Summer Concerts and pool openings

The best reason to go to Vegas in the summer is the pool scene at different hotels. When I stayed at the Hard Rock, I got an unexpected surprise as MTV shot a live concert from the great pool at HRH. The topper was a performance from my favorite singer, Shakira. So in Vegas, you can get a tan while enjoying live music by some of the top artists in the world.

So when you are looking at hotels, also look at who will be performing. The 2008 lineup, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Vistors Authority, includes Kanye West and Smashmouth.

One of the first pools to introduce European-style sunbathing to Las Vegas, Moorea Beach Club at Mandalay Bay, is still beaconing sun worshipers. Also offering this poolside perk to visitors are the GO Pool at Flamingo Las Vegas, and BARE at The Mirage, which also invite guests to let go of their inhibitions and say goodbye to those pesky tan lines.

The newest aquatic destination to open in Las Vegas is WET REPUBLIC. Opening in April, WET REPUBLIC is a 53,000 square-foot ultra pool at MGM Grand featuring the only two saltwater pools on The Strip. In addition to the main pool area is an open-air ultra lounge featuring signature cocktails, premium bottle and pitcher service and sophisticated cuisine. A sundeck will transform into a stage that will host renowned DJs and entertainers.

TAO Beach, located on the roof of TAO Nightclub at The Venetian, is hosting its second pool season beginning April 18. In addition to cabanas featuring high-definition plasma televisions, X-box consoles, iPod and DVD rentals, guests enjoy poolside manicures, pedicures, massages and order an exotic meal from the menu at TAO Asian Bistro.

Last summer, Mandalay Bay Beach completed a $30 million expansion with the Beachside Casino, the first of its kind on The Strip. Home to the Beach Bar & Grill, it also features climate-controlled beachside gaming and a range of cabanas atop the three-story casino. The Villas Soleil offer exclusive amenities and a spectacular view of Mandalay Bay Beach.

Some of the hottest pool parties are happening off the Las Vegas Strip. The Palms Pool & Bungalows returns with Ditch Fridays beginning in May. Hosted by resident DJ Skribble of MTV fame, the parties feature live performances, fashion shows, prize giveaways and more. The three-acre paradise consists of three pools, four outdoor bars, a separate dining area, waterfalls and lavish cabanas.

The always popular Rehab at Hard Rock Pool and Beach Club returns for its fifth season. In this adult beach-club atmosphere, floating palapas become dance floors with the music of famous deejays like Tiesto, Jonathan Peters and Scooter & Lavelle. Party-goers enjoy the Beach Bar & Grill or placing a bet right along the water's edge at the gaming tables. Note: Rehab takes over the pool at the Hard Rock every Sunday.

The line to get in Rehab can be long and getting a cabana can be pricey. But it is the best party in Vegas on Sundays.

The Friday Night Live (FNL) Concert Series begins on May 2 with Puddle of Mudd. In its second season, FNL will feature Eeek-A-Mouse, Dropkick Murphys, Stephen Marley, Smashmouth, Steel Pulse, De La Soul and Jonny Lang.

Taking place in the Sandbar Backyard at Red Rock Resort is the Summer Concert Series. Launching on April 25, Red Rock will welcome GRAMMY(r) Award-winning artist Kanye West and special guests Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D. Also appearing throughout summer are Dierks Bentley, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Peter Frampton and UB40.

Vegas pools

Summer is coming up and Vegas can get pretty warm. Picking a hotel also will include which has the best pool. Here is a guide:

NOT YOUR TYPICAL HOTEL POOL
Visitors often choose to vacation to Las Vegas because of its fabulous year-round sunshine. That famous desert dry heat can make lounging by the hotel pool for the day sound like paradise. It's no surprise, then, that the pools in Las Vegas are popular, but it's not just because they are a great way to beat the heat. Guests spend hours soaking up the sun simply because Las Vegas has some of the coolest pools in the world.

Only Las Vegas can bring the ocean and the beach to the desert. Mandalay Bay actually trucked in more than 1,700 tons of sand from Southern California for its 11-acre tropical water environment. The area includes a 1.6-million-gallon wave pool with waves that reach as high as five feet, three swimming pools and a jogging track. The resort's lazy river is 3.25 feet deep and stretches around the entire pool deck. Recently, Mandalay Bay added Las Vegas' only climate-controlled poolside gaming venue. Just a few feet from crystal-clear waves, a new three-story, glass-fronted Beach Casino invites guests to indulge at their leisure. The first level offers a casual bar and grill while the second level features table games with expansive, open-air views. On the third floor, guests will find the spectacular Villas Soleil, luxury pool villas ranging from 250 to 500 square feet. With your toes buried in the sand and with a refreshing cocktail in hand, it can be difficult to remember that you're in the middle of the Mojave Desert!

