Travel Blog

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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This picture is not the greatest, since it was taken from the 17th floor of the Aquarius Casino Laughlin in Laughlin, Nevada. The reflection through the window is a bit bothersome. But you can see the Colorado River and Bullhead, Arizona on the other side.

Bullhead is actually is in a different timezone from Nevada, mountain time! If you are visiting or living on the other side of the river, one must keep track of what time it is and take note of the one hour time difference across the river.

We have been to the Aquarius many times and always have fun and great food. The Aquarius is starting to spend some money on updates to its casino, and hotel. These updates are needed since the hotel was in danger of becoming tired looking. For example the old Starbucks is now closed. The area has been reopened as a coffee shop under the Aquarius name. Note, you can still obtain free WiFi at the coffee shop. This makes it a very popular spot for many people who wish to check their email or check on air schedules at the airport.

Aquarius Casino Laughlin – First Time

If you are visiting the Aquarius for the first time, take advantage of the boardwalk along the river. Meander along the river from casino to casino. This is a nice way to spend an hour or so taking in the river and the fresh clean air. You can go into any of the casinos. However in our opinion the Aquarius is the best of them all in terms of cleanliness and fresh air. Many of them have low ceilings and not enough air movement to get rid of the cigarette smoke that seems to hang around.

The buffet at the Aquarius is also something to visit and enjoy. You get the standard buffet for the price that you pay plus wine or beer with your meal. On the weekends, they have a seafood buffet. They have the best crab legs we have seen at many other locations. Try to get a seat down by the window where you can look out on to the boardwalk and also observe people as they walk past. They can see you as well, so if you wish a little more privacy while you enjoy your meal, you may not want to sit right beside the window.

We ate at the Outback restaurant at Aquarius casino hotel in Laughlin Nevada tonight and enjoyed the meal very much. We sat in the bar area at a booth rather than wait in line for a table.  It measured up to other Outback restaurants we have been to in Canada and other parts of the US. The Aquarius Casino and hotel are in Laughlin Nevada. It is situated along the Colorado River along with about 8 or 9 other hotels in the area.

The restaurant is inside the hotel and does not have outdoor access. We found it to be quite dark and not endearing to us. The service was ok, although one of the servers lost a plate and it went screaming to the floor with a lot of food etc spattered all over the place. this was a bit of excitement we could have done without. These things happen, however, it was just one more thing that we think will persuade us to not go back to this particular restaurant.

Outback Restaurant at Aquarius Casino vs. Texas Roadhouse

However, when we compare it to a Texas Roadhouse or Logan’s roadhouse, we found it somewhat lacking. We have been to these restaurants as well in many places and have come to enjoy them very much for their atmosphere, their food, and of course their happy hour drinks and specials. A Texas Roadhouse is at the top of our list in terms of places to go for pubs and eateries of this particular class.

We found that portion size, tenderness of the meat, size of the baked potato, no salad all for a price that is more expensive than either of the other places mentioned just did not cut it for us. Of course, we are in a Casino, so the prices tend to be a bit higher, however, most casinos go out of their way to make sure that the portion size of the meal is way beyond what you really need to have. These portion sizes were actually quite small and not really appetizing at all. The baked potato was suitable for one person for example and not really shareable. A baked potato at a Texas Roadhouse for example would be twice the size and very sharable.

We probably will not go back to this particular restaurant chain, preferring to go to other places that provide better value. We will definitely not be going back to the Outback Steakhouse at the Aquarius and instead will go to some of the other restaurants at this hotel and other casinos along the Colorado River in Laughlin.

Starbucks at the Aquarius hotel and casino in Laughlin is now closed as of March 2013. It was replaced with a new coffee shop run by the hotel which will be opened in a few months.

They still have Subway and now also a McDonald’s restaurant. McDonald’s does not have wi-fi. However, the hotel has replaced the Starbucks wi-fi with a guest wi-fi service for people to use. The McDonald’s is pretty nice as these restaurants go and are a great place to meet. They offer the traditional free refills of coffee, which we enjoy a lot. They have a limit of two refills per customer.

Aquarius WiFi

I am using free WiFi now to prepare this post. During construction it has been intermittent, however, once the construction is finished, hopefully, it will be better. The new restaurant or coffee shop will be ready in a few months.

There is no guarantee that they will keep the free WiFi going, however many clients of the hotel have come to depend on it and use it to stay in touch with their friends and families, make reservations and update blogs as I am doing. Since we wrote this post, they opened the new Duet coffee shop, and the WiFi is operating as it was when Starbucks was in operation.

The Aquarius appears to be on a general upgrade program that is slowly improving their property. They have been changing a few machines and expanding the nonsmoking areas, which is a huge improvement as far as we are concerned.They still have the great buffet as well as the ala carte restaurant, however in our opining this could use some improvement. It is a little depressing to eat in this particular restaurant.

I cannot wait to see what they do next.

We have visited the Golden Nugget Laughlin Nevada several times over the past few years, but never have actually stayed at their hotel. My wife and I plan to remedy that in a month or two. We thought that in preparation for our visit we should do a little research even though we have been their several times. The Golden Nugget is situated at the south end of the board walk along the Colorado River.  It is all white on the outside and has a tropical flavor as you enter the main lobby. There is a waterfall and tropical gardens with the check in counter to the right and Harlows restaurant on the left. We will write more about Harlows in a moment.

