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Vegas! Where to stay?

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Rosebud8506

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DH and I are going to plan on staying a night or two in Vegas in mid March. What is a good hotel to stay at?? Is the Luxor any good? Entertainment? We are both not big gamblers, so the best casinos won''t really matter much to us. I''m more interested in the shows, nightlife, etc.

Suggestions?! Thanks
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Mara

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well i love THE hotel at mandalay bay...i stayed there last year and loved it. sometimes you can get deals online depending on when you go. also bellagio and venetian supposed to be very nice though i have not stayed there.

otherwise, i have stayed at TI a few years ago, and also MGM recently...both are nice and middle of the road...it always seems like hotels in vegas get dated so quickly kind of thing...they keep the rooms pretty clean and all that but the smokey smell drives me nuts though honestly you don''t spend that much time in the rooms. MGM i guess is the largest hotel on the strip? i was surprised that the rooms were pretty nice.

we really like the venetian''s casino as well. in terms of food and all that, bellagio, mandalay bay, and venetian for me are the ones with the most primo restaurants. i''m a huge foodie so i love the most expensive places there, lol. if you like steak, go to smith and wollensky, yum. for shows, see O if you have not already..there are so many cool shows, we were there in dec and saw blue man group and while it''s not something i would have chosen to go to, it was really awesome.
 

Miranda

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Date: 2/21/2007 7:02:03 PM
Author: Mara
well i love THE hotel at mandalay bay...i stayed there last year and loved it. sometimes you can get deals online depending on when you go. also bellagio and venetian supposed to be very nice though i have not stayed there.

otherwise, i have stayed at TI a few years ago, and also MGM recently...both are nice and middle of the road...it always seems like hotels in vegas get dated so quickly kind of thing...they keep the rooms pretty clean and all that but the smokey smell drives me nuts though honestly you don''t spend that much time in the rooms. MGM i guess is the largest hotel on the strip? i was surprised that the rooms were pretty nice.

we really like the venetian''s casino as well. in terms of food and all that, bellagio, mandalay bay, and venetian for me are the ones with the most primo restaurants. i''m a huge foodie so i love the most expensive places there, lol. if you like steak, go to smith and wollensky, yum. for shows, see O if you have not already..there are so many cool shows, we were there in dec and saw blue man group and while it''s not something i would have chosen to go to, it was really awesome.
We''ve stayed here too. It''s pretty nice. The crowd seems to be in the 20-30 age group. We saw Mama Mia when we went. It was pretty entertaining. I forget the restaurant, but, there is a Mexican food place there (near the pool) and they make the BEST margaritas...I mean the best ever, hands down, ever!

Like Mara said, the hotels get pretty old pretty quickly. I''m not sure about the Luxor. We walked through it and there seemed to be many families. Don''t forget to hit Caesar''s Palace for some GOOD shopping! Have fun!
 

Sundial

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We have stayed at a number of different hotels on the strip and our favorite is the Wynn. It is well located and to me much more central than Mandalay Bay. The rooms are gorgeous and large with flat screen TVs in the bedroom and bathroom. It is a beautiful property and we've found some very reasonable deals on southwestvacations.com.

Edited to add: The Le Reve show at the Wynn is very good and you are close to the Blue Man Group at the Venetian, the new Beatles Cirque du Soleil show Love at the Mirage, and Mystere at Treasure Island.
 

moremoremore

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Oh gosh!!! The Bellagio!!!!!

I've stayed at The Hotel and really loved it....but it was SO dark....Sleek and modern...But for some reason, I LOVED Bellagio more....It was just so comfortable in every way....

When at Mandalay, you MUST go to the Burger Bar(n?)....and must eat at Prime at the Bellagio...so beautiful....

i think 2 nights is the perfect amount of time to stay...we were there for four days and it was 2 days too many...
 

codex57

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I love, love, love, love, LOVE the Bellagio.

Venetian is supposed to be all suites, but I didn''t find it very comfortable.

I''d like to try the Wynn, but it''s too far north for me. Bellagio is centrally located. The Wynn is at the extreme end of anything really interesting. Unless you have kids, the only thing beyond the Wynn worth checking out would be Circus Circus and maybe the Stratosphere. Otherwise, I consider the Wynn at one end of the strip and Mandalay Bay at the other end.
 

flutterby

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I love vegas, the DH and I go 3 or 4 times a year! (we are foodies that love to gamble)

I got married at mandalay bay because its one of my favorite places, I always suggest staying at the hotel at mandalay over regular MB, its so croweded and the elevators are such a pain! However, it is pretty far down on the strip and if you really want to see everything for a first visit, i would stay more centrally. however if you like a good burlesque show, forty duece is a ton of fun!

we have stayed at all the great places and as much as i love the four seasons and the bellagio, we have been staying at Paris alot. its my new fave. its central on the strip, not such a huge hotel you get lost, great buffet breakfast, a yummy creperie.... Its clean and stylish while being central and not overpriced. It also helps that my DH loves the sportsbook there, and they tend to comp us a suite when we go!