From a tropical beach to an ancient Roman oasis, you'll discover a place truly fit for the immortal at Garden of the Gods Pool at Caesars Palace. The ancient Romans revered water for its healing powers and indulged in the luxury of public baths among fragrant gardens. Surrounded by marble statues and relaxing fountains, you'll appreciate that Roman ideology as you enjoy four sapphire pools and two whirlpool spas. Enjoy private, European sunbathing at The Venus Pool, a newly redesigned piece of heaven offering 12 poolside cabanas.

Relaxation is priority #1 at The Mirage. The ultimate in poolside pampering, Bare, an experience apart from the resort's typical pool complex, is defined by its distinctive, contemporary ambiance and ultra VIP service. The DJ-spun music mix sets a lively mood as guests enjoy European sunbathing while secluded by towering palms. Two luxury dipping pools create a temptingly cool respite from the hot Vegas sun. Specialty food items and cocktail service are always offered in addition to complimentary services such as chilled cucumbers to soothe the eyes, iced towels, exotic frozen fruit, icy popsicles and Evian misting bottles.

If your idea of fun is a pool party, look no further than The Palms. Recently remodeled, the new pool area and bungalows, which re-opened in March 2007, span two acres and can accommodate up to 3,000 guests. Perhaps the pool's most unique feature is The Glass Bar. Located under an elevated, glass-bottomed pool, bar patrons merely have to look up for some unique scenery of guests swimming overhead. The pool area also features 27 contemporary cabanas and even three poolside bungalows, where overnight guests can watch live concerts and events from the comfort of their king-sized beds.

The party continues at TAO Beach, a seductive and sophisticated Asian-themed beach club and an extension of the already popular TAO Nightclub at The Venetian. By day, guests can secure a reservation to lounge poolside in one of seven luxury cabanas that feature such amenities as high-definition plasma screen televisions with X-Box gaming consoles, a DVD library, internet and customized mini bars. Other amenities include sunglass cleaning, iPOD rental and a staff of masseuses. As night falls, guests find themselves in an open-air nightclub featuring a floating dance floor, four 14-foot fire columns and high-energy music.

After a crazy night out on the town, you may just need a full day to recover from that hangover before you do it all over again. That's why the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers Rehab every Sunday at the pool during the summer season. This exclusive daytime "recovery" session offers therapy in the form of palm-shaded sandy beaches, blue water and some of the most beautiful bodies Las Vegas has to offer. In fact, if your poolside agenda has you concerned about missing out on the casino action, don't be! You don't even have to get out of the water to enjoy the excitement of blackjack at the swim-up Palapa Bar in the center of Hard Rock's watery playground.

From swimming with card sharks at the Hard Rock to swimming with the real thing at downtown's Golden Nugget...dive into all the action at the Golden Nugget's newest aquatic attraction, The Tank, a $20-million pool complete with a 200,000-gallon shark tank, three-story waterslide and well-appointed cabanas. Thrill in the excitement of swimming inches away from sharks and other marine life!

If you feel safer on dry land and long for the comforts (and security!) of being indoors, then a poolside cabana may be the answer. Nearly every major property features luxurious cabanas offering a variety of amenities including large, cushioned lounge chairs on individual patios, marble tables, private dressing areas, telephones, flat-screen televisions, misting systems, ceiling fans, wet bars and refrigerators. Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort recently introduced themed pool cabanas as the property continues to create new and unique guest experiences. The themed cabanas include The Fisher-Price KidBana, the SpahhhBana and the BizBana. The KidBana provides activities, toys and games and includes snacks and child-friendly movies. The SpahhhBana offers an enhanced level of quiet, relaxation and escape featuring magazines, use of an iPOD, herbal teas, chilled towels and more. The BizBana is complete with wireless internet connection, office supplies, business and financial books and magazines and an endless supply of coffee. The Loews Themed Cabanas are available for a fee for guests staying at the resort.

Bottom line tips: Look for specials. The Hard Rock Hotel always have weekday specials for cabana use. They are worth it and you don't have to stay there to rent a cabana for a day.

