Where to stay in Vegas with kids?

[ExcitedSam]

We might do the medieval dinner too and recycled percussion looks good at the Tropicana where we're staying. It's supposed to be really interactive and good for kids too. I'd love to see O but the age limit is 5up my DD will be 4.5..... Do you think they'd ask to prove age? She could possibly pass for 5 by then??

 

[Feej]

hey
my DS 15 loved the Excalibur..24 hr krispy cremes..paid $39 in 2003, not too kiddy for teen boys

just booked Luxor , premium king room $55 incl. tax. for oct 4.

really, most of those hotels have something for the kids, and Vegas is so different to what we are used to, there will always be something to look at/do.

Have you checked out the Luxor on TA? I'm not sure what it's like now, but my wife and I stayed there for 4 days in 2007 and it was pretty bad. The room smelt musty, bed was uncomfortable and bathroom was poor. Also the timeshare salesmen downstairs were hardcore and drove us nuts everytime we walked past.

Sorry if I've raised doubt, might just be a good idea to check through some recent reviews.

 

[australiankaren]

Have you checked out the Luxor on TA? I'm not sure what it's like now, but my wife and I stayed there for 4 days in 2007 and it was pretty bad. The room smelt musty, bed was uncomfortable and bathroom was poor. Also the timeshare salesmen downstairs were hardcore and drove us nuts everytime we walked past.

Sorry if I've raised doubt, might just be a good idea to check through some recent reviews.

Yep checked it out, they have done a huge refurb lately....and I work with teenage boys every day , so dealing with time share guys will be a piece of cake

but if it is a dive, we are only there one night, and we paid next to nothing for room.....

 

[Molyneuxd]

We've stayed at Planet Hollywood / Imperial Palace / New York New York.

The best for kids would probably be Imperial Palace, but its very run down now looks dated.

PH is aimed at the young ones 20 somethings who like posing around the pool, not very kid orientated.

Mirage looks quite good, walked round but never stayed. Plenty to do with kids tho, beach style pools and small zoo / animal park on site.

 

[aussietravellers]

We've stayed at Planet Hollywood / Imperial Palace / New York New York.

The best for kids would probably be Imperial Palace, but its very run down now looks dated.

PH is aimed at the young ones 20 somethings who like posing around the pool, not very kid orientated.

Mirage looks quite good, walked round but never stayed. Plenty to do with kids tho, beach style pools and small zoo / animal park on site.

Thanks for your reply. I saw PH on RHOBH last night (it was a sign, we are meant to go to Vegas for a vacation) and it didn't look like the place for us. It looked lovely, but I think there will be better places for us to stay

I think my DS would love Mirage. It's definately high on the list

 

[austraveler]

We shouted my in laws to Vegas last September. I got a good rate on booking.com of $69 per night per room. They loved it (yes there are still tigers) and said it was a great place from which to explore the strip. They explored all the hotels and were happy with the Mirage.

 

[DisneyGirlInOz]

We might do the medieval dinner too and recycled percussion looks good at the Tropicana where we're staying. It's supposed to be really interactive and good for kids too. I'd love to see O but the age limit is 5up my DD will be 4.5..... Do you think they'd ask to prove age? She could possibly pass for 5 by then??

Hmmmm, they may ask for proof of age BUT if you can see 'O' do it. It is AMAZING

 

[queenie82]

I've stayed at the Flamingo while a hilton and while not...
Don't bother

If I EVER go back to Vegas I'd stay at the Venetian. I subscribe to their newsletter and they are always having great offers. They are usually packaged with a show or drinks. But they HAVE great shows. Their Phantom show I'm not sure how much longer it will be around?? But is was AWESOME and I'm so disappointed this was pre the glut we went last and had to slum it at the Flamingo. Our 6th? room had a view of the Bellagio fountains. But still smelt like smoke which was fun given I spent most of my time there with gastro.

But walking wise that area of the strip is where to aim for.

Luxor is down one end...and bleh...it's looking REALLY old...and they've stripped the whole point of it...Egyptian theming.

Try signing up to the Venetian newsletters and keep an eye out
The rooms are awesome...

 

[Melbourne5]

We stayed at new York new York

Good location.
Big rooms.
A great food court themed as Greenwich village
A couple of cafes reasonable for kids
Big pool area
The big roller coaster
A massive coney island style arcade for the kids.

We took 3 boys ( 4,10,12 at the time) and had a blast. Saw the lion king at Mandalay bay , went to circus circus and their indoor theme park and did fun free stuff on e strip, mirage volcano, pirates opp venetian, ball ago fountains and all the regular haunts like m&m world, planet Hollywood, rainforest cafe.

Yes there are the card flappers but I found they wouldn't come near us. I also found the place safer than walking through the Melbourne CBd at night with more well behaved people than the drunks we get here! Just my 2c worth.

