Tomas Muscionico
The Imperial Twins of Cirque du Soleil’s “Ka” at MGM Grand.
Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012 | 6 p.m.
Everyone told me to cut in line. Just flash your business card and remind the gatekeepers who’s sponsoring this very sexy party, they said. But when I saw how many souls were waiting to get in, I choked. Who did I think I was? Still new to Vegas, I couldn’t go around acting like I owned the place.
Then a coworker spotted me, led me toward the velvet rope like Virgil steering Dante through hell on the way to paradise. He told the bouncer we were with the Weekly.
“Local?” the bouncer asked. One word—the most essential word when it comes to getting your propers in the 702. My coworker reiterated that this was our party as the bouncer eyed his Midwest driver’s license like it was a brick of old casserole in a Ziploc. Then it hit me. Inside my purse was the key to the city, a wafer of plastic distinguishing me from the nearly 40 million people a year who are just visiting. As soon as the bouncer saw the eagle decal in the bottom right corner, I was in.
Outsiders and insiders hammer Las Vegas for lacking a sense of community. Maybe it does, but not when it comes to local businesses honoring local patrons. If you live within the state’s 110,000-or-so square miles and have the Nevada ID to prove it, you’re an instant VIP who can eat, dance, catch a show, get pampered, tie the knot, tie one on and probably [insert favorite activity here] for less.
Even when all I get is a nod of recognition, showing my local makes me feel like part of a scrappy, spirited family that takes care of its own. I can’t jump every line, but I can always go down the street and cry in a discounted beer. –Erin Ryan
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Health + Beauty
THE SPA AT GREEN VALLEY RANCH All Station Casinos “love locals,” and the suburban powerhouse proves it with a 30 percent discount Monday-Thursday and 20 percent off during the rest of the week. 617-7570.
NURTURE SPA AND SALON The ancient Egyptians were pioneers of pampering and beautification, and the Strip’s pyramid has all the modern spins for 20 percent less. At Luxor, Monday-Thursday, 800-258-9308.
THE SPA AT RAVELLA A lush, Italian-inspired venue with Lake Las Vegas views, the spa rewards commitment. For $125 a month, membership gets you access to the spa and fitness complex, pool and beach, with complimentary childcare and discounts on spa and salon services. 567-4600.
THE SPA AT NEW YORK-NEW YORK Our mini Big Apple has big love for locals. Flash your Nevada pass and get 25 percent off spa services and a free gift. Happy un-birthday. Daily, 740-6955.
KIM VO SALON Say “rejuvenation” and your bill will shrink by 20 percent on luxurious treatments with the stamp of celebrity stylist Kim Vo. You might even catch a glimpse of the master during one of his monthly visits. At Mirage, Monday-Thursday, 791-7474.
RIO SPA & SALON If you’re local, we have good news (20 percent off). If you’re local and work for the military or the Clark County School District, we have great news (30 percent off). Either way, it’s a steal for body/mind/spirit goodness. Daily, 777-7779.
COLOR SALON From base colors and cuts to blowouts and mani-pedis, locals get 20 percent off deals galore at the brainchild of color genius Michael Boychuck. At Caesars Palace, Sunday-Wednesday, 731-7791.
THE CLIQUE SPA CLUB Designed with locals in mind, Clique gives you 50 percent off the first massage when you sign up for membership and keeps the discounts coming. At LVH, 732-5648.
THE SPA AT TRUMP Donald Trump knows luxury, and so do his hotels. Stop by for a stress-busting service worthy of his daughter Ivanka’s tastes and pay 25 percent less. Sunday-Friday, 476-8000.
SPA MIO Seven days a week. All spa and salon services. 25 percent off. ’Nuff said. At M Resort, 797-1800.
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Photo by Leila NavidiAttractions
New York-New York Rollercoaster A local ID gets you two rides for $14. Out-of-towners pay $14 for their first ride and $7 for the second. newyorknewyork.com.
Mandalay Bay Shark Reef Locals get in for $15 (adults) and $10 (children), while the rest of the world pays $18 and $12. 632-7777.
Madame Tussauds Go while the deals are hot. Locals get 50 percent off admission through February when tickets are purchased online. So long, $25 tickets. Hello, $12.50. madametussauds.com/lasvegas.
Three attractions for $54 Unlike weekenders, you’ve got ample time to take advantage of this one: For one price, locals get entry to three MGM Resorts attractions, including Bodies, Titanic, Shark Reef, Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat and CSI: The Experience. 866-606-7111.
