The Liquid Muse

The 24-hour Glittering Get-Away
(Part One)

Accomodations and Happy Hour to Get in the Vegas Mood...

For Angelenos, Vegas has been ‘the playground down the block’ since the Golden days of Hollywood. Today, people know it has more to offer than lounge acts and card games, and are drawn in by the luxurious spas, esteemed art collections, eye-popping entertainment and an awe-inspiring abundance of fine dining and cocktail culture!

A couple of weeks ago, Carly Milne (LA’s AOL Style List blogger) and I went to check out a few hot spots. Between us both, you'll get plenty of juicy tidbits for planning your own “glitter-city getaway!”

The first thing I loved about the Platinum Hotel was the absence of the “ding, ding, ding” as we walked in the lobby door. Yes, the Platinum is a stone’s throw from the Strip but does not have a casino. Hallelujah!

The next rave is about the apartments, upstairs. ( Ok, officially they’re a “hotel rooms” but they may as well be apartments.) Wrapped in a fluffy white robe, wander from the marble bathroom (with Jacuzzi tub, large shower and good bathroom products) through the full kitchen, large living room (with fireplace and flatscreen TV) out onto the big balcony overlooking the city. And, the room is big enough to share - huge king sized bed and a fold-out sofa – so if you’re going with a friend, take the money you would have spent on a second room to Platinum’s spa.

Extra Summertime bonus: chill on plush mattresses with a martini and a flick during Platinum’s weekly poolside movie night!

After poking our heads into Stir, the swanky hotel bar, where stylish cocktails are designed by Mixologist Niles Peacock, we eventually got a cab (the cocktail hour is busy in Vegas) to Caesar’s Palace. Once inside the labyrinth of rowdy craps tables, cocktail-toting waitresses and Gladiators posing with tourists from Alabama, we followed the winding path through the Forum shops, all the way to the end, upstairs and straight into Sushi Roku. (What can I say, you can take the girls out of LA but you can’t take the LA out of the girls…)

But… the Vegas location has something neither LA Roku has… an amazing view of the Strip! And, the sumptuous appetizers and refreshing cocktails we sampled are worth their weight in gambling chips! A mouth-watering array of toro, yellowtail, salmon and a million more kinds of fish are beautifully presented (hard to believe its in the desert!)

Also, the cocktail menu changes often (Sneak preview: summer will feature a special 7-7-7 drink in honor of Japanese numerology and superstition!) Here’s we tried from the current menu:

Sweet Poochi: Poochi Poochi sparkling sake, Hanger One mandarin, tangerine, lemon and lime juices.

Secret Crush: 42 Below vodka, lychee puree, lemon and orange.

Very Sexy: Bevedere Cytrus vodka, Marie Brizzard Cassis de Bordeaux, Grand Marnier-soaked berried and prosecco.

Pear Blossom: Grey Goose Pear vodka, lychee puree, lemon and orange.

The Sushi Roku staff in Vegas is as charming and accommodating as the folks in LA. (possibly even a smidge more) so you are guaranteed a good time. We could have easily stayed all night but we had more to see… (Part Two of Glittering Getaway – Dinner at Nove and the newly opened Playboy Club!)

PS - for you Angelenos, if you are still feeling homesick after visiting Sushi Roku Vegas, Boa is right next door…