While a few resorts offer Spanish versions of their main pages, until now no one on the Las Vegas Strip had taken the next step; allowing guests to book rooms online in their own language with no interpreter needed. Now, Spanish and German-speaking guests can plan and book their vacation directly on some of the most popular Las Vegas-resort Web sites.

The language-option booking engines were launched this February on all Las Vegas MGM MIRAGE property sites including Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage and MGM Grand. With easy access on the home page via drop-down menus, Spanish and German-speaking visitors enjoy language-specific sites as well as the option of booking their stay in their native tongue. French, Italian and Japanese-speaking guests currently benefit from dedicated Web sites, with plans to add the custom booking engines later this year. Plans also call for the addition of other languages.

"Our push to enable visitors to browse and book in their own language confirms our commitment to our guests," said Lou Ragg, executive director of Internet Operations and Marketing for MGM MIRAGE.

Citywide, roughly 12 percent of visitors are from outside U.S. borders, although some properties average a significantly higher percentage than the city-at-large.

H. Fletch Brunelle, senior vice president of Hotel Sales and Marketing at Bellagio, said, "This past summer, we peaked at more than one third of leisure customers coming from overseas. It's a growing trend, and we believe that providing our guests with the capability to book online direct in their own language is a big asset."

The Spanish and German booking engines are already having an impact. The Spanish-language booking engine was used to make room reservations at Bellagio within 24 hours of the site going live. "We know that both domestic and international visitors are taking advantage of our new sites," Ragg said. "It makes us proud to provide a service that was sorely lacking in the market."

The Web sites of the Las Vegas MGM MIRAGE resorts can be found at www.bellagio.com , www.mgmgrand.com , www.mandalaybay.com , www.mirage.com , www.treasureisland.com , www.montecarlo.com , www.nynyhotelcasino.com , www.luxor.com , www.excalibur.com and www.circuscircus.com