Entertainment
Cirque du Soleil $65 will get you into Viva Elvis or Criss Angel Believe. Tack on a few more bucks for Zumanity, KÀ or Love. Sorry, O fans! Go to cirquedusoleil.com/locals for more details.
Blue Man Group Buy one Blue Man Group ticket and get the second free. Find the tickets online or call with the promo code LOC241 and they’ll hook you up. blueman.com/offers/vegaslocal or 414-9001.
House of Blues Show a Nevada ID and HOB will waive its service fees on tickets purchased in advance. Locals also get 25 percent off Crossroads food and retail-shop purchases day-of-show. At Mandalay Bay, 632-7600.
Absinthe The naughty nighttime circus at Caesars Palace gives locals $25 off general admission tickets ($79-$109) when they use the code 25LOC. Heckling by the Gazillionaire: Priceless. At Caesars Palace, 800-745-3000.
Jabbawockeez The Jabbawockeez show love for locals with 30 percent off tickets on particular days. To cash in on the dance crew’s deal, just call and tell them you’re local. At Monte Carlo, 730-7160.
Chippendales How ’bout some beefcake on the cheap? Locals get $25 tickets (regularly $39.95-$49.95) and up to two per ID. At Rio, 777-7776.
Two Excalibur or Luxor shows for $75. You pick. And feel free to mix and match. Carrot Top? Tournament of Kings? Australian Bee Gees? Night School 4 Girls? World’s your oyster with this package deal. excalibur.com/entertainment.
Peepshow When there’s this much eye candy, you want to sit close. Locals who pay $76 can upgrade to the $101 seats for free. And you know what that means: more chances to make eye contact with Holly Madison. At Planet Hollywood, 785-5055.
Frankie Moreno The local singer welcomes fellow Las Vegans with $10 off tickets (regularly $29.99) to see a show that evokes classic Vegas, from the swagger to the setlist to the 10-piece band. At Stratosphere, 380-7777.
Le Reve Premium seats for the Wynn’s watery show are expensive—$150. But for locals, they’re nearly half as much, coming in at $79. Not exactly cheap, but cheaper. Wynn Las Vegas, 770-9966.
Food + Drink
Rí Rá Locals can celebrate the arrival of the weekend with 40 percent off lunch and dinner dishes every Friday. Sample the Emigrant’s Corned Beef & Cabbage or baked goat cheese for a fraction of what the tourists pay. At Mandalay Place, 632-7771.
Wolfgang Puck Restaurants Mr. Puck knows how to treat locals. All of his restaurants offer the Compliments of the Chef program with priority reservations and preferred seating for locals who mention their Valley status when they book—along with one free dessert per local couple. Multiple locations.
STK One of the industry’s hottest happenings is also a local love fest. During Magnum Mondays from 9 p.m.-midnight, chef Stephen Hopcraft serves succulent steaks and sides to locals for 25 percent off, and Las Vegans who order a regular bottle of Veuve Clicquot get upgraded to a magnum for free. Just be sure to reserve your table for the special promotion. At Cosmopolitan, 698-7990.
Border Grill Sign up for the Mandalay Bay Mexican restaurant’s VIP club and receive priority reservations and 15 percent off your entire check, whether you’re downing Kinky Mimosas or Kobe beef tacos. At Mandalay Bay, 632-7403.
Dragon Noodle Co. & Sushi Bar Raw is better. Locals eat half-price sushi and rolls Saturdays from 2-5 p.m. and half-price rolls while sitting at the sushi or cocktail bar on Sundays from 5-10 p.m. At Monte Carlo, 730-7965.
Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro It’s the weekend. Start your day with banana-and-marscarpone-stuffed French toast, homemade crepes or a Dungeness crab omelette at Morels, where locals get 20 percent off all food at brunch (not valid for parties of six or more). At Palazzo, 607-6333.
LBS Burger You get out of work craving something deep-fried and a beer to wash it down. On weeknights from 3-6 p.m. LBS serves locals a happy hour deal with 50 percent off appetizers and $4 drafts. At Red Rock, 835-9393.
Brand Steakhouse Bring your Nevada ID to the Monte Carlo steakhouse for 20 percent off the entire bill … including the sirloin cooked tableside on hot rocks … and the loaded baked potato … and the tomahawk rib eye … At Monte Carlo, 730-6700.
