Narrowed hotel choices down...want advice please

[mickeyluv]

We are thinking of a 4 night trip to LV. This would be our 1st time to LV and have narrowed our choices in hotels down to Encore, Caesars Palace, Signature at MGM, or New York New York. Out of these four where would you pick and why? We would like to be close to mid strip and we're not really fancy people but do like a nice room when we go off. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, we would like to go to the Hoover Dam. Should we rent a car for the entire time or just for the day? Are there places on the strip to rent a car for the day?

 

[VAN]

Based on the hotels you have listed, I would not choose NY NY. It is "okay" but we stayed there the first time in December and I was not impressed based on other properties I have stayed.

I like MGM, but you mentioned you wanted to be mid-strip. You do have access to the monorail from there (extra $$), so that would be doable.

I've not stayed at Caesars or Encore but hear good things about them. Caesars would be considered mid-strip. I personally do not like the Caesars property ... I find it too confusing and spread out. MGM is large, but there seems to be good signage and I find it easy to get around there.

You know, I think with it being your first time in Vegas, I'd recommend MGM ....

Hoover Dam ... definitely get a car and try to be there first thing in the morning because I understand the lines can get lengthy later in the day. I think you would be fine with just renting for the day. Most of the hotels will have a car rental place. Also for the day you have the car, plan to stop at any other off-strip attractions you are interested in. The M Resort is a few miles south of the airport and so is South Pointe Casino ... we LOVED visiting them for the first time in December!!!

Anyway, have fun. Extremely doable without a car in Vegas ... just use the monorail and other free transportation that some of the hotels have to get around.

We are going again in just a few weeks - staying at MGM, Bally's, and Monte Carlo with comped rooms. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[KKB]

Encore is far north strip; NYNY is a very average property & Signature is a trek to the strip.
MGM is OK, but Caesars is a far nicer property with a great central location, which is always preferable for a first trip. THIS BEING SAID...DO not take Classic or Roman Tower. These are the non-renovated towers, and sad & tired. Forum Tower or above are lovely rooms; we had no issues navigating after the first day. (I find the trek from MGM hotel to the strip ridiculously long..tho Caesar's isn't what I would call short!)

 

[mickeyluv]

So being we're first timer's to vegas is being close to the strip really important? My sister just got back a few weeks ago and she and her DH stayed at Bellagio and she said it was fantastic!! I'm just trying to stay somewhere nice and not so, so expensive (but not cheap if know what i mean) and be close to the strip. I'm looking at booking through SW vacations where they have the 2 nights free going on right now and with RT flights for 4 nights this is what is coming up:

Signature at MGM: $919.27
Encore: $1119.47
NY, NY: $835.49
Caesar's Palace: $947.11

Now the Bellagio is $1179.76 which is close in price to The Encore. I've read so many good reviews about the Encore and The Signature...just wanted to add that in.

 

[KKB]

I'm guessing it is a Classic room, which I really don't recommend.
The only reason to stay at the Signature is they have a kitchenette. But it is on the far east edge of MGM property--a 15+min. walk to the strip.
Encore is a bit nicer than Caesars but it is on the FAR north end of middle strip (I say that...there are casinos that are officially NORTH strip, but they are older, tired casinos...)One thing to consider...if you stay at a top end property for your first trip, it will be tough to ever stay cheaper!
Considering your choices, I'd go with Caesars, IF it is Forum Tower room or better.
Have you looked at Mirage or Paris? These are lovely midstrip properties that would probably be better priced. Mirage has a fabulous pool.

 

[mickeyluv]

Thanks for these replies!! I really appreciate all the advice and opinions!

 

[ktlm]

Of the ones on your list, I would say Caesar's for the location. You definitely want to be on the strip on your first visit to Vegas. Caesar's is centrally located in a good part of the strip. It is next door to the Bellagio, and across the street from the Paris, Bally's and Planet Hollywood. The good thing about being central on the strip (aside from a lot of fun places) is that you can get up one morning and head one direction and the next and head the other. I don't know about the rooms though as we haven't stayed there. We stayed at the Bellagio next door a couple of weeks ago and it was great. I would never stay at the NYNY again. We stayed there several years ago. Not only did they give us a handicapped room, but the floors were so dirty in our room that the first time I walked across them barefoot the bottoms of my feet were black. Plus, it didn't bother me as we weren't in the room much, but you can hear the roller coaster rumbling in a lot of the rooms. The MGM is fine, but it is huge. It takes forever to walk from one place to another. I also prefer to be more central on the strip. I don't know anything about Encore- I think that is at the Wynn isn't it? To me the Wynn is nice, but kind of dull. I prefer places that have a little more of the traditional Vegas flash.

