Las Vegas trip advice please

angie_nrs

angie_nrs

Cathlete
DH and I are going on a trip to Vegas in November for a wedding and I am planning on booking a 4 or 5 night trip since adding a couple of weekday days to the trip costs very little - only an extra $20 per day.:) We were there about 5 years ago and stayed at the Luxor with the kids. We really had a blast!! We are not gamblers but still found a TON of stuff to do. This year we will be going without the kids (much to their dismay). The wedding will be held at the MGM Grand but we are considering staying at the Excalibur even though we loved the Luxor....just want to try something different. I'm sure we won't be spending all that much time in the room anyways, and the Excalibur is a bit cheaper......but would love suggestions on any other hotels on the strip. We are looking for a very casual and relaxed atmosphere.....nothing hoity-toity, but definitely clean and friendly.

I will have a pre-planned (although not cut in stone) itinerary since I don't want to waste valuable time wandering thru the city. I also called the Travel Bureau and ordered the free information packet, which I should receive in a couple of weeks. I plan on ordering show tickets by the coke bottle on the strip next to the M&M factory since they generally sell tickets for half price. I also plan on booking my flight and hotel together using bookingbuddy.com.

So, my question(s) to those who have recently been to Vegas, what are some other tips you would suggest? Are there any can't miss shows? Any great deals I need to know about? Is using the bus system to the downtown area still the best way to travel using the one day pass? Any thoughts on Excalibur (good or bad)? How about the MGM or New York-New York? Is bookingbuddy.com the best place to get a great package deal?


ANY information would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!


Angie
 
I can't really offer too much except that I've stayed at the Excalibur and I thought it was just fine( clean, friendly, nothing extravagant)! Because like you said, it's not like you're in the room that much anyways!!
 
Excalibur is fine for the money.

We ate at the BLT burger place in the Mirage and it was great ! Across from BLT is the Carnagie deli with sinfull cheesecake and carrot cake. The bus pass to downtown is $7 a day and well worth it. Downtown was not crowded and was cooler to walk in the 108 heat. Harrah's has a outdoor area where a band will be playing. I think there is a Ghiradelli ice cream shop righ there too.

I really hated all the guys snapping the cards with the naked girls trying to give them out. Then there will be hundreds of the cards all over the ground.

There are many shops in the caesars palace emporium to just walk around and see. Have fun. Play roulette - red/black. I came back with more money than I went with this time.
 
I am going to be the lone dissenter and tell you that the Excalibur is not fine! It really is a run down, more geared towards kids, type of place. The rooms are sadly in need of updating, and the general atmosphere is pretty cheesy. Since you've already experienced the Luxor, I'd stay there over Excalibur. And if you stay in the Luxor, definitely stay in the tower rooms, not the pyramid rooms, as they are larger and newer.

Having said all that, if I were you I would stay at the MGM where the wedding is. And even beyond that, I can tell you that Casesar's Palace, the Bellagio and The Venetian are all nicer than any of them.

If you really want a great deal, go ahead and sign up for the Player's Club and/or Total Rewards cards. Even if you aren't a big time gambler, just using your card to play a few slot machines and/or tables will get you some comps. (Make sure you get your comps as you check out) My DH and I have been going for years. He's a pretty big gambler, and we've learned how to work the comp system. We go for a week at a time and stay free, food included. Our next trip they are even paying our airfare. The hotels out there are anxious to get guests, and once you become a card member, you get all kinds of deals through emails and in the regular mail. Can't beat a FREE week in Vegas!

We have several favorite restaurants if you're interested. Just to name a few -- "Mix" at the top of TheHotel at Mandalay Bay. Joe's Seafood & Steak in the Forum Shops. Bradley Ogden, Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, Nero's and Rao's at Caesar's. The Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris is excellent too. For lunch and afternoon snacking: Mon Ami Gabi at Paris, and The Burger Bar at Mandalay Place (between Luxor and Mandalay Bay). We are not big on buffets, but a good one to try is the one at Planet Hollywood.

We use the monorail when we want to get from one end of the strip to the other. Be warned though, it still involves a LOT of walking... just getting to the station and back out of a station takes a while.