For shows, o is amazing, zumanity is a ton of fun, and if le reve is still at wynn check it out.

i could go on and on about restaurants, le cirque in bellagio is fancy and great! canaletto in venetian is such authentic italian food (had rehearsal dinner there) and really reasonable.

have fun in vegas. i''m not going till may for a convention and will be nearly 6 months preggers.....
 

monarch64

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Dh says the Wynn, hands down. Top notch, better than Bellagio, by far. Check out the Picassos...unbelievable. He says it makes TI and Mirage look like the Super 8, lol.

I let my man travel a lot with friends--he usually does the NCAA tournament in Vegas every year and they have stayed various places...last year was at the Wynn and he''s been back since and loved it every time.
 

rjdodd

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I''d say the Wynn is the best, though I usually stay at the Bellagio, which is more central. Depending how trendy you want to go the Hard Rock is very nice, and much smaller than the others - it alos has a Nobu in house if you like sushi.
 

jcrow

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we stayed at the paris. it was well priced and very worth it for us. it was in a great location. i wasn''t so sure about doing the buffet thing, but the one at the paris was actually really good. we looked forward to it every morning. and it was cool that it was in our hotel. for more money, of course we would stay at the venetian, bellagio or wynn, but for less money, we were very pleased with the paris.
 

TravelingGal

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We usually stay at the flamingo. For the price, it has the best location. But swanky, it definitely is not! We like to save money on the room so we can eat our way through town.

Bellagio is definitely better located than the Wynn. I wasn''t that impressed with the Wynn, but I have not stayed in the rooms. I''ve stayed at Paris (meh), mandalay bay (nice, but too far down the strip. I''ve heard THE hotel is even nicer), Caesar''s (a great room in the older towers, never stayed in the newer ones), Venetian (standard rooms are bigger than average, but nothing special in my opinion).

I think if I had the choice and wanted to spend the money, I''d stay at the Bellagio. But I hate spending the money and getting a blah room...so that''s why I stay at the Flamingo. We usually get a great room with a view of the Bellagio fountains.
 

TravelingGal

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Oh, and food. I believe I have been to the steak place that Mara mentioned...it IS good. O is a great show and worth the money IMO....the tented cirque shows don''t compare.

We really had a great meal at Bobby Flay''s Mesa Grill....I''d recommend it because the food has such flavor. We also had a fantastic experience at Bradley Ogden at Caesar''s Palace. I was not as impressed with Aqua at Bellagio, and I am not even sure if it is there anymore...as restaurants in Vegas seem to change all the time.
 

Mara

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re: food..aureole in mandalay is awesome, highly recommended. aqua is pretty good...there are a lot of overpriced restaurants...but some are fabulous. use opentable to find what''s open and read reviews, i love using it before we go to vegas. le cirque is pretty good. also there''s another one, i think circo, that we ate at at the bellagio, very good if i remember correctly.
 

TravelingGal

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codex57

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Oh, I suppose I''m a glutton so I like the buffets. Wynn is my favorite by far. It goes for quality over quantity tho, so others (like Alladin) will have more selection. But at the prices they charge nowadays, it better have quality.

I''ve eaten at Picasso in Bellagio but I didn''t think it was that great. I don''t think I have the most sophisticated palate though. The more cultured foodies among my party seemed to like it. Raved over the foi gras. I didn''t think it was anything great. Just tasted like fat to me. I''ve tried and liked escargot (once I got over the idea of what it was and concentrated on flavor) so I''m not a complete barbarian.
 

diamondfan

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The Bellagio used to be amazing, but there are so many options now...I think most of the high end ones offer something great!
 

divergrrl

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Mara: What is THE hotel at Mandalay Bay? I know there is a Four Seasons attached to the back of Mandalay...did they change it? I've stayed at Mandalay Bay a number of times and I adore it. The Bellagio is nice as well, but I prefer Mandalay for value price compared to Bellagio. . Cesaer's Palace is too smoky, Luxor is kind of depressing inside, and MGM is too big and too loud.

