Vegas Baby, Vegas!
 

Ok, so my friend ad I are going to Las Vegas Dec 17th-19th to see another friend of mine who is visiting her mother over the holidays. I am very excited! I haven't seen her in almost 2 years.

For those who have been to Vegas, where should we stay? I looked on Vegas.com and expedia.com, and the rates were pretty reasonable for some of the nicer hotels. What are your top picks? Has anyone gone to clubs there? What re the best ones?

-Michelle

The Bellagio

http://www.bellagiolasvegas.com/imag...gate_photo.jpg

Cairo is good for clubs. For Hotels, try the paris.

My personal favorite hotel is the Venetian. I want to stay at the Manadalay Bay sometime, and one day I'll stay at the Bellagio. I have also stayed at Treasure Island - pretty good, Monte Carlo - OK, and at NY NY - didn't like so much. I don't really go to clubs when I'm there, so someone else will have to answer that.

Being a former resident of Sin City, you have plenty of choices of hotels. The dates you mentioned are usually a pretty quiet time in Vegas, since few conventions or major sporting events occur at this time. Some major Vegas shows may also be 'dark' (no performances) during this time as well.

If you choose a Strip hotel (the Strip is generally defined as Las Vegas Boulevard north of Russell Road to south of Sahara Avenue (from the Mandalay Bay to the Sahara hotel and casino). Stratosphere, while a breathtaking experience being the tallest structure in the western United States, is technically not considered a Strip hotel, and in fact the surrounding neighborhood is pretty seedy.

Downtown hotels on Fremont Street (Glitter Gulch) are more economical. Fremont Street is closed to vehicular traffic; a giant light show called The Fremont Street Experience is the big attraction.

There are some hotels off the Strip and downtown areas that attract the younger crowd: the Hard Rock, Rio, Palms and the Green Valley Ranch.

Mandalay Bay caters to the younger crowd, with its famous rumjungle club. Get there early... the lines can be long. Next door, the Luxor has RA. The MGM Grand has Studio 54 (a recreation of the (in)famous New York disco).

Off the strip, the Green Valley Ranch has the Whiskey Bar, the Palms has the Rain night club and the Rio has the Voodoo Lounge.
Other hotels cater more to the older tourist; those off the Strip tend to cater more to the locals.

Word of caution about the Strip: what appears to be a relatively short walk is actually about a mile or more between major intersections, especially on the southern end of the Strip. There is a monorail that travels between major Strip hotels, but this is temporarily closed. This is a town where you need a rental car or a taxicab to go anywhere beyond the immediate vicinity of your hotel. And, while Las Vegas may be a 24-hour town, the local gendarmes don't look kindly at DUIs.

hmmm..I've stayed at most of the hotels in Vegas and I would have to agree with AOIIBrandi that the Venetian is awesome, it can tend to be a little pricey though. We've stayed at the Aladdin, Paris, Monte Carlo, MGM and NY NY and those were all fine...I mean as long as you're in a decent hotel, it doesn't really matter where you stay! As for clubs, I love Light at the Bellagio and Ghost Bar at the Palms. A lot of the places are really "clubby" which isn't my favorite thing, so those places are good for me. Like AlphaSigOU said...beware of lines at most places, they can be hours if you don't plan your night right or have a connection to get in. Have a great time!!!

I'll be there, and we're staying at the Orleans...cheap room, $20 a night, I think. It's not on the strip per se, but since the guys plan to play poker the entire time, it doesn't really matter.

What I'd like to know is what shows and shopping is worth it in Vegas?

OL-
Waaaaaait. Are you going to be there the 17th-19th? If so, well, see the pm I sent you. Good times will roll.

My friends and I are leaning toward Mandalay Bay. The Belagio is too pricey for us!
-Michelle

I've been to lots of conventions/conferences in Vegas, and have stayed at:

The Venetian
Caesar's Palace
Harrah's (yuck!)
Mandalay Bay
Rio

When I went for a long weekend and I had to pay, I went back to The Venetian. Best location, best rooms, best everything!!!

I would not go back to Mandalay Bay -- too remote (end of the strip), the shopping is not great, the rooms are so-so by comparison. The soap, shampoo and conditioner were the best, though. ;)

You would have a great time if you stayed at a dive. Mandalay Bay may not be the Bellagio, but its no dive. Its a nice hotel, and you'll enjoy it there. You do have to see the water show in front of the Bellagio (its free,) and its wicked cool.

Another choice is staying in the downtown (Fremont Street) area. It's the "original" Las Vegas and they've upgraded many of the hotels. The Golden Nugget is a 4-star hotel, but doesn't cost as much because it's not on the Strip.

All the aforementioned hotels are beautiful, but if I have a choice between spending money on a hotel or gambling, I choose gambling!

:)

I like the bellagio but i also like Mandalay Bay.

I usually go twice a year and most of the time stay at the Luxor. I've also stayed at the Mirage and Paris - both were very nice as well. I guess I'm just used to the Luxor. DO NOT miss the fountains at Bellagio - it's incredible!! Be sure to go and take a look at the Venetian as it's very posh! Watch the singing gondoliers there too.

If you're not feeling the Bellagio (which would be my choice), the venetian is prob out of the range too. If you plan on gambling, though, call and see if you can get a "table rate" - we have been quoted in the 99-129 range, but it requires 4 hours of play a day (we're playing raked poker games), def worth looking into.

The best package deals happen at the Luxor and Circus Circus, that we've seen lately - however, CC is pretty beat up. Mandalay has a good selection of gaming and shows, and a solid shuttle to the strip - that might be the best choice (it's where we're probably going to be staying in Jan and in May/June), but it's a long stumble.

Also - around 50% of the attractive women at the Bellagio (and related clubs) are hookers . . . tough lesson to learn, hahahaha

This thread brings back memories...I haven't been to Vegas in quite a few years. The Bellagio and Venetian are ridiculous, both in price and comfort. If you can afford it, I'd go for either of those.

The last time I went I stayed at the Rio and it was a lot of fun. I also have an uncle who lives just off the strip though, so I've stayed there at times.

Vegas is definitely a lot of fun, and I haven't even gone as a 21 year old yet. The last two times I went I was underage and still had a great time.