First . . . Las Vegas . . . and the strip
One of the magnificent trips that I will never forget was my recent visit to the city of lights and entertainment - Las Vegas! It is the most densely inhabited city in the United States of America.
Las Vegas is known for its gambling places and games; for unusually shaped large hotels, casinos, restaurants, resorts, properties and spacious houses. Most of the first class hotels, casinos and entertainments are laid out over a mere 3.8 miles.
The most extraordinary hotel I have ever seen was the Paris Hotel . . . in Las Vegas! It’s not only a hotel . . . it’s like an amusement city! This hotel was arranged, decorated and designed just as if a slice of Paris had been pulled out and put down in Las Vegas!
I was lucky enough to go to Las Vegas . . .
I work in a travel agency; part of the job is securing deals and agreements with other hotels and resorts where we send our tourists and vice versa. The perks of working in the travel and tourism industry include having discounts; being given special airfare prices and sometimes going places free of charge! The boss and several colleagues were going to Vegas; fortunately for me, I am the one who speaks the best English, so my boss offered me the opportunity to go with them to help with translation, read contracts and help secure ‘hot’ deals. The offer was too tempting to resist, so I packed my bags for Vegas.
The location on the desert! Magnifique!
Paris Hotel is situated on the south strip of Las Vegas Paradise, Nevada, USA;
Pictures of Paris, Las Vegas
which is a very appropriate and fitting location. It is near all necessary amenities (including shops) making it number one for tourist attractions.The Paris-themed hotel is only 3 miles away from the ‘Las Vegas Convention Center’ and less than 5 miles from downtown. In addition, a lot of casinos and shops are around the complex: very convenient for travelling around or simply every day shopping trips!
Getting there . . . is so easy
After a long and exhausting trip (including changing planes), it is nice to find out that it’s only 10-15 minutes by car (taxi) to get from Las Vegas airport to the hotel. Keep in mind the average charges are between $15 and $20 (and if they sense that you are a foreigner - in my case it was very obvious - they may charge you even more)! So try to talk as little as possible - especially if the driver is one of those friendly talkative people!
The buildings . . . a very unique and differently shaped Hotel
I’m not going to review the hotel only, as there is a lot more to come . . .
The property includes several authentic replicas of famous Parisian attractions: Outside the hotel there are replicas of the Arc de Triomphe, the Paris Opera House, the Hôtel de Ville, and the Louvre, along with an Around the World in Eighty Days balloon marquee. What more do we need!
Inside the French atmosphere is carried on. Everything is ornamented and decorated in Gallic regalia, including village façades with arched windows, fake trees, and three massive legs of the 50-story Eiffel Tower replica jutting through the roof and resting on the Monet-style floral carpets. You can see the water fountains with various sizes and shapes and historical pre 1920’s statues are placed nearly everywhere. There's even a traditional French design paved walkway to Bally's and a small kiosks selling French pastries.At a glance . . . exploring more . . . to find more surprises on the way!
The Hotel (celebrating 10 years of success)
The hotel is a 34-story tower that is distinctively different in shape. If you look at it from an air view, it will look like big + sign. Thus they have south, north, east and west wings. It was created and shaped after the famously momentous Hotel De Ville in Paris France. This hotel is remarkably organised and has the Parisian theme at every single inch of it. It has a gaming area of over 83,000 square feet, full of exciting games, gambling and casinos.
The Lobby
The Spacious lobby features marble floors, a seating area and numerous alluring chandeliers which have been switched on all the day and accompany you throughout the reception area.
Reception
When you first step in you can notice how much the French theme is dominating the whole place; . . . gold and beige are the main colours (a very royal theme) along with tremendously well arranged lighting.
I have visited so many different hotels, but I have never seen anything like it! I was speechless like a little child having a Christmas present or like a baby who is amused by the big deal of lights and beautiful ornaments!By the door a well dressed man is standing aside and greeting you in FRENCH! And with a big warm smile, he guides you to the reception area, well I won’t call it
a reception area; it’s more like a palace reception!
There are separate desks spread over the lobby area . . . not sure how many they are (I didn’t get the chance to count them) but definitely there were a lot.The reception staff greeted us with nice big brilliant white smiles. After taking down basic information (and filling in a mini form and a little questionnaire) we were each given a magnetic key (like a swat card) and were guided to our rooms.
