Cities of entertainment Upward Curve visits Las Vegas, , Monaco and Melbourne – the capitals of the world

hen Howard Hughes to HK$217bn last year – nearly Modelled on sister resort Top: Macau’s iconic casino checked into the Desert five times the intake of the Vegas , the has a major impact on the WInn penthouse in 1966 Strip. In that decade, Macau offers the Paiza Club for city’s skyline Below: Casino – and never left – mob interests visitor arrivals have expanded premium guests with individual square, Place du Casino were displaced by corporate from 22 million to a projected private gaming rooms and the de Monte-Carlo conglomerates in . But 32 million. exclusive Paiza Club Dining Monaco had been at since In 2017, The Venetian and Lounge. The Presidente the most luxurious 1863 when Princess Consort was voted World’s Leading Paiza suite – a 12-berth suite accommodation available. of Monaco, Caroline, saved the Hotel Dining & Entertainment with four bedrooms – provides venetianmacao.com ➤ monarchy from bankruptcy. Experience at the 24th Annual Whether slot machines or table World Travel Awards Grand Final games are choice of the evening, Gala Ceremony. these four spots simply have “ with to be visited. its newly refurbished rooms and suites is a wonderful place to THE VENETIAN MACAU stay,” said Mark McWhinnie, A little over ten years ago, Senior Vice President of Resort opened the Operations and Development, biggest casino in the world Ltd. – with 51,000m2 of gaming “These prestigious awards are space. It was the autonomous a testament to the consistently territory’s first integrated resort, high level of quality and service quadrupling Macau’s casino we offer and our excellence in the revenue from HK$55bn in 2006 hospitality industry.”

74 Upward Curve April-June 2018 Left: The electricity is palpable inside MGM Grand Below: in Macau where themes dominate real estate and rituals

smallest independent state on earth, but Monaco benefits from its international reputation, and the casino is well placed at the heart of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer resort, which offers a multitude of world class entertainment and gastronomy. But while the red carpeted steps may be lined with fine- tuned Ferraris, Lamborghini’s, MGM GRAND LAS VEGAS Away from the , The Rio With Dinner by Heston Bentleys, and Rolls Royce’s to Las Vegas is the ultimate Wine Cellar and Tasting Room is Blumenthal and Nobu Melbourne, welcome the rich and famous, pilgrimage for casino-goers home to a $10m treasure trove and luxury brand stores including the casino is also in tune with and entertainment-seekers that includes a vertical collection Harrods, Prada, Burberry, and local life and its neighbours. across the world. With almost of Chateau d’Yquem and a Louis Vuitton and Bulgari, With European Roulette, Trente 16,000m2 of gaming space, bottle of Madeira from Thomas this makes a great base when et Quarante, Black Jack, English the godfather of casinos pulls Jefferson’s personal stash. visiting Melbourne. Roulette and Ultimate Texas in tens of thousands of patrons mgmgrand.com Its VIP program is driven Hold’em Poker tables, it has every week. by an extensive international managed to stay relevent while The sparkling jewel in the CROWN MELBOURNE clientele, particularly from Asia, retaining that magic charm. desert metropolis dates back First opened in 1997 Crown while its main gaming floor Panoramic views can be to the late 1960s when eighth- Melbourne is licensed to operate attracts tourists and locals alike. enjoyed across the Riviera from grade dropout Kirk Kerkorian 2,628 electronic gaming crownmelbourne.com.au tables on the Salle Blanche & announced himself as an machines and 540 table games. Terrasse or the veranda of the early pioneer of Sin City. After Located on the attractive Yarra CASINO DE MONTE-CARLO Salons Super Privés and world- opening the International Hotel River, it remains one of the Perhaps the grandest of all renowned restaurants Le Train with Barbra Streisand and Elvis central features of the Southbank casinos, the Casino de Monte- Bleu and Le Salon Rose. Presley, he built the MGM Grand precinct of the Melbourne central Carlo offers its prestigious Perhaps the smoothest Hotel larger than the Empire business district. customers a quite unique entrance to Casino de Monte- State Building. Crown provides the six main experience in a truly historical Carlo was witnessed in Today, the complex features casino games of blackjack, craps, setting with classic European Goldeneye when Pierce Brosnan five outdoor pools, rivers and pai gow, poker, baccarat and décor. This illustrious playground arrived from Monaco’s winding, waterfalls – as well as the David roulette but it was also the first to has, however, entered a new cliff-side roads, handed in the Copperfield Theatre, Grand Spa introduce an electronic version of era, and is now known to host keys to his DB5 and glided into and Garden Arena. Skyboxes roulette known as Rapid Roulette. surrealist dinners and boxing the casino for a bout of Baccarat. at The Race and Sports Book There is also Bigwheel, the events. It may be the second casinomontecarlo.com ■ offer private entertainment for electronic Vegas Star Roulette large groups while the Skylofts and Rapid Baccarat. The Crown – a AAA Five Diamond, Forbes is one of the major centres for Five-Star Hotel – take the top competitive poker in the Asia- two floors. Pacific region. It annually hosts And when the MGM Grand the Aussie Millions, currently the has given its all – which is a Southern Hemisphere’s richest quite extraordinary offering – poker event. Starting in 2013, The Tropicana, Tropicana it became home to the World Avenue and New York-New Series of Poker Asia-Pacific, the York are a short stroll over latest expansion of the World the linked pedestrian bridges. Series of Poker.

76 Upward Curve April-June 2018