Vegas advice please

Can any of my fellow v-flyers give me some advice on hotels in Vegas please as regards to location and quality ,going to book soon for a lads week in August
Blacky

Blacky1,
When you say lads are we taking pool parties, beer and gun ranges ?

Everyone has their own favourites but for a lads' holiday I'd say somewhere lively like Planet Hollywood or New York New York. Both fairly cheap, fun places in the middle of the action on the Strip.

Many recommend higher end places like the Wynn or the Bellagio but I'd say they're better for couples than a group of lads.

There will only be 4/5 of us and we are a bit old for pool parties ( never know though).
Just want to be in the centre of the action at a nice hotel really

[Neil]

I'm an Wynn/Encore fan, but they aren't the cheapest. All the man strip hotels are located well, if you have no real preference I would see what deals are available and just book whatever is best.

IMHO centre strip is best. Planet Hollywood and Cosmopolitan attract 25-35 age group.They are above mid range hotels. Mrs Paps and I will be at Aria this year more suitable to our age range (50). Have stayed at Mirage and NYNY which are a bit cheaper but still fine.Downtown/Fremont Street are cheaper hotels and the area is lively with bands etc, also drinks and gambling are cheaper there. Its a fun place for a lads long weekend. Always found booking direct with horel gets you the best rate. Have a look at smartvegas.com which lists good hotel deals. Enjoy.

Thanks Neil ,It's it in the heart of the so called strip? Don't know the geography at all so just don't want to end up too far out

Check http://www.smartervegas.com for the latest promotions and discount codes. There are always offers to be had.

We had 3 rooms at New York New York for 3 nights last month - it was about $90 per room per night but they threw in 6 Cirque du Soleil tickets worth $195 each for free. Great deal.

My favourite, though, is the Cosmopolitan - not cheap but amazing rooms, all with balconies (unheard of in Vegas) and a cool, contemporary hotel. Others will disagree though!

If you don't know Vegas do your research first - I'd recommend somewhere "mid-Strip" as you're pretty much walkable from most of the action and won't have to rely on cabs or buses.

I'll be at the Bellagio for a week at the end of August. Going with my parents to celebrate their wedding/my graduation.

First time in Vegas so chose it for its central location. The Wynn/Encore came a close second but ultimately lost out because they were just a bit too far from the centre, especially as its our first time. Bellagio pools should also be more relaxing.

Yes the Bellagio is very central and great for celebrating special occasions. As is the Wynn/Encore but as you say it's slightly too far north for my liking.

I wouldn't recommend either for a group of lads though - they're aimed more at an older market or couples celebrating.

Thanks Neil ,It's it in the heart of the so called strip? Don't know the geography at all so just don't want to end up too far out

Have a look here

http://www.vegas.com/lounge/map.html

Anything between 39 and 8 is an easy distance, but beware it is likely to be very hot at that time of year, albeit a a dry heat and one way to walk the Trip is to do it via the hotels and their air con.

Thanks for the reply papadilla ,we will be an early forties bunch so not looking for a youngsters venue ,just somewhere central that is decent ,thanks for the info ,will have a look

Group of lads = Excalibur IMHO.
It is setup for you. It's a little down the strip but it does depend on what you want / need.
You can go up the strip more, and get a little nicer surrounding but I don't think you will get the same "lads" experience you get in the Excalibur. I have stayed in a few of them over the years.

I love Vegas and am off for my third trip in 8 weeks (not counting much)!

Personally I'd recommend staying between TI and Planet Hollywood. I've stayed at MGM and The Mirage. The Mirage is my favourite out of the two, but I'm back at MGM next time.

I'd say it kind of depends what you want from the stay. If you want gambling and drinks then I'd probably go with something rather central. If you're looking for central and cheap, look at Imperial Palace. Mid range price then definitely Planet Hollywood.

I'd say any further out of the initial range mentioned above you'll find you're walking about twenty minutes to get into the main central section.

That said you've got the monorail from MGM up the strip which is handy.

Definitely look at Freemont street for evening fun as its cheaper than the main bit of the strip I found.

I've waffled on and probably missed the point, but I can chat about Vegas for ages (guess that comes from working for TC!).

What ever you choose you'll have an amazing time.

Stayed at Bally's which I would highly recommend. It's right next door to Paris.

Advice would be to choose a budget and stick to it and see what you can get for your money. Don't spend a fortune though as you wont be on your rooms that much! Too much to do!

As others have suggested, see what "freebies" can be thrown in - highly recommend Cirque du Soleil and there is a pretty good CSI experience there. Fantastic zip line tour just outside Vegas and Dig It (JCB driving etc).

Wow there's some Vegas fans on here ! Thanks all for replies,basically we are all early forties just looking for a few beers and the odd flutter with not much walking inbetween ,cost isn't really an issue and to be honest don't really want to be surrounded by 20 something stag groups

Definitely consider The Mirage then. When I was there I didn't see many groups like that. It's also a very nice hotel, decently priced with some good restaurants and its not too far from everything.

