Aleza, Hotel Expert

Q and A with Aleza

When did you start at VEGAS.com, and what does your job entail?
I started in October 2006 after several years as a reporter, editor and page designer in the newspaper industry in San Francisco and Las Vegas. My beat at VEGAS.com is hotels and pools, but I also write about all things Vegas for our blog. I do the page design for the articles in our Lights VEGAS Action supplement in the Los Angeles Times, and also write many of the articles.

What is your favorite thing about working at VEGAS.com?
Exchanging hair tips with Carrot Top.

What are your hobbies?
I enjoy traveling (road trips especially), hiking, writing and spending time with my family. I have a reclusive streak and can often be found relaxing at home, watching tv, playing video games, surfing the internet and obsessively organizing my closet.

Give us a random fact about yourself
After a highly criticized "60 Minutes" segment that badmouthed Las Vegas in the late 1980s, I entered and won a writing contest for kids sponsored by CBS. I was flown to New York to present my letter detailing why Las Vegas is a great place to live to former CBS anchorman Dan Rather.

Give us your top insider tips about Vegas

• Nothing is as close as it seems, so bring walking shoes.
• Don't even breathe in the general direction of your hotel mini bar. Many hotels will charge you just for opening the mini bar door.
• Sometimes impersonator shows are better than the real thing.