Royally Flushed

Came across this players club promotion while doing some research for an article I’m writing for “Casino Player” magazine and just had to share it with you.  Seems Easter Sunday in Australia will be extremely lucky for anyone who loves — make that adores — chocolate.  At the Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns, Queensland, players who enter the casino’s “Easter EGGstravaganza” contest have the chance to WIN THEIR WEIGHT IN ASSORTED CHOCOLATES up to 150 kilograms.  That’s 330 pounds of assorted chocolates!

Check out this excerpt from the “official rules:”
“To enter the promotion, Reef Club Members must earn a minimum of 50 Bonus Points on any day and swipe their membership card at the Entrance Terminal on that same day, to automatically receive 1 entry form….

6. A minor prize draw for 1 Easter Basket will be conducted on Sunday the 29th March at 4:00pm and again on Sunday the 5th April 2009 at 4:00pm. A major prize draw for 150 kilograms of assorted chocolate will take place at approximately 4:00pm on Sunday the 12th April.

7. The major prize winner will win an amount of chocolate equivalent to their body weight up to a maximum of 150 kilograms, or if they do not wish to disclose their body weight, they will automatically win 150 kilograms of assorted chocolate.”

Considering my love for all things chocolate, I would SO BE THERE for the drawing.  Even if I wasn’t chosen, I might be able to talk the lucky winner into sharing the wealth because, as the rules state…

15. Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash, services or other goods.

(Now, I also have you wondering what that magazine article is all about but you just have to wait ’til the May issue release to find out!)

Dine for less at Enoteca San Marco at The Venetian and check out Chef Mario Batali's signature orange Crocs.

We’re always thrilled to bring you news of great deals on Las Vegas hotel rooms and now we have an amazing offer on some of the best restaurants in Las Vegas.

We’ve sung the praises of Restaurant.com in our “Las Vegas Values” article for “Casino Player” magazine (March 2009) and right here on RoyallyFlushed so we were excited to see this fantastic deal from the money-saving website.  From now through March 31 — you can purchase $25 dining coupons for just $3! Yes, you read that right…three bucks buys you twenty-five dollars in dining at restaurants all around Las Vegas.

And here’s what we really like about the program:  you buy certificates only for those restaurants you plan on visiting.  No more buying a whole “book” of coupons only to use one or two.  At Restaurant.com, you choose only those places you like or you’d like to try while on vacation.  (And if you live in Las Vegas, it’s a great way to try some new spots for a lot less dough or save some bucks at your favorite places, too.)

Here are some of our recommended restaurants in Las Vegas: (more…)

Some of the chefs appearing at the Vegas Uncork'd event include: Guy Savoy, top right; Bobby Flay, top center; and Francois Payard, bottom left; all from Caesars Palace.

Calling all foodies!  Tickets for the culinary festival, Vegas Uncork’d, are selling out quickly.  The annual event — held over Mother’s Day weekend this year — is being billed as “A Bon Appétit Epicurean Experience” with the popular cooking magazine a co-sponsor of the four-day bash.

With the Las Vegas dining event happening May 7-10, this would make a perfect Mother’s Day getaway weekend for the special lady in anyone’s life.  Moms who love gourmet dining, amazing desserts, superb wines and rubbing elbows with the top chefs who make it all happen will really enjoy this year’s agenda.  Mother’s Day hotel deals in Las Vegas are still available.  Check out the deals at Bally’s, The Venetian, Paris and more here >>>> Last minute Vegas values at Expedia.com! (more…)

We started this website, RoyallyFlushed, because we love giving people information about how to make their casino trips more fun and, we hope, more profitable.  Since its start, RoyallyFlushed has grown to become a popular read for people planning a trip to Las Vegas as well as those who are looking for good general information on casinos and casino gaming, industry news and more.

