Las Vegas thread and MSE guide 2010

pennylane99

June

bungle888 wrote: »

John,
You should try booking your flight + hotel seperate, usually comes in alot cheaper, try www.smartervegas.com for your hotel discount...as you are booking direct with the hotel this way and if anyone pulls out usually the hotel is fully refundable, this is always stated.
Where are you flying from and what month do you go?

reading his posts, says from Manchester in September 2012, so a long way off yet

Wizbit82

July

Hi everyone...:hello:

Been a lurker for the last couple of years and finally made it to Vegas last June/July with my new fiance as part of a West Coast tour (San Fran/Yosemite/PCH/LA/Vegas) in a convertible Mustang (TR can follow if anyone's interested?)

As like most people, have now become a Vegas-addict (after expecting to not enjoy it one bit as I don't drink or gamble!) and am currently in the process of planning our next trip in July '11 as I am a teacher and can only go early Summer (flying direct with Virgin from Manchester)

I have two questions...

1) Has anyone ever rented a decent Condo (with pool)? If so, where from? Our alternative is Staybridge Suites which we stayed in last year and loved compared to the Encore.

2) Can anyone recommend a reasonable car hire (Although we had the Mustang last time, we really don't need anything flash this time)

Will literally be a fortnight of daytime pool-basking, a couple of tours and nights of shopping and casino-hopping (we did the majority of 'must-do's' last time)

Big thanks in advance

Lol x

luci

May

Hi and welcome to the Vegas thread!

Have you consider the Signature at MGM? You can either book direct or Luxury Suites International can be a bit cheaper. There is a $20/night resort fee. There are 3 towers and 3 pools.

For car hire I would suggest https://www.netflights.com or https://www.ch3000.com as you can pay everything including the insurance up front and it is apparently cheaper to book in the UK before you go.

And a trip report would be appreciated if only the Vegas part.

**woody123**

April

ferf1223 wrote: »

Please don't go to Vegas and stay in a Travelodge.

photome wrote: »

I am with Ferf ..Dont go to Vegas and stay in a Travledoge!!!!! just dont!

OK...

I get what your saying:rotfl:

samphe

I posted earlier in the week and enquired about using Tesco vouchers and asking for advice on taking kids to Las Vegas. I have now decided against using Tesco Vouchers but thanks for your comments on them.

Im still trying to convince my hubby that we can have just a good a time in Las Vegas with the kids. Please help me convince him!

He is worried about finding too many restrictions on where we will be able to take the kids. Are kids allowed into the gaming areas of the casinos? Not that we're gambling addicts or anything but my hubby inparticular feels that he would like to have a flutter as it is Las Vegas after all! Is there anything else that you can think of where we couldnt go with kids?

I think that the pool at Mandalay Bay sounds good and the kids would spend hours in there. Even the monorail that runs from there would be entertaining for the kids.

I would like to go to the Grand Canyon for a day as a personal favourite.

Any info on child friendly activities would be very welcome and the cost of any suggestions would be helpful.

Initially we had planned to go without kids but this is now unlikely to be possible. Therefore all of our costs are going to almost double with having to pay for 4 rather than 2 of us.

Please help me to convince hubby Las Vegas is a good idea!!:)

luci

May

The only real restriction is that they are not allowed in gaming areas - ever - not even to watch. You can walk through the casino with them, but can't stop.

Loads of people have a great time in Vegas with kids as there is plenty to keep them amused such as the Lion Habitat at MGM, Secret Garden at Mirage, the Advernturedom at Circus Circus, the Medway at Excalibur and of course the hotel pools. I'm sure they would enjoy Mac King's Comedy Magic and you can usually get tickets for free admission with the price of a drink which are handed out on the strip.

Some other ideas HERE and HERE although that second link is well out of date so ask before you plan some of the activities to see if they are still on.

ferf1223

April

samphe wrote: »

He is worried about finding too many restrictions on where we will be able to take the kids. Are kids allowed into the gaming areas of the casinos? Not that we're gambling addicts or anything but my hubby inparticular feels that he would like to have a flutter as it is Las Vegas after all! Is there anything else that you can think of where we couldnt go with kids?

As Luci said the kids won't be allowed to stop in the casino area...if your hubby wanted to gamble you could go off with the kids - or you guys could both go while the kids were in the room (if you would be OK leaving them in the room on their own - I'm not a parent, so not sure how cool that is from a parent's perspective).

