Travel Blog

Whether it is your first time or you are a seasoned visitor to Las Vegas, check out these tips. Las Vegas tips for first timers  was put together through a combination of online searches as well as personal experience. The tips have been sorted gamblers, vacation only and business people. Most will find that there is something for everyone in each of the categories. Above all have fun when you visit Las Vegas. Control your gambling and the amount of alcohol you consume to ensure that you have a wonderful time while in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Tips for First Timers

There will also be some tips that are captured under several headings. They have slightly different meanings for each category.

Tips for Gamblers

• Take gambling lessons – learn the basics of playing and understand the odds of winning. Spend some time reading up on the best games to play. The casinos are there to entertain you and most of all make money
• Manage alcohol consumption – free drinks are part of the package while playing, however too many can cloud your judgement and ability to decide when to stop
• Downtown Las Vegas – has better odds according to the roomers. There is also unique entertainment and less expensive rooms on average
• Sign up for players clubs – whether you play the slots or the tables, always obtain a free player club membership. They track your play. The casinos award comps based on your play and can be worth hundreds of dollars
• Rewards programs – they include free rooms, discounted rooms, free meals etc. Take advantage of these benefits to enhance your stay and reduce your overall costs.
• Off-Strip hotels – they tend to be more competitive and perhaps a little quieter. Many offer shuttles to the strip
• Maximize your comp’s – depending on your play talk to a slot host to understand what is available to you. Often they will offer a little more to get you to stay at their casino.
• Gamble were you like to stay – If you enjoy a particular hotel, obtain a players card and play at the hotels casino. You may be offered free rooms in the future. Or perhaps free meals or a show while you are there.
• Cash in when ahead – always walk away with cash when you are ahead. Over the long run casinos are betting you will lose all of your cash. The odds are in their favor.
• Tipping – always tip the server. Good tips will ensure repeated service whenever you need your drink freshened up.
• Restaurant reservations – ask your host to book a reservation and also obtain a line pass to avoid long lines at the buffet

Las Vegas Tips for First Timers & Consumers on Vacation

• Plan your attack – there is lots to see in Las Vegas. Prepare a plan to ensure that you get to see the items high on your list
• Bring walking shoes – even just walking in the hotel and casino involves lots of walking. These are big places. It is easy to put in 10000 steps just walking along the strip.
• If possible, avoid peak dinner times – during busy times such as conferences and holidays, restaurants are full, wait times can be long other wise.
• Happy hours – drinks can be expensive if you are buying, take advantage of the happy hours
• Tipping – tipping is standard, however if you are playing the slots, drinks are free. You should tip for each drink you receive to ensure continued service
• Downtown Las Vegas – take in the night time show on the street. It is closed off to traffic
• Free attractions – there are lots of free attractions along the strip and downtown. The Mirage Volcano, the Bellagio fountains and the light show on Fremont street downtow to name a few
• Don’t gamble – it is pretty hard not to. If you do set a limit and stick to that limit.
• Convenience stores – there are several drug stores along the strip that sell just about everything you need for a quick snack and even a meal if you have the means to cook it.
• Public transportation – buses run a regular schedule along the strip, downtown and thougout the city
• Off-Strip hotel – take a shuttle to some of the off strip hotels, a taxi, Uber etc.
• Visit at off-peak times – Everything is more expensive during peak times which include major holidays as well as large conferences. Shop around or pick another date to come to Vegas.
• Carry a light jacket, water and sunscreen everywhere – It can be cool at night and it is very dry. You will need water with you especially in the summer when temperatures exceed 100F.
• Anticipate resort fees and parking fees – most of the strip hotels are now charging a resort fee which is over and above the room rate you were quoted. There will also be taxes to pay as well. If you drive, there will be a daily parking fee.
• Take lots of photos – this is one of the best way to remember your trip to Vegas
• Understand the costume character game – if you take a photo of a costume character or a with one, expect to tip. That is how they earn their living.

Tips for Business Travelers

In addition to all of the above, here are a few more for business travelers to consider.

• Distances are further than they appear- stay in the same hotel as your conference, meetings etc. It took the writer over 30 minutes to walk from his hotel to the one across the street on  one trip. walking through the casino, up escalators to cross the street and into the next casino and finally into the hotel conference area which is located at the back of the property.
• Don’t buy drinks in the casino – drinks are very expensive in the casino if you are not playing. Take advantage of offers from your conference coordinator.
• If possible, avoid peak dinner times – large conferences place a strain on restaurants. You may want to book a reservation before you even arrive in Las Vegas
• Allow waiting time for cabs – the same applies to getting a cab. There are lots of them, however the lines can be long too.
• Budget for resort fees and parking fees – make sure your budget includes up to $45 for resort fees and $20 per day for parking along with normal taxes on everything.

If you have tips you would like to add, feel free to leave your comments.

The Bellagio in Las Vegas is a wonderful place to visit. Both indoors as well as outdoors. Whether you are staying at the Bellagio or somewhere else, everyone should take time to visit the fountains and the water show. The Bellagio water show and the fountains in Las Vegas are great to look at as well as calming and enjoyable. This particular picture shows the fountain just outside the lobby of the hotel. Behind the fountain, you have the valet entrance and the main lobby of the hotel and casino. Behind the person taking the picture is the man made lake with the water show that takes place every 20 to 30 minutes depending on weather conditions. If it gets too windy they sometimes post pone the show.

Bellagio Water Show Fountains Las Vegas

Las Vegas gets over 300 days a year with full sun shine. They also receive lots of hot temperature days, although the winter can be cool. On this particular day in April it was hitting a high of around 90F, which is pretty comfortable pool weather.

It was Easter weekend and there were thousands of people out enjoying the sites, visiting the water fountains and heading inside to view the Bellagio gardens. The gardens are really quite stunning and everyone should take the time to visit them when they are in Las Vegas.

The theme changes every month to coincide with whatever is going on. For example in the fall, they will decorate for thanksgiving. Easter was represented this year in April of course. We love going to Vegas and staying at the Bellagio hotel. Book early if you want to stay at this hotel, since rates go up as the hotel fills up. For more information about hotels in Las Vegas Nevada, click here.

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Finding discounted hotel rooms at expensive Las Vegas hotels can be a challenge for many people, especially on weekends or when major events are taking place in Las Vegas. Many people are paying in excess of $200 a night for a room plus the resort fee, taxes and lately for parking. One night can suddenly balloon up to over $300 a night. This is way too expensive for many consumers visiting Las Vegas. They opt for cheaper hotels which frankly are not nearly as nice or comfortable. How do you go about finding discounted hotel rooms at expensive Las Vegas hotels?

Finding Discounted Hotel Rooms at Expensive Las Vegas Hotels

There are numerous ways to obtain rooms at far less expensive rates, which can also eliminate the parking fees and even the dreaded resort fee that all hotels charge in Las Vegas. Here is our list. While not all will apply to everyone, use these ideas when they work for you.

• Book rooms well in advance
• Stay during the week
• Avoid periods when large conferences are taking place in the hotel or in the city
• Negotiate your room rate
• Tip the desk clerk to obtain a better room at check in
• Obtain a slot card and subscribe to email notifications
• Utilize offers from the casino or the hotel for less expensive rooms
• Book stays as part of a Las Vegas vacation tour
• Stay in Las Vegas during slower periods e.g. Dec

Slot cards keep track of your gambling in the casino. If you want to stay at a particular hotel and plan on gambling, use your slot card to add points and comps to your account. Depending on the amount of play, you may become eligible for discounted rooms, meals and even free rooms as well.  If your not a big gambler do not be concerned. Get a slot card anyway. They may offer you a discounted room rate during slow periods at the hotel.

