Las Vegas in the Fall....

[cowgirl836]

Husband and I are looking into going to Las Vegas before or after Thanksgiving next month. I've read through several threads on where to stay, what to do, etc., and have used that to narrow down some choices, but wanted to get more input.

We're looking at a range of hotels including the Bellagio, Venetian, Aria, Monte Carlo, Vdara, and NYNY. We're not gamblers at all, but want to do all the normal stuff like see the fountains and go to a Cirque show - probably Ka or Mystere, and try some of the restaurants/buffets. Since it will be November, I'm assuming there isn't much in the way of pools going on?

Also want to go out to the Hoover Dam and Red Rocks Canyon (on recommendation by a relative who used to live in Vegas and was actually married to one of the hotel owners, I believe). We are just under 25, so we're trying to decide if a car rental would be worth it or do a pre-packaged trip for those things.

Neither of us have been there before so any and all input is great!

 

[CLONECONES]

if you're going to gold & silver pawn, expect a letdown

 

[cowgirl836]

Lol, never even watched that show so I doubt we'll be doing that.

 

[longtimeclone]

I would probably rent a car because it gives you the freedom to go as you choose. I believe most of the casinos have ramps where parking is free if you self park. Driving in Vegas can be a pain but it can be done but I probably would only use it if you take longer trips like the Hoover Dam or Red Rocks Canyon. If you decide to walk keep in mind the actual distances the casinos because they don't seem that far apart but it can be a little bit of a walk.

I also saw Mystere and thought it was a great show.

 

[cowgirl836]

I would probably rent a car because it gives you the freedom to go as you choose. I believe most of the casinos have ramps where parking is free if you self park. Driving in Vegas can be a pain but it can be done but I probably would only use it if you take longer trips like the Hoover Dam or Red Rocks Canyon. If you decide to walk keep in mind the actual distances the casinos because they don't seem that far apart but it can be a little bit of a walk.

I also saw Mystere and thought it was a great show.

that's great to know on parking - I'm in Madison and you pay for parking anywhere here so I was worried that could really add up in Vegas.

 

[brianhos]

I stayed at venetian last time, it was nice but not worth the $$. If I was paying for it on my own, I would have stayed somewhere else. I had a friend staying at Cosmo, that was a lot nicer I thought.

 

[resident]

Check a bag and bring bottles of liquor along with a decent sized flask.

Of the places I've stayed, Rio and Platinum are both decently priced with very large rooms but not convenient for walking. Bill's is cheap with very small rooms but conveniently located.

Hotels Monday-Thursday are dirt cheap so if you can avoid the weekend it will save you a ton of money on hotels. If you are ambitious enough to move hotels every day I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend using the Hotel Tonight app. You book your room for that night at noon and can get insanely cheap rooms. I paid $25 for Rio on a Friday night. Don't worry about not being able to find a room either. Vegas is overbuilt and will never fill up (except maybe New Years Eve).

If you are into night clubs, Tao was awesome when I went on a Thursday night with ATB DJing. Surrender sucked because the dance floor was kind of an afterthought to the pool and Calvin Harris is a terrible live DJ. Fill and bring in the flask mentioned above. No night clubs look for them at the door and as long as you use it discretely nobody will notice. Mixed drinks at most clubs are $10-20 so this can save a lot of money.

Platinum Hotel is a great, casinoless place off the strip about a quarter mile from Bill's/Bellagio if you want to get away from the lights and sounds of the casinos. Rooms are about $100/night on the weekend.

 

[TheBentStick]

My preferred casino hotel is Caesar's. It has the best Vegas old school/rat pack feel to me.

 

[isuchicago]

If you go last minute on a holiday weekend and everything else is booked..never, under any circumstances stay at the aruba. Its not like a "margaritas on the beach" aruba experience. Its more like Aruba-"The Natalee Holloway experience"

 

[legi]

I recommend Aria... was there for Labor day weekend, and would stay there again.
Don't do buffets... overpriced, and not that great.
"O" was the best Cirque show I've seen.
We rented a car for the Grand canyon trip versus the organized tour... we wanted to do it on our own, and it might've been a bit cheaper.
Went with Dean's outdoor adventures for a Hoover Dam trip, and was good time (look for groupons for deals).
If you are into clubs, go to Marquee or XS.

 

[cowgirl836]

thanks for all the recommendations - pretty seriously looking at Vdara and Aria at the moment - trying to read through the forum on TripAdvisor.

FYI, for those interested in going in the future, check out smartervegas.com and view some of the deals (sign up for free to see unlisted ones), and restaurant.com (for any city). Already found a few deals that will knock a couple hundred off a few of the hotels we're perusing.