 

[VAN]

I, personally, don't think staying mid-strip is that big of a deal. MGM is connected to the monorail that will take you north on the strip. If you get a 3-day pass you won't have any issues moving up the strip at will.

It really doesn't matter where you stay on the strip, you will WALK, and WALK, and WALK. Just to get from your room at Caesers to the sidewalk that fronts the property is a LONG way.

If you like the Bellagio location but wanted something less expensive, what about the Monte Carlo? They have a free monorail that connects you to the back of the Bellagio (mid-strip).

Lots of options that can easily put you in the middle of the strip without actually staying there.

 

[KKB]

We nearly always stay midstrip. We have stayed downtown (once), North (Sahara--our 1st 2 trips when we were young, broke & clueless), South (Mandalay Bay--still my FAV resort, but location turns me away). We have stayed at Excalibur, MGM, Monte Carlo, Paris, Ballys, Caesars, Flamingo, Mirage & TI. plus Golden Nugget DT. We will be at Wynn this time, ONLY because we got a deal on a room w/ rights to a March Madness viewing party (DH insisted).
The location we have stayed the most is Ballys--dead center on the strip (and typically comped or very cheap). This way I can wander north one day, south another. Personally I find Wynn-PH a far more interesting end of the strip--old school properties and high end. I like MGM, but not much else on that end.
The one time we took the monorail, we realized we could have walked MGM to Ballys as quickly, by the time we walked clear back to the monorail & waited for it to arrive. And it was free then--and we determined not worth it for us. Now it is rather pricey, IMO. Plus it is in bankruptcy...much talk of how long it will be open.
Is midstrip NECESSARY for a first trip? No, but it will make your sightseeing easier, and is advised by many who have traveled there often.
Again, looking at your choices:
Encore is by far the most luxurious
Caesars is almost as nice as long as it is Forum, Palace or Augustus Tower. (they beat Encore for best location of the 4)
Signature is a lovely property & it is nice to have a kitchenette. But it is on the south end of midstrip, and far east edge of MGM property...quite a trek to the strip)
NYNY isn't in the same category as your other choices. A very average property.
An interesting combination of properties you have narrowed to--what was your criteria?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Based on the hotels you have listed, I would not choose NY NY. It is "okay" but we stayed there the first time in December and I was not impressed based on other properties I have stayed.

I like MGM, but you mentioned you wanted to be mid-strip. You do have access to the monorail from there (extra $$), so that would be doable.

But they're across the street from each other! At least Signature at MGM is upgraded. Nah, based on the desire to be centrally-located, I'd recommend Caesar's Palace.

Encore is by far the most luxurious

And certainly the newest listed, but at least as far north of center Strip as Signature is east of the Strip

Honestly, not as fancy as the properties on the OP's list, but I'd recommend a room in the North Tower at Bally's.

 

[KKB]

Midstrip, huge rooms, great location. North tower has lovely rooms, South tower has fantastic strip views (BUT VERY dated furnishings)
But considering OP had Encore, Signature & Caessars listed, it looked like a higher end list (STILL not sure how NYNY made that list...)

 

[all4nyy]

So being we're first timer's to vegas is being close to the strip really important? My sister just got back a few weeks ago and she and her DH stayed at Bellagio and she said it was fantastic!! I'm just trying to stay somewhere nice and not so, so expensive (but not cheap if know what i mean) and be close to the strip. I'm looking at booking through SW vacations where they have the 2 nights free going on right now and with RT flights for 4 nights this is what is coming up:

Signature at MGM: $919.27
Encore: $1119.47
NY, NY: $835.49
Caesar's Palace: $947.11

Now the Bellagio is $1179.76 which is close in price to The Encore. I've read so many good reviews about the Encore and The Signature...just wanted to add that in.

I have not stayed at any of the hotels but NYNY is prob the oldest and the most south of all the hotels, I live NYNY to look around as I am orginally from NY and it reminds me of home. Signature at MGM I don't think is much more central then NYNY. Encore is a little more north then any of the others the lobby is beatiful and the land is very well kept. Caesar's is wonderful too and fairly central. I believe Bellagio is the most central of all them and personally is my fav to visit. They have wonderful lobby display.

Hope this helps

 

[kaytieeldr]

Overall, yes, NYNY in its entirety is the oldest of the four. Encore is the newest. Part of Caesar's are older than NYNY, parts are newer. Expect the older rooms to be the (relatively ) less expensive ones - still nice, certainly up-to-date, but older. Bellagio overall is newer than NYNY, with some parts being, again, newer than others. Older than Encore, alternating with Caesar's additions.

I'm sure I was in Las Vegas the day Mandalay Bay opened, the day Wynn opened, and the day Encore opened. And something outside downtown that starts with a "C"? I'm also sure I didn't go to any of them on those opening days