Pretty sure kids have to be accompanied by an adult to the pool. Some shows have a minimum age limit of 16 or 18 - normally pretty clear from the website for the show. Kids aren't allowed into bars even with a parent.

Plenty of people take their kids and have a good time...some have come back and said they didn't like the restrictions they found - but if you know in advance, you can plan around the restrictions.

Only other thing is what they may see in Vegas - I can't remember if you have said if you have been before, so you may already know a lot of this and be OK with it... walking through casinos there will be fairly scantily clad women about - both those working in the casinos and customers in the casinos (and those 'working' in the casinos, of course and the 'Hot Babes' truck driving downt he Strip). Oh, and the !!!!!! slappers who will try to hand out cards/fliers with mostly naked women to nearly anyone who walks by (naughty bits will be covered though - and the parents can spot these folks a mile off and steer the kids around them). Different parents have different views on these sorts of things and whether they would be OK with their kids being exposed.

Wizbit82

July

As promised earlier, our TR from our time spend touring West Coast (San Fran/Yosemite/Monterey/PCH/LA/Vegas) during June and July this year.

Flights: MCR-LHR/LHR-SFO : LV-LHR/LHR-MCR with British Airways (Economy) - (£620 pp rtn)

Transport: Ford Mustang Convertible rental from Alamo

Accommodation:
Holiday Inn Express – Fisherman’s Wharf (San Fran):)
Best Western Yosemite (Oakhurst):eek:
Intercontinental The Clement (Monterey):D
Madonna Inn (San Luis Obispo):)
Holiday Inn Santa Monica Beach:)

The relevant part::T

The drive from LA to Vegas through the Mojave was fairly uneventful; I drove so OH could take pics en route as we drove through the desert in 108 degree heat (thank goodness for air con!). After leaving LA at 10am in fairly poor traffic, we hit Primm outlets for just before 2pm.By this point we were fairly shopped out having done Camarillo Outlets in LA and various others malls throughout the trip, never the less, we gave it our best shot; OH has a penchant for labels so the usual Ralph Lauren, Lacoste etc is a must on any outlet trip – Primm was very quiet and it seems July is a great time to go as lots of sales on. Abundance of polo’s, shirts, jumpers, Levi’s (in short leg size! :j) Converse and Reef flip flop’s purchased for silly $. Onwards to Vegas….

One of our best memories off the trip was driving down the highway and over the hill in the distance is Mandalay Bay shining in all it’s magnificent glory (cue big smile on faces:rotfl:). As I don’t drink or gamble it wasn’t meant to be the highlight of my trip, but as OH does he was literally like the proverbial kid waiting to get in the giant sweet shop!

Accommodation 1: Staybridge Suites, Dean Martin Drive (5 mins drive to Strip)

Having researched this trip for months previously we chose the Staybridge as it have excellent TA reviews and was a reliable and economical option for our first few days. On reflection, I have to say we should have stayed longer as it truly a hidden gem. Suite was spacious with large living space, full modern kitchen, washer/dryer (essential when minimising luggage space) and large separate bathroom(s). Hotel has a great quiet pool with free cabana’s, very comfy luxurious loungers, shades, 2 hot tubs, waterfall showers and BBQ areas. In the whole time we were there we only saw one other couple and a small family so it was very private. Other excellent features of the hotel are free internet area with 3 PC’s/printers/desks etc (this was never busy), a small shop for necessities, and happily a free and GOOD breakfast (hot options, fresh fruit, waffles, muffins, cereals, juices, soda, good coffee etc). After having travelled for nearly three weeks and staying in varying levels of accommodation, this was truly a godsend. I would recommend this hotel to anyone; families, business users, young/old couples, literally anyone AS LONG AS you don’t mind being off-strip (we had the car so didn’t mind the 10 min drive).

Day 1:
Arrive/check-in. Drive up the Strip as far as Stratosphere. Self-park car and spend a couple of hours looking around until dark. Pay for trip up the tower and use the ticket to get $5 pizza and beer combo. Queues were long (waited about 30 mins at 8.30pm) and eventually spent some time at the top of the tower admiring the views. I would say this is a one-time thing and we won’t be repeating it on our return trip – worth doing for the view though. Drive back down Strip, a little dazed by it all and wind up in Mandalay Bay. Not really sure what to do so we just wander…and wander…and attempt to get some drinks (which didn’t happen) so ended up PAYING for a beer and a coke ($13)

Note to self #1: don’t pick Mandalay Bay as your first big casino experience and expect to get loads of free drinks!

