Canadians who have gone to Vegas.....

[BitsnBearsMom]

So if you have been to Vegas where have you stayed?? We are heading there for 3 nights in march after a week at GCV and just can't seem to figure out where to stay!! We will have our 12yo ds and almost 18yo ds with us as well as gramma and gramps.... Only gramma is the gambler. I want somewhere nice that isn't going to break the bank!! There are just way too many hotels to choose from!!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I've been to Vegas more times than I can count....I think nearly 20 times. Were you stay really depends on what you want to do. With kids I think being center strip would be best. If you go onto the resort websites and sign up for the e-news letters you will get promos sent to you that often are really great. I just had one from NY, NY that would give me a food/beverage credit and a room for $60-70/night. Mind you NY,NY is not center strip.

I mainly stay at Ceasars but it can be expensive if you don't gamble. Try Bally's, Paris, and PH. If you go further south on the strip you can get deals at Monte Carlo, Ny, NY, and the Excaliber. A little further south is also the Luxor. I tend to avoid MGM because it's huge....we stayed there once and it took 20 minutes to walk from our room to where we parked our rental car.

 

[stefanospops]

My DW and I went to Vegas just once. We stayed at the Monte Carlo and it was a great location and reasonable price. We aren't big gamblers. Our idea of gambling is $100 at the slot machines. Once that money is gone we walk around and just take everything else in.

 

[jelo]

I went with girlfriends two years ago and stayed at Planet Hollywood, it was the Aladdin when we booked but the name changed before we got there!! It's a great location being center strip, the casino was ok...we just do slots...we just wanted to see every hotel!!
The pool was terrible, on the 6th floor, all concrete...hot...not especially attractive. All the swimmers were the MTV age group in their tiny bikini's!!
Paris is right next door, it was gorgeous!
But if I had to choose again, it would have to be Bellagio....oh gosh it was beautiful!! The pool was like an oasis, the casino was gorgeous...we loved it there!
Caesars was good too, a little more gaudy, but we saw the Celine show there!
I think the Excalibur was the cheapest when we were looking. It looked like a fun place, attractive to the smaller kids with the castle theme etc...
I would so love to go back and just sit by the pools!!!
Have a great trip!

 

[mtmbyck]

I've been a number of times and stayed at MGM, Mandalay Bay, and Flamingo. Flamingo has been recently renovated and is a great location on the strip. I saw rooms for $49 on Expedia for Feb. With kids, I'd personally choose Mirage. I love the jungle feel and the tigers are still there - just no show. Make sure to catch the Treasure Island outdoor show with the pirates! There's an aquarium at Mandalay Bay also but it is at the very furthest end of the strip. Check the weather - it might be still cool in March. I was shocked the first year I went and it snowed. I thought it was in the dessert!

 

[minnie mum]

Bellagio is definitely our favourite. Check for special rates-it can make a huge difference! DH and I stayed at PH once (when it first opened) and agree with a PP: really popular with the young crowd and has an awful pool. Have you checked out the resort reviews on Tripadvisor yet? That's usually my first stop when trying to decide on new places to stay.

 

[sjsjbrook]

I have stayed at mgm, luxor, new york new York, Paris and Caesar's. My favourite place to stay was the Luxor and it was the cheapest.

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

Thanks all.... Will look at those suggestions. We have looked at trip advisor for reviews but there are so very many hotels that it's kinda intimidating trying to choose!!

 

[MouseGirl]

My husband and I have visited Las Vegas several times - have stayed at Ballys, the Venetian, and the Flamingo Hilton. We liked Ballys and the Flamingo for their location in the centre of the strip, but the rooms were older and kind of run down. The Venetian was beautiful with huge rooms, but a bit north of the centre of the action.

When we went with our children and another family about three years ago we stayed at the Excalibur on the south end of the strip. It was a bit less central and the rooms and hotel were in pretty rough shape. On our next trip we all decided that we would likely stay at the Bellagio just because it is so central and has the beautiful fountains light and water show that I could happily watch several times per night. If the Bellagio is above your budget, the Paris hotel seemed relatively new, clean and central on the strip and could be a good option. We ate dinner there one night and were quite impressed by the public areas of the hotel.