Trying to negotiate hotel room prices in Las Vegas NV can be a challenge. However if you are persistent, have a flexible schedule and willing to try various properties, lower prices are possible. Many people go to Las Vegas on package deals which includes the hotel as well air fare. thousands more drive to Las Vegas every year and book hotel rooms directly. They have a lot more flexibility in terms of timing. When the hotel is hosting a conference or nearing a high occupancy, it can be difficult to book at reasonable rates. Changing the date or trying a different property sometimes works. Visitors can save hundreds of dollars on their trip by moving to a different property or staying during the week vs. the weekend.

Negotiate Hotel Room Prices in Las Vegas NV

We recently made a reservation at the Bellagio for $87 per night. It appears the hotel is a little low on business during mid April and we were able to get pretty decent room rates. The week prior to our stay and the week after have rates that are more than double what we are paying.

There is a conference one week and a major sporting event scheduled. Rates jump when lots of people are in town for these events. Call your slot host or just talk to the reservations clerks to find out what is going on. If you are flexible with your dates, tourists can find pretty decent rates and top line hotels such as the Bellagio.

Conversely by moving off the strip to places like the Rio, which is the picture shown as part of this post can also help you obtain great rates for your stay in Las Vegas.

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We visit Las Vegas once per year. What a surprise to find out that drivers must now pay for parking at MGM hotels and parking fees at Las Vegas hotels in other areas as well. We were shocked to find out that we had to pay $15 per day for parking. This is in addition to the $35 resort fee that everyone must pay if you are staying at the hotel. Don’t forget the tax that is applied to both of these fees. That is over $50 a day just for driving to Las Vegas and staying in one of the strip hotels.

This is in addition to whatever room rate you are able to negotiate. Your slot card just became worth a lot more. It is important to always use your slot card whenever you are playing. If you are a Pearl member or higher at MGM resort hotels, they will comp you for the parking. All other people get to pay for the parking as mentioned above.

Why are they charging parking fees at Las Vegas hotels?

We stayed at the Bellagio Hotel and were surprised by this parking fee. Apparently the new hockey stadium is being built between the Montecarlo and the New York New York hotel. Patrons attending hockey games will have to pay for parking just like they do in many other cities.

Casino players will also pay for parking unless they have a slot card at Pearl or a higher level. Free in and out privileges are available to these players. You must qualify each year to maintain your level. This can be accomplished by charging food etc to your hotel room along with your play at the slots and table games.

It would have cost us $45 plus tax for the 3 days of parking however we have a Pearly card and were comped for the parking fee. Some hotels further away from the hockey stadium have not yet started charging for parking, however, it is only a matter of time. This is really a huge revenue opportunity for these hotels.

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The Wynn hotel and casino already offers spectacular rooms. Now they have taken service to the next level! For example, instead of trying to figure out the controller to open the drapes just tell the room to open the drapes! Amazon Echo Room Voice Control with Alexa smarts has been added to the Wynn hotel. This feature adds voice control to allow patrons to control their environment!

Apparently this is the first time this type of voice control has been offered. As of the date of preparing this post, not all rooms have voice control. Subsequently the feature is being added to all rooms over the next few months. We cannot wait to try it live!

Wynn Las Vegas to add Amazon Echo Room Voice Control

There will be some kinks to work out, however knowing Steve Wynn’s reputation it will not take long to sort them out. This is one of the best hotels to stay at in Las Vegas. Even their regular rooms are well above the majority of rooms available across the city in other hotels.

Yes they are expensive but they are worth it. Like all other casino properties, if you gamble and use a slot card, the room may be compensated. Always use a slot card when playing and check with your host to see what rates they will offer for these really fantastic rooms.

We will add to this post once we have tried it ourselves. In the mean time readers can leave a comment about their own experiences.

The Wynn Casino conglomerate based in Las Vegas and also in Macau apparently is doing extremely well. It has posted record profits this year. Many people are wondering how they’re doing it considering the rest of Las Vegas is only posting average profits.

It turns out that this profit picture reflects how well the one-percenters are doing. In fact with the middle class being squeezed and more people ending up in the lower-class situations, they have less to spend on vacation and on casinos. As a result, some casinos are not doing very well. However the upper-class prefers executive style and high-class treatment. That is what the Wynn casino.

Wynn Casino – The Best in Vegas

The Wynn casino provides opulent service to their patrons. From the casino floor, The restaurants, the fantastic rooms with a panoramic view of the Las Vegas strip, and high-end stores, this is a place that will attract the rich.

There is also the PGA level golf course attached to the casino with the 19th hole that is comparable to the best in the nation. They cater to the once in a lifetime golfing experience. This is for people who are looking for a challenging golf course as well as enjoying the nightlife in Las Vegas.

Their pool is in a secluded environment, with protection from the wind. It provides all of the security as well as privacy that you would like.

The price of course for the hotel is higher than any of the other hotels on the strip. As a result, it attracts a better clientele and higher room rate along with higher take rates at the casino. This is the prime reason why the Wynn casino conglomerate is doing much better than many of the other casino chains across the country. You can still find deals at this hotel just like all of the others. However, you will pay more on average for a room at the Wynn Casino. It is worth it!

The Wynn Casino in Las Vegas and their sister casino in Maccau are doing extremely well due to the improving economy in the US and around the world and another factor that has many people concerned for many different reasons.

It turns out that the economic recovery for many people is not quite the same. The top 10% of the population has done very well. While the rest of us including the middle class has not recovered financially to the same extent. The top 10% of the population who are heavily invested in the stock market have reaped huge gains over the past 5 years. The market increasing in value by trillions and well over 100% from its low point.

The middle class has been lucky to have a job. They may not invest in the stock market. They have not been doing well. They are lucky if they have maintained their financial security. They have not achieved the asset gains that the rich have gained. They do not have the disposable money that the rich among us have. If you do not have a pension to rely on, you may not be doing so well financially. What does this have to do with the Wynn Casinos?

Wynn Casino – Performs Well

Well, it turns out that the Wynn casinos are outperforming all of the other Las Vegas Casinos since the top 10% of the population who have money are flocking to the Wynn in Las Vegas and spending their money in luxury restaurants and gaming activities. The middle class is going to the other hotels and they are not spending nearly as much money! As a result, these other locations are not performing financially as well as the Wynn Chain of hotels and casinos.

You really have to hand it to Steve Wynn who designed and built these hotels. Whether he saw this shift in demographics or not his properties are doing very well as a result and the rest of Las Vegas is not able to keep up. The unfortunate fact is that the middle class is getting squeezed, however, this is the subject of another post as some future time.

Palio at Bellagio is a great little cafe overlooking the pool were you can have a quick bite, coffee etc.
We always go here for our breakfast and split one of the gigantic muffins. They are so large that they will
easily satisfy most people. It is a bit expensive, but it is one of the few places you can get free refills of coffee. They also have the best blueberry jam from France! This is truly a great little place to read the paper, keep up with your social networks or write blog posts like this.

The Palio at Bellagio

This little cafe has become one of our traditions. Every time we go to Vegas, whether we are staying at the Bellagio or not we come here for breakfast on one morning. My wife likes the atmosphere and the view of the pool. I like the muffins, particularly the raisin bran muffins with blueberry jam spread across them. We cut them into 3 slices, they are so large and then spread jam across all three slices. This is one of the best tasting muffins around.

