Poll : 06 October - 19 October 2010

Analysis

For all those who pooh-poohed this poll, we say "pah!" We had fun with it and, evidently, so did many of you. Las Vegas is actually home to some of the more interesting water closets we've encountered, from rooms with (panoramic) views (MIX, Moon), to "magic" glass that frosts up only when you lock the door (Déjà Vu Erotic Ultralounge), to slices of history (a chunk of the Berlin Wall), to more than one talking toilet (take your pick from French, Italian, or Vulcan!] We have to say we weren't sorry to see the back of the female mouth urinals at the now defunct Cherry nightclub at Red Rock, but all-in-all, we applaud the effort to make these normally mundane yet essential rooms a little more interesting and fun. Here's some of your feedback and other recommendations:

• "The public restrooms at Caesars Palace are positively palatial!"
  
• "While not racy, the bathrooms at NY-NY are definitely different and more interesting than most." [Ed: Really? We confess it's been awhile since we visited New York-New York and don't have any immediate recollection of the restrooms there. Please elaborate!]
  
• "Though I haven't been there in awhile, the casino floor men's room at the Imperial Palace always reminded me of what an "old Vegas" restroom might resemble. Upon entering, an elderly shoeshine gentleman would greet you with a big smile, then resume his other duty of keeping the place clean between shines. Offered on the counter were literally 20-30 men's colognes, haircare products, lotions, etc., to freshen-up (not too sure of the hygiene factor in using these), plus a personally drawn paper hand towel given to you when your hands were washed. After a $2 gratuity, I heard a, "Thank you, sir, and good luck to you." I always felt a little sad for that man, but he probably made more money on tips than I did at the tables! Strangely, a couple years later, I  encountered the same concept at the Crazy Horse II strip club on Industrial Rd., but this time with a geeky punk running the restroom, minus the shoeshines." [Ed: Toiletry-wise, this also reminds us of a pool hall called Pink E's, formerly across from the Rio. The ladies' room there was similarly awash with lotions and potions, some hanging on ribbons from the ceiling. Plus, the wall's were papered with centerfolds of naked man (or women, in the men's room)!] Ah, those were the days...
  
• "The Mirage: Artwork in every stall." [Ed: Really? Again, it's been awhile since we used the facilities there...]
  
• "Buca di Beppo. They have a soundtrack of people speaking in Italian, which is on a motion sensor, and old pictures of people half-naked on the walls, as well as things on the counter that you would see in a home bathroom of the '50s. The facilities themselves aren't anything special, but it is sort of kitschy, which I like. I can't think of any other Vegas bathroom that was notable, other than being scummy." [Ed: Aha! So, a cross-between Pink E's and Paris! This we have to check out.]
  
• "I chose Main Street, partly because I haven't seen many of the others that actually sound interesting. and partly because even my wife barged into the men's room there just to see it." [Ed: She's not alone – it's virtually unisex in there...]
  
• "I voted for Main Street Station men's room. The security guards let my friends and I (all female) go in and check it out. They were very nice and we had a hoot." [Ed: See! What did we tell you?]
  
• "I thought the 'Laughing Ladies' at the Hilton were so funny that I brought my wife in to see. Nobody seemed to mind. One guy even commented to my wife, "Are you going to laugh too?" She simply replied, "No, I get to laugh enough at home". [Poor boys. No privacy at all! For those unfamiliar, the restroom by the baccarat room at the Las Vegas Hilton features pictures of women looking down on the urinals. Some are laughing; some holding tape measures... You get the picture.]
  
• "I used to love going to the Barbary Coast ladies room. They were clean , smelled nice, and the attendant always had hairspray , perfume, nail polish remover, nail files, hand cream, etc." [Ed: You'll find other places around town similarly catered; Ghostbar at the Palms springs to mind.]
  
• "I voted 'other' because the closest bathroom is the best one." [Ed: Ha! Fair point.]
  
• "My vote for interesting bathroom goes the men's room behind the bar at the SpaceQuest Casino in the LV Hilton. The urinal has a computerized and 'futuristic' voice 'analyze' you sodium content and give you your lucky numbers. Then it will send you off with a 'let the force be with you' Cheesetastic!" [Ed: Yes, we can't believe we totally "spaced" this one.]
  
• "I voted for Paris. The washbowls are a small point in a monstrous casino, but evidence that they did not ignore even the small details." [Ed: For anyone who hasn't seen, these are antique-looking floral porcelain bowls – very authentic French-style. We recall being very impressed when the property first opened.]
  
• "The Palm at the Forum Shops. There's an Elvis impersonator handing out hand towels and singing." [Ed: Cool. But why?!]
  
• "I couldn't decide between the China Grill pods and awesome views at the MIX Lounge, so I pick both!"
  
• "In the early '90s I had a total colectomy surgery done, which means I don't have a colon (or a colostomy bag), which also means I have to use the restrooms  many times daily...I picked 'other' because I have to say, without a doubt, Las Vegas casinos have the cleanest public restrooms of any city I've ever visited, especially on the Strip, but even downtown and at outlying casinos,the restrooms are very clean, generally speaking, of course. And I'm a leading authority on this subject lol."