BEST Vegas hotel on the strip?

[Nicrez]

Date: 3/24/2008 8:07:28 PM
Author: VegasAngel
OK, I know this is OT but I cannot help myself. I was just looking at our Las Vegas Review Journal Annual best Of Las Vegas 2008 (Only locals vote) We have some of the best restaurants around & Red Lobster was voted best seafood restaurant? Outback best steakhouse? Olive Garden best Italian? pathetic!

Just in case anyone wants to look at the full list food, entertainment, shopping best of worst etc. http://www.lvrj.com/bestoflv

Wow, that is not really saying much for all the fine dining and haute cuisine of Las Vegas, now is it?!

Thank god I can go to Vegas for a Red Lobster, Outback or Olive Garden!

I think the people who vote generally tend to be the people who only seem to know those types of restaurants and like them because they are familiar and always offer the same items on the menu. It takes an adventurous person to try a non-chain for dinner (spend a lot of money on it) and put your taste-buds in the hands of the chef''s vision with his unique blends of usually varied dishes and exotic mixtures of rare veggies/meats and spices.

OR maybe the owners of those chains were the ones posting???

Any other fabulous recommendations besides the usual suspects?

 

[Harriet]

I second the Four Seasons. For Vegas, it''s tranquil. And, you have access to Mandalay Bay should you want to party.

As for food, we were happy with Fleur de Lys and Okada. Bouchon was a huge disappointment. If we had had more time, Bartolotta would have been on our list.

 

[scarleta]

Bellagio is great, so is Mandalay Bay,Venetian.Don''t forget that you get 10% of at Bellagio( and Wynn also) with your AAA card.Its worth to get the card just for that..

 

[Nicrez]

Date: 3/25/2008 1:50:09 PM
Author: Harriet
I second the Four Seasons. For Vegas, it''s tranquil. And, you have access to Mandalay Bay should you want to party.

As for food, we were happy with Fleur de Lys and Okada. Bouchon was a huge disappointment. If we had had more time, Bartolotta would have been on our list.

Good recommendations Harriet! Any input on shows??? I saw "O" and it was great. Is anything else just a let down? No I will not see Celine. No.

 

[Nicrez]

Date: 3/25/2008 2:38:25 PM
Author: scarleta
Bellagio is great, so is Mandalay Bay,Venetian.Don''t forget that you get 10% of at Bellagio( and Wynn also) with your AAA card.Its worth to get the card just for that..

Oh my what a genius move! Is this 10% off any type of room? Nice. I have an AAA card for the card I no longer have. I was beginning to wonder why I still paid for the damned thing, I just never figured it out until now. Nice!

Thanks Scarleta... what else can I do with this card?

 

[orbaya]

There are many gorgeous hotels in Vegas, but in order to answer your question you need to decide what''s important to you. Good pool, good shopping, etc. What might be the perfect hotel for me and my needs might be something you''d never consider.

 

[CrookedRock]

I should have chimed in earlier to this having lived in Vegas (in a casino) for a year. Last time I was there we stayed at the Four Seasons and I thought the rooms were just OK. I like that it's connected to Mandalay though.... Espicially bc one of my fav places to have a drink is the Foundation Room at the top bc it has the best view in town! I would stay at the Wynn if I had a choice though. The rooms are fabulous and the pool is great, espicially the one in the back

LOL!

 

[orbaya]

As far as shows go, I HIGHLY recommend "Mystere" at TI. I''ve seen 3 Cirque shows and that is my favorite...even over "O". For these shows, you need to book as soon as they go on sale, because they sell out quickly. Whatever you do, do NOT wait until you get to Vegas to book show tickets. Get them beforehand. A lot of people make that mistake and then can''t see what they want, or get really bad seats. They do have 1/2 price ticket booths, but you''re still not guaranteed anything, and most of the time the big shows aren''t there. They''re often 2nd or 3rd tier shows. There are also lines that you can stand in, in hopes to get tickets at the theater in case there are no-shows. A lot of people stand there for a long time only to not get tickets.

 

[CrookedRock]

Ok... I can''t stop!

Fav Restaurants:

Stack at the Mirage (love the tuna app "Scott''s Screamers" and the hot rock kobe beef app and the bone in filet!)
Simon at Hard Rock (must try the mac and cheese!)
Ni9e at the Palms - good place to see celebs.
Aureole at Mandalay... quite sophisticated. Had to have much of the menu translated, but I am sure you will be fine!

