Bienvenido A Marbella Elite Event

I congratulated more new Elites in this event than I did the last two combined! I missed Bacchanal where I heard there were tons more but I hope I met the majority of them there last night at Marbella. Congratulations again everyone!
I enjoyed this event, Marbella’s tapas and drinks, the opportunity to salsa, and meeting new and familiar faces. The front portion of the restaurant was packed, I don’t think people knew there was a second room where we could go and mingle some more.
The ice breaker game involved speaking Spanish (or reading from a strip piece of paper) which I was really rusty at! Lo siento! But everyone was so helpful in aiding me with finding the proper response or question I needed to look for.
Time flew and as the crowd dwindled down the more familiar faces and LV CM Misti stuck around. This is the part I like best in an event, kicking back and chatting. Misti’s husband, Bobby Y got on the piano and rocked the joint some more. I kept requesting for Fireflys but never got it.
Overall, it was a busy event but with so many new and excited Unilocalers, this is just a reminder at the community Las Vegas has and Misti does a great job keeping it all together. Thank you Misti, Bobby, Unilocal,Marbella, the owner of Marbella, and everyone new and familiar I bumped into. And I’m especially grateful for the VIP cards to return!

Awesome event! Great location, great food, great staff, and great Unilocalers!
Shrimp kabob was tasty, not overcooked, chorizo empanadas? Yes please!
Thanks to Marbella for hosting us and providing excellent food tastings and cocktails! I met Vesper Rose and I was hypnotized! Add that other girl Sangria and it’s partay time! Once again, Misty played a great hostess with the mostest! The espanola game was a great and fun way to mingle with everybody, and I got to practice my Spanglish… Cheers to all the Unilocaler I met and hope to see everybody soon at the Nerds event!
Git your Gangnam on!

Marbella was a nice, delightful mid-​week break that I thoroughly enjoyed. My fiancée and I indulged ourselves on the complimentary sangrias and tapas. Can’t go wrong with empanadas and marinated chicken breast. We also tried out the quick dance lesson and I had my two left feet exposed. Good times.
Thank you Marbella, misti, and Unilocal

I was glad I got to go to this event because I was curious about this place. I started off by having a little Sangria. I loved the white sangria the best ! The red one was a little bitter.
I enjoyed meeting new Unilocalers and catching up with old ones. How I’ve missed them all! While mingling I tasted the different tapas. The brussel sprouts were yummy. They tasted kind of like potato chips… believe it or not. The stuffed pepper with crab meat was really salty. I tried more than one just to be sure and each time was too salty. I enjoyed the empanadas but those ran out quickly. They were really good! I also had the chicken which was tender.
The event was fun especially seeing my brother playing the question game was pretty laughable! He was really into it! He didn’t win though. lol I wanted to dance but time just flew by.
Thanks so much to Misti and the owner of Marbella for this great event! The gift cards to come back was also a nice touch.

This was a fun event, well organized as always. The inside of Marbella has a warm and cozy atmosphere. The drinks and light bites together with the little social game that was organized, made sure that everyone was having a good time. The staff was very friendly and attentive.
I didn’t partake in the dance lessons but it was very charming to watch. I tried the Red Sangria and liked a lot, but (sorry if I’m weird) I don’t enjoy sweet stuff so much and migrated to their red house wine.
Marbella presented a good selection of their tapas in form of small bites. Shrimp and chicken kabobs were my most and the peppers and crab meat my least favorite.
I love when Unilocal’s elite events draw my attention to a new place and this event definitely made me curious for more. Marbella was a great host and Misti… she is the best community manager ever.

