This month is also the 10th anniversary of the Hard Rock and the celebration will be held the same weekend. The talent lined up is British band Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails and Bon Jovi.

The Hard Rock recently announced expansion plans that will include a new enlarged version of The Joint for 2007. The current Joint entertainment venue will be torn out in the expansion.

Pink's, the most famous hot dog stand in America, now offers their legendary hot dogs for the first time outside of Hollywood at the Zanzibar Café on the mezzanine level of the Aladdin, future home of Planet Hollywood.

In 1939, the Hollywood legend was born when Paul Pink started out with a large-wheeled pushcart. In 1946, the cart was traded in for a small building constructed on the very same spot, which is now a landmark at the corner of La Brea and Melrose. The stand, where you'll always find a line, stays open in Los Angeles until 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The four-year old Palms has announced plans to add a 50-story luxury residential condominium tower as part of a $600 million expansion. The 599-unit won't begin construction until next year. It will be built on the far west end of the property and be connected to the Palms via a 300-foot glass-enclosed elevated moving walkway. Fully furnished units will range from 600 square feet to 7,000 square feet and be priced from half a million dollars to $7 million.

Currently under construction is a 40-story hotel tower that will have 347 rooms and suites, a 2,200-seat showroom, an 8,000-square-foot recording studio and meeting space. The new hotel tower will include 46 suites and penthouses that will range from 1,800 square feet up to 9,000 square feet and will include such amenities as indoor-outdoor cantilevered swimming pools with glass walls, fireplaces and basketball courts.

In celebration of the 2005 World Series of Poker, the Rio is launching the first World Series of Poker (WSOP) Consumer Retail Show, July 6 - 9, in the 55,000-square-foot Pavilion Convention Center. The WSOP Consumer Retail Show will provide a unique opportunity for poker fans and poker lifestyle companies to join forces under one roof during the world's richest sporting event, the $10,000 buy-in, no-limit, World Series of Poker Texas Hold 'em Championship. For information, call 877- 367-9767.

With approximately 6,000 players entering this year's World Series of Poker and more than 5,000 hotel rooms between Harrah's Las Vegas and the Rio, more than 240 vendors can expect their products to reach more than 15,000 consumers during the four-day show.

The 36th annual World Series of Poker will begin June 2 at the Rio, which will host all but the final two days of the tournament on July 14 and 15. The last two days will be played at the Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas that has been home to the tournament since its inception.

It's the end of the Horseshoe era downtown as MTR Gaming Group, which also owns the Speedway in North Las Vegas, has taken over the famous resort and renamed it Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel. MTR plans to replace the old Horseshoe chips and table covers and remove most traces of the Horseshoe name as it re-brands the property it bought for $20 million. Exterior signage will also be changed. The new owners will try to stay with the retro-1950s feel of an old-style gambling hall.

Last month, the MGM Grand introduced the West Wing, a new 700-room, boutique-style wing. All the rooms feature king-size beds with pillow-top mattresses and body pillows, flat screen televisions, DVD players, safes, cordless phones and Bose radio alarm clocks with CD players. The sleek style bathrooms have marble floors, over-sized showers and TVs in the mirror.

There's a West Wing Bar and a lobby with separate elevator access and retail areas. The wing is located near the Studio 54 nightclub and has direct access to the Strip.

The MGM has also opened the Centrifuge Bar, the new MGM Grand Poker Room featuring 23 tables and a new state-of-the-art Race & Sports Book.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) has launched a new Web site, www.VisitLasVegas.com. The redesigned site gives visitors a fresh look at the destination by offering comprehensive information regarding hotels, spas, shopping, golf, dining and entertainment, while reinforcing the excitement of the Las Vegas brand.

VisitLasVegas.com is primarily divided into five sections: Stay, Play, Special Offers, Features, and My Vegas. "Features" is where you'll find facts, figures and fun stories. The "My Vegas" section will enable visitors to create a customized experience when surfing the site. Out of our more than 37 annual million visitors to Las Vegas, the LVCVA says nearly 40 percent plan their trips online.

The LVCVA has been given a high sign to go ahead with a $400 million expansion and renovations of the more than two million-square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center.

The National Association of Home Builders, owners of the International Builders Show that attract 105,000 attendees, has signed a contract with the LVCVA to hold the show in Las Vegas through 2020. The show will be held eight times over the next 15 years.

TOP OF NEXT COLUMN

The Cannery in North Las Vegas along with radio station V-108 FM has booked WAR and Evelyn "Champagne" King at The Club on Saturday, June 25. Tickets are $45.50, $35.50, $30, and $23.50 plus tax and applicable fees, call 617-5585 or 866-287-4643.