 

[Nicrez]

Date: 3/25/2008 3:16:33 PM
Author: orbaya
There are many gorgeous hotels in Vegas, but in order to answer your question you need to decide what''s important to you. Good pool, good shopping, etc. What might be the perfect hotel for me and my needs might be something you''d never consider.

True...

Shopping not essential. Honestly, Vegas is not the first place I go to shop, but it''s a perk if all else fails. Main thing is to have a nice hotel pleasing to the eye, nothing too shiny and multicolored in a over the top Ivana Trump sort of way...(sorry to the Ivana fans)

The room should be the nicest. I am trying to get a nice room without going Presidential Suite, but it looks like most places really do reserve their nicest for the Above $700/nt rooms. We wanted to have some fun, so staying on the strip was key. The restaurants were to taste the cuisine of Las Vegas, as we will more than likely be munching on barbeque and home cooking when we depart for Grand Canyon. The trek will be rustic, we are aware of that, and as such wanted a completely NON-RUSTIC leg to the trip in Vegas, where if anyone knew pampering it would be there... So good sleeping, good eating, and a general calm and relaxation is what we want.

No kids, so it''s all adults, and bars and alcoholic beverages are on the menu. Staying in the whole adults mostly theme, the restaurants should reflect the same. I assume Mystere is also like "O", where I didn''t see any kids. As much as I adore kids, I just feel this trip particularly should be more adult...

You guys have been sooo helpful THANKS!!!!

 

[julabean]

I''ll second, third, or forth the Bellagio. As my fiance put it, it''s the first hotel we''ve stayed at in Vegas that we didn''t want to leave to go anywhere else! The service is fantastic. The refurbished rooms at the Paris are also quite nice - more than I expected for what we paid.

As for good restaurants, we love:
Bouchon at the Venetian
Canaletto at the Venetian
Pearl at MGM

 

[iheartscience]

If you like seafood, I liked the R Bar at Mandalay-the oysters were really good! (It''s the more casual version of another restaurant, and I know that one''s good, too.) Also, if you do go to Mandalay, get a drink at the bar on top of THE Hotel at Mandalay-it has great views.

The short ribs at Daniel Boulud at the Wynn were to die for. Plus if you can get a seat outside by the lake or with a view of the lake you can see the ridiculous little shows they have-a giant frog pops up and sings a song and stuff like that. It''s pretty hilarious because the lake is very pretty and almost natural looking, and then all this giant cheesy stuff pops up, like a frog and a dragon.

 

[scarleta]

Nicerez as to " what else can I do with this card"
I am learning as I go, but you can always ask if discount is given for AAA membership card? Please do let us know if you find out more benefits its gives. Car rentals, car insurance just check out and don''t forget to mention the card at the time you book the room in Vegas.
Yes its 10% of any room so its like you don''t pay taxes..

 

[Daydreamer7130]

I stayed at the Excalibur and it was nice. I have to admit that their steakhouse had the BEST surf and turf that I have ever had. I am not a big red meat eater also. I cannot wait to go back to Vegas this Dec. just to get another steak!

 

[orbaya]

Date: 3/25/2008 4:05:13 PM
Author: Nicrez

Date: 3/25/2008 3:16:33 PM
Author: orbaya
There are many gorgeous hotels in Vegas, but in order to answer your question you need to decide what''s important to you. Good pool, good shopping, etc. What might be the perfect hotel for me and my needs might be something you''d never consider.

True...

Shopping not essential. Honestly, Vegas is not the first place I go to shop, but it''s a perk if all else fails. Main thing is to have a nice hotel pleasing to the eye, nothing too shiny and multicolored in a over the top Ivana Trump sort of way...(sorry to the Ivana fans)

The room should be the nicest. I am trying to get a nice room without going Presidential Suite, but it looks like most places really do reserve their nicest for the Above $700/nt rooms. We wanted to have some fun, so staying on the strip was key. The restaurants were to taste the cuisine of Las Vegas, as we will more than likely be munching on barbeque and home cooking when we depart for Grand Canyon. The trek will be rustic, we are aware of that, and as such wanted a completely NON-RUSTIC leg to the trip in Vegas, where if anyone knew pampering it would be there... So good sleeping, good eating, and a general calm and relaxation is what we want.