My room with two QUEEN beds! (Red Room Luxury)
There were two French themes, the red fiery theme and the earthy one, thankfully mine was the warm earthy theme. Our room was located on the middle floor, the room was delightfully prearranged. The stripy beige and brown with a hint of gold walls seem very elegant and so French. The walls are decorated with some pictures as well as side lamps, making it more like your little home away from home.This contained one king-sized bed or two queen-sized beds and a large sitting area. You can find also a wet bar with a compact refrigerator filled with food (which is topped-up and changed daily . . . but you have to pay for every single item in the fridge.
I thought the bed was king-sized but it’s a lot bigger than the one that I have at home . . . maybe American bed standards are different. There were two of them (they call them queen beds!) and I shared the room with a female colleague. Crispy white bed sheets with one long pillow and another smaller one; a beige – brownish lightweight blanket to accompany the bed! A beautiful brown leatherette headboard gives each bed a touch of luxury. Anyway the bed was very comfortable, the mattress was extremely soft and the pillows were as well (although I wished that I had brought my own pillow!) The other furniture included a side table next to the bed with a multi phone lines to make calls with certain charges; a dressing table, and two mirrors; and an ample spaced cupboard to hang your clothes and three drawers for your other bits and pieces. There are two armchairs with the same stripes as the walls.
The armoires contain TVs with pay movies and video games (for a surcharge). Multi-line speakerphones come with voice mail. High-speed Internet access is available for a surcharge. Also each room has a complimentary safe in which to put your valuables but what if you have forgotten the vault number lol.
The room is provided with an air conditioner and a climate control as well as a blackout curtains in case you want it extremely dark lol!
What about the bathroom?
When I first arrived, I checked out the smallest room in this spacious place; surprisingly the bathroom size was generous enough!
Astonishing marble floors with marble furniture to match! This is a spacious bathroom compared to other hotels; containing a luxury white suite with a separate shower cubical and bathtub. I have to say that I haven’t seen a large bath tub like that one before – you can fit two people in easily! There is also a fitted make up/shaver mirror with a fitted light; a hair dryer; bath robe; hand and bath towels; and complimentary luxury fragrance toiletries (bath soap, shower gel, hand soap and bath foam) . . . although, to be honest with you . . . I never used them, I only smelled them . . . I had brought my own favourites with me!
There are approximately 2,915 rooms in the hotel . . . I wonder how they get them all cleaned up!
I talked to one (very friendly) receptionist who helped me to have a quick look though the rooms after I promised him to be quick and maybe if I liked the rooms bring more tourists to their hotel. He was very helpful; and provided me with the relevant information and showed me the rooms. The rooms are simply splendid; tastefully furnished in a sophisticated and elegant manner, so you can notice how chic and stylish the furniture is.
Again, it was all in a Parisian style, which is easily recognised by the luxuriant colours and lush fabrics of the furniture along with bed linings and sheets.
With such a premium, first class hotel, you can’t expect one kind of room for all these stories, surely there are different rooms and different sizes at different rates to suit most people whether they are single, married or family groups. I soon realised on my tour that the higher the floor the more expensive the room price becomes, and the better the view. Red Room Luxury
This is the room I have described already, as it was the room I shared.
LeMans Suite
This has exactly the same amenities as the Red Room Luxury but for a suite instead of a room. One king bed or two queen beds, large sitting area, Wet bar with compact refrigerator, TV in armoire and again pay movies and video games, and high-speed and dial-up Internet access and fax machine.
The Luxury Room
You can guess that it’s the best room among them all. You will be provided with one king-sized bed or two queen-sized beds - and with such a high price as you will pay, you can have a city view, plus a sitting area; a desk; TV in armoire; (pay movies and video games come with a surcharge).
Red Room Premier . . . WOW!
This contains one king-sized bed, and is located on the highest floors of the hotel tower which have a panoramic view of the whole strip. Traditional French furnishings complement the room; a comfortable sofa, a gigantic 42-inch plasma HDTV to watch your favourite films and football; a Clock radio with an iPod dock complete the luxury.
>> All these rooms have the same bathroom facilities as described <<
What extras can you request in every room?
There are some extra services but of course with surcharges – some are very high and I felt they were unreasonably charged; others are quite silly like charging you for the use of the fridge in your room!
• Internet access - high speed and dial up
• Cable/satellite TV
• Video-game console
• If you are travailing with a baby you can ask for a baby cot (with charge!) to be fitted in your room
• There is a non-smoking policy in these rooms so if you want to smoke there is a separate room for smoking.
