The Las Vegas Strip
June weddings breed spring bachelorette parties. And in Las Vegas, spring has already sprung. But it needn’t be a taxing or humiliating affair. Welcome, ladies, to the era of the high-class bachelorette party — spas, shopping, dining and partying without so much as a hint of Toilet Paper Bride, He Says She Says or Thunder from anywhere. Just be sure to let the maid of honor down easy — she was so looking forward to the matching outfits. Here are five ways to up the ante on the bride’s last hurrah.
Look Like A Million Bucks (But For Far Less)
Savvy ladies already know about Rent The Runway, the Manhattan-based company that rents cocktail and formal dresses by mail. The pop-up store in the shops at Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas allows bridal parties access to thousands of designer dresses and accessories, which they can rent on the spot, wear out on the town and return the next day — dry cleaning and insurance included. For $25 per gal, you’ll get a one-hour group styling appointment with one of the “Go-To Girls” personal stylists and complimentary bubbly. Or get the stylist, the bachelorette-party dresses and the bubbly plus 50 percent off (15 percent off for the friends) a second dress for the weekend for $135 per person — just mail it back in the envelope provided.
The Spa & Salon at ARIA
Find Your Bliss, Then Polish It
The fine details might be hazy once the dresses are returned, but the photos will be memories to last a lifetime. So this is not the time for dry patches, roots, knotted muscles or stress. Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Spa & Salon at ARIA is the best in the city for self-improvement en masse, with spa and salon services ranging from quick and practical to feel-like-a-new-woman. And the best part is that you can stay together as a group. For $300 per person, book a spa suite for a 50-minute manicure, 50-minute pedicure and lunch (you can order from the in-room dining menu with options ranging from caviar to make-your-own pizza) in a private setting in which to bond before the storm.
Surrender
Eat Your Heart Out
The date is set; so the bridal party should feel free to hit Las Vegas’ most female-friendly steakhouses (yes, that’s an actual category with numerous contenders) with wild abandon. STK in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas bills itself as “Not Your Daddy’s Steakhouse.” But Daddy doesn’t know that his little girl can put down a steak and still rock a couture dress at Marquee Nightclub. Chef Stephen Hopcraft serves a $65-per-lady, three-course, family-style meal that includes salad, entrée, sides and dessert as well as round of shots. Dinner at Fix in Four-Star Bellagio starts at $40 per person for a champagne toast, six shared appetizers and chef Brian Massie’s selection of desserts (for a higher price, you can add entrées). Dinners at Tao inside Four-Star The Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino and LAVO inside Four-Star The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino start at $45 per person and include VIP hosted entry into any of the group’s lounges and nightclubs. At Andrea’s in Four-Star Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, chef Joseph Elevado ups the ante with shared appetizers and dessert, choice of entrée and a glass of sparkling wine for $80 per person plus complimentary entry to Surrender and Tryst. And the $520 bottle service add-ons (one bottle of vodka and one bottle of champagne) for up to eight people at Surrender, Tryst and XS cannot be beat.
Suite-en the Deal
In February, Caesars Entertainment launched Anthology Las Vegas Suites & Villas, a program making more than 1,800 suites across the entire Las Vegas resort portfolio available to the non-whale. We’re talking opulent party villas with unparalleled views and 24-hour butler service — imagine the two-story Nobu Penthouse or the four-bedroom Absolut Find Your Flavor Suite — that you can now book online. You might not want to leave. If the presidential suite is a touch outside your budget, Caesars Entertainment offers another program called Total Experiences, a kind of one-stop shop for groups booking five or more rooms at any level. Booking rooms with Total Experiences you also get the help of a reservations manager to put together creative itineraries, book dining and show reservations and make other arrangements, and all at no additional cost.
Welcome to Clubland — The Main Event
Counting among their ranks a full complement of restaurants, ultralounges, party pools and megaclubs, Las Vegas’ nightlife groups figured out — and have since perfected — the art of the bachelorette party through dedicated websites, easy menus of services and knowledgeable party planners. Tao Group offers packages at Tao, Tao Beach, LAVO and Marquee Dayclub & Nightclub, ranging from VIP entry with a fistful of drink tickets to luxury bottle service in a booth or a Grand Cabana. And if July 11 to 13 works with your schedule, you can attend the annual World’s Largest Bachelorette Party at Tao, LAVO and Tao Beach. Not to be outdone, The Light Group has its own dedicated bachelorette team, booking ladies at the group’s 10 restaurants and lounges, three pools and four nightclubs, including its newest hot spots, Kumi, Daylight and Light. Bachelorette concierges from both companies are also able to assist with hotel accommodations, male-review show tickets, spa/salon reservations, in-room makeup application, transportation and more to ensure the party of a lifetime.
Photos Courtesy of iStock, MGM Resorts International and Barbara Kraft