 

[alicia1506]

we stayed at the tropicana in nov 2011 and it was amazing. newly refurbed, new furniture, new bathrooms etc.. really nicely decorated and none of that recycled smoke in the main areas. we got the rooms for $49 through a connection to their guest relations manager (happy to PM you her details if you're interested).

the tropicana is across from new york new york, mgm grand, excalibur etc and just up the strip from places like flamingo, mirage, mandalay bay, paris etc. we found the location was great, we went in nov and we walked everywhere. people say the strip is huge and it is, but we had no problems walking from casino to casino, and i am not the fittest person out there by a long shot!! having said that, it was like a $10 cab ride up the strip to caesar's palace section of the strip, and about $8 cab ride down the strip to the 'welcome to las vegas' sign area (+ tip). there is a lot to do for free in vegas, and in fact it's the one place our money stretched the most, so we had no problem jumping in a cab to get where we wanted to go, and the cab drivers we had were lovely and would share stories/local trivia etc with us, so we would recommend that if you choose a casino a little further away.. don't sweat it.. you can catch the buses or a cab or whatever and be there in minutes.. it's really not that big of a deal to be 'right' at the casino/area you want to be at, 24/7. you can easily travel to get to your desired location and the transport is relatively cheap

there's heaps of family friendly stuff to do in vegas that won't cost you an arm and a leg. there's an indoor rain that happens in the miracle mile shops (inside PH), the mirage volcano, the bellagio fountains, the lion exhibit at the mgm grand, the chocolate fountain inside the bellagio, the conservatory inside the bellagio, the gondolas at the venetian, the flamingo exhibit at the flamingo etc. we thought they were all fabulous.

2 food things we really enjoyed - we ate at dennys on the strip near the palazzo. eating breakfast for dinner in an american diner on the strip with fireworks and the mirage volcano going off across the street... just one of those awesome 'it could only be in vegas' things.

we also ate at serendipity 3. well. we ate there like three times. yes, it is expensive. yes, the portions are huge. yes, the food is great and the service is fabulous and it's a great memory. we still think back to our frozen hot chocolates and the giant sundaes and such that we ate there. and sitting on the balcony out front of caesar's palace is a great place to people watch. i would highly recommend that you at least try serendipity 3. and if your DS in any way likes food or drink the giant frozen hot chocolate or giant sundaes served in a very art deco diner style location will be a hit!!

 

[ExcitedSam]

Thanks for the replys Alicia and Melbourne. We are staying at the Tropicana in Oct for 3 nights, didn't quite get $49 a night, but there are four of us and I think we got a pretty good price.

 

[Marlea98]

Hello OP....I wanted to broach a few thoughts for you to mull over. (in the interest of full disclosure, as a frequent traveler to Las Vegas, I do not endorse it as a kid friendly destination)

The "hawkers" are still out on the street shoving "adult" entertainment (think girlie/escort) options in your hand. It's better than it used to be, but they're still there. Be prepared to run interference for your DS and to expect questions

Gone are the days of the .99 shrimp cocktail and the 1.99 steak. Food can be pricey--especially in the hotels.

The strip is LONG........there's maps online showing where each casino is. I'd pick one centrally located (not downtown). There is a tram that connects some of the hotels but it's easy to grab a cab at any hotel cab stand. I didn't catch
when you're going but summer is brutal---hot and dry.
Consider a trip to the Hoover Dam---it's absolutely fascinating. (I'm one of those people who love knowing how/why things work)


My personal favorite hotel is the Palazzo or Venentian. The Luxor is fun--be sure to ask for a room in the main building. It was getting a tad worn last time I was there.

Check out the indoor fountains at Caesar's---they come to "life" periodically.

Enjoy your planning.

We found food dear too, after expecting the $2 buffets we'd heard so much of as folklore. It's about tastes, though. We shared meals in some places as the portion sizes were huge. Didn't turn our noses up at one trip to Maccas, either.

We stayed at Harrah's which was central and opposite to Caesars. I felt safe walking the street at night with my two kids one night while hubby was out picking up our hire car. Hated the pushiness of the girly club card people, they didn't care that hubby had both kids with him when they shoved the cards in his face. If you're out early enough in the evening the grounds aren't as littered with discarded cards and you get to avoid most tricky questions by 10 year old boys...

My tip - pre-book your hire cars well in advance. We didn't and were flat out getting a big car at all to drive back to San Fran/L.A. And the one-way/airport to airport costs were higher than the actual cost of the car hire itself. We booked through Enterprise and they suggested booking/reserving online then paying over the counter as it was cheaper to hire at the counter. We paid $35 a day for a Dodge Ram ute in Buena Park, heaps cheaper than the $100 a day online in Aust via Avis.

 

[Minnie Sue Oz]

Ohhh I love Vegas!!!

First time we spent our time at the Luxor. Was a good room although nothing too fancy.

Last time we stayed at Caesars Palace and we loved it! The room we had was just amazing and if you are big on having a squeaky clean bathroom, then you will be more than happy with the bathrooms here! Our room had a little dressing area and a spa bath big enough to really relax in!

The hotel itself is huge though and we did get lost once!!! There are a myriad of shops and fountains galore. We were there in December and the Christmas decorations were amazing!

We travelled with our daughter who was 13 at the time and we were also a little worried about how she would go in Vegas.
We did find loads of thing to keep us all happy though..........