• All rooms have Electronic/magnetic keys
• An iron and ironing board for your clothes.
• Also Massage is available in room
• Easy and fast electronic check-out
• Room service - Available 24 hours a day. Room maintenance:
Cleaning the rooms is daily; the cleaner vacuum-cleaned your room and changed towels and bed linen every day, polishing the furniture and arranging everything back to its place. (Sometimes you need to tip)
Now getting out of the room to see the outer world . . . and boy oh boy! I’m in Las Vegas, baby!
AMENITIES AND FACILITIES
LANDMARKS:
Now you can visit the French Eiffel Tower while you are in Las Vegas! Get ready! you are only a few minutes away from your hotel room at the famous Eiffel Tower!
The Eiffel Tower
This half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower is one of the astonishing landmarks of Paris Las Vegas hotel. The owner was originally planning to make it a full-sized replica but because it was very close to the airport it was felt that it could be dangerously distracting planes.
Still, it is rising high around 460 feet above the ground and can be spotted straight away.
The legs of the tower come right through the casino roof, resting heavily on its floor! It looks a bit scary, but it’s perfectly safe.It’s even better at night . . . a water fountain dances with colourful lights on the French music; the whole Tower is illuminated from top to bottom and the restaurant is always full of tourists who enjoy the stylish restaurant and luxury cuisine; while dining they can enjoy the spectacular view of the strip!
If you don’t fear heights, you can get to the top of the tower where you can enjoy the panoramic and charming views from a special observation level which can be accessed by a glass lift . . . the view of the city of lights is breathtaking . . . and a pleasant enough experience!You do need a reservation ticket to get there as it gets very busy, but the ticket is only $9 and you can stay as long as you like!
Arc de Triomphe
Another exact replica; built as a two-thirds-scale of the original Arc de Triomphe, this is located on the Strip across from the Fountains of Bellagio.
The Louvre
Another replica of the original Louvre, located on the on the north corner of the casino front you can even find the Mona Lisa there!
Académie Nationale de Musique
There is a relatively smaller building which represents a scale replica of Palais Garnier in Paris (also known as Académie Nationale de Musique) or Paris Opera house . . . It is separated a few yards in front of the main hotel building (that contains the rooms that are spread over 34 floors!). From outside it was a piece of fine art; a lot of work has been going on, with hand crafted sculptures at the top of the building, exactly like the original with old-fashioned arched windows and a beautiful dome on the top. The building is surrounded by a big garden and mini fountains, palm trees (some fake and some real) and a huge water fountain with three little angels on the top.
Had enough of Paris Landmarks? Want to enjoy the sunshine? Look no further RECREATION AND LEISURE. . .
SWIMMING POOL:
One octagonal-shaped swimming pool is located outside sits on top of the hotel, fronts the Strip, which can benefit from the views of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, even a portion of the Bellagio's fountain show. This pool is heated during the winter season to 75 degrees.
Also there is a little shop selling swimming kits and accessories, with a café and restaurant as well.
Another different service is a Massage service, which is available poolside. Cabanas are available for rent.
The swimming pool has disabled-access facilities as well.
It is a very large pool (three acres) and there is more fun by summer parties for adults and entertainment for kids; also for pool weddings!
SPA:
Two large spas are available, offering more than 20 treatment rooms, along with saunas, steam rooms, showers, a spa tub, and a well-equipped fitness centre; in addition there is a lengthy list of Beauty treatments, Body, Facial, and Salon Services (surcharges are charged for the use of all spa facilities, including fitness centre).
CASINOS:
There are many mini and big casinos in the Paris Hotel attractions but I’m just going to talk about the most unusual casino . . . The Eiffel Tower Casino. You can feel the Spirit of Parisian streets with the French shaped iron street lamps which dot the 85,000-square-foot casino floor. Looking inside, the first thing that attracts my eyes is the unusual ceiling . . . it’s about 40-foot high, and is painted to resemble the beautiful blue sky . . . which is unbelievably realistic! You don’t have a dark dingy casino atmosphere; it’s all light and colourful and with the sky above you . . . you could imagine that you are playing outside!
As I said before, the legs of the 50-story Eiffel Tower spread out into the centre of this casino. There are more than 100 gaming tables around the room including Blackjack, Craps and Roulette; and more than 2,200 gaming machines, with high limit slots, high limit table game area; a poker room; and race and sports book slot and video poker machines . . .
