JW Marriott A Classy Golf Destination Resort in Las VegasRead Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com
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The JW Marriott in Summerlin, a northwest suburb of Las Vegas, has a huge ceiling lobby, providing a cool, North African/Mediterranean type of desert motif. There is plentiful natural lighting and real jungly plants, making
luxury resort glow in late afternoon like sundown on sand dunes, when day relents to evening Saharan brilliant night sky.
In certain parts of Sahara it has not rained for ten thousand years, and lately in Vegas, it has been eerily rain sparse. While staying at JW Marriott, which is actually a Canadian managed brand of Marriott chain, I felt like I was in a 1930's newsreel, with Marriott reminiscent of a Moroccan grand dame frontier fort, something out of Beau Gest. It is a wonderful resort sitting out amongst retirementville enclave of Summerlin - giving it a sentinel loneliness, like French Foreign Legion post that Gary Cooper left at end of movie "Morocco", with Marlena Deitrich trailing forlorn and behind.
Where is Summerlin? Summerin is a 36 square mile, master planned community developed by Howard Hughes Corporation. For many years Summerlin was ranked as nation's best selling master planned community, according to an independent survey by Robert Charles Lesser & Company, a leading national real estate consultant.
There are actually two hotels here, or I should say two six-story towers, with 541 guest rooms and suites, located on south and west end of immense resort. I heard through grapevine that other towers are planned. The Spa Tower has 286 rooms and suites The Palms Tower with 255 rooms and suites. Guest rooms offer interior views of gardens or panoramic views of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area to west. Rent a bike or hike area. You can see glistening lights of Vegas to east, because you are actually in foothills of Redrock area, known for it's outstanding climbing routes.
The size of guest rooms average about 560 square feet, and are very comfortable, with either king, queen or twin beds.What I really liked about room was huge Jacuzzi tub that you could lay down in. Ahhh - now that is pleasure!
Pool and Gardens - The elaborate $12.5 million complex of gardens and pools covers acres. The gardens include an 11,000 square foot grass edged pool with waterfall and four 25-yard swimming lanes, plus two 250-square foot spa pools equipped with handicap lifts. The Marriott Las Vegas is landscaped with 3,500 trees, including more than 800 palms, and features a $1.5 million lighting system. There is 24-hour valet parking service.
My usual first stop at a hotel is in-house lounge. This is where you get latest lounge lizard and bartender's versions of how to run a good hotel, and chance to check out out-of-towners. It is my Nielsen poll.
The chit chat was subdued and sublime, with a shift change, so there wasn't much coming forth with from lounge bartender, just golf talk from a couple of packaged vacationers. After no major breaking news bulletins issued at cozy lobby bar, I quickly drained my Heineken and spun away across blond hardwood floors that could serve double duty in a line dance venue.
There are several restaurant presently at JW Marriott. That evening I was inducted into fine Italian dining at Ceres, a formal and sedate dining venue - a sort of continental European atmosphere, with a very formal staff, held in check by prim and proper restaurant manager, a step back to a Casablanca film figure. There we are back in Morocco. I really like Ceres, and they have a special room out towards back of restaurant that is private, but it was very hot - this was last legs of summer. So I shed my jacket like snakeskin.
Ceres, in Spa Tower, overlooks waterfalls and garden and serves classic seafood dishes. Ceres also has a five seat section with a large paned glass looking on to furiously working chefs. The chefs bring items to glass for diners to check, and they explain how things are prepared. It was a unique touch. You can sample food, too.
This is Ceres' claim to fame - and it is fame well deserved, so pass it around to your friends.
* King Crab Mediterranean Seafood Stew. * One pound of Alaska King Crab Legs. * Pan-Seared Oregano Salmon, with Citrus Pine Nut Toasted Israeli Couscous. with Olive Roman Tomatoes, and Italian Parsley Butter Broth. * Other fare includes Sea Bass, Snapper, Seafood Scampi, Lamb Chops, Steaks, Lobsters.
Everthing is served elegantly at Ceres. I picked Salmon, just because it sounded most elegant. When it arrived, it was seared perfectly, crispy outside, and flakey on inside, just way I like it. Take Oyster Rockefeller for an appetizer.
Many of other restaurants along Promenade at J.W. Marriott are under seperate management, such as Hamada Of Japan (dinner only for steaks and sushi), OXO's (dinner only for steaks and seafoods), and Spiedini Restorante (Milanese for "Quick Roast", serving urban Italian cuisine). The Marriott team manages Ceres (not on Promenade) and fun and popular J.C. Wooloughan's (on Promendade) . . .
