Monte Carlo is one of Las Vegas's few elegantly understated hotels. Read on to learn more about it.
The Monte Carlo in Las Vegas was conceived in a 1994 deal between Mirage Resorts, Inc. and Gold Strike (formerly known as Circus Circus Enterprises Inc.) She opened on June 21, 1996, neighboring a small, low limit casino called the Boardwalk on one side, and the New York, New York, which was still under construction, on the other.
Since then, the Monte Carlo has slipped off many tourists' radars as an actual destination. People seem to perceive it as a little too"¦boring. It lacks the dramatic appeal of a Caesar's Palace where you may be greeted by the mighty Caesar himself, and its elegance pails next to that of the nearby Mandalay Bay.
It's too bad the Monte Carlo seems to be having trouble finding a niche for itself, as it is a nice place to stay and to play--my favorite on the Strip, in fact.
The outside of the Monte Carlo looks more like the façade of a history museum than a casino, with white stone sculptures depicting the rape of the Sabine women, and an elegant waterfall.
Enter through those huge doors, though, and you'll have no doubt that you're in casino--and a very elegant one. White and gold is the color theme, and chandeliers are spaced at various intervals on the ceilings. The casino offers over 2000 slot machines and video poker games--depending on which ones you play, you can lose your money from pennies to hundreds of dollars at a time. Ninety-five table games, such as Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Craps, and Roulette, offer fast and courteous dealers who appear to know their games. A little set off from the rest of the casino, the poker room offers stakes from $2-$4 Texas Hold 'Em to No Limit Texas Hold 'Em. Drink service in all parts of the casino is fast, and the drinks are good.
Joining the players club, called the One Club, will allow you to accumulate points every time you play the slot or video poker machines. However, you can only get rated at the tables if you are playing $25 or more per hand. The One Club does not rate poker players. If you do join the One Club, you will be able to use your card to build points at some of the other casinos in town: Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, Circus Circus, and Slots of Fun. Word to the wise: don't expect much in the way of comps unless you're gambling at pretty high levels. I've been playing for four years on my card, and just this last trip ended up with enough points to earn a cute little baseball cap with the hotel insignia printed upon it.
If you get hungry while you're playing, you're in luck at the Monte Carlo. My favorite place to eat is the Café, open 24 hours a day. The Café is large and airy, with lovely murals of cats and Harlequin-type figures decorating the walls. The menu offers a wide variety of breakfast dishes, soups and salads, sandwiches, and more substantial dinner offerings. Prime rib is available between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. If you've left room for dessert, look for an exquisite selection of cakes, pies, sundaes, and other treats.
Another favorite of mine is the Market City Caffe, serving delicious southern Italian selections. Next door to Market City Caffe, the Dragon Noodle offers a huge array of Asian cuisine.
The Buffet presents live cooking stations where you can order pasta or Mongolian delights. Here you can always find the tried and true freshly carved turkey or beef, and a nice selection of salads, desserts, etc.
The folks at the Monte Carlo Pub and Brewery know how to grill a mean hamburger--or fix up just about any other sandwich you'd like for that matter--and for additional fun you can sample their beer.
Those looking to dress up a little more (and pay a little more) for dinner, can go to Blackstone's Steakhouse where beef is cooked to perfection, or to Andre's which serves delectable French entrees.
If shopping is your thing, you may find Monte Carlo a bit of a disappointment. While it does offer the Street of Dreams, an elite and expensive set of shops and dining opportunities, you'll find far better pickings at the Desert Passage at Aladdin or the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace.
Okay, so now you've gambled, eaten, shopped, and you're ready to be entertained. The Monte Carlo's headliner is magician Lance Burton. When I first started coming to Vegas, I heard people dismiss Burton as the "poor man's Siegfried and Roy." If he ever was that, he's certainly grown past it. Burton commands his stage well, and many of his illusions are visually stunning. The magic is standard stuff--mostly making things appear, disappear, and turn into doves--but the show is well worth seeing.
If music is more your thing than magic, check out the Monte Carlo Pub and Brewery which offers bands performing live from 9:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Another possibility is Houdini's Lounge, a piano lounge that offers live music from Thursday to Sunday. Houdini's Lounge is located right off the casino and is a wonderful place to relax, have a drink, and take in the action of the casino without becoming a part of it.
So now you've wined, dined, and ooh'ed and ah'ed the night away. It's time to sleep. Ironically, your room is the only thing that may be a disappointment. My room on my most recent trip was fairly small with lots of dark colors--dark wood furniture, an abstract piece of dark red artwork, etc. Until I opened the shades, in fact, it felt a tiny bit dungeon-like. The bed was comfortable, however, and the room offered good temperature control. And since I did not come to Vegas to sit and mull over the interior of my room, I did not count prisoner-in-the-tower theme as a strike against the Monte Carlo.
If you want your Vegas experience to be an over-the-top theme experience with pharaohs or caesars to welcome your arrival, knights to rescue you, and Starfleet commanders to marry you, you'll probably find Monte Carlo dull. If you just want a nice, classy casino at reasonable rates, Monte Carlo is the place for you.