Prices are a bit on the high side, but then what isn’t in Las Vegas. A coffee in a Starbucks that is attached to a Casino is going to cost $3.50 a small coffee. Normally you would pay $1.75 for the same thing at a regular Starbucks. You pay for the atmosphere and the surroundings. It is just part of the overall cost of going to Las Vegas.

Although the number of calories is probably really high, once or twice a year is not going to make a huge difference and beside while you are in Vegas you are walking a great deal so that makes up for it. While in Vegas you probably get more exercise than any other time of the year just with the amount of walking that you do while in the city.

D.Vino at Montecarlo restaurant at the Montecarlo provided the service fast. We had three of four meals which were not very good, fish smelled fishy bad smell, the pasta was not very tasty, and the pizza very bland. We complained to management, and absolutely nothing was done. It was as if they did not care, so we did not leave a tip. We felt  bad for the waiter, since it was really not his fault, but we would have really sent the wrong message if we had left a tip. We also mentioned how concerned we were about the food to the Matri d, and they did nothing so I guess we will not be back there.

D.Vino at Montecarlo – Las Vegas

On the other hand we did receive the following from the D’Vino at  Montecarlo:

• Two nights comp’d – based on our play at the MGM group of resorts
• One night at casino rate which was less than $100, also a really good deal
• Seventy five dollars in free play to use in almost any slot machine
• Twenty dollar charge- coffee, water, paper, wifi, which many of the hotels now charge and frankly we disagree with this since we do not use the services.
• Room was ok, met all of our needs, but nothing to write home about
• Keurig coffee great
• Service poor – coffee , water missing, we had to order it from room service
• Mlife service poor- one attendant meant we had to wait in line for some time
• Fast food restaurants- McDonald’s, subway and others  makes it very easy to eat inexpensively
• Great pool area for kids, not something we took advantage of

We have stayed at many hotels in the Las Vegas area including the Montecarlo hotel. This was one of the worst from a restaurant perspective. We certainly got good value for the cost, since we were comp’d for the rooms.

We probably will not stay here again. There are much better places to stay at in Las Vegas and will not go to the D.Vino at Montecarlo again.

 This picture shows the Fashion Show Mall – Las Vegas at night with the giant saucer in the foreground along the Las Vegas strip. You definitely cannot miss this landmark along the strip. It is located across the street from the Wynn  Hotel on one corner. Treasure Island or TI as it is now called is on the other corner. There are well over two hundred stores in this mall along with a food court on the third floor. It has a combination of high-end stores as well as stores for the average person. Customers should watch for sales that are on from time to time. You probably will not save a lot of money making purchases in this mall, however, you certainly can find gifts to take home to the family. This is a huge mall and has something for everyone.

Fashion Show Mall – Apple Store

Most guys are not interested in shopping, however, this is one mall that I visit every trip I  make to Las Vegas. The draw is really two stores. I like to go to the Apple Store and also to a Gadget store, called Brookstone. Both stores are worth visiting for different reasons and can take an hour or two of your time. It is a good walk as well and then I grab an inexpensive lunch at the third-floor food court which has a complete set of all of the popular fast food restaurants with the exception of Mcdonald’s.

The Fashion Show Mall was updated significantly a few years ago with the giant saucer added and a large extension added to handle more stores. During conventions, it is often quite busy and it is within easy access from many of the casinos located in the central part of the Las Vegas Strip. It is well worth the visit even if it is just for a couple of hours.

For more stories and information about Las Vegas, click here.

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This picture shows the Mirage hotel at night from across the street in front of the Venetian. The Mirage Casino – Las Vegas is a beautiful site and has a volcano that erupts at night! In the picture, you can see the waterfall on the left of the picture. This is the location where the flames erupt into the air. You can actually feel the heat from the volcano when it erupts. Even from across the street which is over 200 feet away at least. The flames erupt into the air as well as run down the sides of the mountain and into the water pool at the bottom of the waterfalls. It is a show that everyone should see and enjoy for free.

Mirage Casino – Las Vegas – A Volcano

The erupting volcano at the Mirage Hotel is quite the spectacle and it is also free to anyone who happens to be outside in front of the hotel at the time. It is one of the attractions that we recommend you see while in Las Vegas and it is worth a walk into the hotel as well to view the aquarium in the lobby, the pool at the back of the hotel, and the casino itself.

The Mirage Hotel and casino is one of the hotels designed and built by Steve Wynn. He went on to build Treasure Island and the Bellagio before selling it to the MGM Group and then going on to build the Wynn Casino and Hotel which is his flagship hotel and the best hotel in Las Vegas as far as the writer is concerned.

There are many things that are free in Las Vegas to see at almost every hotel. For first-time visitors, the elegance, the size, and the free shows and exhibits will take all of your time. don’t forget to go for a nice meal and take in a show while in Las Vegas as well. Some of these shows can be spectacular.

This picture shows the Mirage Water Landscape – Las Vegas at the front of the hotel. This water landscape is a huge area covering several acres in front of the hotel. It is along the strip that includes a volcano. At night the volcano will erupt every 30 minutes. Flames belch out of the top of the volcano and run down the sides of the miniature mountain. This is a free show that really everyone can view and enjoy.

The only time that the volcano does not operate is during days when the wind is high and there is some potential for scattering the flames. These flames are so hot that you can feel the heat from across the street which is over 150 feet away. While watching the volcano erupt pay attention to the people around you and protect your wallet or purse. It is crowded and a perfect place for someone to remove something from your person.

Mirage Water landscape – Daytime

During the day this water landscape at the Mirage is a wonderful spot to enjoy and view. Thousands of people take pictures of this area every day of their friends and loved ones with the Mirage Hotel water landscape in the background. It really does make a wonderful backdrop to a picture and people will wonder if you are actually in the desert or on some tropical island somewhere.

The pool at the back of the hotel is another water landscape that guests can enjoy while lounging around the pool. Complete with a tropical paradise and waterfalls, this is another great place to visit. There is a drink service on the pool deck and there is also a bar service as well. Nothing better than lounging by the pool, enjoying the scenery, the sun, and a great tropical drink.

There is also a dolphin habitat that visitors can visit behind the pool. The volcano, the pool area, the outdoor restaurants, and the dolphin habitat are all part of the Mirage Water landscape in a tropical setting.

This picture is of the Wynn Casino and Hotel – Las Vegas took from across the street at the Fashion Show Mall. All of the major intersections now have walkways across the streets to prevent pedestrians from being injured crossing the streets. There is a great deal of traffic. After all these hotels will have up to 5000 rooms. As a result, it also takes a lot of employees to keep these places running. You really do not want to be a pedestrian trying to cross the street in Las Vegas today since not only is there a lot of traffic, the drivers are really aggressive. They will not give pedestrians the right of way when crossing the street.

The Wynn hotel has a small mountain in front of it complete with waterfalls and rushing streams and ponds. This is the ultimate in water landscapes due to the size and complexity of this work of art. That is really what it is because at night there is a lake that is in the back of the mountain facing the restaurants. They run a water show that is free to everyone watching. It is really a wonderful show and enhances your dining experience. We have seen it and it is definitely worth seeing.

Wynn Casino and Hotel – Rooms

The rooms at the Wynn hotel are really nice with push-button controls to run everything including the comfort of your bed. Open and close the drapes and blinds, turn the lights on and off and of course, the TV is also controlled by this same remote. The room is well appointed with everything that will contribute to your needs while at the hotel. The Wynn Las Vegas room comes with leather couches. Also a beautiful desk and a fantastic view regardless of which side of the hotel you are on.

