From The Hangover to the Reviv IV drip: Exploring the extremes of Sin City, where you can detox by day and retox by night
Most people visiting Las Vegas anticipate some kind of post-holiday detox: All that temptation in one little patch of desert is bound to end in some damage to your liver and waistline as well as your wallet.
But the good news for party people that like to balance hedonism with health is that 'Sin City' is now one of the best places in the U.S. to give yourself some TLC once you drag yourself away from the roulette tables.
Almost 90 per cent of Vegas visitors end up succumbing to a little flutter, but the choice of what to spend their winnings on now includes award-winning facials, organic feasts and an Oxygen Bar, as well as the traditional beers, ribs and Girls! Girls! Girls!
"World-famous neon": The Aria resort is well placed for views over the bustling Strip, and for hitting the town for some R&R
My husband and I arrived in the city with a mission to fit in some R&R as well as the standard Vegas mayhem, and we stayed at glamorous new kid on the block the Aria resort (www.Aria.com) in the hope of some detox by day while we retoxed by night.
In a prime position in the middle of The Strip, the Aria with eco credentials houses 4,004 hi-tech, high-end rooms and suites, 14 restaurants, seven bars, a couple of nightclubs, a theatre and miles of jazzy one-armed bandits.
Going glam: The luxurious Aria hotel had everything Toni and her husband needed for the ultimate Vegas experience
Sooth your senses: Party by night then recover in style by day
As we entered our junior suite on the 18th floor we took in the phenomenal view of the town's world-famous neon, not to mention heated toilet seats, a pile of towels six-deep for every shower and a control pad for music, lighting, TV and curtains.
Outside, the view was the Planet Hollywood Hotel rooftop – where some of The Hangover was filmed - just the inspiration we needed to battle our jetlag and hit the town.
'Breathtaking views': A helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon is just the ticket
We didn't attempt to scale Planet Hollywood's exterior (sorry to disappoint) instead heading to the infamous Beacher's MadHouse (www.BeachersMadhouse.com), a self-proclaimed 'freak show' hidden in the depths of the colossal MGM Grand.
Beacher's opening party was hosted by Miley Cyrus in December. The club features a midget bar, life-size dancing muppets and the world's tiniest stripper. It is not the most wholesome place. It is definitely not for the faint-hearted (or small-walleted, the best way to take in this crazy show is to buy a $500 [£300] table close to the stage) but acted as a brilliant introduction to the mad, mad world of this 24 hour city
The morning-after-the-Beacher's-night-before we decided our souls needed some purifying. Vegas has a lot of 24-hour restaurants - they like to feed and water customers regularly to encourage as little sleep as possible of course - but the Aria Cafe stood out with its brilliant buffet starting at $19.99 [£12].
Taking off: Toni stepped aboard a glass-bottomed helicopter to visit the iconic Grand Canyon
Healthy meals and sugar/gluten/wheat-free options are available - as is unlimited sangria for an extra $12.99 [£8], which I can confirm contains enough fruit to count as two of your five a day. Other stand-out buffets are at The Bellagio and Bacchanal at Caesar's Palace.
Don't care about calories? Visit between meal times to maximise your choice: a late breakfast sitting included roast beef and chocolate lollipops from the lunch menu alongside chilled mimosas and granola.
A visit to the Aria spa was pricey but worth it if you get there early to make the most of the five star facilities. It has over 60 treatment rooms as well as indoor pools, marble beds, huge sauna and steam rooms and an exclusive outdoor pool with no kids allowed.
The Aria boasts 4,004 hi-tech, high-end rooms and suites, 14 restaurants, seven bars, a couple of nightclubs and even a theatre
Elegant: Toni and her husband emerged from the spa glowing and ready for a night out
Still glowing from the spa, it was time for dinner. Choosing where to eat in Vegas is a huge gamble with so many choices and so little time.
Fresh: A whole trolley of mint was rolled up when Toni ordered an infused tea
Haute cuisine is a big trend in the city right now, and most of the world's top chefs have at least one Vegas outpost. With one vegetarian in the party we were recommended to visit Joel Robuchon, also in the MGM Grand (www.mgmgrand.com), a three Michelin-starred restaurant famous for its multi-course degustation menus, including a 12-course vegetarian tasting menu.
The food was surprising, delicious and tiny in a way only a 12-course menu can be, including gorgeous gorgonzola custard with poached pear and sage and a miniature open ravioli with white truffle and ginger-infused tea.
Coupled with a beautiful setting and flawless service (a request for mint tea at the end of the night resulted in an entire trolley of mint plants being wheeled to the table for me to choose my leaves for infusion) made for the best dinner my husband and I have ever had: a true meal of a lifetime.
We ended the night with some live swing music at the Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan (www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com), a short walk, but a million miles away from Beacher's bawdy babes.
View from the top: The stunning views over Vegas from Toni's 18th floor bedroom
Come Sunday morning we found ourselves doing star jumps next to the poker tables, an experience up there with one of life's more surreal moments.
We were taking part in the Indoor Hike, a bonkers way of seeing the hotel while pretending that you are doing some exercise as you tour around the various floors and buildings of the 67-acre resort.
Post-hike we refreshed ourselves with a glass of 'Pre-party Prep' from The Palazzo's virtuous juice bar and even briefly considered an IV-infusion (yes, that's a 'thing' here - the Reviv Spa www.revivme.com offers drips and booster injections to reduce hangover recovery time).
But instead we opted for an adrenalin shot in the form of a Maverick helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon (www.maverickhelicopter.com). Driving to the Canyon takes around eight hours, but in our glass-bottomed bird we were hovering over one of the world's most awesome natural wonders within 20 minutes. We spent the next couple of hours amid breathtaking scenery to a pop-tastic soundtrack and the soothing sound of our pilot Sean telling the story of this crazy desert outpost.
We headed back to the city at dusk, just as the Strip was glittering back to life, and looked down on all the bars, restaurants and clubs we want to visit next time we're in town, ahem, detoxing.
Travel facts
Rooms at the Aria (www.aria.com) start at $149 [£90], suites are priced $425 [£255] to $7,500 [£4,500]. Indoor hike costs $50 [£30] and a Signature Detoxifying Ritual from $150 [£90] - book online or at the spa reception (60 plus treatment rooms means there is usually availability on the day).
For the meal of a lifetime save up and visit Joel Robuchon (http://www.mgmgrand.com/restaurants/joel-robuchon-french-restaurant.aspx) The 16 course 'degustation' menu costs $425 [£255] pp. Book as far in advance as possible.
Maverick Helicopters (www.maverickhelicopter.com) offer a choice of flying tours, starting at $379 [£228] per person. We chose the Dream Catcher Sunset Tour to include a champagne pitstop and a return flight over The Strip at dusk.
If you are game, Beacher's Madhouse (www.Beacher'sMadhouse.com) offers two shows every night Wednesday to Saturday. It sells out so book in advance and if you're in a group it's worth stumping up $500 [£300] for a table.
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