Las Vegas... 1st time going plus Grand Canyon

[TooPatient]

I need to get on the details of my trip to Vegas at the end of August before I don't have a hotel to stay in. I've never been. DH went once more than 20 years ago and didn't like anything about the place. I'm leaving him to take care of the cats & dogs and taking my aunt on a fun trip.

My current thinking is that we will fly into Arizona (Phoenix?) on that Thursday morning and get a rental car. Spend the day seeing the Grand Canyon then drive to Las Vegas. Maybe stay in Arizona that first night? Or continue on to Las Vegas?

We have VIP tickets to see George Strait in concert Friday evening in LV. Then we would fly home from there Saturday evening.

So... Ideas? What hotels should I look at and which to avoid? What are the must visit restaurants and other sights? First night in Arizona or LV? Should I keep the car after getting to LV or return it and be on foot?
(Neither of us smoke and have little/no interest in gambling.)

 

[LLJsmom]

Crystals Mall:
https://www.simon.com/mall/the-shops-at-crystals

Harry Winston
Van Cleef
Cartier
Hermes
and on...

I prefer the north stores.
https://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/las-vegas-north/stores
https://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/las-vegas-south/stores

Great mall with Neiman Marcus
https://www.thefashionshow.com/en/visit/attractions.html

I would stay in the middle of the strip, around cosmopolitan, Aria or Bellagio area, to make it easier to get around and shorter distance from everything. In the summer it gets too hot to spend too many hours outside of air conditioning.

My favorite buffet is Wicked Spoon, at the Cosmopolitan.

If you like Cirque du Soleil, prices are pretty reasonable.

Palazzo and Venetian rooms are huge, but does not have a modern feel. Wynn and Encore is too far one direction.

Have fun!!!

 

[TooPatient]

Crystals Mall:
https://www.simon.com/mall/the-shops-at-crystals

Harry Winston
Van Cleef
Cartier
Hermes
and on...

I prefer the north stores.
https://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/las-vegas-north/stores
https://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/las-vegas-south/stores

Great mall with Neiman Marcus
https://www.thefashionshow.com/en/visit/attractions.html

I would stay in the middle of the strip, around cosmopolitan, Aria or Bellagio area, to make it easier to get around and shorter distance from everything. In the summer it gets too hot to spend too many hours outside of air conditioning.

My favorite buffet is Wicked Spoon, at the Cosmopolitan.

If you like Cirque du Soleil, prices are pretty reasonable.

Palazzo and Venetian rooms are huge, but does not have a modern feel. Wynn and Encore is too far one direction.

Have fun!!!

Thank you!

Great suggestions! There are so many places there. It helps to have some recommendations from someone who has been!

 

[nala]

Which rim of the Grand Canyon are you visiting? I recently drove from Vegas to the north rim, and it took about 5 hours or so but we also stopped at horshoe bend briefly.
Also, I love Bryce and Zion. Depending on how long you have and which rim you Are going to, you should research if it’s possible to hit either of these.

I don’t know your budget for hotels, so I hesitate to recommend any. I go to Vegas like 6 times a year, so I don’t do the touristy thing, like walking the strip etc so I opt to stay off the strip to avoid parking charges, lol. But since it’s your first time, stay on the strip.

I will say that if you like tacos, you must go to Tacos el Gordo. There are 3 locations and all are insanely packed! But these are the best tacos ever!

 

[MollyMalone]

My dad liked Hilton Grand Vacations at the Flamingo (the HVC is its own separate building on the grounds, not inside the Flamingo itself)
https://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/nevada/hilton-grand-vacations-at-the-flamingo-LASFLGV/index.html
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...cations_at_the_Flamingo-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html

because it's a smaller property; is entirely non-smoking; doesn't have a casino but is in close proximity to a number of them so altho' he was indifferent to gambling, he could easily indulge his SO's interest; and is steps away from the monorail:
https://www.lvmonorail.com/route-map/

You could get a true 1-bedroom suite (with full kitchen, living room, and bath with soaking tub and separate shower) and breakfast through the hotel's own website at the AAA rate of $148/night for the nights you need (plus taxes & a $25/night "resort fee"; think all the hotels there charge a resort fee that varies in cost, so you'll always pay more than the nightly rate that shows up via search engines).

But... none of the units has 2 queen (or double) beds; it's a king bed in the bedroom -- and a sleep sofa with queen mattress in the living room (which if it's like those in the Hilton Doubletree Suites I've stayed in is surprisingly comfortable). And the HGV won't be the glitzier "Las Vegas hotel" experience you two might be wanting.

 

[TooPatient]

Which rim of the Grand Canyon are you visiting? I recently drove from Vegas to the north rim, and it took about 5 hours or so but we also stopped at horshoe bend briefly.
Also, I love Bryce and Zion. Depending on how long you have and which rim you Are going to, you should research if it’s possible to hit either of these.