One side of the Wynn Hotel faces west towards the strip and the mountains. While the other faces east overlooking the golf course and the mountains to the east. Beautiful views regardless of which way you look.

The Palazzo – Las Vegas is shown in this picture from across the street at the Fashion Show Mall. The Venetian can be seen in the background. This is a really huge complex with two towers both in the range of 3000 rooms. Also a shopping center on the 2nd floor in the area running between the two towers. In addition, since this is based in Venice, there are gondola rides on the water canals outside the hotel. Also inside the hotel on the second floor among the shops.

Take a ride and be serenaded by one of the little boat operators dressed in the traditional garb of Venice. The Palazzo and the Venetian are sister hotels with the Palazzo being the newer of the two. The rooms have the same basic design. However, the rooms at the Palazzo will be a bit larger than those at the older Venetian.

Palazzo – Las Vegas – Venetian

In both casinos, there is one in each tower, the Palazzo casino, and the Venation Casino along with many fine restaurants and entertainment areas. This complex is also connected to the giant Sands Exposition center at the rear of the hotel and many conference attendees will stay in one of these hotels while attending a conference at the Sands Convention Center. It is convenient and relatively close given the size of these giant complexes.

This is a very large complex, like many of the Las Vegas vacation destinations and visitors should also wear really comfortable shoes for all of the walking, that will be involved when you go to Vegas.

This picture was taken from the Wynn hotel’s front near the street showing the TI or Treasure island hotel in the background. The foreground shows a pond and shoreline of a small stream at the Wynn hotel. Just beyond this are to the left is what is supposed to be a mountain waterfall. The pond and waterfall are both on the Wynn hotel and casino property. TI – Treasure Island – Las Vegas is across the street and is approximately 3000 rooms with all of the standard attributes. There are many restaurants to try out and they also have a very nice pool. Friends of ours recently stayed at TI – Treasure Island. They were blown away by how nice it was, the pool and the clubs that they went to. They thoroughly enjoyed their time at TI – Treasure Island.

TI – Treasure Island – Pirate Show

One of the things that really stands out at the TI – Las Vegas is the pirate show that is held several times a day. Show times are posted in front of the hotel along the sidewalk. This pirate show at TI – Las Vegas is free to everyone and includes cannon fire, flames and pirate diving into the water. One of the ships actually sinks! The only time the show is not on is during windy conditions which could cause problems with the show.

Note that the pirate show was under construction the last time we were in Vegas in 2014 and may not be in operation. We welcome updates to this blog and will update this post accordingly next time we are in Las Vegas.

Ti – Las Vegas has been rebranded from the former Treasure Island casino. It was built by Steve Wynn, who also built the Mirage and the Bellagio. They were all sold to MGM properties who later sold the Treasure Island to another buyer. Steve Wynn went on to build the Wynn hotel and casino and hotel which is by far one of the nicest hotels in Vegas.

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The Montecarlo Casino and hotel in Las Vegas is a great place to bring the family and also adults as well. One of the nice things about this hotel is the Montecarlo Pool – Las Vegas area which is available to all guests staying at the hotel. The pool area includes a wave pool, a sandy beach, a beach volleyball court, and a river to float along on a raft. Also, a regular pool to spend time at while staying at the Montecarlo casino. This particular picture was taken from the deck of the Tram that runs from the Montecarlo all the way to the Bellagio Hotel stopping along the way at the Aria Casino and hotel. They are all owned by MGM Casinos.

Montecarlo Pool – Las Vegas – Food Court

Another great feature about the Montecarlo hotel in addition to the pool area is that they have a small fast food court which is excellent for families or anyone really who is vacationing on a budget. We all want to eat at a nice restaurant at least once while in Vegas, however, the rest of the time fast food is fine. They have a Starbucks, McDonald’s, Subway, and a pizza place to choose from. A note about Starbucks, coffee is going to cost you $3.00 for the same thing you would get at a regular Starbucks for $1.75. That is the hotel adding its the price on. as far as we could tell MacDonald’s coffee is the same price and is actually pretty good these days.

We ate at a restaurant called D.Vino’s in Montecarlo. We would not recommend this place to anyone. The Caesar salad was not good, the romaine looked old and the main courses were really tasteless.  The fish smelled fishy, the pasta was actually tough and the pizza had no taste whatsoever. We mentioned this to the maitre’d. Although they were going to tell the chef, they did not offer us anything other than they could redo it. Don’t waste your money, there are lots of other places to try that are much better.

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There is a tram that runs from the Montecarlo casino to the city center Aria casino and then on to the Bellagio casino. This Tram from Montecarlo shown in the pictures is fully automated , very clean and safe and is air conditioned. It can be a bit of a walk to get to the stations, but it is much faster and comfortable than walking along the strip! In most cases you need to walk through the casino to the back of the hotel to catch the tram. We snapped these pictures while waiting at the Bellagio hotel station. In nice weather, walking the strip is fine. However when it gets really hot in Vegas during the summer, take the tram!

Regardless of were you are staying in Vegas, you are going to be doing a lot of walking. The Tram from Montecarlo and the Bellagio is a good way to get from one place to another. However you still have a long walk from the Vegas strip to the tram loading station. We have always wondered why they make you walk a lot like this. We think there are really two reasons. One is that the casinos are really large, much larger than what many people expect and you just have to walk a long way to get through them.

The other reason is that they want you to walk through the casino on your way to your room. The restaurants, the shows and of course the Tram are on the way. There is a good chance that you might drop a $20 in a slot machine or even more. The casinos will use everything they can to get people to do a little gambling. Once you start, it is difficult to stop and that is what they are counting on.

The Bellagio casino and hotel always have some of the best flower arrangements and designs in the world. Visitors can spend hours admiring the Bellagio garden and still not take it all in. This is also a great place to have your picture taken with your friends and loved ones.  The Bellagio garden is located just off the main lobby of the hotel. It is a very popular place for many people to enjoy. There is always the latest scenery that has been created by the artists. Many hours are spent building these beautiful arrangements and maintaining these beautiful flowers. As the flowers fade, more are brought in to replace them.

Bellagio Garden – Las Vegas

The garden is constantly updated to reflect the season or the celebration of the year. At thanksgiving for example there will be a horn of plenty, while at Easter there will be a theme that is interesting to this religious time of the year. All of the flowers are real and in pots. They are kept fresh daily and watered to maintain their optimum beauty and freshness. There is a team of people who are constantly trimming flowers, updating and replacing the flowers to keep everything at maximum beauty.

Sometimes this area is so busy it can actually be difficult to get the picture that you want. We find the best time is early afternoon, and early morning as well before the crowds start. Most people stroll through admiring the flowers and the overall design and then head on to their rooms or to the casino. This is one of the free things you can do in Las Vegas and it is one of the must-see things to do while you are staying in Las Vegas!

While you are in the Bellagio, take a minute to stroll across the valet parking to the fountain on the other side. Here you will have a birds-eye view of Bellagio lake and the fountains that operate. They are choreographed with music and play every 20 minutes or so.

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We recently dined at the Carson Street Cafe at the Golden Nugget in downtown  Las Vegas on Fremont street. All of the casinos face Fremont street, which is enclosed with a glass ceiling for approximately six blocks. There are street performers. There are bands and there are zip lines at various locations along the street as well to entertain everyone. Also every 30 minutes or so at night they dim all of the lights of the casinos. A light show on the underside of the glass ceiling accompanied by music entertains everyone.

