Columnist Muriel Stevens: Property offers great shopping

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2004 | 8:23 a.m.

A new year: a time for reflection and reminiscing, but no resolutions -- at least none I'll acknowledge publicly.

This year my annual holiday journey didn't require much traveling. Long before the government issued an orange travel alert I had decided to stay closer to home and secured reservations at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas.

My friend and I enjoyed a delightful week of pampering, service and excellent meals. I brought with me books and magazines that I actually got to read since there was no need to go sightseeing. We were in familiar territory that we could visit any time. We did thoroughly explore the Ritz-Carlton. It's a glorious property.

Coming along nicely (but not yet complete) is the adjacent MonteLago Village, where we spent some time. Our favorite stores included: DaMincci Jewelers, which offers exquisite baubles in a terrific price range; Moonbeams, a mostly women's shop with some children's items and a host of unusual gifts; Frangelo's, a captivating flower and gift shop that was filled with tempting decorative wares; and Alexander Perfume and Cosmetics, where expert makeup artists were applying their magic.

DaMincci Jewelers has an awesome selection of silver and gold small pieces at affordable prices. Moonbeam's handmade Mary Frances purses belie their moderate prices -- $100 to $250. These fanciful creations go quickly, but are worth a trip to MonteLago Village.

Shops inside the Ritz-Carlton: Beautiful, too, is the gift shop inside the hotel offering a selection of men's and women's sports attire, children's items and logo merchandise, including custom stuffed animals made exclusively for the Ritz-Carlton ($12.50-$25). These furry charmers are dressed for a stay at the Ritz. Be aware that not all of the merchandise in the catalog is in the store. Order by phone by calling (800) 222-6527. The spa shop, too, has fabulous gifts.

Also available is all of the bedding in the rooms, including the custom-made mattress. At the Ritz-Carlton, forget about being wrapped in the arms of Morpheus; sleeping is a joy. So is dining. Read about it Friday.

It took less than 40 minutes to drive home from the Ritz-Carlton. For the first time in many years the "flight" home was relaxed and stress free.

My favorite gift: Who knew that a funny little robotic vacuum cleaner, called Roomba, could provide so many laughs and clean floors. Don't expect miracles and you won't be disappointed.

It's not a replacement for a regular vacuum, but it beats all those hand-held models and is easier to clean. The dust cup is about the size of an ashtray.

"Roomie," my pet name for this amusing appliance, can get closer to a wall than any vacuum I've seen. Watching it work is a kick. To prevent it from going into another room there are "virtual walls." Place one on each side of a doorway and Roomba can't stray.

It isn't too inexpensive. The standard model is $199.95. And the upkeep is heavy if you use it as a toy -- replacement batteries are $59.95. No doubt there will soon be copies and the price will drop, but I'll always be loyal to my "Roomie" ... at least until the battery dies.