The Other Las Vegas

“Why me?”

Such was my pondering when I was assigned to do a media tour and review of the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa (www.JWLasVegasResort.com), for I may be one of the few people on this planet that really does not like Las Vegas.  I have found it to be too wild, too flashy, too superficial, in short, just too much.  What’s more, I do not gamble, so when I am there with friends or business associates who do, I end up watching uncomfortably as others pour money into those blinking and chiming gluttonous machines. 


Las Vegas

Thus was my admittedly negative mindset as I gathered my luggage and headed out from the Las Vegas airport to meet my three friends.  The first thing that greeted me was the massive Red Rock Mountains that surround the area.   My jaded mind harrumphed that they appeared to be massive brown excavations.

My friends had arrived the day before and their text messages foretold of luxuries to come that may start to thaw my chilly refrain.  “Wait ‘till you see this place!” they exclaimed through cyberspace.

My first clue came in the ride from the airport.  The airport is set virtually in the middle of the city, so most things only take minutes to get to.  The JW Marriott Resort is set in the high-end section of Las Vegas called Summerlin, about 20 minutes away from The Strip.  It was clear that this was not the Las Vegas I had come to know.

JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa

The Mediterranean styled “boutique” resort offers 548 oversized guestrooms.  While 548 rooms would hardly seem to qualify as boutique, the moniker is fitting when compared to the thousands of rooms offered in the larger hotels on The Strip.  The setting of the resort is on 54 lush acres of manicured lawns, gardens, pools, palms and waterfalls.  There are 11 golf courses surrounding the resort.

11 Golf courses surround the Resort

Greeting me at the front door like eager school children, my friends were quick to usher me up to our rooms.  Opening the double doors I felt a bit like Carter entering Tut’s tomb for I was unprepared for the luxuries and comfort that awaited.  The room was huge and well appointed.  The bathroom deserves particular note as it was among the most lush I have ever seen.  Each bathroom in the hotel features its own whirlpool bathtub and a separate shower with a brass rain showerhead.  The bathroom alone was the size of most hotel rooms I have seen.

Guest bathroom, JW Marriott Resort Las Vegas

Anticipation now starting to build, we set off for our first round of golf at Badlands Las Vegas (www.BadlandsGC.com).  Badlands features 27 holes, 18 designed by Johnny Miller (Desperado and Diablo) and 9 by Chi Chi Rodriguez (Outlaw).  The first thing one notices is the scenic views.  Set against the majestic Red Rock canyons with deep-flowing arroyos, canyons and natural washes, the rustic natural beauty of this land was starting to assert itself.  Turning way from the mountains revealed equally tantalizing views of the entire valley.  The holes on desert golf courses are defined by the desert that surrounds them and such was the case at Badlands, however, due to ample landing areas and well thought out and receptive greens, Badlands was the perfect way to start our journey.  Meandering swaths of desert terrain snaked its way throughout the course, providing for a target-style approach for the best scoring opportunities.

Badlands Las Vegas

Even fresh off the airplane and against the fading late autumn light, it is easy to see why Badlands was noted by local golfers as one of the best courses in Las Vegas. 

Back at the JW Marriott Resort, I showered under the massive rain showerhead that felt very much like standing under a waterfall.  After cleaning up for dinner, we all met at the resort’s authentic J.C. Wooloughan’s Irish Pub.  Actually, it could not be more authentic as the pub was shipped, piece by piece, from Ireland and rebuilt inside the resort, just off the resort’s 50,000 square-foot casino.  Wooloughan’s is one of nearly fifteen different food and beverage options available at the resort, from the casual (Starbucks) to the ultra elegance of the Carmel Room.

After a pint, we set off for dinner at Shizen (which means ‘nature’ in Japanese) with our hosts, Steve and Lisa Roughley.  Steve is the Director of Operations for the resort.  Steve employed his Sushi expertise and we spent the evening enjoying the delicacies of Shizen.  After dinner we retired to the Cigar Bar (officially called the Gustav Mauler’s Gourmet Tabaccos & Lounge) where I enjoyed an 18 year-old McCallens single malt whisky and my friends a Cognac.  After a long day of travel and discovery, the JW Marriott’s heavenly bed cradled me down the blissful rivers of deep sleep.

First thing the next morning we were on the tee at the TPC Las Vegas (7,081 yard, Par 71, www.TPC.com/LasVegas).

