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Trump towers over Vegas

The Las Vegas Strip’s newest and tallest hotel, the Trump International Hotel & Tower, will welcome its first guests on Monday. The 64-story, 1,282-room property is adjacent to the Fashion Show Mall, on land occupied by the aging New Frontier Hotel until its implosion. At 645 feet, the tower trumps the height of the Palazzo, which opened in January, by a mere 3 feet. “If you drive down the Strip, all you can see is this building,” says Donald Trump, the co-owner. Unlike Trump’s ventures in Atlantic City, the Las Vegas tower will not have a casino. The hotel will be one of Vegas’ priciest: weekend room rates in April start at $349. Info: www.trumplv.com

-- Jay Jones

Sand at a steal

Get out the beach ball and pour the rum. Pleasant Holidays, known for well-priced packages to Hawaii, Mexico and beyond, will start selling Caribbean trips on Monday. A typical deal: three nights, all-inclusive with air from LAX, at the Sandals Inn in Jamaica, starting at $1,056 per person, double occupancy. Packages to Aruba, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other destinations will be offered. (800) 448-3333, www.pleasantholidays.com.

-- Jane Engle

NoLa rocks

New Orleans’ annual Ponderosa Stomp started as a doctor’s music-laden wedding reception that lasted all night. Seven years later, the salute to rock ‘n’ roll’s unsung heroes has grown to include panel discussions and oral histories besides the lively marathon. (Pictured: Stomp founder Ira “Dr. Ike” Padnos, left, and music arranger, composer and conductor Wardell Quezergue at the 2007 event.) The shows and discussions are sandwiched on the Tuesday and Wednesday (April 29 and 30) between the weekends of the renowned New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Concert tickets, available through Ticketmaster, are $45 a night. Info: (504) 529-2624, www.ponderosastomp.com.

-- Chris Erskine

De Niro’s N.Y.

Tough-guy actor Robert De Niro takes on the genteel role of innkeeper Tuesday when his 88-room Greenwich Hotel opens in New York’s TriBeCa district. De Niro, who partnered with his son, real estate broker Raphael De Niro, and developers Ira Drukier and Richard Born for the project, promises “sophistication and authenticity” at the eight-story hotel, which sports eclectic decor. It also houses an outpost of the Ago restaurant empire of Agostino Sciandri. Published room rates start at $625 per night, or $475 under “preview rates.” (212) 941-8900, www.thegreenwichhotel.com.

-- Jane Engle

SoCal sailing

Find your sea legs during a hands-on sailing adventure on the 73-foot schooner Dirigo II as it joins in the 61st running of the Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race, the largest international yacht race in the world. Other upcoming trips aboard the ship include three- to seven-day excursions to Catalina, Channel Islands National Park and Mexico. Passengers can help raise sails, take the helm or sit back and enjoy the scenery. The Ensenada race, scheduled April 25 to 27, is $625 per person. Onboard accommodations and meals are included; taxes and gratuities are not. Info: Horizons West Adventures, (714) 536-9316, www.horizonswestadventures.com.

-- Rosemary McClure