V-Flyer

Hi

I am hoping to get some advice on Las Vegas hotels from fellow v flyers.

We are making our fist visit in September for a 5 night stay. On checking a couple of web sites I was pleased to see that
compared to most other major tourist cities hotel prices are fairly reasonable. The choice of hotels seems vast so I am hoping for some guidance. Given the prices I have seen I am thinking around £200 per night as a budget & pretty central regarding location.

Any assistance appreciated,

oldboy

It really does depend on what you want from a hotel, and where you want to be. If you don’t mind being at the south end of the strip, with walking involved, then Mandalay Bay is perfect. Caesars and The Bellagio are more central, as is the Cosmopolitan, Aria and Vdara but with these, it does depend on the deals that you can get. I signed up to the MGM rewards scheme (Mlife) and got The Luxor for half price in May. You can often get deals on the MGM hotels by signing up.

My personal favourite in Las Vegas is the Palazzo. Very nice split level suites. As it’s an InterContinental Alliance resort property, you will earn IHG points and get extras like VIP check-in etc if you have status with IHG.

Las Vegas strip hotel check-in lines can often be like airport security lines at times!

I’ve stayed in a lot of them and would vote Bellagio every time.

Central location, fountain view, nice pool area, easy to get anywhere, and great vibe!

As James said, pricing varies hugely but if you can get a deal and sign up for m life you can do it within budget!

As Salsasam says it really does depend what you like in a hotel.

Vegas hotels are epic in scale (think several thousand rooms, shopping malls, dozens of restaurants, several theatres/showrooms) and just getting from the front door to your room can easily take 15 minutes. So consider carefully where you’ll want to go as location is key and you’ll spend a lot of your time just getting between casinos on the Strip even if you take cabs.

If you like traditional luxury you’d probably like (from north to south) the Wynn, its sister next door the Encore, the Venetian/Palazzo, the Bellagio or the Mandalay Bay. But if you prefer modern and contemporary try the Cosmopolitan, the Aria or the Vdara. They’re all at the upper end of the scale.

Just don’t expect a normal hotel experience!

We stayed in the Aria last year. Fabulous hotel. But we walked around numerous and next time we will be in the Bellagio.

Having come back a few weeks ago from another trip there I was impressed with the Venetian. As above re the Palazzo....split level huge rooms. And a decent price on Travelbag!

Have stopped in the Bellagio before and ended up getting a room overlooking the air conditioning units!

Really does depend on what you want...gambling or non-gambling for example. Trump Hotel room was amazing, but a bit off the strip and no casino attached.

Budget is Circus Circus and you can pick up rooms for £30 a night...again a bit out of the way though!

Ballys not too bad for a mid range hotel in the middle of the strip. Wherever you go though you can hop on and off the Deuce bus for $8 dollars a day so nowhere is too far away.

Hi oldboy

Lots of good ideas here!

We're there for six nights too in September so maybe a V-Flyer social???

We've stayed in Aria (3 times), and Bellagio (twice), but this September we are staying in Cosmopolitan in a fountain view terrace room.

We had narrowed it down to:

Aria: Studio Panoramic Suite - we stayed in this last year and it was lovely;
Bellagio: Fountain View King - stayed in this type twice
Cosmopolitan: Terrace Studio - fountain view
Wynn/Encore: Tower Suites

If you are thinking of Aria, Bellagio or Mandalay Bay definitely sign up to M-Life or if Wynn/Encore their Red Card. If you book direct with the hotel keep checking the prices - I've already re-booked Cosmo once and saved $ 100

Don't forget to factor into your budget the tax (13.3%) on the headline price if booking direct, and also resort fees (c $45 including tax) and if driving the daily parking fee ($18 a day at Aria and Bellagio until you get to Pearl level then its free to "self park"). Even the North Outlet Mall now charges for parking!

mitchja wrote:Las Vegas strip hotel check-in lines can often be like airport security lines at times!

