Shop Around the World at One of My Top 8 Favorite Hotel Shops in Las Vegas

Without a doubt I am a certifiable Francophile and love just anything to do with Paris or anywhere in France. I also love to visit Las Vegas, so it is a natural that I would stay at the Paris Hotel when it first opened. My hubby and I both really enjoyed our stay there so on a return visit to we stayed there again. It's truly a tres bon hotel filled with anything you could imagine with a French theme.

I love the shopping in the hotel. They have recreated one of the famous streets in Paris, Rue de le Paix, or as they call it Le Boulevard, including the cobblestones! In every direction you look, you can't help but notice the detailed facades of Parisian quaint buildings and set among them are fountains and small gardens. They have even re-created a pale blue sky, beautifully painted and lit up to give the impression of daylight 24 hours a day. To stay in the theme of Paris you might see young men on bicycles carrying baguettes, gendarmes, and attractive young woman wearing scantily clad outfits. Bonjour madam or monsieur they say. Sometimes a bit too much I must admit.

On this shopping street. are a few of my favorite stores.

La Cave: is a must. They have gourmet food from all over France, imported cheeses, fine French wines, Foie gras, pates and sweets that can tempt any palette.

In the mood for a fine French pastry then do not miss;

Lenotre: this bakery is owned by the same folks that own the famous Boulangie/patisserie in Paris. The scents alone are to die for. Every day you will find freshly baked croissants, pain au chocolate and pastries that will make you swoon. But, that's not all, they also sell imported candy, real fruit preserves and home made chocolate. You can't miss it, just look for the giant chocolate Eiffel Tower standing in front of the store.

Les Elements: for anyone into gardening or country French Chic, this store has gift and home items from Provence and other regions of France, with wonderful collectibles, including dainty and most charming porcelain miniature Limoges boxes as well as other French crafty goodies. A small shop next door has kitschy Eiffel Towers and other delightful touristy items. I must admit to having purchased a few Towers to add to my collection.

Last but not least in this charming replica of a Parisian street is a store called;

Les Memoires: In this beautifully scented shop you will find scrumptious smelling soaps, body lotions, scented candles, all together amid luxurious bed linens. Take a Parisian bath then sleep on the soft sheets that spell out chic Parie. You will also find the lovely patterned table linens in the popular patterns Provence is known for.

These four stores are just a few of what you will find when shopping in the Hotel Paris, but be forewarned, the prices are a quite high but that can be said about nearly every store in Las Vegas. Or in France for that matter. But you know, you can just look and dream if you want to. The souvenir shop is a bit less costly and you can find something that won't set your expense account back.

Now on to another hotel store I just find fascinating;

Lance Burtons Magic Store in the Monte Carlo Hotel. If you or anyone you know has a thing for magic than this is the shop to visit. While browsing, if you are lucky, there will be someone there doing magic tricks, and demonstrating how they are done. The prices are varied and not to bad for smaller tricks or sets but can go up much higher depending on the complexity. As a matter of fact, the Monte Carlo Hotel is another place that has brought Europe to its shopping street with its arcade of shops on cobblestone streets called the Street of Dreams. This is an easier place to shop than some of the bigger hotels like Caesars Palace, with fine boutiques and upscale men's and women's shops. Once again, prices are not for those looking for thrifty items.

Speaking of which, how can I write about shopping without a mention of ;

Caesars Palace Forum Shops. This is one of the places you just can't miss if only for the fountains and statues in their Roman-Empire three story courtyard setting. There's even a statue of David to gape at. Every famous named designer clothing store is here from Christian Dior to Gucci to Juicy Couture. Something for everyone and everybody's pocketbook, as long as that pocketbook is filled with cash and credit cards. One of my favorite shops is the greatest and biggest toy store in the world, FAO Schwarz. You can go in there to buy gifts for the kiddies back home and end of playing with the toys yourself!

For more traveling to Europe type stores;

Don't miss the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian Hotel. I never stayed at this hotel but love to visit and walk amid the high end stores looking out at the winding canals, the gondolas plying their way in the water and walking under the arched bridges where there just might be a vocal group singing an aria from a well known opera. In a smaller version of St. Marks Place, the stores are at your beck and call. Here too are all the high end designer shops but one store I found I really liked and was quite unique is called Ancient Creations. If you are into old Italian ruins or anything that looks like it's an antiquitiy then this store might be your cup of tea. The prices are quite high though, depending on your choice, but can be into the thousands of dollars. I did find a small statue of David for only $20.00 though.

A fun place to shop and not quite as expensive;

The Shops of the Realm in the Excalibur Hotel. Be ready to take a trip back to Medieval times as you go into the Dragons Lair where you will find Pewter swords and shields along with suits of Armor. And don't miss Merlin's Mystic Shop where you will find crystals of every shape color and size, gargoyle heads and good luck charms of all kinds. The prices in these shops are very reasonable and for just few dollars you can find something for all those princes and princesses with you or back at home.

I could go on and on since every hotel on every street has shopping for everyone. From the large hotels to the malls that connect some of the hotels, it's a shoppers paradise in the Hotels Shops of Las Vegas, but remember, all those stores want is to get a part of your tourist dollar or your winnings from that casino where you might have been very lucky. So be careful and shop wisely, if one store doesn't have what you want, another one will.

Good luck and happy shopping.