So now that you know the history of Las Vegas, let's tackle the present day questions. First and foremost, where to lay your head. It's a difficult decision, I know. But having reviewed the resorts and casinos in Las Vegas, I first have to say there are really only two main accommodation areas in Vegas: the Strip and everywhere else. That's because 90% of all the action--whether it's gambling or shows or dining--happens on or within a three block radius of the Strip. But with so many resorts to choose from, it can be kind of overwhelming.
This week, I'm going to concentrate on the Strip area. These are the resorts I feel not only offer a luxury experience, from the time you set foot in the lobby to the time you check out, but they are truly worth every penny.
THE BELLAGIO
Modelled after Lake Como, Italy, the Bellagio is the King of Luxury on the Strip. The lobby alone will make you go "wow!". With 3000 luxurious rooms and suites, gourmet restaurants, elegant shops, spectacular fountains, Cirque du Soleil's "O," a spa, more than 100,000 square feet of gaming area and a Conservatory -- Bellagio has it all. It is one of only two hotels on the Strip with a five diamond rating from AAA, as well. It was also heavily featured in the motion picture Ocean's 11.
And it doesn't stop there as the Bellagio is set to open a new tower of 925 rooms, called the Spa Tower, in December 2004. Located just south of the main pool area, it will include spa, retail, convention and restaurant space.
Rates for deluxe guest rooms: $159 - $799; suites: $325 - $8,000. Sign up for their mailing list for notification on when specially discounted rates may be available.
THE FOUR SEASONS
If the Bellagio is the King, the Four Seasons is the Queen of Luxury on the Vegas strip. Residing on the 35th - 39th floors of Mandalay Bay, the resort is a serene, intimate, non-gaming environment with generously proportioned quarters. This is the perfect Strip location for those who want to gamble, but also want to be able to get away from it all. Though it is connected to Mandalay Bay, the Four Seasons boasts its own separate entrance, along with a 
gorgeous pool area, fine dining establishments and an on premise spa.
The aptly-named Strip View Suites provide panoramic views of the eye-catching Las Vegas Strip from just about every room. The large living area alone features three banks of floor-to-ceiling windows, and the suites range from one-bedroom to three-bedroom configurations.
Rates for deluxe guest rooms: $200 - $800; suites: $425 - $2,200. Look into their seasonal package deals for great add-ons or special discounts.
MANDALAY BAY
Keeping with the nobility theme, Mandalay Bay would be the hip Prince. Anchoring the southern end of the Strip, this 3,309-room resort is a gleaming gold triangular tower that beckons you inside. You've been getting a good eyeful of the resort on the weekly tv series, Las Vegas, which films a majority of its scenes here.
The 43-story Mandalay Bay features an 11-acre tropical lagoon complete with a wave pool accessed via a sandy beach and a three-quarter mile lazy river ride. The resort also houses 16 restaurants, including the much touted Aureole, several world-class nightclubs, a showroom and a 12,000-seat arena. It offers a variety of shows from the play Mamma Mia! to the Blue Man Group. You'll also find the House of Blues here, which in addition to its normal offerings, has the elite Foundation Room where celebrities go to hang out.
Opened in March 1999, Mandalay Bay is already expanding with the addition of a new tower, entitled THEhotel. Also rising 43 stories, it offers 1,120 suites with separate living and sleeping areas, as well as fine dining and a spa. This is set to open in December of this year.
Rates for deluxe guest rooms: $99 - $359; suites: $139 on up. THEhotel suites: $109 - $449. Sign up for their mailing list for notification on when specially discounted rates may be available.
MGM GRAND HOTEL & CASINO
The MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, is the elder stateman of the Strip hotels, a 115-acre resort hotel-casino with more than 5,000 rooms in four 30-story towers, making it the world's largest hotel. The resort features gourmet and specialty restaurants, including eateries by Emeril and Wolfgang Puck. It also has a 6.6-acre Grand Pool and Spa complex and a 17,157-seat special events arena which has hosted many superstar concerts and world championship 
sporting events. This place reminds me of old money luxury and you could easily spend days just wandering around the enormous complex.
Additionally, the Mansion at MGM Grand, which opened in May 1999, is a complex of 29 private high roller villas ranging in size from 2,400 to 12,000 square feet.
Rates for deluxe guest rooms: $99-$349; suites: $199-$15,000. Sign up for their mailing list for notification on when specially discounted rates may be available
THE PALMS
Straddling the line between boutique hotel and full-fledged resort with only 440 rooms, the Palms is the Rock'n'Roll Princess of this line-up. It's hip, trendy and the newest place to see and be seen.
Marking its two-year anniversary this week, the Palms first came to national attention when MTV's Real World Las Vegas showed the show's cast living in a lavishly decorated, 2,800 square foot suite on the 28th floor. That same suite, along with the Playpen and NBA suites, cater to guests who want something more 
out of their suites than the standard separate rooms. Of course you can get the "normal" suites here as well.
The Palms also houses the current hotspot nightclub Rain, where several episodes of E!'s Wild On... series have been shot, as well as the Ghost Bar and offers several fine dining restaurants.
Rates for deluxe guest rooms: $79-$329; suites: $349-$8,000. Sign up for their mailing list for notification on when specially discounted rates may be available.
THE VENETIAN
No use trying to ask for a suite upgrade here...all the rooms at the Venetian are suites. Located on the site where the 44-year-old Sands Hotel Casino, a Las Vegas icon, once stood, The Venetian resort opened with 3,036 suites in May 1999. Patterned after Venice, the resort features canals with gondola rides, Italian marble not just in the foyer, but all rooms, and a taste of Italy via its numerous fine dining establishments. You will also find one of few spin-offs of the world famous Canyon Ranch Spa on premises.
This year, the Venetian upped the luxury stakes on the Strip by opening the Venezia Towers, a 1,013 suite addition that makes the Venetian the third largest resort on the Strip. Amongst those new suites is a concierge level that features 700-square-foot suites that boast nine-and-a-half-foot ceilings, 130-square-foot bathrooms finished in Italian marble, private access, an executive lounge offering food and beverage twice daily, high-speed internet access, daily newspaper delivery service, automatic turndown nightly and personalized business cards and stationery given to all Concierge Level guests staying three or more nights.
Rates for suites: $189-$459. Sign up for their mailing list for notification on when specially discounted rates may be available.
Now, for the first-time visitor, I always recommend staying on the Strip. But for seasoned Vegas vets, and those looking to do more than gamble in Vegas, like golf, an "off-Strip" location might be a better fit. You can still experience the thrills and energy of the Strip but have the benefits of being able to get away from it all and truly relax. Next week, I'll profile three resorts that, in my mind, rival any of the Strip properties in terms of luxury.