Normally, this vernacular isn’t for me, but definitely applicable. I’d been to this restaurant last year for their initial grand opening (thanks to a few knowledgeable friends) and it was just as good, if not better, this time around – mostly cuz of the sheer volume of Elites/​Yelpers in the house, haha.
We were entered in to win a few prizes – shout out to the lucky winners, including David S :) Good job! and the icebreaker game was to either grab a question or answer (pregunta or respuesta) in Spanish and find the match… pretty fun, I admit, but when you round up a bunch of people and they’ve had quite a few drinks in them… interesting. Lol. I was glad to meet some new people, like Cali C, and even see some other Elites/​Yelpers I hadn’t seen in awhile – Joanna W, Rochelle S, Herb G, etc.
The salsa lessons were pretty cool, although I feel like I had the wrong timing + there was football on, so I got to admire from afar.
The drinks were pretty good. I only had a red wine, as I had to be the DD, but from what I gather, the red/​white wine, red/​white Sangria, and especially the Vesper Martini was good – so good that they ran out.
I digress, though. I did like the appetizers that they were passing around. Let me just say, they had plenty to go around and it seemed like they were coming from all sorts of directions:
brussel sprouts roasted with garlic-​I seriously have a weakness for these things, and at the event, no exception… AMAZING! A MUST try when you come to this place.
hummus-​I also have a weakness for this stuff… of course I couldn’t use the pita chips, so I ended up doing some dipping (no I didn’t double dip at all, haha) for some of the kabobs and brussel sprouts.
shrimp ceviche placed on a bit of toasted bread (of course I was sans bread)-I also have a weakness for ceviche and it was also excellent.
piquillo peppers stuffed with crab meat-​I had one and it was a good balance of sweet and salty (crab), but still good… if you like that combination.
I had to skip out on the empanadas, but judging from how my +1, Jude, was darting back and forth to get more of them, I’d say that they were good.
chicken kabobs-​not too dry, still full of flavor, and yes, quite delicious.
I was lucky enough to still be around when they brought out the shrimp kabobs. Now this is what I enjoyed (almost as much as the brussel sprouts, but not quite). The shrimps were pretty good too and I was able to snatch some up before heading out.
Thanks for such a wonderful time. It may have been crowded, a little loud, and a party atmosphere, but that also translates into loads of fun, in my book. I was debating about different tapas places, and this place is pretty solid. No, I’m not saying that cuz we got a VIP card and drink deal, but I mean it.
Shout out to Misti, Bobby, the staff of Marbella, the Elites, and the +1s that I had the pleasure of speaking with, and last but not least, Anthony M for snapping some amazing pics. Well done, yet again.
Seriously, Misti, I don’t know how you do it all, but you manage to do it and make each event better and better. Keep up the good work :)

This was an enjoyable event – especially the dance lesson and Salsa dancing that followed, although I never did get even the basic steps down right. The spacious restaurant has a classy and elegant Spanish look to it, and since Diane won one of the two main raffle prizes, I look forward to dining here soon, and savoring the food she learns to make after her private cooking lesson with Marbella Chef Marco. Sangria and good cheer flowed all night.
Even though I don’t usually care for any sort of ceviche, l did like the refreshing Shrimp Ceviche, Hummus Dip, and moist Chicken Kebobs that were served. But I thought the Brussels Sprouts tasted too salty. Most of all I enjoyed talking to Unilocal friends, including Bobby Y., Guy C., and Traci T., and dancing Salsa with Diane and Sarah-​Marie V The VIP card will also come in handy.
Thank you, Misti and Marbella, for yet another memorable and fun Unilocal Elite event!

Muchos gracias por la invitación a la fiesta de Marbella y Unilocal!Fantástico! Excelente! Estoy muy contenta porque yo tenía un buen noche.
Thank you Marbella and Unilocal for hosting such a great night! It was fantastic fun, excellent venue for lounging by the piano, sitting at the bar or a little salsa dancing in the dance studio.
The event was such a great mixture of Unilocal’s finest. Sharing our love for the exotic, spicy and sexy! And not just the sangria and tapas but the atmosphere as well.
Another fun time that was generous in hugs, handshakes and smiles! This was a very fun event and I’m excited to experience more of Marbella on my next visit.

