“We want to give our guests and locals a different option than what’s available on the Strip,” said Joe Bravo, our Director of Pool and Nightlife Operations. “We’ve done night swims in the past that have been very successful – after all, locals don’t want to fight traffic or crowds. At our night swims, they can relax, swim and enjoy a drink or two while getting the four-star service we’re known for.”

The first night swim kicks off tomorrow with an out-of-this-world beverage favorite – Alien Tequila. The first 50 guests to arrive receive a complimentary souvenir bottle of Alien Tequila and there’s an open vodka bar for ladies from 8-9 pm sponsored by Bud Light and Ultimat Vodka.

With more than 12,000 square feet of space, you have plenty of room to dance under the moon to the music of the Beatclan DJs. Or if personal service and relaxing is preferred, DayDream offers cabanas and daybeds that can be reserved by calling (702) 797-1808 or emailing cabanarequest@theMresort.com.

If you can’t make it to tomorrow’s night swim, don’t worry. Our next night swim, Mid-Summer’s Night Masquerade Pool Party, promises to be just as dreamy as the name intends. Scheduled for July anyone in costume gets free admission. There will also be an open vodka bar for ladies for the first hour and prizes for the sexiest costumes.

So join us for some swimming under the stars this Friday night. The party starts at 8pm.

This is the first year that we’re hosting this cycling event and we couldn’t be more excited to lend our support to stop diabetes. Beyond being the host site for the ride, our team members have gotten involved by creating our own M Team. We’re even raffling a brand new bike to one of our team members!

At this year’s Tour de Cure there will be a total of 65 teams! Riders have the choice to go on an 8-mile, 30-mile, 65-mile or 100-mile route. It may sound daunting, but when we spoke to Tracie Patten, ADA Market Manager – Nevada, she assured us that if we could do 30 minutes of cardio then we could do the 8-mile ride!

If you’re active, even the least bit, and own a bike, we encourage you to register yourself or to join a team. The American Diabetes Association has added a number of new elements to this year’s ride including a new VIP zone and a Champions Dinner for riders who raise more than $1,000.

It’s not too late to register! Just visit www.diabetes.org/tourvegas for more details. We hope to see you!

Ravello Lounge

This contemporary yet intimate space offers large private booths, a full bar, a customizable stage, and plenty of room to dance. Located just off the casino floor, it’s also convenient and has a room capacity of just over 300. What makes Ravello Lounge even better is the outdoor terrace overlooking the expansive pool area.

The Loft Suite

In our hotel of 390 rooms, we have just five of these coveted Loft Suites. At 2,400 square feet, these Suites have 270º views of the Las Vegas skyline, and with two living room areas and a dining area, they give those VIP attendees plenty of space to mix and mingle.  

Villaggio Del Sole Pool and Entertainment Piazza

At 100,000 square feet, this is an incredible space. Available for complete buy-outs, this spectacular outdoor space holds up to 6,000 attendees concert-style and with multiple smaller terraces, it’s perfect for more intimate receptions and events. With a full stage, cabanas and daybeds, a full bar, gaming pit and built-in runway over the pool, you can let your imagination go wild using this outdoor space.

Hostile Grape

You know it as the largest public wine cellar in town, but there’s so much more to this trendy underground lounge. With two customizable stages, a full bar, and an Enomatic wine tasting system, this is an extraordinary and upscale place to hold an event. Maybe it’s the wine cask ceiling or maybe it’s the cozy seating areas, but it’s a super cool venue also available for group buyouts.

LUX

Sitting at the top of our boutique hotel is a space that’s been voted Best of Las Vegas for the best view of the valley. Spanning the 16^th floor is LUX, our special event venue. With views of the entire Las Vegas Valley, it’s the perfect spot to wow your attendees. Once a restaurant, LUX offers all the amenities of a full service restaurant, including an expansive kitchen, full bar, outdoor terrace and intimate private rooms. At 7,200 square feet, this space rises high above the rest. 

Our group sales team would be happy to assist you in booking one of these hot spots or in finding other venues throughout our resort to host your meeting or event. Contact us today!

