Las Vegas advice

Hi guys. My wife and I are visiting Vegas just after 4 July (5th) and I am after some advice please.

Mainly, where is the best place to stay? There are so many choices. To narrow the chices some, somewhere centeral and middle of the price range and not full of kids /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif . We are looking at maybe the Flamingo or the Monty Carlo?

Any suggestions of where to stay, and what is a must see please let me know!

And... of course, good places for lights and/or gadgets in Vegas!

Thanks !!!!

--Steve in Oz

First... are you NUT?!?!? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/duh2.gif Do you know how HOT it is in Vegas in July?!?!? You're lookin' at 110+!! And don't fall for the "but it's a dry heat" crap... it's 110+ freakin' degrees!! Dry or otherwise... it's freakin' HOT!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mpr.gif Just to get a "feel" for it... turn on your oven. Heat it to 110 degrees... then stick your head in it for 5 minutes... be sure to set the timer.

Now if you're still set on going... you're not going to get away from the kids at that time of year no matter where you stay... and don't kid yourself that if you stay in a more upscale place that you'll escape them. No... they'll still be there... but they will be spoiled little undisciplined rich brats whose parents don't give a damn if they run the halls screaming so long as Mommy and Daddy can lay by the pool sipping martinis while others watch their kids.

Geez... I sound pretty pessimistic about all this... best not to listen to me, I guess... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/oops.gif

Heat.?? We are from Perth.... We have nice warm days of 40C+. In summer most days are 35C+ anyhow. But point taken, no jeans required in Vegas durring the day.

I guess you are right about the brats. Are there no white lines on the roads they can play on? Hehhehheh

Anything else we need to be aware of?

*** Deleted ***

Double Post

Treasure Island has recently changed its image to a more adult-oriented resort (some of the restaurants don't allow children at all now).

This website has a wealth of hotel and entertainment information.

Heres a great link from where to eat to the best shows. Click on the"Las Vegas top ten values" in the bottom corner. Check it out:

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/

I've really enjoyed Vegas the couple times I've been in summer - I just about died in Washington DC at 95*F and 95%RH, but 107*F in Vegas was bearable. Especially by the poolside, with an icy drink in hand.

So, here's my thoughts - plan on sleeping in, grabbing lunch, heading for the pool, then dinner, and having that be the sum total of your daytime activities. Once the sun's down, and the temp is down, head outside, and walk the strip, go to shows, etc.

I don't gamble, so Vegas has to get my money other ways - I think the shows are amazing, especially Cirque du Soleil. 'Ka', their new show, is incredible, and I really enjoyed Zoomanity, though I could see how it's a bit risque for some folks of very gentle dispositions. 'O' was OK - I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the others - a bit distant and cold, where the others are more coherent and intimate. Blue Man Group is a ton of fun as well, and there's lots of other choices.

You'll never get totally away from kids, but Vegas isn't exactly spilling over with them, especially relative to other tourist destinations. They've totally moved away from the 'Vegas is for Families' idea, and when we were last there, nearly every hotel had discontinued their kids center and babysitting programs. I think they figured out that nobody overspends wildly with the kids there.

Finally, the main thing, IMHO, for a hotel in Vegas in the Summer is a really outstanding pool complex. Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand both pop to the top of my mind - MGM is considerably more centrally located, and rooms can be had cheaply if you buy early and as part of a package. The Strip hotels are likely to be fully booked that time of year, so don't wait to get your hotel reserved - you can end up with very few choices if you wait!

In short - Nocturnal lifestyle, drink lots of Gatorade, hotel with pool, go see shows, book early.

Bally's is a nice place to stay. It's in the middle of the strip so it doesn't take long to walk (or ride the trams) anywhere. Monty Carlo is nice too.

I've been there and had a great time. I wish you the same /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

O yeah, I went in 2001 and I didn't really notice any places that didn't allow children in them, and I had the luck of being able to go to some of the really nice (I actually mean expensive) places. There was only one place that didn't allow children in. Unfortunatly, that is one of the places that the person I was with wanted to see. The Belagio (SP??). They had people standing outside the doors that stopped us (me) when we tried to enter. But, we just said that we were meeting someone and that it was very important so the guy let us slide (he actully told us to tell anyone that asked that we were going to the buffet). But, no one even asked us anything while we were in there. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

You must see "O" (Cirque' Du Soleil) at the Bellagio. Without a doubt one of the most amazing stage shows I've ever experienced.
(It'll also get you out of the heat for a bit!).

Al

I second Size15's recommendation for "O"! Utterly amazing.