This was my first Elite Event and I am incredibly thankful for being able to attend.
I had the opportunity to eat at Marbella a month ago and wrote a review after that. I enjoyed the food more on my previous experience… as would be expected some items are able to be done with better quality when prepared in their normal serving mode. That being said, I still enjoyed the food and drink.
Marbella are truly incredible hosts and that certainly shined through in their parting gifts!
The thing that stood out the most to me was the friendliness and community of Elite Unilocalers. I felt very welcomed by several people and had no problem enjoying the evenings festivities. As I’m sure every Elite Unilocaler can attest to, Misti Y. is even more incredible in person and puts on a great event… Thanks Misti!

Muy Bueno! Fun evening with a variety of tapas and sangria to wash ‘em down. I must admit I wasn’t a fan of the sangria it lacked the fruity infusion I typically enjoy. However, it was gracious of Marbella to offer bottomless drinks. The tapas were plentiful. I loved the brussel sprouts short of the capers. Bites with the capers were far too briny. Holy salt, batman! The ceviche and empanadas were delicioso! The crab stuffed pepers were tasty. I never saw the shrimp skewers, but the chicken was my least favorite tapas of the night. Looking forward to a return visit to sample more of the menu. The discount cards as a parting gift were quite generous. Muchas gracias
Beautiful restaurant, nice atmosphere, friendly servers. Thanks for having us Marbella! Special thanks go out to Misti and the rest of the Unilocal crew for making it a great success.

Fun night! I always have a good time with the Unilocal Crew. I met lots of new faces and had fun with the Spanish question and answer game. Marbella was charming. The staff was pleasant and attentive. Even when the bar was packed, I didn’t wait very long for a drink.
My +1 and I didn’t care for the red sangria but found the white to be refreshing. The food was a little salty for my taste but I did really liked the brussels sprouts and Micah liked the shrimp kabobs.
We enjoyed the Spanish theme and all the festivities. But most of all we enjoyed the company.
Big thank you to Marbella for hosting and taking care of us all evening. Thanks to our wonderful Community Manager Misti who always plans and organizes these fabulous events and Anthony who always gets the best photo ops. Also, thanks to Bobby for providing the entertainment.

Get your salsa shoes on and get down to Marbella! Thanks to Unilocal LV, Misti and Marbella for the wonderful night!
I loved the space. It offered two bar tops, ample room to dance and lots of cocktails! My favorite were red and white sangria. Both came with a mint and sliced strawberry garnish and tasted delish! I asked the gentleman bartender what his secret was (he told me the red sangria was his personal recipe). He said that he add Anise, Cinnamon and Blueberries to the mixture. I definitely tasted all those components and really appreciated the blueberry after taste. The white sangria was light and refreshing to say the least. The other drink we tried was the martini (the name slipped me just now). It was sooooo strong. I felt like I needed a cab after that cocktail. It had both gin and vodka in it and really made me feel like the James Bond I knew I was. Well, not really. Bond didn’t have mustard colored pants like I did last night! LOL
Out of the tapas being passed around, my favorite were the chicken and shrimp kabobs. Chunks of marinated chicken and shrimp that was grilled and spiced awesomely (if that’s a word). I thought the empanadas were something you got in a frozen bag at costco, defrosted and then fried. I also did not like the crab stuffed peppers. Easy on the salt guys! Cerviche was light and refreshing and the brussel sprouts were delish!
All in all, I had a great time. I really appreciate the fact there was photographer taking our pics from time to time and that Marbella gave us some coupons for some free tapas and drinks in the future! Thank you again to Unilocal for putting on a heck of a time :-)

I had such a fabulous time. Salsa lessons, fantastic food, free drinks, lots of Unilocalers, great hostess and a fantastic organizer! I really really enjoyed myself. This is my 3^rd event and I love seeing familiar faces! Always a great group of people! The place is cute, with it’s own salsa room. The food and drinks were flowing all night. Everyone is super friendly and it’s just so much fun meeting new people and seeing the same faces from before!
I wish I could have stayed longer, but I had to be at work at 4am. It was so much fun and I really have to say all of the Unilocaler’s I’ve met so far have been awesome. It feels a little like high school, in the best way!!! I’m so excited to see people again at the next one.
Great job Misti! Had a blast!

