Vegas Hotel recommendations
Discussion
I am planning on heading over to Vegas for 10 days. Leaving on the 9th of November. At the moment the MGM Grand is looking like a good deal, but just curious to anyone who has been, where they would recommend? Budget is around the £2000 mark.
What is the weather like in November? Will all the hotel pools etc be open?
Any recommendations and advice/must do's/don'ts etc will be great fully appreciated.
What is the weather like in November? Will all the hotel pools etc be open?
Any recommendations and advice/must do's/don'ts etc will be great fully appreciated.
I've been in October and there was rain and flooding but still shirt sleeve warmth during the day. Unlikely to be pools open at that time of year.
I believe the current "best bang for your buck" are the Aria and Vdara in the City Center complex.
Caesar's Palace always seems over priced, so avoid that, along with Harrahs/The Quad/The Flaming-O as they are doing large amounts of construction around their location.
If you are going for 10 days then it might be worth switching hotels midway with a plan to stay somewhere cheaper on the weekend nights and getting the luxury hotel during midweek when the rates are much lower.
I believe the current "best bang for your buck" are the Aria and Vdara in the City Center complex.
Caesar's Palace always seems over priced, so avoid that, along with Harrahs/The Quad/The Flaming-O as they are doing large amounts of construction around their location.
If you are going for 10 days then it might be worth switching hotels midway with a plan to stay somewhere cheaper on the weekend nights and getting the luxury hotel during midweek when the rates are much lower.
Have a look at smartervegas.com as they have hotel discount codes that may be useful, also lowcostusa.co.uk
I am pretty sure that hotel pools will be closed in November and I can't think of a hotel on the Strip that has an indoor pool.
I really like the Venetian - huge rooms, plenty of dining and entertainment options and buckets of Vegas cheesiness. The Wynn is more elegant and refined, but the only problem there was finding somewhere reasonably priced to eat and drink, and the limits in the casino were a little high for my taste. Having said that it is right by the Peppermill Lounge, a great diner/cocktail lounge.
Not as "special" but lively, fun and in a great location mid Strip is Planet Hollywood.
10 days is a long time to spend in Vegas and I would definitely stay in two hotels to mix it up a bit. A couple of days downtown might make a change (though there is precious little to do there during the day). At least it is easy to recommend a hotel there - the Golden Nugget!
Wherever you stay I would recommend going to the Mix Lounge at TheHotel at Mandalay Bay just before sunset to watch the sun go down and the lights go on over the Strip.
Eta just noted your budget - scrub Planet Hollywood from the list!!!
I am pretty sure that hotel pools will be closed in November and I can't think of a hotel on the Strip that has an indoor pool.
I really like the Venetian - huge rooms, plenty of dining and entertainment options and buckets of Vegas cheesiness. The Wynn is more elegant and refined, but the only problem there was finding somewhere reasonably priced to eat and drink, and the limits in the casino were a little high for my taste. Having said that it is right by the Peppermill Lounge, a great diner/cocktail lounge.
Not as "special" but lively, fun and in a great location mid Strip is Planet Hollywood.
10 days is a long time to spend in Vegas and I would definitely stay in two hotels to mix it up a bit. A couple of days downtown might make a change (though there is precious little to do there during the day). At least it is easy to recommend a hotel there - the Golden Nugget!
Wherever you stay I would recommend going to the Mix Lounge at TheHotel at Mandalay Bay just before sunset to watch the sun go down and the lights go on over the Strip.
Eta just noted your budget - scrub Planet Hollywood from the list!!!
Edited by funinhounslow on Saturday 24th August 09:27
funinhounslow]At least it is easy to recommend a hotel [Downtown said:
- the Golden Nugget!
By November the Downtown Grand should be open, which looks like it might be joining the GN as being a 'nice' option Downtown.There's the Mob Museum, Outlet Center North, Neon Museum and the Smith Centre in the Downtown area for non-booze/gambling entertainment.
Hi
We spent 10 nights in Vegas last March fantastic holiday, I found 10 nights a little too long wish we drove to the coast California or the likes ??? for a few of those days, 5-7 was enough to do what we wanted.
We stayed here http://www.palazzo.com/ i would highly recommend the Palazzo the suites are stunning and massive, we had a room at the same height as treasure island, a stunning view over the strip. we booked via expedia our budget was around 2500 to get there and for digs and it fell in very nicely to fly from Glasgow if your down south you will pick up cheaper flights.