Sights not to miss: The Bellagio Fountains, the view from "Mix", the view from "The Ghost Bar" at the top of The Palms, the view from The VooDoo Lounge at the top of the Rio, and also the view from the top of the Stratosphere, (although this place is kind of dirty and icky... unless you go to the restaurant which requires reservations).

The best show we've seen lately was Donny & Marie! Excellent! They are there for the next 3 years I believe. I've heard rave reviews from everyone who has seen their show.

Have fun! We love Vegas and are going again in late September!
 
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Viva Las Vegas

I'm sure there are probably 100 nice restaurants on the strip and Fremont St, but our all time favorite is The Steak House at Circus Circus. It can be casual or romantic. It's reasonably priced and not a la carte. It used to get the Best of Vegas award every year, but with all the new restaurants over the years competition is tough. But, just not being A La Carte is definitely a winning factor for me.

Fremont St is great to spend a few hours at. They sometimes have bands there.

You can eat at the rotating top of the world restaurant at the Stratosphere.

Locals get two for one tickets to a couple of the bigger shows...if you know any locals.
 
HI Angie:

as a local I have not spent a lot of time in any of the hotel rooms recently, however, as one poster said above, both Luxor pyramid and Excalibur are probably older than a lot of places on the strip, but if price is a major concern, either one of those would be an OK choice... I agree about the pyramid rooms though, request a tower room... I stayed in one about 4 years ago at the Luxor pyramid room, spent a day without hot water and wallpaper peeling off the walls... but they have done a lot of rennovations up and down the strip!

My all time favorite strip restaurant is StripBurger (on the corner of LVB and Wynn/Fashion Show Mall across the street from Wynn) and Emerils Delmonico's at the Venetian... two vastly different ends of the $$ spectrum, but there are so many wonderful experiences both culinary and entertainment (sometimes both at the same time!). with the economy slumping as it is, you should have no trouble finding some great deals though. November isn't exactly high tourist season, so keep your eyes peeled, pick a few places you might be interested in and definately shop them against each other. It's amazing how much establishments are viaing for business these days!

The Orleans, while slightly off strip, is another lower cost alternative. South Point is farther south down the North/South Highway 15, but also a bit less expensive. Most of the resort/hotels have shuttles to the strip and back so sometimes that's not an issue. You might want to check with the MGM to see if they would be able to give you discounted rates if that is where the wedding will be held. Sometimes they will work with you and the rest of the wedding attendees on special group rates...

Also, the Monte Carlo has some good business rates and a few of my sales reps stay there frequently.

good luck and have fun!
 
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I don't have much to add about the hotel. I stayed at the MGM about two years ago and it was fine. However, I always recommend the Liberace museum! I went there years ago and loved it. :eek:
 
IMO Excalibur is pretty bad, I have not seen the rooms, but anyone I've ever met who stayed there say it matches the rest of the place, run down and old. Although it's at the other end of the strip, the Mirage has good room rates, and all the rooms were renovated about 1-2 years ago. Paris had clean decent rooms for a good price too, and check out Mandalay Bay, they often have some good rates too, and their rooms are quite large, and used to be really nice, it's been a while since I stayed there, but I think they also renovated. I almost always stay at Venetian now, but I have stayed at all the above I mentioned as well, I love it at venetian, it is far more pricey than the others I mentioned, but we usually get some comped nights to it balances out.

I generally book my rooms directly through their sites, so if my plans change, it's easy to update the room and all of the hotels guarantee their online prices are the lowest you will find, but for booking packages, you need to use a site like you mentioned, or hotwire, travelocity, expedia, etc.

I'm not sure about taking the bus, but I can tell you the cab to get to old Vegas, was really expensive.

I agree with many posters above, both burger places mentioned above are awesome, Delmonico's at Venetian is fabulous but pricey, Venetian/Palazzo just has so many awesome restaurants, over at MGM Grand there is a good and casual Emeril's restaurant, I heard the burger place over at Mandalay was great too. The French place, Mon Ami Gabi at Paris is very good, Mandalay Bay has a good Wolfgang Puck restaurant, actually there are 2, I ate at the more casual one a couple of times. Over at Caesars, I like the Wolfgang Puck's Spago for lunch. Lots of great Asian noodle bars in town too. There are so many great places to eat, I like to look at the websites, and check out the menus of casinos I would be likely to be in, then make my choices from there.