We've found Bellagio the busiest check in as their Chihuly ceiling is in the check in area, and you have to walk through check in to get to the Conservatory and the Spa Tower. We still like the hotel though!

gumshoe wrote:Vegas hotels are epic in scale (think several thousand rooms, shopping malls, dozens of restaurants, several theatres/showrooms) and just getting from the front door to your room can easily take 15 minutes. So consider carefully where you’ll want to go as location is key and you’ll spend a lot of your time just getting between casinos on the Strip even if you take cabs.

You'll definitely need comfy shoes!

Hmmm yes, the walk from check-in to the room elevators can be a real pain in some of the hotels. The worst I've ever found for that was Caesars Palace. 30 minute wait in the check-in line, finally found the elevators to the correct tower (which took about another 30 mins) only to find they have given me a standard room which hadn't even been finished being cleaned instead of the suite I actually booked and paid for so back down to check-in and restart the cycle all over again. Never again

I suspect they where trying to pull a fast one on me.

I also had an hour or so wait at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay when again I was given a suite which had not been cleaned. Boy and what a mess that suite was in. I have never truly seen a site like that before. The previous occupant(s) must have had a party as there where half drunk glasses, left-over food and rubbish on virtually every available surface in the suite!

Never had any such issues at the Palazzo, though having IHG Ambassador status means I can use the VIP check-in area. The suites have always been spotless there as well.

Do remember that room upgrades in Las Vegas often just mean the same room / suite but on a higher floor or just having a Strip view.

mitchja wrote:Hmmm yes, the walk from check-in to the room elevators can be a real pain in some of the hotels. The worst I've ever found for that was Caesars Palace. 30 minute wait in the check-in line, finally found the elevators to the correct tower (which took about another 30 mins) only to find they have given me a standard room which hadn't even been finished being cleaned instead of the suite I actually booked and paid for so back down to check-in and restart the cycle all over again. Never again

I suspect they where trying to pull a fast one on me.

I also had an hour or so wait at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay when again I was given a suite which had not been cleaned. Boy and what a mess that suite was in. I have never truly seen a site like that before. The previous occupant(s) must have had a party as there where half drunk glasses, left-over food and rubbish on virtually every available surface in the suite

Never had any such issues at the Palazzo, though having IHG Ambassador status means I can use the VIP check-in area. The suites have always been spotless there as well.

Do remember that room upgrades in Las Vegas often just mean the same room / suite but on a higher floor or just having a Strip view.

Does IHG Ambassador status give you access to the small VIP check-in lounge with snacks etc at Palazzo. mitchja?

This October will be our seventeenth visit to Sin City

Our go to is Bellagio. We’ve stayed in Mirage, TI, Wynn, Palazzo, Venetian, Aria, Caesar’s & MGM Grand over the years but it’s the Bellagio that gives us the luxury Vegas life we enjoy

If you can grab a Salone Suite for a good rate, they’ve recently been refurbished to a high spec and are beautiful rooms; the Bellagio Suite, our usual room type gives you two full bathrooms and a powder room

We love the common areas at the Bellagio more than the other high end resorts

For first-timers, location is key and you won’t get more central than this great, iconic hotel

No, I don’t think so. The first time I ever arrived at the Palazzo I was directed to the small VIP check-in desk on showing my Ambassador card which is to the left of the main check-in area.

You get all the other Ambassador perks though such as water delivered daily to your suite and welcome snacks delivered to suite etc. though the comp room upgrade is just to a strip facing suite.

Thank you all for your feedback - very useful

What ever you decide to book, once booked, keep an eye on the prices for your particular hotel & dates, if the price goes down for them, telephone them and usually they will give you the revised price, I've actually done that 3 times for when we booked Paris (my husbands particular favorite tho not mine) & they gave me the revised price each time.

Another vote for the Bellagio from me. Stayed here four times and loved it every time. I would certainly recommend upgrading to a fountain view room, its more than worth it. The location is very central too and while others may be more modern, the Bellagio retains real charm and class.

I have also stayed at the Palazzo too which we couldn't fault, in fact the room was probably more spacious. Location wise its not quite so good though.

