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Let out your inner Elvis, baby

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Times Staff Writer

Hotels cater to the fantasy lives we all lead -- the ones where somebody else picks up that damp towel. But a few are taking it to another level, inviting guests to express themselves. Here’s where to go to vacation as ...

Elvis Presley

Obviously, Vegas, baby. The House of Blues (at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino) offers Rockstar Karaoke at 10 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays. No tacky video monitors here. A live three-piece rock band will back you up through your vocal cord-ripping rendition of “Heartbreak Hotel.” The singing part is free. A room at the hotel, however, will set you back at least $120.

Rockstar Karaoke, running indefinitely at the House of Blues Las Vegas, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV; (702) 632-7600, www.hob.com. Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, (877) 632-7800, www.mandalaybay.com.

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Georgia O’Keeffe

You don’t even have to pack your pastels. At the Inn and Spa at Loretto in Santa Fe, N.M., the Artist in Residence package provides the two things aspiring painters need: supplies and a view. The room includes an easel and sketch pad, and the vista guestrooms -- starting at $259 a night -- have balconies. Ask for one with a view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In the portable art kit: watercolors, brushes, pastels and pencils.

Artist in Residence package, through Dec. 31 at the Inn and Spa at Loretto, 211 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM; (800) 727-5531, www.innatloretto.com.

Martin Scorsese

Most movie-editing suites don’t come with room service, which might make the Tribeca Grand’s “Director’s Cut” package even better than the reality of being a filmmaker. The New York hotel offers a studio room equipped with a digital video camera and a iMac G5 with Apple editing software, including iMovie and iDVD. Of course, the price might break the budget of your indie feature; rooms start at $499 a night.

Director’s Cut Package, through Dec. 30 at the Tribeca Grand Hotel, 2 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013; (800) 965-3000, www.tribecagrand.com.

Ansel Adams

One of the reasons Ansel Adams got so many great photos? He wasn’t afraid of the off-season. Utah’s Zion Lodge and the Zion Canyon Field Institute offer a winter package that includes two nights’ accommodations and a full-day photography class led by an instructor from the institute. Bring your camera equipment, tripod and manual. Packages from $456 for two.

Zion Photography 2005 package, Dec. 1-March 9 at Zion Lodge, Zion National Park, Springdale, UT; (435) 586-9476, www.zionlodge.com. Reservations must be made three weeks in advance.

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