Conveniently located off Coastal Highway, Liquid Assets sets themselves apart with high end bistro cuisine and of course a great selection of moderately priced wines.

Oster 4207 Electric Wine-Bottle Opener

This is such a super cool way of listing their upcoming shows!

Aimee Loves Vegas Trips!

I’ve headed there at least twice a year since 2002 for birthday parties, bachelorette parties, meet-ups with East Coast friends and last-minute escapes from reality.  After being what some might call the “expert” of planning of such trips I’ve found a few sure-fire themes that are necessary in order to make these trips a success.  The 8-girl extravaganza I helped to plan and fully participated in this past weekend for a best friend’s Bachelorette Party reminded me of some strategies I’ve come to perfect.

1.  If you’re driving to Vegas from Los Angeles leave at an off-time. This means a time of day that is 4 hours outside of a normal “traffic-heavy” time period.  Whether it’s been 10pm on a Thursday night or 6am on a Friday morning, taking the jaunt has never been met with headache-inducing traffic jams when abiding by this rule.  Speaking of headaches, when it’s time to return home after your Sin City shenanigans this must also be kept in mind.  You’ve almost undoubtedly raged the night before and will be tired but you must power through and leave before 9am to avoid the “checked out at 11am crowd” or after 4pm to miss the “got a late checkout slackers.”  Trust me, the pain you feel on the 3-4 hour drive will be so worth the awesome Sunday afternoon nap you get in your own bed.

If you’ve decided to fly and you’re remotely close to  Burbank Airport use that and not LAX.  It’s much quicker to get through security and parking is a breeze.  You’ll want to check out the fares on  Southwest Airlines since they have flights pretty much every hour out of all L.A.-based airports…just in case you miss your flight home and need to hop on the next one.

2.   Stay at a hotel that’s highly recommended by like-minded friends and associates. If you hate the casino scene then you can stay at one of the places that doesn’t even have one like The Trump International Hotel.  If you want an insane Sunday-afternoon pool experience try The Hard Rock.  I personally like a “one stop shop” with a great casino and tons of pool options with a fun bar in the center so I always stay at Mandalay Bay.

Mandalay Bay does it all for me.  They have a huge wave pool, an amazing “beach”, multiple private pools with cabana options to match, a casino you could get lost in (which I suppose is the point), shopping, many restaurants and hotel rooms perfect for groups.

3.   Join every Gaming program you can. No, don’t enter a Scrabble competition silly, just get those free “VIP cards” every casino gives out.  Most of the hotels and casinos are held by the same companies so once you join one you’ll be covered lots of other places.  You’ll also get the early and inside scoop on future hotel room deals, shows and discounts.  If you’re a gambler be sure to put your card in every slot machine or hand it to every dealer at table games because the more you play the more you can get in discounts or “comps” in industry-speak.  Be sure to check in with the Players Club before checking out to see if you earned any money off your hotel room bill and charges.  The Bellagio, MGM, Mirage, Mandalay Bay and others are covered with just one membership in their  Players Club.  Did I mention joining is FREE?

4.   Be prepared to tip like you’ve never tipped before. In Las Vegas, money buys you happiness in the form of being treated like a rockstar without the majorly-hefty price tag.  When budgeting for a trip I always take into account the $1-$100 handshakes I’ve got to make in order to be taken care of.  Need an upgrade to your room or a guarantee you’ll have an adjoining one with your friends?  Go ahead and tip that front desk worker $10 and it’s handled.  Do your feet hurt and you don’t want to stand in that cab line?  Give $15 to the hotel worker out front and have him get you a deal on a towncar to your next location.  Want a cabana for a major discount on the hottest day in July?  Give $50 to the cabana host and just see what happens.

5.   Network and get contacts to use on your next trip. Unfortunately because of the ever-changing “next big thing” culture in Las Vegas tipping won’t always guarantee you flawless service.  You’ll have to plan ahead and source out contacts to get you into that hot new club or restaurant and then tip them to boot.  Be nice to everyone you meet when you’re giving them a handshake and slip in a business card!  Not only will it help your immediate cause but it is an investment in your future trips as well, since promoters and hosts always change jobs and you never know when they’ll be able to help you out next.

For example, a few trips back I met a new Cabana Host at Mandalay Bay who I tipped $100 just once and she’s taken amazing care of me since then in the form of discounts, special treatment and even free rentals.   I once met a Security Guard at the (now-closed) club Privé who has introduced me to so many other Vegas service workers who have helped me in one way or the other over the years.  Just this past weekend he helped me score a coveted VIP table at a reduced price and front-of-the-line rights at the hottest club in town Surrender.

6.  Pace yourself. Those margaritas down by the pool might seem like a great idea at 2pm but if you’ve got big plans that night be sure to eat some lunch and plan for a 1-2 hour power nap before doing it up again.  This also means not raging every night and every day.  I’ve found that having a nice dinner then heading out to a calm lounge or bar the first night nicely prepares you for an all-out dance party until 4am your second night (or morning, depending on how you look at it).  If you’re staying longer than two nights just repeat the process.  Regardless of the length of your trip be sure to keep yourself hydrated with real water.  The desert will dehydrate you in a snap regardless of the amount of alcohol you’ve imbibed.

As my weekend haze begins to lift and I start to sort through the damning photographic evidence of this weekend I can feel that Vegas itch starting to begin again.  Starting first as a happy memory of fun times past then undoubtedly growing weekly every time I surf past The Hangover on HBO and slowly lose my tan lines the desire will soon become too strong to deny and I’ll be headed back.  You can be sure that when the time comes I’ll be here to tell you even more reasons why I Love Vegas Trips…which reminds me…I’ve got some pictures to delete!

-Aimee Hernandez, WVP West Coast Vice President of Operations

I love being an Aunt!

On July 12th, I was lucky enough to become an Aunt for the fifth time.  We welcomed Drew Easton, the newest addition, to our family.    Being an aunt bring so much love, joy and laughter to my life.  I am privileged to share such wonderful memories with my nephews and nieces, Sebastian, Luna, Mia, Stella Grace and Drew.

I love being an Aunt!

Much love, Aunt Kier

-Kiersten Kanaley,  EVP of northeast operations

They are mainly located in FL/CA, but they also have one in Tokyo!! I will definitely be checking that out.

Ayako loves Bubba Gump!

I had their Dixie Fishwich and it was THE best fish sandwich I’ve ever had. It was seasoned well and so crispy…. I can eat that every day. Definitely one of the “must visit” restaurants and make sure to watch the movie to maximize the experience!

-Ayako Bingham, VP of global domination

Download Music From Forrest Gump