Darren Webster: 2012 General and Administrative Team Member of the Year

It has been said that Darren Webster’s value is immeasurable. Having started as a Field Officer for our Security team, he is now a Security Lead. He has been recognized several times within his own department and can often be seen staying late and coming in early when there aren’t enough officers to cover. He understands that the safety of our guests is number one, and continues to work hard to achieve his goals.

Gina Espinosa: 2012 Hotel Team Member of the Year

Gina Espinosa can be seen in the hallways of our hotel as a member of the M’s Housekeeping team. She keeps our hotel rooms clean and looking fabulous every day so our guests are able to enjoy themselves as soon as they arrive. She is meticulous in her work and an amazing and supportive team member. She is truly a joy to work with and our guests think so too, having received numerous commendations throughout her time at the M.

Dean Elliot: 2012 Gaming Team Member of the Year

Dean Elliot is a team player. He likes his work and loves his guests. He has set a tremendous example for other Table Games team members by working with all levels of management in both his own department and other departments. He is helpful to all team members and is constantly offering new ideas to improve the guest experience and the efficiency of his team.

Ralph Cua: 2012 Food & Beverage Team Member of the Year

It is always an honor to recognize those team members that fully understand that there really is no “I” in “TEAM.” Ralph Cua is that person. He is friendly, helpful, respectful, and gives 110% all the time to his team and its success. He’s as special to our guests as he is to us, having been mentioned many times in guest commendations over his two years at the M.

If you recognize any of these team members, share a time when they made your stay incredible.

The variety of wines and amazing performances will make for an unforgettable evening, but there are a few notable wineries you'll want to give your undivided attention. Hammond personally recommends stopping by the Norman Vineyard booth. "Jim Norman's Paso Robles group of wines will rock your face off and he is a certifiable entertaining genius."

If you're looking for a delicious, wacky paring, Hammond also suggests visiting Courtney Rich's booth from QuitWineing.com. Rich was involved in selecting perfect wine pairings and delectable food creations for the event. Her picks include: Sage Fried Chicken tenders with chipotle dipping sauce, Mini-Meatloaf Sandwiches with roasted tomato and griddled mozzarella, and Mashed Potato/Bacon Burger Mini’s and Mini Crab Cakes with chili mayo drizzle from Hash House A Go Go.

For more amazing creations, Whole Foods will be on site featuring artisan cheese from Beehive Cheeses out of Utah. Trust us; you'll never think of cheese the same way after trying some of these! To complete the selections with something sweet, Ethel M's will be on hand with a delicious assortment of chocolates, each paired with a particular wine and/or champagne.

Tickets for Wineucopia are priced at $45 (including taxes and fees) and are available at www.rocknrollwine.com or by calling Rock ‘n Roll Wine at 702.240.3066. Doors open at 7 p.m. Event will last until 11pm with the official after-party being held at Hostile Grape until 1am.

"More Kate less Kim is what today's bride is looking for," said Randall. Royal glamour reigns supreme in place of the excess found at red carpet Hollywood weddings. "Brides are looking back into the past for wedding elements with classic charm. They're taking the old with the new and making the traditional their own by incorporating modern touches."

Intimate affairs are in. With shrinking guest lists, the focus on quality food and entertainment tends to increase. "Bridal budgets are able to splurge more on food and entertainment for their nearest and dearest. A luxurious wedding doesn't always mean a 200-300 person guest list." Smaller guest counts can take the guess work out of deciding between a band or a DJ and seated dinner vs. buffet-style meals.

Orange and other standout colors are popular for floral arrangements in this year's marital events. "We're seeing bolder centerpieces and couples are opting for large and sprawling floral arrangements for their tablescapes. Brides are also gravitating towards sweeping and less tightly bound bouquets and a more traditional romantic look versus the previously favored round bridal bouquets," said Randall.

Formally taboo for anyone other than the bride to don white, more bridal parties are being seen in the light hue. "Bridal parties dressed in all white have become very trendy after seeing Pippa Middleton at the royal wedding, but the tradition itself dates back to the Victorian era." Aside from white, other neutrals such as gray and navy are a popular choice for bridesmaids' dresses.

