Almost all of the MGM Mirage resorts have a resort fee right now. That includes Excalibur ($9.95), Luxor ($12.95), Mandalay Bay ($15.00), New York-New York ($12.95), Monte Carlo ($14.50), Mirage ($15.00), and Circus-Circus ($4.95). If there is good news to be had in this it is that all of these properties show the resort fee up front when you are booking online and it is added to your total before you hit "reserve." That is not always the case as you'll see in a couple of paragraphs.

Of the MGM Mirage properties, only Aria and Bellagio are not charging the fees as of this writing. MGM Grand had a fee when I first checked but now doesn't (thank you reader Rob) - which brings up a point that obviously these things are as unpredictable as room rates. Just because they are one thing today doesn't mean they will be that tomorrow.

Harrah's Entertainment properties are making a big deal about the fact that they are not charging the fees, even going so far as to remove the fee that was added to the bill at Planet Hollywood now that they have taken over that hotel. Other non-fee Harrah's properties include Harrah's, Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Bally's, The Flamingo, Bill's, Imperial Palace, and Rio Suites.

Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas do not have a resort fee at this time either.

Treasure Island is charging an eye-popping $20 per night fee but in addition to the regular stuff listed above, it also includes a 2-for-1 buffet pass, a 2-for-1 cocktail, nightclub admission, VIP viewing for the Sirens show, and a $20 credit on a future stay. Note that all of those are per-stay, not per-night so if you are there for four nights, you get one 2-for-1 buffet coupon and one $20 credit. Even more egregious is that they do not add it to your total before you book online - it is buried in the fine print and added later.

Same goes for the Venetian and the Palazzo, each of which add a $17 per night resort fee on top of what you are paying at the end of your stay.

The Stratosphere is charging $7.50 per night and Sahara is at $6.00 per night.

What's worse is that you have to pay tax on the resort fee as well so those numbers are a couple of bucks higher once you add that in.

The people at the hotels suggest that the resort fee is a great bargain for guests and that's probably true if you use all the services. Internet alone is $12-15 per night usually and gym access will often run you another $15-25 depending on the hotel. Heck, the bottles of water they have in most rooms will run you $5 a pop. But if you are a normal human being who thinks the idea of working out while on vacation is heresy and you have no lap top and your own cell phone and don't drink water or read the newspaper, it obviously doesn't make sense for you. So when you book your next room in Vegas, be sure to check to see if the hotel you are considering has a resort fee (check the fine print!!), what it includes, and then decide whether or not it's worth it for your vacation.

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10% Off Dollar Rent a Car Las Vegas

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The good news for the restaurant is that it was picked as Best New Restaurant in the Las Vegas Review Journal Reader's Poll. See my review below.

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Presented by Motown legend Smokey Robinson, the Aussie quartet, that nation's most successful recording group, delivers a high-energy show that covers a wide variety of R&B classics. Backed by a crack six-piece band, the four do tight harmonies on songs like "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," "Dancing in the Streets," "Stop in the Name of Love," "ABC, 123," and "Uptight" to name a few. The vocals are impeccable, although sometimes a bit in danger of being overwhelmed by the musicians behind them.

That's why the true standout moments are when they go a cappella on songs such as "Just My Imagination" and "People Get Ready." Their harmonies are an intricate blend of street corner doo-wop, barbershop quartet, and boy band white-boy soul and although the band is great, I wish they had taken more breaks than they did.

There is nothing more to the show than the music and the Motown style choreography (and the occasional video clip during costume changes) but the foursome are filled with an almost stereotypical Australian roguish charm that is more than enough to get past the low production values.

The biggest problem with the show is not the show itself but where it is shown. The room at the Imperial Palace is a "classic" Vegas showroom, meaning a few high-backed booths and lots of skinny tables with banquet chairs. To say that it is uncomfortable is a huge understatement and it made me want the show to be over a solid 20 minutes before it actually was.

But if you are a fan of Motown or a fan of music in general, you may want to go ahead and put up with it.

Vegas4Visitors Grade: B

Human Nature
Imperial Palace
3535 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-731-3311
website
Showtimes:

I'm also a big fan of "Desperate Housewives" and all of its stars including Eva Longoria-Parker.

So when the two teamed up to create Beso, a Latin-themed steakhouse also at The Crystals, I had high hopes even though Longoria-Parker's DH character Gabby is a notoriously bad cook.

I won't go so far as to say I was disappointed but while good, Beso didn't quite live up to the expectations I had.

It started off well - the room is gorgeous, done in various shades of black with crystal accents and big windows looking out toward the main entrance of CityCenter. It's elegant and sophisticated in a way that makes it feel modern without trying too hard.

It was once we got to the menu that things started being less than exciting. There are a million steakhouses in Las Vegas and they all serve the same basic stuff, so it's the interesting twists and dishes that make something stand out. Unfortunately here, the emphasis is on steakhouse over the Latin themed part of the equation, which means that you have to hunt for the dishes that aren't on any other steakhouse menu in town.

A raw bar serves up a variety of seafood - oysters, clams, shrimp or lobster cocktail; starters include crab cakes and beef tartare with a truffle vinaigrette and quail egg; there are things like Caesars salad and lobster bisque in the soup and salad section; and then you've got the steaks and entrees - filets, strips, ribeyes, pork chops, lamb chops, more lobster, roasted chicken, salmon, short ribs, and even a burger. Pretty standard fare.

You have to look really closely to find the Latin influence. There's a taquiera tasting in the appetizer section, three mini tacos with skirt steak, tuna tartare, and lobster salad; Eva's Tortilla Soup, with chicken and salsa verde; and a paella with saffron rice, lobster, shellfish, chicken, and chorizo. These are a couple of examples of only a handful of original dishes. The rest is just another steakhouse.

Which isn't to say that it isn't good. The tortilla soup was a creamy wonder, served piping hot in both temperature and flavor and I loved the macaroni and cheese side dish, all velvety goodness the way it should be.

The filet I got was a fine cut of meat, cooked the way I ordered it and tender, and I dressed it up with a blue cheese crust. To be honest, that is the only thing that saved it from being just another filet. You can also get whatever cut you choose Oscar or Rossini style or with a truffle butter, any of which I would have to recommend if for no other reason than to amp up the excitement level a notch.

My table-mates ordered one of the fish entrees and the burger, both of which were declared "good" but there wasn't a lot of jumping up and down when so described.

Prices are typical for a Strip restaurant, which is to say expensive. Starters run $10-25, soups and salads $10-19, steaks $34-52, and entrees $21-44 with sides $7-20. A full meal with wine, tax, tip, and dessert is easily $75-100 per person.

I usually only want to pay that kind of money for something truly special. The word I kept coming back to for Beso was "good," but not special.

Beso Las Vegas
The Crystals at CityCenter
3720 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-254-2376
website
Hours: