Sunday, November 29, 2009

History of Binions Million Dollar Display

The collection of 100 $10,000 gold certificates, encased in plastic and on public display, was first unveiled Dec. 11, 1954, at the newly remodeled Joe W. Brown Horseshoe Club.

The moment was captured in a photograph that appeared on the front page of the following morning’s Review-Journal. The caption noted the display was “another first” for Las Vegas.

With that $1 million display, Brown, a soft-spoken Southerner credited with Fremont Street’s transformation into Glitter Gulch, created the Mirage volcano of its era. The display and its successor would for decades be the city’s most popular attraction — an estimated 5 million tourists snapped photos in front of the bills.
But inflation, the decline of downtown and the rise of casino-front attractions on the Strip took their toll.

The confusion over the date of the display’s unveiling likely arises because Brown, who had purchased the Horseshoe from Benny Binion in 1953, sold his $1 million display in 1959.

In 1964 Benny Binion, who had by then bought back the Horseshoe from Brown, re-created the attraction with another collection of $10,000 bills.

Two unveiling dates. Two owners. Same casino.
It was Binion’s collection of bills that his daughter Becky Behnen sold in 2000 to Kansas City coin collector Jay Parrino.

The Treasury Department stopped distributing $10,000 bills, which featured former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Salmon Chase, in 1969. By 2000 only 340 remained in circulation, making the display the most valuable currency collection in the world, according to experts.

When the current owners of the casino, now known as Binion’s, decided last year to evoke the property’s history by creating a new $1 million display, they assembled $270,000 in $100 bills, $688,000 in $20 bills and $42,000 in $1 bills.
The owners estimated replicating the original display by gathering $1 million worth of the $10,000 bills would have cost $16 million.By Mr Sun -Questions for Mr. Sun should be sent to page8@lasvegassun.com

MGM-Mirage presents....CityCenter


Aria -OPENS DEC. 16

Description: The centerpiece of the CityCenter complex, Aria is the only hotel-casino in the development. Aria's hotel has several connected glass and steel towers with the tallest standing 60 stories. Aria will employ 10,000 of the 12,000 employees hired at CityCenter. Architect: Cesar Pelli of Pelli Clarke Pelli

Rooms: 4,004 hotel rooms, including 568 suites. Room rates average $179 to $799 a night while suites cost $500 to $7,500 a night.

Amenities: Aria has a 150,000-square-foot casino with 145 table games and 1,940 slot machines; 300,000 square feet of meeting and convention space; and a 215,000-square-foot pool deck. Aria's 1,800-seat theater house will host the Cirque du Soleil-produced Viva Elvis show.

Restaurants and bars: 13 restaurants, including offerings from Chef Masayoshi Takayama, Chef Shawn McClain, Chef Michael Mina, Chef Julian Serrano, Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Chef Sirio Maccioni, Chef Brian Massie and Chef Jean-Philippe Maury.

Vdara Hotel -OPENS TUESDAY

Description: A 57-story nongaming hotel and condominium tower, Vdara is connected to Bellagio via a pedestrian walkway and is adjacent to Aria.

Architect: RV Architecture, led by Rafael Viñoly

Rooms: 1,495 deluxe, one- and two-bedroom suites, all with fully equipped kitchens, plus penthouse units. Nightly rates will range from $159 to $2,000.

Amenities: Vdara has an 18,000-square-foot spa; 10,000 square feet of meeting space; and a 40,000-square-foot pool deck.

Restaurants and bars: Chef Martin Heierling's Silk Road. Bar Vdara is situated in hotel's center lobby.

Mandarin Oriental -OPENS SATURDAY

Description: A nongaming luxury hotel and condominium tower, the 47-story Mandarin Oriental is the first Las Vegas venture for the international hotel group. The property, which features the hotel and residence lobby on the 23rd floor, is designed with unique angles and features.

Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox

Rooms: Mandarin Oriental has 392 hotel rooms and 225 condominium residences. Residences are above the 23rd floor and hotel units are on the lower levels.

Amenities: Mandarin Oriental has a two-level, 27,000-square-foot spa; 12,000 square feet of meeting space; and the 23rd floor Sky Lobby.

Restaurants and bars: The hotel's signature restaurant, Twist from award-winning celebrity Chef Pierre Gagnaire. Amore Patisserie. In the Sky Lobby are the Mandarin Bar, the Tea Lounge and MOzen Bistro.
Veer Towers -OPENS IN JANUARY

Description: CityCenter's only purely residential development. Two 37-story glass towers, inclined at 5-degree angles give the project its name. Veer is expected to begin closing on its condominium sales in late January.

Architect: Helmut Jahn

Rooms: 335 residences in each tower. The condominiums, which include studio units; one-, two- and three-bedroom residences; and penthouses, starting at 500 square feet and ranging up to nearly 3,300 square feet.

Amenities: Pools, sun deck and cabanas on each tower rooftop.

estaurants and bars: Both towers are connected directly to Crystals, CityCenter's retail and restaurant area.

