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4 of us going to Vegas for first time in Feb 2012 and can't make up our mind where to stay! I guess I am looking for the good bad and Ugly. Let me know where you have stayed and if you liked it!! Thanks Hotrod :186-

Super 8 over on Koval. It's part of the Ellis Island Casino (at least it used to be). Clean , safe, cheap, etc.

We just got back from 10 nights in Vegas.  What are you looking for?  Inexpensive?  Luxury?  Downtown?  Strip?

Our personal favorite lately has been the Golden Nugget downtown.  It's a great mix of upscale accomodations with a reasonable price tag (Sunday-Thursday nights typically starting at $39/night).  We love downtown anyway since there are a dozen casinos all next door to each other, and the GN has the nicest rooms.

If you're interested, here are a bunch of pictures I took (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2584035127746.2140984.1460523698&type=1&l=2ceccf8d68) from our stay at the Golden Nugget a couple of weeks ago.

I strongly suggest that you go to their website (http://www.goldennugget.com/LasVegas/) and sign up for their e-mail specials (http://www.goldennugget.com/LasVegas/specials.asp) to get advance notification and access to their lowest rates.

If downtown isn't your thing, give me some direction as to what you're looking for and I can help you find a good match.

You're also invited to join the message forum I run -- the Las Vegas Advice Message Forum (http://www.lvadvice.com/) at http://www.LVAdvice.com/ .  There are a bunch of folks there with great Vegas knowledge, as well as info on some of the best deals out there.

I think we have narrowed it down to the Aria or Vdara, central strip.

We always stay at Luxor.  There are fancier hotels, but for some reason this one is our favorite.  It's a cool place!

Jason

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Just stayed at Aria a couple months ago.  Without a doubt the most comfortable bed you will ever sleep in.  You can buy one in the gift shop including shipping to your home for $2,500.  Here's my personal ratings of the resort with a "10" being excellent.



Room cleanliness, size, and comfort = 9  (does not get a 10 because the side / lounge chairs are very uncomfortable....otherwise excellent).  :294-

Distance from elevator to room = 2 (you need a motorized scooter if you are half way down the hall from the elevator...and if you are at the end of the hall then hail a taxi )  :47-

Overall resort atmosphere and design = 8 (a warm modern feel, nice, but not Bellagio for sure)

Service quality general = 9

Buffet quality = 7 (not worth the high price tag....if you get a comped meal go for it, otherwise don't waste your money here)

Coffee shop = 8

Restaurants = $$$$ (plan on about $75 a plate on average)

Cafe = 8 1/2 = (Good service and food quality, nice view, plan on $20 to $30 a plate)

Valet service = 10

Casino atmosphere = 8

Casino service = 8 1/2

Slot odds = 7

Video poker odds = 8

Swimming pool atmosphere = 2 or 9  (not a decent babe in sight so I say 2, wife seemed to like it...so a 9 from her).

Price of drink at pool = 0  ($17 plus tip for a 12 ounce drink that came out of a squishy machine into a plastic cup...did I complain? You bet).

Overall experience for 3 nights = 8 1/2

Would I stay again? = If fully comped again yes, if I had to pay,  :103-  eh...not sure



>>>>  Add:

Proximity to strip = 5 (you have to take a tram from Aria to Bellagio then walk out the doors to get to the strip which on average will take about a half hour)

I like the hotels in the center of the strip its easier to get around  the PARIS / FLAMINGO /CAESARS PALACE/ . Been  to most of the others and they are all great ( not the new ones in the last few years ) I like the convenience of being able to walk in ether direction then cabbing back  Most POOLS are not usable this time of the year  COLD  

I like the Venetian (location location location) central strip.
All rooms are suites which in this case really just means separate sitting area. There is no separate bed room.

Harrahs used to be callled The show Boat and owned by the Holiday Inn - The rooms look like Holiday Inn - Just a room

Imperial Palace - one of the best located hotes - Da Dump Da Dump Da Dump.... not a dime invested in this place since 1972, (probably last time the vaccum worked as well).

Paris, upscale to Harrahs but not by much. Some French themed chairs in the room but just a room.