Couldn’t agree on dinner so ended up getting a takeaway delivered to the suite at 2am. Not great but too tired to care.

Day 2:
Breakfast and up and out to The Gun Store on Tropicana (OH so excited he could barely breathe!!). Choose a 3-gun package with bystander option inc. free t-shirt (plus the nice lady gave me a free one too). Staff were all super friendly and gave lots of local advice and tips and offered to get us into clubs etc. free. OH had a whale of a time - easily the highlight of his trip and we are about as far from being ‘gun’ people as you can imagine. Called by local Walmart on the way back to stock up on essentials and end up spending nearly $200 on cool retro tshirts, ladies clothes, sweets and bits and bobs. Afternoon spent lazing by the pool. Took a drive up to Fremont St. in the evening and was really pleasantly surprised – expected it to be a bit shabby but was actually really fun. Drinks were a lot more forthcoming inside, especially places like Binion’s, and the light show is definitely worth going to. Very drunken dinner in Tony Roma’s ($11 for Shrimp and Steak special including a drink):beer: – crawled into bed around 1.30am after getting lost on the way back and ending up in the wrong side of Dodge :eek:

Day 3:
Packing up and moving out of the Staybridge in order for the piece de resistance – The Encore. Dropped the car off at the airport with ease and cabbed it over to the Encore, gave $20 including tip which seemed ok. We checked in our luggage and headed over to the FSM to punish the credit cards – spent the morning mooching around, bought a few bits in Godiva as well as the obligatory hunt for clothes. Neiman Marcus had a huge sale on (happens every summer) and OH managed to get an array of Hugo Boss gear very cheaply, also found a pair of Paul Smith shoes that had been extinct in the UK, however they didn’t have his size. No problem! The assistant called the New Jersey branch who arranged to have them shipped back to the UK on our arrival – customer service is absolutely another level.

:staradmin The Bettie Page shop is exquisite for any women who love vintage/rockabilly wear – the shop assistant is also the Bettie Page catalogue model and was so helpful on the day, giving me a large discount and recommending lots of different options.:staradmin

Encore called just before 2pm to say our suite was ready early – happy days…here we go!

Made the walk in excruciating July heat over the bridge and back through the Wynn. The entire Wynn/Encore property is mesmerising and immaculate throughout. We were giving a strip-facing suite on the 58th Floor and I have to say it was a great choice. The view was immense and the whole experience was luxurious, yet somehow it just wasn’t perfect. We are not exactly high-rollers but have been very privileged to stay in some of the world’s best hotels in some amazing locations, and appreciate detail and good service.
Some points for anyone considering the Encore:

-No shade around pool unless you paid for a umbrella seat ($300+) or rented a cabana (starting at $500). We managed to stay around the pool for just under two hours and the whole experience was uncomfortable and cramped. Wynn/Encore does not allow you to take your own beverages (although I did sneak a small bottle of water in) so a small cup of water around the pool was $5.:(:(:(:(

-As previously mentioned, no coffee facilities in room (Vegas standard) so we hot-footed it to Denny’s up the road opposite Circus Circus. There is also a Walgreen’s close by for essentials, but again remember staff reserve the right to search your bags upon entering Encore lobby.;)

-Try Society Caf!, hands down the best meal we have ever had (and we have a lot!). OH had the Cowboy Steak (Bone-in rib-eye with a ‘cowboy’ rub) and I had a ‘Encore Banana Spilt’ which, as a dessert connoisseur, was mind-blowing!:j:j:j:j

Day 4:
Awoke after a very comfy nights sleep and got a cab all the way down the Strip to MGM. Had breakfast in Starbucks ($)and wandered through the Lion Habitat etc. Lots of tourists who appeared to have never seen a live animal before (Do they not have safari parks in other countries??) and wasn’t overly taken with it all TBH. Planned to get the monorail back up but actually once outside it wasn’t too far between hotels. Made stops at M&M World (ok), Coke World (Great!), Miracle Mile shops before catching the World Cup Final in Paris (Fantastic!), lunch at Pink’s Hotdog’s (We’d missed it in LA so thought we’d give it a go – don’t bother) and onto the Forum Shops in Caesar’s. By this point we were pretty tired so decided to have a refresher in the form of Serendipity 3 frozen hot-choc . Again, don’t bother unless you like spending $9 for a cup of frozen chocolate mess – had to be done though! Dinner was Bellagio buffet (not one of the best meals or hotel’s IMHO) followed by a walk back up the busy evening Strip in blistering heat watching the fountains, volcano and Sirens’ on the way.

