SIN SITY | SUMMER ACTIVITIES
Las Vegas pools for all tastes
In Vegas, there's a pool to accommodate any age and taste. Access to all pools below, unless noted, is for hotel guests only, so if you're not extremely sly, get a room.
OFF-STRIP BUT STILL HIP
The Palms and Palms Place: Adults who want the party pool vibe without the lines and cover charge can get it at the Palms. On Fridays, the pool area hosts Ditch, a weekly party open to those who are not hotel guests. For a quieter scene, the new Palms Place offers a fire pit and cabanas along with service from Kerry Simon's new Simon restaurant. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road. (702) 932-7777, palms.com. Palms Place, 4381 W. Flamingo Road, palmsplace.com.
Green Valley Ranch: Green Valley's lush grounds and 10-mile distance from the Strip's riffraff make it a favorite among locals. Its sleek pool has a sand bottom and its own private, adults-only section, the Pond. Check out the Pond's popular Monday night, Skinnie Dip. 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson, (702) 617-7777, greenvalleyranchresort.com
Fun for kids
Excalibur: The newly renovated pool area has four pools, waterfalls and two water slides along with cabanas available for daily rental. Though most of the hotel is still stuck in medieval times, the new pools are nothing but modern. 3850 Las Vegas Blvd. S., (877) 750-5464, excalibur.com.
Mandalay Bay: The lazy river, three regular pools, a lagoon pool and a wave pool deserve their own ZIP Code. Kids can splash on the wave pool's sandy beach while parents can try their luck in the three-story Beachside Casino. 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., (877) 632-7800, mandalaybay.com.
Into the wild
Golden Nugget: Literally swim with the sharks at the Tank, the revamped pool area. The centerpiece is a 200,000-gallon aquarium with a 30-foot water slide that runs through a collection of sand tiger, brown and Pacific blacktip sharks. 129 E. Fremont St., (800) 846-5336, goldennugget.com.
Rio: "Wild" is a tame way to describe Rio's new adults-only pool, which charges a cover and is open to the public. The "Brazilian-style" Sapphire Pool (apparently Brazilians sunbathe the way Europeans do) is partnering with gentlemen's club Sapphire. 3700 W. Flamingo Road, (866) 746-7671, harrahs.com.
 Just for kicks, figure out where on the Route 66 you'll find this retro lodging. |
 Famed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns shots Glacier National Park for a special on parks. |
Reader photos of Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah US/Rocky Mountain States
Labor Day hotel deals in Las Vegas
With all this talk of an economic downturn, and Vegas properties either suspending constru...
Read more »
Users' Favorites
wherever it appears.