For an experience off the beaten Strip,
Lake Las Vegas offers all the creature comforts of a resort,
gambling and close proximity to the center of Sin City. A great
alternative to the tightly packed crowds in the citys massive
megaresorts, Lake Las Vegas boasts top hotels, more than a dozen
restaurants, shopping outlets and myriad activities that will pique
the interest of the most finicky traveler.
Located just 17
miles from the Strip, this lush, Mediterranean-themed desert oasis
is a master-planned project that began in earnest in
1987.
Built around a
320-acre man-made lake (the largest privately owned lake in
southern Nevada), the 3,592-acre resort area is the result of an
investment of more than $2 billion.
During the last
few years, Lake Las Vegas has become one of the countrys most
vibrant getaways. Its comparable to resort towns such as Palm
Springs, Calif., and Scottsdale, Ariz.
Developed by
Transcontinental Properties, Lake Las Vegas is home to Ritz-Carlton
and Hyatt Regency hotels. And for those visitors who fall in love
with the area and never want to leave, there are various
residential offerings, with existing homes ranging from $300,000 to
$4 million and undeveloped lots available for custom-built
homes.
Karen Cox,
director of public relations for Lake Las Vegas, said the resort
area is more low-key than the traditional Las Vegas experience and
caters to a vacationer in a different mind-set.
We are the
candlelight to the Strips neon, she said. We dont see ourselves as
competing with the Strip. Rather, the Strip is an amenity to our
visitors.
Typical
activities that guests enjoy at 
Lake Las Vegas include
fly-fishing, guided walks, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking,
sailing, yacht cruises, gondola rides, eco-tours and
swimming.
The resort also
offers helicopter rides to the Grand Canyon or Las Vegas and
entertainment events such as its Movies al Fresco program and a
summer concert series, featuring artists such as Seal and Heart.
Last year, the resort hosted a concert by tenor Andrea
Bocelli.
Of course, no
world-class resort would be complete without golf. Lake Las Vegas
has a trio of golf courses, two of which were designed by Jack
Nicklaus.
The par-71
SouthShore Golf Club was the first private Jack Nicklaus Signature
Golf Course in Nevada and stretches 6,917 yards from the lakes
shore into the desert hills.
Reflection Bay
Golf Club is a public-access 7,261-yard, par-72 course featuring
three waterfalls. It plays around arroyos and water.
The newest course
is the Tom Weiskopf-designed Falls Golf Club, a 7,250-yard, par-72
course with varying terrain and a mountainous landscape.
The Golf
Institute at Lake Las Vegas offers a variety of golf school options
as well as private instruction.
High-end
accommodations
For guests
looking to savor a luxurious experience, the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las
Vegas, offers 314 guest rooms plus an additional 35 suites
featuring imported furnishings, oversize marble bathrooms, upscale
bath amenities and Frette bed linens.
The hotels 64
Club rooms are located within the resorts Tuscan-style bridge,
inspired by the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy.
The Ritz-Carlton
also features the full-service Spa Vita di Lago -- 
one of the countrys top rated
spas, according to Celebrated Living magazine -- a private swimming
lagoon, heated pool, whirlpools, poolside dining and private
cabanas.
The Ritz-Carltons
signature restaurant, the Medici Cafe and Terrace, offers
Mediterranean dishes and an extensive wine list.
Another lodging
option is the Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas Resort, Spa and Casino.
The hotel has 493 guest rooms with lake and/or mountain
views.
The hotels
in-room amenities include two-line telephones and dataports, hair
dryers, plush bathrobes, coffeemakers, irons and ironing boards,
refrigerators, safes, desks and vanities.
The hotel also
has two- and three-bedroom casbahs with private entrances, creating
a more residential experience, and a European-style
casino.
The Hyatt Regency
also offers a series of package deals appealing to families,
romantics, golfers and spa-goers.
Tuscany
in the desert
The centerpiece
of the Lake Las Vegas experience is MonteLago Village, a $500
million shopping, dining and entertainment complex.
Designed to evoke
the essence of a lakeside community in northern Italy, this area of
Lake Las Vegas features a marina with watercraft and yacht
rentals.
Of course, food
plays a major role in any vacation experience. In Lake Las Vegas,
said Cox, you can choose a different dining experience for every
night that you stay here.
MonteLago
Villages newest restaurants include Auld Dubliner and Bistro Zinc
by Joseph Keller. The former is an Irish pub designed and crafted
in Dublin and shipped overseas; the latter is a New Orleans-style
restaurant that is home to a cooking school. Classes are open to
the public.
Anchoring
MonteLago Village is the 40,000-square-foot Casino MonteLago, which
was built to resemble a 17th century Tuscan winery.
The casino
features a sports book and more than 600 video poker and slot
machines as well as popular table games such as craps, roulette,
mini-baccarat, three-card poker and blackjack.
According to Cox,
the resort views Casino MonteLago, as well as the smaller
10,000-square-foot casino in the Hyatt Regency, as strong resort
amenities rather than centerpieces of the resort
experience.
Our casinos are
small and intimate and have lower table minimums, she said.
Guests can talk to dealers and people who are
new gamers can learn to play.
The commission
rate for travel agents is 10% for both hotels.
Hyatt offers
special discounts for retailers wanting to experience Lake Las
Vegas. Travel agents can also
participate in the Complimentary Amenity Program and send their
clients staying at the Hyatt a welcome gift and card.
To contact the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail
to [email protected].