slot, courtesy of the hotel’s concierge. Food is king in Vegas, so book a table early. Joël Robuchon routinely books up a month in advance.

Next: Where to Bet It All

Where to Bet It All

The only way to sit at the high-roller tables is to be a high roller. True high rollers make five-figure bets and have multimillion-dollar credit lines—in which case, the casinos already know who they are and will extend invitations to them.

But you can reap substantial benefits no matter how much money you gamble. Go to your casino’s player’s club and get a player’s card, playing only at your own casino. Every time you gamble at a table or slot machine, the house will record how much you’re betting and how long you play. Whether you win or lose, if you play enough, the casino will reward you with anything from restaurant credits to show tickets to room comps. Certain player’s cards accumulate points, which can be redeemed for services, chips and even cash.

Insider Tip: Don’t be afraid to ask for what you’re entitled to—a true high roller never misses a chance to get something on the house.

Next: Where to Stay Out Way Too Late

Where to Stay Out Way Too Late

Las Vegas is the ultimate playground for big spenders. The hottest nightclubs draw huge crowds. If the club is at your casino, consult your concierge beforehand, and you may be able to skip the line. Big names in nightlife include:

• Body English at the Hard Rock
• Tao at the Venetian
• LAX at Luxor
• Jet at the Mirage
• The Bank at Bellagio
• Tryst at the Wynn
• Pure at Caesars

Bypassing pool-party lines

Vegas’ best parties take place during the day, poolside. People fly in from all over the country for Rehab, the pool party at the Hard Rock. For a more refined experience, the Venus Pool Club at Caesars Palace offers frozen grapes and towels, and luxurious cabana rentals. Striking a balance between the two is the intimate Bare Pool at the Mirage, which serves lobster-mango tacos to guests in bed-like chaise lounges. Two other popular pool parties are Ditch Fridays at the Palms and Tao Beach at the Venetian on Sunday nights.

Insider Tip: At the Hard Rock’s pool party, crowds gather hours before the 11 a.m. opening, but for an extra $60, you can bypass the line.

Next: Five Things to Know Before Booking Your Vegas Trip

Five Things to Know Before Booking Your Vegas Trip

Next: The True Cost of High Rolling

The True Cost of High Rolling

Step away from the blackjack tables, and you’ll find that the open roads outside Las Vegas are the perfect place to test the limits on a Lamborghini. Advantage Exotic Cars has an astounding fleet of dream cars to rent by the hour or the day. If you get bored with your $200,000 car, drive it out to the airport and climb into a helicopter for a swooping tour of the Las Vegas Strip, or a champagne picnic trip to the Grand Canyon.

Insider Tip: Still craving more and haven’t gotten the rush of winning big in the casino? Make a reservation with Zero G for an astronaut-grade zero-gravity flight in the stratosphere above Nevada.

The true cost of high-rolling

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The Big Players

Wynn Las Vegas Resort and Country Club. A five-story waterfall, Tom Fazio golf course and Ferrari-Maserati dealership are just a few examples of the sleek luxury of the Wynn. The Tower Suites are the first Vegas property to receive the coveted Mobil Five Star Award. Amenities at the 600 Tower Suites include private check in, an exclusive pool and rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows.

The MGM Mirage. Another Steve Wynn property. this one built back in 1989, the Mirage redefined luxury for Las Vegas at the time. Today it is home to the popular Cirque de Soleil Beatles review “LOVE” and the exclusive Jet nightclub.

Advantage Exotic Cars. The way to cruise down the Strip in style. Stop by the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and check out the premium collection from Advantage Rent A Car. Rent a Bentley, Lamborghini or Mercedes for the hour, day or week.

All Las Vegas Tours. This company can arrange any Las Vegas tour you can dream of, from helicopter tours and rafting expeditions to securing tickets to that sold-out Vegas show you’ve been dying to see.

Zero G. Experience flight without gravity without going to space. A fun solo day activity, or book a charter for your friends and family for the true high-roller experience.