Golden Nugget Las Vegas – Shows

There are some really good shows and it is of course free to the public. This post is about the Carson Street Cafe. However, when we saw this great picture of  Fremont street and the Golden Nugget, we just had to include it as part of this post.

The Carson Street Cafe at the Golden Nugget is a nice reasonable place to eat. Prices are pretty much average and the food is plentiful and presented well. The tables are clean and the food is very good. We also found the service to be on par with most other restaurants in Vegas for cafe-style locations. This is a place to catch a quick meal. While you take time off from gambling or visiting the pool area of the Golden Nugget.

We always stay on the strip at one of the strip hotels,. But we usually also come downtown to visit the Golden Nugget and take in the Fremont Street Experience. If we have friends with us and they have never seen this spectacular show, then we will make the trip downtown as well to show them.

Park at the Golden Nugget Parking Garage

When you travel downtown to the Golden Nugget, we suggest that you park at the hotel’s parking lot. Then walk across the street to the hotel. You can have your parking ticket stamped to receive a few extra hours of free parking, however, there will be a charge for parking if you stay for any significant length of time. It is convenient and  the charge for parking is not that high. All parking along the strip used to be free, however, they are now charging a fee. However, like all downtown areas, space is at a premium and I guess they feel they need to charge for parking.

Visitors can also take the bus downtown or take a cab. If you split the cost between several people it is not too expansive and you do not need to be concerned about a designated driver.

Always be careful when you are in any city downtown at night. Stay on the main streets where there are lots of people and beware of pickpockets, especially when you are looking at the light show and perhaps are distracted from what people might be doing near you. Ladies should hold onto their purses and men should keep their wallets in their front pockets or in zippered pockets for proper security.

Golden Nugget Casino

This is an older-style casino that has been given a facelift and presents itself very well. The casino is always crowded and the machines are crammed everywhere so you may feel a bit claustrophobic while you are there particularly if it is busy.

They have all of the usual machines of course and although we do not know if this is true or not, rumors have it that the downtown casinos pay much better than the casinos along the strip. They have to have an edge to get people to come downtown and gamble at any of their locations including the Golden Nugget.

Rooms are also inexpensive and if you have a slot card and play a little bit, chances are you will receive invites to stay at the Golden Nugget for free next time you are in Vegas. We have not stayed at this hotel, however, we would expect them to be comparable to other mid-range hotels on the strip.

Next time you are in Vegas, make sure you head downtown for a few hours to see the Fremont Street Experience, visit the Golden Nugget and have dinner at the Carson Street Cafe. We believe that you will not be disappointed by the trip downtown. Always go in the evening so that you can see the light show as well.

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MGM Resorts International has joined the ranks of many other hotel chains. As a result, it is now delivering free WIFI on its properties in public areas. Many casinos have now joined the ranks of WiFi available in Vegas Hotels. They finally have gotten the message that not only was this an irritation to their guests, it was also a missed opportunity. As a result, they now can advertise their services and activities that are taking place on the property.

In a statement, and we quote, “MGM Resorts said the system is currently live at Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, and The Mirage. The system is expected to be installed this year in the Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor, and Excalibur”. They join other casino properties across the US that have been offering WIFI on their properties for some time.

WIFI Available in Vegas Hotels – Competition

In many Strip casinos, Wi-Fi is only available to hotel guests or convention attendees. With the new MGM Resorts system, basic Internet access will become available to anyone who comes into public areas. Areas such as the lobby, pool area, casino, and restaurants. The system, developed with Cisco Systems, doesn’t require a password. MGM Resorts hotel guests will pay for and receive upgraded service. Convention attendees can upgrade to a higher-speed system.

WIFI Available in Vegas Hotels – Service

Experience with this type of service suggests that the speed will not be fantastic. But will be useful and suitable for email and light browsing. MGM Resorts officials believe that the Wi-Fi system will turn their entire properties into a hot spot. It will support tens of thousands of guests with multiple Internet-enabled devices.

Apps developed for these casinos will advertise their services, and allow for reservations and other activities. We expect that over the coming years these services will develop into a rich set of services. — Paul Richardson 613 298 6297

The Wynn Hotel & Casino is by far the best hotel and casino from almost every aspect including the Wynn Casino Shops. We try to stay at this hotel every time we go to Las Vegas.

Pictured on the left is the corridor that leads in from the strip past all of the high-end shops. They are nice to look at, however way beyond our price range. I am not sure why all of the hotels do this, the Wynn hotel is no exception, but they all have these shops that the average person cannot afford to shop in. They have beautiful clothes, purses, diamonds and even cell phones that you would never even look at because of the price. Great place to window shop.

Wynn Casino Shops – Casino Entrance

As you near the end of this corridor of shops, you will be approaching another really beautiful area just before you reach the casino.  Wynn has designed a garden area were many people take pictures and spend time admiring the plants during the day and the flowers and lights at night. This is near the Wynn Casino Shops.

These flowers are constantly updated and kept flourishing by perfect care each and every day. Since we are easterners, we get up early when we are in Vegas and often are down stairs by five or six in the morning. The gardeners are still there working on the flowers making sure they are looking perfect for the coming day. They have probably been there all night working on the flower beds, trimming flowers that have matured and even changing plants that need to be recycled. Many people stop at these gardens every day to have pictures taken with their families.

Gardens are Beautiful

We will show one more picture that we really enjoyed. These flower gardens run the length of the casino along the front of the hotel facing towards the mountain with its cascading waterfall and lake. There is also a bar in the middle of the gardens which looks out onto the casino on one side and on to the gardens on the other.

All of these pictures were taken during the day, however can you imagine how beautiful this area is at night with all of the lights etc. We find that this is such a beautiful area to stroll through. The only thing missing are benches were people can sit and taken in everything around them. They really should have benches for people to sit on. The Casino of course does not want you to sit among flowers, they would rather have you sitting in the casino and playing the slots for a while to help make them some money and pay for all of the beautiful things in the hotel.

More to See at the Wynn Hotel

There are many other features to take in while visiting the Wynn casino. for example there is the championship golf course, there are many restaurants to dine at, bars to visit and even a Ferrari store. You have to pay to get into the latter, if you want to visit this particular store. I guess they really want to keep kids and the riff raft out of the store. You have to be really interested to want to pay to see this particular store.

The hotel is also well situated along the strip. Across the road is the fashion show mall. On the other the corners are the Venation hotel  and TI or Treasure island. These are all great places to visit . Spend some time at either going to shows, watching free entertainment or playing in their casinos.

The Wynn hotel and casino is a must see if you are spending time in Las Vegas. Even if you are just visiting and staying at another hotel take some time to visit this hotel. It is definitely worth the walk. We actually go to Starbucks every morning across the street at the Fashion Show Mall. Coffee is a little less expensive and you get out for a walk. It is approximately a 20 minute walk to get from your room, walk through the casino and the hotel, across the street and over to the Starbucks store.

Imagine and it is just across the street. Always take good walking shoes when you are in Las Vegas. You will need them even if you just stay within your own hotel. They are huge and designed to keep you on their property instead of staying to other hotels. Have fun and enjoy Las Vegas.

One of our favorite things to do every time we visit Las Vegas is to go to the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio hotel. The gardens are located just off the main lobby and you can also access the restaurant as well by walking thought the gardens. The Bellagio changes the gardens to coincide with the seasons so there is always something new to observe.

We have included several pictures of the conservatory at various times of the year. There is always something different  to see and I would recommend at least half an hour to really see all of the gardens. There are usually lots of people taking pictures and looking at the flowers and arrangements of flowers etc in the gardens. This is definitely a must see while you are in Vegas regardless of whether you are staying in the Bellagio or not.