The hotel is fairly new 2009 IIRC and feels fresh and smells nice in the corridors unlike some we were in.
Enjoy it is a great place. I would defo hire a car for a few days as well.
We spent 10 nights in Vegas last March fantastic holiday, I found 10 nights a little too long wish we drove to the coast California or the likes ??? for a few of those days, 5-7 was enough to do what we wanted.
We stayed here http://www.palazzo.com/ i would highly recommend the Palazzo the suites are stunning and massive, we had a room at the same height as treasure island, a stunning view over the strip. we booked via expedia our budget was around 2500 to get there and for digs and it fell in very nicely to fly from Glasgow if your down south you will pick up cheaper flights.
The hotel is fairly new 2009 IIRC and feels fresh and smells nice in the corridors unlike some we were in.
Enjoy it is a great place. I would defo hire a car for a few days as well.
Edited by scotty_d on Saturday 24th August 16:04
I could easily fill 10 days in Vegas, you could hire a car for a couple of days and do the Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon and perhaps Valley of Fire. I would split my time between downtown and the strip, I like El Cortez downtown for that traditional Vegas experience. I have stayed at MGM, Flamingo and Treasure Island and would go back to the Flamingo again. The newly renovated GO rooms are very nice and I think most are on the side away from the construction. The central strip location is very good, I wouldn't spend a fortune on rooms as you probably won't do much more than sleep in them.
Don't forget to get your free tickets to the car collection at Imperial Palace/Quad/Linq whatever it is called now. You can pickup cheap beers/spirits at the ABC stores, I have never had much luck getting free drinks whilst gambling.
Don't forget to get your free tickets to the car collection at Imperial Palace/Quad/Linq whatever it is called now. You can pickup cheap beers/spirits at the ABC stores, I have never had much luck getting free drinks whilst gambling.
I stayed at the Aria. Really swanky and modern, with great pool area. Seem to remember it was good value too - perhaps $150 a day? Only thing to watch out for is the minibar (bonkers prices).
I too would recommend splitting the trip with something else - perhaps a few days in the Grand Canyon national park?
I too would recommend splitting the trip with something else - perhaps a few days in the Grand Canyon national park?
Many thanks for all the replies folks. Very helpful and insightful. Loads of food for thought. If we shorten our trip then we can probably stay somewhere a bit nicer OR we can stay somewhere cheaper and I can buy ringside (almost) tickets for the GSP vs Kendricks UFC fight which is conveniently happening at the same time as we will be over :-)
I don't really know what we plan on doing yet once there. Probably the usual touristy stuff. We definitely want to go skydiving and see a good show.
How expensive is food and drinks? We aren't the A La Carte type, more mainstream American food is our cup of tea. We have been to Florida every year for the last 7 so are prices comparable to Orlando?
I don't really know what we plan on doing yet once there. Probably the usual touristy stuff. We definitely want to go skydiving and see a good show.
How expensive is food and drinks? We aren't the A La Carte type, more mainstream American food is our cup of tea. We have been to Florida every year for the last 7 so are prices comparable to Orlando?
Stayed at the Venetian for a week and it was great.... One thing though - do the "twenty dollar trick" - Got a great upgrade for the week!.
http://www.thetwentydollartrick.com/
http://www.thetwentydollartrick.com/
sunoco69 said:
We will be at the Mandalay Bay for 14 nights starting 31 Oct. Highly recommend it.
This or THE hotel on the same site. The pool area is the best, with sand, wave machine and swim way.The best collection of restaurants and good monorail link to several other hotels.
Also suggest you go to Utah for couple of days, Zion and/or Bryce Canyon.
The Vegas speedway is also great place to drive cars on track, google Mario Andretti racing
Edited by Kenty on Sunday 25th August 12:53
Kenty said:
sunoco69 said:
We will be at the Mandalay Bay for 14 nights starting 31 Oct. Highly recommend it.
This or THE hotel on the same site. The pool area is the best, with sand, wave machine and swim way.The best collection of restaurants and good monorail link to several other hotels.
Also suggest you go to Utah for couple of days, Zion and/or Bryce Canyon.
