Vegas!

There is just so much to do and see in Vegas that you have to go for several days. I suggest visiting all of the hotels. It doesn't cost anything and each one is different. It's easy to get lost once inside though, that's how they get you to gamble.

Quick Tips:

I suggest you wait to buy show tickets. Near MGM, there is a big Coke bottle with 1/2 price show tickets for the same day. As long as you are flexible you can save a lot of money.

You should make note of all the free shows and the times. It is a lot of walking around to see them all, but you can't beat FREE!

Stick to gambling at only a few resorts and get the rewards card. By focusing your spending in one spot, your points will add up and you'll receive free or discounted items like buffets or show tickets.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around is either by foot or by tram. I stayed at the Stratosphere which is at the end of the strip. I would have never made it if it weren't for that tram. If you're staying somewhere in the middle like New York, New York you can probably get around by foot.

Stratosphere

Atmosphere: The hotel has a very relaxed atmosphere. It is comfortable and the employees are pleasant. It took a while for the cocktail waitress to come around, but after I tipped for the first drink, she kept coming back. There are a few bars there providing entertainment and a shopping area on the second floor. The excitement of this hotel is at the top of the tower. They have three different rides up top for the thrill seeker. I did not try the rides, but they looked really scary!

Rooms: The rooms were standard in their size and look. It was kept clean. The only downside to my room was the noise. Every 2 minutes or so, I would hear a roller coaster sound as if it were going right past the window. I’ve had other friends stay here and say they heard nothing, so it could have just been my room location. It made it difficult to sleep though.

Location: The hotel is at the far end of the strip. It is on the complete other side of MGM, New York, and all of those hotels, which means A LOT of walking. You can take the tram, but it gets expensive after a while. Also, I do not recommend walking around the hotel late at night. If you do, walk directly from the tram to the building. It doesn’t appear to be a great neighborhood. One plus is that there is a huge souvenir ship a block down the road with reasonably priced gifts.

Restaurants: There are several restaurants within the hotel. I ate at the '50s style diner Roxy’s, the Buffet and The Top of the World. I’ll write separate articles on these. They were all good, but The Top of the World was just AMAZING!

Gambling: They offer both table games and slots. The table games were reasonably priced, but depending on the crowd they didn’t have very many open. I did pretty well on the slot machines; I think it was the luckiest casino out of the whole strip for me. They had a great promotion going at the time where you earned points for staying at the slot machine for a long time. So, if you found a machine where you wouldn’t really make money, but wouldn’t really lose money either, you could play for a long time and wrack up points. I earned T-shirts, mugs, and free buffets. I had a good time.

Roxy’s Diner was a '50s style diner with basic American sandwiches and burger type dishes. It is an inexpensive place to catch a meal. The atmosphere was cute. It had a DJ playing oldie music and occasionally would have a waitress singing live as they dance around the restaurant. The food was good and it was just a pleasant place to go to get away from all the gambling. I ate there twice while staying at the Stratosphere. I recommend this place if you have kids or are young at heart and like rock-n-roll.

I believe that reservations are required. I suggest dressing up for this dinner because it is truly a night you will never forget. The restaurant sits atop the tower and revolves with floor to ceiling windows so that you see the breathtaking view while dining. You can sit in either a booth or at a table. The tables are closest to the windows, so if you’re in a booth, you might have to look through other people to see some of the view depending on how crowded it is. The booth sits on a higher platform, so the view is not completely obstructed.

While you wait for your dinner, a photographer comes around to take your picture. They’ll develop the pictures and put it in a tri-fold type frame by the time you’re done eating…if you’re interested. It’s a great way to capture the moment.

OK, let me start talking about the food. It is really pricey, but oh my goodness is it good. We purchased the 3-course dinner for two because otherwise it is à la carte. The presentation of the food was great, and the taste was even better. I ate everything on my plate even the asparagus! It was cooked to perfection and delicious. It is hands down the best steak I have ever tasted. The meal including two alcoholic drinks came to about $180.

After dinner, you can step outside onto the tower deck where the rides are. You do not have to go on the rides; you can just take-in the beautiful view. If you do not eat at the restaurant, there is a fee to get to the top of the tower.

I did not stay at the Bellagio because it is very expensive. Even though I was not a staying guest, I took a tour of the hotel lobbies and the grounds. This is a must see while in Vegas. It is a gorgeous hotel. The best part is the fountains out front. It’s best to see it at night and you should stay for more than one show.

The fountains project water to the tune of the music so it can be slow or fast and have different patters as it flows nicely with the song. The reason I say to stay for more than one show is because they play different songs. You will not believe the size of this fountain until you see it for yourself. It seriously looks like a lake in front of this massive hotel. Every 15 to 30 minutes the whole lake comes alive as water starts shooting far up into the air and is just breathe taking.

I grabbed the show times from their website:

Monday - Friday
3pm - 8pm
show every 1/2 hour
8pm - 12am
show every 15 minutes

Saturday and Sunday
12pm - 8pm
show every 1/2 hour
8pm - 12am
show every 15 minutes