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We are pleased to announce Tahiti Village is now one of two locations in Las Vegas – and the only resort property – to offer a Nissan Electric Vehicle Charging Station. Installation began last week, and the station will soon be ready for use. It is on the second floor of the parking garage next to the elevators.

All electric vehicles can “fill up” at the double-sided charging station, not just the Leaf, Nissan’s five-door hatchback. It takes about 30 minutes to fully charge an empty battery. The range of electric vehicles is approximately 90 miles, which will put you within walking distance of the World’s Tallest Thermometer in Baker.

Electric car owners pay for charging with an RFID card that they hold over the station’s read symbol. Nissan Leaf owners can use the station – how’s this for irony? – at no charge.

Las Vegas can be a great family vacation, but what if you and your spouse want to enjoy some alone time to bask in the “adult playground?”  Fortunately, Las Vegas is a town with plenty of great night life options, but it is important to make sure that the kids are safe while you’re out.

Child Care Services

While teenagers can probably be left alone in a hotel room for a few hours, younger kids will have to have adult supervision.  Fortunately, many hotels and resorts on and off the Strip offer child care services.  At some of the larger hotels, it’s possible to drop kids off in a night time activity program. These programs keep kids together in a room with several adults.  Often, snacks, meals and activities such as movies and arts and crafts are provided.  These programs are a great idea for school-aged children who are used to being apart from their parents for several hours at a time.

Another option is in-room child care.  At larger hotels, a nanny is brought into the room to watch young children.  Nannies are background checked and screened by the hotel or staffing agency.  In many cases the nannies are students at a nearby college or grandmothers looking for part-time work.  These nannies can make snacks, play games, and even get the kids ready for bed while the parents are out.  This is an excellent option for very small children (who may or may not be potty-trained), and for parents who want to come back to the room to find their kids already sleeping in bed.

Private Nanny

There are also a number of private staffing firms that offer childcare providers on an as-needed basis.  These nannies can arrive at any hotel or private residence and can be hired for a single night or several days.  They’re a great idea for groups of families that are vacationing together, since a single nanny can handle multiple children.

Parents of older children might want to look into private child watch programs.  These are usually aimed at tweens and teens, and provide a safe place for kids to hang out while their parents are off on their own.  There are several dance clubs and hang out spots that are chaperoned by responsible adults, but that give older kids a feeling of independence without making them feel as if they are being babysat.  Make sure you ask about the rules regarding these places, however.  Some places do not allow kids to stay longer than several hours at a time, and a few of them close much earlier than a lot of the nightlife spots in Las Vegas.

For a list of childcare services offered on and off the strip, click here. Once you find someone to watch your kids, you’re free to plan a perfect evening out in Las Vegas!  Catch a show, go out dancing or just walk the Strip together.

Owners can now get a 30-minute jump on everyone else for the best spots at the Tahiti Village pool. Our beautiful sand-entry beach pool is now opening exclusively for vacation club owners at 7:30 a.m., a full half hour before the official 8 a.m. admittance for visitors.

One of our friendly lifeguards will meet you at the southwest gate across from 17° South Booze & Bites. Just show your owner’s ID card and you’ll have the run of the place. Ownership has its privileges!

The yearlong project to renovate the guest units is underway and progressing faster than we could have hoped. Vinyl flooring has been replaced in all Tower 1 and 2 guest units, and attractive new cut and loop pile carpeting is now in all fifth- and sixth-floor guest units in Tower 1. All Tower 1 rooms are expected to have new carpet sometime in April, after which we will move on to Towers 2 and 5.  Occupancy rates will determine how quickly we are able to install the rest of the flooring and carpeting. With our busy season just around the corner, it may be after summer before the project is complete. We are expecting new sofa sleepers and balcony furniture by July at the latest. Come for a visit and see for yourself!

Tahiti Village

 

As any parent can attest, a happy child is a distracted child – and nothing distracts better (which is to say longer) than a gadget. If you’re taking your kids on vacation, the key to your contentment is finding those devices whose unique trance-inducing qualities can significantly reduce the likelihood you’ll hear those two dreaded little words: “I’m bored.”

Find the right ones, in fact, and it may just be you telling them to put the darn things down – “or else.”

So while what follows is ostensibly an article on the best electronic gadgets to entertain your kids on vacation – summer will be here before you know it – you may also consider it an instructive guide to maintaining your sanity.

