Las Vegas SL has now closed, look out for more High Life Destinations resorts in future

Introduction

This is a review that was originally meant for the April issue of Attention SL Magazine. However as the magazine publication will be delayed, it’s being published here first.   The words come from me, and the excellent pictures come from Attention SL’s Harper Lexington.

Summary

Las Vegas is the fifth resort from Highlife Destinations that I’ve been to, and I think it’s their best so far.

In as much as such a thing is possible in Second Life, it does an excellent job of recreating the look and feel of the actual Las Vegas.  

The scale and range of things to see and do is such that you could easily be kept busy here for a week, and still not experience everything.  

The suites have the usual high attention to detail you expect from Highlife Destinations, and considering what you get, are actually quite good value. 

This is a very popular place and you need to book in advance.  Highly recommended.

Note, Las Vegas is a closed resort, you need to book via a website and you get a group tag on check in.  If you are new to Second Life hotels,  and don’t know the difference between open and closed resorts read this.

Overall look and feel

As with other High Life resorts, there’s a check in routine and RP on arrival.  

You first of all arrive at an airport terminal, where you are met by one member of the team, before going to a concierge office, where you are then checked in.

Though you are given a notecard with LMs, you are encouraged to walk around and explore for yourself.

Las Vegas spans two sims, and for anyone who has been to the real place, this resort does a good job in replicating its look and feel.  

There’s the equivalent of the Las Vegas strip, with attractions on either side, you have landmark hotels such as the Luxor, where we stayed, you have casinos, and you have a range of entertainment options including weekly live shows from SL performers.

The overall colour scheme reminded me a lot of Ibiza SL, Highlife’s Summer 2021 resort, with more emphasis on reds and purples.  I also recognised features, such as the Ferris Wheel, from previous destinations..

Really the only negative aspect was the lag, both Harper and myself encountered it.  This is a very detailed build, so it helps if you have a computer with a good graphics card.

Overall - 4.5 / 5

The rooms

Las Vegas has a range of rooms and suites in different price brackets.  We stayed at one of the more expensive ones, the Luxor at 3000L a night.

The Luxor suites are geared for groups as well as couples.  Features include a private pool and a jacuzzi, Egyptian style decor you would see in the actual Luxor Hotel, a private bar, a living room, and beautifully designed bedrooms.

I particularly liked the little touches, such as the bottles of water and iPad on the shelf by the bed, much as you would find in an RL hotel.

At the other end of the scale, the cheapest rooms are in the Sunset Motel for 1500L.  

I would say if you are going as a couple, these will probably be more than adequate for you, as this is not the kind of resort where you will be spending much time in your room or suite anyway.  You will want to spend most of it discovering what Las Vegas has to offer.

Overall - 5 / 5

The facilities

RP activities can be booked separately when you book your room, this includes dinner at the Bellagio or Hell’s Kitchen as well as spa services.

You can also take part in a Taste of Vegas cooking class.

Other things to see and do include a fun rollercoaster, a ferris wheel, a rock climbing wall, dune buggies, a zip line and an amusement park.

There is a wedding chapel near the hotel with an Elvis bot who will officiate for you.  According to the bot, your wedding can be ‘real’ or ‘fake’, it’s your choice!

Finally, like the real Las Vegas there are weekly shows, with Second Life performers.  Tickets for these can be bought on SL Marketplace.

Overall - 4.5 / 5

The animations

Las Vegas does something that I see quite a lot in SL Resorts, in that a Ruckus engine is hidden inside another bed for aesthetic reasons.

As I’ve said in other reviews, I am not a big fan of Ruckus, but the reality is it’s a popular brand and the animations are obvious (e.g. from the descriptions).  

It really kills the mood when you scroll around the anims trying to figure out what “adult one” is compared to “adult two”, and that’s not the case at least with Ruckus.

The PG seating anims in the resort worked well enough. 

Overall - 4 / 5

Other considerations

This is an adult resort, adult AVs only

Lag was an issue for both of us, I run SL on a 2019 Macbook Pro and on high I was getting 6 fps

Privacy is good, voice for example is restricted to your room

Prices range from 1500 - 3500 a night

Overall

I can’t see any reason not to recommend this.  This is 1500L+ really well spent on a unique and memorable experience that both you and your SO (or group of friends) will love.

In fact, I’ve already booked my next visit in April, when I’ll bring Aria on a date, and we’ll do a few of the RP activities on offer.

Website for bookings 

Huge thanks to Harper for the amazing photos, please give her a follow.