AAA Four Diamond Hotel South of Vegas Strip

Fewer than 10 miles south of the Las Vegas Strip, the Mediterranean-inspired Green Valley Ranch- Las Vegas cuts an imposing figure, with Spanish-style architecture, tiled roofs, and a recessed driveway lined with towering palms. You don't have to worry about transportation to the city's main corridor, thanks to a complimentary shuttle that runs back and forth from the strip four times a day. But there's a lot to do right here-the sprawling Green Valley Ranch- Las Vegas encompasses restaurants, pools, a casino, and a movie theater.

In the upscale casino, exposed stone columns support towering arches and a vaulted ceiling. Gamers have the run of the place, which offers 2,200 slot and video-poker games, a poker room, race and sports book areas, and more than 55 table games such as blackjack, craps, and roulette. Spend your winnings at one of eight onsite restaurants, including Hank's Fine Steaks & Martinis, known for its selection of aged meats, and Terra Verde, a cozy Italian eatery with house-made pasta dishes and an extensive wine list. Getaway holders can use their resort credit at the onsite spa for services such as massages, facials, and mani-pedis.

Green Valley Ranch- Las Vegas's outdoor recreation area stretches across more than 8 acres outfitted with manicured lawns, private cabanas, and infinity-edge dipping pools. Head to the Pond, the resort's private pool and lounge, to see and be seen during pool-party season. Come nightfall, you can catch a live band at Ovation or slip into Drop Bar for a nightcap.

Greater Las Vegas: Shops and Restaurants Off the Strip

The town of Henderson is conveniently close to Las Vegas, but it's also far enough to be an escape from the bustle of the strip. Next to Green Valley Ranch- Las Vegas sits The District, a pedestrian-friendly promenade lined with boutiques and restaurants. On Friday and Saturday nights from May through October, enjoy live music as you stroll the plaza.

To head to the Strip, hop onto the resort's free shuttle, which drops riders off at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. If you're tired of gambling, check out one of the long-running shows, such as Cirque du Soleil's Love, an acrobatic and visually stunning homage to the Beatles.

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Party Venues and Luxurious Beach Club at Rock-Themed Casino

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino takes music so seriously that speakers have been hooked up below water in the swimming pool-when you cannonball into the pool's deep end, the guitar licks of an epic jam play loud and clear. With oversize sunbathing beds, sandy beaches, and grass-shack bungalows, the Beach Club at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino pampers its guests in sun-soaked luxury. Cocktail-sipping guests float along a lazy river connecting a network of shallow pools, where they can play swim-up blackjack on floating palapas. With a rotating roster of featured celebrities and a vibrant party scene, the sprawling poolside paradise epitomizes the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's indulgent atmosphere and posh ambiance.

Inside Paradise Tower's pool-view king rooms, doors swing open to reveal a modish room with charcoal carpet extending to floor-to-ceiling windows. Velvety drapes, patent-leather ottomans, and plush beds with suede headboards enhance each stay. Casino Tower's modern rooms feature a style of clean, modern lines and warm colors. Pool-view king rooms also have oversized bathrooms, plasma TVs, and a host of other amenities.

Hard Rock Hotel caters to diverse appetites with eclectic dining and dance venues. Pink Taco serves carne asada, shrimp tacos, and other Mexican dishes in a room with gilt-framed folk art and retro lowrider bicycles. The vibrant cantina plays loud tunes and hosts diners at a wooden bar with personal electronic-gaming screens. At Vanity, the casino's electric nightclub, 20,000 light crystals from a cyclone chandelier illuminate a sunken dance floor, where the party continues until 4 a.m. Taking place on Saturdays through October, the hotel hosts the Nectar Music Festival, which it promises will "rejoice the juices of life" with the world's best DJs and musical acts.

Las Vegas: Casinos, Shows, and Lights in the Mojave Desert

The original Las Vegas Strip, Fremont Street glitters with 12 million lights and several costumed street performers. Lined with iconic casinos, flashing neon signs, and showgirls crowned with headdresses, this vintage boulevard evokes Vegas in the days of the Rat Pack. A 90-foot LED screen hovers above the bustling avenue as passengers zoom by on an 850-foot-long zipline.

While the Strip's casinos and shows are well documented and beloved, Las Vegas' cultural attractions are often overlooked. A mile east of Hard Rock Hotel, the Marjorie Barrick Museum delves into Latin American culture with one of the country's most comprehensive collections of pre-Columbian art. This University of Nevada gallery proudly displays Mexican dance masks, Hopi basketry, and Navajo jewelry, some of which dates back thousands of years.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.

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Mod Boutique Hotel in the Heart of Little Italy

The scent of freshly baked pizza seems to permeate the air in San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood, its streets dotted with red-and-white-striped restaurants. Crowds file in and out of the area's quaint shops, stopping in between to grab a quick cup of espresso at one of the cafes on India Street. Steps away from the vibrant shops, the stucco Porto Vista Hotel channels a fun, throwback vibe Frommer's calls "retro-Italian cool."

Upon your arrival, bartenders whip up two complimentary welcome drinks, drawing from ginger and elderflower essences as well as house-infused bacon vodka. Upstairs, cozy queen rooms are dominated by a floor-to-ceiling, '60s-style photograph taken by a local San Diego artist. The oversize image overlooks cushy pillow-top beds wrapped in crisp, white linens. Guests can snare wild frisbees from their window, which peers toward the glistening bay.

On the fourth floor of the Porto Vista, chefs at the Glass Door restaurant use local and seasonal ingredients to concoct inventive dishes such as duck-fat fries and prosciutto-seared salmon, which are served at communal tables amid wrought-iron lanterns and wall-to-wall waterfront views. Elsewhere, you can unwind at a rooftop sunset yoga class, get styled in the attached Evolve Salon, or explore the happening neighborhood just outside the Porto Vista's front doors.

San Diego: Foodie Heaven with Vibrant Neighborhoods

Little Italy's historical streets bustle with tourists and locals alike, who come especially for the good eats. Handmade gelato and golden pizza pies fill the storefronts of classic, Italian-style eateries. One dessert cafe, run by a Paris-trained pastry chef, regularly sees lines forming down the block in the early morning as diners stock up on flaky, buttery croissants and scones.

Less than a mile from the hotel, the massive USS Midway Museum lets visitors wander through a Navy aircraft carrier and immerse themselves in life on the high seas. To observe San Diego's funky neighborhoods up close, you can shadow a local mailman or rent electric bikes for full- or half-day adventures. Some of the most popular destinations within biking distance include SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo, one of only four American zoos with giant pandas on display.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.

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Salon Gianna

The husband-wife team behind Salon Gianna founded the high-ceilinged spa space to fund research for rare childhood diseases after their daughter-the salon's namesake-was diagnosed with a congenital cell-growth disorder. The salon's aestheticians pamper guests with a range of services and use the proceeds to support work at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute. Éminence organic facials nourish skin with ingredients both potent and natural, such as the clear-skin facial's probiotic yogurt mask or the paprika and fruit-acid exfoliant of the anti-aging facial.

Invigorating scrubs and body wraps extend skincare to the entire physique, reenergizing skin as much as jogging through a coffee storm. Massage therapists lull tense muscles into a relaxed state with deep-tissue and Swedish techniques, and nail technicians dress up hands and feet with chic Rockstar toes or long-lasting shellac polish. Stylists can customize tresses with new hues and cuts or remove unwanted strands during waxing sessions.

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