Hotel: I really like the Luxor, particularly the pyramid. Nothing like walking out of your room and peering over the railing to the lobby 200 ft below /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Even if you don't stay there, check out their website for room rates. They put up 4 month's worth, from which you can guage pretty much what everyone one else (relatively speaking) will be charging. If you see rooms going for $70/night, there's nothing happening in town (and you won't be tripping over strollers in the casino...)

Gadget shopping: Check out the Fry's Electronics, located on Las Vegas Blvd ("The Strip") about a mile or so south of Mandalay Bay.

Food: If you like prime rib, make sure to have dinner at Lawry's (on Tropicana, I think). Also, the Grand Lux Cafe in the Venitian is a great place for a snack, 24/7.

My favorite show website: http://www.lvol.com/lvoleg/lvshows.html
click the "ratings and comments" link for any you're interested to see audience reviews.

Have fun!

There have been a few threads not too long about Las Vegas so you might search for them.

I would recommend checking Expedia or something similar for places to stay. If this is your first time then you will probably want to stay on the strip. The Mirage, New York New York, MGM Grand, the Luxor are all nice places that I have tried. The Monte Carlo looks good and might be a touch cheaper. Circus Circus, Excalibur, Treasure Island might be a little less also. Prices vary a lot depending on which day of the week it is and also what other attractions are in town at that time. Basically the nicer hotels know when they can get away with charging more.

As for things to see- again if you haven't been there before some of the nicer hotels and casinos are interesting just to walk around in- The Mirage, Venetian, Bellagio, MGM, Luxor, NY NY are all interesting. The Venetian has a big shopping mall and there is another big one between Casear's and the Mirage. The Mirage has a small zoo behind it that is interesting. MGM has a small indoor area where you can look at a couple of lions up close. Mandalay has a very nice aquarium. I recommend going up to the Stratosphere tower at night to see the lights. I also recommend going to downtown at night to see the overhead lights at Fremont street.

If you have time during the day you can take a short side trip to Hoover Dam.

You can get around by taxi but we almost always rent a car because we like to run around more than average.

There are good restaurants everywhere. I like buffets myself and one of my favorites is at the Luxor. Actually the buffet at the stratosphere is good enough and you can get a package deal of buffet and the ticket to the observation tower.

I haven't been to many shows but have seen Lance Burton at the Monte Carlo and the Blue Man Group at the Luxor, and can recommend both.

You didn't say how long you were going to be there but you can fill up 5 or 6 days real easily even if you don't gamble.

WTH, everybody gets $.02 worth, right?

IMHO, circus Circus is a dive, same with Imperial Palace. Two years ago we stayed at the Aladdin and it was very nice. Can't speak for all the rooms, but our mini-suite didn't have a door to the bathroom (there was a small, seperate room with the WC). If they are all similarly configured, it would make the place VERY child unfriendly. Who's going to make junior stand in the corner with his eyes shut while mommy takes a bath? A window-wall view of the Bellagio fountains wasn't a bad thing either...

"O" is my favorite show to date (going to see Ka in July), really enjoyed Penn & Teller. Danny Gans is exceptional at what he does, but (again IMHO) is badly overpriced for what it is. Lance Burton is unquestionably a great magician, I just don't happen to care for "disco" magic. Ceasars Magical Empire is good for a decent meal and some (usually) exceptional close-up work. Virtually any of the big name shows will not dissapoint. The bar in Vegas is set very high, and the shows that don't meet it don't last too long.

If you are going to stay on the strip & don't intend to venture away much, the tram works very well indeed (but we usually rent a car too, I LOVE valet parking).

Start going for long walks, you will walk (and walk, and walk), seems like absolutely everything is forever from wherever you are.

Have fun!

That's some great suggestions and reviews!

The printer is spewing forth pages for the file now!
Looks like the scheduled 4 days however will not be enough.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Please feel free to keep the suggestions coming.

Thanks /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

--Steve in Oz

Hi Steve,
we stayed in The Mirage last June, honeymooning... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Twas really nice, too. Nightly display of their vulcano, nice rooms, friendly staff, lotsa restaurants and a reeeaal nice lobby. Did not see too many kids there. Come to think of it, I think I saw hardly any at all.
Many shops, tho, IN them hotels! BEWARE!! The ladies will buy, buy, BUY!!!
Lol.

If you're in Las Vegas, pls make sure to rent a car/fly to the Grand Canyon. Doesn't matter how many movies or pictures you see, one HAS to be there to believe it... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
(of course, for night ops, you want a good light on you)

Coming from the old country and being there in June, I found it HOT!! VERY HOT!!