You had me at red sangria with delicious pieces of fruit and spice! My regular Unilocal date, Laura R. has been scoping this place for a hot minute, so I was very excited that our elite event was at Marbella and it did not disappoint. The bar/​restaurant is beautiful. I loved the marble bar and wood dance floor. There was lots of seating, plenty of room to move around. Now the staff. Everyone (and I do mean everyone) was so accomodating and friendly.
I was also happily surprised at the amount of passed appetizers. I felt like everytime I turned around, some smiling waiter was offering me something tasty. After trying everything, I had to start politely declining. Although there is usually at least one miss, every appetizer was very, very good. The standout for me was the brussel sprouts. I would come here for dinner just for those crispy little things. Added bonus: At the end of the night, everyone was given a card to come back with 3 friends and enjoy a discounted dinner and a few free sangria cards.
In talking to a new Elite member transplanted from L.A., it seems Vegas is unique in doing ice breakers at elite events. I really think this is a testament to what a great job Misti Y. does. She throws these awesome events and makes sure that the ice breaker games get people talking, not an easy thing to do in Sin City. Great spot, great food and a really great night! I love our Unilocal!community!

Cinco estrellas! Mi bebida favorita es la sangria roja~
I really enjoy events that are more low-​key, laid-​back, and relaxing. I also appreciated the cultural component that came with the event :)
I was really surprised at how nice and romantic this venue was. In addition to the mini Spanish lessons we were given, there were also salsa lessons and an array of tasty tapas and select drinks. My favorites were the brussel sprouts (which I normally don’t like!) and the chicken skewers (super tender and flavored wonderfully!). The empanadas were really tasty too… but they disappeared too quickly! The sangrias were tasty… but had much more wine than I thought it would. I guess I’m accustomed to sangrias that are more fruity and have more of the wine/​punch mixture.
All in all, it was an enjoyable evening. My guest and I enjoyed mingling, sampling sangrias, tapas, and having a photo session :)
Big thank you’s to Misti and the Marbella staff for hosting us: D

Here’s to the Sangria! Last night was another great evening of food and fun with the Unilocal squad. Thanks Misti for the fun ice breaker games, they enabled me to meet even more Unilocalers! The staff was attentive and congenial despite the number of people they were serving. They were seriously working hard! The tapas were all well seasoned and tasty. I appreciated the mix of sweet, earthy, salty and spicy flavors. I didn’t partake in the salsa lessons although I enjoyed watching those who did! It was amazing getting to meet people that I’ve only previously interacted with on-​line. Vegas has a great community of Unilocalers and I’m grateful to be a part of that! Thanks Marbella for hosting such a lively event!

Once again a lovely evening with Unilocal!Chatting and cocktails, meeting new friends and taking salsa lessons – what’s not to love? I loved the light bites they had – those empanadas were to die for. I didn’t know I could like brussels sprouts as a snack (or in general I guess, I’m not sure who I’m kidding) but I did. I only had one glass of the red Sangria, but it was among the best Sangrias I’ve ever had. Big cuts of strawberries FTW.
The venue is really adorable. I like that it’s close enough to the Strip but not on it. I can’t wait to use my really generous parting gifts. Also, I kept referring to it as Mar-​beLLa with hard Ls. I took five years of Spanish, recently, and you think I could pronounce it correctly? Nah.
However, the venue was extremely loud and cramped. I screamed to another Unilocaler that it felt like we were at a college house party, with everyone standing around, drinks in hand, talking above the music, and barely able to move. I didn’t mind too much, though, I was too distracted by the food, drink and company!
Thanks to Misti and Marbella for a great evening!

