Going for Broke
You can live large in Las Vegas no matter your budget.
LAS VEGAS SIGN
Vegas is always a gamble. One day you could be flat broke, cleaned out by a bad round of roulette. The next, you're ballin' like a billionaire, flush from the poker table.
BIG SAVER
9AM — HOSTEL CAT
Wake up in your cozy bunk bed at this hip downtown hostel ($11 per night). Check your small but sensible travel budget in your bank account with free WiFi before tucking into free pancakes. Consider pocketing a few for later. 1236 Las Vegas Blvd S; 702-380 6902; www.hostelcat.com
10:30AM — LAS VEGAS SIGN
Beggars can't be choosers, so give in to some Vegas clichés. Get your picture taken with the iconic Las Vegas Sign on Las Vegas Blvd; you might as well ham it up with one of the many unionized Elvises who hang around offering free photo opps. Smile big and think of all the money you know you'll be winning at the poker table tonight.
11AM — EXCALIBUR HOTEL & CASINO
Get ready to dance with Lady Luck by taking a free craps lesson and learning how to conquer Vegas like a pro. However, keep in mind that the house always wins and pull out while you're ahead. Free. 3850 Las Vegas Blvd S; 877-750-5464; excalibur.com
1PM — SLIDIN' THRU
Street meat gyros are a bit iffy (consider the desert heat beating down on them all day), but food trucks are cheap and delicious. Check Twitter (@slidertruck) for local food truck icon Slidin' Thru's location for gourmet sliders like the Barby, with melted cheddar, caramelized jalapeño, crispy fried onion strips, bacon and bbq sauce ($3 for one, $5 for two). www.slidinthru.com
1:30PM — THE VENETIAN
You obviously don't have the kind of cash that'll get you to Europe, but your trip to Vegas can include a trip to Venice. Or the next best thing, at least. Head to the Venetian to stroll around the azure canals, snap pictures at the imitation Rialto Bridge and watch off-key gondoliers breeze by. Free. 3355 Las Vegas Blvd S; 702-414-1000; www.venetian.com
1PM
3:30PM — THE ATTIC
It may require somewhat of a treasure hunt, but find the designer duds you've been craving at this vintage consignment store (the largest in the world) for a fraction of the price. It's real champagne taste on a beer budget. 1025 S Main St; 702-388-4088; www.atticvintage.com
4:30PM — THE LIONHABITAT AT THE MGM GRAND
You're just in time to watch these furry felines nearly chomp off the trainer's fingers as he hand-feeds them in their $9 million home. Free. 3799 Las Vegas Blvd S; 702-891-1111; www.mgmgrand.com
7:30PM — ELLIS ISLAND CASINO & BREWERY Slide into a vintage red leather booth and, for only $8.99, enjoy two pork chops, mashed potatoes and vegetables. Don't miss a free tour of the house brewery. 4178 Koval Ln; 702-733-8901; www.ellisislandcasino.com
10PM — FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE
Get blown away by what might be the largest light show in the world, which spans 1,500 feet and employs some 12.5 million LED lights and a thunderous sound system. Every hour on the hour, the sky explodes with shows like A Tribute to Queen and Rock 'n' Roll All Night. Free. 425 Fremont St; 702-678-5777; www.v.em>egasexperience.com
11PM — BELLAGIO CONSERVATORY AND FOUNTAINS
Feel like Alice in Wonderland at this conservatory, which is decked out in seasonal plants, waterfalls and sculptures made of flowers. Step outside and take in the Fountains — like in the closing scene of Ocean's 11 — a light and music extravaganza that shoots water 460 feet into the sky. Free. 3600 Las Vegas Blvd S; 888-987-6667; www.bellagio.com
Approximate Total Spent: $24.99 per person. Now, it's time to hit that late-night blackjack table you've been eyeing...
BIG SPENDER
8AM — PALMS HOTEL
Way early by Vegas standards, wake up in your round, rotating, eight-foot bed in the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa. At $40,000 per night, this two-story, 9,000-square-foot Playboy Mansion-inspired palace comes with its own poker room, a fully equipped gym, a sauna and a glass-walled pool suspended 40 stories above The Strip. 4321 W Flamingo Rd; 702-942-7777; www.palms.com
8:30AM — WYNN LAS VEGAS
Tee off at the 18-hole championship golf course designed by casino mogul Steve Wynn and celeb golf designer Tom Fazio. Forget you're in the desert as you enjoy a $500 round on the luscious green course dotted with lakes and waterfalls. 3131 Las Vegas Blvd S; 877-321 9966; www.wynnlasvegas.com
11:30AM — BOUCHON BISTRO AT THE VENETIAN
Head to Bouchon Bistro for California sturgeon caviar with toasted brioche ($135) masterminded by Chef Thomas Keller of the French Laundry. Take the edge off your hangover with a sip of Krug Champagne ($199) and toast to the swanky day ahead while you wonder what the poor souls at IHOP are eating. 3355 Las Vegas Blvd S; 702-414-6200; www.bouchonbistro.com
12:30PM — MANDARIN ORIENTAL
Get spoiled rotten at the elegant Mandarin Oriental Spa. You'll be pampered from your head (acupressure head massage) to your toes (foot cleanse) and everything in between (full body exfoliation, nourishing body wrap and body massage) when you embark on a Qi Balancing Journey (starting at $600). 3752 Las Vegas Blvd S; 888-881-9530; www.mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas
2:30PM — GRAND CANYON
Hire a private helicopter to give you a bird's-eye view of the Grand Canyon. Better yet, go in for a landing on a private bluff some 3,500 feet down into the ditch, where you'll enjoy champagne and a snack with a view. Starting at $3,400. 888-261-4414; www.maverickhelicopter.com
5PM — CRYSTALS AT THE CITYCENTER
You obviously need to get glammed up for the evening, so grab your personal shopper ($100 per hour, jenna-doughton.com) and head to what's dubbed "The Rodeo Drive of the Desert." This crystal-and-chrome mall will have you dropping the big bucks as you splurge on the latest from Gucci, Dior and Harry Winston. Who said money couldn't buy happiness? 3720 Las Vegas Blvd S; 702-590-9299; www.crystalsatcitycenter.com
7:30PM — THE COLOSSEUM, CAESARS PALACE
You can practically touch your favorite pop star from your first-row seat at The Colosseum, an intimate but spectacular venue designed for Celine Dion, who performs here at least three times a week ($1,375 per front row seat). Sometimes, she generously lends it to Elton John (concerts almost nightly in February 2012) and other icons. 3750 Las Vegas Blvd S; 702-731-7110; caesarspalace.com
9:30PM — JOEL ROBUCHON, MGM GRAND
Let Chef Joel Robuchon, who has three Michelin stars, send you into culinary heaven with a 16-course degustation menu ($425 per person) or dig into truffled langoustine ravioli ($115) and Oscetra caviar with cauliflower cream and a delicate gelée of green asparagus ($165). 3799 Las Vegas Blvd S; 702-891-7925; mgmgrand.com
11PM — TRYST, WYNN
Decked out in plush velvet and gold, this decadent nightclub is the perfect place to toast your luck with a Ménage à Trois cocktail, a stiff concoction of Hennessy Ellipse cognac, Cristal Rosé champagne and 150-year-old Grand Marnier gold syrup. Sip it elegantly through its gold and diamond straw. Price tag? A measly $3,000. 3131 Las Vegas Blvd S; 877-321-9966; www.wynnlasvegas.com
Approximate total spent: $50,034 per person. However, this is minus the shopping spree and with very moderate, un-rich alcohol consumption.
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