Hussong’s Cantina At the Baja-style eatery locals can cash in on 20 percent off weekdays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. After 6 p.m. on weeknights, the deals keep coming with 50-cent tacos (maximum of 4) and $2 Hussong’s beers, all with a valid ID. At Mandalay Place, 553-0123.
Carnival World Buffet You want options. They have everything ... for 50 percent off. Locals who flash an ID and a Rio Total Rewards card can eat the World for cheap Monday-Friday and Sunday dinner. At Rio, 777-7777.
Nightlife
Locals appreciation nights happen every night of the week, allowing Las Vegans to put their cover charge money to better use—may we suggest a round of drinks?
MONDAY Coyote Ugly (New York-New York, 740-6330), Foundation Room (Mandalay Bay, 632-7631), Marquee (Cosmopolitan, 333-9000), Piranha (791-0100), Tabu (MGM Grand, 891-7183) and XS (Encore, 770-0097).
TUESDAY Chateau (Paris, 776-7770), Coyote Ugly (New York-New York, 740-6330) Lavo (Palazzo, 791-1818) and Piranha (791-0100).
WEDNESDAY Coyote Ugly (New York-New York, 740-6330), Gallery (Planet Hollywood, 818-3700), Lavo (Palazzo, 791-1818), Piranha (791-0100), Rok Vegas (New York-New York, 740-6745), RPM (Tropicana, 739-3688), Savile Row (Luxor, 262-4529) and Surrender (Encore, 770-3700).
THURSDAY Coyote Ugly (New York-New York, 740-6330), Foundation Room (Mandalay Bay, 632-7631), Haze (Aria, 590-8000), Marquee (Cosmopolitan, 333-9000), Moon (Palms, 942-7000), Piranha (791-0100), Rok Vegas (New York-New York, 740-6745), Tabu (MGM Grand, 891-7183), Tao (Venetian, 388-8588) and Tryst (Wynn, 770-3375).
FRIDAY Coyote Ugly (New York-New York, 740-6330), Krave (before 12:30 a.m., Miracle Mile Shops, 836-0830), Piranha (before 1:30 a.m., 791-0100), Posh (except taxi arrivals, Crazy Horse III, 673-1700), Rok Vegas (New York-New York, 740-6745), RPM (Tropicana, 739-3688), Savile Row (Luxor, 262-4529) and Tabu (MGM Grand, 891-7183).
SATURDAY Coyote Ugly (New York-New York, 740-6330), Krave (before 12:30 a.m., Miracle Mile Shops, 836-0830), Piranha (before 1:30 a.m., 791-0100), Posh (except taxi arrivals, Crazy Horse III, 673-1700), Rok Vegas (New York-New York, 740-6745), RPM (Tropicana, 739-3688), Savile Row (Luxor, 262-4529) and Tabu (MGM Grand, 891-7183).
SUNDAY The Bank (Bellagio, 693-8300), Coyote Ugly (New York-New York, 740-6330), Lavo (Palazzo, 791-1818), LAX (Luxor, 262-4529), Piranha (791-0100), Rok Vegas (New York-New York, 740-6745), Tabu (MGM Grand, 891-7183), Vanity (Hard Rock Hotel, 693-5555) and XS (Encore, 770-0097).
POSH On Friday and Saturday nights, Crazy Horse III’s boutique nightclub offers 2-for-1 bottles to locals. Hangovers hurt, but hangovers with empty pockets hurt more. Crazy Horse III, 673-1700.
GILLEY’S The Treasure Island saloon offers $2.50 draft beers, 2-for-1 cocktails and half-priced bull rides to locals Tuesday through Thursday. The deal gets sweeter on Monday for Nevada Locals Night, when that draft beer price drops to a dollar. Treasure Island, 894-7111.
DOUBLE HELIX WINE & WHISKEY BAR Work your way through the Palazzo venue’s wine list and cocktail menu at a fraction of the price—locals enjoy 20 percent off all purchases and buy-one-get-one-half-off cocktails through February. Palazzo, 735-9463.
LOCAL LADIES Although ladies get nightlife deals all over town, local females can feel extra special at Gold and Vanity, where brandishing a Nevada ID nets an open bar (at Gold, Wednesdays, 10 p.m. to midnight) and complimentary champagne (at Vanity, Friday through Sunday, 10 p.m. to midnight). Gold: Aria, 693-8300; Vanity: Hard Rock Hotel, 693-5555.
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