ATMs

Most casinos offer ATMs and over-the-counter cash facilities, but beware about the charges set by your bank and the machine operator or establishment. ATMs in casinos may charge exorbitant fees for withdrawals.

Shopping malls

• Fashion Show Mall, 3200 S Las Vegas Blvd; offers nearly every major and deluxe U.S. retail chain store. Also offers numerous others often associated with major designers, plus a large food court and several excellent restaurants, all in a fully-enclosed, air-conditioned facility. The mall’s plaza on the side facing the Strip is covered by a giant silver oval shade called the “Cloud” so it’s hard to miss. Features extensive, free covered parking that often gets very busy by midday.
• Town Square, 6611 S Las Vegas Blvd. About half a mile south of Mandalay is an outdoor mall in the shape of a small Mediterranean town and stands out as such amidst all the other, air-conditioned indoor malls. The idea of open-air shopping in the summer in the desert might seem crazy at first, but an extensive network of trees, shadow alleys and water sprayers let you actually enjoy sunny afternoons outside. And as such, Las Vegas’ temperatures are not as heat prone in the seasons of fall, winter, and spring. All shops and restaurants here have their own distinctive one- or two-story structures. The “town” actually centers around a real town square featuring trees, ice cream and coffee stands and benches to rest.
• Forum Shops, 3500 S. Las Vegas Boulevard (in Caesars). A huge high-end shopping area that also offers free animatronics shows at Fountain of the Gods and Atlantis located at either end of the mall.
• Grand Canal Shoppes, 3377 South Las Vegas Boulevard (in the Venetian). Another massive shopping area that features the tacky objets d’art shop featured in Martin Bashir’s interview with Michael Jackson.
• Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, 3663 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 10:00am – 11:00pm: Sunday – Thursday, 10:00am – midnight: Friday – Saturday. Open all year, including holidays. Restaurant and bar hours vary. In addition to 170 specialty stores, 15 restaurants and three live entertainment venues, the Miracle Mile Shops also features a multi-million dollar fountain show and an indoor rainstorm. edit

Outlet malls

• The two largest and most prestigious are the Las Vegas Premium Outlets centers. Both are owned by the Premium Outlets chain, which is part of Simon Property Group. The southern one was originally independently developed by another company as Las Vegas Outlet Center and is still described by that name in older travel guidebooks. Both share many of the same tenants. The northern one features a few designer brands not found in its southern sibling, like Armani Exchange, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Elie Tahari, Kate Spade, Salvatore Ferragamo, St. John, Tory Burch, and Tumi, while the southern one features a Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th store.
• Las Vegas Premium Outlets – North, 875 South Grand Central Parkway. At the gateway of Downtown – 150 designer and name-brand outlets in an outdoor setting. edit
• Las Vegas Premium Outlets – South, 7400 Las Vegas Boulevard South (a few miles S of Mandalay Bay). 140 outlet stores in an indoor setting complete with two food courts. edit

What to eat

Large casinos will invariably offer a variety of dining options, ranging from the omni-present buffet to simple cafes to gourmet restaurants.

Buffets

Buffets are extremely popular in Las Vegas and the city has a plethora of them. They are popular with locals and tourists alike. The best buffets typically run about $30 a person for a weekend dinner. Lunch is a better value at most buffets as it is typically half-price but serves some of the same types of food that can be found at dinner hours. Breakfast is the least expensive and often has a good spread too. Don’t forget that tipping your buffet waiter 10-15% is customary. You can leave cash on the table at the end of your meal or tip the cashier at the counter on a credit card.

Drink

In Las Vegas, free drinks are offered to all gamblers whether playing table games or slots of any denomination. You should tip the waitress at least $1 per drink. Failure to do so will most likely result in the waitress visiting you less often, and visiting those more often who do tip.

Nightclubs/Dancing

There is a club or lounge in nearly every hotel and casino. Most clubs remain open until 4AM, with various after-hour clubs available for the truly hard-core partiers. Drink prices can range anywhere from $4-8 for a domestic bottle of beer, $8-10 for well drinks made with cheap generic liquor, and $200 or more for a bottle of spirits. Clubs are always busy on weekends, and may also be packed during weekdays at places that have Service Industry Night (SIN), usually Tuesday to Thursday, when locals working in the service industry have their night off.

Heat exhaustion and dehydration

Expect extremely low humidity and temperatures above 105°F (40°C) May to September. Bring sunscreen and wear loose, light-colored clothing that substantially reflects sunlight. Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids.

Smoking

Inside all large casinos (generally those casinos exceeding 15 slot machines), strip clubs and standalone bars not serving food, tobacco smoking is permitted. In large casinos, there are areas which are smoke-free, but they may be very close to smoking areas. Poker rooms are typically smoke-free. Smoke-free table games and slot areas are also available. Restaurants inside casinos are non-smoking. Nightclubs and lounges may allow smoking if they do not serve food.

For all other standalone restaurants, bars, convenience stores, grocery stores and airport facilities smoking is banned in all establishments which sell food other than prepackaged snacks.