I'm not a gambler either, so Vegas holds little appeal for me as well....I like the Forum Shops at Cesears however.

Oh and entertainment...Well, I liked Blue Man Group, Cirque Du Soliel, O, I hear the Celine Dion show is worth catching if you like her (I do not)...

There are some fun speed car roller coasters in the Sahara & the Big Shot thingie on the Stratosphere will jangle your fillings loose if you like that sort of thing. (I did about 12 years ago...LOL)

Jeannine
 

Mara

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www.thehotelatmandalaybay.com

it''s attached to Mandalay, its smaller, and it''s fairly new, a few years? It typically has a more youngish and hip crowd and it''s contemporary and modern inside. The rooms are really awesome, I think they are all suites with dark mahogany decors and built in TV''s, huge bathrooms with tubs, and I just really loved it there...and they have fab deals online, I think I got my suite during a show for like $160 a night? Whereas like Mandalay regular hotel was like $230 or something. Also I LOVE their Bathe line of toiletries...their lotion is one of my favorites, whenever someone I know goes to Vegas I have them get me some more, haha.
 

Rosebud8506

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Awesome suggestions guys! Thanks
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We LOVE to eat out, and my hubby is like a bottom-less pit, so we may hit up a buffet or two. lol!

I am not so concerned about staying in a big fancy shmancy hotel room, we probably won''t be hanging out there much anyways. Someone was telling me to find a hotel located in the center of the strip so there isn''t too much walking involved.

I would LOVE to see Blue Man group and Cirque De Solei (butchered spelling!).
 

jcrow

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Date: 2/22/2007 9:31:01 AM
Author: Rosebud8506
Awesome suggestions guys! Thanks
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We LOVE to eat out, and my hubby is like a bottom-less pit, so we may hit up a buffet or two. lol!

I am not so concerned about staying in a big fancy shmancy hotel room, we probably won''t be hanging out there much anyways. Someone was telling me to find a hotel located in the center of the strip so there isn''t too much walking involved.

I would LOVE to see Blue Man group and Cirque De Solei (butchered spelling!).
that''s why i liked staying at the paris. it was decent and in the middle of it all it seemed. and yes, we spent very little time in the hotel anyway...
 

moremoremore

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VERY FUNNY! I loved the orange soap at The Hotel. And their shampoo, which is a little strong for every day..but it is just amazing. So stock up!
 

VegasAngel

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Almost every hotel has a buffet, shows, etc.. It is very easy to get around the strip. You can walk, although the properties are large so it can take a minute, taxis everywhere, hotel shuttles, monorail. If you want a clean centrally located hotel at a good price I would say Flamingo, Caesars, MGM, Tropicana, Hooters, even Harrahs. There is even a little hotel between Venetian and Harrahs called Casino Royale. Not fancy at all but clean, small, good location, & cheap which means more money for shows, meals, etc. (Sorry, I like to save as much as possible) Hotels I would avoid are Excalibur, Circus Circus, & Imperial Palace. I would check their websites for package deals. You can get free buffets,drinks, discount shows etc.
 

monarch64

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The Mirage is pretty nice too...less "fancy schmancy" for sure.
 

scarleta

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I vote Mandalay Bay , stayed in different ones , but this is a favourite by far.Have not stayed at Wynn yet I think their prices are much higher for now.Have fun in Vegas and do let us know if you win anything.If you stay at Mandaly bay they have a wave pool really nice.The Hotel at Mandalay Bay is their latest addition..Have fun
 

dmbfan

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Any specific reasons on going there in the middle of March? I have DMB tix for their show on 3/23 and have been searching for hotels for months and they are very expensive that weekend and the weekend before. Just as a heads up. I signed myself up at http://www.worryfreevacations.com/ 2 years ago and they have great discounts to Vegas & Mexico. If you go mid week you can really save. Also, Aprill seems to be less pricey.

I was there last year and we stayed at Hooters Hotel (old San Remo). Kinda cheesy, and the crowd was as you could expect. The weekend we were there was 2 weeks after it opened and the rooms were in good shape since they were recently remodeled. Once again, unless you are statying in the room for long amount of times, it really doesnt matter. Best way is to check all the normal websites, expedia/hotwire/priceline and find teh best price. Good luck and have fun, vegas is a great place to check out.
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ChargerGrrl

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I visit Vegas pretty often- at least 3x/year for business and about the same for fun.

I''ve stayed at many properties, but always end up going back to the Westin. It''s not on the strip, just about 1 block down from the Flamingo. Plus, I get my starwood points!