Harmon -OPENS IN 2010

Description: Originally planned as a 47-story hotel and condominium tower, MGM Mirage announced in January it was delaying the Harmon's completion until next year and changed the scope of the project. Construction issues surrounding improper placement of reinforcing bar, commonly known as rebar, caused the general contractor to replace construction materials on several floors.

The 200 condominium units were scrapped and the 400-unit hotel tower was stopped at 27 stories.

The outside of the building was completed and the tower will be lighted, but MGM Mirage officials said it wouldn't finish the Harmon until next year.

Restaurants and bars: The Harmon had been expected to include MR CHOW, a branch of the Los Angeles restaurant operated by Michael Chow.

Crystals -OPENS THURSDAY

Description: CityCenter's 500,000-square-foot retail, dining and entertainment district, the three-level Crystals will contain 75 tenants. Crystals' multi-faceted exterior includes a glass canopy depicting a quartz crystal and an abundance of natural light. The interior is a park celebrating nature and the seasons with abstract hanging gardens and a lush flower carpet.

Tenants: Large-format luxury retailers include Louis Vuitton, Prada, Tiffany & Co., Ermenegildo Zegna, Roberto Cavalli, Christian Dior, Versace, Bulgari, Cartier, Hermes, Bally, Van Cleef & Arpels, Mikimoto, Emilio Pucci and ILORI. Retailers opening their first locations in Las Vegas include Tom Ford, Carolina Herrera, Miu Miu, Paul Smith, Kiton, Marni, Assouline, H. Stern, Tourbillon, Porsche Design and de Grisogono.

Restaurants: Eva Longoria Parker's Beso; two new dining concepts from Wolfgang Puck; a pub concept by Todd English; and Mastro's Ocean Club.

Friday, November 20, 2009

2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

In case you missed it...








* Candice Swanepoel,
* Chanel Iman,
* Doutzen Kroes,
* Maryna Linchuk,
* Selita Ebanks

Julio Iglesias @ Las Vegas Hilton- Tonight

Julio Iglesias will be performing live at the Las Vegas Hilton for two shows. The prolific musician has sold more than 300 million albums in 14 languages and has been making music for more than 40 years. November 20-21, 2009 Time: 8:00 PM
Price: From $49-89 (plus tax and service charge) Location: Las Vegas Hilton Theater To buy tickets please call the Las Vegas Hilton Box Office at 800-222-5361 for tickets or go to www.lvhilton.com

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Daily Vegas Bikini- Amber Smith





Hawaiian Tropic Zone presents model and reality television star Amber Smith of Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew tonight. She will host starting at 10:00pm.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Lady GaGa Las Vegas Dates Announced




Lady Gaga performs Dec. 15, 2008, at Jet in Las Vegas. The singer will bring her show Dec. 18 to the Pearl at the Palms.Tickets for the show, which will take place in the 2,600-seat Pearl concert theater, are priced at $100 and $125 (plus service fees) will go on sale this Saturday, Nov. 7.

Passes will be available from Ticketmaster outlets and The Pearl box office, as well as online (ticketmaster.com and livenation.com) and by phone (702-942-7777 or 1-800-745-3000).

Monday, November 2, 2009

The Official Adultcon Afterparty @ Lavo

Lavo at The Palazzo will host the official Adultcon afterparty.The adult expo featuring the latest in DVDs and products will tantalize your senses by day and the dance floor at Lavo can tempt you by night.

Daily Vegas Bikini- Shayne Lamas

Shayne will be hosting November 6, Friday -- Coyote Ugly (New York-New York).November 7, Saturday -- Shayne Lamas will host LAX Nightclub (Luxor), 1 p.m.

Its Halloween everyday in Vegas!

Twilight star Ashley Greene hosting a Halloween party at TAO nightclub
Briana Evigan at LAVO nightclub
Holly Madison at Studio 54
Playboy Playmate Laura Croft at Studio 54
Paris Hiltons Sister

Quickfire Challenge @ Whole Foods Market


Whole Foods Market, Henderson is holding a Quickfire Challenge in true Top Chef style! Celebrating the launch of Quickfire wines sold at Whole Foods Market, Henderson, and featured on this season of Top Chef - Las Vegas, five executive chefs will be competing to be named the First Annual Whole Foods Market Quickfire Champion.

Customers are invited to taste the wine and observe the Chefs in action. They will be delivered a Quickfire challenge and must create a dish for the judging panel within one hour. This is sure to be an exciting competition!
Competing Chefs:
* - Jet Tila - Wazuzu
* - Rene Lenger - Switch
* - Jean Paul Labadie - Marché Bacchus
* - Kuldeep Singh - Origin India Restaurant and Bar
* - Bianca Freeny - Whole Foods Market
Celebrity Judges Panel:
* - Carrot Top
* - Denise Valdez - KLAS News Anchor
* - John Curtas - KNPR Food Critic
* - Chef Rick Moonen - RM Seafood and Top Chef Masters 'cheftestant'

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Experience Fall @ Bellagio Conservatory


A talking tree is among the fall-themed features at Bellagio Conservatory. (Photo courtesy Steve Campbell/stevenjcampbell@gmail.com)