I don’t know your budget for hotels, so I hesitate to recommend any. I go to Vegas like 6 times a year, so I don’t do the touristy thing, like walking the strip etc so I opt to stay off the strip to avoid parking charges, lol. But since it’s your first time, stay on the strip.

I will say that if you like tacos, you must go to Tacos el Gordo. There are 3 locations and all are insanely packed! But these are the best tacos ever!

I haven't planned which rims to visit yet. It wasn't until the last few months that I even knew there were different rims! It makes sense when I hear it, just never occurred to me. We're flying in on the Thursday morning so we can see it on a weekday and hopefully avoid some of the crowds.

We both LOVE tacos. Will have to stop at Tacos El Gordo!

I hadn't given much thought to hotel budget. I usually try to keep it under $200/night (less where it can be done at reasonable quality) but for a great hotel, I would do up to $300ish.

 

[TooPatient]

My dad liked Hilton Grand Vacations at the Flamingo (the HVC is its own separate building on the grounds, not inside the Flamingo itself)
https://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/nevada/hilton-grand-vacations-at-the-flamingo-LASFLGV/index.html
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...cations_at_the_Flamingo-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html

because it's a smaller property; is entirely non-smoking; doesn't have a casino but is in close proximity to a number of them so altho' he was indifferent to gambling, he could easily indulge his SO's interest; and is steps away from the monorail:
https://www.lvmonorail.com/route-map/

You could get a true 1-bedroom suite (with full kitchen, living room, and bath with soaking tub and separate shower) and breakfast through the hotel's own website at the AAA rate of $148/night for the nights you need (plus taxes & a $25/night "resort fee"; think all the hotels there charge a resort fee that varies in cost, so you'll always pay more than the nightly rate that shows up via search engines).

But... none of the units has 2 queen (or double) beds; it's a king bed in the bedroom -- and a sleep sofa with queen mattress in the living room (which if it's like those in the Hilton Doubletree Suites I've stayed in is surprisingly comfortable). And the HGV won't be the glitzier "Las Vegas hotel" experience you two might be wanting.

That looks like a possible option. I love that it is non smoking! We shared a king size in a room last summer for the music festival we went to. Worked fine as neither of us move much in our sleep.

 

[MollyMalone]

That looks like a possible option. I love that it is non smoking! We shared a king size in a room last summer for the music festival we went to. Worked fine as neither of us move much in our sleep.

Since you two don't mind being in "closer quarters," you could get a studio suite [still has sleep sofa] at the AAA base rate of $128/night (no prepayment, can be canceled -- same for the 1-BR).

If you'd like to look for something more glamorous, you can check off Non-Smoking in the Amenities drop-down menu in the left-hand sidebar of the TripAdvisor LV Hotels page. Below the Amenities filter is Distance from where you can first select, e.g., the Strip and then within 1 mile.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g45963-Las_Vegas_Nevada-Hotels.html

But hopefully you'll get some additional first-hand recommendations.

 

[TooPatient]

I just got a look at one way car rental fees. Not going to do that! The car rental places are charging about $200 for picking up in Phoenix and dropping off in Las Vegas.

 

[nala]

I just got a look at one way car rental fees. Not going to do that! The car rental places are charging about $200 for picking up in Phoenix and dropping off in Las Vegas.

Does that mean you are going to do a round trip? Have you already purchased the concert tickets or can you still make changes to itinerary?

 

[TooPatient]

Does that mean you are going to do a round trip? Have you already purchased the concert tickets or can you still make changes to itinerary?

I already purchased concert tickets months ago. Going to do the round trip. I'm glad I started looking at details now. My aunt just backed out on me. (She is going through a divorce and custody battle...) Going alone now. If I can sell the ticket (I paid $450 each for VIP tickets), I will probably splurge and do the air tour. If not, I may do an air tour anyway since I don't have to buy a 2nd airplane ticket and food & drink for two.

 

[nala]

I already purchased concert tickets months ago. Going to do the round trip. I'm glad I started looking at details now. My aunt just backed out on me. (She is going through a divorce and custody battle...) Going alone now. If I can sell the ticket (I paid $450 each for VIP tickets), I will probably splurge and do the air tour. If not, I may do an air tour anyway since I don't have to buy a 2nd airplane ticket and food & drink for two.

Now that is a great plan!

 

[TooPatient]

Which rim of the Grand Canyon are you visiting? I recently drove from Vegas to the north rim, and it took about 5 hours or so but we also stopped at horshoe bend briefly.
Also, I love Bryce and Zion. Depending on how long you have and which rim you Are going to, you should research if it’s possible to hit either of these.

