CityCenter Las Vegas

The CityCenter development in Las Vegas is HUGE. They say you'll either love it or hate it but I still can't decide.

CityCenter is very grey and the contemporary architecture is very different from the rest of the Strip, but it is sexy. The public art like this eraser by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen (I hope) and Henry Moore's 'Mother and Child" are nice additions. Right between Bellagio and Monte Carlo on the Strip, the location is excellent. Hoards were pouring into Crystals, the mega-mall (correction: "Retail & Entertainment District"). The Mandarin Oriental was having a grand opening celebration which prevented me from snooping.

Pedestrians are justifiably outraged by the design, which forces them to walk the equivalent of three city blocks (complete with huge flight of stairs) to keep their driveway free of human obstructions. Perhaps when construction is completed, they'll implement a better solution.

I admit to loving the molto fabuloso Las Vegas and Caesar's Palace is still my favorite hotel here (best shower ever). So when Vegas goes all urban sophisticate, it feels inappropriate. If CityCenter were in NYC, the piazza-like space would be for people, not cars and there would be a lot more plants to mitigate the grey.

Steve Marcus took way better photos than I did for the Las Vegas Sun, click here for his Slideshow.


Popular posts from this blog

Regent Cruises, Seven Seas Explorer Ship Review

Image
Regent is my favorite cruise line, and I was finally able to inspect the Seven Seas Explorer while she was docked in Bilbao on May 27, 2019. Launched in 2016 for 750 passengers, this all-balcony-suite ship lives up to the hype (“The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built”). She is gorgeous. The chandeliers, the in-laid marble floor, the zebra carpet... The Culinary Arts Kitchen offers 18 individual cooking stations for hands-on cooking classes at sea. Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Enrichment, Kathryn Kelly designed the curriculum of classes with a destination-focus, catering to all skill levels. Above is the Compass Rose Restaurant, the main dining room with open seating. Preciosa designed the stunning lighting: "The Sea was design inspiration for the aquamarine lighting installation in Compass Rose. Bohemian hand blown crystal glass droplets in combination with fused glass with chips creates together wavy and organic object, that evokes impression like you a
Read more

Allure of the Seas Ship Review

Image
It’s stupendous! It’s colossal! It’s Royal Caribbean ’s Allure of the Seas . Aerial view of Allure of the Seas The Allure of the Seas made her debut in November 2010 as the largest ship afloat (a fraction of an inch larger than her sister Oasis of the Seas ).  She accommodates about 6,000 passengers in 2,700 staterooms. None of those passengers are complaining about being bored. The first carousel at sea Kids of all ages will jump at the chance to cruise on this leviathan. Little kids will love the Merry-Go-Round, the Dreamworks characters parade, and the H20 Zone kids pool area with sprawling octopus sprinkler. Older kids will like the 3-D movies (featuring Kung Fu Panda 2 this summer), ice skating rink, and 9-hole miniature golf course. Even teens will be impressed by ship features like the 9-deck high Zip line, FlowRider surf simulator, and Rock climbing walls. FlowRider surf simulator Grown ups will appreciate the vast dining and entertainment options. Live entertain
Read more

Mother-Daughter Spa Getaway to Langdon Hall

Image
Hard to believe it was two years ago that I took my Mom on a Spa Getaway to celebrate her birthday (February 15-17, 2018). We drove about 90 minutes from her home to Langdon Hall Country House Hotel (a Relais & Chateaux property) in Cambridge, Ontario. It's also about 90 minutes from Toronto and an hour from Niagara Falls. We went for the spa facilities and the gourmet dining . We had delicious cocktails at Wilks Bar .  In summer, they have beautiful gardens and wooden trails, as well as an outdoor pool and croquet lawn. Here are My Photos .  Mom says: My first time in a feather bed - no, not a feather pillow or feather comforter, but the entire bed!  Sleeping on a soft dreamy cloud must be discussed more frequently as an antidote to ordinary life doldrums.  Of course it enhances sleep to the nth degree, but what about the imaginative realm reaching up to the heavens?  I am not kidding when I say Nothing in my life has compared to it, and if that realization shows I’m a sl
Read more