A half-scale replica of Le Pont Alexandre III overlooks all the casino action while providing the gateway to the Eiffel Tower elevators.
RACE & SPORTS BOOK:
Oh yes, there are 265-seat race and sports book, equipped with 221 televisions and 11 big screens for all race and sport booking fans!
SHOPS:
Are you bored from being inside and want to shop until you drop? Well . . . yes there are some elegant, French shops inside the Paris Hotel kingdom - you do not need to go out anywhere! Paris Las Vegas offers you Paris streets and shops at your service. Here is where you will find Le Boulevard, A beautiful French street resembling one of the traditional French high streets, overflowing with charming boutiques and restaurants that resemble Parisian cafes and restaurants and patisseries. Everything is expensive, and very French. There are cuisines to suit all tastes, not only French; so I will mention some of the Restaurants and what they offer . . .
RESTAURANTS:
With over eleven different restaurants and cafes, you will be spoiled for choice. Most of the restaurants are designed exactly like Five-Star French restaurants.
Prices are varied depending on what restaurant you choose, timing and the season, it can be as little as $10 to a heart stopping £100 if you are dining in Eiffel tower restaurant, so always ask for the menu and the prices before ordering.
Also . . . I have to point out that you have to tip the Garson (waiter) when paying . . . it’s a must over there! As I was only there for four days I didn’t have the chance to sample food at all the places, but I will discuss my favourite two and mention the rest briefly . . . I took pictures of some of the restaurants, where permitted!
EIFFEL TOWER RESTAURANT
Can be found inside the tower on the 11th floor. Grand views of the Strip’s lights and Bellagio’s fountain show. Fine food and luxury drinks. The scenery and the view of the Las Vegas strip and the hotel sells the place . . . . you can enjoy the food, the drink and the most beautiful scene . . . the whole city illuminated with . . . the strong glow turning the night of Las Vegas to day . . . everything is alive there . . . you can see all that while you are dining!
You have the romantic, calming and appetising atmosphere; perfect lights, first class furniture, top service; brilliant white table cloths, spotless cutlery . . . beautiful surroundings; in short, their restaurants are simply pure luxury and you will be treated like a king or queen!There is a wide selection of French food and fine wine and I’m sure you will enjoy the food but the prices are very high, starting from $100 and the portion is average size. The prices are a bit on the expensive side but you are paying for quality food and the place I guess! Staff members are very friendly and helpful, with orders processed very quickly.
Science Fiction Flashing Saucers?
This restaurant gets very busy at nights and during summer vacations so if you arrive a bit late and can’t find a place you will be provided with a mini saucer with a small lamp fitted in. When a place is ready the saucer light is started to flash! A member of staff will guide you to your table…
MON AMI GABI - (the name means “my friend Gabi” ) Oh my name is there lol
I have attended this restaurant the most, I found it a very relaxing atmosphere and the food was spectacular. If you are asking ‘who is Gabi?’ . . . he is the chef and owner Gabino Sotelino!
This is a Casual and charming French bistro with al fresco dining overlooking the Strip's colourful scene; Great menu choices of French fare; an extensive wine list (at which I didn’t look, being teetotal; lol); Open late morning to late evening, which is quite convenient. It has the most beautiful dining rooms I even seen in my life and I’m not exaggerating! One of the most extraordinary things about Mon Ami Gabi restaurant is the patio area which has a great views of the Bellagio water show.
The other nine restaurants (with their specialities) are:
Ah Sin, provides Pacific Rim cuisine and French specialty desserts. Les Artistes Steakhouse, Chic steakhouse with ground-floor and mezzanine dining rooms which specialised in seafood as well as Bone-in filet mignon, salt-crusted prime rib and a lot more.
Le Provençal, Beautiful European-village surroundings Serving French and Italian food; this is Casual dining and the waiter can actually sing! Café Du Parc, specialised in Eclectic and Gourmet food.
Le Burger Brasserie, serves Gourmet burgers including Beef, Chicken, Salmon, Lamb, Veggie, Kobe Beef and their famous Lobster Burger. All of these are ‘Served in freshly baked buns with Ranch fries’. As for drinks, they have beers and cocktails, and deliciously made desserts. Le Village Buffet is an ‘Open buffet’ serving a wide range of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner selections.