Golden Nugget Laughlin  – Visitors Enjoy this location

We spoke to one patron who is staying at the hotel. They have stayed at this hotel many times in the past and enjoy the hotel very much. The rooms are apparently clean with period furniture and most if not all look out onto the river which is a nice view to have. We will confirm this and update this report in the next few months. Stay tuned. The pool looks great too judging from this picture that we were able to find.

There is ample surface parking and there is a large parking garage as well to provide protection for your cars from the sun and any wind that sometimes comes up. We always prefer to park in the garage to protect our car from the hot sun. The parking lots are also observed by security with regular rounds being made by security guards.

Casino Facilities

The casino itself is on par with other casinos in the area, however the ceilings are low compared to many others which might bother some people. They have all of the common machines and tables that many people will look for and we also noticed a lot of penny and nickel slot machines. In particular they have lots of poker and keno video slot machines which the writer likes to play. Unfortunately there is a lot of people smoking and the low ceilings do not help with regards to removing it.

While we have only played at this casino several times for a hour at a time we have already received an offer for two free nights at the hotel, which we plan to take them up on during the spring.

Golden Nugget Laughlin  – Restaurants in the Casino

On the river side there is Joes Crab Shack that is on a deck that extends out over the Colorado River. On a sunny warm day this is a great place to spend your afternoon or evenings over a few drinks enjoying a meal and watching the boats go up and down the river. It is a casual environment, with shorts and sandals welcome. You can also observe the distant shore which is actually Arizona and in a different time zone as well.

Harlows is a restaurant that we have been to several times. The service is excellent and the meals are large and of really good quality. You get real home fries and not those frozen cubes that a lot of places like to serve. It is always busy and that tells a lot about the food and the service at Harlows Golden Nugget.

We will add to this post later this spring. In the mean time if you have stayed at the Golden Nugget Laughlin Nevada, please leave a comment. Let us know what you thought.

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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.

We recently visited Searchlight, Nevada, and went to the  Nugget Casino in Searchlight for lunch. There are two casinos in this little village, one is the Search Light Nevada Nugget Casino and the other is called Terrible’s.

The village of Searchlight is at the intersection of routes 95 and 164 between Boulder City and Laughlin.  There is nothing around for miles. This old mining town is a great spot to stop for gas, perhaps a bite to eat, and also perhaps a bit of gambling.

The address is for those that need it is: 100 N. Hwy. 95, P.O. Box 187, Searchlight, NV 89406 . The phone number is (702)297-1201.

The Searchlight Nugget is a neat little casino with a bar and a small restaurant in the casino. Of course, there are approximately 90 slot machines. The town of Searchlight sports another casino, a gas station, and a school. Also, a small home development and the usual set of trailers make up the small population. People living in Searchlight either work at the local businesses or at the Lake Mohave park a few miles away.

Search Light Nevada Nugget Casino – Restaurant

The restaurant was busy when we stopped. We sat at the counter, since all of the tables were already taken and we also like to sit at the counter as a means of meeting people to learn about the surrounding area.  Well, the food was ok, however we were not overly impressed with the service. It took a long time to get our meal, perhaps because they were already busy when we arrived.

There was one major turn-off for us, and that was the waiters that served us. They were very nice people, friendly and offering good service. They talked to us and inquired where we were from since it was pretty obvious that we were tourists. The thing that turned us off was their teeth. They obviously could not afford a dentist, and as a result, some were missing teeth, and many of the teeth they still had were black. It is not a pretty site to look at when you have your meal and someone is talking and smiling at you with a mouthful of bad teeth.  Some may say we are being snobbish or overly critical; however, it was a shock to us. You just do not expect this when you are in a public restaurant that offers meals, etc. The waiters lived in Searchlight or in a small trailer park a few miles away.

Entertainment

The Searchlight Nugget has 99 slot and video machines, including an old western-style “Mills Black Beauty” cowboy slot machine. The Searchlight Nugget has three gaming tables, a small bar/lounge with an old-time Rock-Ola music box, and a cashier’s cage for change and to pay your restaurant check.

You can also take a 20-mile drive over to Lake Mohave. The area – which is warm year-round – has some of the best water sports and outdoor adventures in the state. You can enjoy nature hikes, cycling, and horseback riding along the shore, or you can rent a Jet Ski, sailboat, motorboat, canoe, or kayak and get on the water. This is a state park, and you will have to pay an entrance fee to enter. The Searchlight Nugget Casino Bar has live entertainment every weekend in the form of local and regional bands.

Reviews of the Nugget Casino in Searchlight

Although we have visited the Nugget Casino in Searchlight, we were also interested in what other people thought of the casino and the restaurant. Many found this to be a quaint little place with good food and a place to spend a few dollars at on the slots.

No one mentioned bad service or any major negatives. It is not a Las Vegas casino, that is for sure, but it is a nice spot to stop over on your way to Vegas, Laughlin, Nevada, or points further south along Route 95. For information and links to Las Vegas casinos, click here.

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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.

A friend who has never been to Vegas before is going for the first time and will be celebrating his 30th anniversary. This is a trip they have both been looking forward to for some time. He asked me what there is to do in Las Vegas. I sent them the following list of things to do, and hopefully, this will help other people going to Vegas for the first time as well.