Best of luck with your trip planning!
MouseGirl

 

[darwinsrule]

DW and I have done probably 10 trips. Most were pre-kids however. We have never taken the kids (why do Disney for adults when you can do Disney for kids?). Trips have includes Luxor, Paris, Bally's, Wild Bills. Paris is probably our favorite for location and feel. It has lost some of its character Harrah's took over the company. Luxor had a great feel but again they have removed a lot of the theme that was there years ago.

Centre strip does have better access to shopping and things to do since gambling isn't going to be a need. The distances involved along the strip can be somewhat deceiving, esp. in any kind of heat.

 

[SmilingGrump]

I've been to Vegas several times and for different types of trips (business, stags, fun with buddies, fun with wife, paintball tournaments, etc) so with that in mind, here's my general opinions on the places I've stayed:

NYNY
This used to be my number one choice. The Casino is smaller then most, but I love the shops and restaurants. The Mexican and steak restaurants are top notch. Drinks used to flow very freely when playing the slots and they use real orange juice for screwdrivers. However, drink service slowed down the last time I was there. Also, the last time (and I mean LAST time) we stayed there, we had dirty sheets on one of the beds and 2 days into our stay, we got dirty towels. I was not impressed and have recommended to everyone to steer clear.

MGM
The last time my wife and I stayed there we swore would be our last. I used to like it, but the renovations moved the sports betting area from a nice quiet spot, to sandwiched between the poker room and one of the bars. When we were there last (2 years ago), the whole place looked like it needed renovating again. It seemed like 1/3 of the slots had lights that were out, our room had a radio clock that was possessed, and the phone didn't work (visits to the Front Desk had no effect, except on the last night they removed the broken phone ... didn't replace it). Walking through there a few months ago, they have done work on the slots to improve things. I'm just not sure if I'd risk staying there again.

Excalibur
Cheap. It's got a fun theme and it's cheap. Not great food and drinks are average, but it's cheap. Did I mention it was cheap?

Bellagio
Beautiful resort! I love the theme and the garden area. The cafe is someplace I always eat at when in Vegas. It's away from the sound of the Casinos, foods great, and reasonably priced ... it's a nice oasis of quietness after a couple days of sensory overload. However, drink service is slow and they use Sunny-D for screwdrivers (seriously, a 5* resort that uses Sunny-D!!). Also, there's been a significant increase in the number of working girls ... a sign of the economic times.

Treasure Island
It's okay, the new owners are trying to make it better, but pricing doesn't match what you get. Expect breakfast here to run you $20/person which is ludicrously expensive. Drink service is average. The new outside show, Sirens, is a waste of time. The original show was much better. The nice thing about TI is it's location to the Fashion Mall.

Venetian
I used to hate the Venetian. I tried very much to love it (it's decor is second only to the Bellagio and then arguably so) but their service used to be horrid but it has improved so well that I've stayed there the last two times I was in Vegas. Drink service is above average, and excellent if you're playing video poker at the bars. Rooms are much larger then any of the others I've stayed at (I've been told their comparable to Caesars). Restaurants are excellent. The only bad thing about it is it's location so far back from the Strip and lack of monorail service.


Places I haven't stayed but know a bit about:
City Centre (Aria, etc)
I haven't stayed here but love walking through the Casino. It's got a coffee/chocolate theme to it and is very different from other Casinos. It's well worth checking out. You can find some deals there but it's usually around $120+/night and goes up significantly.

Cosmopolitan
It's right beside the new City Centre and is often thought to be part of it, but it isn't. You HAVE to do a walk around all levels of the Cosmopolitan! After so many trips to Vegas, walking in through here is the one place that still wows me because it's so over-the-top (3 story chandelliers and 6-foot high stilletos). Also, they have a little burger bar right on the strip that is cheap and great. I'd love to take the wife here to stay, but we're more a jeans and t-shirt couple then $3k suit and evening gown couple. It's still fun to check out though!

Mirage
I have always like the garden entry to the Mirage but I'm not a fan of the renovations to the Casino area. The burger bar is a must (alcoholic shakes and great burgers), as is the Rumbar (slushy alcoholic drinks). The Brazilian restaurant is also really really good.


