- I have a reservation at Monte Carlo next week (through February 10). Will I be able to stay at the property?

-How do I find out to where my reservation has been relocated?

-I purchased tickets to Lance Burton. Will his show be performed as scheduled?

and

-I was scheduled to get married at Monte Carlo. Will I be able to move forward with that?
and more.

Click on  http://www.montecarlo.com/temporary_closure.aspx  to access the page.

"Monte Carlo executives and MGM MIRAGE development staff continue to work closely with Clark County building and safety officials to determine a plan and timeline for the reopening of the hotel.

A General Contractor has been retained for the remediation project. Hundreds of construction workers are already on site at Monte Carlo, with hundreds more arriving on Monday to continue clean up and repair efforts that have been ongoing through the weekend. Workers will also begin erecting scaffolding to address the damaged hotel façade.

Of the guests in the 2,400 occupied rooms at the time of the evacuation, guests from fewer than than 100 rooms have yet to reclaim their personal belongings. Retrieval of belongings will continue at the hotel through late afternoon today. Beginning Monday, the company will start a process of confirming addresses and shipping all remaining items to guests at their homes."

As of blog time, 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29, this is the most recent release.  Stay tuned, and we'll post 'em as we get 'em.

-rkr

"Clark County inspectors have now released the upper floors of Monte Carlo and the process of returning personal belongings to guests whose rooms were located on floors 27 through 32 has begun. Similar to the process for guests on floors 3 through 26, guests will be transported from their new hotels to Monte Carlo to retrieve their personal items.

Nearly all guests in the 2,400 rooms on floor 26 and below have retrieved their personal belongings left during the evacuation. Hotel staff is now in the process of normal cleaning and servicing of these vacant rooms, making them ready to receive guests when Monte Carlo reopens.

The MGM MIRAGE development staff is now assessing damage and determining a plan for reopening the resort. Additional information will be made available as it is appropriate to do so."

Floors 27-32 were not yet cleared for access at this time, but the Monte Carlo stated that it would be in contact with displaced guests from those rooms on the following day regarding their belongings.

Here is some of the initial information, released on the afternoon of Jan. 25:
"At approximately 11 a.m. today, a fire began at Monte Carlo.  The Clark County Fire Department and all of its support teams did a tremendous job of responding quickly and effectively.  We are grateful to these men and women for their incredible effort.

Although the initial fire was isolated along the property’s roofline, property president Anton Nikodemus ordered an immediate evacuation of the entire property so as to ensure the safety of all of our guests and employees.

The evacuation of our hotel guests went very smoothly.  We provided transportation for all guests to the MGM Grand Garden Arena where we immediately put in place a system that allows us to check guests into accommodations at our sister properties.

All of our sister properties have availability this weekend and we are making accommodations available to Monte Carlo guests at our expense for the duration of their stays.   We currently have placed guests in many of our properties including The Signature, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage and Treasure Island.

We hope that as guests get settled in to their new rooms, they will touch base with their loved ones around the country to let them know they are safe.

As the county finishes its inspection and turns the building back over to us later this evening, we will begin the process of escorting our guests to their rooms to retrieve their belongings.  We will contact guests at their new properties to make them aware of this information as we have it, and will provide transportation to and from their new hotels.

For guests scheduled to arrive in Las Vegas over the course of the weekend and scheduled to stay at Monte Carlo, reservations will be honored at one of our sister properties.  Those arrangements can be made by calling 888-395-0776.

Lance Burton’s show this evening has been canceled, and refunds will be provided. We will know more about the future schedule throughout the weekend. "

Additional updates in following blog posts.

The 32-story Monte Carlo Resort has 3,002 guest rooms and was reported to be at 96 percent capacity at the time of the fire. Resort officials reported that guests would be relocated to rooms in some of the nine sister properties in the city, such as the Bellagio, Circus Circus, the Mirage, and the Luxor.

Photo courtesy MGM-Mirage

The Monte Carlo had its grand opening in June of 1996 (at a cost of $344 million) and underwent a room rennovation that was completed in August 2004 (at a cost of $19 million).

As of Monday afternoon, the resort's public affairs office tells me that they have not put out an actual press release regarding the fire, but have been issuing press updates, and will include this blog on their contact list.

Celine Dion's 'permanent' show at Caesars Palace appears to take place naturally and organically. Elton John's 'replacement' show for when Celine is on hiatus seems more self-concious, more 'hey- look at me!', more effort.

Now, that's not to say it's not worth seeing. It's a spectacle of a show, and probably nobody could do it better. I'm just saying that this look back at Elton John's career by Elton John, featuring Elton John in the latest stage of Elton John's career- well, it's all very Elton John-esque, isn't it?

Especially at over a hundred bucks a pop.

-rkr

—Elton John - The Red Piano shows at Caesars Palace through Oct 30. Showtime is 8 pm, and the show is dark Oct. 23, 24 and 28.