Have fun and good luck!
 
Thanks to everyone who responded. I'm really excited and have taken your suggestions to heart.

Jeanne - Can you explain how the comp system works? The last time DH and I were in vegas, he only gambled $40 to my $15 over the coarse of 5 days. We had set aside $50 each to gamble per day but we just couldn't bring ourselves to do it.:confused: LOL! So, that being said, comps wouldn't benefit us would it?
Thanks for the food advice. I'll have to make a list and when we're in the area try some of your suggestions.

Barb - We loved Fremont Street! The Bellagio fountains and the Freemont St. experience were by far the coolest "free" things to do in Vegas when we were there last. We will definitely be doing those again. Thanks for the tips!

Hi Dani - I didn't know you were a LV local. How cool is that?
I called MGM and asked what their special rate was for the wedding and it was $148 per night.:eek: I found far better rates online with airfare included! But, we still haven't decided exactly where we will stay. MGM is in the running though. Hmmmm - the Monte Carlo - hadn't really given that one a thought and not sure why - something to think about. We both want a popular hotel on the strip, if nothing else, just to say we've been there and done that.:p There's just soooooooo many choices.

Again ladies - thanks so much!

Angie
 
Angie,

To get the comps you have to sign up for the rewards card that your particular hotel uses. There are several along the strip, Total Rewards being one and Player's Club another. Each card is good at several particpating hotels. I am not sure if there are others. Anyway, every time you gamble you put the card in the machine or hand it to the dealer, so that your gambling time and $$ can be recorded on the card.

When it is time to check out, go to the comp desk and "redeem" your points. If you've only gambled a small amount, you probably won't get much comped. I remember the first time we went we got a free t-shirt because we only had a few points on the card. Another time I was there with a girlfriend and we had upgraded to a suite, but didn't have enough points to pay the total amount. 30 minutes before checking out, I went to a slot machine, put in $20 and won (and lost) enough to comp our upgrade for all 3 nights.... and walked away with my original $20! The points build up on the card and you earn more and more. Now that we've been doing it for several years, our point balance is so high that we are comped a week long stay in a suite at Caesar's up front, when we make reservations. (And as mentioned above, they've also given us a voucher to redeem that will cover our airfare). You earn your way up to a certain "level" and there are also amenities provided according to that level. As Diamond Members of Total Rewards, for instance, we have a special check in desk at Casear's and a lounge that is open in the evenings with free food and beverage. You can also go to the head of the line at the taxi stand out front as a Diamond Member (and believe me, that can be a HUGE advantage!).

One thing you need to remember is that they are counting the amount of money you gamble, not whether you win or lose. My DH has learned what games work best for him, so not only is he earning comp points, he's WINNING $$. Our last trip everthing was comped (food, show tickets and hotel) AND we went home about $1000 richer. Even if you're not winning though, you are not gambling in vain. For every dollar you spend, you're getting something in return. It's a great system if you learn how to work it.

Oh, and we also have a Total Rewards Visa card that gives us reward points good towards Vegas.

Hope this helps!

Have fun on your trip! I am looking forward to ours.:D
 
I know it's old but the rooms are clean not fancy but I like to eat and play at Sahara. It's at the far end of the strip but on the monorail line. With a 3 day pass you can ride up and down the strip as many times as you like.
It is definitely cheaper. If you play at all your comps will be more than at a new casino.
 
Hey, Ange! I haven't been to Vegas since '97, so obviously, I can't offer any up-to-date advice, but I would suggest a day trip to the Grand Canyon while you're out there. Hoover Dam was pretty cool, too.

Hope you have a great trip!
 