According to Randall brides are choosing dresses for themselves with more coverage. Kate Middleton flaunted a gown with long sleeves on her big day as did the fictional character Bella Swan from the Twilight movies during her big screen wedding. While a full-length sleeve isn't for everyone, cap sleeves are gaining popularity as well as illusion necklines where dresses have a sheer overlay that creates a boat neck appearance.

Whether you're interested in any or all of today's wedding trends, our wedding experts at M are here to help you plan the perfect ceremony. Turn your dream wedding into a reality by contacting Tina Randall at TRandall@theMresort.com.

Most of us have already celebrated the beginning of 2012, but the end of this month marks the beginning of Chinese New Year. The Chinese culture celebrates each New Year according to the lunar calendar which is why the date fluctuates from year to year. January 23 marks the beginning of the celebration for the auspicious Year of the Dragon.

The Dragon is the most powerful of all 12 signs in the Chinese Zodiac, which associates an animal to each calendar year. Everyone born in 2012 will be considered a Dragon. Dragons are said to be dominant, ambitious, driven, willing to take risks and unafraid of challenges. These strong character traits are said to cause an increase in births for every Dragon Year. Dragons are also said to be charismatic leaders. In the year 2000 the birth rate in China spiked and is expected to do the same this year.

Each Dragon Year is also associated with one of the five elements (metal, water, wood, fire and earth). 2012 is the year of the Water Dragon. Water Dragons are able to see things from other points of view. They don't have the need to always be right. Their decisions, if well-researched, are usually better since they allow others to become involved.

To kick-off the two week celebration a traditional Dragon Dance will be held on Monday, January 23 at 6pm to bring good luck and fortune for our guests. A 63 foot-long dragon will feature adult and baby lion dancers, buddhas, musicians and festive flags and will make its way through our entire casino.

Studio B Buffet will feature eight hard-to-resist New Year specialties. Until February 6 you can feast on Meatballs with Bok Choy, Poached Chicken with Ginger and Scallions, Spinach and Bamboo Shoots, Beef Lo Mein, Tofu and Eggplant with Black Bean Sauce, Lettuce Wraps, Mandarin Oranges with Leaves and Spring Rolls. Our bars will also be serving up specialty cocktails, a Lychee Martini and a Mulan cocktail.

Starting this Friday our limited edition Year of the Dragon gaming chip will be available. Keep the good luck coming and purchase the chip at our casino cage for $8. The chips will be available until supplies last.

You can use your commemorative Dragon Chip in our Poker Room for their Live Poker Lucky 8's promotion. From January 23 – 30 enjoy 8 days of great poker action. Flop four 8's and win $888. Make four 8's and receive $88. Plus, the first 88 players that make 8's full receive a collectible Year of the Dragon Gaming Chip. Play live poker every day at 8:08am and 8:08pm and a random lucky player will receive $88!

If you've celebrated Chinese New Year before or if this is your first time for the occasion we hope you take part in the festivities at our resort!

Party

We think cover charges are overrated so we invite our guests to celebrate without waiting in line or paying an entry fee. We'll be offering complimentary party favors, and cake and champagne stations throughout our casino. Toast the New Year with us and enjoy live entertainment beginning at 9pm in Lobby Bar, Ravello Lounge, M Bar and Hostile Grape. See which venue is the right fit for your celebration style.

Ravello Lounge - The New Year's evening will kick off in our lounge with go-go dancers and a DJ spinning hits to get the party started, beginning at 9pm. At 10pm, 80's tribute band Loveshack will take the stage and sing the best of the 80's and 90's and some NYE-style party music. The entertainment in Ravello will be going all night long and is ideal for our high-energy party goers.

Lobby Bar - Relax at Lobby Bar and take in a performance by Lowkey Junction. The band is a unique blend of masterful music mixes, live percussion and saxophone. With the best people-watching views, Lobby Bar is the perfect fit for a relaxed New Year's celebration.

