Las Vegas

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by E. Cosgrove[brBellagio is still my favourite.
[/quote]

Don't gey me wrong; Bellagio is a nice Hotel and the Dancing Fountains outside are very good. But the reason I would not say there is partly personal. The Italian Village theme does nothing for me while something like the Polynesian setting of The Mirage or the Hot Latin theme of Rio strikes the right chords.

Bellagio and The Venetian are too much grandeur with less colourful life which one would expect on a visit to Las Vegas. Those two would be wonderful somewhere like New York or San Francisco, but in LV I would prefer something more lively where I can let my hair down and be merry. That is where Caesar's Palace scores over the others - start with their incomparable Forum Shopping Arcade with its 'Night for Day' theme.

[Ray&Sarah]

The forum arcade is absolutely fantastic, never expected to find a shopping arcade within the walls of a hotel.[msnsmile2]

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Ray&Sarah
The forum arcade is absolutely fantastic, never expected to find a shopping arcade within the walls of a hotel.[msnsmile2]
[/quote]

Their cration of a night sky during the day and vice versa is very imaginative. The 'sky' looks more realistic than even the one at Mexico pavilion of Epcot.

[E. Cosgrove]

The ceiling with the changing light, you believe you are out doors don't you. Also in Aladdin there is an Italian restaurant which makes you believe you are dining outside, you have to keep telling yourself you are INSIDE an enormous hotel!!!

[Ray&Sarah]

We were also amazed by the Venetian, didn't do the gondola rida though as we thought it was a bit of a rip off and couldn't imagine it being romantic with people all around you.

[Michele L]

my thoughts are just go and enjoy, splash out on a hotel on the strip it is worth every penny. I love Vegas and everyone has to go!!!!!!!

michele

[MTP]

We love the Forum at Caesars, I haven't seen the new Aladdin (we were there on the night that it opened, but getting on a flight home at 6pm when it opened at 7pm[msncry]), but the Forum ceiling is much more effective than the shopping plaza at the Venetian. I feel that the Venetian St Mark's Square is just too big and it makes it very echoey (sp?) and therefore the illusion is destroyed.

Our favourite hotel is the Monte Carlo. It is a little smaller (only three thousand rooms if memory serves correct) and feels a little more personal, plus it has a microbrewery in it! One good thing about while you are gaming there is that you can have the microbrewed beers as your complementary drinks (so I am realibly informed[msnwink]).

As far as property values I was under the impression that the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard ("The Strip") and Tropicana Avenue is the highest valued intersection in at least the US, if not the world.

Mrs MTP finds that even during the Summer she needs to have something warmer to wear in the evenings for while on the casin floors due to the air-conditioning (do you think they keep it coolish with a high oxygen content on purpose?).

We are hoping to do a 7-10 night break in Vegas next year (without kids) to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. We first encountered las Vegas during our honeymoon when we were travelling coast to coast on Amtrack. Our last trip was four years ago and it was what spurred us to book our first Florida holiday (perhaps a little guilt for leaving our daughter for a week). For those that can't wait to see Vegas again try out www.lasvegas360.com.

Don't forget that, like Florida, there is a whole load of other wonderous things around Vegas, Nevada and on into Arizona that are well worth seeing and not too far away.

If you are going to go to Vegas and you do wish to gamble then please allocate a gaming budget which are happy to loose and stick to it. It is quite scary and saddening to watch what some people lose. We feel that what we have spent on gambling in an evening is no more or less that we would have spent on drinks/entertainment and a lot of that is complementary in Vegas (even just the people watching!).

[MTP]

I forgot, I forgot ... Las Vegas is a great city for upgrades.

At the Rio Hotel we were upgraded in our room. At check-in I asked if our room had a jacuzzi and the clerk said that it didn't. I said not to worry, just a friend had stayed at the Rio and had had a really nice room with a jacuzzi. The clerk tapped away at the keyboard and then looked up and said "Do you mind being upgraded for one night?" (we were staying for three), we said no. She then said "I think you will like this room, something to tell your friend". What a room! The Rio has got a new tower that is kidney shaped (or was new-ish then) the room we had was on the twentysomethingth floor and was at one end of the floor. The end room was a suite which was semi-cirular (as it is at one tip of the kidney shape) and had 180 degree ceiling to floor windows. It was huge - lounge, kitchen, dining area, bedroom, huge bathroom with steam shower and jacuzzi by the window. For $79+tax!

We have also been upgraded twice at the Monte Carlo to the concierge floor. The rooms are the same, but there is a suite where during the day there is a mini-buffet of fresh fruits, juices, cheeses and meats (a bit like a continental breakfast), then in the evening it switches to wine and nibbles. For $49+tax.

Las Vegas is a town where tipping can also work well (I know this has been heatedly debated before on the forums), during the likes of Comdex there are a lot of people in town on company expense accounts where tipping can be minimal, therefore tipping is very warmly received and gets you an excellent level of service.

[alfie]

Been wanting to go to Vegas for years only question really is, IS it suitable for kids (13,13,11) heard can be quite sleezy in places, and is there enough to do for a week/10days?

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by alfie
Been wanting to go to Vegas for years only question really is, IS it suitable for kids (13,13,11) heard can be quite sleezy in places, and is there enough to do for a week/10days?
[/quote]

Las Vegas is now far more family friendly than it used to be. There will be quite a lot to do for your kids. Obviously, some places are more kid-friendly than others and you will have to check individually.

For a start MGM Grand is probably the most family orientated casino/resort, with New York, New York and The Stratosphere not far behind. As for the shows, you will have to check closer to the time of your visit; most of them specify if they are suitable for kids or otherwise. If in doubt, you can always ask before booking (which is usually necessary for popular shows). For exanple, the sadly discontinued (due to Roy's accident) Siegfried & Roy is probably the greatest show ever hosted in LV and 100% suitable for kids. Your kids will also love the Star Trek Experience at the LV Hilton.

I think 4 or 5 days is enough at Las Vegas per se. Irrespective of where you are staying, you can visit any Casino, even if it is 'just to see'. So, it is best to start at one end of the strip and work your way slowly to the other, reserving a day & night to "Glitter Gulch" downtown. The 'Fremont Street Experience' there is another attraction which everyone will enjoy.

Always carry a lot of water and take it slowly. Walking distances in Las Vegas are very misleading and places are always much further away than it appears at first glance.

But you do need to keep 10 days for the full visit to the area. This is because Las Vegas is the ideal jump-off point to the greatest natural attraction in the world - Grand Canyon. There is a flight between the two places - or you can do the drive. Driving is better because it allows you to visit the Canyon's North Rim, a totally different and in some ways much better experience. Two nights at each rim would be ideal.

Hope this helps.