We met in the lobby at 7pm. There were about 5 people there when we got there. Monica said that she had been mistaken about the dinner at 9. They were actually going to N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms at 7pm.
I had kinda figured this out, but just waited to confirm it.
We decided to go with the group that was headed to the Pink Taco over at the Hard Rock Hotel. Chris and I have stayed there once, and had eaten at the Pink Taco before and it was "allright". You have to remember that we live in Tex-Mex territory, so it's tough for someone in Vegas to compare.
We enjoyed our meal immensely. We got some sort of nachos appetizers which we shared with the table. I wasn't able to eat all of my food. We had great conversation, and the bill for 12 people was only $400! That's crazy inexpensive on our conference circuit.
After dinner, we walked around the HRH. Chris mentioned stopping at the bar "in the middle of the record". I can't believe that this was the first time I realized that the hotel/casino floor is shaped like a record. How stupid I felt.
We decided not to stop for drinks there, but rather to use our special powers over at the Four Seasons to go up to the Foundation Room for the best view of the Strip.
The Foundation Room is operated by the House of Blues. It is a private club sitting on the top floor of the Mandalay Bay. (Incidentally, the guest rooms at the Four Seasons are on the top 5 floors of the Mandalay Bay.) Membership to the Foundation Room comes at a sensible
annual price of $2,250 to $3,500 for an individual membership of $5,500 to $8,500 for a corporate membership. Only members and their guests are allowed access.
A little-known secret is that guests of the Four Seasons are invited to the Foundation Room. We simply asked the concierge to call ahead and put our names on the guest list. Gave her a little tip, and off we went.
"The Foundation Room at HOB Las Vegas is a members-only secluded club with unparalleled elegant space for professional and personal entertaining. Members have privileges in all of our Foundation Rooms across the country. A portion of membership fees supports the International House of Blues Foundation."
The Foundation Room has several separate rooms, and some private sitting rooms/areas, including the following:
The Buddha and Ganesh "Prayer" Rooms
The Gothic and 1856 Rooms
Foundation Dining Room
We ordered a few drinks and stepped out onto the balcony. The view there is breathtaking and pictures don't do it justice. Here is a picture I tried to take with my phone:
And here's a better one I swiped from their website:
After a drink at the Foundation Room, and some really good conversation, including some genuine business speak, we headed to bed.
Next up: Thursday daytime activities