What is there to do in Las Vegas

Here is a list of things you may want to consider as something to do while in Vegas, in addition to gambling and seeing all of the shows that are available, in no particular order

• Downtown Fremont experience at night
• Caesars Forum indoor mall
• Venation Indoor Mall
• Take a ride on a Gondola at the Venetian
• Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris hotel
• Bellagio fountains
• Bellagio-themed gardens off the main reception area
• Pool area Bellagio
• TI pirate show, weather permitting
• Tour the casinos, many are just plain amazing – Bellagio, Caesars, Wynn,
• The shopping center mall across from the Wynn

More Things to Do in Las Vegas

• Red rock canyons – 1 hour away
• Grand Canyon – 5 hours by car, can also take helicopter rides
• Trip into the desert if interested
• Pool time at your hotel
• Search shows playing and book in advance – Cirque de Soleil are spectacular
• Go to at least one good buffet – Wynn, Bellagio, Mirage
• Lots of inexpensive fast food places – at the mall, and some casinos
• Dueling piano bar at New York New York casino
• Tigers at the MGM Grand hotel
• Just walk the strip and take in the sights
• Sit at a bar in a casino, have a drink, and people-watch. Mirage Sports bar is good for this (if you are sitting at a bar with a 25-cent slot machine in front of you, stick a $20 bill in, play slowly, and your drinks should be free)
• Split your meals when you can; most are huge, and one person cannot eat everything by themselves.
• Visit the Apple store in the Fashion Center mall across from the Wynn Casino.
• Visit the Fashion Center Mall for all types of shopping. There is also a food court on the 3rd floor if you want a quick, inexpensive meal.
• Get a slot card and use it when you are playing. They are free, and you might get free room offers in the future.
• Sit at a slot machine, put $20 in, and play slowly. Ask a waitress for a drink of pretty much any kind, and tip a dollar each time to have a free drin.k

Make sure you take really good walking shoes. You will be walking a lot. Drink lots of water. You can be dehydrated quickly if it is hot.

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.

Well we just got an email from the Wynn casino in Las Vegas. They are offering us three free rooms at the Wynn casino or the Encore in Las Vegas. We have to stay on a Sunday through Thursday night. This is fine for us and the Encore in Las Vegas rooms are considered suites which are upgrades from the Wynn. Both are fantastic, and we are just so excited that we are getting these rooms for free. The cost of the room depends on the time of year and how busy the hotel is on any given week. A friend is staying at the same time as us. They are paying $149 a night which is supposed to be Casino Rate!

So with tax and everything that is almost a $600 value just in the rooms alone. It is nice coming to a casino knowing that you have already won and you are $600 ahead of the casino. So of course we are staying at the upgraded Encore for this trip and it is free! We will be gambling of course and may win or we may not. But at least we do not need to worry about paying for the rooms on this trip.

Encore in Las Vegas – Free Credit

But it does get better. They also are giving us $150 in free credit  which we can use at slot machines to play on and perhaps win some more money. Once at the TI or Treasure Island, we won $800 on our free play.

Booked our Stay

We have booked our stay in Oct and are planning our trip now. This is including the games we will play while we are there. We are also thinking about the restaurants we are going to go to and the shows we may see. Who knows we may end up spending all of our time in the casino playing the slots especially if we are lucky and win some money!

The Wynn and the Encore are sister hotels and casinos. You can play in either and use your red slot card to play, rack up points and perhaps earn more comp’s.

Shopping at The Encore

They are connected by a shopping mall which has many of the famous shops that only the rich can shop at and of course big winners at the slots or tables.

It is nice to browse but way beyond anything I want to pay for clothes and other things. The restaurants at either hotel are some of the best. We have yet to decide which one we will go to.  I am really looking forward to enjoying one of the best steaks you can have while in Las Vegas.

We have written reviews on both the Wynn and the Encore, which you may want to take the time to read. Click here for the Wynn and Click here for the Encore. Hope you enjoy and wish us luck!

We stayed at the new Aria City Center casino and hotel in May 2011. We like the hotel and overall complex, however it takes awhile to learn how to get around the entire area. This complex and we believe this is the correct word to use is huge. There are at least seven buildings complete with hotel, casino and a number of apartment style condo’s.

Contemporary is the key word to describe this casino, the hotel and really the entire property. For us, it was a bit too much, however everything is tasteful, elegant in a contemporary way and over the top with extras and overall design. The entrance to the hotel is off Las Vegas Boulevard and you end up parking in a parkade that is very secure and protected from the scorching sun.

Aria Casino Comp’s

We stayed at this hotel for two nights on a 2 night comp plan from our MLife casino card. I guess they wanted us to try the new hotel and casino since we had not stayed here before or even gambled here before. This is the value of the casino slot cards that most people do not even realize or get to take advantage off. We wrote about the Aria buffet on a previous post which we thoroughly enjoyed, so please check out this post as well. Comments are appreciated.

Slot Machines

There are over 150,000 square feet of slot machines space with all of the latest slots from penny machines to $5000 machines for everyone to try. They have some of the latest style machines with multiple lines and free games as well as some of the more traditional slots such as poker and keno.

We did not win at this casino so we are not as excited about it as we might be. We also found that the slot waitresses are not delivering free drinks as frequently as they used to. Seems that MGM has cut back in this area as they struggle to conserve cash and pay off some of the huge debt they have incurred at this complex and others that they have purchased.

Table Games

There are all of the traditional table games. Not much to say about them here. Nothing unique that we noticed about this area. Normally we will post the number of table games and kind of games, however the main web site for the Aria casino does not provide this information for the slots or for the table games.

Restaurants

There a loads of restaurants. We ate at the buffet one night and also at one of the restaurants along the casino floor. Very upscale and modern looking with the usual high prices for many of the casinos along the strip. Nothing too exciting to report about this restaurant. We enjoy the buffet very much, however the crab legs were cold. We like them warm and already split.

