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Stefanie Van Aken

~ RSMLVTravel- Luxury Travel Design

Stefanie Van Aken

Tag Archives: Fine Dining

Night Out on the Town at The Cromwell Las Vegas

28 Saturday Jun 2014

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Fun

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Fine Dining, Frolic, Las Vegas

It finally happened. I turned 39. The week leading up to and the weekend after my birthday were filled with fun celebrations almost every night. Starting with a ride on The High Roller Las Vegas with my husband and two older kids, having a stay-cation on the Las Vegas Strip with the family, and enjoying The Book of Mormon at the illustrious Smith Center. All followed by a night of revelry with the girls at the hottest new hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, The Cromwell.

Thisis39

The Cromwell is a boutique hotel and part of the Caesar’s Entertainment family. Formerly known as The Barbary Coast, then Bill’s Gambling Hall, The Cromwell has made a welcomed addition to the latest trend of hip boutiques to grace the Las Vegas Strip. Though difficult to entirely rid of the stale stench of cigarette smoke from years past, the updated decor gives the old hotel a new feeling. Smaller than most of its neighbors, The Cromwell creates an intimate, yet fun and upbeat atmosphere. I loved the dark lounge that runs through the middle of the hotel. A great spot to have a cocktail.

TheCromwellLounge

Drinks at The Cromwell Las Vegas

What brings a radiant light to dimly lit Cromwell? The opening of the much anticipated Giada – The Restaurant. An escalator carries you off to a bright, white entrance where everything looks clean and sleek and smells so delicious, you can’t wait to get inside. Except that if you don’t have a much coveted reservation, you will have to wait, possibly for months before you get the chance to sit amongst the lucky ones dining inside. It’s well worth the wait, my friends. My 6 girlfriends and I opted out of the Chef’s Tasting Menu, and instead opted in for tasting as much as we could off the menu. We ordered 15 dishes, which if you are familiar with the Italian style of eating, are separated into courses: bread, antipasto, cheese, vegetables, pizzette, pasta, fish, meats and more. Everything we ordered was delicious. Not one complaint. Desserts, even better.

GiadasRestaurantLasVegas

Here’s what we loved most: Chicken Marsala Meatballs, Bacon Wrapped Dates, Citrus Marinated Calamari, Burrata, Fresh Ricotta Crostini, Lobster Ravioli and the Branzini. For dessert, I highly recommend the Strawberry Polenta Cake, the Trio of Tiramisu, and the Espresso Nocciolato. Warning, the Espresso Nocciolato is a delectable concoction of espresso with nutella and whipped cream. It could be a dessert on all its own.

Giadas The Restaurant Las Vegas

What is also so lovely about Giada- the Restaurant, is the way the room is set up. A small lounge on the side, open kitchen with fresh food items on display, and a large, open dining room with magnificent views of the Las Vegas Strip, most significantly, the Bellagio and the water show. You can also take selfies in the photo booth, which we forgot to do…always next time!

GiadaVegas

Following dinner, we put on our dancing shoes and headed to the newly renovated Drai’s Nightclub, which also serves as the Beach Club (or Day Club). Back in my Vegas partying days, Drai’s was one of the hottest places to be in Las Vegas. During the construction of The Cromwell, Drai’s closed, and re-opened with an alluring new venue with both indoor and outdoor seating. Indoor faces a large dance floor with an eye appealing laser and light show like none other. Outdoor creates a more relaxed ambiance centering the pool and looking out over the Strip. The set-up was like being in a smaller, boutique club with the elements of a larger nightclub. DJ line up changes nightly. The music was the one thing that definitely made me feel my age that night. All my girlfriend’s and I were wondering what happened to all the rap and hip hop. Not a huge fan of house music, and the night we were at Drai’s the music was so-so. I am confident, however, that other nights are better than some, and that Drai’s is still one of the hottest venues on the Strip to be seen at right now.

Drais Las Vegas

The 39th birthday celebration was a success! 4-0 is gonna have some big shoes to fill…but I hear there’s talk about a European vacation in the works.

The One and Only Palmilla Cabo San Lucas

01 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Featured, International, Travel Inspiration

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Cabo San Lucas, Couples Travel, Fine Dining, Frolic, Luxury Resort, Luxury Travel, One and Only Palmilla Cabo, Places to visit in Cabo, Spas

When you Viva Las Vegas 365 days a year, it can get a little crazy at times.  My husband and I try to get away, just the two of us, at least one time a year.  We do tons of date nights all year long, and take advantage of staying on the Strip for an over-nighter every now and then, but I’m talking really getting away.  Like to a deserted location, by ourselves, no cell phone access for weeks at a time.  OK, awake from that fantasy, and back to reality…more like a 4-5 day trip where we can relax, yet still be close enough to get home if we need to.  Cabo San Lucas is a perfect little hop, skip and 3-hour plane flight from Las Vegas.  Super easy. And, we splurge a bit in Cabo.  There are so many indulgences to take advantage of, and without the kiddos, it’s as better time as any!

