Las Vegas Hotels
 

This weekend was Delta Sigma Phi's Regional Leadership Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This weekend I cruised the strip and went into the following hotels:

New York, New York
Excalibur
Mandalay Bay
Luxor
MGM Grand
Venetian
Bellagio
Tropicana
Circus Circus
Paris, Las Vegas

The Venetian is easily my new favorite hotel. If you've ever been there, you know what I mean. My other favorite is New York. New York.

So, I was wondering, what are your favorite Vegas Hotels?

In no particular order:

Bellagio
Caesars
The Mirage (penthouse suite is amazing)
New York, New York

I only made it to those four. Didn't have enough time to wander around.

My favorite hotels:
1. Venetian (I loved that my "standard" room was a suite. I also love their coffee shop: the menu is exactly like the Cheesecake Factory and the "V" bar)
2. Paris (standard rooms, but the best bathrooms of any standard room on the Strip. Also, I gotta love the pastry shop and their coffe shop (real sirlon hand ground burgers)
3. Bellagio (I wasn't impressed with their standard rooms, but OMG their keyed floor suites are amazing. And the Sunday brunch: to die for. I also bought a Tiffany necklace there)

Other hotels I appreciate (I've stayed in them)
-New York, New York
-MGM Grand
-Treasure Island
-Monte Carlo (the poor man's Venetian)
-Las Vegas Hilton (okay, can we say "Star Trek Experience")

Hotels I've stayed in but didn't like
-Excalibur (not even an iron and board in the room)
-Ballys (best thing is that it's in the middle of the Strip)

And finally, where I'd LIKE to stay:
-Bellagio suites (only visited and got dressed there for a wedding)
-Mandalay Bay
-Caesars (if the rebuild is finished)

For the record, I did go to that hotel where Real World was taped and we tried to get into RAIN: okay, like a two hour wait and $20 dollars to boot. We did see the wrestler formerly known as China, and the casino did have $1.00 chip roulette at night (amazing), but it's off the Strip so we had to take a cab and I lost my $200 camera (with the only photos from my friend's baby shower I hosted still in the camera), so I have bad memories of the joint.

I've never been out of the airport. :(

I have only staied at The Rio but oh boy was it fun! It's off the strip so there isn't so much random traffic down on the casino floor bc anyone who is there wants to be there as opposed to the hotels on the strip. The free daily show is fun and I just LOVE eating at one of the restaurants there...The VooDoo...yippies! All the rooms there are suites and our room had a fabulous couch...I could have slept there if I wasn't taken to bed every night! The window in the shower was fun to look out of and watch TV in the morning.

Others I really liked when I visited were
MGM Grand (very family oriented I was told)
NY NY (tho a little too much noise for me)
Bellagio

Shopping at Caesar's and Aladdin was real fun. I had my first cheesecake factory experience at Cesar's and it was FABULOUS!!

I stayed at the Paris in 2001 for a week- VERY VERY NICE!!! I also liked the Venetian, however it was not complete. New York New York was neat, but my friend stayed there and the rooms are terrible. I loved the pyramid one and the MGM they were awesome. Over all I liked MGM and Paris best. I can't even remember all of them that we saw now. Treasure Island is trashy!

I'm going to Vegas for Christmas this year, so this feedback is VERY valuable!! :D I want to stay in either Bellagio or Paris, and right now, Paris is in the lead rate wise and review wise. But I looooooooooove a good Sunday brunch. Guess we'll have to walk across the street! LOL

I loved the Luxor....VERY unique! I also like that the Venetian's rooms are all suites. I cannot wait to go back!!!

Having been a former resident of Las Vegas, and also having my younger brother living and working there (he's dayshift 'boxman' (dice table supervisor) at the Palace Station hotel off the Strip) I tend to recommend accomodations off the Strip. They're usually less crowded, sometimes have lower table limits and are not overrun with tourists.

Rio - off the Strip but a very nice place.
The Palms - haven't been inside yet, but I'm told it's on par with or a little better than the Rio.
Gold Coast - mostly a locals joint.
Palace Station - caters mostly to locals, but gets a lot of traffic from interstate travel.
The Orleans - New Orleans-themed locals joint.

Way off the beaten path:

Texas Station - About as faux-Texan as Las Vegas can present, caters to locals
Fiesta - Another locals joint, Mexican themed.
Santa Fe Station - last major casino on US 95 before heading to the desert and the Nevada Test Site. Caters to locals, but also has a nice ice skating rink.
Sundance - Way out in the western foothills of Summerlin, caters to more upscale locals.
Sunset Station - caters to the local yuppies living in Green Valley.
Boulder Station - eastside locals joint.

BTW, in case you're wondering, I make it a rule never to play table games where my brother's working. There's no rule against it but you have to be discreet. Keeps the game honest.

I heard the Rio has an awesome seafood buffet, but I've never been to the casino. The Palms was were I lost my camera :( and I think I've been to the Gold Coast (or was it the Barbary Coast off of Fremont Street?) I agree that when I gamble (which is rare) I tend to go to the smaller casinos off the Strip: odds seem to be better and the table requirements are more reasonable).

The Rio is awesome. My great uncle got us a really good deal there, and since all the rooms are suites, we were set up pretty well. The pool area is great, although last time I went I got really burnt and couldn't go out in the sun for a couple of days.

I've walked through many of the other hotels in the area at least once, and have to say that the Venetian and the Bellagio are the most impressive.

The Rio was the best I've stayed at though - as was said, it's off the strip, but the buffet, casino, and pool area are all awesome and well worth it.

Collin

We also stayed in Henderson, where the convention was actually at, wow, talk about Darwin's waiting pool. When I saw all the confederate flags on all the trucks and no one under 45 at our hotel (Railroad Pass) I knew something wasn't wasn't right.

BTW, passing through Jean Sabresprings and Prumpp, I wondered who would stay at those places when Las Vegas isn't but at the most 30 minutes away. The hotels looked nice, but I wondered who would rather go there.

both times i've been to vegas i stayed at the venetian and loved it..the rooms and the hotel itself are beautiful...the fact that all the rooms are all suites is a huge bonus..i'd love to stay at the hard rock the next time i go tho because its my favorite place to gamble :)

I LOVE Vegas!!! My girls and I try to go at least once a year. I've stayed at:

*Harrah's
*Aladdin
*Excalibur
*Tropicana

Out of all of those, Aladdin was the nicest. Plus, you have the Desert Passage Shops in the hotel. I heard they built two new clubs there too. We never really care about the room because the only time we spent in there was to get ready and to sleep. As long as the room wasn't decrepid or infested, it was fine with us!

If you want to get inexpensive drinks before you head out, I suggest going to either the 99 cent margarita bar at the Boardwalk (on the strip) or go to O'Shea's (I think) by Imperial Palace. Drinks in clubs can be as much as $12, so getting a little buzz cheap befpre you head out is well worth it!

Bellagio - for "O" and the fountains
Venetian - for the general setup
Rio - for the buffet
Mandalay Bay - for pools and the House of Blues

I would really like to see the new Aladdin, though.

Caesars for the shopping and the pool.

MGM for the guys and 54.

Bellagio for the fountains.