I don’t know your budget for hotels, so I hesitate to recommend any. I go to Vegas like 6 times a year, so I don’t do the touristy thing, like walking the strip etc so I opt to stay off the strip to avoid parking charges, lol. But since it’s your first time, stay on the strip.

I will say that if you like tacos, you must go to Tacos el Gordo. There are 3 locations and all are insanely packed! But these are the best tacos ever!

I booked my Grand Canyon your. It is a splurge, but looks amazing and lets me see much more than the other options in far less time (and is almost all air conditioned!). North rim, South rim, GC Village, and Bright Angel Lodge: https://www.canyontours.com/grand-canyon-super-deluxe-air-helicopter-tour/

As luck would have it, I am about a block away from a Tacos El Gordo!

 

[TooPatient]

I'm working at getting an idea of where I want to eat and visit while there.

Thursday: lunch, early-ish dinner, early to bed, plus whatever looks fun.

Friday: VERY early breakfast (like 3:30-4am) so need to check room service times or get something the day before. GC Tour picks up at 4:30am, back to hotel by 1pm, concert starts at 7pm so nap and food between.

Saturday: whatever goes. Breakfast, lunch, early dinner. Flight leaves at 7pm.

 

[distracts]

The Aria is connected to Crystals mall, so I like to stay there because it is easy to get to the mall to look at the jewelry. The Vdara is right across the street and does not have a casino, but does have larger rooms/suites, if that's more your thing. I've stayed at the Aria many times and Vdara only once - I prefer the Aria just due to the casino floor, immediate connection with the mall, and restaurants. I don't gamble but my husband does and having to walk through the casino to get to the elevators really gives the "vegas" feel the way a normal hotel doesn't.

The key with a Vegas hotel is to pick a pretty new one - they wear rapidly and the "classics" look super old and run-down.

The high-end stores in Crystals have a waaaay bigger selection than they do in most places. I love going in and trying on all the outrageously expensive things they'll let me touch!

 

[MollyMalone]

I'm sorry that your aunt backed out, @TooPatient, but I hope you nevertheless had a wonderful time last weekend! Would love to hear more about it & see pics if you care to share

 

[TooPatient]

I'm sorry that your aunt backed out, @TooPatient, but I hope you nevertheless had a wonderful time last weekend! Would love to hear more about it & see pics if you care to share

Thank you, Molly Malone!

My trip went spectacularly! I have a hard time imaging how it could have been any better. Thanks to going alone, I went ahead and upgraded everything since I didn't have to worry about paying for two of us and I didn't have to worry about what anyone else wanted to do/see.

DH dropped me off at the airport and I made it through security quickly. Since I had almost two hours until boarding, I decided to have breakfast at the restaurant across from the boarding gate. Delicious vegetarian breakfast sandwich and a blackberry mimosa! My first class seat was comfortable with plenty of room next to a friendly but not too friendly man traveling for work. I got to see Mount St. Helens out the window! Lots of coffee and mimosas to go with beautiful scenery. I decided to take my time wandering out of the airport when I got there since check in wasn't for a few hours. I discovered Ethel M's Chocolates and bought a small box to enjoy over my visit.

The hotel. OMG. Everything was floor to ceiling sparkly and gorgeous. Huge crystal chandeliers, polished gold color everywhere. I was there more than an hour before check-in, but not a problem. There had been a slight mixup as they had me looking across the strip when I had paid extra for mountains. That was a whoops on the part of the website I went through as mountain view rooms cost less. Would I be okay with them upgrading me to a better room with mountain view since I had already paid extra? Not a problem! I couldn't believe it when I walked in. One of my two bathrooms was bigger than my kitchen at home. The room was amazing. She had upgraded me to a one bedroom corner suite. I ordered early dinner through room service (yum!) and watched the sunset over the mountains.

Morning was EARLY with breakfast at 3:00am so I could be ready for my 4:00am pickup by the Grand Canyon tour company. They even brought me a travel mug with breakfast since they knew I was going on a tour! (Seeing the pickup locations of other hotels made me really appreciate where I was as it was well lit and not isolated!) I got to hang out and watch the sun come up over the desert behind the airplanes/helicopters as we were getting ready to board. Traveling alone meant I was guaranteed a window seat on the airplane. We flew over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and so many beautiful areas. The sun was still coming up with just a bit of fog making for breathtaking beauty. We landed at a small airport near the Grand Canyon and I was part of the group that went on to the helicopter portion. I upgraded to sit in front with the pilot. My first time in a helicopter was going through the Grand Canyon! The experience was indescribable. We went around the north, south, and west rims of the canyon (30 minutes) before landing again and getting on a shuttle to see Bright Angel Lodge and a few other points. The flight back towards Las Vegas was just as amazing as the one going to the canyon area. I got my same window so I got to see everything from the other side.

