Tryphavana Cross (Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority) and Jenny Rafter (Aer Lingus) hosted a trade and media trip to Las Vegas to showcase the vibrant city.
The itinerary was packed with once-in-a-lifetime experiences from Breakfast at the Bellagio beside their Winter Wonderland on an epic scale, The Mob Museum, the Neon Boneyard, the Sphere Experience and the Allegiant Stadium, home to the Las Vegas Raiders, a helicopter ride over the Las Vegas Strip and a show-stopping production at Wynn called Awakening. The cherry on top was a visit to Bliss Wedding Chapel to be serenaded by Elvis.
Tryphavana and Jenny were joined by Sharon Harney (Cassidy Travel), Mary McKenna (The Travel Suite & Tour America), Peter Cullen (Click & Go), Peter McMinn (Travel Solutions), Caroline O’Brien (Club Travel), Clem Walsh (Love Holidays) and ITTN’s Shane Cullen.
Breakfast at Saddelle’s – The Bellagio Conservatory
The group were treated to Breakfast at Sadelle’s which is located in The Bellagio Conservatory. Breakfast was mouth-watering and in high demand. I opted for eggs Benedict with salmon.
The Conservatory itself is currently transformed into a Christmas wonderland. Each season, incredibly talented horticulture and engineering teams transform the 14,000-square-foot Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio into a showcase of inspiring displays. Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter are all featured—along with a special display for Lunar New Year.
Inspired by the poem, A Visit from St. Nick, this year’s exhibition of festivities will stop you in your tracks. There is even a Peppermint Express Cart, where guests can indulge in freshly popped popcorn, signature hot chocolate, and peppermint hot chocolate.
The Bellagio, of course, is famous the world over, inspired by the villages of Europe, the resort overlooks a Mediterranean-blue lake which is home to the Bellagio fountain display. Free for visitors to the Las Vegas Strip, the water from the show soars 460 feet above the lake which spans 8 acres. The Bellagio is also home to performances of Cirque du Soleil with the cast currently performing “O”, described as “an aquatic tapestry of artistry, surrealism & theatrical romance in the timeless production”.
Allegiant Stadium Tour
The group were treated to a behind-the-scenes journey through the home of the American football team, the Las Vegas Raiders. Their stadium cost almost $2 billion to build and opened in 2020 and has a capacity of 65,000.
The pitch, weighing ~ 9 million kilograms, is housed in a movable four-foot-deep “tray” and moves on 540 electrically-powered wheels across 13 rails, which allows the natural grass field to move outdoors for sunlight and water.
This is state of the art and during the tour, visitors enjoy an immersive experience through the back-stage area including: the Broadcast Booth, the UBeo Press Conference room, the private suites and clubs as well as the Locker Rooms.
And if sports are not your thing, this also hosts concerts with the likes of AC/DC, Sting and Post Malone.
Sports are not a pastime of mine (playing or watching unless it’s my kids), however, music and technology are two of my passions outside travel. As such, The Sphere Experience was always going to be a highlight of mine.
Tryphavana Cross promised I would have a chance to see it and true to her word, not only a birdseye view from my room but a ticket to watch Postcards from Earth.
Postcard from Earth – The Sphere
Darren Aronofsky is an American Filmmaker known for Black Swan, The Whale and Requiem for a Dream. He wrote and directed “Postcard from Earth”, a multi-sensory film experience in The Sphere. He describes it at “a sci-fi journey deep into our future as our descendants reflect on our shared home”.
This is a c.50 minute film filled with exceptionally high-definition drone footage of some of the stunning sights from around the world. This is filmed in 18k resolution (very high!) and the venue is home to the world’s largest hi-definition screen and the world’s most advanced audio system.
Before you go into the auditorium there is a futuristic exhibition with holographic art installations, Aura the Robot and imagined futuristic technology.
I would come back here for a concert in a heartbeat – the sound quality and technology is absolutely state of the art. Tickets for shows were from c. $85. There are multiple showings a day with a tour taking about 1 hour 45 minutes. Children must be over 6 to enter.
Highest Rating Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas – Bliss Wedding Chapel
Founded on the beliefs of extraordinary service and attention to detail, Bliss Chapel is built on the idea that every couple in love can have the wedding, vow renewal, or commitment ceremony tailored perfectly to what they imagine at an affordable price. The chapel is truly a beautiful place with stunning flowers everywhere. Brandon Reed (General Manager at Bliss Wedding Chapel and his team offer complete services including: hand crafted fresh flowers arrangements, professional photography & video, luxury transportation, dress and tuxedo rentals, legal or non-legal ministerial service, and concierge planners.