What We Liked

• Variety of slot machines
• Free drinks while gambling
• Buffet
• Pool area and spa free to hotel guests
• Hotel rates are very high unless you are there on a package or comp’d
• Covered garage parking
• Easy access from all highways
• Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas

What We Did Not Like

• Although contemporary in design, there is too much of it and it comes off being a bit cold to the senses
• Slot waitresses stingy on the free drinks
• Not a warm place to spend time in terms of the feel of the place.
• We probably would not stay here again unless offered free rooms

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 Aria 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: Entrance Right on the Las Vegas Strip

For more posts about Las Vegas casinos and things to do in Las Vegas, click here.

Harrahs Casino Las Vegas hotel is one of the older hotels that has been modernized in recent times and like many of the other casino hotels boasts over 3000 rooms and convention facilities available for guests staying in Las Vegas.

Harrahs Hotel & Casino is in the center of the strip across the street from the Mirage hotel and casino. Harrah’s Hotel & Casino is also down the street from The Flamingo, the Imperial palace and the Venetian Hotel in the other direction. Within a 10 minute walk, you can visit at least eight of the primary strip hotels. Harrah’s Hotel & Casino is central and a great place to stay. Harrah’s Hotel & Casino boasts a great special all you can eat dinner of either chicken, beef or pork with all of the extra’s.

They also book top line entertainment as well. This casino is part of the Harrah’s Casino hotel chain, that spans the US and Canada. Participating in the Total Rewards program allows you to stay in any of their hotels around the country, often for free, depending on your play.

Harrahs Casino Las Vegas

Slot Machines

There is more than 87,000 square feet of casino space at Harrahs Casino Las Vegas. From blackjack to slots, you’ll find all the action going on 24 hours a day. Harrah’s Las Vegas has more than 1,200 slots and 80 table games.

Table Games

They have all of the usual games for you to play. Including blackjack, baccarat, mini baccarat, craps, roulette, Caribbean  stud poker, let it ride and pai gow poker. They also have a poker room were you can try your hand at Texas Holdem in either regular games or in tournaments from time to time.

Restaurants

There are eleven restaurants that you can choose from while staying at Harrah’s or just passing through. These include:

• Café at Harrah’s
• Carnaval Court
• Flavors, The Buffet
• IcePan
• KGB: Kerry’s Gourmet Burgers
• Ming’s Table
• Oyster Bar at Harrah’s
• The Range Steakhouse
• Starbucks Coffee
• Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill

What We Liked

Harrah’s Hotel & Casino is very nice with a lot of great slot machines, a pool area, show facilities and conference facilities, however it does not have family style attractions as some of the other hotels do.

These are some of the items or areas that we liked about Harrah’s Hotel & Casino.

• Great slot machines
• Coffee shop
• The Comps are very good at Harrah’s using their Total Rewards slot card
• Central location
• Variety of slot machines
• Free drinks while gambling
• Buffet
• Pool area and spa free to hotel guests
• Hotel rates are very reasonable
• Covered garage parking
• Easy access from all highways
• Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas

What We Did Not Like

• Salesmen selling timeshare units, just ignore them
• Pool is not spectacular
• Nice hotel, but does not have the glamor and glitz of some of the other strip hotels

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 Atlantic city, Tunica, Biloxi, Laughlin and Reno. This particular card has lots of benefits with express comps, casino room rates, and many locations to use your comps.

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 Harrah’s hotel & casino in a large parking garage behind 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: 3475 Las Vegas Blvd South

From I-15 North/South

Take the Flamingo Road east exit. Turn left on Las Vegas Blvd. Harrah’s is located on the right, just past the Imperial Palace.

From I-95

From the 95 south, merge on to the I-15 south. Take the Flamingo Road east exit. Turn left on Las Vegas Blvd. Harrah’s is on the right, just past the Imperial Palace.

One of the best buffets in Las Vegas is at the Wynn Casino buffet. It ranks as one of the best because of the food, the service and the decor and of course it is part of the Wynn hotel which we happen to think is the number one hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

We had the fortunate circumstance to be treated to a free buffet the last time we were in Vegas by a friend of ours who had just won a large jackpot at the casino and we all love the buffet so that was our first choice.

Are Wynn Casino Buffets Really that Great?

Before we go on, when most people think of buffets, they think of long lines, of people crowding around the food which makes you wonder about the sanitary nature of everything.

The buffet managers at the Wynn have dealt with this issue very nicely simply by spreading everything out with island of food from various countries. If you would like Indian food, you go to one area, Italian another, Mexican to another and so on. It is very nicely presented and the variety of food available is simply outstanding.

Hours:

• Mon-Fri 8 am – 10:30 am
• Mon-Fri 11 am – 3:30 pm
• Mon-Thu, Sun 3:30 pm – 10 pm
• Fri-Sat 3:30 pm – 10:30 pm
• Sat-Sun 8 am – 3:30 pm

Attire:Casual

Accepts Credit Cards:Yes

Parking:Garage, Valet

Price Range:$$$ approximately $35 per person but well worth it

Good for Groups:Yes

Good for Kids:Yes

Takes Reservations:No

Waiter Service:Yes

Wi-Fi:No

Good For:Lunch, Dinner

Alcohol:Full Bar

Ambiance:Classy, Casual

Wheelchair Accessible:Yes

This is an outstanding restaurant and the waiters were excellent at clearing the tables, bringing drinks and ensuring that we had everything we needed. All we had to do is to decide what exotic food we wanted to try or desert. This is a warning for all visitors to this buffet – Save some room for desert, they are excellent.