Bellagio Conservatory – Imagination and Originality

You have to really give the designers of these gardens credit. They have a lot of imagination and they definitely are original in their designs.  While the Bellagio does not encourage children at this hotel, this is a place you can bring your children and we are sure they will enjoy the Halloween and Christmas designs and decorations. They really pay attention to detail.

All of the flowers are real and they are watered and manicured every day. Any flower that is not doing well is replaced and any that grow too fast are trimmed. There is a lot of work to maintain these gardens and the folks at the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens do a fantastic job. Again we encourage you to visit and enjoy these gardens.

Other Things to See at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino

This is one hotel everyone has to visit and spend some time at, even if you are not a gambler. As you walk along the strip in front of the hotel you cannot miss the lake in front of the hotel. During the afternoon and evenings, they run regular shows playing beautiful music which the water fountains follow in sync.  Definitely something to see while in Las Vegas.

Inside the hotel there are at least 5 pools that customers can visit and spend relaxing afternoons at. There are several viewing areas for people to step out on to observe the pool area if you are not staying at the hotel. Guests of the pool area must show a valid hotel key in order to enter the pool area.

There are many restaurants at the hotel spread all over the property. This is a 5000+ room hotel plus a large conference center area so there is a lot of walking involved and many restaurants spread around the hotel. One that we enjoy and try to visit every time we go is the little coffee shop just down from the guest elevators. They have really great muffins and coffee among other things and fantastic jam to go along with them. Windows look over the pool area as well so you can enjoy your coffee with a view.

Getting to the Bellagio

If you are driving to the Bellagio, the entrance can be found off the Las Vegas Strip. Use the same entrance for the valet parking or to the parking garage. There is ample parking. It is very safe with an entrance from the garage directly into the hotel lobby area. They now charge for parking in the publich parking garage. If you are walking,  it is a bit of walk. However you can enter from the strip and walk through the shopping area from one side. Or along moving walkways from the other end of the lake.

Both are very enjoyable and there is lots to see as you enter the hotel and the casino. We really like the Bellagio and stay there every chance we get. If we are staying somewhere else at another hotel we always take the time to go to the casino, the gardens and the coffee shop as a minimum. It is almost a tradition now for us to visit the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, the Bellagio Casino. We think you should too even if you do not spend any time gambling, it is well worth the visit.

Other pages on our web site that you may want to visit about the Bellagio hotel can be found by clicking here.

The Aria Casino is located in the new City Center complex developed by MGM Grand. This is a huge complex and we will describe it in other posts, however this one will focus on the buffet at this casino. The buffet is open and bright, with windows along two sides. This is unusual since many casino buffet rooms are inside and enclosed on all four sides. One side looks out on to the pool area, two of the hot tubs while the other looks onto the pool area entrance. So you have some great views while dining at the buffet and enjoying your lunch or dinner.

Aria City Center Casino – Casino Buffet

We went to the casino and tried their buffet during May 2011 and found it to be excellent. Our overall top buffet is at the Mirage Hotel and casino, however this one ranks a close second. The price is reasonable and the decor and serving dishes are unique as you may observe in some of the pictures. The deserts are excellent, small portions which is ok with us since this means you can try a variety of deserts without wasting a lot of food.

The day we went they offered crab legs hot or cold and of course shrimp. They had all of the other main menu items along with various nationalities as well from Indian,, Mexican, Italian and Japanese. There is definitely something for everyone including the traditional meat and potatoes which many people love.

You definitely will not go hungry here!

Buffet Details

Price Range:$$ $30 to $35 range

Accepts Credit Cards:Yes

Parking:Garage

Attire:Casual

Good for Groups:Yes

Good for Kids:Yes

Takes Reservations:No

Waiter Service:Yes

Outdoor Seating:No, but some seats have a view of the pool

Wi-Fi:Paid

Good For:Dinner, Brunch

Alcohol:Beer & Wine Only

Noise Level:Average

Ambience:Casual

Has TV:No

Caters:No

Wheelchair Accessible:Yes

Visiting the Fremont Street Experience is one of the must things to do in Las Vegas. It is free, and the best time to visit is in the evening to experience the light show and the entertainment. If you are staying somewhere on the strip in one of the strip hotels, take a taxi, or the bus or drive down to downtown Las Vegas and see the Fremont Street Experience. The best time to go is early evening, just before it gets dark. Park at the Golden Nugget Hotel parking lot. Get your parking stub stamped at the cashier’s cage in the Golden Nugget. Then head out to the street.

The picture above is showing one of the shows that is done in lights on the ceiling. Of course, you can play a little in the casino or have dinner there or in any of the other hotels. But the main reason we are suggesting you want to make the trip down is to visit Fremont Street and take in all of the action.

What is the Fremont Street Experience?

The entire street, which is the original downtown Las Vegas mecca is covered over by about six city blocks. On the ceiling every 30 minutes at night, they put on a sound and light show for all of the tourists. The lights from the casinos shown in the picture on the left are turned off, and the show begins with a fabulous light and music show that really will enthrall just about anyone. There are no street lights on this section of Fremont Street since the casinos generate more light than any street light ever would. The street is closed to auto traffic, and there are literally thousands of people strolling along and watching the show on the ceiling.

This picture shows what the street looks like during the daytime. Nothing special, but you can see the supporting columns that hold the ceiling up and support the prominent speakers that deliver fabulous sound. When the light show is not on, many other activities are also taking place. It changes all of the time, so if you do not see what we saw, I am sure you will see other things as well that are equally interesting.

Entertainment

For example, there were two dance bands at either end of the street. These bands, the singers, and the dancers were excellent and worth spending some time listening to. You can also zip lining along the street for several blocks as well. They have this set up above the street level, and four people can go simultaneously. Usually, groups have races to see who can get to the other end the quickest.

Many people will pose for a picture. There are cartoon characters as well as characters from various TV shows. Of course, there is always an Elvis or two. You can take your picture with one of these characters. Note that they will always have their hand out for a tip. This is how they make their living. Although they initially make it look like something they do for fun, they have their hands out for a tip. There was even a mini Elvis, as shown in the picture on the left. And, of course, he wanted his tip afterward.

If you have been to the Fremont Street Experience, write a comment or two about your experience. It is well worth spending the time to go there. Make sure you hold tight to your wallet or purse while watching the show.

We really enjoyed Wynn Hotel Promotions in Las Vegas. Well, we just spent another fabulous two days at the Wynn Casino Hotel in Las Vegas! We had a Wynn hotel promotion, and we use these every chance we get. This hotel, in our opinion, is the best hotel in the area, and we always try to stay here when we come to Las Vegas. When you are the best, you can also charge higher rates. The only way we can stay at the Wynn is by being there on a Wynn Hotel Promotions coupon, which we have received quite often lately.

Other hotels are charging less than one hundred dollars for the room. At the same time, the Wynn Hotel can charge over $200 per room per night. This is a basic room which is very elegant and well appointed. Our room faced onto the strip. We had a fantastic view of the strip, the mall, the western side of Vegas, and, of course, the mountains. At night, with all of the lights, we had a really fantastic view!

Wynn Hotel Promotions – Play Were You Want to Stay

Our motto has always been, play where you want to stay, and we always want to stay at the Wynn Hotel or its sister hotel, the Encore. We have full descriptions of each of these hotels on our website, but we just had to write this additional post because we just got back from staying at this fabulous hotel. The picture above was taken from across the street in front of the Fashion Show Mall, which is another place to visit while you are in Vegas.

