Las Vegas markets itself as a place for ‘girlfriends’ getaways’

Texas native Rose Aguilar packed seven goody bags full of boas, beads and T-shirts in preparation for her trip to Las Vegas.

It was a "girls going crazy" and Thanksgiving celebration rolled together so the four-day visit required special attire. The most notable part of the vacation, Aguilar said: No boys allowed.

Aguilar, 26, and her group -- her mother, two aunts, two cousins and sister-in-law -- were in Las Vegas on a "girlfriends' getaway" during the long holiday weekend. They zip-lined downtown, took a spa day, saw an all-male revue and learned the basics of how to dress and move like a showgirl.

"We left the guys with turkey sandwiches," Aguilar said the day before Thanksgiving.

Las Vegas has long served as a bachelorette party haven. But in recent years it has been marketed as a destination for just about any group of women.

Of the 37 million Las Vegas visitors in 2010, 50 percent of them were women, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The visitors authority has even gotten in on the "girlfriend getaway," calling Las Vegas "a unique destination for women" on its website.

The city is billed as a place for bachelorette parties, divorce celebrations and engagement parties. "Being a girl has never been this much fun!" the visitors authority website proclaims.

Cecilia Darr, concierge supervisor for The Venetian and Palazzo, said groups of women travelers have become an important segment of Strip tourism. They are savvy, know what they want and expect to get it, she said.

They want to go to shows, restaurants and clubs with their girlfriends, then unwind the next day in the spa. Shopping and outdoor tours often are in the mix, too.

"Women are feeling more comfortable in doing that," Darr said. "It is a little bit of a getaway for them, they can relax, get out and have a good time."

For years, the travel trend among women was adventure travel, noted Susan Eckert, founder and president of Adventure Women Inc. Eckert, who is based in Chicago, has been planning trips for women during the past 30 years, taking them on safaris in Africa, hiking in Europe and kayaking in Canada.

While it was once verboten to leave the husband or boyfriend behind, about 15 years ago, women started stressing the importance of having friends outside of a relationship. That's when women got serious about traveling with their friends, Eckert said.

"Probably in the last five years, it's become this real girlfriend getaway thing," Eckert said. "It's kind of replacing adventure travel. Now, it's who can have the most comfortable trip."

That's where Las Vegas fits in.

Strip businesses have been tailoring their services to niche markets for years, noted Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter. It goes all the way back to when the city was labeled family-friendly.

"I've said for years, if there were tourists on Mars, Vegas would be Mars-friendly," Curtis joked. "Vegas will try to market itself to any niche, whether it's bachelorettes ... farmers, truck drivers. The whole idea is this city does have something for everyone."

The girlfriend getaway idea started when the club scene was emerging. The clubs wanted more than just bachelors.

"They like to have the young women in because that draws a lot of guys," Curtis said. "If Vegas didn't have a lot of girls running around, Vegas wouldn't be Vegas."

The male revues, Chippendales at the Rio and "Thunder from Down Under" at Excalibur, wouldn't have survived if Las Vegas didn't have a high number of female visitors, Curtis said.

Over the years, services have become even more specialized. Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Venetian offers the Girlfriends Getaway package for as many as five women. Tao and Lavo nightclubs, and other clubs in town, offer VIP and bachelorette packages.

In 2009, Caesars Entertainment Corp. launched a complimentary travel planning service for groups wanting a "girlfriend getaway" and similar experiences. The Travel Channel called Las Vegas one of the five best cities for bachelorette parties.

Earlier this year, Excalibur started Night School 4 Girls, a 90-minute class in which Laura Croft teaches women how to be a showgirl. Last year, the Flamingo began offering X Burlesque University, a class where women can learn how to be burlesque dancers. And at the V Theater in the Planet Hollywood Resort, women can take Stripper 101.

Croft said the women who take her showgirl class come from all over the world and all backgrounds. They come to have fun and do something they couldn't or wouldn't do if they were visiting with the family or husband, she added.

They want to know the good hot spots, the best restaurants and the best clubs, Croft said. Sometimes, they can save money by booking activities around a group.

Aguilar bought the "Ultimate Girls' Night Outback" package for $79 per person. It included Croft's Night School 4 Girls class, free drinks at two lounges, VIP admission to nine clubs, a ticket to "Thunder from Down Under," a swag bag, free champagne at one club and an open bar at another. In all, they saved $20 each.

Sometimes, travel experts say, groups can get discount rates.

"It gives you a little break," Aguilar said of the benefits of leaving the guys behind. "It gives you the opportunity to spend time alone with the girls while getting to do the girl things we have planned."

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at
spadgett@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4564.
Follow @StripSonya on Twitter.