The Vegas speedway is also great place to drive cars on track, google Mario Andretti racing
Edited by Kenty on Sunday 25th August 12:53
If the pool is closed (highly likely in November) that's a major draw of the Mandalay Bay gone. If the OP is without a car he is likely to feel very isolated - it doesn't look it on a map but it's a fair old hike from there to the centre of the Strip. And I think the monorail only goes as far as Excalibur which is best avoided.
If you're there for 10 days that's sufficient to get a few quality shows under your belt. Cirque du Soleil is big in Vegas - even if you think it's not your thing, it's worth going to see at least one. I would recommend Mystere at Treasure Island - the oldest but the one I enjoyed the most as the focus is on the performers, rather than the fancy stage/set. Even if you're only a casual fan, Love (Beatles) is well worth going to as well.
If it's running in November, Absinthe in a tent outside Caesars is good - a sort of demented big top show. And Jubilee at Bally's is the last of the old style Vegas showgirls shows running on the Strip. It's a bit cheesy and tame (you could go with your mum!) but a bit of history.
Gambling - you'll find lower limits and "fairer" games downtown (6:5 blackjack is rife on the Strip). Craps is a good game if you've never played - v exciting with a great camaraderie around the table, plus your money can last quite a while if you're smart. I'd download an app to your phone to get the hang of the basics then take a lesson or two when you get there (all casinos offer free gaming lessons). All casinos also offer players club loyalty schemes - it's always worth joining these for the (modest) freebies you get for signing up.
Eating in Vegas can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be. Avoid the cheaper buffets. The one at Planet Hollywood is decent, and all the high end ones are good though pricey.
For budget eats on the Strip try the Peppermill near the Wynn or Hash House a Go Go at Imperial Palace. A step up but v good is Grand Lux at Venetian/Palazzo.
Downtown there's a very good brewpub (777) at Main Street Station. (In the bogs at Main Street Station is a small section of the Berlin Wall that you can take a wazz on. Not worth a special trip, but if you're in the area, why not?!) Hugo's Cellar at 4 Queens is very decent "posh" dining. Also down town check out the shark tank/swimming pool at Golden Nugget, and the canopy light show in the evenings.
You probably already know this, but tip $1/drink at bars and 15-20% when eating. Give the cocktail waitress a couple of dollars per "free" drink when gambling and she'll take care of you.
One last thing - always split 8s and hit soft 17 (and don't let anyone tell you different!)
Have fun
If you're there for 10 days that's sufficient to get a few quality shows under your belt. Cirque du Soleil is big in Vegas - even if you think it's not your thing, it's worth going to see at least one. I would recommend Mystere at Treasure Island - the oldest but the one I enjoyed the most as the focus is on the performers, rather than the fancy stage/set. Even if you're only a casual fan, Love (Beatles) is well worth going to as well.
If it's running in November, Absinthe in a tent outside Caesars is good - a sort of demented big top show. And Jubilee at Bally's is the last of the old style Vegas showgirls shows running on the Strip. It's a bit cheesy and tame (you could go with your mum!) but a bit of history.
Gambling - you'll find lower limits and "fairer" games downtown (6:5 blackjack is rife on the Strip). Craps is a good game if you've never played - v exciting with a great camaraderie around the table, plus your money can last quite a while if you're smart. I'd download an app to your phone to get the hang of the basics then take a lesson or two when you get there (all casinos offer free gaming lessons). All casinos also offer players club loyalty schemes - it's always worth joining these for the (modest) freebies you get for signing up.
Eating in Vegas can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be. Avoid the cheaper buffets. The one at Planet Hollywood is decent, and all the high end ones are good though pricey.
For budget eats on the Strip try the Peppermill near the Wynn or Hash House a Go Go at Imperial Palace. A step up but v good is Grand Lux at Venetian/Palazzo.
Downtown there's a very good brewpub (777) at Main Street Station. (In the bogs at Main Street Station is a small section of the Berlin Wall that you can take a wazz on. Not worth a special trip, but if you're in the area, why not?!) Hugo's Cellar at 4 Queens is very decent "posh" dining. Also down town check out the shark tank/swimming pool at Golden Nugget, and the canopy light show in the evenings.
You probably already know this, but tip $1/drink at bars and 15-20% when eating. Give the cocktail waitress a couple of dollars per "free" drink when gambling and she'll take care of you.
One last thing - always split 8s and hit soft 17 (and don't let anyone tell you different!)
Have fun
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