As far as food and drink goes, this was one of the highlights of the year.
In terms of sheer fun, this was definitely the Elite highlight of the year.
What’s not to love, really? The food was exceptional, and I think I’ve found a new friend in white sangria. I’m not even kidding about how good that particular beverage was, and I revisited that a few times during the evening.
The restaurant itself had an excellent décor. It’s surprising. The shopping center isn’t much to look at, but Marbella stands out of its surroundings. The venue was pleasant, intimate, and open. Good combo.
The night was just great. Big thanks to Nikki H. for being my salsa partner for this event. The mini classes were easy and fun, and the instructor was very easy going.
The real highlight, however, was «Piano Time With Bobby Y». I think we need to create a lounge act, man. You play the piano, and I’ll provide the vocals. And then we’ll take over the Strip, one showroom at a time. And people will «Like» our fanpage on Facebook.
Special thanks to the restaurant for the meal cards. I’ll definitely be returning and recommending. And big thanks to Misti, who once again proves that she is «The Awesomesauce» (and congrats on your step up in the Unilocal world).
I’m looking forward to staying back in the circle. I admit that it really has been far too long.

This Elite event was a lot of fun as I had the opportunity to meet several new Elite Unilocalers and chat with some of my old school Elite pals! My plus 1 guest Andrea really enjoyed herself, she truly liked her first Unilocal event and will be creating her own Unilocal account now!
A shout out to one of my favorite Unilocal pals GuyC. who was an Awesome Salsa dance lesson partner! I had a blast learning the sexy hip swirling moves, love the small, cozy, romantic and mirrored dance floor!
The drinks were delicious and generous I truly enjoyed the Sangria both red and white! I also had a Vesper martini that really packed a strong punch!
The crowd was great and this was a smaller venue so we were all forced in a good way to mingle and talk with one another with the addition of the questions and answers game! Great idea Misti as this is a fun way to mix and mingle with one another for the sake of a fun challenge!
The food was really good as I enjoyed shrimp ceviche, empanadas, and chicken skewers.
Thank you Unilocal,Misti and Marbella for your generosity in hosting this fine Complimentary Elite event!
It was also an added bonus for us all to be gifted with a VIP complimentary meal and drink card. Very generous offering from Marbella and I will be back with several of my friends to enjoy much more of what they have to offer from their full menu!

Marbella was delightful. Two bars plus another room afforded a very large space for a lot of Unilocalers. It was crowded!
We were treated to munchies at the bar (hummus and pita chips), and waiter-​passed tapas of brussel sprouts, roasted pepper-​wrapped crabmeat, ceviche, empanadas, and chicken and shrimp bites. The brussel sprouts were amazing. This is a vegetable that I hate, but here the individual leaves of the sprouts were taken apart and fried with almonds. It would have made a brussels sprouts lover of me but, alas, it was way too salty. This was my number one complaint about all of the food: each tapa was good, but the amount of salt used was excessive. The one I liked best was the chorizo empanada. Chorizo is my favorite sausage, and it was really tasty in the mini-​empanada.
My first sangria was tasteless, but it was graciously replaced by a much better one. By the time I got to my second, I wasn’t feeling much pain! For sangria #?? I switched to white, and liked it a whole lot more.
Salsa lessons, raffles for generous gift certificates to Marbella — lost again :(, a fun and creative icebreaker of Spanish questions and answers, and the wonderful congeniality of my fellow Unilocal Elites and their Plus 1s, rounded out the evening to make it another wonderful Unilocal event.
Thanks for Misti for this event and for all the hard work she does to make Unilocal such an unbelievable community, and thanks also to Marbella’s owners and their staff for a terrific evening.

A BIG gracias to Unilocal LV, Misti Y & Marbella for an amazing night of food, drinks, dancing and community!
Since I don’t drink alcohol, I didn’t get to taste any of the sangrias but my plus 1 enjoyed a couple delicious red sangrias for me!
Loved all of the tapas! My favorites: shrimp ceviche and cheese and spanish chorizo empanadas :) got to taste everything except the peppers and shrimp kabobs.
My favorite part of the night was salsa dancing since I’m a dancer that loves salsa dancing: D Got to dance with the instructor which is always fun.
Although I didn’t win the raffle ticket, the prize that Marbella gave out was very generous… who doesn’t love gift certificates?!
Can’t wait to stop by here on a Friday night for salsa dancing!
Glad I got to make it to the event! Until next time SYOY!
–Miss Unilocal 2012