The Las Vegas Thread and MSE guide

stoneman

May

We always stay at the same hotel. Imagine unpacking 4 suitcases, hanging everything up, putting stuff in drawers, then packing it all up again, taking it all to another hotel and doing the same all over again, sounds a nightmare. We even got the Bellagio to send somebody up to our room and pack our stuff when we had to be moved because of a problem with the room. That's just us though, only you can decide. Oh, and of course you have to check out by 11, and you can't check in till 4 in most hotels, I know some will let you check in arlier but you take that chance

Blue264

I had a four night bargain stopover in Vegas on the way to L.A. and Hawaii and stayed at the budget Best Western Mardi Gras. I work in travel and this is a 3* hotel at best but I loved it! It's quiet by comparison with the Strip hotels and is on Paradise Road which runs parallel to the Strip.
The staff are lovely. The atmosphere is laid back and the free shuttle bus to the Strip is very regular and prompt.
If you want a good night's sleep in a quiet location, clean pool and jacuzzi, no queues for anything and within easy reach of the Strip, this hotel is definately worth checking out.

http://www.mardigrasinn.com/

photome

Blue264 wrote: »

I had a four night bargain stopover in Vegas on the way to L.A. and Hawaii and stayed at the budget Best Western Mardi Gras. I work in travel and this is a 3* hotel at best but I loved it! It's quiet by comparison with the Strip hotels and is on Paradise Road which runs parallel to the Strip.
The staff are lovely. The atmosphere is laid back and the free shuttle bus to the Strip is very regular and prompt.
If you want a good night's sleep in a quiet location, clean pool and jacuzzi, no queues for anything and within easy reach of the Strip, this hotel is definately worth checking out.

http://www.mardigrasinn.com/

But you dont get the feel of Vegas.If you have been a few times i can understand it (well almost), you can stay in a best western anywhere in the world, but there is only one casers palace etc etc.

And the room rates on their website are $50 a night for the same price or just a few dollars more you can stay on the strip.

And for cheaper room rates there is Terribles and Orleans to name a couple

luci

May

ruthy14 wrote: »

do most regulars change hotels, I am thinking it may be a pain. Cant afford mandalay bay all week though, even though it looks fantastic,
does the deuce stop outside mandalay bay? I know about the tram to excalibur, which is the best, I am thinking get on deuce at mandalay bay as it will be nearly empty and we can grab a seat.

We stayed in one hotel the first couple of times we went, but since then we have always moved hotels. I would suggest staying a minimum of 3 nights in one hotel though as it's not worth packing/unpacking for less than that.

The Deuce stops outside MB, but that's going south. To go north up the strip you would have to cross the road and get it from the other side.

We couldn't find our way out of MB last time we were there. Even an croupier couldn't tell us! We ended up taking the tram to Excalibur and getting out that way.

Re the cheap flight from Thomas Cook. I don't know if they are still as cheap since My Travel becase TC, but a friend went to Vegas last week with them, booked a week before travel and was £660pp which I thought was expensive.

Blue264

Sheel wrote: »

secondtoughest , the first time I went to the GC was in a small plane like the one in your link and the view wasn't anywhere near as good as in a helicopter and the worst thing was the turbulence. Half the people on the plane (including me) were sick _pale_ You also miss out on the most fantastic feeling when the helicopter flies over the edge of the canyon :cool: Just had a quick look to see how much helicopter trips are and they seem to be double the price of the plane trip (unless anyone on here knows of any good offers ) so if that's out of your budget i'd do the plane trip as long as you're prepared for possible puking!

I did the Heli USA helicopter trip...flight and champagne lunch into the Canyon. You still get the turbulence as soon as you breach the ridge if the Canyon and begin your decent because the therms push you up. Put it this way, nobody drank the champagne, but the trip was worth every penny and was utterly unforgettable.
I had a camcorder with me and recorded the entire flight back (from the front seat of the helicopter) over Lake Mead at sunset with Rolling Stones' 'Wild Horses' playing on the headsets.
That was my Vegas treat and I'd budgeted for it.
Absolute, unforgettable bliss! :cool:

p.s. Don't forget that often, the best views you will ever get of the Canyon are on the flight home as the flight path usually passes directly over it.

Blue264

photome wrote: »

But you dont get the feel of Vegas.If you have been a few times i can understand it (well almost), you can stay in a best western anywhere in the world, but there is only one casers palace etc etc.

True, but you can visit all of them without having to stay there.
Best Western are a hotel management company. They don't actually own many of the properties that carry their name so the chain encompasses 2*-5* properties Worldwide.
If you want to be in the thick of it 24/7 then fine. For me it was part of a much longer trip and I wanted to be able to turn it on and off at will and have a couple of chill out days before the rest of the trip.
I've visited most of the other hotels and I appreciated the genuinely personal touch of the staff at the Mardi Gras. They even collected me from Caesers...jet lagged and sleepily drunk from too many free margaritas...and carried me to my room.
Plus, from a single ladies point of view, a number of servicemen stay at the Mardi Gras. We were all on our best behaviour but I had a great laugh sharing a midnight jacuzzi with 11 airforce men.