Le Café Île St. Louis serves a wide selection of classic French and American food. JJ’s Boulangerie has freshly baked breads and pastries; Sandwiches, soups, and salads.
La Creperie, serves Sweet and savoury crepes. Le Central – is the Lobby bar. Open 24 hours a day.
Gustav’s Casino Bar, Casino and mini restaurant. Le Bar du Sport - Adjacent to the race and sports book; has Large-screen TVs and is open 24 hours a day serving light food and drinks.
Du Parque serves Sandwiches, salads, snacks, and beverages.
WEDDING CHAPELS:
There are two beautifully decorated Paris Chapels for arranging wedding ceremonies or renewing wedding vows, with various packages available to suit every budget.
You can choose between Chapelle du Paradis (Paradise Chapel) or Chapelle du Jardin (Garden Chapel).Nice, friendly and very helpful staff members are smartly dressed as well as using French words quite a lot (as a part of the Parisian theme, I guess). They can be a bit slow answering calls when you call them during some busy hours, especially late at night and in the early hours of the morning. They were not discourteous even then. Security Guards do their job very well without harassing guests or visitors; the cleaners also did their job perfectly, keeping the hotel spotless: the cleaners never stopped cleaning (they even dressed in a very French way like French maids) lol.
HOTEL FEES AND REQUIREMENTS:
The hotel requires photo identification, passport and a credit card deposit (per day) or a cash deposit (per stay) at check-in for incidental charges; cash deposits can be applied to in-room movies and telephone charges only. Check-in is not permitted if the requested deposit is not provided.Prices start from $83 (equivalent to £51.89 GBP or €59.5 EUR) and reach to over $225 per night/person; you can have up to 25% off if booking on high season months July/August. Rates are for single or double occupancy only. For each additional person you pay $30 per person, per night, regardless of age.
Incidental charges: Hotel requires a credit card for incidental charges; be careful, as these can very quickly mount up!
Booking can be done by your local travel agency, the hotel’s website or any online broker. Some quick points to be taken into consideration:
• Wheelchair accessible rooms
• No Recreational Vehicle (RV) park
• You need to have credit card/debt card and cash.
• There are no Child-care facilities.
• No pets allowed
• Ample spaces and parking with seven stories parking garage
• Check-in time at 3 pm
• Check-out time at 11 am
• You should have minimum age of 21 to reserve a room
SUMMARY SCORES:
Overall Satisfaction . . . 9/10
Hotel Service . . . 8/10
Hotel Condition . . . 10/10
Room Cleanliness . . . 10/10
Room Comfort . . . 8/10
Food Quality . . . 9/10
Staff And Customer Help Services . . . 9/10
MY FINAL WORDS
I loved being in Paris Las Vegas Hotel; I only stayed for four days so I couldn’t explore as much as I WANTED so if you plan to go visit, I recommend that you should stay for at least a week. They have managed to bring Paris, the city of romance, to the desert of Las Vegas while still keeping the Spirit of the City of Lights, Neon and Roulette!It’s a very remarkably uncommon hotel . . . the outstanding hotel shape, the replicas, shops, restaurants, cafes, spas, swimming pool and wedding celebrations.
The marriage between the lively and bubbly Las Vegas and the romantic luxurious Parisian spirit was a success . . . and I don’t think I’ve seen or am ever going to see anything like it again! I’m truly and utterly in love with this place.There are two downsides about this place. One is the issue of surcharges on everything . . . be careful and always ask before doing anything. One of these incidents happened when I used the fridge in my room to put a sandwich which I had bought from their shop . . . I was charged for using the fridge . . . how surprisingly bizarre!
Also, there are too many French words used in this hotel: the sign posts to the toilet, spa, pool, reception, lobby etc are all in French; and you are greeted in French, so you need to understand at least basic French. WILL I COME BACK AGAIN?
I definitely will go when I can; I need to complete my tour of the ‘Parisian’ streets . . . and I’d love to spend more time in their special Casino (although I’m not a gambler) because I like to watch people playing! When I come next time, I should bring more pocket money . . . these attractions need lots of cash!A four star Hotel that I can easily give the five stars!
Viva Las Vegas and au revoir Paris!
Thank you for reading
© Karimkha ~~~ June ~~~ 2009
by (79%):
by (21%):
06.11.2009 17:53
Great stuff!! Anan
04.11.2009 15:13
Back with an E as promised!
03.11.2009 21:13
Amazing review! Will be back with an E.