They explained, in fact, wedding vow renewal has the greatest demand. And it wouldn’t be Vegas without an Elvis impersonator serenading the group. I kind of really adore this place and the team are brilliant. Brandon Reed is the owner and he has crossed paths with many in the Irish travel trade industry having made more than a few trips to Irish shores. He has years of experience having worked as General Manager in the Chapel of the Flowers, Candlelight Wedding Capel and Graceland Chapel before establishing Bliss Wedding Chapel, and many of his team followed him to Bliss.
And yes, you can have an Elvis wedding but you can also choose a traditional officiant (I think I’d have to go with Elvis).
An Elvis wedding package starts at $469. More traditional wedding and also renewal packages start from $449 while romantic garden ceremonies start at $329.
Neon Boneyard – The Neon Museum Las Vegas
Offering up a thick slice of Americana and nostalgia, the Neon Boneyard provides an illuminating journey of Las Vegas history through neon signs.
Starting where indigenous people traversed the Mojave Desert to its birth as a mere railroad stop – learn the fascinating history, the turbulent times of the mob to its current rebirth as entertainment capital of the world through an entertaining guided tour.
For me, the highlights are the movie memorabilia such as the Hard Rock Café sign in Honey, I Blew Up the Kid.
Tickets for the Neon Museum are $25 for Adults / $12.50 for kids (7 – 17) with kids 6 and under, free. Top tip is to go at night to really appreciate the lights.
Downtown Las Vegas – The Mob Museum
The National Museum of Organised Crime & Law Enforcement – The Mob Museum – aims to tell the story of organised crime’s history and impact on American society. The Museum offers a provocative, contemporary look at hundreds of artefacts and immersive exhibits spread over 20,000 sqft of exhibition space. There is even The Underground, a speakeasy and distillery in the basement.
It has won “Top 5 Best History Museum” in the US and “Best Museum” in Nevada per USA Today. National Geographic included it in the “Top 10 Things to Do in Las Vegas” and the New York Times described it as “A must for Travelers”.
The Mob Museum opened on February 14, 2012, the 83rd anniversary of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Then, seven men from the Bugs Moran gang were lined up in front of a wall and murdered by Al Capone’s South Side gang. The murders made front page news. Today, that very same bullet-riddled brick wall can be found on display at the Museum.
Fascinatingly, the building housing the museum was once a U.S. Post Office and federal courthouse. It was the setting of one of the influential Kefauver Committee Hearings which aimed to expose organized crime in America.
Admission is c.$35 per person. There are also additional interactive experiences:
- Crime Lab – This mediated experience allows you to explore the work of forensic scientists, fingerprint analysts, DNA profilers, and medical examiners who determine how a crime is committed and secure evidence to the case.
- Distillery Tasting – Step back to the Prohibition era with The Mob Museum’s immersive Distillery Tasting. Discover how America’s drinking culture transformed as the Mob flourished during Prohibition, all while enjoying an exclusive tasting of the Museum’s award-winning moonshines.
- Firearm Training Simulator – An immersive training experience where you will make split-second decisions that law enforcement officers encounter daily on the job. A trainer will lead you through video training and live role-playing scenarios.
- The Museum also offers self-guided and audio tours. The audio tours are offered for a small fee.
*There are lower age limits and specific timeframes for the interactive experiences –https://admission.themobmuseum.org/
Maverick Las Vegas Tours
A thrilling helicopter flight over Las Vegas strip was a real treat for the group and my first time in a helicopter. Despite my very real fear of heights, the lights of the Las Vegas Strip at night kept my eyes peeled (even if my knuckles were white).
Maverick Helicopters‘ impressive fleet consists of the world’s largest fleet of Airbus 130 helicopters and the West Coast’s largest Sikorsky S-76 charter aircraft fleet. They operate out of Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Maui and California.
More than a few reasons to fly with Maverick:
- Maverick Helicopters maintains the top safety record of any tourism-based aviation company in the world.
- Maverick Helicopters has received 12 consecutive “Diamond Awards” of Excellence from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
- Since its inception, Maverick Helicopters has safely provided memorable helicopter experiences to millions of passengers & was founded by a helicopter pilot.
A short flight over the Las Vegas City will set you back c.$110 for c.15 minute flight – Grand Canyon adventures are more, vary depending on itinerary.You can even get airport transfers and private charters. https://www.maverickhelicopter.com/.
Voted Best Production Show in Las Vegas – Awakening
Awakening is a must-see show experience in Las Vegas and it is at Wynn, Las Vegas.
It is truly phenomenal in every way – the performance, costumes, the sets, choreography and pure magic in terms of what happens on stage. Awakening takes place in one of the most technologically immersive theatres ever designed and there were moments I still can’t understand how they achieved the display. Honestly, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Awakening takes place on a 60-foot, 360-degree prismatic stage, a true architectural marvel that undulates and expands as the characters move with ease. The show is narrated by Anthony Hopkins.
This is a not-to-be-missed Las Vegas event that revolutionises the live-theatre experience. If you do anything in Las Vegas, do this.
For More on Las Vegas
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