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It came as a surprise when we were driving in a rather unexciting area of Connecticut near the New London-Mystic area, and amidst the repetitive landscape, there was a crystalline 34-story tower that seemed to rise out of nowhere.
The sense of wonderment at this unexpected edifice-sure we were expecting to find the place but not for it to suddenly appear like that - continued even after we entered the lobby. "Where are we?" we wondered as we arrived here for a long weekend. It seemed a bit like we were in Las Vegas East (or Atlantic City North) except that this is really the only major casino hotel of this type in this area, unlike Atlantic City or Vegas where there's a strip of them. And if you're thinking, "But What About Foxwoods?" the other large casino nearby, we slipped over to look at it, and it's nothing compared to this hotel.
The gargantuan lobby at the Mohegan Sun Casino Hotel & Spa is definitely reminiscent of those you'll see in most major hotels in Nevada, except that the theme in this one isn't Paris, or New York, or Morocco, but a Native American outpost--if Indian teepees had glitz. Little else that we encountered any place else in the hotel, though, reminded us of its Indian heritage--although we did need a lot of wampum to play the slots, buy something in the gift shop, or dine.
The food is certainly not Native American. The signature restaurant, Rain, serves top continental cuisine under an Austrian chef, John Nordin, who prepares a meal as fine as any top restaurant in Vegas, or Cape Cod, or elsewhere in the country. There are 29 other food and beverage outlets, including a Michael Jordan's Steak House and a Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream stand, all a far cry from anything Indian.
When not dining, or relaxing in one of the luxurious 2,000 guest rooms which hold 1200 guests, like many there we gamboled as well as gambled. In the evening, we went to their 300-seat Cabaret, which offers consistently top entertainment, and didn't try the Wolf Den, or the 10,000-seat arena which has a variety of programs.
The work-out area is quite sophisticated workout room, especially since it contains an intriguing "Alpha Capsule." That's an egg-shaped "bed" you lie in (at $1 a minute-no yolking) that blots out all noise and stress. And if that doesn't work for you, there's an indoor pool and Sun Terrace right next door which has a skylight so you almost feel as if you're outside.
That's fine because you probably aren't going to spend much outdoors anyway. Not with 3,500 slot machines and 206 gaming tables indoors, where, if you win, you can make enough money to go to Vegas and see a dozen hotels prettier than this one.
MOHEGAN SUN CASINO HOTEL & SPA
Paulette Cooper
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