MonteLago Village: an Italianate playland
Just 17 miles and less than 30 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, there's a resort that seems straight out of Northern Italy.
The $500-million, 50-acre MonteLago Village — located at the beautiful 2,600-acre Lake Las Vegas Resort — was inspired by the centuries-old intimate lakeside villages of Northern Italy and can be considered a “resort within a resort.”
The upscale commercial complex houses a full-service marina offering watercraft rentals and yacht cruises and an enchanting retail enclave in the center of Lake Las Vegas Resort.
A bridge spanning Lake Las Vegas inspired by the famed Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, Italy, serves as the focal point of MonteLago Village.
“This is what happens when you turn the kids loose with a development,” joked Ron Boeddeker, the visionary behind the Lake Las Vegas Resort, who spent more than two decades turning his dreams for the resort into a reality.
“MonteLago Village is a playland. It brings out the child in everyone," he said "People can golf, boat, swim, eat, shop and enjoy an art show, a wine walk, a crafts festival, movies, tribute bands or a jazz concert on the lake."
MonteLago Village offers an assortment of water’s edge boutiques and shops, cafés and restaurants, and the 62,000-square-foot MonteLago Casino houses 40,000 square feet of gaming space.
With few exceptions — such as Saxby’s coffee house and Rocky Mountain Chocolates — the shops and eateries are found nowhere else in Las Vegas. And, like any village, MonteLago Village provides concerts, special events and activities. Check the schedule for details.
Although manmade, Lake Las Vegas takes in 320 acres and 10 miles of shoreline and plunges 200 feet at its deepest point. That makes it perfect for the water activities.
La Contessa, an 80-foot yacht, is used for group gatherings, sit-down breakfasts or dinners, and wedding receptions and can accommodate 50 to75 people. On Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., for a $15 fee per person ($25 per couple), the public can take an hour-long tour of the lake.
A second vessel, the 60-foot, 60-ton, blue water Lady of the Lake, also accommodates groups and lake tours for private parties.
A fleet of four gondolas takes guests on a romantic ride, complete with singing gondoliers.
- by Bobbie Katz, Las Vegas Reporter for HelloMetro
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