One good thing about a bad economy is the fact that luxury can be found at budget prices, since everyone is desperate for customers. On Monday our Luxury Travel find was the Encore hotel in Las Vegas, and although the Encore is a luxury destination, several of the guests I spoke to got their rooms for around $150…and one guy got upgraded to one of the large suites and still only paid that price.  So keep the Encore on your destination list, even if are traveling on a budget…www.encorelasvegas.com

Steve Wynn is a name that is synonymous with luxury and opulence. On December 22, 2008, Steve Wynn unveiled Encore, the newest resort in his collection, which yet again reinforced the stereotype that he is the king of grandeur.

Located next door to his flagship property, Wynn Las Vegas, Encore is a distinct destination with its own selection of accommodations, dining, casino, and leisure activities. Central to Encore’s fanciful and intimate environments are sunlit corridors with flowering atria and sprawling pools visible throughout the property. Natural light floods the resort to reveal gardens, vibrant butterflies and signature mosaics.

Every room at the Encore is a suite, with a separate living and sleeping area. The resort’s rooms are divided into two collections, the Resort Suites and the Tower Suites. The Tower Suites are separated by a separate entrance and private check-in area.  Although the common areas of the Resort Suites are gorgeous and the service exceptional, the Tower Suites are a step up. While checking into a Tower Suite you are met with a warm towel and fresh water…and within seconds you are whisked away to your room in a private elevator lined in silk and accented by hand painted butterflies. Even though the Tower Suites’ most basic room is the same as the ones in the Resort wing, the Tower Suites feature opulent 2,261 square foot multi room suites as well, that include lavish touches like a dedicated massage room.

The magnificence does not end at the rooms…if it did, then this would obviously not be a Wynn Resort…the restaurants of the Encore set a new level of fine dining in Las Vegas. The first night I dined at Sinatra, whose head chef is Theo Schoenegger, from the Patina Group. When Sinatra’s family decided to open a restaurant in Las Vegas, it made sense that they teamed up with his old friend Steve Wynn. The timing was perfect as the family was looking to start the new venture around the same time that Wynn was opening his new opus. At first I found a restaurant named after a celebrity a bit kitschy, but again Wynn used his powers to take an idea that could easily be cheesy and make it elegant.

When you arrive at the restaurant Sinatra’s actual Oscar, Emmy and Grammy greet you, in addition to other memorabilia from the family’s collection. His timeless music fills the elegant dining room and his Italian roots are an underlying theme in the menu. Schoenegger’s relationships with California farmers allow him to bring the area’s seasonal and greenmarket ingredients to his restaurant at Encore. A cozy outdoor patio allows guests to dine al fresco, creating the feel of an intimate dinner party in a Tuscan garden.

The second night I dined at Switch, the Encore’s answer to a steakhouse. Helmed by Marc Poivedin, the former Executive Chef at Le Cirque at Bellagio. Poivedin brings a refreshing French twist to this steakhouse, which makes it the perfect place to bring a group that may not all be steak lovers. I highly recommend splurging for the tasting menu, as this is where you get a full perspective of Poidevin’s talents.  Highlights that evening were the citrus smoked swordfish carpaccio and the Kobe beef strip steak.

But the restaurant was not called Switch because of the food; it is the décor that landed the restaurant its name. Every 20 minutes the restaurant completely redecorates itself…I know that does not make sense and when the waiter explained it to me…I did not get it either.  While dining, the music suddenly raised and the walls started to disappear, which gave way to another completely different décor. There are other surprises in store, but I will let you go and find out for yourself…www.encorelasvegas.com

Sin City is a place where everything goes…with one exception…Vegas no likey the pooches.

For those who find it impossible to leave their four-legged friends behind, there is one place on the Las Vegas strip that openly welcomes canine tourists…the Four Seasons, located in the Mandalay Bay complex.

But dogs are not just allowed, they are treated like royalty.  Upon arrival Manola (my Chihuahua) was offered freshly baked dog treats and bottled water…once we arrived in the room she had her very own doggy bed and food bowl set up. Everywhere we went she received tons of love from the staff and left with an obvious “princess complex.”

With it’s own separate lobby, restaurants, pool, but no casino…the Four Seasons is a peaceful refuge in the heart of Vegas…and even more inviting when your best friend can join in on the fun.

I would give anything to go back to the classic Vegas….where men donned tuxedos, women wore fabulous gold lamé gowns and The Rat Pack graced the stage of the Sands. Due to this obsession of nostalgia I like to patron what is left of Vegas history….and that would be The Flamingo Hotel.

Home to the original “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Viva Las Vegas,” the Flamingo exudes the history I long for. Opened in 1946 by famed gangster Bugsy Siegel, the Flamingo was Vegas’ first luxury resort.

Located in the center of the Strip, it is now one of the more affordable stays in Las Vegas…without resorting to (gasp) a motel.  But don’t think that budget will kill any dreams of a luxury stay in Sin City….the Flamingo Go rooms brings luxury and affordability together at last.

The Hotel has renovated several floors to offer clients a high-class stay for only $40 more than the standard rooms.  The Go rooms are decorated in a flashy retro decor, to give you that “Rat Pack Vegas” feel, and the rooms offer high tech features usually only found in five star hotels….I’m talking hidden plasmas imbedded in the bathroom mirror, Denon iPod stereos, 42″ Plasma, etc.  All this could be yours starting at $95 per night…..Sin City here you come….

Drift Spa at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas has just added a hammam or turkish bath.  This is the first of it’s kind in Las Vegas.

The hammam is coed, but the rest of the spa’s saunas remain separated (except for the private couples rooms of course).  As with traditional hammams, Drift offers exfoliation treatments.  The most innovative is the “Cherry Blossom,” which involves a cherry blossom scrub followed by a silk massage with rice bran.

For more info click here…..