Before I visited Las vegas for the first time about 15 months ago, I asked friends for advice on where to stay. Maria and I were heading out there for our anniversary trip, so the hotel was important.

One friend I really trust suggested the Monte Carlo, and I never regretted following that advice. The place served as a perfect place for a Vegas newcomer. That’s why it hurt so much to hear about the fire on the hotel’s roof yesterday.

Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt and the damage mainly affected the facade. More than a handful of construction workers have died on the many construction sites up and down the Strip so the fact that no one perished in this fire was about the bes news possible.

Sure, a lot of people have their vacation plans disrupted, but that’s small potatoes in a city where you probably spend more time visiting other hotels than you do checking out your own. I just hope they can fix things up at the Monte Carlo, make sure nothing like this happens again and let plenty of other people find out what makes the property so special.