Photo by Las Vegas CVB

By Stephen M. Wheeler

In Las Vegas, all that glitters is not old. It’s new. Brand new. Brand-spanking—bright-light city, setting your soul on fire—new. In fact, if you haven’t been recently, there’s a good chance that you may not recognize many of the new resorts and casinos that have grown so quickly in Nevada’s fertile playground sand.

The latest addition to the MGM Grand portfolio, The Signature at MGM Grand, is the only hotel in Las Vegas with private balconies that command stunning views of the Strip and surrounding mountain landscape. Set within three beautiful and distinct towers, The Signature provides guests with a serene retreat, yet is only steps away from the bright lights of the Strip. The Signature also offers complete access to the MGM Grand’s renowned restaurants, including Emeril’s, Seablue and Diego; exhilarating nightlife, including Studio 54 and Tabu; and top-name entertainment, such as Cirque du Soleil’s KÀ.

One of the biggest hotels and casino to recently open is the Red Rock Casino Resort Spa. The $925 million property boasts 70,000 square feet in meeting and convention space along with more than 400 guest rooms, including 38 suites. Located on 70 acres close to the majestic Red Rock Canyon in Summerlin, the resort features a 35,000-square-foot spa (one of the largest in Southern Nevada) and 10 restaurants, including the Grand Café, Tides Oyster Bar—celebrating the spirit of New Orleans—and the Texas-based favorite Salt Lick BBQ.

An old favorite, the Aladdin Resort and Casino, is undergoing a major transformation and will emerge as the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino later this year. The current Middle Eastern theme will be replaced by a sleek and trendy look that pays tribute to the Hollywood lifestyle. The remodeling began last October and is being executed in phases so that the property can remain open throughout the entire renovation.

Emeril’s Restaurant at the MGM Grand. Photo by MGM Grand

With new resorts come new entertainment. The highly anticipated Cirque du Soleil show Love is now playing at the MGM Mirage, the fifth resident Cirque show in Las Vegas. With Love, Cirque du Soleil celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles through their timeless original recordings. Drawn from the poetry of the lyrics, the show interprets the music with innovative performances by a cast of 60 international artists. A youthful, raw energy is channeled through aerial performance, extreme sports and urban freestyle dance.

Love is presented in a custom-built theater at The Mirage that features 360-degree seating, advanced high definition video projections with 100-foot digital moving images, and a soundscape of music created from the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios.

Las Vegas is quickly becoming “Broadway of the West.” Also playing is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian Hotel & Casino. Directed by 20-time Tony Award-winner Harold Prince, Phantom is performed in a $40 million theater designed and built specifically for the show. Featuring never-before-seen special effects and a sensational Broadway-caliber cast, Phantom Las Vegas is the latest incarnation of the longest-running show in Broadway history—winner of seven Tony awards in 1988, including Best Musical.

Cirque du Soliel’s Love. Tomas Muscionico Costumes by Philippe Guillotel © Cirque Apple Creation Partnership

Next year, Wynn Las Vegas will debut the Broadway hit Monty Python’s Spamalot, which won three Tony awards in 2005, including Best Musical. Based on the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the show tells the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and their irreverent quest for the Holy Grail. Fans of the movie will not be disappointed.

Live music lovers are invited to bring their blankets, sit on the beach or wade in the surf while listening to the music of Mandalay Bay’s Concerts on the Beach. The beach concert season runs through September on the Mandalay Beach Stage, which rises over the resort’s signature 1.6 million-gallon sand and surf wave pool. This summer’s scheduled performers include Ringo Starr and the All Starr Band, Pat Benatar, The Beach Boys and The Doobie Brothers.

When hunger strikes—and in Vegas, dinnertime is anytime you like—several new restaurants are ready to fill the bill. Caesars Palace recently debuted Restaurant Guy Savoy. The famed Michelin three-star French chef’s namesake now occupies the second floor of the property’s Augustus Tower. Managing Savoy’s only U.S. restaurant will be his son and protégé, Franck Savoy.

Noted restaurateurs Miae Lim and Rick Wahlstedt opened Japonais at The Mirage this spring. The restaurant blends Japanese and European cuisine and offers a distinct menu of “Hot” and “Cold” Asian specialties.

If it isn’t new in Las Vegas, it isn’t Las Vegas. Return to the bright-light city before all these debuts become, well, yesterday’s news.

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