Hope some of this helps! You'll have a fun time anywhere you stay, just avoid the deep-fried twinkies in Old Town!

 

[monkey30]

Oh I enjoy Vegas but just like WDW Dh is indifferent. We have a time share there and have never used it!LOL

We liked PH, and stayed at Luxor as well. I find most of the hotels are nice it will be more on cost and location you will need to decide on. Dont let one persons bad review sway you away from something as you may have personal tastes ( I like value resorts while others hate them!!)

Good luck on your planning!

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

I have not been to Vegas since 2003, when I got married at the Bellagio. Not "breaking the bank" really depends on one's bank, now doesn't it? We went a few times in the years before our wedding (so I've never been with kids), and we enjoyed cheap stay at the Sahara (now gone) and the Stratosphere before we found the off-Strip Tuscany. We are the type of Vegas traveler that expects to drive from casino to casino, so having our starting point be a less posh locale is no problem.
The Tuscany is NICE, less than a decade old, small scale, with big rooms (possibly classified as "mini-suites") with mini-fridges being standard, and a nice, non-crowded, low-key pool. (So not one of the nouveau, club-atmosphere, see and be seen style of pools I hear are now the rage at the big hotel.) There are a couple of dining options on-site. Worth looking into unless staying at one the big, themed hotels is important to you (or getting a view, like at Stratosphere).

GL!

 

[c&m]

We've stayed at:

Treasure Island - Good location. Negative is the hotel is a bit too smoky for me. If you have members in the family who are sensitive to smoke, this may not work for you.

Signature at the MGM - This is a suite hotel, with a kitchenette. No casino, no smoking. A long walkway takes you to the MGM hotel. OK place. Negative is that the hotel is too south on the strip.

Trump Las Vegas - Got this hotel on Priceline.com for $85/night. It's a bit off strip (across the street from Nordstroms at the Fashion Island Mall on the strip and 2 min walk from the Wynn hotel). Very luxurious suite hotel with a small kitchenette with high-end appliances. It's a no-casino, no-smoking hotel. We loved it and would stay there again if there weren't so many options around.

Mandarin Oriental - LOVED this one. Got this hotel with a package with Allegiant Air. Service was impeccable. Loved the location, across the street from the Miracle Mile Mall and next door to the Aria and Cosmopolitan hotels. Everything was new about this hotel.

I have pictures of both the Trump and the Mandarin Oriental on my blog, along with some Vegas buffets (The Wicked Spoon, Aria buffet, Wynn buffet). Check it out at this link: www.theheywoodtimes.blogspot.com

Have fun planning your trip!!!!

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

Thanks for the info and help everyone..... we finally booked our hotel last night and only booked the one we did because we got a great deal!!

I was trying to price the 2 rooms at Bellagio as we had 'almost' decided that since we didn't figure we would be back there again any time soon and for mil who is really the one we were going for it may be her only trip we wanted to do it 1st class. I called the bellagio and they ended up giving me a discounted rate of $144 per night and waived the extra person charge of $35/night on each room so we snagged it. Sometimes it does pay to call rather then try to book online!!

 

[BrittanyBB]

We stayed at the MGM... while I enjoyed our trip, I swore if we went back I would stay near the center of the strip. The resort was huge, and while the pool area was fantastic -it took forever to get there from our room.
We were looking at going again and I would say I would either choose PH or Mirage. I love the looks of the rooms and the atmosphere of the Mirage, while PH is more centered.

 

[wendyt_ca]

We stayed at the Venetian in Sept 2010 and loved it. We watched packages and got a great deal on expedia that was only like $1200 with airfare and hotel for both of us for 5 nights. Our next trip we want to do Planet Hollywood cause it has a really cool casino and is centrally located.

 

[pxlbarrel]

Well, even though you're going there mostly for your mil, there IS good news. There's a really nice Character Warehouse for Disneyland stuff in Vegas. It's located in the Annex of the LAS VEGAS PREMIUM OUTLET MALL SOUTH. It is, like most of the west coast Character Warehouses (they're not run by Disney) hit and miss but I've gotten some decent stuff there a few times.