Rachel Sloat

When I think about the Flamingo Hotel my mind jumps to the scene from “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” where Hunter S. Thompson wakes in his Flamingo hotel suite from a crazed psychedelic experience to find a severely trashed room strewn about so bad that it looks like the aftermath of a chaotic carnival. I wonder if that room still exists in the newly remodeled hotel today. The Flamingo has a rich history as one of the oldest resorts on the Vegas strip. Its doors first opened in 1946 and it has hosted some amazing musicians in its day including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie’s Orchestra, and Spike Jones to name a few. I was feeling very excited to check out a hotel that played a hand in vintage Vegas history.

As we walked down the halls of the 24th floor scouting out our room I couldn’t help but notice the numerous stains scattered on the striped carpet. It looked like some partiers had lost a few too many drinks over the years. Seeing the lack of upkeep got me wondering what the room would be like, but I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the double doors to our ‘Go’ suite. The new award-winning ‘Go’ rooms have a retro-modern appeal styled in the colors of classic Flamingo pink, minimalist white, and neutral browns. The grandiose bed has an interesting design with a white vinyl headboard that stretches from floor to ceiling. The pillow top mattress was ultra comfy and made getting up after a wild night in Vegas rather challenging. Everything was clean and new with plenty of in-room entertainment to choose from with multiple 42-inch flat-screen TV’s and quality sound systems in both the bedroom and living area. The bathroom has modern double sinks, and a separate shower/bath tub with powerful jacuzzi jets. The retro look adequately captures the old Vegas aesthetic.

This is the perfect place for the classic Vegas experience. We played craps at five different casinos and this was the only with any lucky streaks (at least for our party). James, the dealer at the table during the day was friendly and funny. With only ten dollars to start with, we walked away with almost one hundred, ready to sip Landsharks poolside. The main pool feels tropical with dozens of palms breaking up the humongous watering area, as well as waterfalls and their cliché pink flamingos going about their business. There was also a second pool hidden away for adults only. With large flamingo fountains and a few hundred bodies in and around the warm pool water draw visions of an early 90′s MTV spring break party scene.

In addition the hotel has many signature restaurants, shops, and live entertainment by comics, and burlesque dancers. With so much to do, and reasonable rates, I would recommend giving The Flamingo a try.

Flamingo Las Vegas
3555 Las Vegas Blvd
South, Las Vegas, NV 89109
888-902-9929
www.flamingolasvegas.com

Everyone loves a nice piece of meat.  Especially when it’s hot, juicy and deliciously tender.  Some of the best meat in town can be found at BOA Steakhouse, a premium steak restaurant with locations in West Hollywood, Santa Monica and Las Vegas. The West Hollywood location is conveniently located in the Grafton Hotel on Sunset and plays host to a mix of travelers and locals.  The décor is cool and the service is top notch. Though the menu at BOA is “steak-centric”, it also includes a smorgasbord of seafood, clever appetizers and tasty salads such as the tableside Caeser which is created fresh at your table. BOA also offers a number of delicious signature sauces to compliment either surf or turf.  There are an abundance of eclectic choices of appetizers on the menu including Kobe Beef Corndogs, Smoked Salmon & Caviar and the divine premium Japanese Wagyu beef.  The Wagyu is saturated with flavor and just melts in your mouth and it is nicely complimented with Japanese XO sauce and Okinawa sea salt to dip.  A few good steak choices include the Kobe beef rib-eye, 40 day dry aged New York strip steak and Bone In Kansas filet mignon.
Savour every mouthful and dig into that big hunk of meat. 

Boa Steakhouse has a new location!
Boa Steakhouse
9200 Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 278-2050