Planet Hollywood - one of the nicer rooms / beds - rather new.

Flamingo - new rooms and old rooms, if you are booking here make sure you ask for a "remodeled room" they are very nice.

Ballys - older hotel, well kept.

Mirage, TI - MGM owned - they are pretty close to bankrupcy all money is being spent on their city center property, nice rooms but need maint.

Ceasars - old rooms, new rooms, all have some style but the place is gigantic - depending on what wing your staying in, it could be a 20min walk to the lobby.
I find the place very inpersonable due to the size.

Aria - very nice rooms, latest electronic tech, agree with the earlier bed comment. Casino sucks, and you are quite set back from the strip. They want to keep you at their property.

Stayed one night at the Nugget Hotel down town - rush tower is very nice, pool is open year round, I am not sure if I would do my whole trip here but worth a couple of nights.

At the end of the strip: Mandalay Bay, has 3 hotels. Mandalay bay is OK, but THE Hotel is nicer and the four seasons is the upper crust. I have stayed at the others but not 4seasons.

Luxor and Montecarlom MGM are more than acceptable hotels. Unless you are feeling very divey stay away from the Luxor and Tropicana.

NyNY looks close but I still consider it a end-of-strip location - Rooms are modern and well kept.

I have stayed at all these places and the Venetian does not disappoint, however it's a large place and it gets busy.   The mirage and planet hollywood are not bad nor is Aria.  I suggest staying away from the Luxor, excal, NyNy, Ti, MGM and downtown.   Central location to the strip is key to be able to walk anywhere as the bay is towards the end of the strip and Aria is on the other end.

I've stayed at the Imperial Palace in the spring of 1991.
If my math is correct - that was over 20 years ago...lol

The old cars on the second floor looked really old with all the dust on top of them -
now they must look like antiques... :72-

My room was okay when I stayed there...but like Jay said - it's just a room to sleep in
and no one goes to Vegas to sleep?!?!  :96-

Thank you all for the input !!! K+ to all of you and where is the command center ? And where will I leave my money and where might I gain some while I there gambling!!!

Look in the top right of the page at the newlifegames dot net box.... that is the address to the Store, which is commonly referred to as the NLG Command Center! :97-

It is Joey's shop.

CaptainHappy :95-
:admin-

I plan to ditch the wife and come and visit while I am out there. :5-

Laughlin/Bullhead city is about 100 miles from the strip and the trip will take from from 1¹/₂ to 2 hours each way. Laughlin has some casinos you can check out and Joey's shop is directly across the river – but you'll have to drive up to the bridge and back down the other side to get there. :96- :97- :97- (Actually, if you're going directly to the AZ side of the river when coming into town from Vegas, you'll just continue east across the bridge and then turn south without passing through Laughlin.)

You might also want to take a short detour to Hoover dam (just outside of Vegas) and take the hard hat tour (or do this another day, as the tour takes a couple of hours and you'll probably want to spend three or four hours there.)


I've stayed at the Mirage and it was nice for one of the older properties. I probably wouldn't recommend it in winter because I consider the pool and the tiger/dolphin experience one of the reasons to stay there. I wasn't happy at TI and wouldn't stay there again. The rooms were okay (nothing special) but the steakhouse was very sub-par and I didn't care for the casino.

Whatever you do, stay away from the Imperial Palace! I was comped there once in one of their "upgraded" rooms and believe me when I tell you that it was the most overpriced room I've ever not paid for. :25- :256- Of course, the view of the parking structure immediately across from my window and of the service entrance below was priceless, as was the smell :47-

Still, there is the antique car display upstairs in the back that Bunker mentioned. That might be worth a look.


I think that Jay's breakdown of the various properties is an excellent guide help you decide where to roost, but I wouldn't stay at the Mandalay Bay properties in the winter because they are in an isolated location and the main reason to stay there is the pool complex and the young hard bodies that inhabit it during the mating season.  :96-

Stat :31-

I stayted at the Aqua (I think that's the name) in laghilin which was not bad but small.



 

Probably the Aquarius in Laughlin, they just did a big remodel in the last few years to spruce things up. I too have stayed there as well.