The fashion view Mall in Las Vegas is one of the malls that everyone should visit sometime, while in Las Vegas. The mall is located on one of the best corners on the strip. The WYNN Casino, the Encore, the Palazzo, the Venetian, Treasure Island now called TI and the Mirage are withing easy walking distance. There are overhead walkways that will take you across the busy street so no concerns about getting there. In fact it is easier to walk than it is to take a cab. This central location makes it an excellent place to shop, to get away from the conferences to pick up a gift or just hang out for awhile. The address is Fashion Show – 3200 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109-2692 and the phone number is (702) 784-7000 .

The Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas is one of the nation’s largest shopping centers and it is Las Vegas’ premier retail destination. The distinctive saucer can be seen for miles around.

There is something for everyone from clothing to furniture to electronics. Apple has a retail outlet in this mall which is always busy.

The Fashion Show Mall offers six flagship department stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillard’s, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Nevada’s only Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale’s Home along with over 250 extraordinary shops and restaurants. There is also a food court and several coffee shops throughout the mall were you can relax while shopping.

Click here to visit our latest version of the Las Vegas Hotels Web site

Saucer, Food Court and over 100 Stores

You cannot miss the fashion show mall Las Vegas with the huge flying saucer shape at the entrance suspended in the air for all to see. This new entrance with the space like futuristic design is enjoyed by everyone visiting. There’s a huge food court, and well over 100 stores to shop with many of them being designer labels. This fashion show mall Las Vegas is a pleasure to stroll through with its airy openness and easy access for both pedestrians as well as parking at the rear.

Starbucks

There are also two Starbucks stores, one on the strip under the saucer with an outdoor seating area and the other inside the mall. Both are the standard Starbucks with free Wifi access and they accept the Starbucks gift cards.

Visit the Fashion View Mall For Fun and Relaxation

Everyone should visit the fashion show mall Las Vegas at least once and take in some of the many stores and attractions located inside the mall. This is a great opportunity to purchase some unique gifts for friends and family back home for your return trip from Las Vegas. I like to visit the mall during every trip. While my main purpose is to go to the Apple Store, I also enjoy walking through the mall to see what new trendy stores have opened up.

Visit the fashion show mall Las Vegas while you’re in Las Vegas attending a conference or just need some time away from the casinos and all that is going on along the strip.

For lots more information about Las Vegas, click here.

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The Venetian Casino and Hotel is another one of the most beautiful and elegant hotels in Las Vegas. As you enter the Venetian Hotel & Casino from the strip at street level you cross one of the canals. Consequently ou can take a ride in one of the gondola’s plying the canals. There are indoor and outdoor canals both with gondola’s to ride. You enter the Venetian Hotel & Casino on the main floor from the strip. In addition vacationers can also take the moving walkway to the second floor. The moving walkway runs from the strip to the canal shops area. Most noteworthy this is also a must see with many beautiful shops and restaurants including the artificial ceiling

There are 19 restaurants in total in the hotel. The Venetian Hotel & Casino provides excellent service and is a full service hotel with all of the services that anyone could require. These include of course the casino, restaurants, fine dining, coffee shops, gorgeous pool, shops, large conference facilities, and ample parking. The Venetian Hotel & Casino also has several bars with entertainment. As a result the rooms are a bit more expensive, with every one of them offering a suite style accommodation.

A new tower and casino has been added recently to the Venetian complex. This new vacation resort is called the Palazzo and is situated immediately beside the Venetian Hotel. We have only toured the palazzo casino as well as stayed at this hotel. However it is much the same as the Venetian, i.e. Elegant! You will not be disappointed.

Venetian Casino and Hotel – Slot Machines

The Venetian features Megajackpots® machines. They range from $1.00 Megabucks® (with jackpots that have gone higher than $30 million) to Wheel of Fortune®. As a result there is  something here for everyone.

The Venetian proudly offers a luxurious high-stakes slot experience. Denominations range from $1.00 all the way up to $1000.00 games. In addition jackpots go as high as $1,000,000.00 with progressives slot machines.

They also have a wide variety of video poker games with denominations ranging from $0.25 up to $25.00.

Table Games

The Venetian offers a full range of table games in lavish and friendly surroundings. With over 139 casino games, there’s sure to be something for everyone. They also offer a high-limit salon. Which includes 20 table games including Baccarat in a gaming area. Hence casino table games include:

• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• Craps
• Roulette
• Pai Gow tiles
• Pai Gow poker
• Caribbean Stud™
• Big Six
• Three Card Poker™
• Spanish 21
• Casino War
• Texas hold’em Poker
• Let it Ride

Restaurants

In addition all of the restaurants are excellent and include the following:

• AquaKnox – Seafood
• B&B Ristorante – Italian
• Bouchon – French
• Canalette – Italian
• Delmonico Steakhouse – All American Steakhouse
• Pinot Brasserie – French Steakhouse
• Postrio Br & Grill – Contemporary American
• Tao – Asian Bistro
• Vaentino – Italian
• Zeffirino – Italian Seafood
• Canyon Ranch Cafe and Grill – Healthy Spa Cuisine
• Eniteca Otto Pizzeria – Italian
• Grand Lux Cafe – Global Cuisine
• Noodle Asia – Pan Asia
• Quick Elite
• Riva Poolside – American
• Taqueria Cafionita – Mexican
• The Grill at Veneation – Italian
• Tintoretto Bakery Italian bakery
• Trattoria Reggiano – Italian

Major Points of Interest

If you are just passing through the hotel, you will want to take a moment to see the following areas:

• Canal shops
• Gondola rides inside and outside in the canals
• Open and bright almost cheery casino
• Live entertainment beside the casino
• Great pool area

What We Liked

These are some of the items or areas that we liked about the Venetian Casino and Hotel.

