FROM LEFT: Ilana and Joe Vann; Bill and Guiliana Rancic with Jason Binn; Rebecca Romijn

Holiday Frenzy

One of my favorite advantages to living in Las Vegas is how seamlessly you can go from a night of such luxury that it almost feels like a fantasy to quality time with friends and family. This is especially apparent as we gear up for the holiday season. First up: Thanksgiving. Among the glamorous parties that Las Vegas is famous for this time of year, I’ll actually spend Turkey Day weekend at home with my amazing wife, Ilana, and our two children.

Already on my calendar as a must-go-to event: Rock for the Cure, benefiting the Nevada Cancer Institute. This year Eva Longoria Parker will host the bash at Aria Resort & Casino on November 11. From philanthropic events and exhilarating nightclubs like Lavo and The Bank to the sublime luxury offered at the Mandarin Oriental just a few steps away, Las Vegas has it all.

I just can’t get enough.

These next two months, when Las Vegas is at a peak of frenzy, make the perfect time to show off how fast we’re growing. We now have seven Cirque du Soleil shows in a 2.5-mile radius, 15 of the 20 biggest hotels in the world and a whopping six Louis Vuitton stores within two miles. Our expanding dining scene, which we’ve covered so thoroughly in this issue, is second to none. Sink your teeth into our feature on 9 Group’s nine years in town, a chefs’ roundup of favorite Thanksgiving recipes and our ranking of some of the 16 master sommeliers in Vegas (NYC only has five).

This month we also offer our packed holiday gift guide, for the hottest presents of the year for your loved ones no matter what their style. Tear it out and hit the stores—nothing like getting a jump on the giving season.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Vegas, and here’s wishing you the best this Thanksgiving season.

Yours truly,

           
JOSEF VANN                              JASON BINN