CH :95-

The Aquarius has a nice casino too.

Jason

I stay at the Aquarius often as well. It seems they don't have as many folks looking to steal my gas and motorcycles as they do down at the Avi... :30- :30- :30-

Hey Stat, last time I went to the Dam they weren't giving the hardhat tours any more, just let you go up on the walkway around the generators... 9/11 and all that security BS. Did they start those tours back up again?  :103-

I've stayed at mandalay & luxor. They were both very nice but TOOOO far from freemont St. Thats the only place you have any hope of keeping any of your cash.

I think you'll be happy with either of those choices.  Gambling isn't all that good on the strip, but the hotels are both very nice.


Actually, in a moment of weakness when they needed cash for their City Center mess, MGM sold off TI to Phil Ruffin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Ruffin), the former owner of the New Frontier just down the street from TI.


They just finished a total remodel of the Tropicana and demolished some of the older "motel style" rooms that they used to have.  From the pictures I've seen, the updated rooms are nice.  I still don't care for their casino, though, and likely wouldn't stay there myself.


I love downtown (Fremont St.).  We've "been there, done that" with the Strip and its casinos, and spend the vast majority of our Vegas time either downtown or off the strip (at places like the M Resort, The Orleans, Silverton).

I agree, but still enjoy the strip as well. However, considering that the OP will be a first time visiter, I highly recommend the strip, and probably a central strip location at that. For a newbie it is the quintessential Vegas experience, although a trip downtown and a viewing of at least one Fremont Street Experience light show is a must.

I'll also add my recommendation for the Aquarius in Laughlin, although they have become very cheap with their comps these last few years (most likely because of the economy).



Perhaps not.  :103-  If so, that's a shame. :60-  My information is old and I haven't been their for years. I thought I had taken the tour after 911 ... but I'm not sure. I've taken it three times over the years. One of my favorite parts was walking through the inner corridors and up one of the shafts that extended to an opening on the face of the dam, and being able to look straight down the dam's outer wall. It was also interesting to see how much water constantly seeps through the body of the dam. The old water diversion tunnels and the equipement and view at the bottom of the complex was also cool.

Agreed with everything you've said here.  :89-

Hey! How far is it like from the Flamingo to the Golden Nugget.
we tried to walk it one time...gave up... :96-
I think we hailed a cab or something.
It was like 20 yrs ago and we were quite...uh...let's say...
what happened ...uh...stayed there okay?!  :97-

My wife and I finally got a bus pass.  They're pretty reasonable and I you're going to make multiple trips from Mandalay to Freemont, I would definitely go that route.

Jason

One thing about this thread is that it demonstrates how many options there are and how different one's Vegas experience can be depending on the vacationer's tastes and budget.

If you are going to be staying several days and visiting lots of locations, renting a car is another option. The strip hotels all have "free" valet parking (but you'll be tipping). Taxis are always available at the major hotel-casinos and downtown. They would be more expensive than renting a car but you wouldn't have to deal with valets or parking garages etc.

For those on a budget, there is the bus, as Yoeddy said. On the other extreme, you could hire a limo for a night or two and have a night on the town to remember.


Dining in Vegas can range from the dollar quarter pound hot dog and dollar drinks to à la carte steaks, French, or other expensive cuisine costing $200 or more per person before alcohol. I've seen bottles of wine at some restaurants that cost more than most people's homes.


I don't think anyone has mentioned the shows yet. I recommend seeing at least one or two of the Cirque du Soleil shows if you can. They will run about $100 per person per show. February is slow so you shouldn't have much trouble getting tickets, but it's still a good idea to book them before leaving home. Mystère is the oldest and still one of the best. I haven't seen the Beatles Love but it's supposed to be very good.

There's also lots of live music, mostly in bars, covering a wide variety of tastes.

The Luxor has an IMAX theater which is worth checking out if you've never been to one.


There are other things to see and do off the beaten path and not particularly for first timers. There is the pinball hall of fame where you can play hundreds of different machines. You have to pay to play, of course, but there is no entrance fee and all of the profits are donated to charity. There is the Neon sign graveyard. I believe that it requires advanced booking. If you keep a car longer than for the one day trip to Laughlin, you might consider seeing the Valley of Fire.

