Vegas Resorts?

My hubby and I are planning a short trip to Vegas before he starts his M3 year. I'm trying to make reservations, but there are so many options!!! Any favorite resorts? Places to avoid?

[DCJenn]

We got a great deal at the MGM Grand a few years back. It was nice, the restuarants attached to the MGM are great and we thought it was pretty well near all of the other places we wanted to go.

If I could stay anywhere, it would be the Bellagio. That place is gorgeous. Co-worker's of my husband's got married there this past fall.

Jenn

I agree - the Bellagio is beautiful if money is not a factor. But it is a very upscale place and where many celebrities go when they do Vegas. We were walking past it when my son had to go to the bathroom. We thought we'd check it out at the same time but they don't let you in unless you have reservations to stay there. Luckily the bellhop pitied my son and let us run in to go to the bathrooom. It is beautiful inside.

You can really shop around for prices (maybe at Expedia.com) because Vegas Hotels can be very cheap. We stayed at the Tropicana for $39/night for a room with two queens. They want you to come and spend your money gambling so they make accommodations really cheap.

Good luck and have fun!

The one time I've been to Vegas, I stayed at Circus Circus. It was part of a really inexpensive package and is in the middle of the Las Vegas strip (the original). It is one of the oldest hotels there. It's a family oriented place and wasn't anything special, but was fine for a place to sleep and was a good location.

Although I didn't stay there, I thought the Mirage was nice. The Bellagio is definitely up scale if you're looking for that. The Rio is really nice also although it's not on the main strip. My parents stayed at the MGM and got lost getting back to their room. haha. It's huge!

Have fun! And let us know what you decide!
Sharon

I've stayed at the MGM Grand (very nice), Harrah's (also very nice and inexpensive too), and Mike stayed at the Stratosphere for a conference, which he said was just so-so. Mandalay Bay has the best pool, if that's a factor, and I've also heard good things about Paris, Rio and Mirage/Treasure Island. The indoor mall at the Aladdin is almost as cool as the one at Caesar's, and if you go to the Mexican restaurant in the Venetian, you can sit on the patio and overlook the gondolas--not terribly expensive and really good food. If I were going back I'd probably stay at New York New York or the Aladdin. But the Bellagio or Venetian would be my first choice if I could get a good rate. (I had breakfast at the Bellagio by myself one morning and they put me at a table overlooking the greenhouse garden, which was a highlight of the trip!)

For some good info, check out http://www.cheapovegas.com. They have some comments on each hotel and tell you what the restaurants, gaming tables, pool is like in each. I'd second the advice to try expedia.com, hotels.com or travelocity.com. They can sometimes get you GREAT rates on cool places, especially if you go mid-week.

Thanks for the advice! I loved the cheapovegas site! It was informative and entertaining.

Based on the web deals I've found we've narrowed it to MGM, Monte-Carlo, New York, New York, or Aladdin. Our plan is to make the decision and book the deal during a scheduled study break tonight (oh, that darn boards study schedule ! ). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the cheap fares don't sell out!

Thanks,
Tonya

[twinsmom]

Tonya -
How fun to get a trip to Vegas!! Those hotels sound great. We went there last year and got an ultra cheap price at the palace station - and found out why it was ultra cheap . The place itself wasn't that bad, it was just off the strip, so going anywhere meant having to get in the car, fight traffic, and then find parking and walk extra to get anywhere - kind of a pain since I was 5 1/2 months pregnant with our twins 8O . It was tons of fun, though - it is a great place to get away from the whole grind of med school!
Let us know how everything goes.

Jen

p.s. tiredandpoor - I saw that your location said Salt Lake City - is your spouse going to the U? If so, I have a ton of questions for you - we would love to go there for residency.

Jen, feel free to ask anything you'd like! I was actually going to get a residency review together sometime this week but in the meantime feel free to pm or email and I'd love to fill you in.

Thu Van