Stratosphere Tower

Blink and you won't miss it. At 1,149 feet tall, the Stratosphere Tower is one of the most instantly recognizable landmarks in Las Vegas – a feat of engineering which unsurprisingly took over 3 years to construct, originally planned to exceed the height of the CN Tower at 1,815 feet. Having been plagued by a number of unrelated setbacks – namely fire and bankruptcy, the inspirational tower finally opened it's doors to the world in April 1996 combining a hotel, theme park and 80,000 square foot casino amongst it's repertoire of attractions.

Now approaching it's fifteenth anniversary, the Stratosphere Tower shows no sign of becoming any less popular than when it opened in the spring of 96. Formerly owned by American Casino and Entertainment Properties Inc (Stratosphere Corporation), the tower complete with hotel, theme park and three-sixty degree revolving restaurant were bought by the subsidiary company of Goldman Sachs & Co – better known as Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds. In association with the former, Whitehall began a multi-million dollar renovation project in June 2010, incepted to bring both the hotel and the shopping plaza bang up to date. Today, the iconic Stratosphere remains the highest observation tower in the Americas and is famed for it's signature “Top Of The Rock” attraction - a revolving restaurant offering spectacular 360 degree panoramic views of sprawling Las Vegas and Mount Charleston.

A visit to Stratosphere Tower's 107th Floor is a must do on the itinerary of most Las Vegas holidaymakers, since the Observation Deck affords the infamous uninterrupted views right out across the Nevada desert. It is also the floor upon which several high-octane record-breaking amusement rides have been built. How does propulsion to 160 feet in 2.5 seconds? That's the kick in the ribs vital stats for the appropriately named “Big Shot” ride. Equally as enticing for thrill-seekers; the “X-Scream” promises to cure your fear of heights (or make them worse) with it's teetering track some 900 feet above the Strip. Unlike your average roller-coaster, the capability of a contorting mechanism causes the entire platform to tilt forward and back at alarming degrees.

Fancy a little gravity defying retail therapy? The Tower Shops on the 107th floor comprise over 50 outlets and a sprinkling of boutiques, bars and chill-out zones throughout. Stratosphere management promote the Tower Shops as “an international marketplace of choice” - appropriate given they are diversified into sections, such as Paris, New York and Hong Kong. New York is all-out American with the tantalizing Krispy Kreme's and MacDonalds to satisfy family hunger pangs, along with the Goldfather's Jewelry store and Las Vegas Magic Shop for inspirational souvenirs that little bit different. If you're after something truly wacky, take a trip to the “Read The Rice” cart, where skilled artisans will paint personalized messages onto grains of Basmati and transform it into keep-sake jewelry. Kid Vegas and The Alien Store should come with parental warning – once you set foot here, be prepared to spend a fortune!