Stat :31-



P.S. For those who noticed, my omission of the monorail was deliberate. :200- :30-

:31-

<ADD> You might want to check out the Stratosphere tower, especially if you get there just before sunset and remain after. You'll be over 1,000 feet up and the view is spectacular. Arriving at that time will give you the best of both the daytime and nighttime views, as well as the sunset.

I used to dine in the restaurant and book my reservation so that I was there during that time. It revolves once per hour and I'd always get a small table at the outer edge for the great views. Alas, that was back in the '90s when it was a good steakhouse. Having the casino comp my $100 meal and bypassing the line (VIP comp) was always a great bonus! Then they converted it into an overpriced sort of family fare menu and the food quality took a dive. I can't tell you how it is now because I haven't been there in almost 10 years. :47-

The Flamingo is nearly center-strip, while the Golden Nugget is downtown.  That'd be one hell of a walk (it's just over 4 miles each way), and would involve walking through a less-than-stellar area between the strip and downtown.


Indeed!  In fact, in 15 trips to Vegas we have rented a car 15 times.  Car rentals are cheap in Las Vegas (compared to almost any other major city), and we love the freedom of being able to go where we want to go, when we want to go, without having to rely on shuttle or bus timetables.  You should be able to get a car for under $20 a day (including all the taxes and fees), which is what you'd pay for one one-way cab ride somewhere.


Cirque's LOVE is fantastic.  It's a double-edge sword, though.  It beats out all the other Cirque shows by far (in this writer's opinion), and as such can "ruin" the other shows for you.  The other shows are really good, too, but once you see LOVE you may run into the issue we did in that the other shows just don't stack up.  Mystère at TI is my second favorite, and KA at MGM Grand is my third favorite.  We've never seen O at Bellagio, but I've heard nothing but good about it.  You may want to consider one of these other Cirque shows first before seeing LOVE.

This past trip we saw Absinthe at Caesars Palace.  It's a mixture of Cirque-style acts, a variety show, and some of the dirtiest, raunchiest humor you've ever heard.  If it's possible to offend you, I'd suggest passing on this show because you will be offended, but if you don't mind a lot of dirty jokes, you may really enjoy the show.  We picked up tickets for Absinthe at Tix4Tonight while in Vegas for around $65 each.


This reminds me, I would highly suggest picking up a copy of the 2012 American Casino Guide (http://tinyurl.com/7g5xlcj).  It's currently $11.71 at Amazon and you'll easily get triple that back in matchplay coupons, free slot play coupons, BOGO buffet coupons, and new member sign-up bonuses coupons in the back of the book.  A full list of the coupons is located here (http://www.americancasinoguide.com/2012-american-casino-guide-coupon-list.html).  The info in the book is good, and the coupons make it a no-brainer purchase if you're going to Vegas, especially if you're a first-timer.  I generally buy two each year to double up on a lot of the coupons.

Again, I would encourage you to check out my Las Vegas Advice Forum (http://lvadvice.com/) and ask questions there.  We've got a ton of Vegas veterans who will be happy to help you get the most out of your trip, plus car rental discount codes and the like in the "full access" section (which I'll promote any  :nlg- member to immediately upon registration).  There's no slot repair stuff over there, but it is full of great Vegas info.  :89-

About eight years ago my wife treated me to dinner at the top of the Stratosphere. Before boarding the elevator a security guard had us emtpy our pockets, take off my belt, and wanded both of us. Then we got a small table closest to the center, not near the windows. (They weren't available) Then our waitress says "What would you's guys like to drink" in perfect Mel's Diner dialect. As the seating area revolved around to the kitchen side we were treated with the sounds of waitresses talking into a microphone giving their orders to the kitchen, ala drive thru window. "Screeech, yeah, one filet mignon, two asparagas, screeechhh." Then we got to hear two busboys discussing a girl's "fine booty".
The food was good and the view was nice. Wasn't upset, actually laughed my ass off and said "Never Again!"
But that was a few years ago.