As yes, Las Vegas...the city of lights...the town that never sleeps.  In a city of big lights, big dreams and big money, it is truly an adult playground.  Popularized over the last 10 years by the catchy phrase "What happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas" this town is certainly never one to disappoint in the arena of entertainment.  Whether it be the bottomless cocktails, the endless all you can eat buffets, or the NYC-style Broadway shows, this city breaths life and excitement into the lives of the hundreds of thousands of tourists that are drawn in to the glitz and glamour that is Vegas. 

So I asked myself "why did I move hear?"  As I travel beyond the glamour of the Las Vegas "strip" I find myself wandering further and further away from what the beating heart of the city, where I end up on the very outskirts of town.  Out here, the lights aren't so bright, buffets are a good 20-minute drive (hey, I'm not complaining),and you can never seem to escape the "clink, clink, clinking" of the slot machines that are planted in every grocery store, gas station, and WalMart.  Only in Vegas!  It has taken me a while, but I have grown to appreciate the "city of sin."  And, as I become more familiar with my new home, I am also becoming more familiar with the best of the best that Vegas really has to offer.

Back in Orange County, if a friend wanted to get together for coffee, we would typically meet in a crowded strip mall where it took longer to find a parking spot than it did to drive to the beach!  Now, when I want to get together with a friend, it is usually over a cocktail and our meeting locations (and parking sports) are endless.

The other night I met up with a friend of mine to listen to the live band "Clockwork" that performs in Bellagio's Fontana Bar & Lounge.  Being that it was Sunday, I was a bit skeptical about the type of crowd that we would see and the quality of the band.  In the OC, live bands that perform on a Sunday night are either 18-year old punk rockers, or retired rockers that are playing beats that would make my grandfather jump out of his seat and start rocking out!  So what was I to expect of this band, Clockwork?  What kind of music would they play?  Would there be more to their performance than just their singing?  What kind of crowd would they draw in?  So, when the lights went down and the curtain went up, I was astonished to hear a voice almost identical to Joe Walsh from the Eagles.  Their voices were flawless...they entertained....they were having fun!  But would the second song be as impressive as the first?  Yes, even better! 

As the night went on they began taking on requests from the audience, which had grown from a small dozen to well over 100 in less than 30 minutes!  What was even more impressive was that they played every musical request...and every song was just as impressive as the last!  People were actually dancing to their songs...and their music was amazing.  But what was more impressive was that every member of the 7-person band was multi-talented - they each performed a solo song and played a musical instrument!  One of the band members even attracted a young girl on stage...I was almost positive she wanted to stick around for his number after the performance.  Bottom line - they were fun, they sounded good, and it was an upbeat and entertaining venue.  Not to mention that every 15 minutes the powerful Bellagio fountains water show, which is typically a crowd-stopper to tourists walking & driving down the strip, was displayed outside the floor to ceiling windows that graced the East side of the lounge.  Many patrons would step outside onto the oversized patio for a cigarette, cigar, or cocktail and watch the show from the balcony.  There are no strip crowds here to block your view of the spectacular water show.  With a great view, entertaining band, and energetic crowd, I have definitely scored this bar with an A+ and look forward to returning on a Friday or Saturday night...hopefully I will be able to get in (I would recommend making reservations first if you are planning to visit on a Friday or Saturday).  In fact, my friend was so impressed that she decided to hire them to perform at her wedding here in Vegas that is scheduled for early fall!  Their performance alone will grant her the award for the wedding of the year!

As yes, Las Vegas...the city of lights...the town that never sleeps.  In a city of big lights, big dreams and big money, it is truly an adult playground.  Popularized over the last 10 years by the catchy phrase "What happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas" this town is certainly never one to disappoint in the arena of entertainment.  Whether it be the bottomless cocktails, the endless all you can eat buffets, or the NYC-style Broadway shows, this city breaths life and excitement into the lives of the hundreds of thousands of tourists that are drawn in to the glitz and glamour that is Vegas. 

So I asked myself "why did I move hear?"  As I travel beyond the glamour of the Las Vegas "strip" I find myself wandering further and further away from what the beating heart of the city, where I end up on the very outskirts of town.  Out here, the lights aren't so bright, buffets are a good 20-minute drive (hey, I'm not complaining),and you can never seem to escape the "clink, clink, clinking" of the slot machines that are planted in every grocery store, gas station, and WalMart.  Only in Vegas!  It has taken me a while, but I have grown to appreciate the "city of sin."  And, as I become more familiar with my new home, I am also becoming more familiar with the best of the best that Vegas really has to offer.

Back in Orange County, if a friend wanted to get together for coffee, we would typically meet in a crowded strip mall where it took longer to find a parking spot than it did to drive to the beach!  Now, when I want to get together with a friend, it is usually over a cocktail and our meeting locations (and parking sports) are endless.

