Rio

Rio All Suite Las Vegas is an elaborate casino resort on Flamingo Road, almost on the Las Vegas Strip. It is a Harrah's property, and provides frequent shuttles to Harrah's Hotel and Casino mid-Strip. The theme is the romantic city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the midst of a non-stop carnaval party. There are 2,500 suites with 600 square feet or more of space and all the upscale amenities. The Ipanema Tower and the Masquerade Tower are each over 50 stories tall. Unlike many of the Strip resorts, Rio also provides a babysitting service and free parking.

In the Sky is a viewing and riding attraction that includes carnaval parade floats -- but they are not on the ground; they are in the air, suspended from a track on the ceiling. While per-formers in carnaval garb entertain with Brazilian music and dancing, visitors can become part of the celebration by taking a ride in the floats. It is recommended to get tickets early, as they sell out. Guests can also bowl at Rio's integrated 10-lane bowling alley and lounge, called Lucky Strike.

Rio's casino is large -- 120,000 square feet of space for table games, a poker room, lots of slots, a keno lounge and a race and sports book. The casino has 1,200 slot machines, as well as video poker and progressives. Almost 80 gaming tables offer roulette, baccarat, craps, blackjack, Caribbean stud poker and Pai Gow poker. The poker room will accommodate the player with Texas Hold'em, stud poker, Omaha and hi-lo variations, as well as no-limit hold'em tournaments. Next door is the 170-seat race and sports book, which has lots of individual TV's, big screens and 70" flat screens. The facility covers all the major sports at professional and college levels, and auto racing. Races can be monitored on closed-circuit broadcasts from the country's principal racetracks. Many different kinds of bets are offered, from conventional pari-mutuels to the exotic props. The keno lounge stays open around the clock.

VooDoo Steak is a gourmet dining room at the top of the Masquerade Tower. The views are matched only by the cuisine, which adds a Creole flair to French traditions. Epicurean steaks and seafood dishes are the prominent part of the menu, but the appetizers and desserts hold their own as well.

Antonio's Italian Ristorante serves fine Italian cuisine, like osso buco and seafood and pasta combinations, all in a Mediterranean atmosphere, with an open kitchen.

Buzio's, named for an historic coastal town north of Rio, has a fresh oyster bar and plenty of seafood dishes for the discriminating guest. It looks out over the Rio's pool area, called Ipanema Beach.

Hamada of Japan is at the Rio with tepan-style Japanese steakhouse cuisine.

Gaylord India Restaurant, which made its mark in San Francisco, comes to Rio with dishes in the Mughlai and Tandoori traditions. Exotic meatless entrees are offered as well as curry dishes with prawns, salmon, chicken, lamb and other ingredients. The appetizers, bread and desserts are equally authentic Indian cuisine.

Café Martorano is a combination of old Italian recipes and a new-world, contempo culinary style. After dinner, the chef turns DJ, and the guests are encouraged to dance.

The Carnival World Buffet has been recognized as Las Vegas' best buffet. More than 300 different items are offered, including pizza, Japanese teppan barbecue, and many, many homemade deserts.

Guests trying out the Rio Secco golf course should visit Janelas, a casual restaurant in a beautiful location, service three gourmet versions of light fare every day. In Brazil, Janelas means "Windows," and the view at Janelas is one of its greatest attractions.

The Wine Cellar is a bar and retail outlet for those who really appreciate fine wines. It has some 50 thousand bottles, some unique in the world or extremely rare. Over 100 wines are offered by the glass. To go with the wine, cheeses, chocolates and gourmet breads are offered. Guests might want to attend a private wine tasting seminar or a wine tasting party or dinner organized by the Wine Cellar.

In daylight, Lucky Strike is a 10-lane, 156-seat restaurant for family fun. At night it becomes a night club, with drinks and music as well as black-light bowling. Five projections screens, a DJ on weekends and a digital jukebox complete the picture.Lucky Strike is a good place for corporate parties and events.

Chippendales is for the ladies. Twelve handsome men put on the sort of sexy show that has made the Chippendales name. The 300-seat Chippendales Theater has a "gossip pit," a "Sky Lounge" and the adjacent bar called Flirt!, a lounge made for meetings.

Penn & Teller perform their combination of comedy and magic for audiences at the Rio.

Another option is dinner theater with the funny and acclaimed, off-Broadway event called Tony n´ Tina's Wedding, in which the audience actually participates by having an Italian buffet meal and champagne as part of the show.

As a Harrah's resort, Rio can arrange for golf at Cascata Golf Course and Rio Secco. Both provide challenging play in the midst of exquisite natural settings. Transportation, clubs and any other assistance can be provided by the golf desk at the hotel.

The Rio Spa can provide a full array of services for body treatments, facials, and, of course, massage. Nearby, Rio has created a complete fitness center with weight-training equipment and machines for aerobic conditioning. In the Rio Salon, guests will find haircuts and high-lights, styling, waxing, makeup and all the other services of a complete salon.

Rio has 160,000 square feet of space on one level for meetings and conferences. There are 80 meeting rooms, which can be arranged in differing configurations. The Pavilion Conference Center has useful pre-function space with permanent registration desks and a 55,000 foot ballroom with an adjustable ceiling up to thirty feet. There is a permanent stage with 3,300 square feet. Three other large ballrooms and two "junior" ballrooms are also avail-able. Two fully-equipped board rooms are part of the indoor facility. Additionally, more than 10 acres of outdoor space are available for exhibits and tents. Parking is ample and convenient. Loading docks and backstage design make loading-in and -out very simple.

The VooDoo Lounge is for more than fans of the Rolling Stones. It is a two-story club at the top of the Masquerade Tower. VooDoo Doll go-go dancers and a skilled DJ provide the entertainment. Live bands are often booked into the club as well. Drinks are mixed by some of Las Vegas' most able flair bartenders. On certain nights, the flavor turns distinctly Latin with Brazilian rhythms, salsa, meringue and other hot dances.

The Flirt! Lounge is an adjunct of the Chippendales Theater and is a classy meeting place for drinks and conversation. After the Chippendales show, the cast often drops by.

The I-Bar has 360 degree screens and surround sound in addition to a sophisticated atmosphere and elegant cocktails. Music is a mix from many international genres.

The pool area has a sandy beach, lagoon and waterfall feature called Ipanema Beach. In addition, there are four pools, five Jacuzzis, a sundeck, a pool for the kids, cabanas, a bar and places for a poolside massage.

Masquerade Village continues the carnaval party theme of the hotel and resort. There is shopping, dining and drinking to be enjoyed there. Some of the servers also entertain with song and dance. Within this 66,000 square-foot retail space shopper can find jewelry and apparel, toys, art, souvenirs, flowers, logo merchandise (like Harley-Davidson) and even pretzels and ice cream. The Forum Shops and the Fashion Show Mall are also alternatives for the committed shopper, and are close by the hotel.

One whole floor of one of the towers of the Rio is designated for weddings. Bridal couples have their choice of three wedding chapels in different sizes and decors, as well as the gar-den of the Palazzo, the floor of the Voodoo Lounge, any of the ballrooms, and the Ipanema Beach in the pool area. Wedding planners are on staff to assist with all the elements, including catering for the reception and other parties and details of the ceremony itself. Several different wedding packages are available. The Rio also has a fancy honeymoon suite.