WAR fuses rock, jazz, Latin, and R&B into their mix of classical songs. The band has made positive contributions to music by transcending racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic line-up. They have sold nearly 25 million records since their inception in 1969.

Evelyn "Champagne" King made an explosive entrance into the R&B world at the age of 16 in 1977. King accentuates her vocal ability by singing songs ranging from smooth ballads to party jumping jams.

Famed artist Peter Max will visit The Art of Peter Max Gallery at the Forum Shops at Caesars on May 28 and 29. Fans will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with Max on Saturday, May 28 from 7-10 p.m. and Sunday, May 29 from 1-4 p.m. The gallery displays over 150 original paintings by Max that range in price from $1,200 to $150,000 for an eight-foot tall "Liberty." For information, call 702- 644-7070.

Since the late 1960s, Max's work has been an artistic symbol of American pop culture. Max's works can be found in over 100 museums and galleries throughout the world and on a variety of canvases, including the Berlin Wall and a Boeing 777 jumbo jet, currently in use by Continental Airlines. Max has painted portraits of numerous world leaders, including the last six U.S. Presidents, the Dalai Lama, and Mikhail Gorbachev. He has also been designated Official Artist of numerous international events including six Grammy Award broadcasts, three World Fairs, and six Super Bowls.

"O," Cirque du Soleil's timeless aquatic production at Bellagio, recently celebrated its 3,000th performance. For trivia buffs that means more than five million spectators have enjoyed "O" since its opening on Oct. 15, 1998. It also means high divers have traveled 171 miles through the air into the pool during their nightly 60 foot dives, 150 hours have been spent draining and filling the pool, crew members have spent over 63,000 hours under water, and over 15,000 costume pieces have been worn.

The winner of Wayne Newton's "The Entertainer" reality series was picked last weekend and it is singer Delisco. We'll be seeing a lot more of him.

Sorry to say the Casino Legends Hall of Fame closed this week at the Tropicana. It has always had a lot of visitors and the owner of the collection would love to open it again at another location.

"American Idol" contestant Amanda Avila has returned to her role in "Sirens of T.I."

Il Mulino New York in the Forum Shops at Caesars is now open on Sundays from 5 to 10:30 p.m. It is also open for lunch from noon to 2 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and for dinner nightly.

The Epicurean Affair on April 27 from 7 to 11 p.m. has a new home this year at Mandalay Bay. The new theme for the event, which brings together the city's finest chefs and restaurants, will create the city's largest ultra lounge. The Epicurean Affair will be held on the first night of the Las Vegas International Hotel & Restaurant Show which will run through April 28 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Tickets are $100 or $125 at the door, call 702-878-9272.

On Saturday, April 23, the Silverton's Hideaway Theater will turn into a time capsule with When We Were Fab performing classic Beatles hits for two shows at 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $15, call 702-914-8557 or 1-866-946-4373.

When We Were Fab, the stars of Broadway's smash hit "Beatlemania." recreate the greatest musical moments from the most influential band in the world. Part concert, part documentary, and part slide show, When We Were Fab's tribute to the Beatles serves as an entertaining piece of history, documenting the artists' tunes and times.

"100 Years of Las Vegas Images" is a historic photo exhibit on display at the Nevada State Museum, located in Lorenzi Park at 700 Twin Lakes Drive, through Dec. 31.

We've had a couple more closures. Z' Tejas located on Paradise in an area dubbed "Restaurant Row" has closed and after 22 years so has San Francisco Sally's wedding dress shop and chapel on Las Vegas Boulevard near downtown in order to make room for a high-rise condo development.

Beasley & DeVarreau have announced a new partnership with Sotheby's, marking the prestigious international firm's first entry into the Southern Nevada market. Sotheby's, known for the finest auction houses in the world, has embarked on a high-end real estate division. The move is among a growing trend spotlighting Las Vegas on an international level as a premier city to own real estate. The new company will specialize in the luxury homes and estates market. Among the current properties gaining global exposure are the J.V. Ranch, the oldest ranch in Nevada, and Don Reynold's childhood home, both listed at $16.5 million.

A wine dinner honoring 31 years of the annual UNLVino wine tasting fundraiser will be held at the Spiedini restaurant in the JW Marriott in Summerlin on Thursday, April 28, and feature Diageo Chateau Estate Wines. The cost is $65 plus tax and gratuity, call 702-869-8500.

Another wine dinner will be held at Sazio in the Orleans on Tuesday, April 19. The Jewel Collection will be the featured wines. Cost is $39 plus tax and gratuity, call 702-948-9500.

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