 

[dmclone]

We rented a Corvette convertible from Hertz and drove to Valley of Fire(Similar to Red Rocks) this summer. Just a little more than a normal car. Valley of Fire is pretty sweet but if I hadn't been to either I'd probably choose the Hoover Dam.

As far as Hotels. I've stayed a MGM, Pallazo, Planet Hollywood, Vdara, Monte Carlo, Luxur (towers), etc. The truth is that I've yet to have a bad room. I think location is the most important and Monte Carlo/Planet Hollywood have always worked best for me even though the rooms are just average for Vegas.

MGM-The rooms we stayed in were average for vegas. The only thing I didn't like was the location and how busy it was.

Vdara-Went a month after it was built and the rooms were awesome. Only thing I didn't like is that it didn't have a casino but Aria is really close so no biggie. Also not a lot of bars or dining.

Pallazo-Really nice rooms. Decent casino. For some reason, it seemed like I spent a ton of money there. Maybe I'm just getting cheap. A lot of good places to eat nearby.

Planet Hollywood-Nicer rooms than I expected. Good location, good dining, shopping, etc.

Luxur-It's been probably 10 years since I stayed there and the rooms were just average. I assume they are really dated now and the location is horrible.

I haven't stayed at the Cosmo but it looks like it would be one of my favorites.

Not much of a show person but saw O and was impressed.

For dining I'd recommend Hash House A go go for breakfast and then you won't need to eat again the rest of the day. If you want something casual "I love burgers" is pretty good. I like In-N-Out but I love burgers was better. If you want buffet I think Bellagio has the best one.

Don't forget to take a cab downtown for an evening. You'll spend a lot less money downtown that will more than pay for your cab.

 

[ISUME]

Not to be a ****, but I don't understand why people who don't gamble go to Vegas. You could go to any big city and see shows and go shopping.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I think Vegas is one of the few places where I don't want/need to rent a car. Shuttle to the strip, and shuttle back when done. i've done a pre-packaged trip to the Hoover Dam twice, and IIRC they weren't very expensive.

I've stayed in a place that's now bulldozed, The Paris, and The Mirage. The Mirage was the best by far. Good food, good location, really nice rooms. This was 2.5 years ago, though.

 

[NickTheGreat]

Not to be a ****, but I don't understand why people who don't gamble go to Vegas. You could go to any big city and see shows and go shopping.

If you want to gamble you could just go to Prairie Meadows. Or if you don't want to stay at home, go to Council Bluffs

 

[cowgirl836]

Not to be a ****, but I don't understand why people who don't gamble go to Vegas. You could go to any big city and see shows and go shopping.

my husband has always wanted to visit. So we are. It seems like there is a decent amount of other things to do/see besides gambling. Plus I'm sure it's cheaper than the same visit to New York or similar city would be.

 

[ISUME]

If you want to gamble you could just go to Prairie Meadows. Or if you don't want to stay at home, go to Council Bluffs

I have been to Vegas twice in the last 6 months, maybe I'm missing something when I'm out there. Especially when the pools are going to be closed down during the day I wouldn't know what to do.

 

[canker2323]

I have been to Vegas twice in the last 6 months, maybe I'm missing something when I'm out there. Especially when the pools are going to be closed down during the day I wouldn't know what to do.

I agree. If the pools are closed, what else would you do during the day?

Also, I think people with small children should NOT bring them to Vegas. I've seen way too many fat dipsh!ts walking the strip with their kid in a stroller and a yard of of margarita in hand (or whatever those big long glasses are).

 

[longtimeclone]

thanks for all the recommendations - pretty seriously looking at Vdara and Aria at the moment - trying to read through the forum on TripAdvisor.

FYI, for those interested in going in the future, check out smartervegas.com and view some of the deals (sign up for free to see unlisted ones), and restaurant.com (for any city). Already found a few deals that will knock a couple hundred off a few of the hotels we're perusing.

You could also look at groupon also. My roommate has found some amazing deals on trips through them.

Not to be a ****, but I don't understand why people who don't gamble go to Vegas. You could go to any big city and see shows and go shopping.

Vegas has a lot more shows that are close together than most cities. There are not a lot of other cities in the US that could even compete. This is probably also true with shopping. There is so much more to the entertainment in Vegas than just gambling.

 

[resident]

Not to be a ****, but I don't understand why people who don't gamble go to Vegas. You could go to any big city and see shows and go shopping.

But where else can I shop while sipping Jack and Coke hmmm?:yes:

Honestly I'd rather visit New York but there is just something special about Vegas that you can't really replicate anywhere else. It's really the mindset of the community and visitors that make it what it is.