Day 5:
Last Day:( – Free late check-out til 1pm so made the most of our lie-in before heading out to buy a cheap suitcase to put our purchases in. Managed to find an adequate extending holdall next to Denny’s for about $10 so onwards with the mammoth task of packing our wares. Another trip to FSM for final goodies before checking out and heading for the Wynn Buffet. All I can say is OMG!! Why didn’t we go there sooner! It is, hands down, the BEST!:):) $32 for the dinner option and every plate was just fresh and delicious. Dessert to die for and in much nicer surroundings.

Cab to airport for 8pm flight – and oh, what a disappointment! :(The departure lounge at McCarran really lets it down (I’ve been in better in third world countries!). BA flight delayed 2 hours, thus missing our connection but all in all no hardship. Paid extra (£50pp, each way) for bulk-head seats which is definitely worth doing BTW as the legroom was way more than in the higher classes of travel.

In summary, our trip was AMAZING, so much so we are booking 2 weeks solely in Vegas this coming summer - any tips appreciated

Thanks for reading - any questions happily answered, either for Vegas or if you're planning a similar Pacific Coast Highway roadtrip

Lolx

dan28

Flamingo from $35
Promotion Details:
Name: 7 Day Sale
Description: Deluxe Rooms from $35/ night
Valid: November 6, 2010 – March 31, 2011
Expires: November 11, 2010
http://www.vegas-hotels-online.com/2010/11/06/flamingo-7-day-sale/

Imperial Palace from $20
Promotion Details:
Name: 7 Day Sale
Description: Deluxe Rooms from $20/ night
Valid: November 6, 2010 – March 31, 2011
Expires: November 11, 2010
http://www.vegas-hotels-online.com/2010/11/06/imperial-palace-7-day-sale/

Harrahs from $30
Promotion Details:
Name: Seven Day Sale
Description: Double Rooms from $30/ night
Valid: November 5, 2010 – March 31, 2011
Expires: November 11, 2010
http://www.vegas-hotels-online.com/2010/11/05/harrahs-seven-day-sale/

Ballys from $39
Promotion Details:
Name: Seven Day Sale
Description: Double Rooms from $39/ night
Valid: November 5, 2010 – March 31, 2011
Expires: November 11, 2010
http://www.vegas-hotels-online.com/2010/11/05/ballys-seven-day-sale/

photome

samphe wrote: »

I posted earlier in the week and enquired about using Tesco vouchers and asking for advice on taking kids to Las Vegas. I have now decided against using Tesco Vouchers but thanks for your comments on them.

Im still trying to convince my hubby that we can have just a good a time in Las Vegas with the kids. Please help me convince him!

He is worried about finding too many restrictions on where we will be able to take the kids. Are kids allowed into the gaming areas of the casinos? Not that we're gambling addicts or anything but my hubby inparticular feels that he would like to have a flutter as it is Las Vegas after all! Is there anything else that you can think of where we couldnt go with kids?

I think that the pool at Mandalay Bay sounds good and the kids would spend hours in there. Even the monorail that runs from there would be entertaining for the kids.

I would like to go to the Grand Canyon for a day as a personal favourite.

Any info on child friendly activities would be very welcome and the cost of any suggestions would be helpful.

Initially we had planned to go without kids but this is now unlikely to be possible. Therefore all of our costs are going to almost double with having to pay for 4 rather than 2 of us.

Please help me to convince hubby Las Vegas is a good idea!!:)

MB is prob THE BEST pool in Vegas to keep the kids happy, the wave pool is great.

There is a pinbool hall of fame about a mile east down Tropicana with loads of pinball machines in, my son and I have spent an hour or 2 in there the last couple of years. http://www.pinballmuseum.org/

Go Karting complex (great fun) here http://www.lvmgp.com/

EtelM chocolate factory and cactus gardens here http://www.ethelm.com/about_us/factory_tour.aspx

Also sporting events either Ice Skating at the Orleans arena
or Baseball at Cashman fields

There is an outdoor crazy golf we tried this year which was fun but it is up near to redrock, of course there is Redrock Canyon that way to

We had a couple of hours hiring a speed boat on Lake Mead this year expensive but fun and you can see the Hoover dam from the lake side.

A tour of the Hoover dam is worth doing IMO

Just a few things that we do with our son, he is now 15 and has been to Vegas about 8 times with us.

As others have said you cannot loiter in a Casino with anyone under 21, you will be moved on swiftly.

How old are yours