Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link: http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/shows/vegas/penn/teller.html

Penn and Teller make their own brand of magic six nights a week at Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Iconoclasts to bone, Penn is tall and verbose, Teller, diminutive and silent. Together they are known as Bad Boys of Magic.

Recently, I had unique, slightly unnerving pleasure of seeing internationally famous duo perform live at Samba Room, showroom created especially for them at Rio.

It's 8:30 p.m. and show is scheduled to begin at nine. Hot jazz is being played from stage left. There is no curtain. The stage is awash in a red hue over a bright high gloss red and black checkerboard floor with a thin red frame and Penn and Teller spelled out in flame red against a black backdrop. Audience members are trooping on stage, taking pictures in front of two large empty boxes, one Plexiglas, other wood.

"Feel free to open them up and see what they're made of ? but please, for your own safety, do not try to get inside one of boxes."

It's pianist speaking to audience. Mike Jones, as he will later be introduced, is playing jazz on a baby grand Kawai piano while someone wearing a hat, who looks suspiciously like Penn Gillette, is standing next to him playing bass.

I take Jones' invitation and venture up on stage. What a heady feeling. How much fun is this to stand on very stage where magic is about to happen? Like my fellow audience members I lift lid of Plexiglas box and it seems to be nothing more nor less than it appears. The wooden box is heavy and well constructed. There are no visible clues.

"I'm going to play one more very fast song giving you time to carelessly run on stage and look at two boxes that will be used in box escape challenge tonight." The last group hurries on stage to investigate props, and to capture memory on their digital cameras.

Penn and Teller tickets OnlineNine o'clock rolls around and every seat looks occupied. "That's Jonesy ? our friend ? Penn tells audience as he and Teller burst onto stage. "This is not your typical Las Vegas show!" he boasts. "Teller and I write our own stuff. We've been doing magic together for thirty years."

Summer might be over, but Ambrose Hotel in Santa Monica, California, is a new boutique hotel that provides "ambrosia" for soul all year-around.

This extraordinary Asian-inspired property is tucked away in a residential neighborhood, just one block from Wilshire business district, and a quick five minute drive from Pacific Ocean. From STay With Feng Shui At The Ambrose Hotelmoment my husband and I turned corner from Wilshire Blvd. onto 20th Street, we were embraced by a tranquil elegance, unlike any city hotel I'd ever visited.

We discovered this place by accident. My husband and I decided to take a weekend trip and escape from life's problems and go to a UCLA football game. I was reluctant about going to LA considering I was already stressed to max, and it seemed that any place we could afford in Los Angeles would feel like camping out, not exactly my idea of a relaxing getaway. But it was my best girl friend who recommended this little place in Santa Monica. She told us in her worldly way, "You can afford $160 a night. The Ambrose is known to be refreshingly affordable." I was concerned. What did she mean by that?

She assured me that Ambrose Hotel in Santa Monica was brand new and I would be very impressed. She had just been there and told me that décor and architecture were inspired by legendary turn-of-the-century Arts and Crafts Movement, but with an Asian flair, a little like a California Mission town that was expertly Feng Shui'd! It sounded fascinating. My husband and I agreed it was worth checking out. But after fighting LA traffic for more than a couple of hours I was sure I'd made biggest mistake. There wasn't anything near Los Angeles that could be restful or relaxing. Besides what kind of place could offer rates that were so reasonable?

Thank goodness it was too late to turn back! From minute we turned into front of hotel, we were embraced by a wave of warmth and relaxation that answered our prayers. The truth was that this place was especially designed for REST and RELAXATION. It was a "non-hotel", which made us feel immediately at home, except it was even better because it had every amenity of a luxury five-star hotel, without dreaded expense.

The first thing I noticed was that it was so quiet. Except for wind chimes in Zen garden and sound of sea breeze fluttering in huge bright, red silk, wind flags that boasted three large red hearts swirling in air, there wasn't another sound to be heard. Even water fall in rock garden was soothingly silent as it spilled into Japanese koi pond.

We were greeted by two beautiful hotel clerks in grey striped blazers. You could tell they loved this serene environment and were proud to be working for this 77- room hotel. The peaceful foyer/living room was decorated with rich, dark cherry hardwood floors, with luxurious Asian carpets. I quietly smiled inside, looking at comfortable rocking chairs and cozy library, I secretly knew I had accomplished my goal of finding a place to relax - even if we were going to a college football game at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, another 45 minutes of traffic away!

Our room was on third floor overlooking Zen garden. Again, I was astounded by sense of peacefulness as we were shown to our room! As we stepped out of elevator an inviting fragrance attracted our attention. Even my husband noticed scent and commented on how beautiful and refreshing hotel corridor appeared. The dark, hard wood floors on room floors were also inlaid with decorative Asian carpets that felt rich and luxurious. The art works on walls were small miniatures of pages from a book on Oriental elements which pleased eye and were quite intriguing to read.