Best
Must-See Attraction
The fountains
at Bellagio spring to life
Las
Vegas
Over a thousand soaring fountains fill Bellagio’s lake, an otherwise
tranquil picture of serenity on the Las Vegas Strip. But when those
fountains go into action, the image is stunning. Enhanced by hundreds
of speakers and floodlights at night, the fountains are choreographed
to the music of composers such as Copland and Strauss, vocalists such
as Pavarotti and Sinatra, and pop favorites like “One” from
the musical A Chorus Line. During the musical finales, the fountains,
shot from air cannons that pop like fireworks, soar higher than the
building itself. It’s spectacular.
Atlantic
City
The Wild Wild West at Bally’s Park Place is Atlantic City’s
newest and only themed casino. Park Place Entertainment opened the 75,000
sq. ft. addition in July, 1997. The $110 million casino, entertainment,
shopping and dining complex is designed to evoke a Western frontier
town, and features an animated mountain, waterfalls, and a stream running
through the property. You’ll also discover 17 continuously performing
animatronic figures, including a gold prospector and his mule, dance
hall girls, a talking vulture and gunfighters. It’s all pretty
hokey, but that’s part of the Wild Wild West’s appeal.
Tunica
What a great collection of movie props and costumes Hollywood Tunica
has on display! Take a tour of the whole property, because you won’t
want to miss any, and they’re scattered about quite liberally.
Just a few of the outstanding ones: Arnold’s Terminator costume;
a complete display of The Addams Family costumes; Stockard Channing’s
“Pink Ladies” jacket from the movie Grease; a vast case of
Elvis costumes, jewelry and movie memorabilia; Elizabeth Taylor’s
dress from Giant; the Batmobile from the first Batman movie; the Delorean
from Back to the Future; and a massive display of Titanic memorabilia,
including the actual model of the ship itself, sunk halfway into its
elaborately recreated watery grave.
Gulf
Coast
Although the Beau Rivage isn’t technically a must-see attraction
in the sense that we were looking for, Casino Player readers voted it
as such, and that’s completely understandable. After all, this
is one of the prettiest casinos ever built. Standout moments include
Maggie’s Bar, the towering magnolias in the flower-filled lobby,
the microbrewery overlooking the marina, and the aquarium walls of the
seafood restaurant Coral.
Native
American
In August, 1998, the Mashantucket Pequot tribe opened their incredible
Museum and Research Center, the largest tribal museum ever built, at
Foxwoods. The amazing, 308,000 sq. ft. facility traces the cultural
heritage and tumultuous history of the Pequot tribe, from prehistoric
days to the present, using a fascinating blend of lifelike displays
and state-of-the-art computer and multimedia technology. From an 11,000-year-old
caribou kill to a 22,000 sq. ft. recreation of a 16th Century Pequot
village, as well as several films and computerized presentations, the
Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center is one of the most fascinating,
beautifully-designed museums in the country, and well worth a visit.
Best
Golf
|
 Las
Vegas
Years ago, the big Las Vegas Strip resorts had to have a golf
course adjacent to their casinos to be a success. Those days are
long gone. MGM Grand now stands on what was the former Tropicana
golf course, and the Bellagio is on the former Dunes course. The
Desert Inn is the last Strip casino to still include a course,
and our readers feel it’s the best in town.
The resort has had the distinction of being the only golf course
in the United States to have annually hosted three tour events:
the PGA Tours’ Las Vegas Invitational, the Senior PGA Tours’
Las Vegas Senior classic, and the LPGA Tours’ Las Vegas International.
Surrounded by scores of towering palms, the highly-rated Lawrence
Hughes-designed course features sharp dog-legs and deep bunkers
on the 7,193-yard, par 72 course.
Atlantic
City
Now that Park Place Entertainment has purchased the Atlantic City
Country Club, this may be the final year a non-casino course makes
the list. The Marriott Seaview Country Club includes a very luxurious,
297-room non-casino hotel in nearby Absecon, with two challenging
courses that are the home to the LPGA Shoprite Classic. The Bay
Course (18 holes; 6,247 yards; 71 par) gives players wonderful
vistas of the marshes and the bay behind Atlantic City, while
the tight Pines Course (18 holes; 6,731 yards; 71 par) rewards
accuracy and determination.
|
Tunica
Cottonwoods, at Grand Casino Tunica, is an 18-hole, Hale Irwin-designed
course. It has a Scottish links feel with rolling fairways, three lakes
and landscaped cart paths. The 7,000-yard course is a challenge for
seasoned players, and offers a sense of adventure and fun for the novice.
Gulf
Coast
One of the most spectacular new courses built by any gaming company
is The Bridges Golf Resort at Casino Magic Bay St. Louis. Designed by
Arnold Palmer, this 18-hole, par 72, championship golf course includes
an 11-acre practice facility. Built into the woods and wetlands of the
Mississippi Delta, The Bridges is a must-play for any gambler who loves
this sport.
Native
American
Only a handful of Native American casinos have reached resort status,
but Foxwoods has been there for years. Just last year, however, the
casino opened its Foxwoods Golf & Country Club at Boulder Hills.
The 18-hole, par 70, 6,004-yard championship golf course is regionally
acclaimed for its impeccable condition and breathtaking vistas. The
clubhouse includes a restaurant and lounge for relaxation, as well as
a driving range, practice green, halfway house and PGA-staffed pro shop.
Best
Theme
 |
What
would a Vegas resort be without its theme? Every new one has a
theme, right? Wrong. The media might like us to believe that Vegas
is a themed wonderland, but that’s just not the case. Sure,
they all have consistent design elements, but “theme”
goes beyond design. It is all-encompassing, visible in every aspect
of the resort. When applied correctly, it works marvelously. And
Vegas isn’t the only place with themes. Of course, no one
does it like the Strip operators do it, but as time goes on, the
themed idea is becoming more and more popular. Here are some of
the best ones, as chosen by Casino Player readers.
Las
Vegas
First Place: Paris
Second Place: Venetian
Third Place: New York-New York
Atlantic
City
Wild Wild West
Tunica
Hollywood Casino
Gulf
Coast
Beau Rivage
Reno
Silver Legacy
Riverboats
Hollywood Casino, Aurora, Ill.
Native
American
Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut
|
Best
Nightclub
|
 Not
all the action takes place on the casino floors. At night, Las
Vegas and Atlantic City clubs heat up, offering some of the grooviest
spots for dancing ‘til dawn.
The VooDoo Lounge, perched high atop the Rio’s Masquerade
Tower, features an outdoor patio and a stunning view of the Strip.
Inside, jazz and blues rock the house, while bartenders mix up
a bevy of sinister cocktails. Moody, dark, and filled with that
old black magic, the VooDoo is the Vegas place for the hippest
of the hip.
In
Atlantic City, it’s The Wave at Trump Marina that
attracts clubbers in droves. The nightspot brings in popular regional
acts, in addition to its star DJ. And don’t be surprised
if you see a celebrity rocker jamming with the local band on stage.
|
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