• Free entertainment
• Canal shops
• Great Casino with good comps
• Suite style rooms
• Large Convention Space
• Elegance everywhere
• Free drinks while you are playing the slots or the tables
• Central location, close to several other excellent hotels and the Fashion Show Mall

What We Don’t Like

These are some of the items or areas that we did not like about the Venetian Casino and Hotel.

• Could not think of anything

Slot Player Card

They are part of the Venetian slot players card system called Grazie. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at the Venation and the Palazzo.

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

Parking

There is ample parking at the Venetian 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. Also the parking garage is patrolled on a regular basis. In addition it also protects your car from the weather.

Directions:

The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109. The Venetian hotel is near Spring Mountain and Las Vegas Blvd. Hence it is across the street from Treasure Island the Mirage Hotels. Down the street you have the Palazzo, the Wynn and the Encore and the Fashion Show Mall.

The Palazzo  Hotel & Casino is another one of the most beautiful and elegant hotels in Las Vegas and a sister hotel to the  Venetian Hotel & Casino. You can enter from the strip at street level . There are indoor and outdoor canals both with gondola’s to ride. You enter the Palazzo Hotel & Casino on the main floor from the strip. Vacationers can also take the moving walkway to the second floor from the strip and enter the canal shops area. This is also a must see with many beautiful shops and restaurants including the artificial ceiling. There is a pedestrian walkway across Spring Mountain road to the Wynn hotel and Casino, with direct entry into the Palazzo hotel.

Palazzo Casino & Hotel – Restaurants

There are 15 restaurants in total in the hotel. The Palazzo Hotel & Casino provides excellent service and is a full service hotel with all of the services that anyone could require. These include of course the casino, restaurants, fine dining, coffee shops, gorgeous pool, shops, large conference facilities, and ample parking. The PalazzoHotel & Casino also has several bars with entertainment. The rooms are a bit more expensive, with everyone of them offering a suite style accommodation. This is a brand new hotel with the last few years. Everything is spectacular, with beautiful rooms, great views of the strip and the mountains.

We have toured the Polazzo casino as well as stayed at this hotel. However it is much the same as the Venetian, i.e. Elegant! You will not be disappointed.

Slot Machines

The Palazzo features Megajackpots® machines from $1.00 Megabucks® (with jackpots that have gone higher than $30 million) to Wheel of Fortune®. There’s something here for everyone.

The Palazzo proudly offers a luxurious high-stakes slot experience. For example with denominations ranging from $1.00 all the way up to $1000.00 games. And jackpots go as high as $1,000,000.00 with progressives slot machines.

They also have a wide variety of video poker games with denominations ranging from $0.25 up to $25.00.

Table Games

The Palazzo offers a full range of table games in lavish and friendly surroundings. With over 139 casino games, there’s sure to be something for everyone. They also offer a high-limit salon, which includes 20 table games including Baccarat in a gaming area. Casino table games include:

• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• Craps
• Roulette
• Pai Gow tiles
• Pai Gow poker
• Caribbean Stud™
• Big Six
• Three Card Poker™
• Spanish 21
• Casino War
• Texas hold em Poker
• Let it Ride

Restaurants

All of the restaurants are excellent and include the following:

• Carnevino – Steakhouse
• Cut – Steakhouse
• LAVO – Italian
• Moreles French Steakhouse and Bistro – French
• Table 10 – New American
• Sushisamba – Japanese, Peruvian & Brazilian
• Zine Noodles Dim Sum – Pan Asian
• Canyon Ranch Grill – Healthy Spa Cuisine
• Dal Toro Ristorante – Italian
• Dos Caminos – Mexican
• Expressamente Illy – Italian Cafe
• First Food & Bar – American
• Grand Lux – Global Cuisine
• Solaro – American
• Lagasse’s Stadium – American

Palazzo Casino Major Points of Interest

If you are just passing through the hotel, you will want to take a moment to see the following areas of the Palazzo Hotel & Casino.

• Shopping area joining the Venetian and Palazzo Hotels
• Canal shops
• Gondola rides inside and outside in the canals
• Open and bright almost cheery casino
• Live entertainment beside the casino
• Great pool area

What We Liked

These are some of the items or areas that we liked about the Palazzo Hotel & Casino.

• Free entertainment
• Canal shops
• Great Casino with good comps
• Suite style rooms
• Large Convention Space
• Elegance everywhere
• Free drinks while you are playing the slots or the tables
• Central location, close to several other excellent hotels and the Fashion Show Mall

What We Don’t Like

These are some of the items or areas that we did not like about the Palazzo Hotel & Casino.

• Could not think of anything

Palazzo Casino Slot Player Card

They are part of the Palazzo slot players card system called Grazie. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at the Venation as well as the Palazzo.

There are a number of benefits that many slot players should consider. For example free or discounted rooms, email mailing list of promotions. Also free or discounted meals, access to entertainment. As well as a tax report outlining your losses and wins for tax claim purposes.