TPC Las Vegas

The TPC Las Vegas was designed by Bobby Weed along with Raymond Floyd.  Instantly, one recognizes that this course is built to Tour standards, having hosted multiple tournaments on the Champions and PGA Tours.  The holes seem to weave through the desert, highlighted by stunning vistas and an ingenious risk-reward options.  This course, which was named the “Best High-End Resort Course in Las Vegas,” by Vegas Golfer Magazine, had fabulous green complexes, amenities and service that befit the family it was a part of.

I should note that the morning sun illuminating the Red Rock Canyons looked beautiful; even ethereal, thus dispelling my prior day’s taking them for granted.  I was very wrong.  Sometimes beauty is where one is willing to see it.

Red Rock Canyon

We arrived back at the Resort in time to visit the Aquae Sulis Spa for the first time.  In today’s travel world, a world-class resort simply must have a spa and leisure facility, lest they do not deserve such classification.  The JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa is well deserving of its world-class designation.  I enjoyed a workout, steam and sauna.  At this point I felt that if there were a “real world” out there, it was well beyond my concern.

Auae Sulis Spa, treatment rooms are upstairs

That evening, Jim Rose, the General Manager of the resort, invited us to attend the Celebrity Chef Tour Benefiting the James Beard Foundation (www.CelebrityChefTour.com).  The evening started with a reception featuring unique, hand-served hors d’ oeuvres, complimented by fine wines, then it was on to an eight-course dinner that was a symphony of culinary delights with each course accompanied by the particular wine the Chef’s thought best suited to make the food sing.  The evening showcased the talents of Executive Chef Mike Lata, co-owner of Fig Restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina and host Executive Chef Bruce Knapik of the JW Marriott. 

Ceres Restaurant

It was starting to dawn on me that the compulsory Las Vegas I thought I knew was not the Las Vegas that really was.

Night gave way to morning in rapid succession and at 8:00 AM we were on the first tee at the Bear’s Best (7,194 yards, Par 71, www.BearsBestLasVegas.com).  As if our trip was reaching a crescendo, the experience at Bear’s Best will not soon be forgotten.  Imagine, if you will, a golf course with 18 finishing holes or at the very least, 18 signature holes, for that is precisely what Bear’s Best is.  Designed by Jack Nicklaus, each hole on the course is a duplication of a famous golf hole that Nicklaus has designed on one of the more than 200 courses he has built over a thirty year design career.  Recreated holes were featured from Mexico to Montana, to Santa Fe to Palm Springs, and everywhere inbetween.  Nicklaus insisted that the holes used had to fit what the typography called for, resulting in a course where every hole appeared comfortable, natural and appropriate to its setting, regardless of its design origin.

Bear's Best Las Vegas

Bear’s Best is one of the most unique and enjoyable golf courses I have played.  Augmented by beautifully eclectic homes and craggy desert terrain, the course also featured amazing views of Las Vegas proper, making The Strip stand out as something like the City of Oz, rather than other monikers I have heard used to describe it.

After lunch, we set off for the Aquae Sulis Spa where we were treated to a 50 minute Sport Massage, followed by a 25 minute Foot Massage.  Frankly, I am unaccustomed to such extremes of opulence and comfort and I found the experience to be invigorating.

That night we set off for The Strip where we had tickets for the show, STOMP OUT LOAD (www.StompOutLoadVegas.com).  Not really knowing what to expect, we were blown away by the experience.  The cast was huge and the show took place in a $28 million dollar theater specifically created for this production.  The show was a celebration of the everyday, as the performers used everything from brooms to cardboard boxes to create beautiful rhythm, music and dance.

STOMP OUT LOAD, Las Vegas

The experience demonstrated once again that there were depths to Las Vegas that I simply never allowed myself to enjoy.

Following the show, we enjoyed dinner at the Hawaiian Tropic Zone (www.HawaiianTropicZone.com).  Named one of Las Vegas’ Top Ten New Restaurants by Citysearch.  Hawaiian Tropic Zone boasts a sexy modern décor (and staff, as all of the waitresses are wearing bikinis, and presumably, wearing Hawaiian Tropic product), great food (I had a delicious fillet), the largest video wall in Las Vegas, cabaret dancers and live entertainment.  In a word, the place was hopping, and as it was a Friday night, so too was The Strip. 

Hawaiian Tropic Zone, Las Vegas

We all found ourselves swept up in the vibe and the excitement.  Perhaps it was due to the fact that we had our desert oasis twenty minutes down the road to retire to, but for the first time in many previous trips to Las Vegas’ Strip, I had a lot of fun as we took in the city and all of its offerings. 

The following morning, it was time to hop on the plane and get back to reality.  But as to the reality of Las Vegas, thanks to the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa, I think I have finally discovered it.