Peachhead™ Approved Vacations: MGM Signature - Las Vegas

Not every vacation needs to be centered around the kids. Every now and then we have to take care of ourselves and escape with our partner or a friend... thanks to Southwest Airlines offering great deals on flights to Las Vegas, a girlfriend of mine and I decided to fly on down for the weekend. We stayed at the MGM Signature... very different from most hotels in Las Vegas. It is a non-smoking, non-gambling hotel. This is an all-suite hotel from Jr. Suites (one room with a fold-out couch and king bed and kitchenette area, to 1- and 2-bedroom suites). The kitchenette includes a stove, microwave, refrigerator and supplies for the kitchen. The room was a very nice-sized, modern room with a Jacuzzi bath and a tv in the bathroom as well. I loved walking into the room and the tv was on with a video of a fireplace going... very cool. They have complimentary (included in your resort fee) in-room wireless internet service as well (just can't seem to escape Peachhead).

Whether I am with kids or without, I love my buffets, so I couldn't wait for dinner. We had dinner at the Grand Buffet at the MGM (note: your key from your room at the MGM Signature will get you in the special line pass). They had a wide variety of foods for both adults and kids (pizza, pasta, taco bar, as well as the carved meats and food from around the world). The prime rib was really good, as well as the creamed corn, creamed spinach, and some type of potato dish where they cook a ball of mashed potatoes with whatever toppings you want on it... very different and very tasty. I definitely had to go to the gym on this vacation. Each tower at this hotel has its own fitness room. The cardio machines have their own individualized tv's. The MGM Grand has a spa as well as a larger fitness room. You can pay a daily spa fee to use it if you are not getting a spa treatment; however, the fitness rooms in the towers are included in your daily resort fee.

Saturday night we saw the show Ka. I had heard it was amazing but words cannot describe the astonishing stunts and incredible acts. First of all, the seats are probably the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in for any show and they are amphitheater style so no one is blocking your view (tip: if you are there with your kids, they have comfortable cushions for the kids to sit on so they sit higher up). Not only are the seats comfortable, they have built-in speakers so the sound is perfect. Once the show starts, you are mesmerized from beginning to end. How they think of the stunts, special effects, scenery, and costumes is beyond me. Whether they are doing something as simple as making shadow figures with their hands (that are beyond belief), flying in the sky in a synchronized manner without crashing into each other, or walking on a vertical wall, every act is more astounding than the last. This show has some of the most amazing special effects and visuals: people floating downwards through the ocean , a choreographed battle along a vertical wall that has arrows protruding from it, and performers in marine life costumes doing a dance that only minds with a lot of imagination could think of... this is one of the shows that when it is over you sit there for a bit trying to figure out how they thought of all of these unique displays of acrobatics and dance and music to create a story that captures you from the beginning.

After the show, we stopped at the Nobhill Tavern in the MGM Grand for a drink. This is one of those restaurants that you have the feeling you walked into the Cheers Bar due to the warm reception. Everyone was so friendly. Four hours after sitting at the bar we had met the nicest bartenders (William and Michael), the General Manager (Mario) and customers hanging out that were like friends we had known all of our life. The drinks were great (William was able to make my chocolate raspberry martini as well as variations of it) and they have a house drink called The Cable Car that my friend loved. Not only was the drink great but they had a special rim for the drink made out of caramelized sugar and cinnamon. It seemed to be the drink of the bar as almost everyone sitting at the bar was drinking it. Not only was the atmosphere cool, the restaurant beautiful and upscale (without being stuffy), great lighting, comfortable seats, but they played great music that was at the right sound level, loud enough to enjoy, but low enough to carry on a conversation... can you tell I really liked this place?

Sunday turned out to be a very warm and sunny day (who knew in March I would get so lucky?) so I hung out at the pool all day (after eating at The Grand Buffet for breakfast of course). Tip: think twice about eating all of that great food before jumping into your bikini. There are a number of pools at the MGM Signature which are only available to those staying at the Signature; however, you can use the pools at the MGM Grand as well (the pools at the MGM Grand are much bigger and more of a party atmosphere and playing party music). One of the pools has a lazy river, but that pool was closed for the season so I can't comment on how it was (but I think it opens up soon). The pools at the signature are very nice and mellow; they play very hip music in the background. They also have some pretty cool lounge chairs that are round and seat 2 people or more if you have your kids with you. They were very comfortable. They also provide bottled water and cups of ice free, which I thought was a really nice touch.

For dinner we went to the Social House at Treasure Island. The décor of the restaurant is beautiful. The Executive Chef used to work at Nobu so it is Nobu style with his own flair. Every dish was absolutely incredible. I took our server's suggestions (Louis) and ordered the Yellow Tail with the Crispy Jalapeno and the Tuna Ginger. We also had the citrus peel miso cod (it was so good it tasted like candy). My friend had the rolls: California, spicy tuna, and the Tom Roll. Everything we had was so fresh and flavorsome and the presentation was beautiful. For desert we had the warm chocolate cake (what else) and it came with a homemade marshmallow on top and a scoop of ice cream on the side... Yummmm!!!! The service was great, Louis was very attentive and as soon as we were finished with one dish, they were bringing the next one. Put that with the incredible food and it made for an amazing evening. In addition to the great dinner, every 90 minutes Treasure Island has a pirate show so we were able to catch it at the end of our dinner.

After dinner we walked to the Venetian. What a beautiful hotel. As we were walking to the shops, we noticed a band set up in the lounge so we stopped there on our way back. The band was so good that we ended up staying until they finished playing for the night. They were so much fun and had incredible voices and personality. The band was called Red Light. They played all of the music from the 70's on up (Credence Clearwater, Foreigner, Pearl Jam, Guns and Roses, Michael Jackson, Prince). They even played great blues like Mustang Sally (that was my request). Everyone was dancing and really enjoying the entertainment. If you are in Vegas you should check to see if they are playing.

Our last morning we had breakfast at the Café Restaurant called Delight in the MGM Signature Tower. They serve breakfast in the morning and switch to the lunch menu at 11:00. It is a nice little place with good food. My friend had the French toast Panini that she really loved and I had my omelet. It was a great way to end our perfect vacation.

We were so busy on this trip that I didn't even have time to gamble at all (not that I am much of a gambler, but I don't mind "slow losing"). If you are looking for a little getaway but don't like to gamble, Las Vegas is still a great place to visit. With all of the great shows and great restaurants and only a one hour flight from Los Angeles, it makes for a nice quick getaway with your girlfriends or your partner.

www.signaturemgmgrand.com 

- Linda Perry 
Peachhead2@aol.com
peachheadfamiles.com
March 2009