Resort is a desert paradise

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Aug 29, 2004 | by Adam Goldman Associated Press

HENDERSON, Nev. -- A sprawling resort rises up in the middle of the Nevada desert, replete with lush golf courses, a man-made lake and gondolas -- but don't bother looking for this oasis on the Las Vegas Strip.

Lake Las Vegas Resort is about 17 miles southeast of Las Vegas Boulevard, tucked away between the sand and the roaming bighorn sheep of the nearby Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

The resort boasts three championship golf courses, Ritz-Carlton and Hyatt Regency hotels, and the Mediterranean-themed MonteLago Village that also has condominiums.

All three hotels were built next to a 320-acre lake, a centerpiece attraction stocked with largemouth bass and rainbow trout that visitors can catch and release through the resort's fly fishing program.

The lake is surrounded by an upscale residential development, where retired pro athletes, executives and stars such as singer Celine Dion make their homes.

There's a marina, and guests and residents use a water taxi to hopscotch around the lake.

Amenities run thick at Lake Las Vegas Resort. MonteLago Village boasts a casino, boutiques and restaurants. It has two yachts, including an 80-footer that can be rented for weddings or just a casual cruise.

The Ritz-Carlton features 349 luxury guest rooms, 64 of those on top of a Florentine-style bridge that spans the lake and has its own private lounge that celebrities covet.

The hotel has a 30,000-square-foot spa offering clay wraps and aquatic Shiatsu. For those clear desert nights, there's a stargazing program, and astronomers are on hand to help identify constellations.

There's also a private lagoon and a well-known eatery, Medici Cafe & Terrace, which was named one of America's 20 best new restaurants in 2003 by Esquire Magazine.

The Hyatt Regency has two spacious swimming pools, palm-shaded terraces, tent-like cabanas and a water slide. People staying in one of the 493 guest rooms can relax next to the lake on sandy beaches.

Resort guests can golf at either of the two public courses, The Falls and Reflection Bay. But a round isn't cheap, running from $120 to $260 depending on the season. The 7,261-yard, par-72 Reflection Bay was designed by Jack Nicklaus. Tom Weiskopf designed The Falls, a 7,250-yard, par-72 course.

Rooms range from $159 a night at the Hyatt or Ritz Carlton, to $999 a night for a three-bedroom, three-bath condo at MonteLago.

Don't expect to find all-night clubs at this resort. Lake Las Vegas Resort is to the Vegas Strip what the Florida Keys are to Miami -- quiet and somewhat secluded, a place more suited to the older golfer than the get-crazy tourists on the Strip.

Nightlife at Lake Las Vegas is sparse but those hungry for shows and clubs can take a helicopter taxi or shuttle to the Strip. Visitors also can go on helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon from a helipad next to the lake; Hoover Dam and Lake Mead are a short car ride away.