Last Vegas is known for its casinos, where bright flashing lights, spinning wheels and the music of slot machines overload the senses with an atmosphere of excitement. At some Las Vegas hotels, however, you can slip away for a break in a more peaceful atmosphere to the watery blues of an aquarium.
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino's Shark Reef Aquarium is filled with 1,600,000 gallons of salt water and an wide range of sea life, with a focus on predators including fifteen, golden crocodiles, species of sharks. Exhibits include a pool to touch sting rays, a Caribbean reef, a jellyfish tank, a piranha tank and even a program to swim with sharks. The hotel also has eleven signature restaurants, eight casual restaurants, four quick dining locations, three lounges, a spa, a fitness center, a tattoo parlor, a wide range of shops and a tropical themed casino.
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
877-632-7800
mandalaybay.com
Just behind the Mirage's front desk sits a 53 foot long 20,000 gallon saltwater aquarium filled with exotic fish including puffer fish, sharks, eels, and stingrays. The hotel is also home to a 2.5 million gallon dolphin habitat where you can interact with bottlenose dolphins in the "Trainer for a day" program. You can also slip into the water at the hotel's pool, set in a tropical garden and featuring a waterfall and poolside bar. Dine at one of the six fine dining restaurants. nine casual dining restaurants, ten bars and lounges or just order room service and dine in bed. You can also gamble in the casino, relax in the spa or catch one of the shows, including a Cirque du Soleil production.
The Mirage
3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-791-7111
mirage.com
The Silverton Casino Lodge is located about three miles off the Vegas Strip and features a 117,000 gallon saltwater aquarium filled with over 4,000 fish, stingrays and sharks. You can watch the fish feedings, ask the aquarium's marine biologist questions or catch the daily mermaid shows. The Lodge's Bass Pro outdoor store is also home to an 18,000 gallon aquarium of koi and three smaller aquariums with a variety of freshwater fish and turtles. An activities fee is charged for all rooms at check-in, which covers use of the aquariums as well as the fitness center, local telephone calls, the lodge's pools and hot tub, parking and Internet access in public areas. Silverton also features seven restaurants, a Starbucks, a bar, a lounge, a full range of casino games and nightly entertainment.
Silverton Casino Lodge
3333 Blue Diamond Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89139
866-722-4608
silvertoncasino.com