The other night I met up with a friend of mine to listen to the live band "Clockwork" that performs in Bellagio's Fontana Bar & Lounge.  Being that it was Sunday, I was a bit skeptical about the type of crowd that we would see and the quality of the band.  In the OC, live bands that perform on a Sunday night are either 18-year old punk rockers, or retired rockers that are playing beats that would make my grandfather jump out of his seat and start rocking out!  So what was I to expect of this band, Clockwork?  What kind of music would they play?  Would there be more to their performance than just their singing?  What kind of crowd would they draw in?  So, when the lights went down and the curtain went up, I was astonished to hear a voice almost identical to Joe Walsh from the Eagles.  Their voices were flawless...they entertained....they were having fun!  But would the second song be as impressive as the first?  Yes, even better! 

As the night went on they began taking on requests from the audience, which had grown from a small dozen to well over 100 in less than 30 minutes!  What was even more impressive was that they played every musical request...and every song was just as impressive as the last!  People were actually dancing to their songs...and their music was amazing.  But what was more impressive was that every member of the 7-person band was multi-talented - they each performed a solo song and played a musical instrument!  One of the band members even attracted a young girl on stage...I was almost positive she wanted to stick around for his number after the performance.  Bottom line - they were fun, they sounded good, and it was an upbeat and entertaining venue.  Not to mention that every 15 minutes the powerful Bellagio fountains water show, which is typically a crowd-stopper to tourists walking & driving down the strip, was displayed outside the floor to ceiling windows that graced the East side of the lounge.  Many patrons would step outside onto the oversized patio for a cigarette, cigar, or cocktail and watch the show from the balcony.  There are no strip crowds here to block your view of the spectacular water show.  With a great view, entertaining band, and energetic crowd, I have definitely scored this bar with an A+ and look forward to returning on a Friday or Saturday night...hopefully I will be able to get in (I would recommend making reservations first if you are planning to visit on a Friday or Saturday).  In fact, my friend was so impressed that she decided to hire them to perform at her wedding here in Vegas that is scheduled for early fall!  Their performance alone will grant her the award for the wedding of the year!

Baidu is a new restaurant that opened January 2007. 

The interior is clean and spacious.  I feel they really were able to meld Chinese and Bistro in their decor.

Their food presentation is one of the best I have seen in this price range.  Your appetizers come out with all the appropriate dipping sauces served in elegant yet modern dishes.  Your entrees come plated to please the eye.

 As for the food.  I'm not sure if it is because they are new or if these are truly the flavors they are striving for.  Every dish I have tried hasn't been what I was expecting.  Not to say that the food is good or bad just not ... your typical takes on Chinese food.  They serve an interesting entree called Potato Beef in Garlic Sauce which was a very novel rendition of a meat and potato dish.  Their Orange Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, String Beans with Chicken and Mongolian Beef are all flavorful but not quite what you expect them to taste like.  Same too with their soups and noodle dishes.

Baidu has lunch specials that start at $5.95 and include steamed rice, fried rice, or chow mein; egg roll, salad; and choice of soup.  Their dinner specials are a little pricier starting at $24.95 for 2 people and additional portions being $11.95.  The portions are sufficient for three you just won't have enough appetizers. 

So if you are wanting an affordable, elegant Chinese meal and are willing to try something new, give Baidu a try.  However if you always order the same thing and expect it to taste the same way, you may want to try a different Chinese restaurant.

This restaurant has a fun twist.  They have a drive thru!  You don't see many Asian restaurants with a drive thru (I do not count Panda Express!)  All their food is cooked to order, so don't get to excited.  Their drive thru is more in line with Olive Garden, BW3 and other restaurants where you order in advance and when you get there they bring it to your car.  Still it isn't a concept you see a lot at the mom and pop places.

 Archi's is definitely a mom and pop joint.  All the available floor space is taken up by tables and cramped it can probably accommodate 30 people.  If there are more than two people in line you have to wait outside.  The days I have been there I have seen as many as 10 people waiting in line. 

All this said, the food is definitely worth it!  The lunch specials are $5.95 for chicken, pork, beef, or tofu and $6.95 for shrimp.  For this price you get the soup of the day, an egg roll and your meat cooked in one of 10 styles with rice.  My favorites have been the Spicy Basil and the Red Curry.  Like many Thai restaurants in the Valley they cook this to order asking you on a scale of 1-10 how spicy you like it.

They have three dinner specials that serve a family of 4.  The least expensive is $21.95 and the most expensive is $30.95. 

Their menu, is more extensive than most of the Thai restaurants I have visited with 16 entrees, 7 curries, 9 salads, 7 soups and 16 choices in the noodles and rice category.  The inside is clean and homey.  The plates and silverware don't all match and either do the chairs but everything is well kept and the restaurant smells like food.  A wonderful step up from some restaurants that fall in the affordable category.

Downside.  $15 minimum credit card charge.  Don't they know that this is against their Visa/Mastercard charter!  Also they are a bit out of the way on Flamingo at Torrey Pines, a good 15 minutes from the Strip.

Archi's is definitely worth the drive and the wait.  So pick a time that isn't too busy (or call ahead and get an idea of the wait time) and head to a wonderful Thai experience.