Parking

There is ample parking at the Palazzo 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:

The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109. The Palazzo hotel is near Spring Mountain and Las Vegas Blvd across the street from Treasure Island the Mirage Hotels. Down the street you have the Venetian, the Wynn and the Encore and the Fashion Show Mall.

We visited the AVI Casino again this year and thought it would be appropriate to give an update to our previous post. You can refer to the previous post by, clicking here.

For those of you who have not been to this casino before, the picture on the left gives up some idea about the property.  It is located on the banks of the Colorado river. It is a sprawling property with a show area for conventions and entertainment. There is also RV parking and a golf course all within walking distance of the hotel and the casino.

We visited the casino on two different days and enjoyed ourselves both days. We even participated in a slot poker tournament. You start with 1350 credits and have 10 minutes to see how well you do. I ended up even, which is not very good as it turns out. Several players were up over 500 credits and this is on jacks or better video poker.

Pool Area

One of the comments we made last time was how much we admired the pool area and the beach along the Colorado river. Since we are not guests at AVI, we cannot enter the pool area, however we did take a picture and also made a short video of the beach and pool area. Since a picture is worth a 1000 words here it is.

The Beach on the Colorado River

The following video shows the beach area on the river during off season.

AVI Casino – Environment

One of the issues we had with this casino along with many others is the amount of smoke from smokers that you have to deal with. We are not sure if there are less smokers or they have a better ventilation system. But the air in the casino was much better than previous times we have been there.

Visitors should note that there are smoking areas in the restaurants since this casino is in Nevada. It is also on Indian tribal lands were they make their own rules. I wish someone would bring them up to speed about the problems with smoking and the impact it has on cancer rates. Their machines and casino would be a lot cleaner as well.

We recently stayed at the Wynn Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. After staying at a number of other hotels in Las Vegas as well other cities, this hotel is by far the best we have visited to date.  Steve Wynn has done a fabulous job of designing and building a work of art. He also runs a hotel the way it should be run. Everything is kept clean and sparkling. It is updated on a regular basis with new furniture in the rooms, electronic controls for the lighting and the curtains. Everything is state of the art.

For a full review of the Wynn Hotel and Casino, click here.

Wynn Casino Las Vegas Update

We used to think that the Bellagio, which was also built by Steve Wynn, was the best hotel in Las Vegas. Make no mistake, it is a beautiful hotel. One that we would love to stay at anytime. However if I have to rank the two, the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas is a step above the Bellagio.

Dining at the Wynn

We ate at the deli the first  night, not wanting to take too much time out from playing the slots. The service and the food was quite good. This is a deli after all and a fast food kind of place for a casino. I hesitate to use that term at the Wynn, since it does not compare at all with the traditional fast food kind of places that we think about. Cloth napkins,  regular utensils and meals served to you at your table. You order your meals at the counter. This is the style we are describing at the Wynn’s deli restaurant.

We also dined at the Wynn buffet. Now this buffet would probably be considered expensive by many people who go to buffets at $35 a person. However when you consider that you can choose from lobster, crab legs, and all of the other usual types of food, the price does seem to be more reasonable.  Very few buffets will include lobster ! Need less to say we thoroughly enjoyed the meal and also ate way too much!

Our Room

Our room at Wynn was located on the 23rd floor over looking the strip and the western mountains. You could not ask for a better view. We could see the pirate show at Treasure Island as well as the volcano eruption at the Mirage.

The room itself was simply elegant and we did not have an upgraded room. I can just imagine what a suite would be like. White Leather furniture, two flat screen TV’s, one for the bathroom, one for the main room, a desk to work at and a fantastic view. There was also an electronic console which allowed you to control the lights and the curtains as well as the temperature all from the comfort of your bed. The only thing missing is the ability to make a coffee for your self in your room.

Waterfalls

Outside at the front of the hotel along the strip is an actual mountain complete with large pine trees, several waterfalls and lakes. surrounding the lakes are several restaurants that on nice days in Vegas you can sit and enjoy your meal outdoors. Most days are spectacular in Las Vegas, although you do get a few when it is too cold or even rain, however these are very seldom.

The picture on the left is one of those waterfalls, however on the day I took this picture it was turned off for maintenance. There was a guy in the lake at the bottom taking out leaves and other debris that accumulates from time to time. Still even with no water it is a spectacular view in the middle of the desert!

We will stay at this hotel again and we can personally recommend it to anyone reading this post. Feel free to leave comments if you also have stayed at this hotel. Spam comments will be auto deleted.

All you can eat hot juicy crab legs,at the Aquarius buffet on Friday or Saturday nights, or perhaps you like prime rib or both! We just ate at the Aquarius buffet for two for the huge price of  .92 cents. Can you imagine what a deal this is. We also had  4 glasses of wine! There was a choice of red wine, white wine, beer or margaritas and we could have had more to drink, however this was enough for us.

Nice View at the Aquarius

We sat by the windows along the Colorado river, had our meal of crab legs, desert and coffee, and we could have also had all of the other selections such as mashed potatoes, gravy, prime rib, salads, soups, buns and a hundred more items from this fabulous buffet. So how did we have such a fabulous buffet for only .92 cents. Well it is all about using the casino slot card while you play and then taking advantage of your comps! Some of our other posts have talked about the advantages of using slot cards, however this just demonstrates why everyone should have a slot card and use it when they play.

The following is a short video of Laughlin Nevada, taken from the eastern side of the river in Bullhead City, Arizona. Click on the following link.

