If you want to make the best of your Las Vegas experience, knowing which resort or hotel is going to be best for you will help a lot. If, during my first few visits in Vegas, I had known what I know now, I would have saved money and some not-so-great hotel stays.
First of all, you need to decide if you want to opt for the most expensive Vegas hotels (and of course find a great hotel deal on a great room or suite) or if you are going to save money on accommodations and splash out, perhaps on other things, such as shopping, excursions, shows or just casino gambling. If money is not an issue and you want the very best luxury from your Las Vegas hotel choice, then of course you will probably narrow it down to (not in any order) Encore/Wynn, Venetian/Palazzo, Bellagio, Mandarin Oriental and the Four Seasons. Out of these 4 choices, Encore, Palazzo and Bellagio will give classical luxury, second to none and, often you may even find a great hotel deal well worth the 5-diamond hotel experience you will enjoy.
Venetian/Palazzo has the best casino for slot play out of these choices, followed by Wynn/Encore; Mandarin and Four Seasons don't have casinos, of course. Bellagio is great for everything, from dining to customer service to its spa and its really great gym (the best, probably); the only downfall is if you want to enjoy penny-slots (perhaps going max-bet all the time, if money is not object), because Bellagio has really too few of those, unfortunately. But, Bellagio still excels in top restaurants, the best buffet in Vegas, the best hotel lounge, the best gym, the best customer service, and so on. Four Season is a fantastic choice if you don't care about being mid-Strip and just want sheer pampering and be a little out of the Vegas crowds (though Mandalay Bay is getting noisier by the week, with their shift in target niche). Mandarin Oriental is the new, chic and modern yet absolutely reminiscent of old Asian style and decor. If you want to go for 'ultra-modern' you may consider Aria or Cosmopolitan.
If you are on a budget and you don't mind being slightly off-Strip (but well-connected to the Strip via free shuttle services), Gold Coast is always a great cheap choice, followed by some good downtown choices (such as El Cortez and the unique Main Street Station), though downtown is connected to the Strip not by free shuttles by 2 bus services, one being the 'Ace' (the Vegas express bus, excellent and modern) and the other being the very slow, stopping-everywhere 24/hour Deuce. Gold Coast is amongst our favourites (except for their annoying habit of placing smokers in non-smoking floors, and vice-versa) because it's next door to Rio Vegas (with 2 great buffets!), has a gym which closes at 10pm and has a decent casino (a favourite amongst locals). Main Street is just a gem to be enjoyed, visually; a piece of beautiful history not to be missed when you go to Las Vegas, even if just passing-by. Moreover, Main Street station buffet is where you will end up on the expensive week-ends, since their buffet is amongst the cheapest yet best (of its category) in Las Vegas.
If you are on a budget and you still want a nice pool and a nice gym Gold Coast is probably a safe bet. Some of the cheap Vegas hotels are lacking in this department. If you don't mind the noise of Excalibur, this would be the best choice if you value a great pool area and a great gym, whilst enjoying a fun casino and of course being on the Strip (albeit South-side).
In the mid-range category you will find plenty of choices, from Planet Hollywood to Mirage, to Aria, to Paris and, on the lower end, Bally's. This is where you need to do your most research their 'niche' varies (from the type of guests to the overall atmosphere to the actual services their resort provides).
0 comments:
Post a Comment