Wynn Hotel Promotions are really valuable when you think about it. Not only are we staying in a room that they usually sell for $150 plus, but it is an extremely nice room, and they also gave us $150 in free play. I know some people get a lot more, but for us and the level of gambling we do, this is fabulous.

Visit the Wynn Casino – Get a slot Card.

If you are in Las Vegas and staying at some other hotel, at least walk through the casino, and I am sure you will be blown away. From the mountain out front with the waterfalls to the opulent shops on the promenade to the treeline walkway to the check-in and the bright red casino, there is something for everyone. They even have an eighteen-hole golf course at the back of the hotel, should you wish to play. We have not checked out the prices for a round of golf however I am sure they are expensive.

While you are there, sign up for a slot card and play for at least a little while. Depending on your amount of play, they may send you an invitation to stay at the hotel for reduced rates! For more information on Slot cards, check out our categories for more posts on this subject.

Always Tip the Waitress

You have to hand it to Steve Wynn. When you receive a Wynn Hotel Promotion inviting you to stay at their hotel and even give you free play, he knows you will spend money in his casino, in his restaurants, and maybe a show. You can do all of that easily and really enjoy yourself. Drinks while playing in the casino are free, and it would be easy to just take the drink and go on playing. We see lots of people doing just that. We believe that you should always tip the waitress. They have to make a living, too, and besides, once they know they are getting tips, you will have fantastic service.

We always tip a dollar, and although that is not a lot, we receive the best service and never lack a drink. Whether it is alcoholic, juice, coffee, or even hot chocolate, they can deliver almost whatever you offer. Just make sure you tip them each time.

Well, that sums up our trip to the Wynn Hotel this year on a Wynn Hotel Promotion card. We are looking forward to going again soon. If you like the Wynn as much as we do, let us know. Leave your comments, too.

The New York New York Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas is truly spectacular. Emulating the New York skyline with a roller coaster ride that runs through the casino and outside as well there is lots to see and do in this casino hotel in Las Vegas. The picture on the right was taken from one of the bridges that crosses the strip from the New York Hotel to the MGM Grand Casino on the other side of the road. This is one of the best panorama views that I have been able to take of this hotel.

We have stayed here several times and although the hotel is not our favorite, it is a very nice hotel to stay at. Personally I like the casino more than others due to its action orientation and night life atmosphere. You can roam the streets of downtown New York, visit a bar with dueling pianos or visit a pub were they dance on the bar.  The casino is in and around of this and they also have some really great slot machines. I have won a few jack pots as well here on slots and on video poker machines.

An Exciting Win

One time we were just walking by and my wife needed to use the bathroom. We went inside and I decided to play a video poker machine. Before she returned, I had hit a royal flush and earned a cool $1000. Now this is the way I like to gamble.

The picture on the left shows the skyline of the hotel at night. Again taken from one of the bridges crossing the strip You can see the wire fence in the foreground.  It really is a spectacular view and as we have already mentioned there are lots to do at this casino. Read on for more details about our New York New York Casino and hotel review.

New York New York Casino and Hotel – Slot Machines

There are over 1,500 slots in varying denominations including:

• Wheel of Fortune
• Megabucks
• Jackpot Party
• Blazing 7’s
• Top Dollar
• Sex & the City
• Monopoly
• Goldfish
• Wizard of Oz

Table Games

There are 84,000 square feet of space with more than 67 gaming tables including:

• Blackjack
• Craps
• Roulette
• Mini Baccarat
• Let It Ride
• Big Six
• Three Card Poker
• Texas Hold’em Bonus
• Crazy 4 Poker

Restaurants

• Nine Fine Irishmen
• The Sporting House Bar & Grill
• Gallagher’s Steakhouse – Great steaks here!
• II Fornaio
• Chin Chin Café
• Gonzalez Y Gonzalez
• America
• Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs
• New York Pizzeria
• Broadway Burger Bar
• Quick Bites

What We Liked

• Variety of slot machines
• Free drinks while gambling
• Free entertainment at the bar
• Dueling Pianos bar, you need to line up to get into this one
• Buffet is great
• Pool area and spa free to hotel
• Hotel rates are very reasonable, especially if you use an M-Life card while gambling
• Covered garage parking which is very secure
• Easy access from all highways including Interstate 15
• Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas

What We Did Not Like

• It is a 4 star hotel in our estimation and quite adequate for our needs
• Rooms in the hotel are getting a bit dated as of 2011
• Getting to your room can be confusing, due to the many different elevator banks

Slot Player Card

They are part of the MGM Mirage slot players card system. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at many Las Vegas hotels,  as well as sister hotels in Tunica, Biloxi, Laughlin and Reno.

If you have not taken advantage of slot player cards, there are a number of benefits that many slot players should consider. Free or discounted rooms, email mailing list of promotions, free or discounted meals, access to entertainment, and a tax report outlining your losses and wins for tax claim purposes.

Parking

There is ample parking at the New York hotel & casino in a large parking garage beside the hotel. There is no surface parking that we observed. You can access the hotel from the garage via an elevator from all levels. The parking garage is also patrolled on a regular basis and it also protects your car from the weather.

Directions:

Located across from the MGM Grand and at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard & Tropicana.

From McCarran International Airport

• Head east from Wayne Newton Blvd – go 0.5 mi
• Bear right at Swenson St and head toward Airport exit – go 0.9 mi
• Turn left at E . Tropicana Ave. – go 1.2 mi
• Cross Las Vegas Blvd, turn right into New York-New York off East Tropicana Ave

From Interstate 15

• Exit 1-15 and head east onto E. Tropicana
• Turn left into New York-New York off East Tropicana Ave

A nephew of mine and his wife are planing to go to Vegas for the first time and were asking were they should stay. I initially recommended they should stay at one of the following  hotels. They are all close to each other and in the center of everything. Unfortunately they can also be expensive as well and might be more than he wants to pay for a hotel room.

Fortunately, there is a great deal of competition in Las Vegas, and very nice hotels can be found that are less expensive. A major tip about finding cheap rates is to find out what conferences are in Las Vegas, how many people are involved, and which hotels are hosting the larger conferences. Staying away from hotels that are hosting large conferences can mean that you find rates that are much cheaper. Even some of the big-name hotels will give you cheap rates if they are having a slow week.

Where to Stay in Las Vegas – Nicer Hotels

• Mirage
• Treasure Island (TI)
• Wynn,
• Venation
• Paris
• Bellagio

They are prime locations and often a little more pricey than some of the other hotels along the strip. The price at any given time depends on what is going on in Las Vegas as well as in that particular hotel. If there is a major conference taking place, you can be sure that the prices for rooms is going to be much higher. My nephew is looking for something more affordable and sent the following note.

Where to Stay in Las Vegas – Cheaper hotels

• Luxor
• Rio All Suite
• New York, New York
• MGM Grand
• Mandalay Bay
• Aria

They are all 4 stars and are a couple of hundred dollars less than the Mirage, which we are looking into instead of these options. If you could let me know your thoughts

Our comments on these hotels are as follows:

They are all very good hotels, and we have stayed at MGM, NYNY, and Aria. It really comes down to location.

Rio– off the strip, and you cannot walk to the strip. I think they have a shuttle that you can take, or you can take a taxi. Apparently, they have a really good nightclub there if you can get in.