This year, we had the privelage to stay at the Villas del Mar neighboring The One and Only Palmilla Cabo San Lucas.  Because we were not actual guests of the resort, we did not have easy access to the property.  However, with dinner or spa reservations, or the room number of a friend who is staying there, it is not a problem to gain access through the gates.

The One and Only Palmilla Cabo San Lucas

Once in, your world is transformed.  Respectful, quiet employees salute you with a hand over their heart and a bow with their head.  They direct you to the main entrance where you are then greeted with house-made popsicles and bottled water.  The decor is just as you would imagine with over sized metal lanterns that light the paths starting at sunset.  Flowers float in glass vases and fountains remind you of the peace and tranquility you were in search of at the beginning of your journey.

Where to Dine: Since we were guests of the Villas del Mar, we never saw the inside of the rooms, but we did explore the property quite a bit.  The Palmilla has several restaurants that are so wonderful, you should never have to leave the property.  Fine dining at its best is Market by Michelin starred chef, Jean-Georges, is a steak and seafood restaurant, the only one that is indoors, yet the views are transcending, especially at the bar. with large open windows that create the feel of being outdoors, yet still within the confines of a casually elegant restaurant.  Chef Jean Georges has several locations throughout the United States, one of them being the steakhouse, Jean Georges, in the Aria Resort in Las Vegas.  We were familiar with his Las Vegas location, and found several of the menu items available at Market.  It was also a nice treat to go home and sip on a Ginger margarita and reminisce about our trip to Cabo.  Our other favorite spot was Agua for breakfast.  A patio overlooks the ocean while you sip our coffee.  It was whale season while we were there, so we also had some entertainment, and not too far off the shore.  I have to say, I have been in both Hawaii and Mexico during whale season, and I’ve never seen whales that up close and personal as I have in Cabo.  Next to Agua is the Family pool, where children are permitted to swim.  It’s a great pool with several levels for wading, standing, and swimming, and is equipped with a swim up bar, lounge chairs and service.

Agua at the One and Only Palmilla Cabo San Lucas

Enjoying my cafe con leche at Agua at The One and Only Palmilla Cabo San Lucas

Relaxing Poolside: The main pool itself is a typical zero-edge looking out into the rocky shore below.  There is also a full bar, and the pool service is impeccable. Food and drinks are not the only things you can order to your lounge chair…a pair of masseuses from the Spa offer a 10 minute complimentary foot massage.  The pool attendants offer complimentary oxygen spritzes and ice cream lollipops in addition to making sure you don’t have to lift a finger…only to sip your cocktail.

The Beaches: Though the beaches that stretch along the Palmilla resort are not private, they are still manicured and lovely.  The sand is soft and you can swim in the water a bit down the beach.  The Palmilla offers  cabanas, lounges and hammocks on the sand near the water, and there are also servers available to those who prefer to lounge on the beach versus the pool.  If you take a stroll along the beach you will get a peek of of some of the most luxurious homes and villas Cabo has to offer.

The One and Only Palmilla Cabo San Lucas

The Spa:  The Spa at the Palmilla is wonderful.  As you may have already guessed, it is a bit pricey.  My husband and I negotiated and compromised.  I didn’t do any shopping this trip, and I was able to spend as much as he did fishing, well, OK, at least tipping the Captain of the boat.  Which was still a pretty decent amount!  It gave me room to choose one of the many 2-hour treatments offered on their extensive menu.  Those two hours were pure bliss.  The spa facilities themselves are rather small, much more so than I expected from a world class spa.  Understated and unassuming.  The treatment, however, was done in a private villa in a space that would have been perfect for a Girl’s Weekend or a Couple’s Experience.  An outdoor bath, glass shower, and  lounging bed helped create your own private escape.

The One and Only Palmilla Cabo San Lucas

Family Vacation or Couples Trip: My husband and I discuss everytime if we would bring our kids on the next trip.  Having the opportunity to experience the One and Only Palmilla resort as well as the Villas del Mar, I personally would do it this way:

  • On a solo vacation without the kids, hands down, I would stay at the Palmilla resort.
  • With the kiddos, I would opt for the Villa.

I appreciated the fact that there were no kids at the main pool.  That there was a separate pool for families.  After all, we were there to relax and unwind and take our minds off the hustle and bustle and daily chaos our 4 kids provide us.  At the same time, I totally get that families want a luxury vacation and a Villa doesn’t always provide them with their needs for travelling.  We have 4 kids, so trying to cram 6 of us in an over priced, under sized room would not be much of a vacation at all.  I would prefer the comfort of the Villa so my kids could be themselves…noisy and busy.  The One and Only Palmilla does offer a complimentary Kids Camp for children ages 4-11, filled with fun activities each day.

For more information, visit their website OneandOnlyResorts.com/Palmilla.

 

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