I''m a huge foodie, and Vegas certainly has something for everyone. My favorite restaurants are:

BOA Steakhouse @ Caesars
Mesa Grill @ Caesars
Delmonico''s @ Venetian (BEST sommeliers & wine list!)
Olives @ Bellagio (BEST view!)
Canaletto @ Venetian

And I second the recommendation about the Paris buffet. I''m not a buffet person, but I''ll hit this one anytime!

Have fun and good luck!
 

tdiddy

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Date: 2/22/2007 2:16:11 PM
Author: dmbfan
Any specific reasons on going there in the middle of March? I have DMB tix for their show on 3/23 and have been searching for hotels for months and they are very expensive that weekend and the weekend before. Just as a heads up. I signed myself up at http://www.worryfreevacations.com/ 2 years ago and they have great discounts to Vegas & Mexico. If you go mid week you can really save. Also, Aprill seems to be less pricey.

I was there last year and we stayed at Hooters Hotel (old San Remo). Kinda cheesy, and the crowd was as you could expect. The weekend we were there was 2 weeks after it opened and the rooms were in good shape since they were recently remodeled. Once again, unless you are statying in the room for long amount of times, it really doesnt matter. Best way is to check all the normal websites, expedia/hotwire/priceline and find teh best price. Good luck and have fun, vegas is a great place to check out.
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dmbfan,

the rooms are super expensive in vegas then b/c of the ncaa tourney/march madness. so look for hotels with tiny/non-existent sports books and you might find a better rate. maybe the off strip hilton or a non-casino hotel would be your best bet.
 

tdiddy

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RB -

I''ve stayed at the Luxor and it definitely is not my favorite place. It''s very used/abused. And the crowd on the weekend can be sketchy. Plus their casino is pretty small and it''s all the way at the one end of the strip. The only + to me was the proximity to the Mandalay Bay shops and restaurants - which are all fantastic. But I will say it has some pretty good deals on the weekend rates.

If you are looking for a weekend where you can move around a lot, i would recommend booking centrally (Bellagio, Venetian, Caeser''s would be my top picks with Paris and the Mirage as runners up). The Wynn is FAB but it is a little more secluded on the other side of the main strip area. If you are going to shop, then the Wynn and Venetian are right across from the big mall and they each have their own shops. Caeser''s Forum Shops are great as well and are close to Venetian and Wynn. If you are looking to stay in one place and really have a super nice hotel, I would go for THE Hotel or the Wynn. They are at opposite ends of the strip, but are both awesome properties and more low-key. I think the young 20''s crowd is mostly at the MGM and NYNY, so if you are looking for a good casino/party time head there (they are at the end of the strip by the Luxor and Mandalay Bay).

For entertainment, the "O" is my top pick followed by the Beatles "Love" show at the Mirage. Best breakfast in Vegas???? The Peppermill (just past the Riviera on the way to Stratosphere). They have the best omelettes and waffles ever - although it looked like a pizza hut with a black light from the outside...
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My DF and I think this is a best kept secret out there for sure.

There''s a good website where these guys rate all the main casinos in vegas and my DF and i think they are dead on for the most part, plus the site is hysterical. You might want to try it out for reference (talks about amenties, the clientele, food, etc.). www.cheapovegas.com
 

Skippy123

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Date: 2/22/2007 9:31:01 AM
Author: Rosebud8506
Awesome suggestions guys! Thanks
36.gif


We LOVE to eat out, and my hubby is like a bottom-less pit, so we may hit up a buffet or two. lol!

I am not so concerned about staying in a big fancy shmancy hotel room, we probably won''t be hanging out there much anyways. Someone was telling me to find a hotel located in the center of the strip so there isn''t too much walking involved.

I would LOVE to see Blue Man group and Cirque De Solei (butchered spelling!).

The Flamingo. I stay there; I have stayed at the Ventian, TI and MGM. For a nice clean room close to everything the Flamingo.
Hope that helps!
 

flutterby

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i forgot about march madness, we used to go for it, but it got a bit too pricey. two years ago, we decided to go a week or two in advance for the final four. we ended up paying $360 a night for a DUMPY room at tropicana. we couldnt get a room anywhere, so if you can find something at paris or flamingo reasonable, jump on it before prices skyrocket!

also wanted to second aureole at mandalay. they have these ''wine angels'' that get your wine and their meals are mainly prix fixe but FANTASTICALLY worth it. for a cool view go to mix at mandalay as well, i''ve never eaten there but been to the bar and its gorgeous!
 
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