Sherman's Travel

The five-star, bronze-tinted tower of Encore Las Vegas and its neighboring big sister, The Wynn (just a corridor away), mark the de facto northern end of the Central Strip. The Encore’s swank rooms afford fabulous views through wall-to-wall windows and remote-controlled lighting and drapery. The resort’s casino gets great light, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto pools and greenery (a rarity in gaming destinations). There’s also a 60,000-square-foot beach club, a gorgeous spa, several trendy nighttime spots like Tryst and Blush, and topnotch restaurants like La Cave and Wazuzu. From now through March 23, you can knock an additional 25 percent off regular room rates when you book two nights or more at Encore Las Vegas. Rates start from $134/night. Reservations must be made 60 days in advance. Click www.vegas.com/resosrts/encore to book.

Look out Las Vegas – this ain’t your daddy’s Atlantic City. Recent years have seen a wave of development crash ashore at this long-standing Jersey Shore resort town, with a plethora of initiatives soundly underway despite the economic downturn – in fact, more than 15 new restaurants have cropped up in the last year alone, while the much-anticipated $2.4-billion Revel mega-casino resort is due to open its lavish doors in May 2012 (www.revelresorts.com). Read more

Ravella at Lake Las Vegas, the former Ritz-Carlton, opened this past February and is a Mediterranean-style palace fronting its gleaming private lake. There’s fly-fishing, boating, hiking trails, golf, a stellar spa, and complimentary transportation to/from the Strip. 349 classy rooms come with plush beds, views of the Mojave Desert or the lake, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, and fancy bath amenities – all and all, the kind of rooms you’d expect to cost $300/night. To celebrate the resort’s first summer, Ravella is offering the Summer on the Lake package with accommodations, $25 fuel allowance, $22 FreePlay at next door Casino MonteLago, $25 spa credit per day, $30 breakfast credit per day, and a $20 beverage credit at Firenze Lounge per day. All this for only $79/night, plus guests who book the offer will be automatically entered in a weekly summer giveaway with the VESPA grand prize awarded in September.

THE VALUE: The hotel values this package at $400, which means you’re saving a crazy 80 percent.

THE CATCH: Rates must be paid in full at the time of booking and are non-refundable.

THE DETAILS: Visit www.avellalasvegas.com and enter the code LAKE11 to book. Travel is valid through August 31.

WE’VE GOT MORE: See our recently updated Las Vegas Travel Guide, then use our Travel Search comparison tool to find the best rates on flights to Las Vegas.

Save your money for gambling, dining or shows with the Tropicana Las Vegas’ Spring Sale. This hotel on the Strip just recently underwent a $180 million renovation, and all the rooms in this sale have recently been redone. So starting at just $55 a night, you’ll get to stay in a new room with plush new mattresses, new 300-thread count linens, stylish furnishings, and more. This offer also includes two reserved chairs at the hotel’s award-winning pool (so you don’t have to wake up at 6 a.m. to go stake out your territory with a beach towel), special happy hour discounts, VIP Check-in & Late Check-out, and a Tropicana Experience Book, valued at $900.

THE VALUE: Stay on the Las Vegas Strip and save 20% off regular rates! Plus, the Tropicana offers tons of free extras to guests, like high speed wireless internet, fitness center access, 2-for-1 signature cocktails, and more!

THE CATCH: A daily resort fee of $9.99 is not included, and you must be 21 or older to book this deal.

THE DETAILS: Book online or call 888-381-8767. Use code ISPGP11 to get the sale price.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find low rates on flights to Las Vegas!

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Escape to the bright lights of Sin City this fall and winter without taking a gamble on accommodations. Hit the jackpot before even stepping foot in this entertainment-infused city with The Signature at MGM Grand’s exclusive ShermansTravel.com deal that starts from just $139/night and includes a stay in a well-appointed, one-bedroom suite with a balcony. Plus, as an added bonus, guests will receive welcome Champagne and strawberries upon arrival.

THE RESORT: The non-gaming Signature at MGM Grand consists of three gleaming towers, each offering junior, one-, and two-bedroom suite accommodations with views of the glitzy Strip. Furnishings in the suites are plush and include whirlpool tubs, marble countertops, flat-screen televisions, luxurious linens, and top-of-the-line appliances in the kitchen.

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Unwrap up your Christmas or Chanukah presents this year at The Signature at MGM Grand hotel, just minutes away from the Vegas Strip. Until December 28, The Signature is offering a package you can’t refuse. For just $129/night (based on a two-night minimum stay), you’ll receive accommodations in a junior suite, a 40% discount at MGM Grand’s Crazy Horse Paris cabaret, and admission for two to Studio 54 or Tabú Ultra Lounge – some of the hottest nightclubs in Vegas. Also included in this incredible deal are a $75 drink credit, an in-suite vodka bar, and a romantic surprise gift.

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When I spent the weekend in Atlantic City last summer, I arrived with a few fairly depressing expectations. I was prepared to hold my breath on the casino floors while overweight seniors in their motorized chairs whizzed by, engulfed in a cloud of smoke. I expected cheesy dance clubs with the usual bachelorette party, Jersey meathead mobs. But, I did not expect the slick scene and cool crowd that I found at The Chelsea Hotel (a chic, beachfront boutique, the first non-gaming hotel in AC since the 60s, which opened last summer). A mix of hipsters, models, and musicians occupied the modern, glitzy spaces, and rooms were retro-glam, many with ocean views (for less expensive digs, the hotel’s motel-style Annex wing also offers simple rooms with balconies). I was so surprised by the seemingly New York crowd, that I asked the front desk if there was some kind of event being held at the hotel. As it turns out, the same minds behind New York’s trendy Beatrice and Smith & Mills formulated the tasty drink menu at the Fifth Floor venues (read on for more on that), and the same peeps that frequent those Manhattan joints are migrating south to this bona fide Jersey hotspot.   Read more

Las Vegas is the ultimate spot for excess, a place where boys can be boys and indulge in the activities guys love: gambling, girls, and nightlife. At the Palms Resort & Casino, ultimate high-stakes gaming awaits you at the resort’s 95,000-square-foot casino, featuring more than 80 popular table games and a state-of-the-art race and sports book center. After dark, head to the dance club Rain to hear pulse-pounding beats from the hottest local DJs or indulge in the ultimate man-fantasy at the world’s only Playboy Club with bars, blackjack and bunny dealers. For the best value, we suggest the Party Package including a one-night stay in a junior suite, a $30 dining credit, spa access and VIP Nightlife Line Pass from just $139/night.