People are always asking about Vegas on these boards, so I thought I would post a quick TR for those who are planning a trip there!
Hotel - We stayed at the MGM Grand. We liked it a lot, would definitely stay there again. Yes it's big, but so is every other hotel in Vegas. Rooms were very nice, large and quiet. We had an AWESOME view down the strip, bed was one of the nicest I have slept in at a hotel, service was top notch. Pool area and lazy river were great too. I think this must be a very popular hotel with international visitors, because we met a ton of Brits, Asians and Germans on the elevators.
Casinos - We visited and played in a ton of them to get a feel. Our 3 favorite, hands down, were MGM Grand, Bellagio and Planet Hollywood. MGM Grand definitely had the best vibe. We liked Bellagio because they poured the drinks strong and many of the people there were our age (mid 30s) and not so many young, pretty 20-somethings whooping it up. Planet Hollywood was not smoky at all (a good thing) and it's in a great location. My casino awards:
Most beautiful casino - Paris Las Vegas
Least smoky casino - Planet Hollywood and Mandalay Bay (tie)
Smokiest casino - Bill's and anything downtown
Best casino cocktail service - MGM Grand had the most frequent visits, no matter if you were playing the penny slots or in the high roller room, you got very frequent visits by the waitresses. Stiffest drinks were poured at the Bellagio, by far.
Most helpful dealers - MGM Grand. I was a complete newbie at Blackjack and those guys (and gals) talked me through it, told me when to hit or not, and the theories behind the strategy. I was a pro by the time I left.
Food - We were on a food budget, so we didn't eat at any of the top-notch, uber-expensive places. But for the most part we liked what we had! The best deal in town by far is Earl of Sandwich at Planet Hollywood. We all now how awesome the food is here (it's my favorite TS in Downtown Disney) but what made it even better is that the prices were not jacked up to high heaven like everywhere else in town! DH and I each had a sandwich and a brownie, split a coke and chips, and the total was around $15. Trust me, in Vegas this is about as cheap as it gets inside the hotels/casinos.
We both loved FiaMMA in MGM Grand. It's an Italian trattoria right on the edge of the casino. We had a PRIME people viewing spot for 9pm on a Sat. night. People from all walks were entering the casino, and we especially had fun watching the door guy from Studio 54 try and hand out passes to all the beautiful people, lol!!! The food was amazing, my Gnocchi and Lobster was to die for, and DH loved his Filet Mignon. The drinks are pricey, though, and the bread was downright awful. Still, the people viewing here was worth it all, total bill for 1 glass of wine, 1 beer and 2 entrees was $120 with tip. Oh, and they gave us complimentary champagne because it was our anniversary!
Another favorite was Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill in MGM Grand. I had the Ricotta Gnocci which was fantastic!!! DH had the Eggplant Calzone which I thought was tasty, but nothing out of this world. The restaurant is smack dab in the casino so it was a bit smoky (a downside in our books).
I adored Mon Ami Gabi in Paris Las Vegas. The bread was served hot and delicious, the French Onion Soup was heavenly, and my steak and frites were amazing as well. Keep in mind this is a thin-pounded top sirloin so it's not the usual steak consistency, hence the reason my husband hated it. Oh well, we had seats on the patio directly across from the Bellagio fountains so the view was spectacular!
Buffets - We did breakfast and Sat. brunch at the MGM Grand Buffet. Both were fine, nothing special but not horrible. We did lunch one day at the Bellagio buffet, after many friends told us we HAD to eat there. Ho hum. Way overrated in my opinion. Still, we were able to eat for $40 (including drinks and dessert) so it's actually a decent deal. The lady that was in charge of seating customers was BEYOND rude though, to customers and employees alike.
Shows - We saw Cirque du Soleil KA in the MGM Grand. We got a great deal - just for signing up for the MGM Mirage Players club we got 2-for-1 tix. We loved the show! I have never seen a Cirque production and visually it was stunning. I have nothing to compare it to, but have heard it's one of the best Cirque shows in town.
(Almost all the casinos were giving away great deals for signing up for their free players club cards, anything from deals on show tix to free slot play. Definitely worth doing!)