M Bar - For those who like to be at the center of all the action, M Bar is for you. Located in the middle of our casino floor, DJ Simon and go-go dancers will be kicking off this party at 9pm. Get there early for a seat on M Bar's cushy couches or get your groove on to the tunes DJ Simon will be spinning.

Hostile Grape - Take a sip of more than 160 wines by the glass in our underground wine hideaway. Veteran DJ Art will be mixing up the music for the night for the oenophiles.

Play

End the year with good luck here at M! We'll be giving away $24,000 in free pay randomly beginning at 8pm on New Year's Eve. Every 15 minutes we'll be drawing 10 winners. Two players will win $300, four players will win $150 and another four will win $100. All you have to do is play with your iMagine Rewards Card to be eligible.

Not to be outdone, our poker room will be giving away a grand share of money as well. Play with us and you could win the following: Heart Royal = $2,012; Club Royal = $2,012; Diamond Royal = $2,012 and Spade Royal = $2,012. All Four of a Kinds = $212 and the poker room will have $2,012 in cash giveaways. Complete details can be found in the M Poker Room.

Dine

Our restaurants will be ready for you to kick-off the New Year's festivities. Marinelli's, our authentic Italian restaurant will be offering a la carte specialty items in addition to its regular menu beginning at 4pm and our steakhouse, Anthony's will be serving up a limited menu for the holiday starting at 5 pm. And of course, Studio B Buffet will be serving specialty dishes all day.

No matter which way you decide to spend your holiday night, we hope to have you at M to celebrate 2012! We wish all of our guests a happy and safe New Year.

• Saturdays tend to be the most popular day. Try booking your party on a Friday or even better, Monday-Thursday.
• Select a venue that provides some type of holiday d?cor; decorations can add up quickly.
• Depending on the menu for your guests, sometimes plated dinners are more cost effective in a banquet setting than a buffet.
• Choose a venue that doesn't charge a room rental fee and won't charge for power usage for your DJ.
• Go for a venue that does not charge extra for tables, chairs, linens, dance floor, etc. The less extras that are added to the price, the lower you can keep your budget.
• Ask about discounted room rates for your guests. When booking an event, resorts are usually willing to work with you to accommodate guests overnight.
• Choose a venue with access to an outdoor area so your guests don't have to leave your party to smoke in a casino or other designated areas.
• Ask for a quote with all taxes, gratuities and additional fees included so you can anticipate the grand total of the event.
• If you have a specific budget, don't be afraid to ask what can be afforded within the limits of your budget. Event planners are there to help you stay within the means for your party.

The best part of all is that these tips are things we offer to our guests who are planning an event at M. If we've piqued your interest, take a look at the different venues we have to host your holiday party. Tina, or one of our other catering Team Members would be happy to assist with your holiday or special event. You can contact our catering department by emailing catering@theMresort.com.

There are a lot of choices when it comes to meeting space in the city of Las Vegas. In fact, Las Vegas has more than 10.5 million square feet of exhibit space! For our part, we currently offer 60,000 square feet of meeting space and if you've ever wandered around the spa level of M (below our casino floor) you may have noticed how convenient our meeting space is to our guest room elevators and the ideal flow our space offers for breakouts, general sessions and catered events. Our resort has a 17,000 square foot ballroom and multiple meeting rooms to house groups of 50 to 2,000. Our talented team can also turn any of our restaurants into magical spaces for special events or even our outdoor pool piazza that can accommodate up to 6,000 people!

Over the course of the last year two years we've been fortunate to host groups large and small with a demand for even more space! So, next month we'll be providing more of that much-needed extra space with the opening of the M Pavilion. The Pavilion will add 25,000 square feet of flexible space to our portfolio. It will provide enough space for concerts, large-scale galas, exhibitors and more. The Pavilion will have 45-foot ceilings and can hold a seated concert for up to 3,000 people. For more details we went in search of our Vice President of Sales, Drew Varga. Watch the video to hear what he had to say about the new M Pavilion and most importantly, why you should consider if for your next event!