a Bellagio and Virtuoso weekend

Bellagio's stained glass flower ceiling (c) 2018 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Back from a weekend in Las Vegas for the opening of the 2018 #VirtuosoTravelWeek, we enjoyed spending two nights at Bellagio. The first of the luxury concept hotels created along the Las Vegas Strip, Bellagio has stunning public spaces. Many visitors had their iPhones out to take a photo of this display of Murano glass flowers, and you'll find a new creative attraction each time you visit the fountain area outside of Café Bellagio (soon to become Sadelle's Jewish Deli.)

We experienced the VIP treatment during this visit — thank you to Virtuoso for making this happen! We were met in baggage claim by our driver who had us at Bellagio in about 10 minutes, thanks to the new traffic tunnel that allows airport traffic to bypass busy city streets and especially the Strip.

Upon our arrival at the Bellagio, we were escorted into the Chairman's Lounge (immediately to the left of the front desk) where there was no line. A friendly associate checked us in and gave us keys. Because our room wasn't quite ready (it was only 12 noon), we had a light lunch at Café Bellagio. Before the meal was over, she called with our room number. Our bags were delivered to the suite within minutes of our arrival.

one of Bellagio's three pools (c) 2018 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Our Salone Suite was spacious, an open-floor plan junior suite with plenty of living space, a full sofa and desk, a fountain view out one set of windows and a pool view out the other (pictured above). This is just one of the three large pools in Bellagio's pool area — in my opinion the best resort facilities of any Las Vegas hotel.

Bellagio has nearly 4,000 guest rooms, but the hotel's service is impressive nevertheless. Especially if you go for the full VIP Treatment!

copyright (c) 2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

if it's August, it must be Las Vegas

T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Though I don't think of Las Vegas as a summer destination, I have found myself making annual pilgrimages to Vegas every August since 2006. Why Vegas? Why August? August is the month when elite members of the luxury travel industry gather for Virtuoso Travel Week, an event that has grown larger year after year. Thousands of luxury travel advisors travel to Vegas to meet with reps of of a thousand hotels, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies, and other travel providers.

Think of Travel Week as a shopping spree for travel. I shop for travel ideas for you — new hotels that are opening their doors, older hotels that have transformed themselves through multi-million dollar renovations, creative ideas from tour companies about things to do and see, opportunities for unique experiences that come with a lifetime of "bragging rights." There's always something new and surprising to learn.

And there's networking... One of my favorite Travel Week stories: I was seated at dinner one evening next to my rep from Four Seasons Hong Kong. While we were talking, a client email came in with a special request for her hotel. Handing her the phone, she read the email, said "Done!," and emailed her team in Hong Kong. Luxury travel is all about relationships ... and Virtuoso Travel Week is our chance to nurture those relationships. Virtuoso hotel bookings give you even more than hundreds of dollars of amenities per stay: when you're the client of a Virtuoso travel advisor, hotels receive you as a true VIP.

copyright (c) 2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

minibar madness

Let me begin by affirming that Bellagio is a valued Virtuoso travel partner in Las Vegas. It is a casino resort with...

A warm and hospitable staff. Bellagio been hosting Travel Week for as long as I have been attending (12 years), and all my Virtuoso colleagues appreciate how well Bellagio's employees take care of us, even though our total attendance is over five thousand.

A great location in the center of the strip with "Lake Como" in the front of the hotel and fountain shows throughout the day.

A beautiful lobby with large Murano glass flowers adorning the ceiling and a sunny courtyard that features different, imaginative displays.

A large pool area with plenty of loungers and nice, warm water to lounge in.

Great food — I've enjoyed wonderful meals at Michael Mina, Harvest, and Lago so far this week.

But along with the compliments, I want to pass along a word of caution. Like most hotels, every room has a minibar. Bellagio's minibar has "move it and you've paid for it" technology. The pricing is exorbitant, but the price list is hidden. It's not in print and can be accessed only by turning on the room television, going to the menu, clicking three times to the right to select "Dining" and five more times to the right to select "minibar." As a public service, I've provided a screen shot of the [current] price list. $18 for a liter of Fiji water? Really!

But even more unfortunate is the note in small type on a card in front of the countertop display display of chips, cookies, water, etc.

A $50 per day service fee will be applied for storing personal items or altering existing items within the mini bar. Refrigerators for personal use are available for a daily fee.

Not nice ... and customer unfriendly. So I pass this along as feedback to my friends at Bellagio and as a caveat emptor to my readers. If you want to store baby formula in the minibar at Bellagio, don't!

copyright  (c)  2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Las Vegas | the city that wakes up late

the Strip at dawn (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

At 6 a.m., Las Vegas is a sleepy town. I'm ensconced in a Strip View room at the Bellagio, a $20 upsell from a Resort room and well worth it for the view. Directly in front of my room I can see the large "Paris balloon" and replicas of the Arc du Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and Mon Ami Gabi — a French bistro at which I enjoyed dinner last Saturday night. (The trout almandine was really good).