I just need to add if you go to the Mix at The Hotel, go to the restroom and use the last stall on the left! The commode faces the strip! It is a pretty amazing sight. Mary
 
Hi Angie!! I love Vegas!! Last time I was there was in May for 10 days. I've been about 15 times in the last 5 years. My boyfriend and I go at least twice a year!! We always stay at Bally's. I've never stayed at Excalibur but have heard it's more geared towards kids. There is so much to see & do. All I can tell you is if you do gamble (even a little bit) make sure you get a players card. You may not think you will spend enough to earn rewards, but you might (and it's free to join). My boyfriend is a big spender and we get a lot of stuff for "free" when we are there but even when I went with my Mom, we spent enough between the 2 of us for a free room and a couple of buffets. And you even get free drinks when you are gambling (find a penny machine, sit down and play for a few minutes till the waitress comes around, get your drink and leave!)
A few things to check out.
1. The Rio - they have an awesome "Show in the Sky" in the evenings. It's a mardi gras theme and the floats go across the ceiling. Awesome singing / dancing.
2. The garden at the Flamingo - very pretty.
3. George Wallace at the Flamingo is an incredibly funny show.
4. The fountains at the Bellagio and the volcano at the Mirage - both beautiful shows you can see on the strip.
5. Anthony Cools (hypnotist) at Paris - very adult themed show - extremely funny.
6. It's worth while to spend a day strolling through the various casinos (Caesars's forum shoppes, the Venetian mall, Planet Hollywood mall)
7. Buffets - Rio has World Carnival Buffet it's awesome. Mirage has an awesome buffet. The Wynne has probably one of the best buffets I've ever had in Vegas.
8. Freemont St. Experience Downtown. So many people stay on the strip and don't go downtown to "Old Vegas". Go at night so you can see the light show. It's amazing. Lots of street vendors & stuff. Definitely a must see.
9. Stratosphere Tower - it's worthwhile to go to the top to see (the restaurant there is really good too)
10. Bite is a vampire adult themed show at the Stratosphere. Really good but there is nudity - very sexy show.
11. Chippendales at the Rio.....what else can I say there???? Awesome!!

Anyway, since you are going in November, you have lots of time to do some research online. Check out venues for shows. House of Blues normally has some pretty good entertainment (not sure what time of music, etc. you are into) And you should always see if wherever you are staying has a package (room & a show) You normally get it cheaper that way. Send me a message if you are not sure of something. If I don't know, I can find out for you through my host in Vegas!!

Have a great time!
 
Vegas is great! If you want to see famous people, wander through the palms, we saw Britney Spears once.

For shopping, Caesars is the best if you like designer, the Venetian is good too.

Tropicana has acrobatic shows in the missdle of the casino with people flying over your head, which is pretty cool.

Don't miss the water show in front of teh Bellagio, definitely something to see at least once!

Have Fun!
 
scubagirl said:
I just need to add if you go to the Mix at The Hotel, go to the restroom and use the last stall on the left! The commode faces the strip! It is a pretty amazing sight. Mary
Click to expand...

I know, isn't the bathroom the coolest? Mix is one of our favorite hangouts in Vegas. We love to sit on one of the sofas outside on the balcony and enjoy the view!
 
Jeanne - Thank you so much for the explaination on comps. I'll sign up when we get there - we might not get much, but there's nothing to lose either so who knows? Since we won't have the kids this time, maybe we'll spend more time in the casino.

Mary - LOL at the Mix commode suggestion. Ya know, I'm just going to HAVE to go check it out now.:D It sounds so cool.

Hey Cathy - When we were there 5 years ago we went to the Hoover Dam. Due to 911, they don't let visitors down into the deep portions of the Dam anymore.:( It was a long day and we went in August so it was HOT. Although the GC is a great suggestion! I'd love to see it and I'm sure November wouldn't be quite so hot.

Ruthie - Love the tips! We will definitely want to catch some comedy shows so I'll check out George Wallace. I did a search before posting this and someone said a few years ago that the Carrot-top show was really funny too. I want to catch an adult show as well since we didn't do that last time with the kids. It looks like there's lots of those to choose from. I'm sure I can get DH to go there, but I doubt I'll convince him that Chippendales is a must see. *lol*

Nico - Thankfully I saw the acrobat show at the Tropicana the last time we were there. Boo that it's no longer there.:( It was cool.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to post. I'm taking notes and am bringing them with me. You all are the best!!:D Thank you!

Angie
 
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