That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Any specific questions, just ask!
Hotel - We stayed at the MGM Grand. We liked it a lot, would definitely stay there again. Yes it's big, but so is every other hotel in Vegas. Rooms were very nice, large and quiet. We had an AWESOME view down the strip, bed was one of the nicest I have slept in at a hotel, service was top notch. Pool area and lazy river were great too. I think this must be a very popular hotel with international visitors, because we met a ton of Brits, Asians and Germans on the elevators.
Casinos - We visited and played in a ton of them to get a feel. Our 3 favorite, hands down, were MGM Grand, Bellagio and Planet Hollywood. MGM Grand definitely had the best vibe. We liked Bellagio because they poured the drinks strong and many of the people there were our age (mid 30s) and not so many young, pretty 20-somethings whooping it up. Planet Hollywood was not smoky at all (a good thing) and it's in a great location. My casino awards:
Most beautiful casino - Paris Las Vegas
Least smoky casino - Planet Hollywood and Mandalay Bay (tie)
Smokiest casino - Bill's and anything downtown
Best casino cocktail service - MGM Grand had the most frequent visits, no matter if you were playing the penny slots or in the high roller room, you got very frequent visits by the waitresses. Stiffest drinks were poured at the Bellagio, by far.
Most helpful dealers - MGM Grand. I was a complete newbie at Blackjack and those guys (and gals) talked me through it, told me when to hit or not, and the theories behind the strategy. I was a pro by the time I left.
Food - We were on a food budget, so we didn't eat at any of the top-notch, uber-expensive places. But for the most part we liked what we had! The best deal in town by far is Earl of Sandwich at Planet Hollywood. We all now how awesome the food is here (it's my favorite TS in Downtown Disney) but what made it even better is that the prices were not jacked up to high heaven like everywhere else in town! DH and I each had a sandwich and a brownie, split a coke and chips, and the total was around $15. Trust me, in Vegas this is about as cheap as it gets inside the hotels/casinos.
We both loved FiaMMA in MGM Grand. It's an Italian trattoria right on the edge of the casino. We had a PRIME people viewing spot for 9pm on a Sat. night. People from all walks were entering the casino, and we especially had fun watching the door guy from Studio 54 try and hand out passes to all the beautiful people, lol!!! The food was amazing, my Gnocchi and Lobster was to die for, and DH loved his Filet Mignon. The drinks are pricey, though, and the bread was downright awful. Still, the people viewing here was worth it all, total bill for 1 glass of wine, 1 beer and 2 entrees was $120 with tip. Oh, and they gave us complimentary champagne because it was our anniversary!
Another favorite was Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill in MGM Grand. I had the Ricotta Gnocci which was fantastic!!! DH had the Eggplant Calzone which I thought was tasty, but nothing out of this world. The restaurant is smack dab in the casino so it was a bit smoky (a downside in our books).
I adored Mon Ami Gabi in Paris Las Vegas. The bread was served hot and delicious, the French Onion Soup was heavenly, and my steak and frites were amazing as well. Keep in mind this is a thin-pounded top sirloin so it's not the usual steak consistency, hence the reason my husband hated it. Oh well, we had seats on the patio directly across from the Bellagio fountains so the view was spectacular!
Buffets - We did breakfast and Sat. brunch at the MGM Grand Buffet. Both were fine, nothing special but not horrible. We did lunch one day at the Bellagio buffet, after many friends told us we HAD to eat there. Ho hum. Way overrated in my opinion. Still, we were able to eat for $40 (including drinks and dessert) so it's actually a decent deal. The lady that was in charge of seating customers was BEYOND rude though, to customers and employees alike.
Shows - We saw Cirque du Soleil KA in the MGM Grand. We got a great deal - just for signing up for the MGM Mirage Players club we got 2-for-1 tix. We loved the show! I have never seen a Cirque production and visually it was stunning. I have nothing to compare it to, but have heard it's one of the best Cirque shows in town.
(Almost all the casinos were giving away great deals for signing up for their free players club cards, anything from deals on show tix to free slot play. Definitely worth doing!)
That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Any specific questions, just ask!