I really enjoy the view when I walk into my room after dinner. The sky is dark, and the balloon is lit up and centered in my window. Every 15 minutes, I can see the fountain show from my window and even play the music on channel 22 on the tv in my room.

Las Vegas pulses all night ... but it's very quiet at 6 in the morning. There's virtually no traffic on the Strip, and the casinos are relatively empty. I woke up at 5:50 a.m. this morning (had a 6:30 a.m. breakfast appointment to begin my day at Virtuoso Travel Week) and enjoyed the effect as the rising sun dramatically highlighted the clouds.

copyright  (c)  2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

what's new in Las Vegas?

T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Something is always new in Las Vegas, and our limo driver from the airport to Bellagio clued us in on the new T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL Vegas Golden Knights. The arena is the cornerstone of a major new development just west of the Strip, between Monte Carlo and New York New York. You'll discover new retail space along The Park as well as the new Park Theater (connected to Monte Carlo). The impressive stainless statue (pictured above) stands at the center of this new development.

A redevelopment of Monte Carlo appears to be underway. The hotel's swimming pool and beach volleyball area is gone, and there are construction cranes in the now vacant lot just south of the Bellagio-Crystals-Aria-Monte Carlo tram. Enjoying a good location just south of City Center, Monte Carlo is a lackluster casino hotel that could truly benefit from going upscale.

Keep checking back for news from Virtuoso Travel Week, the world's premiere luxury travel show. Team Ourisman will be meeting with hotels and other travel partners from all over the world, shopping for exciting new experiences that we can share with you.

copyright  (c)  2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Villa Dei Sogni | overlooking Lake Como

Due to a last minute cancellation, the private villa featured in the video is available at a 25% discount. This hilltop villa features panoramic views of Lake Como and sleeps up to 8 (2 King-bedded rooms, 2 Twin-bedded rooms). Overlooking the village of Bellagio, Villa Dei Sogni is ideally situated for a stay in the Lake Como region.

Available from today until June 17, 2017, the villa available for any length of stay at 1,000€ per night, 250€ per bedroom through an exclusive offer made to us. (The normal rate is 9,330€ per week, and normally a Saturday-Saturday booking is required).

If your travels are taking you to Lake Como in the next five weeks, what a great place for a family or group of friends to share for a vacation in Italy. Email us to take advantage of this offer.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Virtuoso Week | August in sunny Las Vegas

On Friday night, I'm headed to Las Vegas for my eleventh Virtuoso Week (first known as Travel Mart and then Travel Week). I'm definitely not going for the weather which can range from very hot to stiflingly hot. Rather, this is a chance for me and my team to meet with representatives of two thousand luxury travel providers including hotels, tour companies, cruise lines, and more, at meetings held both at Bellagio and Aria.

While I'm just spending the weekend and will be back in the office Monday morning, two members of Team Ourisman will be meeting (from Monday through Thursday) with hundreds of reps for 4-minute appointments ("speed dates") and longer 10-minute meetings specifically set up in advance. Jessica is a Virtuoso Week veteran, while this will be Angela's first time. Virtuoso Week is invaluable for luxury travel advisors; it's an opportunity to learn about new properties and meet with old friends to find out about the latest offers, promotions, and enhancements.

A picture is worth a thousand words, they say, and two of my own travel photographs will be on display for the annual Virtuoso Advisor Photo Contest. I'm very excited by this honor, as there are thousands of entries, and the photos seem to keep getting better year after year. As you may know, I'm an avid travel photographer. In fact, I look at travel as an excuse to take photographs. You can see my two "winners" here and here... two thousand words worth of memories this past year in London and Dubai.

By the way, look for me at the 22-second mark of the You Tube video!

copyright (c) 2016 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Virtuoso Travel Week | less than a week away

You might be interested in this video about Virtuoso Travel Week and all of the preparation that takes place for Bellagio to host 4,000 travel professionals. Travel Week has grown so large that attendees also stay at Aria and Vdara (not to mention the Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, and other Las Vegas resorts).

Travel Week is the biggest event that takes place at Bellagio. All 8,000 Bellagio employees are involved in putting on the event (no one can take a vacation week during Travel Week). Despite the large number of guests, everything flows smoothly, and Bellagio's staff is incredibly hospitable. I even enjoy saying hi to the security personnel who make sure you're wearing your Travel Week credentials. Same people every year … almost like family!