I got dropped back to the hotel in time to take a bath in the giant bathtub (with chocolates and wine...), get a bit of a nap, and have an early dinner. I tried to walk to the concert but got lost in a casino so settled on a taxi the rest of the way. I met a sweet lady who actually used to live in the same area we do. I thought she was there alone so invited her to come to VIP with me for 6th row. She was shocked! Her husband was there but was okay with her sitting with me since she had never been that close at a concert. The night was a blast. Absolutely everything I could have hoped for and the reason I even went to Las Vegas. George Strait has always been one of my favorites! My new friends showed me around a couple of casinos on the way to their car and dropped me off at the hotel.

My last morning was just as perfect as the rest. I woke up to the sun shining in and seeing those mountains out past the desert. I got all packed up and finished my last chocolate. I had breakfast in the hotel restaurant and enjoyed the best smoked salmon Benedict I have ever had. My new friends joined me and we loaded my suitcase into their car before they showed me more of Las Vegas. I got to go through everything I had on my can't miss list! We left her husband at their place and she and I went through a little museum outside Henderson.

My flight home ended up being at sunset. I don't ever remember seeing a sunset last this long! It was varying shades of pink/red/orange for nearly my entire flight home.

(I'll add pictures when I get to a full-sized computer and don't have to scroll through the phone!)

 

[TooPatient]

 

[TooPatient]

 

[TooPatient]

 

[TooPatient]

 

[stracci2000]

Isn't the Grand Canyon unbelievable? I'm sure you were in awe!
Photos just can't capture how magnificent it really is.
(This is true for Niagara Falls, too)
I'm glad you had a great time!

 

[TooPatient]

The reason this trip happened... 6th row center so I could see this smile in person and hear him sing the songs that have made me so happy through my life!

 

[TooPatient]

Isn't the Grand Canyon unbelievable? I'm sure you were in awe!
Photos just can't capture how magnificent it really is.
(This is true for Niagara Falls, too)
I'm glad you had a great time!

I am so glad I went! I have videos too, but even they just don't touch how truly GRAND they really are. It was such an amazing experience every step of the way and the tour of the Grand Canyon was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. I'm so grateful to all of the advice I got through the group on how to sort through the never ending hotel choices and how much to tip where and being here as I was anxious about sorting out the details. I got there knowing what to expect and was able to just relax and enjoy every minute.

 

[missy]

I am so glad I went! I have videos too, but even they just don't touch how truly GRAND they really are. It was such an amazing experience every step of the way and the tour of the Grand Canyon was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. I'm so grateful to all of the advice I got through the group on how to sort through the never ending hotel choices and how much to tip where and being here as I was anxious about sorting out the details. I got there knowing what to expect and was able to just relax and enjoy every minute.

I am so glad you had such a wonderful time @TooPatient! Beautiful scenery and gorgeous trip. Love the Grand Canyon.

 

[Arcadian]

What a fun trip! Glad you had a great time. Your room reminds me of the place I use when I'm in DC. Love your pictures and thank you for sharing!!

 

[amoline]

Looks like your trip was lots of fun! The Mikimoto store at Crystals is my favorite place in Vegas, I think.

Glad you enjoyed!

 

[MollyMalone]

Oh, thank you, @TooPatient , for the photos and the recap -- it all sounds positively magical, a long weekend of making wondrous memories that will last a lifetime. You give so much to your grandparents and others (both people and animals), I'm glad you treated yourself so well this time!

P.S. Which hotel did you end up booking; the views from the corner suite are stunning!

 

[jbake]

That trip sounds like a dream!

 

[TooPatient]

Oh, thank you, @TooPatient , for the photos and the recap -- it all sounds positively magical, a long weekend of making wondrous memories that will last a lifetime. You give so much to your grandparents and others (both people and animals), I'm glad you treated yourself so well this time!

P.S. Which hotel did you end up booking; the views from the corner suite are stunning!

Awe, thank you! It was absolutely perfect even in the couple of less than great moments that came up. The views were stunning. I was in the 62nd floor. Full sized sub zero refriger in the kitchen. Every detail was provided for before I even thought about needing anything.

The hotel... Wasn't one I went looking for and wouldn't have chosen if I felt I had a good alternative. I needed something fully non-smoking and on the strip since I wasn't renting a car. Plus I needed 24x7 valet & lobby area since I had a 4am pick up for the tour. On top of the usual standards for CLEAN, good room security, and full room service. I used two different sites to search and came up with three options that looked promising. One at nearly $700/night, one at $500/night, and this one for $170/night. The stay was spectacular but now I find myself having to explain how I ended up there as it isn't a popular choice. Trump International. (Like I said, not my first choice but it was stunning and I had a well lit area with valet staff around when I stood outside waiting for the tour shuttle when many others we picked up after I was on had to stand alone in isolated, barely lit areas.)