Top free attractions

For those looking to make the most of their travel budget while visiting the "Entertainment Capital of the World," there are myriad options for the value-conscious visitor. Here are just a few:

Free attractions line the Las Vegas Strip and they're not hard to find. The Mirage's volcano erupts in a lagoon filled with waterfalls and palm trees every 15 minutes from dusk to midnight.

Next door, nightly passersby can catch the "Sirens of TI" at Treasure Island. The revamped version showcases the popular pyrotechnic war as male renegade pirates battle "sexy sirens" of Sirens' Cove. Performances run every 90 minutes beginning at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, the world-famous Fountains at Bellagio thrill visitors with more than 1,000 water-emitting devices choreographed to music by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Whitney Houston and Andrea Bocelli.

The Rio's "Masquerade Show in the Sky" features state-of-the-art floats that are suspended from the ceiling and parade above the casino floor in a one-of-a-kind Carnivale celebration.

Downtown's famous, casino-lined street is now the Fremont Street Experience, a 175,700-square-foot pedestrian area covered by a continuous canopy studded with more than 14 million lights. Each evening on the hour, this canopy comes alive with spectacular light-and-sound shows.

From Las Vegas Hilton to Luxor to JW Marriott, most major resorts offer free lounge entertainment that is available practically around the clock.

Low-priced attractions abound as well. "The Mac King Comedy Hour" at Harrah's Las Vegas is a great show value, with tickets priced at less than $20. The show contains quirky humor, visual gags and King's sleight-of-hand, all delivered in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.

For lunchtime bargain-hunters, nothing beats the classic $0.99 shrimp cocktail at the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, the oldest hotel in Las Vegas. For gourmet on a budget, many Las Vegas buffets now offer fare from around the world and at a reasonable price.

The Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino's Carnival World Buffet offers more 300 offerings and 70 dessert dishes from around the world - from pizza to omelets to teppan yaki to fresh pasta. Another example is Paris Las Vegas' Le Village Buffet which showcases five provinces of France. Each station is themed for a particular province and features a different facade designed to replicate the architecture of that region.

Mini-Productions

If you simply want to be entertained, you've come to the right place. Las Vegas has no shortage of shows. But shows does not need to mean huge productions. There are smaller productions put on by casinos. Most of these mini-productions are free.

Las Vegas offers a variety of themed mini-productions, which occur regularly throughout the day. Travel back in time and into the fascinating world of Roman mythology with two shows, Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountain Shows, which feature Roman statues that come to life, inside the Forum Shops at Caesars.

At The Rio, The Masquerade Show in the Sky features state-of-the-art floats that are suspended from the ceiling and parade above the casino floor. The show evokes the electrifying and colorful atmosphere of Carnivale as performers clad in exotic masks and brilliant costumes entertain with exciting music and dance.

At The Mirage, witness this world-famous volcanic eruption as smoke and fire spray 100 feet above the waters below, transforming a tranquil waterfall into spectacular streams of molten lava.

Downtown's famous, casino-lined Fremont Street has been converted into a 175,700-square-foot pedestrian area covered by a continuous canopy studded with more than 14 million lights. Called the Fremont Street Experience, this canopy showcases spectacular light-and-sound shows every hour on the hour during the evenings.

Seeing animals on the Vegas Strip

When you're not winning in the casino, lounging by the pool or savoring delicious cuisine, you'll find that Las Vegas has a variety of must-see attractions and entertainment options to keep you and the whole family occupied.

From thrilling roller coasters to virtual-reality simulator rides and erupting volcanoes to wax museums, Las Vegas' attractions appeal to people of all ages, interests and budgets.

Discover the wild side of Las Vegas (as if you haven't already) at a variety of attractions for animal lovers. Visit the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat at The Flamingo Hotel and see Chilean flamingos, swans, ducks, koi, goldfish and turtles. Venture over to The Mirage for the Dolphin Habitat & Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden.

The Secret Garden is home to royal white tigers, white lions, black panthers, a snow leopard, golden tigers and a four-ton elephant. The Dolphin Habitat, adjacent to the Secret Garden, houses an extended family of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.

At MGM Grand, see The Lion Habitat, a showcase for public education and appreciation of this majestic creature. The lions live in custom accommodations on an 8.5-acre ranch 12 miles from MGM Grand and visit the habitat daily. Get up close and personal with endangered and unusual aquatic animals at Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef.

Visitors journey through a replica of an ancient temple ruin and a sunken galleon ship surrounded by several varieties of sharks.