Why travel to Vegas in the middle of August? It's not the balmy weather. It's the opportunity to build relationship with the hundreds of hotel sales reps — the very same people who help Virtuoso travel consultants create the magic to help get you upgraded and take care of your special requests. I have about 300 sales appointments during the week, as well the even more productive information encounters where relationships are enhanced.

Example: here's a true story from last year's Travel Week, republished from my August 15, 2013 post:

I was seated at a banquet table when an email came in from a client who had several specific requests related to a prospective booking at Four Seasons Hong Kong. Could he get a spa menu? Could he arrange for child care? Could he make an reservation at one of the hotel's two three-star Michelin restaurants?

I was seated immediately to the left of the hotel's Director of Sales and Marketing. I handed her my iPhone, she read the request, said "Confirmed!", and I immediately let my client know. When I woke up at 6 a.m. this morning, the restaurant reservation had been made, the spa menu was attached, and information on child care was provided. I forwarded it back to my client.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

what is Virtuoso Travel Week | top five list

Strip View from Bellagio

Travel Week will probably be featured by at least one "morning show" next week. I'll be there but unlikely to be seen on the tube unless I "trail" Matthew Upchurch! But what is Travel Week? Here's my top five list of things to know about Virtuoso Travel Week to be held August 10-15 in Las Vegas.

1. Is Vegas hot in August? Bad news: the average high during Travel Week will be 102 degrees. Good news: we're talking Fahrenheit, not Celsius. Better news: the event is held indoors. Bad news: we meet in refrigerated ballrooms so cold that folks in the know wear heavy sweaters.

2. Bellagio hosts the event every year. Actually, there was an attempt a few years ago to move Travel Week next door to Aria, but the test "gala dinner" that Aria put on was a disaster — the only edible course was the salad, and when dessert isn't worth eating... that's bad). Bellagio does an incredible job of hosting such a large conference, and their convention staff has become like family.

3. Speed-dates. The heart of the meeting are 24 hours (or so) of 4-minute speed dates. Travel consultants sit at their tables (in the aforementioned refrigerated ballroom), and every four minutes the bell rings, and your next date comes by. Will she/he win your love? Will you sell their hotel? The best hotel reps know that it's all about building relationships. You can tell it's a first time sales rep when they think travel advisors actually remember how many square feet their spa contains. It's all about the power of one to one.

4. Cocktail parties and receptions. All of the major hotel chains hold cocktail parties and receptions, some as late as midnight. I don't go anymore. I have to get up at 5:30 a.m. to do my email and eat breakfast before speed dating begins at 8 a.m. Plus, the receptions can be so loud you can't hear anyone talk anyway. Or squeeze through the crowds to the sushi buffet.

5. How to get me to accept an invitation for drinks? Invite me to Jean Philippe. It's not a bar; it's the place with the chocolate fountain, and their chocolate gelato is to die for. I've got dates for after session on Wednesday and Thursday. Monday or Tuesday, anyone? Have your people call my people.

Virtuoso Travel Week (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

elevator speech | Virtuoso travel consultant

It's almost a cliche - having an elevator speech - but I got to give mine a couple of nights ago. Literally!

While staying at Vdara in Las Vegas, I was going down to the lobby one night to head over to Bellagio. When I entered the elevator on the 36th floor, a young couple was already in the car. The young woman wore a strikingly beautiful diamond ring on her left hand, and I asked if they were on their honeymoon. They were not. The couple was from Australia, engaged to be married, and on a vacation to Las Vegas.

     "Where are you going on your honeymoon?"

     "The Seychelles," they answered.

     "Are you considering the Four Seasons?" I asked, and the bride nodded yes.
     "I'm part of the Virtuoso event going on at Bellagio, and I can get you
      free breakfasts, a $100 food credit, maybe even get you upgraded."

As the elevator doors opened and we stepped into the lobby, I wished them well, and then the bride asked if she could have my card.

The concept of an elevator speech is based on the notion that someone in business ought to be able to provide a compelling explanation of their product in 30 seconds. That's easy, being a Virtuoso travel consultant. I save my clients hundreds of dollars every time they stay in one of 975 luxury hotels and resorts around the world, whether on a business trip or a romantic honeymoon. I just rarely get to make that speech … in an elevator!



Virtuoso travel consultant (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2012 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website. .

Vdara | economical luxury in Las Vegas

I am staying at Vdara while attending this year's Virtuoso Travel Week. Literally right next door to Bellagio, where Travel Week is held, it's just a two-minute walk from Vdara's lobby to the convention space at Bellagio – nearly as convenient as Spa Tower rooms and much closer than rooms in Bellagio's main tower. What do I think of Vdara?

