The Super Bowl is heading to Las Vegas but the players bidding to light up The Strip will prepare far away from the sights and slot machines of Sin City.
The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will head to the desert this weekend ahead of a mouthwatering climax to the 2023 season.
Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and Co are looking to secure a third Super Bowl in five years, while Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers are eyeing a first Championship since 1994.
The two teams will meet at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, February 11. The 65,000-seater arena sits just beside the hotels and casinos of Sin City.
In the week leading up to gameday, however, the Chiefs and 49ers will go through their final preparations in Henderson – nearly 20 miles east of The Strip.
Instead of being surrounded by bright lights and blackjack tables, the Kansas City Chiefs will instead find themselves between golf courses and the waters of the Las Vegas Wash.
Andy Reid’s team are staying at the plush Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa, which sits on the banks of Lake Las Vegas.
The hotel is also across the water – and only three minutes’ drive away – from the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa, where the 49ers will be housed.
The Chiefs’ resort is situated next door to Reflection Bay Golf Club, a picturesque course designed by the great Jack Nicklaus. Hotel guests can play two two championship courses and there are a host of other ways for Kelce and Co to pass the time.
The Westin features access to the beach, a gym, a vast outdoor pool, a basketball court, a hot tub, spa and even water sports – with ‘watercraft’ available to rent.
There are also several places to eat and drink within the hotel, including a steak and sushi restaurant, a ‘pool grille’ and ‘Arabesque Lounge’, which boasts ‘crafted cocktails’ and local beers.
It remains unclear whether all of Reid’s players will stay at the resort – it is not uncommon for big names to find their own accomodation for Super Bowl week.
Last year in Arizona, for example, quarterback Mahomes rented an Airbnb to stay with his family away from the team hotel. Mahomes, who reportedly made $56.85million this season, revealed that he rented an apartment three months before the Super Bowl in order to save money.