Our initial idea was to do one site which would cover lots of great gambling destinations and give recommendations – and hot deal alerts! -  on where to stay, places to dine, where to shop and what sight-seeing and special events were not to be missed.  We’ve now decided that there is so much to see and do in so many of the good gambling spots we visit that it would best serve our readers to build some additional websites focusing on specific destinations.

With that in mind, we are pleased to announce our first “sister” site, AZCasinoTravel.com.  With 23 casinos spread throughout the state plus so many special things to do and see here in the Grand Canyon State, we felt we had more than enough to work with in building an info-packed site for visitors to our beautiful state. In addition to our casino guide and reviews, we’ll also keep readers up-to-date on the best deals on Arizona hotels, dining, golf, shopping and all types of vacation activities.

This new site is the first in what will be a family of websites our readers can go to for help in planning a casino trip that includes not only where to play but also where to stay, dine, shop, play golf and more.  (We think you’ll find these sites helpful in planning any trip to the specific destination – with or without gaming!)

Also, because these sites will be more location-oriented, we hope our readers will feel comfortable in asking for suggestions, posing questions and leaving comments about each spot we feature.

Click on the name – AZCasinoTravel – to visit our new site now and let us know what you think!

Steve and Elaine Wynn head for divorce court again.

While this isn’t a Las Vegas news site so to speak, I do keep up on — or try to keep up on — what’s happening in Las Vegas and when it’s something I think readers would be interested in, I do like to mention it here.

What has struck me as interesting lately is all the news about “splits” — both corporate and personal — happening these days in Las Vegas.  Here’s a quick rundown on what’s caught my eye lately:

Split #1 — Steve and Elaine Wynn filed for divorce.  While no one on the outside can ever know what’s going on within a marriage, this news made me sad.  I would think that having a string of successful properties, stock prices that haven’t tanked like the rest of the industry, and what would appear to be a “wynning” working relationship would allow them as a couple to sit back, relax and enjoy their family and what they have built together.  And it’s not like this is their first trip to the courthouse — they divorced once before and got remarried.  But, again, that’s just my opinion.  Read more about the Wynn divorce here.

Split #2 — “Cannery Casino Resorts and Crown Terminate Merger Agreement; Crown to Make Investment Into CCR” is the headline on a press release I received this week.  (more…)

For the new M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas, the term “build it and they will come” is not just a cliche but an actuality as the new casino tells us that they have signed up in excess of 50,000 people to their “iMagine” players club since opening on March 1.  Considering that their goal for the opening month was 25,000 members total, the casino has blown that estimate completely out of the water.  Casino officials said that additional windows and venues were opened to meet the demand of guests wishing to sign up for the players card.

The M Resort’s iMagine Rewards club members may use their points for dining, cash back, complimentary rooms and suites AND free play. Members can also redeem points at M Resort’s on-site gas station, car wash and pharmacy. ($1 played = 1 point. 333 points = $1 and the resort offers 1,900 slot machines and 64 table games.)

In regards to the overwhelming success of the new resort, Chairman and CEO of the M, Anthony Marnell III, earlier this month said,  “The response has been exciting.  We knew we had a great product to offer our guests and the last few days have confirmed it.”

The new $1 billion resort opened with a bang earlier this month in a grand celebration featuring fireworks, celebrities and a “Who’s Who” of Las Vegas faces.  Located on South Las Vegas Boulevard and St. Rose Parkway, the M features 390 guest rooms and suites, nine dining venues, a state-of-the-art spa, meeting and convention areas and more than 92,000 square feet of gaming space.  The resort’s highlight is a lavish pool and outdoor entertainment plaza with commanding views of the Las Vegas Strip and the surrounding mountains.

Enjoy a glass of the signature Sauvignon "B" while perusing the menu at Enoteca San Marco at The Venetian Las Vegas.

Any trip to Las Vegas wouldn’t be complete without me making a sojourn to one of the many celebrity chef outposts on The Strip.  On our last visit, I left P.B. at the Bally’s Sports Book and took a trip to The Venetian where I had a completely enjoyable solo lunch at Mario Batali’s Enoteca San Marco facing St. Mark’s Square.

