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Our Views from... series traveled to Paris last week, where the Eiffel Tower has sustained its position as the world's most visited paid monument for years. The iconic wrought iron lattice structure has inspired multiple replicas and derivatives spanning the globe, the most famous of which is found on the Las Vegas Strip. Serving as the centrepiece of the Paris Las Vegas hotel and casino complex, a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower stands prominently at 165 metres tall.
Original plans for the complex called for a full-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, but its interference with the nearby McCarran Airport crippled the proposal. Despite the scaled-back height, the structure is still a dominant landmark in the area. Angled away from the Strip, the rear supporting legs of the tower descend through the ceiling of the Paris Las Vegas casino. Like the Stratosphere and High Roller Ferris wheel, the Eiffel Tower is a popular spot to absorb the desert landscape and twinkling lights of Sin City. Following in the footsteps of its groundbreaking Parisian counterpart, the attraction boasts restaurants on its lower levels and an enclosed observation deck 140 metres above the ground.
Due to the tower's notable location at the heart of all the action, visitors are afforded stunning views of the various hotels, casinos, and whimsical landmarks that comprise the rich landscape of Las Vegas. Looking south down the Strip, some of the city's most recognizable structures are immediately visible. The 37-storey Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino occupies the centre-left of the image below. Opened in 1963, the hotel has dedicated each room to a specific Hollywood film, with the interiors featuring memorabilia and props from the movie. A 1,200-suite hotel housed within a 52-storey building with a reflective glazed skin opened in 2009 at the east end of the property. It was originally known as PH Towers by Westgate, but has since been renamed Elara, a Hilton Grand Vacations Hotel. Its shiny blue facade is evident in the above and below images.
The sprawling green-coloured MGM Grand can be seen in the distance. The largest single hotel in the United States contains an impressive 5,044 rooms. On its opening date in 1993, the MGM Grand was the largest hotel complex in the world. Though the First World Hotel in Malaysia now holds that distinction, the MGM Grand remains in the top three largest hotel complexes on the planet. The landscape then transforms into low-rises and undeveloped plots of land in the distance before the mountains of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area.
On the other side of the street, the cityscape is more diverse. The 2010-built luxury resort casino and hotel known as the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas consists of two highrise towers boasting nearly 3,000 rooms and a wealth of retail and convention space. Condé Nast Traveller named the facility one of the world's top hotels in 2015. Further south is the massive mixed-use CityCenter complex, which is among the largest privately financed developments in the United States. The curved glass and steel towers of the Aria Resort and Casino can be seen behind the leaning residential Veer Towers, which are accented with eye-catching yellow panelling.
A sliver of a Chrysler Building replica is visible in the distance, marking the location of the New York-New York Hotel and Casino. Owned and operated by MGM Resorts International and opened in 1997, the complex contains artistic recreations of numerous New York City landmarks, including the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty. A red-painted roller coaster weaves its way around the exterior and interior of the property. Excalibur Hotel and Casino is easily spotted thanks to its Medieval-style aesthetic and castle turrets. Over its 26 year existence, the attraction has undergone three major renovations in the last 15 years. The iconic 30-storey Luxor Las Vegas underwent a similar major renovation from 2007 to 2009. Its dramatic pyramidal shape and its nighttime Sky Beam, the strongest beam of light in the world, have livened up the skyline since 1993. In the far background, the 43-storey gold-coloured Mandalay Bay is connected to its sister MGM-owned properties, Excalibur and Luxor, via elevated tram.
To the north, the three-winged, Polynesian-themed Mirage features an artificial volcano, aquarium, and several water installations. Another tram service connects the resort to the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, which is similarly trefoil shaped. The 64-storey Trump Hotel stands in relative isolation from the Strip. A windowed facade gilded with 24-karat gold envelops a structure that houses hotel and residential condominiums. At 200 metres, it is the tallest residential building in the city. Gass Peak is the highest peak in the Las Vegas Range of Southern Nevada, forming an immense natural backdrop to the built landscape of the city.
Some of the older hotel properties are located to the north, including the oldest still-operational resort on the Strip, The Flamingo. In 1946, the complex was the third resort to open on the Strip and underwent a number of ownership changes in the following years. Now operated by Caesars Entertainment, the building mimics the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne architecture of Miami and South Beach. The Venetian Las Vegas, paired with the adjacent Sands Expo Convention Center and The Palazzo Hotel and Casino Resort, forms the second largest hotel in the world. The Palazzo is the second tallest building in the city. It was overtaken by the 224-metre Fontainebleau Resort, which has languished in an unfinished state since 2011.
Northern vistas also offer a look at two other popular viewing platforms. The 167.6-metre-tall High Roller Ferris wheel overtook the Singapore Flyer to become the world's tallest Ferris wheel in 2014. Visitors are treated to a 30-minute ride on one of 28 passenger capsules. Admiring the scenery at night costs guests an extra $10 compared to a daytime visit to the attraction. The observation deck of the 350-metre Stratosphere is visible in the distance behind the on-hold Fontainebleau Resort. The second tallest freestanding observation tower in the Western Hemisphere holds three of the highest thrill rides in the world. Adrenaline junkies can ascend the spire in a pneumatically powered tower ride called Big Shot, or dangle over the edge of the tower in X-Scream and Insanity.
The six-tower Caesars Palace is situated kitty-corner to the Eiffel Tower. Completed in 1966, the opulent casino hotel contains numerous statues, columns, and images emulating life during the Roman Empire. The complex has hosted a number of world-class events and has served as a premier venue for boxing since the 1970s. Entertainment icons like Frank Sinatra, Elton John, and Celine Dion all have performed within the ornately decorated walls of Caesars Palace. Directly west of the Eiffel Tower is the unmistakable Bellagio. One of its many highlights is the eight-acre lake that houses a dancing choreographed water fountain. The remarkable show takes place at least once every hour, attracting large swaths of tourists with each gushing spray of water.
An incredible replica of arguably the world's most famous monument, the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas gives visitors tremendous panoramic views of the hotels and casinos that have shaped the Strip in past decades. The elevated viewpoint allows guests to grasp the region's natural assets as well, which stand in striking contrast to the extravagance of the built environment.
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