Colorado River in Laughlin Nevada

We are also taking advantage of a free rooms offer from the hotel while we stay here. This is  because of the slot card that we use. We have had breakfast as well on the comps which was also actually a brunch. We had one of the best omelets we have had on our trip.  For more information about slot cards and why you should always carry and use them when you are playing the slots at any of the hotels, click here.

If you would like more information about the Aquarius Hotel and our original review of the hotel and casino, click here.

Aquarius Hotel Casino Updates

There has not been a lot of changes at the casino or the hotel. We noticed that the elevators are being updated. Some of the rooms have been redone since we here last. There seemed to be more poker and keno machines around the floor. We spend most of our time in the non smoking section of the casino. However there are just as many people smoking as ever. So if the stale cigarette smoke bothers you, then this is the place to be.

We noticed one new penny slot machine which was getting a lot of action. This is the wheel of fortune with 6 seats or slot machines sharing a giant 10 by 8 foot TV screen were you get to watch everyone’s wheel of fortune wheel spin when they get the free spin award. It is fun and exciting to see people win, however as with all of these machines you must be careful about how much money you bet. The maximum is $2.70 per spin, so you can go through a $100 in a hurry. We watched one lady work her credits up to over $300, only to lose it all over a period of 30 minutes.

As the saying goes, know when to fold them. It was fun to watch these players as well as play. Unfortunately for us we did not win anything on this machine.

Buy Gas on the Arizona Side

A note to readers if you drive to Laughlin, Nevada. While you may be tempted to fill up with gas on the Nevada side, take the time to drive over to Bullhead, Arizona. It is just on the other side of the river. Gas is a lot cheaper on the Arizona side. You can even get better deals if you wash your car at the same time. When we filled up, gas was selling for $3.09 on the Nevada side, while it was $2.91 on the Arizona side . I also got my car washed and while the car wash cost $10.00 for the works, the gas was further discounted to $2.71 a gallon for regular gas. A great deal!

They even scrubbed the car  first with a brush to get the worst of the dirt and bugs off the bumper before we went through the car wash. They gave us a cloth to dry the car and an air  freshener, what a great deal.

There are water taxis along the Colorado River which you can take for $6 a ride or $10 a day. check with the local taxis to confirm prices, since they seem to change on a regular basis.

Satisfied with the Aquarius Casino

We were very happy with the service and the quality of the food and drinks that we received at the Aquarius casino. Although we did not win anything at the slots, our room and food was comp’d and we had as much as we wanted in terms of drinks. All in all not a bad deal.

We are off to Vegas next, staying at the Mirage Casino and Hotel. If you would like more information about the Mirage, click here.

Your comments are welcome, to assist our readers enjoy their vacation in Laughlin Nevada. Spam comments will be auto-deleted. For more posts about Laughlin, click here.

This is a news alert for anyone planning to go to Vegas and stay at the Mirage Casino and Hotel in Jan and Feb of 2016. Pool Closed at the Mirage Casino. It is usually closed for major maintenance at this time of year. We suggest that you check with the front desk before making reservations during the winter months if you want to use the pool area.

Sometimes it is closed for maintenance. The water has been drained and it looks like the bottom and the sides of the pool are being redone. It can be very disappointing if you want to use the pool during this time.

Checking the Mirage web site did not show any indication that the pool will be closed. Nor any update as to what is planned for the pool. We are never sure if the pool is being repaired or if the MGM group will be making major changes to the pool area. For any that have been there, you will recall that it was always a great place to be with lots of sun all afternoon, waterfalls and bridges. A great place to spend the day working on your suntan.

Annual Maintenance

The Mirage hotel routinely uses Jan to perform regular maintenance on the pool. The weather is usually cooler and the pool is not heated so it is a good time to perform this maintenance, however, the least they could do is let people know that it is closed before they book their trips. It would be a big disappointment if you were planning to soak up some sun on warm January days. Right now you cannot even go out on the pool deck due to all of the workman and the noise.

For more information about the Mirage Hotel and Casino, click here.

We are staying at the Mirage hotel for two nights at the end of Jan comp’d by the hotel. We have not stayed here for a few years, preferring to stay at the Wynn or the Bellagio hotels. I guess it is a slow time for them and they wanted to get us back to spend a few dollars. For those of you who are not aware, using a slot card at a hotel will usually get you free meals and free nights. However, if you stop gambling at a hotel, sometimes they will invite you back, give you some free stuff, etc. to get you coming back to their casino. We used to stay here all the time and then stopped.

Well, we are fortunate to be able to take advantage of this offer this year as we are on our way to California.

Updates at the Mirage

The Mirage is very nice and has been updated in recent years to be more contemporary. We like bright airy places and the casino is now darker than it used to be. It still has the beautiful fish tank behind the reception desk. Also he tropical waterfall at the entrance to the casino and classy bars and restaurants.

Our room has also been updated with new furniture and designs. Gone are the boxy clothes drawers. They have been replaced by a sleek glass and wood wall that encompasses the flat-screen TV. There is a desk for those of us that feel the need to work while we are on vacation. Also for road warriors to keep up with the email back at the office.

Speaking of email, one of the things that the MGM group has started in Vegas and Atlantic City is a resort fee. They now charge from $15 to $35 per night for access to the internet, newspaper and the gym. There is no choice in this, even if you do not use these features. Apparently Harrahs also does this as well. Most of us cannot exist without the internet these days. However, there are also so many free sites around that we do not need to pay for the service.

As of this writing, we do not think that Wynn is levying this daily charge.

Comments are appreciated.