It was a relatively quiet Sunday afternoon so I had my choice of tables.  With newspaper in hand, I selected a table on the patio and settled in for a long leisurely lunch.  Soon after I was seated, a group of performers from the resort’s “Phantom of the Opera” production took to a small stage set up on the Square and proceeded to entertain diners and visitors to the Grand Canal Shoppes alike.

My server arrived promptly to give me a run-down on the Chef’s specials including the daily pizza, pasta and salad choices.  After looking through the selections on the menu, I chose one of the day’s pasta specials – cavatappi with pork belly ragu along with a side of the Brussels sprouts salad.  While a hearty red would have gone with the pasta dish, I chose a glass of the signature white Sauvignon “B” which was, in my opinion, a little more conducive to lunch.  The quality of the wine plus the hefty eight-ounce pour made the $15 price tag seem a lot more reasonable. (more…)

Going to Las Vegas and wondering what to pack?  In addition to your clothes — both casual and some fit for a night on the town — be sure to take these items along for a great travel experience.

Camera and lots of memory cards. I can’t believe how cheap memory cards are these days! I have a Canon PowerShot SD770IS 10MP Digital Camera and buy the Kingston 4 GB SDHC Class 4 Flash Memory Card SD4/4GB ($8.99) which holds hundreds of pics. Everywhere I go, my camera goes with me. You just never know when the perfect Vegas view will happen.

Ladies, you’ve heard me talk about this before but I always take a light Shawl/Wrap
with me. Recently, it really came in handy when we headed over to Botero Steak at Wynn Encore and the doors to the pool area were open and letting in a rather chilly breeze. The fresh air was enjoyable but I was very glad I had my cozy wrap with me. They’re also great on plane trips, much better than those where-have-they-been? cheesy blankets the airlines pass out. Pack a wrap just once and you won’t travel without one. (more…)

We discovered the cozy little "Very Venice" bar at The Venetian to be a prime spot for some relaxed people-watching.

As soon as we get the news on the latest room offers from The Venetian Las Vegas, we pass the details on to you ASAP.  Here’s the 411 on March’s room discount package as well as some info on a great spot to have a cocktail: (more…)

Lots of interesting news reports and posts out today about the new M Resort, Spa and Casino that opened in Las Vegas (or I should say Henderson) Sunday evening.  CEO Anthony Marnell III, joined by his wife and Henderson mayor, Jim Gibson, cut the ribbon to open the property to the estimated 4,000 guests who were admitted to the new property at 10 p.m.  A display of fireworks was used to highlight the grand opening celebrations.

You can check out some terrific opening night photos by visiting ratevegas.com as well as read a “players” look at the new M Resort from David Matthews at his “Gambling in Space” blog.

And don’t forget to look for my interview with Anthony Marnell III in the March issue of “Casino Player” magazine.

Stylish dining at Botero Steak at Wynn Encore in Las Vegas.

A lot of special occasions are celebrated by going to Las Vegas.  Birthdays, anniversaries, bachelor and bachelorette parties, “the-divorce-was finalized-and-it’s-time-to-party”-party.  You name it; we celebrate it by taking a jaunt to the Nevada desert.  So on a recent trip to Las Vegas, when it was time to pick a restaurant for a birthday dinner for P.B., we chose the new Botero Steak restaurant at Wynn Encore.

Being huge fans of SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas, we were curious to see how the newest steak-centric Wynn restaurant would stack up.  It’s a real pleasure to report that this newest eatery is firing on all cylinders – and that’s just a few weeks after opening.

Botero – named for the South American painter, sculptor, and artist who is a favorite of Steve Wynn’s – is striking in its design and lay-out no doubt in part to nightlife impresario and Botero partner, Victor Drai.

(more…)