To sum up:

Bellagio - first choice
Palazzo/Encore or Wynn as a second choice if you don't mind been slightly out of the way

If you have flexibility, try to mnmise weekend stays - the rates can vary widely from day to day. Most hotels show the size / sq footage of the rooms. To be honest, the hotels are quite similar, casino, shopping mall, pool, spa and so on. So generally the higher price gives a higher quality room and food options. You do need to try a Vegas buffet at least once, and you don't need to be a resident to try any of the hotels.

We stayed at the Paris over Memorial weekend, and got a good price booking several months in advance. It was a fine, mid range option.
Bellagio and Wynn are very good.
The parking and resort fees can run quite expensive, though - everywhere!

And many hotels also offer kiosk or online check-in so the long lines of the past are much better nowadays...

We checked in at around 1:30pm with no issues, our official check in time was 4:00pm, so it's always worth asking if you arrive early.

I'ved stayed in the Bellagio and you can usually get a good deal. Standard rooms are a good size but it's worth paying for the fountain view. . Vegas usually bites you in some way, for my friend and I it was the amazing bar slightly away from all the crazy, 10 or so cocktails, waygu steak, some tasty sushi and a coupe of single malts

Venetian or the Bellagio - they are both fantastic hotels.

Another thumbs up for the Bellagio. We’ve stayed there three times. A fountain room is a must and with the music playing in your room as you watch the fountain display is truly magnificent.
The lobby is beautiful as is the Conservatory with a wonderful display of flowers but this is a tourist attraction and can get busy.
Compared to my first visit back in 2008, my only disappointment 2years ago was the introduction of the resort fee (normal everywhere now unfortunately) and the fact the pool gets an enormous shadow from the Cosmopolitan hotel now.
There is a fair walk to the room elevators at the back of the hotel but I loved the security in that area, made us feel so safe.
Wonderful unique & iconic hotel right in the centre of the strip.
If you’ve booked your trip avoiding the weekend or a conference, then you can get good deals. We always book direct and kept watching the room rates. Each time they dropped I contacted the reservations desk and they altered the rate accordingly. Enjoy

oldboy

I echo the advice posted by others; it depends on what you want from the hotel.

We have worked our way around many of the hotels, including those dearly departed (The Desert Inn in it's last few days), and our favourites are Mandalay Bay, Four Seasons, Bellagio and the Mandarin Oriental.

If you run a dummy booking for the MO in September, the rate comes in a US$251 for a city view room; join the Fans of MO prior to booking and you get an inclusive breakfast (or other offerings).

The Mandarin Oriental closes at the end of August I believe. It’s been sold and will become a Waldorf Astoria.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/ ... gas-strip/

Glad someone mentioned the queues!

We always stay at the Signature @mgm grand , 3 towers with private pools and connected to the mgm via covered walkways. The great thing about staying at the Sig is there are 3 towers each with there own check in desks and for about $75 you can get VIP check in which includes curbside check in, escorted to your room etc, the concierge will call you a few days before your arrival to book airport transfers or restaurant reservations etc. For your budget you could get an Upper Penthouse Suite.

Sealink wrote:Glad someone mentioned the queues!

Come on Sealink, Brits excel at queuing.. it's all part of the holiday

My votes go to:

1.Wynn/Encore
2. Aria Tower Suites.

I have stayed at both multiple times and have had a great stay each time.

flyingfox wrote:We always stay at the Signature @mgm grand , 3 towers with private pools and connected to the mgm via covered walkways. The great thing about staying at the Sig is there are 3 towers each with there own check in desks and for about $75 you can get VIP check in which includes curbside check in, escorted to your room etc, the concierge will call you a few days before your arrival to book airport transfers or restaurant reservations etc. For your budget you could get an Upper Penthouse Suite.

Sounds good, I will take a look, thank you.

One problem we are encountering when we are making dummy bookings at various hotels is that although we need 5 nights, our son only needs to stay on a Saturday evening, many hotels wont let a room just for a Saturday evening.