Now that we’ve established how to keep them occupied, you’ll need to know with what. Gadgets, like vices in Vegas, are ubiquitous; how do you choose precisely the right ones from a nearly infinite number of choices? The short answer is, you don’t. For your convenience, we’ve taken the liberty of searching to the last page of the internet (where you’ll find a greeting from the creator of the internet, circa 1991) and reduced 14,677,204,522 to 12.

Aw shucks, it was nothin’.

Editor’s note: If you’re going to Tahiti Village, you can safely ignore everything you’ve just read. You won’t need gadgets to keep the kids entertained. But in the unlikely event they want to take a break from the Lazy River, sand-entry beach pool and numerous onsite activities, it couldn’t hurt to familiarize yourself with the following list:

Tablets

Kids absolutely love tablets. The games, the touchscreen and the compact design make them highly addictive. There are several kid-friendly tablet options out there that are easy on the eyes and the wallet. There’s the VTech InnoTab ($59) for the very young, the Nabi Jr.($99) for the preteens, and the Kindle HD Kids Edition ($149) for those mature enough to be trusted online.

Kidizoom Smart Watch

This may be the coolest kids watch ever. Not only doesthe Kidizoom Smart Watch tell time, it will also take and edit photos, shoot videos and record your voice. Oh yes, it also has three games and different analogue and digital watch faces from which to choose on its intuitive touchscreen.

LeapTV

LeapFrog’s LeapTV is a $149 game system that’s leading the trend in toys that focus on physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. With this game, made for children 3-8, kids engage in a bunch of fun, active games such as Disney adventures, superhero crime fighting, sports and dance. This is a tech toy that really does keep kids off the couch and moving.  And you don’t need to worry about mature games sneaking in under the radar. All of LeapTV’s games are approved for young players.

Sony PlayStation 4

What would a list of recommended gadgets be with the Sony Playstation 4? Gaming bundles are great deals right now, and the PlayStation 4 Limited Edition Destiny Bundle in Glacier White (just $449!) combines the most powerful game console currently available with a best-selling game. Add to that a whole bunch of extras like multiplayer maps, strike missions and exclusive content, and you have a tough-to-beat deal.

Osmo

With even your youngest kids spending as much time on a tablet as you do, you may as well combine the digital games they love with real puzzle pieces, word games and drawings that build skills they can use for life. Osmo ($79) lets you do just that. Just slide your tablet into the Osmo base unit, snap the reflector onto the camera, and watch as the games they play with their hands appear magically on the tablet screen. It’s kind of like tricking them into playing with real toys!

Activision Skylanders Trap Team

Kids collect the Skylanders action figures, set them on the glowing portal and watch as the characters magically appear in the Skylanders video game. It basically brings toys to life – or life to toys. Skylanders Trap Team ($74.99) is the fourth installment of the fantastical franchise and the first to work with a tablet. You trap villains in the “Traptanium” and then use them to help you fight against the evil Kaos. This is an insanely fun toy/game. And since it’s on a tablet, you can have the TV back.

Bop It! Beats

For the aspiring DJ. Choose from five game modes and move fast to keep up with the action commands. Can you Spin It clockwise, Scratch It with the turntable, or Reverse and Spin the turntable clockwise as the game commands. Play the Classic, Classic Party, DJ, DJ Party or Remix game by yourself or with friends. Sometimes you’ll be looking for the high score and sometimes you’ll be cooperating with everyone to get the high score together.

Legos

Legos have come a long way since the days when they were just a bucket of brightly colored blocks. LEGO Technic sets (starting at $39) let kids build some amazingly intricate wheeled creations, complete with moving parts a tablet. Every Technic set includes a digital build guide with 3D models of every single brick, showing where it goes and how to place it perfectly. It turns the actual building into a game itself.

GoldieBlox

Building isn’t just for boys. GoldieBlox kits encourage young girls to build, experiment and create all kinds of amazing things. The Movie Machine kit ($29) teaches kids how to shoot their own movie using the GoldieBlox tablet app. They can draw their own animations and merge it all into their very own short film.

Techno Source Rubik’s Revolution

The Rubik’s Revolution from Techno Source is an interactive electronic version of the classic Rubik’s Cube. It features six games: Light Speed, Rapid Recharge, Pattern Panic, Cube Catcher, Code Cracker, and Multiplayer Madness. Just follow and press the lights on each side of the cube by turning and spinning it to challenge your memory. The faster you move the cube, the faster you’ll advance to each level. During play, your score and/or time will be announced. That’s a lot of fun for just $19.99.