Check out Bill's Gambling Hall. It's opposite The Bellagio I think. The gambling is cheap as is the booze and during the week has Fat Elvis performing! And if you have any Mötley Crüe fans in the group Vince Neil has his tattoo studio and a few gambling tables here as well (or did when I was last there two years back).

Fact is, there are so many good hotels in Vegas choosing one can be rather overwhelming for the uninitiated. As you've seen, everyone has their own favourites and will bombard you with advice!

My tip is decide first what's important to you - a good pool? Nice restaurants/buffets? Bars? Shows? Location? Price? Then narrow it down based on your criteria.

It can take a long time to get from A to B in Vegas - even a relatively short journey can take a long time due to the traffic, the crowds or the fact pedestrians are frequently taken "the long way round" through casinos. So location should definitely be an important factor in your choice.

This guide on the moneysavingexpert forum has some great tips for newbies ... http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/sho ... ?t=4365703

For value for money, have a look at Hilton's Elara. Central location. Doesn't have it's own casino but connects directly to Planet Hollywood.

We had a 1-bedroom suite which connected to a 'studio' room if required. Full kitchen, living area, great views, window shade that turned into an 8ft projector screen, and more... Would definitely stay there again.

Bloody hell martymcfly, was just about to type almost the same recommendation !

We've been going to Vegas for 20 years, 2-3 times a year and have really tried a lot of different hotels.

Love the Cosmo but the prices can be sky high, last visit was the Elara and upcoming trip is the Elara again. Really good prices for a huge suite with full kitchen (read huge fridge for plenty of beer storage)and a jacuzzi !

I'll post you some photos if you're interested but it is close enough to where you'll want to be and the shops at PH have lots of bars and restaurants.

S

I'm a fan of the Venetian/Palazzo as the service is out of this world, huge pool area and top notch grub. I would imagine Wynn is much the same but never stayed there. Both opposite Fashion Show Mall for a bit of shopping, I mean no one can resist a Macy's sale can they ?

Centre strip I would opt for Paris, pool area is big enough but not huge and food is good. Eiffel Tower restaurant well over priced imo but each to there own.
Ballys next door is an old favourite of mine and you can use either pool (Ballys/Paris) as they're both Harrahs/CET. Good pool area in Ballys and DJ will be in full swing as with all Vegas pools in August. Cracking Thai restaurant now in Ballys, would highly recommend.
Caesars is very big, too big really and a long trek from rooms to casino or out to the strip but I do like the poker room there.
Bellagio seems to be very formal to me, at the tables/restaurants/sandwich bars and even poker room which I found very strange. Pool area very nice but having stayed they here once I wouldn't do again due to the formality of it all.

Farther down the strip I like NYNY for its BJ, dealers are hit and miss, steak house overrated, pool is compact-ish, lively bars.
MGM massive pool area, massive casino, table dealers are friendly enough but still a lot to learn in the poker room.

I've stayed at most centre strip hotels ... I'd say either the Mirage (great one bedroom suites) or the Venetian should suit your needs

Both are lively hotels with a good selection of restaurants and bars - the casino at the Venetian is vibrant and they have some reasonable live music acts there

By the way, Bill's Gambling Hall & Saloon is now closed and Fat Elvis has, I believe relocated to Harrah's

Last june I stayed at the Cosmo and we managed to get free breakfast at the wicked spoon buffet as we were 'internation' - not still sure if this is an offer running on their website. Great pools, great casino, although didnt think much of the chandalier bar.

Am booked for september again for a mates wedding. Have booked Ceasars.

My advice would be to go for cosmo, bellagio, paris, planet hollywood or caesars as these are all quite central on the strip as oppose to the MGM, new york, with the wynn and encore being up the other end.

IMHO Planet Hollywood sounds like the place that suits your needs. It's right in the middle of the strip and getting in to/ out of the hotel ( and casino) from the strip isn't a ten mile hike ( Vegas in August is HOT :0 ).
The pool area is pleasant and gets plenty of sun all day. The only downside is that the rooms are pretty dark and dim .
I wouldn't bother personally with the higher end hotels if travelling in a group .
My best two stays ever in Vegas have been at PH and have knocked other stays there at higher end hotels into a cocked hat .
More expensive in Vegas doesn't always mean more fun .
DL

More expensive in Vegas doesn't always mean more fun .
DL

I beg to differ DL Probably for the best I didn't do a TR for my last visit to Vegas.... What happens in Vegas and all that, will just say it got a bit expensive, but hands down one of the best holidays I have ever had.

I would be reticent to recommend PH Blacky, I don't think it is what you are looking for... Check out the city centre development hotels: Vdara, MO and Aria are the main ones there and it is very centre strip next to the Bellagio.

August is going to be damned hot... don't feel like postponing a month?