Mandalay Bay – very nice hotel, on the strip, across from the airport. But at the extreme south end of the strip, probably 2 miles from the mirage. Lots of walking to get anywhere, and you do not want to take taxis all of the time

Luxor

Better location, on the strip, at the south end, still a long way from the main hotels.

Aria – on the strip, between NYNY and Bellagio, across the street from the Mgm Grand, good location , brand new and very modern looking. we personally do not like it because it is all glass and steel, grey, not the desert tones, huge place and offers everything you will want.

MGM – on the strip, huge, (5000 rooms) can take the monorail to other locations from this hotel, across the street from the NYNY and Aria .

New York, New York– I like this place,my wife not so much, unique in that it represents the ny sky line, and streets of new york inside in the restaurant area, has a roller coaster going through it, has two neat bars – coyotes and also the dueling pianos.

For my money I would stay at NYNY or Mgm. and get a M-life slot card to use when I am playing the slots there. . You can still walk to the Bellagio fountains, the Mirage volcano and the TI pirate show ( about a mile) as well as many of the other hotels along the strip.

Take Good Walking Shoes

Remember these hotels are huge, just to get from your room to the street is a good walk, so make sure you take good walking shoes.

For free drinks, make sure you have some money in the slot machine, whether you are playing or not, tip $1 for a drink for each of you, and order whatever you want.

if you go downtown, take a taxi, do not walk. it is too far and there are some less than good areas on the way, especially at night.

Back in Sept of 2011, we wrote a post about receiving an invitation from the Encore and Wynn Casino in Las Vegas to stay free at either hotel. You can read this post by clicking here.   Well we went to Las Vegas and stayed in a suite at the Encore Hotel , which is part of the Wynn chain of hotels that were designed and built by Steve Wynn. He is a leader in Las Vegas.

We were only on the 11th floor, however even with this view we were more than satisfied. The picture on the right shows you what we saw of the strip and also the mountains in the distance.

Circus Circus and the Las Vegas Hilton hotels are not far away and all in all we were very satisfied with this view.

Our room was also grand. It was a two-room suite with a work area, large couch to recline on and a flat-screen TV that rotated between the bedroom and the living room. Everything was elegant and the bathroom provided a shower as well as a tub to soak in. There was also another small flat-screen TV in the bathroom to allow you to keep up with the news or your favorite soap TV show.

Encore Casino Hotel Rooms

I added a couple of pictures at the bottom of this post to show you what the room is like. Hope you enjoy them. When you are staying free at a hotel like this you really appreciate just how nice they are. This is a 5 category hotel for sure.

We were very impressed with the hotel. The only negative and really all of the hotels in Las Vegas suffer from this is the size of the place. They are huge and that means a lot of walking. When you consider that there is probably 3000 rooms in the Encore and another 3000 rooms at the Wynn, these places get really large.

Gambling Encore

We tried gambling at Encore and it just did not work for us. So we would walk over to the Wynn casino, all indoors of course and play at the Wynn Casino. We did far better here and I must say that the waitresses were always around with free drinks for us. We tipped a dollar every time. They made sure we had whatever we wanted.

We also ate at the Switch restaurant located at Encore. This is the second time we have dined at this restaurant. My wife had Alaskan King Crab legs and I had the 9 oz filet Mignon steak. I was very satisfied with the steak, however, my wife was disappointed with the crab legs. They were not very large and not very many for the price.  Overall we felt a bit rushed and the meal was very pricey.  With a glass of wine each and the meal it came to over $200 for the two of us and I think that this is really too much considering the service we received and the quality of the food.

For those of you who may not be aware of the restaurant walls at Switch along with the ceiling change every 20 minutes or so. There are about 3 or 4 different designs that are displayed while you are dining. They change automatically and give you a different atmosphere each time. We saw 3 changes and it does get a bit boring the second time around. I would suggest you dine once to see this and then try another place.

Encore Casino Hotel Rooms

Here are the pictures of our room that I promised earlier in this post. If you have stayed at the Encore and would like to leave comments, please do so at the bottom of this post.

If you cannot go to Paris France, why not come to Paris Hotel Casino Las Vegas. Admittedly it is not the same thing at all, however you can visit a replica of the Eiffel Tower and even take an elevator ride to the top. We have not stayed at the Paris hotel yet, however perhaps the next time we visit Las Vegas. It is centrally located along the strip and close to all of the major hotels on the strip such as Caesars, Bellagio, Ballys and many others.

Whether you spend time at this hotel or stroll along the strip, this is a great city to visit and the hotel will more than live up to it’s name.

Following is a quick summary of what you can expect. When we visit this hotel , we will update this post more with our own pictures and personal comments.

Paris Hotel Casino Las Vegas – Slot Machines

There are over more than 1,700 slot machines which are set alongside streets capes, fountains and statues beneath the massive legs of our Eiffel Tower. You’ll find the very latest in themed slot machines, the most popular multi-line games and the infamous, statewide progressive Megabucks machines. The Champagne Slots, is in the high-limit slot area, which resembles an exclusive, Parisian courtyard.

Table Games

There have all of the popular table games that many people enjoy including: Craps ; Texas Hold’Em poker and Seven Card Stud; Baccarat ; Mini Baccarat ; Roulette with a wheel marked with numbers 1 through 36 and American roulette has a 0 and 00; Pai Gow

Restaurants

The Paris casino has great french based restaurants that offer the best in cooking for visitors. From 5 star restaurants to quick coffee shops, there is something for everyone. Café Belle Madeleine;Cafe Ile St Louis; Cafe du Parc; Eiffel Tower Restaurant; JJ’s Boulangerie; La Creperie; Le Provençal; Le Village Buffet; Les Artistes Steakhouse; Mon Ami Gabi; Le Burger Brasserie; Sugar Factory American Brasserie

Paris Hotel Casino Las Vegas – Major Points of Interest

If you are just passing through the Paris Hotel and Casino, you will want to take a moment to see the following areas of the Paris Hotel and Casino

• Great French restaurants
• Great entertainment
• Eiffel Tower
• Outdoor café’s, particularly along the strip
• French atmosphere in the hotel
• Nice pool

What We Liked

• Great location for the hotel
• Outdoor café’s
• Some of the best French restaurants
• Eiffel tower
• A very charming hotel & casino
• Variety of slot machines
• Free drinks while gambling
• Buffet
• Pool area and spa free to hotel guests
• Hotel rates are very reasonable and competitive
• Covered garage parking
• Easy access from all highways
• Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas

What We Did Not Like

There are no real complaints about the Paris hotel & casino

It is a 4 star hotel in our estimation and quite adequate for our needs

Slot Player Card

They are part of the Harrah’s Total Rewards slot players card system. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at many Las Vegas hotels,  as well as sister hotels in Tunica, Biloxi, Laughlin and Reno.

If you have not taken advantage of slot player cards, there are a number of benefits that many slot players should consider. Harrahs has hotels as well as casinos in most major markets across the country and all are available to Harrahs Total Rewards members. Free or discounted rooms, email mailing list of promotions, free or discounted meals, access to entertainment, and a tax report outlining your losses and wins for tax claim purposes.

Paris Hotel Casino Las Vegas – Parking

There is ample parking at the Paris hotel & casino in a large parking garage beside the hotel. There is no surface parking that we observed. You can access the hotel from the garage via an elevator from all levels.

Directions:Located at 3655 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, it is easily reached from the Las Vegas Strip. Access to the Strip from I15 can be from a number of exits. They will take you on to the strip and then to the Paris Hotel. It is located across the road from the Bellagio, and it is beside Bally’s Casino right in the center of the strip action.