There are few hotels in Vegas where you leave on first names with the staff and they know yours. The Mardi Gras is one of them.

c_l_a_i_r_e

November/December

Sheel wrote: »

ruthy 14 , I've stayed at the Mandalay Bay and didn't feel out of place. It's very nice. I'm like trets and don't like staying anywhere too posh.

secondtoughest , the first time I went to the GC was in a small plane like the one in your link and the view wasn't anywhere near as good as in a helicopter and the worst thing was the turbulence. Half the people on the plane (including me) were sick _pale_ You also miss out on the most fantastic feeling when the helicopter flies over the edge of the canyon :cool: Just had a quick look to see how much helicopter trips are and they seem to be double the price of the plane trip (unless anyone on here knows of any good offers ) so if that's out of your budget i'd do the plane trip as long as you're prepared for possible puking!

The mode of transport usually depends on which part of the GC you are going to. If your helicopter tour leaves from vegas your trip will usually be to the West Rim, and if a small plane it will be to the South rim which is actually in GC National park itself. You can view the south rim by helicopter but the trips IIRC depart from the south rim, so if anyone is driving there for the day or staying overnight that may be an option to consider. The south rim is simply breathtaking, and i would reccomend anyone to take that extra bit of time getting there to experience it.

Sheel

Blue264 wrote: »

I did the Heli USA helicopter trip...flight and champagne lunch into the Canyon. You still get the turbulence as soon as you breach the ridge if the Canyon and begin your decent because the therms push you up. Put it this way, nobody drank the champagne, but the trip was worth every penny and was utterly unforgettable.
I had a camcorder with me and recorded the entire flight back (from the front seat of the helicopter) over Lake Mead at sunset with Rolling Stones' 'Wild Horses' playing on the headsets.
That was my Vegas treat and I'd budgeted for it.
Absolute, unforgettable bliss! :cool:

p.s. Don't forget that often, the best views you will ever get of the Canyon are on the flight home as the flight path usually passes directly over it.

I've done 2 helicopter trips to the GC and perhaps I was lucky not to experience any turbulence :undecided so thought i'd found the perfect method of transport as I get seasick , car sick etc , but took a helicopter trip in Hawaii and found it wasn't as perfect as i'd thought :rolleyes:

I also took my camcorder with me and was going to post a link to my video , but just looking at it and it's too long , so would have to trim it first. I remember Elvis's A Little Less Conversation being played on one of the trips!

I've also been to the GC by coach , which was the first time when it was on the small plane and the last time I went we stayed a couple of nights at the GC and did a trip where the first part was in a plane (not as small as the first one though so I wasn't sick!) , then a jeep trip to Antelope Canyon , then a raft on the river and finally a coach back to GC.

The first 3 times we went to LV we stayed for 7 nights in the same hotel , but last time with having the 2 nights at the GC we stayed at 2 different hotels at the beginning and the end of the holiday.If we ever go to LV again I wouldn't mind staying at more than hotel , but I personally wouldn't want to stay for more than a week and so it would be something like 3 nights in one hotel and 4 in the other.

trets77

April

ruthy14 wrote: »

do most regulars change hotels, I am thinking it may be a pain. Cant afford mandalay bay all week though, even though it looks fantastic,
does the deuce stop outside mandalay bay? I know about the tram to excalibur, which is the best, I am thinking get on deuce at mandalay bay as it will be nearly empty and we can grab a seat.

if you do change and it is too early too check in at new hotel, leave your cases with the bellhops . they issue a standard ticket and just cart you luggage up to your room when you call down. we did this at THE HOTEL and then went to see a show and had some drinks and did shopping before checking in .these guys are not going to risk a very well paying job by stealing from suitcases or losing them

The Deuce stops outside MB, but that's going south. To go north up the strip you would have to cross the road and get it from the other side.

We couldn't find our way out of MB last time we were there. Even an croupier couldn't tell us! We ended up taking the tram to Excalibur and getting out that way.

i had this trouble too. Mandalay bay is difficult to access from the sidewalk because 95% of visitors enter via monorail , car park , or under ground taxi drop. that said when you figure it out the Deuce pretty much drops you right outside , but you have to cross six lanes of traffic to catch it going north , better to get the monorail to the crossroads of the world then hop over to Tropicanna or MGM grand via walkway to catch it IMO

Re the cheap flight from Thomas Cook. I don't know if they are still as cheap since My Travel because TC, but a friend went to Vegas last week with them, booked a week before travel and was £660pp which I thought was expensive.

that 's because it is still traditional holiday season . go before June and after early September and you see the good prices for late deals

pebblesmax

November/December

luci wrote: »

Re the cheap flight from Thomas Cook. I don't know if they are still as cheap since My Travel becase TC, but a friend went to Vegas last week with them, booked a week before travel and was £660pp which I thought was expensive.

I think the good deals that were a regular feature of the Mytravel website are long gone. Friends of mine who have been loyal th Mytravel forever had a really bad time with the in May. They will be checking out alternatives in future. This is a couple who have been going twice a year for at least 10 years. TC will NOT be getting their business in future.