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HOT PROPERTY All Hail Caesar! L At Octavius Tower, guests are given an app that links their personal electronic devices to all of the hotel's services, including instant access to restaurants and bars. ike an actor who doesn't wish to be typecast, Las Vegas has assumed multiple identities, but none more readily recogniz- able and historic as that of ancient Rome, in the guise of Caesars Palace. Owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corporation and opened on August 5, 1966, Caesars Palace has grown into a 34-acre expanse of luxury. Although its spacious gaming casino is a large part of its draw, the Caesars domain also encompasses the 4,296 seat Colosseum enter- tainment complex, plus the multi-level Forum Shops at Caesars, with its circular escalator (one of two in the country) and numerous high-end shops, including Casa Fuente, a Cubanesque bar patterned after Havana's El Floridita, and the only place in The Forum where one can smoke a cigar while enjoying premium spirits (including a super-premium "Black List" that mixologists only present upon request). With six towers and almost 4,000 rooms, the sixth and latest Caesars Palace tower opened on January 2, 2012, heralding in a new era for the Strip. Named in honor of Julius Caesar's nephew, the 23-story Octavius Tower boasts 668-rooms, includ- ing 62 suites and six luxury villas. A serene non-gambling mecca with private valet entrance on Flamingo Road and a separate and speedy VIP check-in lobby, Octavius Tower is also notable for its expe- dited guest services. This includes meals and bar requests— delivered by a but- ler—and made possible through an iPad/iPod Touch direct contact app given to guests as they check in. A media hub in each room connects their iPod or iPhone to the giant flat screen TV and provides, among other things, instant access to the full range of Caesar's restaurants and bars. 54 / the tasting panel / april 2012 OCTAVIUS RISES TO CULINARY HEIGHTS story and photos by Richard Carleton Hacker The five-acre, eight-pool Garden of the Gods oasis at Caesars Palace was unveiled last year.