Big 40 Trip to LAS VEGAS
 

My significant other turns 40 in June. He has never been to LV. I have been many times...but not since the late nineties! HELP!!! What's new and hip!?

Need: coolest pool for hangover cure - without screaming KIDS. Must be south end of strip (Won't stay north of Mirage).
Considering Mandalay, Bellagio, Paris, or even Flamingo. Budget..would like to stay under 150 a night.

Need: Coolest show....NOT FOR CHILDREN!!! Sequins and Skin!!

Need: Romantic (and good!) dinner restaurant. (yes, he owes me for planning this trip!! : ) ) And, a buffet (does Rio still rule?)

Need: Hot Dancing Club...not rap. not teeny bopper 20 year olds (sorry! been there done that!). not 50's oldies etc. Alternate rock, dance techno ok. Any advice? Rio?

Thanks..looking forward to a trip into Sin City...valley of fire!

Pools: Bellagio usually has a low kid factor, and is the nicest pool complex on your list for adults. Room rates during summer are often $139 during summer weekdays. Weekends will be much higher. Flamingo's pool is next on your list. Mandalay's pool is too dense with kids to rate highly by your criteria, but is the most elaborate of any in LV.
Shows: I know nothing about skin shows in LV. Jubilee is supposed to be 'old vegas' type from what I hear, but most of the major casinos have their own adult shows now that Las Vegas is openly billing itself as an adult entertainment mecca (the push for the family dollar ended about 2000).
Buffets: Bellagio and Aladdin's Spice Market are rated highest past 2 years. Harrah's bought Rio and has mediocritized the place. The buffet there is no longer worth a special effort.
Dinner: the best bets are at Bellagio and Mandalay for either sophisticated romantic or hip romantic (s=B, h=MB). Budget is the key. There's a good restaurant for every taste and budget at those two places.
The hottest club/lounge scenes are at the Palms (#1), Rio, Hard Rock.
Have fun.

Thx! Looking forward to a hot hot time!

Flamingo pool will likely be loaded with kids. As recommended, Bellagio. I'd say Four Seasons if looking for a private pool experience(they have a pool private from Mandalay) but probably above $150.

When are you going? For a show, Zumanity opens 7/31 at NYNY and is billed as a sexy/erotic Cirque du Soleil. I'd really like to see it, you can sit in fancy couches and loveseats. The rest of the sequin/skin shows are kinda cheezy but Jubilee is generally regarded as the least-cheezy.

For a romantic dinner, I'd pick Picasso at Bellagio (not cheap). Andre's is good, Cirque at Bellagio, Renoir at Mirage.

Hot club: Studio 54 tends to draw a wide range of ages and tries to stay somewhat classy on most nights. Palms is great but maybe a little young with the whole MTV Real World phoenomenon. Check into Voodoo Lounge at Rio or House of Blues at Mandalay for a non-teeny bopper crowd, not sure what music they play on what nights so check ahead. Also, Light at Bellagio may be expensive enough to keep the younger crowd away.

3950 at Manadalay Bay is one of my favorite restaurants in Vegas. Very cool atmosphere and excellent food.

One of the best pools (IMO)in Vegas is at Caesars. If you stay, try to get a Palace Tower room - very large with a jacuzzi tub that can fit two, great marble bathroom. Could probably get it for 150 during the week but probably not on the weekend. Usually not too many kids at Caesar's. It tends to draw a large European crowd.

For shows, can't help you there as I usually don't go to any when I'm there.

Loki's suggestions for clubs/lounges are good. If you like Martinis, you should check out Red Square at Mandalay Bay. Pretty cool - hundreds of different varieties of vodka. ALso - I could be wrong about this but for some reason you sound like a male, in which case you may want to check out Gypsy, which is down the street from the Hard Rock. I apologize if my assumption is incorrect - and if it is, then you probably would not want to check out the last suggestion.

Stayed at Bally's last Sept and found the pool very devoid of kids, could have just been that school was in though.

I was also going to recommend the new Cirque du Solie show. Here is a site that gives an overview:

http://www.zumanity.com/en/home.asp

I would go with Aqua over Picasso, found the food and service to be steps above!

FYI, got an email today that Zumanity has been postponed until 8/14. I'd be surprised if it even makes that date since they're having problems with getting the venue ready.