Rooms are spacious, a generous 650 square feet. Our room feels like a Junior Suite with King bed and what seems to be a King-sized sofabed. Styling is cool contemporary in shades of beige and brown with enough accents to provide visual interest. The bathroom has a deep soaking tub, step-in shower, and one large sink with large vanity on either side. On the downside, the bathroom has a glass door that lets light into the bedroom, poor water pressure in the shower, and lukewarm shower water. The room is equipped with a 42" flat screen TV and two desks. Vdara is actually a condo hotel; the entrance hall doubles as a kitchenette (two burner cook surface, microwave, sink, counter, and small refrigerator). Cookware is available upon request.

Pictured above is the view from our room, an "008" series room with a view of Bellagio's fountain and the Las Vegas Strip. Vdara also has a spa, casual dining, a rather loud lobby bar (a young vibe), and a small pool on the 3rd floor of the hotel. The pool is actually my one disappointment with Vdara. We went down to swim, heard the overly loud music, took a look at the water which was practically wall-to-wall with guests, and went back to our room. Bellagio's pool area is wonderful!

The ideal guests for Vdara? Young families who would appreciate the kitchenette, and a group of three or four young adults would appreciate the deluxe accommodations at a very reasonable price. Though priced less than Bellagio, Bellagio's Virtuoso amenities make it a better value for a couple visiting Las Vegas. Like Signature at MGM Grand, Vdara is a completely non-smoking hotel without a casino.



Vdara (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2012 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website. .

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Bellgaio Las Vegas | room renovations

The first bit of news from Travel Mart is the fact that the Bellagio is in the process of renovating each of its thousands of rooms. There are three new color schemes, a blue theme (pictured above), a green theme (which is a bit more whimsical), and a gold theme (which is found exclusively in the rooms with two Queen beds). The marble in the existing bathrooms will remain, and the new themes are designed to coordinate with the existing colors. Built-ins have replaced the old armoires, and flat screen televisions now take the place of the old CRT televisions.

Just as exciting are the new mattresses. Each renovated room will receive one of Bellagio's new custom designed pillow-top mattresses with three inches of extra padding on top. In all, each room is receiving a $30,000 refurbishment, and the Bellagio room renovations are in process. The main tower is currently receiving the make-overs (a floor at a time), and the Spa Tower is scheduled for next year. Renovated Resort Deluxe rooms can be currently booked for an additional $30 per night.

Bellagio is a member of Virtuoso, and Virtuoso guests receive a 10% discount, complimentary daily breakfast, and an $85 lunch credit at Olives. Just book through your Virtuoso luxury travel consultant.


Bellagio room renovations (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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Las Vegas | a tale of two lobbies

These are not the greatest photos — my iPhone has severe photographic limitations — but these images of two lobbies in Las Vegas luxury hotels convey two very different paradigms of luxury travel.

Pictured above is the Bellagio, a mega-hotel with nearly 4,000 rooms and suites. The Bellagio is prototypical of what Las Vegas has to offer. A lobby decorated with 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers. A casino open 24 hours a day. Twice-nightly shows of Cirque du Soleil's "O." Exceptional restaurants including Le Cirque, Michael Mina, and Picasso. An art gallery with a collection of French Impressionist paintings. A "lake" in front of the hotel reminiscent of Lake Como, Italy, the site of the picturesque village of Bellagio from which this casino hotel gets its name.

Bellagio embodies the outrageous excess that makes Las Vegas one of the most popular destinations in the world.


The Four Seasons Las Vegas offers a very different paradigm of luxury travel. It is a hotel within a hotel, occupying the top five floors of Mandalay Bay. With its own separate entrance, guests enter a quiet and serene lobby decorated with simple floral displays reminiscent of the creative arrangements seen in the George V in Paris. With 424 rooms and suites, this property is large by Four Seasons standards. Yet at 10% the size of the Bellagio, the Four Seasons can provide the kind of gracious and personalized service that Bellagio can only dream about. It can take half an hour to check into your room at Bellagio; there should be no wait at the Four Seasons. If you try to phone the concierges at Bellagio, you can wait on hold forever; service is immediate at the Four Seasons.

There's not even a casino in the Four Seasons (but, not to fear, the Mandalay Bay offers shows and games just steps outside the connecting doors). My impression? Borrowing a phrase from the Gospel of John, Four Seasons is in Las Vegas but not of Las Vegas.


Which hotel offers the better luxury experience? I can't answer that question for you. It depends on what kind of luxury you are looking for. Do you seek non-stop excitement, entertainment, and over-the-top glitz and glamor? Choose the Bellagio. Would you rather experience a quiet and serene oasis in the midst of the hectic city? Four Seasons would be your choice.

P.S. Both hotels are part of Virtuoso, and special rates and amenities are available to you through a Virtuoso luxury travel consultant.


Las Vegas luxury hotels (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2008 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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