After several delays, Las Vegas has gained a new casino hotel with the official opening of the Westin Casuarina on Flamingo, just east of the Strip. The new joint took over the building once known as the Maxim, a hotel that had become an eyesore after struggling for decades to remain afloat.

However, visitors shouldn't bother looking for any traces of the old hotel. Almost everything but the internal skeleton of the building was stripped away and redone as a sleek, modern and luxurious boutique resort designed to lure an upscale Vegas visitor who is more interested in being pampered than playing the slots.

There is a casino in the new Westin, but at only 20,000 square feet with only 400 slots and 10 table games, it is being offered more as an amenity than as an attraction.

The hotel is rolling out the rooms by floors over the next couple of weeks, but when all is said and done more than 800 rooms and suites will be available, each outfitted with the company's trademark Heavenly beds and baths. What makes a bed heavenly? Special Simmons quilted mattresses combined with high-thread-count cotton sheets, fluffy pillows, and an ultra-luxe feather duvet will conspire to keep you from exerting yourself by actually getting out of it.

Additional features in the room include plush robes, high-speed Internet access, dual-line cordless phones, and polished granite surfaces in the bathrooms, which are filled with signature spa amenities.

Speaking of spas, the Hibiscus Spa did not open with the hotel but will be coming soon, and it will offer enough treatments and personal pampering to relax even the most stressed-out Vegas travelers. A high-tech fitness center will accompany the spa and complement the outdoor, heated pool.

The Westin also offers the Silver Peak Grill for dining, a Starbucks coffee shop for caffeine fixes and a casino lounge where comedian David Brenner will be perform regularly for at least a year. Both Brenner and Mayor Oscar Goodman were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony last week.

Also, 15,000 square feet of meeting space will be outfitted with all the latest high-tech gadgetry, designed to satisfy the business travelers who will most likely take advantage of the hotel's convenient location.

Rates will be comparable to hotels like Mirage and Mandalay Bay, starting around $139 during the week and $189 on the weekends.

This Week's Trivia

Q: November marks the 14th annivesary of what Strip hotel? ANSWER

The Weekly Trivia Question is sponsored by the Online Memorabilia Museum at Vegas4Visitors.com

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Rick Garman is the head writer for Vegas4Visitors

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