Tiger Electronics POWER TOUR Electric Guitar

Is your son or daughter a wannabe rock star? Before they beg you for a real electric guitar, let them try their skills on Tiger Electronics’ POWER TOUR Electric Guitar first. Instead of strings, it features touch sensors with LED lights and dual-function knobs. Kids can choose to learn how to play the 12 preloaded songs or plug in their MP3 player to jam along to their favorite tunes.

Once a pre-loaded song is selected, such as “Wild Thing” or “Smoke on the Water,” kids can learn how to play the song by following the multi-colored lights along the frets. Don’t worry: There’s a headphone jack so that you can still enjoy a quiet night at home. It’s available in black or white and sells for $69.99. The POWER TOUR Amp sells separately for $49.99. Rock on!

 

Las Vegas has taken the art of romance to a new level. With about one month left until Valentine’s Day, now is the time to start planning one-of-a-kind activities to woo your sweetheart in Sin City.

From traditional romantic treats to off-the-beaten path stops and ramped-up versions of tying the knot, here are the top six ways to start planning a romantic time in Vegas:

1. Enjoy a romantic getaway.
   Take a gondola ride at the Venetian with a live serenade and the choice between an indoor or open-air experience. Or take a romantic stroll to the Fountains at the Bellagio or the Eiffel Tower Experience at Paris Las Vegas.
2. Order dessert for two.
   Sugar Factory Bar & Grilloffers The Red Velvet Fondue paired with champagne, a decadent treat that is sure to tempt your sweet tooth. This spendy treat requires 24-hour notice for reservations.
3. Take in a show with a romantic twist.
   Curl up on a duo sofa near the front of the stage at “Zumanity,” Cirque du Soleil’s steamy adults-only show. Or choose the VIP Indulgence Package at “Le Rêve—The Dream” complete with plush seating, complimentary champagne, chocolates, and chocolate-covered strawberries.
4. Make a little spa time for two.
   The Costa del Sur Spa & Salon inside the South Point offers a luxurious oasis with an exclusive couples-only retreat area. Or visit Sin City’s Spa Aquae at JW Marriott Las Vegas, which boasts a hydrotherapy circuit pool and luxury-for-two spa services such as the Couples Desert Stone Therapy Massage or the rejuvenating Couples Sampler Massage.
5. Defy death by shark attack.
   If you are looking for a unique adrenaline rush with your significant other try the Dive with Sharksprogram at the aquarium inside Mandalay Bay. Scuba-certified guests ages 18 and older get to dive side-by-side with dive guides and more than 30 sharks, including sandtiger, white tip and sandbar sharks – all inside the aquarium’s 1.3-million-gallon shipwreck exhibit. Each dive is limited to two participants; couples can book the experience together for $1,000.
6. Get hitched in style.
   The Wynn recently opened newly designed Wedding Salons and offers a five-star Diamond Extravagance package, which includes custom Cartier wedding bands, a first dance choreographed by Le Réve – The Dream performers, and a private party inside XS nightclub. Or choose The Bellagio Resort and Casino for a Tuscan-inspired view overlooking the famed Fountains for your first married kiss.

 

One of the biggest decisions you ever make arrives every year with the Big Game. Your thorough enjoyment of the pro football championship depends utterly on where you watch it and with whom. Remember, you don’t have the benefit of replay. There are no do-overs. You have a once-in-a-calendar-year chance to get it right.

As you probably know from loathsome experience, there’s nothing worse than hating the place you’re in and the people you’re with on the biggest football Sunday of the year. You can guess wrong on one and still have a reasonably good time. Botch both? Like Norwood Wide Right, your abysmal failure will haunt you the entire off-season and maybe the rest of your life. This is pressure.

We can’t tell you who to watch the game with, but we can definitely recommend a great place – 17° South Booze & Bites. Our onsite bar and bistro here at Tahiti Village has 10 televisions that display crystal clear color images on enviable widescreens. You have a choice of viewing on seven indoor or three outdoor HDTVs while you’re enjoying $2 Coors Lights and special drinks (the New England Deflator and the Seattle 12th Man) that reflect the colors of the two competing teams, the Seattle Seahwaks and New England Patriots. We also have 24 beers on tap and a great menu of game-day favorites.

