Ballys: Good or Bad?
 

I am planning my first trip to Las Vegas later this month. I have reserved a room at Ballys, but lately it seems that on this site that some of the comments are not so complimentary. I have always read that Ballys was kind of a safe bet as far as Vegas hotels go, not glamorous like some of the newer resorts, but still a very nice place. I have checked some of the other sites often recommended here (A2Z Las Vegas, CheapoVegas and a couple others) and it seems that the place usually rates well with the sites as well as with their reader's comments. It seems to have a pretty good customer satisfaction grade. So why all the digs here? Is it that some people can not find anything good about a place that isn't Bellagio, the Venetian or the Four Seasons? Are these places that much better that they are worth the $100+ that they charge a night?

Is Bellagio $100 better than Bally's? Yes. Without question. You can answer that one for yourself (when you get there) by simply walking through the lobby, atrium and casino at Bellagio. You'll see what the money goes for. The rooms reflect similar quality.<BR><BR>No, there's nothing wrong with Bally's for the price. The reason many people here 'dig' at it probably stems from the fact that many people who read here or come here to plan trips are trying to put together the best trip they can, whatever their budget may be. And that naturally makes it necessary to start comparing all hotel-casinos for the purpose of perspective.<BR><BR>But if you look at posts which specifically ask for comparisons of, say, Bally's vs. Flamingo vs. Harrah's, you won't find so many negatives about Bally's. Because relative to other hotels in its 'group', it's fine. But many people write in with open ended questions which naturally leads to broader comparisons.

My husband and I go to Las Vegas about once a year and this past March we stayed at Ballys. I found nothing wrong with our room there. Ballys is not as beautiful as some of the other hotels, but the room was nice. The food at the buffet is not great. The coffee shop is good for breakfast. Ballys is connected to Paris and there are places to eat between the two hotels. I think it depends on what is important to you. WE enjoy spending our money on the best shows that Vegas has to offer. Also, you can make reservations for dinner at any of the upscale resturants. I hope this helps you in making a decision. Have fun in Vegas.

I think that Mike's comments are right on target. As far as being worth the money, I noticed that he talks of the lobby, the atrium and the casino. Well all of those are accessible even if you are not staying in the hotel. So the question is whether you find it worth it for the luxury of the room and the service that the hotel has to offer. Personally, I would rather spend the moeny on fine dining or one of the shows, not to mention maybe a little extra gambling.

I totally agree with the above posters. Bally's and Bellagio are not in the same class and their rates reflect that. I have stayed at Bally's and it's just fine for the money, plus their location can't be beat. Enjoy your trip!

Ginny, the reason I didn't say more about the rooms (except, as I noted, the rooms reflect similar quality) is that if bonnie doesn't stay at Bellagio she'll have no way of knowing about the rooms, but she can judge for herself about the public areas.<BR>Bellagio's rooms have expensive crown molding all around, expensive fabrics in the draperies and furniture, much more expensive marble and fixtures in the baths, (used to be) expensive sheets (MGM bought Bellagio and has started cutting corners on things like this), and better service than less expensive hotels in LV.<BR><BR>Many people's outlook is "I spend virtually no time in the room except to sleep, so why spend $$ on the room?".<BR>And that's a very reasonable way to look at things for some people.<BR>Some people are in LV to get away with a spouse, or to de-stress, and they will spend some time in the room and want it to be as nice as possible. Or theywant all the amenities that go with room, like easy access to nice pools and restaurants.<BR><BR>But I didn't mean to imply that the rooms at Bellagio weren't on par with the public areas. The suites, I would also add, are significantly nicer than the standard rooms, with upgraded everything. For the price especially, the suites are among the best rooms in all of the US, including Hawaii, Chicago and NYC.

Bonnie,<BR><BR>To answer some of your questions:<BR><BR>Bally's is a fine hotel, perfectly acceptable (and then some) if you're looking for a clean, comfortable hotel with a good location. The other poster is correct, that most people come here trying to put together the best vacation they can, within their budget... which is why i DON"T understand some responses (not in this thread, but prior threads). I've seen people ask about the Stratosphere or Circus Circus, and the replies tell them to check out the Bellagio!!<BR><BR>I agree with Ginny (and others can disagree, it all depends upon what the individual is looking for), i wouldn't spend the extra money for Bellagio. You can enjoy the smell of the flowers and many perks of the other hotels just by walking into the lobby. <BR><BR>I personally don't care about twice a day turndown service and marble handles on the sink, if it's important to you, then figure out just how important it is pricewise and upgrade to the Bellagio if it is within your budget. Otherwise, i'd prefer to use the saved money on nice dinners and shows.

Hi Bonnie,<BR><BR>It definitely depends on how much you want to spend on your room and if you will be in it a lot. My first trip to Vegas was in Feb 1999 with friends and we stayed in the cheesy Riveria because we didn't want to spend a lot on the room. It was not somewhere I'd stay again, it was not updated and just ok.<BR><BR>The next time was March 2000 with my husband for our 10th anniversary and again we didn't want to spend a lot on the room. I read the newsgroup alt.rec.vacation.lasvegas (I think that's what it's called, haven't looked at it in 2 years) and found out lots of tips such as using the Las Vegas Limo for $4 per person for transportation to and from the airport. I also learned about Las Vegas bargains including some great deals on hotel rooms. We were able to get a room at Bally's for the unbelievable rate of $29 a night (for the middle of the week) by booking through their website. From reading that newsgroup I learned to ask for a room on the highest floor possible (we got the 22nd I think) facing the Paris. I thought our room was great, it was large and everything was newer looking and clean. We had very large floor to ceiling windows that faced the Paris and we had a partial view of Bellagio so I could see and hear the fountains go off from our room. I thought the location was perfect because we wanted to explore the whole Strip so we walked to the left one day and to the right the next. I recall the buffet as being decent. I would still think the room was nice even if we had to pay the normal rate.<BR><BR>We are not into gourmet dining but we did eat at Emeril's Fish House one night which I enjoyed but hubby did not. <BR><BR>Of course I'd love to stay at the Bellagio or any other expensive hotel there but we preferred to spend our money going to shows and eating rather than on the room. So it's all in what is important to you.<BR><BR>Good luck and have fun!

The rooms at Ballys are fine and the hotel is in a super location. For a little better room, within the same price range, you might try Treasure Island, though I think Ballys loaction is a little better plus they have the tram down to MGM.

I just returned from Vegas and stayed at Bally's. I asked to be upgraded since it was my 30th birthday. We ended up getting a suite. It was okay. The room was clean but the decor was a little outdated. But we hardly spent any time in the room. So, it didn't bother me too much. Like my cab driver said, all you really need is a clean room in Vegas.

There is a big difference between the rooms in the north tower and the south tower. The north tower rooms are much, much nicer.

Agree that the north tower rooms are alot better than the ones in the south tower. However, be sure to request a room on a high floor no matter tower unless you don't mind sirens blaring literally every minute.
We return yearly and it's a good hotel for convenience and rates. It's related to Paris so it's connected and really closeby to Aladdin and its Desert Passage mall. Also it's across from Bellagio. Oh, if you don't mind the booming music from the Bellagio fountains at night, request a room not facing Bellagio.