If Cupid were a number in black or red, the bettors would bust the house on Valentine’s Day. The number of marriages on February 14 tends to rise by 600 percent, producing long lines at City Hall and putting the Elvi around the city into 24-hour roll.
Las Vegas woos romancers nearly as much as it pulls in partiers, conventioneers and gamers. The formula is simple. With a skyline that competes with shorelines for premium vista frontage, romance is a natural. Add star chef restaurants to starry-eyed memories, along with an ocean of neon and fantastical distraction and … Zing! Cupid slings. Arrows fly.
Las Vegas is awash in romantic splendor for couples that want to take the occasion of Valentine’s Day to reignite their love. Hotel packages are popping up like roses while star chefs are carting out their sauciest menus. The following is a heady sampling of what’s steaming in Vegas for Valentine’s Day.
Eat
At MGM Mirage, the sizzlers come in all sizes, but the prices come in one size only: reasonable. Restaurants, such as Tender Steak & Seafood at Luxor have price fixe menus starting at $39 per person. Lupo by Wolfgang Puck at Mandalay Bay is offering a four-course dinner for $55.
Grand master chef Joel Robuchon is celebrating love at his MGM Grand L’Atelier with a three-course bento dinner for $39 per person.
Nove Italiano atop the Palms’ Fantasy Tower has a five-course price fixe menu to complement the pulse of the neon below. The $75 per person experience includes a desert platter of tiramisu and chocolate covered strawberries. A strawberry martini is also on tap for the special day. (Call 702-942-6800; www.novelasvegas.com)
Spas, too, are opening their hearts with services such as the Sweet Embrace massage at Spa New York-New York where guests can get a 25-, 50-, or 75-minute treatment for rates starting at $70. Organic is the game at Spa Vdara where a 45-minute botanical hand massage costs $1 a minute. Guys can get a sensuous shave at Salon Bellagio for $40.
Pray
Couples can start their engagement in Paris, if they come to Vegas between February 13 and 15. A “Will You Marry Me?” package transports visitors via glass elevators to an observation deck 50-stories above the Las Vegas Valley. They then receive two glasses of Champagne and a 5x7 souvenir photo of the big moment. The package price is $60 for two people and tickets are available at the Paris Las Vegas box office.
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An Excalibur wedding |
Guests looking for a more personalized experience can have the Eiffel Tower observation deck to totally to themselves for up to one hour with a bounty a la carte items to accompany them: roses, chocolate-covered strawberries, a bottle of Champagne and even musicians can be arranged. (Call 702-946.4784, www.ParisLasVegas.com).
A chocolate engagement can be ordered up at Les Artistes Steakhouse at Paris as well as Bally’s Steakhouse, for an added $16 to the bill. The Paris’ pastry team has created a crunchy praline and chocolate biscuit layered with chocolate mousse and topped with a chocolate short crust and cremioux, all designed to cleanly hide a ring for the right moment. (Call 877-603-4386; www.ParisLasVegas.com).
Bellagio is providing couples in love with a 2010 Valentine’s Day Package that leaves all the planning to the experts. The indulgent offering includes an hour of chapel time, an officiant, floral arrangements including bridal bouquet and groom’s boutonniere, a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne with two toasting flutes, and two DVDs of the ceremony, among many other amenities. Priced at $5,000, the package also includes an hour of photography with a ready-to-go album. (Call Wedding Chapels at Bellagio: 888-987-3344, www.bellagio.com).
Couples can marry for the cost of a stylish pair of shoes at Excalibur’s Canterbury Wedding Chapel. The “Vegas Wedding” package is priced at $254 (excluding tax), and includes a seasonal bouquet and boutonniere, 30 minutes of chapel time, a minister and the use of a photographer. At Circus Circus’ Chapel of the Fountain, the package is priced from $281.
Love
Paris Las Vegas offers rooms starting at $170. Romance packages are available that combine a luxury room, treatments at Spa by Mandara, food & beverage credit, Champagne and strawberries and deluxe breakfast in bed. (Call 877-242-6753; www.ParisLasVegas.com).
Stratosphere is jumping on the romance wagon with a slew of discounts and packages including the three-night Valentine’s Day Package for Feb. 12,13,14. The package calls for a premier view room, champagne toast at Level 107 Lounge, brunch at Top of the World, private seating for Valentine’s Day dinner and $25 off an in-room massage, courtesy of Roni Josef Salon & Spa. Rates are $629 inclusive. A two-night Valentine’s Day for Saturday and Sunday costs $445. (Call 800-99-TOWER; www.stratospherehotel.com).
HOTEL32 at Monte Carlo has decked-out rooms for $599 for a two-night stay in a Studio Suite, including a bottle of Champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries and a 25 percent discount at Spa Monte Carlo. The room promotion runs through February 25. (Call 877-576-3232; www.hotel32lasvegas.com).
Valentine's Day? runs through February 28 at Trump International Hotel Las Vegas. The Enchanted Evening package provides a bottle of top brand Champagne served with gourmet chocolates, and two monogrammed personalized signature Trump robes. DJT, the fine dining restaurant at Trump, is presenting a four-course tasting menu on Valentine's Day. Rates run $347.29 per night. (Call 866-939-8786; www.trumplasvegashotel.com).
Couples can float away into the oblivion and solitude of the desert aboard a 59-foot houseboat via Forever Resorts. A "Sweethearts' Special" on houseboat rentals ?for Valentine's Day this year allows guests to rent the big boat for two days for excursions on Lake Mead, Lake Mohave and Lake Powell. The package throws in a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates and a romantic comedy DVD. Each houseboat sleeps 10 comfortably, if company is part of the plan, and includes a fully equipped kitchen, spacious living area and sun canopy. Rates start at $528 per night. (Call 800-255-5561; foreverhouseboats.com).