America's desert getaway lets visitors decide.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — "What Happens Here... Stays Here," says the tagline. But Las Vegas itself rarely stands still. The desert playground changes every week, and it is no longer the Vegas of Bugsy Siegel, the Rat Pack or even of Clean ’03.
Each new casino/hotel is bigger and more opulent than the last. The most recent intro is the Wynn Las Vegas, which equals or bests entrepreneur Steve Wynn’s previous luxury benchmarks, Mirage and Bellagio, on the site of the legendary Desert Inn.
The Desert Inn itself was long known as a swanky retreat and the last home of Howard Hughes. It’s just another bit of “classic” Vegas that has fallen recently – another, the Stardust, fell in a controlled implosion last month to make room for another megaresort. But this city is constantly reinventing itself for your amusement.
From the Stratosphere to Mandalay Bay, the four-mile-long “Strip” of Las Vegas Blvd. offers huge, themed hotels, all the casino action one can handle, gigantic electronic billboards, shopping and lots of neon.
Crowds shuffle 24 hours a day along Vegas’ meandering sidewalks and pedestrian overpasses, gawking at fountains, snapping pictures and dining at fine restaurants before ducking back into the air-conditioned interiors to place a bet or take in a show.
Clean ’07’s official hotels offer plenty of access to Vegas’ glitz. Each holds advantages of location, price and entertainment; all are located on the Strip except the Hilton, which is next door to the Las Vegas Convention Center and the show inside. To make hotel reservations, click here.
Show planners Riddle & Associates have also made getting to the show easier than ever, with additional discounts on airfares, hotel accomodations and car rentals available on reservations made independently or through the show’s official travel agency, Globetrotter Travel.
Once there, Clean ’07 shuttles will offer complimentary transportation on show days between the official hotels and the Convention Center every 15 minutes, and a loop shuttle will run evenings to help get to the many after-dark events and attractions.
For more information on the show itself, check out the May issue of American Drycleaner. But don’t wait to secure your spot for the industry’s biggest event – the $50 reduced rate for early registration ends soon; after May 11, you can register on-site for $85. For more information, visit www.cleanshow.com.
Plan on taking a couple of days to see Clean, and take advantage of everything Las Vegas has to offer the gambler, tourist and traveler. Whatever you want out of a visit to Las Vegas, it can happen here.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].