Las Vegas is not always about gambling. Casino/hotel complexes now feature a theme-park-like menu of attractions and alternatives to slots and blackjack tables. There are spas, celebrity-chef headed restaurants, and all sorts of stage shows.

A young hotel on the Strip is taking the non-gambling trend to a new level. The Vdara Hotel and Spa, located in the recently developed CityCenter complex, does not offer gambling and is a completely non-smoking facility. The entire CityCenter, owned and developed by the MGM group, will be opened in phases over the next few weeks.

The Center will be focused on families than on the gamblers and partiers who are catered to at most other resort/casinos on the Strip. Las Vegas has seen two straight years of declining revenue and a declining number of visitors to match. The Vdara and CityCenter are one of several attempts to further diversify the Sin City experience.

The Vdara is an all-suite hotel. There are 1,500 rooms, divided into several categories, each offering different levels of luxury and different views.

• The suites have a modern, boutique-ish vibe with sleek furnishings.
• Amenities will include the much-buzzed-about Silk Road Restaurant, the hip Bar Vdara, and a rooftop pool and lounge.
• An upscale shopping mall, dubbed Crystals, is located directly next to the hotel.
• There is also a full-service luxury spa located inside the hotel

The new development will help Vegas to diversify, but the Vdara is a large hotel. Critics wonder if it can be successful in a town that is not able to fill its current slate of hotel beds. Adding 1,500 additional rooms to the total number may further depress the hospitality industry.

Either way, families and travelers who want a Vegas experience without having to check into a hotel located above a casino now have a new choice().

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Bar Vdara Image: The Vdara