1. Mohegan Sun Resort
City: Uncasville, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (888) 226-7711
Address: 06382
Description: With more than 1,200 guest rooms, the Mohegan Sun hotel is a mirrored wonder, best seen from the surrounding hills (like the one at Holmberg Orchards). With luxurious 450-square-foot-or-more rooms that include marble bathrooms, you wouldn’t think Mohegan would need “luxury suites,” but they have them. There is a pool and fitness center available only to guests, and the resort is wheelchair accessible. The Sun also has an enormous guests-only sun terrace for the summer months, and the hotel staff will get you pretty much anything you want. The Mohegan Sun plans to add even more hotel rooms in 2012 as well, because demand is so high. Stay here and find out why.
2. Bobby Flay’S Bar Americain
City: Uncasville, CT
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (888) 226-7711
Address: 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd.
Description: Chef Bobby Flay brings interesting dishes from around the country to Mohegan, from Hawaiian yellowtail poke to soft-shell crab in New Orleans gumbo sauce. From spoonbread to red cabbage slaw, he seems to pick and choose the most beloved American staples, and then puts his own Flay twist on them. The burger and the pizza are two classics that he has made his own here. For sides, get the creamed kale and hot potato chips with blue cheese sauce. For dessert, the red velvet brownie sundae is delicious, of course. This isn’t “American” food like you’d expect at the local chain restaurant. Sure, you’ve seen this guy on a dozen shows on the Food Network, and that might make you pay more attention to the celebrity than the meals he’s making. But he got there in the first place by making really great food. Pay attention to it.
3. Todd English’S Tuscany
City: Uncasville, CT
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (888) 226-7711
Address: 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd.
Insider Pick:
Description: Celebrity chefs seem to be taking over the dining landscape, and that is not a bad thing. Todd English is an expert in Italian cuisine, and he serves both classic favorites and interesting twists. The Tuscany restaurant has a terrace right by the Taughannick waterfall, and a rustic dining room where you can enjoy handcrafted potato gnocchi, osso bucco, and seafood spaghetti. Get the fresh antipasti, and save room for the Venetian dessert table. The breakfasts here are also amazing; try the Tuscan smoked pork with apple pierogis. English offers a four-course chef’s tasting, and has brought high-end Italian here to eastern Connecticut. Even if you don’t like to gamble, you should come here just for the food.
4. Mohegan Sun
City: Uncasville, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (888) 777-7922
Address: 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd.,
Description: Established in 1996 by the Mohegan Indian tribe of Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is the region’s most established casino/resort complex. It features 30 restaurants, luxurious hotel accommodations, live entertainment, shopping, and more than 300,000 square feet of casino space, which includes nonsmoking areas. One highlight of Mohegan Sun is the Casino In The Sky, located at the top of the 34-story hotel tower. There’s also a gorgeous 55-foot indoor waterfall and a 10,000-seat indoor arena where shows, concerts, and sporting events are held.For directions to Mohegan Sun using public transportation or your own car, visit www.mohegansun.com/getting-here.
5. Mohegan Sun Casino
City: Uncasville, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (888) 226-7711
Address: 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd.
Insider Pick:
Description: On the banks of the Thames River sits one of the most beautifully designed casinos in the world, and one of the largest in America, the Mohegan Sun. It is more than a casino; it is an arts venue, a sports arena, a mall, a hotel, and an architectural marvel. The 12,000-seat arena is home to the WNBA Connecticut Sun. There are 2 theaters, the Northeast’s largest ballroom, and dozens of retail shops, making Mohegan a prime shopping and nightlife destination in New London County, too. You can play slots, poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, Caribbean stud poker, baccarat, and keno. You can also bet on live horse and greyhound racing, and jai alai. The Casino of the Sky area has a planetarium, a 3-story-high alabaster rock wall, and a 55-foot-high indoor waterfall. They have a day spa, a 10,000-square-foot pool, a convention center, and a family entertainment facility called KidsQuest. Above is the 34-story, 1,200-room luxury hotel, and there are 40 restaurants and bars throughout the 3 connected casinos. After you come here, the casinos in Vegas seem much less impressive.
6. Elemis Spa
City: Uncasville, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (888) 226-7711
Address: 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd.
Description: The Elemis Spa at Mohegan Sun offers a huge line of treatments in the 22,000-square-foot facility. There are 15 spa therapy rooms, 2 exotic suites, and 1 couples room. The Elemis also has a full-service hair and nail salon. They have 7 different kinds of facials, 8 kinds of massages, and 5 stress-relief and detox treatments. The spa also offers “exotic rituals and ceremonies” inspired by the Native American ethos, such as the Ceremony of the Strawberry Moon, and a couples massage lesson and exotic jasmine flower bath for two with a bottle of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. You can also get personal training and body composition analysis at the spa’s full gymnasium and fitness center, or just swim in the huge pool in the 10,000-square-foot solarium. The sun is a rejuvenator, and the casino has harnessed its power for your well-deserved leisure.
7. Mohegan Sun Casino
City: Uncasville, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (888) 226-7711
Address: 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd.
Description: Although both casinos could obviously be considered nightlife, Mohegan deserves special mention. While Foxwoods has focused on fine-dining options, Mohegan has focused on a younger crowd, with a large selection of bars and nightclubs to choose from. Pubs like the Dubliner, Geno’s Pub, Bow and Arrow, and Lucky’s are more traditional sports taverns, for those of you who don’t want to miss the game. For cocktails, head to Leffingwells Martini Bar by the glowing onyx mountain or the Sunset Bar on the sky level. If you like tequila, go to the SolToro Tequila Grill, and if you want freshly brewed beer, go to the Brew Pub. The Harvest Moon Bar, the Star Bar, the Lodge, the Taughannick Falls Bar . . . the options seem endless. If you’re in the mood to dance, head to the Ultra 88 Night Club, with personalized bottle service, dancing, and VIP seating. Just like any good nightclub, they have a dress code, though, so don’t wear flip-flops or ripped jeans and expect to get in on Fri night.