Vegas hotel suggestions?

[billreeves]

So I'm going to Vegas in June. I need a new place to stay -- I used to stay at Bally's until they changed their blackjack rules -- when I was there in May last year, they were paying 6 to 5 on blackjacks instead of 3 to 2. So all Park Place properties are out, unless they changed their blackjack rules back, anyone been there more recently?

Suggestions for hotels please. Requirements: on the Strip, with a pool. Cost is not too much of an object but I don't want something too damn expensive like the Bellagio. The following places are not eligible due to being Park Place properties and having bad rules for blackjack: Bally's, Paris, Caesar's Palace, Flamingo Hilton, LV Hilton.

I'm strongly considering the following so if you have stayed at these places and can comment, please let me know what you think:
Mirage
Treasure Island
Venetian
Aladdin

I'm vaguely considering these as well:
Rio or Hard Rock, not on the Strip but they are OK
Mandalay Bay
Luxor
New York New York
Golden Nugget, if I have to pick somewhere downtown

I've stayed at the Tropicana and Monte Carlo before, and they didn't really do it for me. Although the Tropicana has a nice pool.

Suggestions? Discuss please.

[jamison]

I've stayed at the Luxor. It's nice. It's about a 6.5 on a 1 to 10. The Venetian and Mirage would rate above it, but it has a good mix of inexpensive rooms, interesting themes and cool stuff. It's right next to Mandalay Bay which has very good restaurants, and it is- thankfully- not as cheesy as Excalibur. It is at one end of the strip though, so you'll have to walk all the way down and back to visit other stuff. I didn't mind it, but some people hate walking. I wouldn't stay at Hard Rock unless I was 22 and looking to meet other 18-22 year olds. Everyone there seemed to have been in the cast of "Real World" at one point.

Aladdin seemed nice, but I didn't go in the rooms. Nice shops, not too revolting on the decor. I would consider it. Paris seemed good to, but do you really want to have anything to do with France right about now? Probably not.

Venetian is the place to stay if you get a good deal on the room. Bellaggio is also great, but more of a "romance your date" hotel. If you are already married or something, maybe you needn't bother.

Treasure Island seemed like a family hotel (but, maybe you have a family, I don't). I would take my kids there if I had them, but I would otherwise avoid it. Sort of two steps closer to Yuppie than Excalibur on the redneck scale, but not close enough to be worth it for me, but that's me.

They were building a Chinese "red dragon" themed hotel last time I was there. I wonder if it is up yet. Would you get fortune cookies on your pillow?

[billreeves]

That's a good point on Treasure Island. I avoid Excalibur and Circus Circus because they cater to families, so I'll cross TI off the list for the same reason. I like the pirate show, but don't feel the need to stay at the hotel.

[FearM9]

What about the Palms..the new hotel that is owned by the same brothers that own the Sacramento Kings?

[billreeves]

Hmm. I haven't been to the Palms. It's off the Strip, west of the freeway, so that puts it in the same category as the Rio. I'll have to investigate further.

[Levante]

I think it all depends who you're going with......

Buddies.......no need to impress anyone.......just looking to gamble, go to the pool, have a good time at some clubs....

Stay at the Tropicana again.


Lady friend.......looking to impress........get some...............

there's only one place my friend..
The Mandalay Bay.

[amerifolklegend]

Originally posted by billreeves
... avoid Excalibur and Circus Circus ...

This cannot be stressed enough.

[billreeves]

Originally posted by Levante
Lady friend.......looking to impress........get some...............

there's only one place my friend..
The Mandalay Bay.

There is, in fact, a lady friend involved. I'll have to investigate Mandalay Bay further. :D

[Levante]

Originally posted by billreeves
There is, in fact, a lady friend involved. I'll have to investigate Mandalay Bay further. :D

Great.....let us know when you decide.

[352klr]

One of my friends and his girlfriend stayed at The Venetian last month for a few nights as well as Paris. Said the Venetian was the nicest and that a nicely sized room was $149/night.

[Keevo]

Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=250KJRO3KQ&isbn=0743225708&itm=1)

Not a hotel suggestion, but for anyone who has been to, is going, or someday hopes to go to Vegas this book is a MUST read. I mentioned it in the "What are you Reading" thread a few months back...it is incredible. Its a true story, and very exciting. Grab it for the plane ride. You will love it, I promise.

[ulmo]

Luxor - Pretty nice. Not great, but has a cool theme and decor. Good quality for a relatively lower price.