We wish you an enjoyable Big Game Sunday and hope you’ll join us at 17° South for the festivities. As always, may all your prop bets come through!

One of the natural byproducts of Las Vegas’ evolution from an adult playground to a family destination has been the advent of shows both children and their parents can enjoy. The Cirque du spectaculars, magic acts and miscellaneous G-rated fare that began appearing in the early `90s, cautiously at first, are now ubiquitous, the previously prolific indigenous species – the Las Vegas showgirl – all but extinct.

So now you’ve decided to bring the kids with you to Las Vegas. You want to see a show with them but don’t want to worry about the sudden unexpected appearance of a leftover Lido lady flashing a body part best left covered. Guess what? We’ve got you covered.

From an embarrassment of riches we’ve pared down the kid-friendliest shows in Las Vegas to a list of five to help you make the best possible choice. And if that weren’t enough, we’ve thrown in two free bonus choices and a seasonal selection that happens to be our personal favorite. That’s eight great shows in all.

Read on!*

Popovich Pet Comedy Theater

Planet Hollywood

Gregory Popovich’s Comedy Pet Theater features dogs and cats (plus doves and other small critters – more than 30 animals in all) acting out skits such as passengers boarding a train, students sitting in a classroom or patients waiting for a doctor.

A graduate of the Moscow Circus School and a fifth-generation circus performer, Popovich juggles, jumps rope and performs a host of other big top-style tricks. He has rescued these animals from shelters all over the country and has transformed them into Las Vegas stars.

Gregory Popovich’s Comedy Pet Theater is a must-see for young animal lovers.

Buy Popovich Comedy Pet Theater tickets

Terry Fator

The Mirage

As a successful headliner on the Las Vegas Strip, Terry Fator captures the hearts and funny bones of audiences from around the world. Backed by actual live musicians, Fator wows audiences nightly with singing, comedy and unparalleled celebrity impressions. The America‘s Got Talent winner brings to life a hilarious range of characters, including Winston, the impersonating turtle; Emma Taylor, the little girl with the big voice; and lounge singer Monty Carlo.

With comedic banter and amazing vocal impressions of musical superstars such as Garth Brooks, Dean Martin, Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga and more, Terry Fator: The Voice of Entertainment is a one-of-a-kind experience.

Buy Terry Fator tickets

Tournament of Kings

Excalibur

When you arrive at the Tournament of Kings dinner show inside the castle-shaped Excalibur, you’ll be seated in sections that represent a “country.” Throughout the production, Merlin and a court jester will urge you to cheer for your native knight as he takes on rivals from other lands in challenges like jousting, sword fighting, racing and gladiator combat. The evil Mordred tries to capture King Arthur’s kingdom, but the countries unite to fight against him.

At Tournament of Kings, you’ll eat Cornish hen, steamed veggies and biscuits, with sweet pastry for dessert. Just like lords and ladies did in the Middle Ages, you’ll have to eat with your hands. But it’s okay to slurp your first course, “dragon’s blood” (tomato soup). Juice and soda will be served, along with grown-up drinks.

Buy Tournament of Kings tickets

Monte Carlo

This show takes on big issues like brain function, groupthink and artificial intelligence, but the three silent stars, dressed in black and earless in alien blue, are childlike in their naivete and curiosity.

The characters stuff their mouths full of marshmallows, play with giant iPhones and crawl over the theater seats rooting through guests’ belongings. At the end of the production, enormous beach balls float through the theater, and audience members can’t help but punch and shove them in slow motion.

This show is noticeably loud. It’s full of dance-worthy original music (including a finale with lyrics that rattle off silly nicknames for your butt) featuring Blue Man Group’s signature invented instruments.

Buy Blue Man Group tickets

Mystere

Treasure Island

If you’re looking to take in a high-end show with the whole family, think about Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère, the granddaddy of all Las Vegas family shows. Entering its 22^nd year, the show delivers the thrill of the circus and features amazing acts that will dazzle and delight kids of all ages.

Among the acts is a two-man tandem that strikes gravity-defying poses in a hand-to-hand balancing routine, an aerialist who twists and turns to create optical illusions with two suspended lengths of fabric, and a group of gymnasts who flip and climb around four vertical poles.