Circus Circus has an indoor theme park complete with roller coaster and fun things.

Rainforest Cafe at the MGM was a bit hit.

M & M's world.......I think we spent hours in here! 4 floors of goodies and our DD really enjoyed making her own personlaised M & M's!

The Lion King and the Mandalay Bay...........this was DD's favourite part as she is obsessed with Simba and friends and I have to tell you it was probably the best show I have ever seen! There is just something special about Disney AND Vegas!!!

The Hoover Dam is also amazing. We stopped off here on the way to the Grand Canyon. Next time we will definitely do the Hoover tour.

Margaritaville restaurant has great meals and you can have your pic taken with real macaws which were just so beautiful!

You can also pet and have a pic taken with a real lion cub at MGM! My DD is an animal lover ( especailly the big cats! ) and this was just wonderful AND it was only $20.00!!!

I have pics of most of the things listed above in my TR and here is the link with the Vegas portion if you would like to check it out!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2661251&page=2

Cheers

Sue

 

[GrazingGoat1966]

Been to Vegas almost a dozen times over the years so hopefully I can share some info.
Stayed at the Excalibur a few times over the years, most recently in Nov 2010. Refurbed rooms are very nice and comfortable. Easily a 4 star standard room. Hotel is old, but scrubs up pretty well for a hotel that's been around since the 80's. Kids would quite enjoy it. Payed $29 a night in September.
Same trip stayed at the Luxor. Starting to look a bit worn in places, but definitely great value for the money. We payed $49 a night for early September.
The MGM can be hit and miss, and since they got rid of the theme park out back (and built more rooms), it's nowhere near as kid friendly as it used to be. $79 is best price i've ever payed at MGM.
Hooters is a blast for "big" kids. Need we say anymore!! Maybe when your kids get to 21!!
Flamingo was mentioned earlier. We stayed in a Go room that had been refurbed only 6 months earlier and it already looked tired. Problem is the paint is white, and so it shows up all the marks around the kickboards where feet have scuffed. Up and down the hallways as well as the rooms. Wouldn't stay there again.
Mirage is a top pick for kids IMO. Great pool area and the "zoo" is pretty good too. Probably be my number 1 pick for the youngsters.
Bally's is pretty good but not really anymore or anyless kid friendly than most. Good location.
Paris is a ripping hotel with pretty good rooms. Kids ....maybe, maybe not.
Circus Circus is a pit. Dont stay there. Hovel. Really bad experience. Never again. Enough said.
Could go on, but all up most hotels are kid friendly. There is no hotel devoted to families as such, but most will suffice. Probably the only hotel that Ive stayed in where kids were frowned upon (in a manner of speaking) was the Wynn. Number 1 choice would be The Mirage for kids for me.
All in my opinion only of course!!!

 

[aussietravellers]

Thanks everyone for those amazing reviews and suggestions.

I am just wondering where you got those super cheap prices from?

After reading of some $39 or $59 etc rooms, I have been looking for the beginning of December and there doesn't seem to be much other than around $100 (some just under, some just over) for many that some of you seem to have really cheap prices from and I was wondering where you booked?

I have been looking direct and through Expedia and they all seem to be not that cheap . When were you booking to get those cheap prices? A long time in advance or close to the trip?

Thanks

 

[Kangarucci]

I have never found cheap deals either. Joined up for the hotels' newsletters. If
I recall correctly they wanted to charge for our girls who were 15 and 13 at the time.
Agree with Circus Circus- not nice.

 

[Marlea98]

Thanks everyone for those amazing reviews and suggestions.

I am just wondering where you got those super cheap prices from?

After reading of some $39 or $59 etc rooms, I have been looking for the beginning of December and there doesn't seem to be much other than around $100 (some just under, some just over) for many that some of you seem to have really cheap prices from and I was wondering where you booked?

I have been looking direct and through Expedia and they all seem to be not that cheap . When were you booking to get those cheap prices? A long time in advance or close to the trip?

Thanks

I couldn't find any of the cheap rooms either. We paid just over $100 a night for Harrah's for the 4 of us and that came with a 'breakfast' voucher for Starbucks to a $ value each day - enough really for a coffee and hot chocolate and a little snack to share.

I signed up to the hotel's websites, checked out TripAdvisor, Wotif, and read lots of tips on various boards.

 

[Aust]

On the weekend I booked our 1 night at Paris at the end of September - I compared prices on a few different websites, there were only a few dollar's difference between them and I ended up using Expedia, we get a voucher booklet on check in (which we probably won't use but it may have something useful in it).

Paid $97 for one room (husband plus 3 year old) and $130 fo the other (me plus 8 and 11 year olds).

Some of the other hotels had cheap prices on Expedia for the same date, can't remember exactly but between $50 and $100, and some under $50.

Still cheap compared to here though - yesterday I booked a motel room in the suburbs of Brisbane for a work trip next week for $180!

 

[Caroline NZ]

We are not going until Sep/Oct 2013 ( but ofcourse I am already planning!).
I am thinking that we will stay at Platinum Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas. Suites have a kitchen & seperate bedroom.