Mandalay Bay - Also nice. Best pool area in Vegas hands down. Also has some great restaurants and clubs, is a very fun place.

Alladin - A friend of mine paid an extra seventy five dollars a night to upgrade to a small suite. It was amazing. It overlooked the strip and the Bellagio fountains. One night we had a small room party there and the fountains set a great mood. A warning, however, they said the service was poor.

Bellagio - Check out the prices on Expedia.com. If you are going during the week or on relatively slow weeks for Vegas you might be surprised how cheap it is. I regularly find rates there $200-$300 cheaper than the Venetian over three nights.

MGM Grand - It's huge, but the rooms are nice and it has a really cool pool.

Mirage - Probably my favorite. Great combination of awesome pool, laid back atmosphere, and exceptional quality of service and rooms.

Circus Circus, Excalibur - two places I refuse to step foot into anymore.

[Excape Goat]

Rio or Hard Rock, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, New York New York and Golden Nugget, and Aladdin are out of the way.

To me, you have to be in the middle of action in Las Vegas. The happening place is the section around Ceasar Palace, Tressure Island, Mirage, Bellagio and Venetican.

Of course, I spent more time in Crazy Horse II than in my room.

[gildarkevin]

I've stayed at Rio and New York, New York.

Rio is a nice joint, with that great bar on the roof. It's casino is nice, as are the rooms. But it's just so far from everything else that you better be willing to spend your time there.

New York, New York is kind of the opposite. The room was better than I thought it would be, but I'm no fan of the casino space, which I think is a little dank. But it's in the heart of everything, easy walking distance to virtually anywhere on that end of the strip. Plus, for a quickie meal late at night or in the middle of a gambling session, their food court is actually quite good. They don't have the one great restaurant that other hotels might, but you can get fresh Krispy Kremes first thing in the morning, which has got to count for something, right? It's also usually very affordable.

I'm staying at Paris next weekend for the first round of the NCAA tournament, so I'll be able to report back on that.

[chibchab]

I've stayed at the Bellagio and it was really a great experience. I couldn't believe they made you pay to use the gym though!

[CrewDust]

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Entertainment/reuters20030322_165.html


Damn, I wish I won that.

[Nate505]

Originally posted by CrewDust
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Entertainment/reuters20030322_165.html


Damn, I wish I won that.

Me too, although he won it at Excalibur, which seems to be blacklisted around here......would anyone clue me in as to why? :D

[jamison]

Originally posted by Nate505
Me too, although he won it at Excalibur, which seems to be blacklisted around here......would anyone clue me in as to why? :D


1. It's a family oriented hotel, which means less fun for the sinners among us.

2. It's theme- castles of the middle ages- is a little whack. Anyone really want to go back to no indoor plumbing and 13th century English food?

3. On the cheez scale, it's rates the rarely seen quadruple government issued hunk o' velveeta. It's just scary. As a point of comparison, the fake rock wall bar that Ray Liotta's wife had "put in special" in the 70s era in Goodfellas only got a double velveeta for cheesiness. Every outfit in the movie Casino, 2.5 velveetas. The pinnacle, the quintuple velveeta, has never been seen. The Liberace museum is close, though.

[billreeves]

Originally posted by Nate505
Me too, although he won it at Excalibur, which seems to be blacklisted around here......would anyone clue me in as to why? :D

He won the Megabucks, right? That is a group of linked machines at casinos throughout Nevada -- mostly in Vegas but I think there are a few in Reno. The jackpot could have been won at any of the casinos which have a Megabucks machine. So don't take this as an endorsement that the big bucks are there to be won at Excalibur.

I avoid Excalibur because it caters to families, meaning that while you're standing there playing craps and swigging your beer, you may get a six-year-old running over the back of your legs with his cute little wheely suitcase. The food is horrible -- do not eat at their buffet! I did eat at the WCW restaurant there a few years ago (it's closed now) -- the Hogan-burger was actually pretty good.

[ulmo]

Originally posted by Nate505
Me too, although he won it at Excalibur, which seems to be blacklisted around here......would anyone clue me in as to why? :D
I didn't like it mostly because it was older, dirtier, and there were tons of kids. Also with all the fake heraldric banners and stuff I always felt claustrophobic. It just wasn't a place I could relax and enjoy the gambling.

That said its one redeeming factor is the Krispy Kreme. It is one of the big ones with the donught making machine right there. And glazed Krispy Kreme hot off the machine are divine things.