No kids, so it''s all adults, and bars and alcoholic beverages are on the menu. Staying in the whole adults mostly theme, the restaurants should reflect the same. I assume Mystere is also like ''O'', where I didn''t see any kids. As much as I adore kids, I just feel this trip particularly should be more adult...

You guys have been sooo helpful THANKS!!!!

In this case I agree with the Bellagio. It''s gorgeous, and for the most part it''s pretty neutral in decorations. If you choose the Bellagio, you need to request a fountain view. It''s in an excellent location on the Strip. If you like steak, the BEST steakhouse in Vegas is ''Prime'' in the Bellagio...it''s not cheap, but damn it''s good! When you make your reservations tell them you want to out on the patio after dinner. It faces the lake and you can have a few drinks (if you want) and have the best view of the fountains. Gorgeous.

Mystere is a cirque show like ''O'', but I really preferred Mystere. If you go to a show, don''t sit down front. There''s stuff that happens on the ceiling and you''ll miss it or have crane your neck. If you sit farther back, you''ll get to see all of the stage and the acrobats above. Get to any Cirque show at least half an hour early so you can see the preshow. There might be a few kids at a Cirque show, but I''ve never been bothered by them.

 

[chiefneil]

I visit Vegas pretty regularly and have managed to stay in most of the hotels. When I have a choice, I usually stay either at THE Hotel in Mandalay, or the Venetian. I spent a few nights at the Bellagio when it first opened and was underwhelmed with the room. I have some friends who really love it though, so maybe the rooms have been improved. These friends did warn me to get a pool view room if I stay at the Bellagio this year (going to Vegas next month) as there''s a lot of construction and the pool view rooms are the most insulated from construction commotion.

I have other friends who really love the Signature at MGM. The only problem with the Signature for me is the rest of the MGM which is not really my style. Although one of my favorite restaurants in the entire world is there - L''Atelier de Joel Robuchon.

THE Hotel has great rooms, but there are a few on the lower floor that are terrible. They basically have a view of a wall and thus don''t get any sunlight (very important to me in a hotel room!) - those are the 4th floor rooms, I think. Be sure to request a high floor if you decide to stay there. Last time I was there the service was sub-par, so I''m giving THE Hotel a break in the rotation.

I like the standard rooms at the Venetian as they''re all mini-suites and very roomy (the rooms in THE hotel are 1-bedroom suites). But they''re getting tired and to my eyes are just about due for renovation. Just going by the rooms only, THE Hotel has nicer rooms and decor than the Venetian standard rooms. But to reveal my snobbish side again, one of the "cons" of the THE Hotel is that the main facilities like casino and restaurants are in the Mandalay, and I prefer the crowd/ambiance/casino of the Venetian, so it''s a tradeoff. On my last visit to the Venetian I somehow ended up in a gigantic 2500 sq ft suite that was stunning (multiple rooms, 20 ft tall windows!). Not sure how much they charge for those! Interestingly, while the standard linens are quite nice, the linens in the upgraded suite were noticeably nicer (I''m rather picky about bed linens).

For my trip next month I''ve decided to try out the Palazzo. It was a toss-up for me between the Signature, Palazzo, and the Wynn, none of which I''ve tried yet.

BTW, I believe there''s one nice hotel right in the Grand Canyon park. I forget the name, but I had breakfast there a couple years ago, so you don''t need to stay in a flea bag hotel there! I think I''ve heard that it books up many months in advance, though.

 

[Po10472]

My one and only time in Vegas was 12 years ago and there was a rodeo convention on and ALL the rooms were taken so we ended up spending 1 night at the Excaliber (classy) and then 3 nights at the Luxor. The Luxor was fabulous however we found that it was really far from everything.

DH has never been and we hope to go in the next year or so, so this is a good thread to find out what people recommend.

 

[chiefneil]

I remembered the name of the top Grand Canyon hotel - El Tovar.

El Tovar

 

[VegasAngel]

Date: 3/25/2008 8:54:33 PM
Author: scarleta
Nicerez as to '' what else can I do with this card''
I am learning as I go, but you can always ask if discount is given for AAA membership card? Please do let us know if you find out more benefits its gives. Car rentals, car insurance just check out and don''t forget to mention the card at the time you book the room in Vegas.
Yes its 10% of any room so its like you don''t pay taxes..

Yes, a lot of the hotels (Companies in general) give discounts for AAA, AARP & you can also try asking for a friends & family rate