This show has no age restriction, but may not be ideal for children who don’t like clowns. One who acts as an usher rounds out Mystère with good humor, and colorful, imaginative costumes add to the rainbow of spectacle in this classic Las Vegas spectacular.

Buy Mystere tickets

Jabbawockeez

The Luxor

Adults got to know this team of masked performers when it won the first season of America’s Best Dance Crew. With a new show based on color and light, Jabbawockeez is set to draw in a new crowd of fans.

Teens who love music with a good beat will get into this production, but younger kids will love the dancers’ pantomimed storytelling set to popular and original music and framed in bright primary colors.

Though there are funny segments meant to make grownups laugh, most of show is about two characters – one dressed in black and one in white – discovering balance and friendship by exploring the color spectrum.

Buy Jabbawockeez tickets

The Linq

Jeff Civillico’s intractable enthusiasm endears him to children 8 to 80. A master juggler with a gift for comedy, he eagerly welcomes kids’ participation in his acts and is always ready with a one-liner to keep their folks laughing.

Civillico’s “Comedy in Action” show never stops moving. Children (and grownups with childlike senses of humor) will fall head over heels for his zany persona and laugh out loud when he pulls out signature moves like his high side kick and dramatic wedgie removal.

Buy Jeff Civillico tickets

Summer Sunday Luau

Tahiti Village

Can you blame us for including our own show? Our popular luau enters its sixth season in May and offers authentic Polynesian-style food and great entertainment for the entire family every Sunday evening at Tahiti Village all summer long.

Luau web page

*Show descriptions courtesy Vegas.com**

**Except Summer Sunday Luau

Nearly 100 revelers attended our New Year’s Eve party and enjoyed a night of dining, drinking and dancing as we bid farewell to 2014 and rang in 2015. The party, held in the SkyView Lounge of Tower 5, began at 10 p.m. and lasted well past the official 2 a.m. ending time.

Attendees noshed on delicious hors d’oeuvres, imbibed their favorite adult beverages from our open bar, shared a celebratory champagne toast at midnight, watched the spectacular Strip fireworks display from the 10^th floor balcony and danced throughout the night to great music from our DJ.

If you weren’t able to make the party you can still feel like you were there. We’ve taken four hours of fun and stuffed it into a two-minute video.

Could it be the inspiration for you to join us this year? Or, if you were here, to join us again?

January brings to Las Vegas the annual Consumer Electronics Show, a four-day techno fantasia that attracts more than 150,000 attendees eager to sample – and salivate over – the latest gadgets, gizmos and technologies their makers hope will change the world.

To those of you who are staying with us at Tahiti Village, welcome. We hope you have a wonderful time and are delighted you chose us as your CES headquarters.

If it wouldn’t be too big an imposition, could you please bring us back about 100 each of the hottest items from this year’s show? We’ve reduced them to a manageable half dozen and provided photos so you’ll know what to look for. Thanks!

 

You wouldn’t know it to look at us, but we’re true audiophiles who want only to reproduce master quality recordings just as the artists originally intended. That’s why we’d really appreciate the newly reintroduced Sony Walkman high definition music player. At only $1,119.99, it’s a bargain!

Microsoft’s $29 Nokia phone stays charged for 29 days. Sure, we love our iPhones as much as anyone, but we’re busy running a resort here. We can’t spend every waking minute sitting next to an electrical outlet.

 

Our wildest dreams finally realized – a self-driving car! We hear it’s more like a self-driving mobile lounge, and you know what that means. Goodness, everyone in Vegas needs one of these.

Know what else we could use about now? A Belty. It’s a smart belt that expands and contracts to fit your waistline. Something tells us it won’t be contracting anytime soon, not after the holiday we had.

 

Does anyone really need to watch Keeping up with The Kardashians on a 105-inch, $260,000 bendable TV? Samsung seems to think so, and so do we!

You may think we wouldn’t have a care in the world working at a tropical resort paradise like Tahiti Village. True, it is a tranquil and relaxing environment filled with lush landscaping and swaying palms, but every now and then we start feeling guilty over our surplus of serenity. It just doesn’t seem fair, and that’s when our stress level begins to rise. It’s for those occasions we would don a Melomind, an EEG stress-reducing headband. Apparently it measures the brain’s electrical activity and connects to an app that plays soothing music at the detection of stress. We’re feeling better already!

Thank you once again for staying at Tahiti Village. Please leave the swag in the super-secret location we’ve divulged in your check-in packet.