But very nice, all the same /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

We stayed 4 nights in Las Vegas, which gives you a goodish time to look at things (and if yer not the gambling kind, that is) and a bit over a week at the Canyon. Look up Tusayan. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

You can PM me for pics.

Somebody mentioned Imperial Palace- the hotel/casino was fairly depressing to me but they have a car museum on top of their garage and it is very interesting to use car people.

We like the typical "Vegas" stuff, but we enjoyed the things outside of Vegas the most. For example:

<ul type="square"> [*]Take a helicopter flight over Hoover Dam and through the Grand Canyon. Our flight had permission to fly over and land (in Indian territory) on a shelf overlooking the river. We set up a little table and enjoyed some Champaign and snacks. The trip back was absolutely awesome. That was because we were flying just a few feet above the ground - up and down cliffs and around obstacles. I was fortunate to sit in the left-hand seat with music from "Top Gun" in my headphones. [*]We rented a car and drove through "Fire Valley" I think it was called. It was so hot, that we were very afraid of dying if the car quit. [*]We took a walking tour inside of Hoover Dam. [*]We also drove to "Meteor Crater" in Arizona. [*]We extended our car trip north into Yellow Stone and all points between. [/list]
Advice:
<ul type="square">
[*]Be very afraid of the heat! No kidding, if you have a heart condition (eg: atria fibrillation) stay inside. [*]Do some reading on gambling. Find books that educate you on the various games rather than claim to know how to beat the games. Really, the only way to win at gambling is to quit while you are ahead - even if you win the first game you play. (This could make for a short game, but at least you will leave as a winner.) [*]My opinion of the best game to play is "Crapless-Craps" (also known as "Craps No More"), but play it conservatively. By that I mean, play at tables with the lowest pass line requirement (say $5). Never play any more than the minimum on the pass line, but always bet as much as you can on the "Odds". This is the cheapest bet in the casino. (The exception is Blackjack when you know the deck is high in "10" cards.) [*]Do not bet on anything but the pass line and the odds. All the other bets are "sucker bets". The book you read should explain that to you. Betting this way can be slow and tedious, but your money will last a lot longer (notice that I did not say you will win, just lose less). [*]In the end, nothing is better than just good old "LUCK". [/list]


Yep, we sure enjoyed it.

Good luck!

Chuck

wombatinoz,

what type of food do you like?
do you like dance clubs, jazz clubs, lounges?
is your budget large, medium or economy?
if it's economy no problem lots of free stuff to do
do you enjoy a few alcoholic beverages from time to time?
what are your approximate ages?
do you gamble? if yes what games?
are you scared of hights?
is a nice pool important?
are your travel days flexable? ie. weekday vs. weekend


if you answer a few of these questions I can give you some great suggestions. I am not an expert on Vegas but I have been there more times than I care to admit.


p.s. They have a slogan now in Vegas " what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" Don't believe it. It is a bunch of crap! There are web cams at certain bars and pools so be careful.

My first trip to the USA was a fieldtrip as part of my Geology Degree at Uni. It was a whistle-stop tour of some of the key attributes (it also included a night in Vegas).

# Take a helicopter through the Grand Canyon.
- Done that. Saw the sunrise into the Grand Canyon. I've also walked down and up (in a hurry). The Helicopter ride is a "Las Vegas Show" in itself - expensive but worth it to say the least.

# We rented a car and drove through "Fire Valley" I think it was called.
- Done that. Not certain it was "Fire Valley" but been to Bad Water and various other places. It was Geology Fieldtrip so we weren't being tourists.

# We took a walking tour inside of Hoover Dam.
- Done that. The Geology Fieldtrip meant we had a 'special' tour.

# We also drove to "Meteor Crater" in Arizona.
- Done that. For some reason I didn't find it that impressive. I'm not sure why. I may have been hungover (it was a Geology Fieldtrip after all)

# We extended our car trip north into Yellow Stone
- We didn't get to see Yellow Stone. Our Profs. said this was to make us come back and visit it in our own time. It is on my list of places to visit.

I guess the point is that Vegas can be a base from which to see some serious awesome sights. The high temperatures may not allow this to be a viable option. There is certainly lots to do and see in Vegas.

Somebody mentioned the "O" show. I urge you to see it as well!

Al /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Size15's said:

# We rented a car and drove through "Fire Valley" I think it was called.
- Done that. Not certain it was "Fire Valley" but been to Bad Water and various other places. It was Geology Fieldtrip so we weren't being tourists.
Al /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

"Valley of Fire" ?

Cheers,
Bob