Flamingo or Aladdin in Las Vegas
 

Im Off to LV in September and have a pretty restricted budget, I have gotten two offers from Flamingo and Aladdin for the same price. Could anyone out there advise me on which is better - location, rooms, entertainment, pool etc?

I haven't stayed at Aladdin but I would highly recommend Flamigo. It has a great location (as central on the strip as you can get), the rooms are nice (but not luxury), and the pools are HUGE!

The flamingo's pool is awesome-the hotel itself is fine. The alladin's pool is good-the hotel is fantastic. Kinda depends what is important to you...the Aladdin is not right in the middle of the strip as the flamingo is-but its location is really good too -the rooms are great-new-the flamingo is pretty old. Also the Aladdin has great shops and ambiance.

I'd suggest the Aladdin of the two but there are some really terrific rates currently. I just booked a business trip at Mirage yesterday for $79 a nite and my hubby is currently at Luxor for $75 a nite. We stayed at Stratosphere over New Years holiday for $39 a night. It's off the strip but we were in the newer part of the hotel. I wasn't looking forward to staying there but ended up not minding it at all. Cheaper to gamble there as well. $2 blackjack tables and the restaurants were decent. <BR>T.

The Alladin is viewed as an all-around better rated hotel. A good part of this lies in the fact that it is newer.<BR><BR>The Flamingo is a great budget minded hotel, with a better pool than the Alladin. Other than the pool, the feel at the Flamingo will be a little "darker and older" than the feel at the Alladin.<BR><BR>I'm usually a BIG advocate of the the Flamingo, but for the same money, i'd pick the Alladin. Location of both is great!

The Aladin is a lot newer, nicer and cleaner.

Aladdin is DEFINITELY nicer than Flamingo.<BR>And the location is hardly poor, it's right across from Bellagio.<BR>Flamingo has a better pool, but that's it.<BR>Aladdin's casino is better, food is better, shopping is outstanding, it's only 1+ years old.<BR>No brainer.

I have stayed in both of these hotels within the past year or two. The Alladin has great shops, and their rooms all have laptop computers with free internet service. Not that you need that on vacation, but I had never seen that as standard in a hotel room, so thought I should mention it. The room we stayed in was definitely nice for the price. The Flamingo has, in my opinion, a bad reputation for having rooms that aren't great. However, I stayed in a newly refurbished room and it was terriffic. Since then, I have been advising people to request a refurbished room if staying at the Flamingo. Also, the pools at the Flamingo are better. And, the location of the Flamingo is perfect - smack dab in the middle of everything. When I started to write this, I wasn't going to give my opinion, just the facts - but now that I've thought it out - I'd recommend the Flamingo over Aladdin, just be sure to get a refurbished room or you may be disappointed like some others who have posted here.

Thanks ever so much for all this advice, just one last question though as I have never been to LV - if you stay in one hotel, are you only allowed to use their facilities ie pool or can you use the pools of other hotels?

Rachel,<BR>You're not allowed to use pool facilities at other hotels. If you could, everyone would pay to stay cheap and head to Mandalay Bay.<BR>Most pool complexes check for some sort of i.d.<BR>

The "fancy" hotel pools, like MGM and such, always required a working room key for entry. Other properties with less than spectacular pools usually do not. However, I wouldn't be surprised if hotels have stepped up pool security for safety reasons. You may find more properties requiring you to show a room key for entry than ever before.

WHoo Hooo, Aladdin has been booked for beginning of September!! Im so excited! The room has cost us $721 for 3 of us for 6 nights - Do you think this sounds pretty good?<BR><BR>This is our first time to LV so any recommendations on good buffets, good nightclubs/bars (we're in our mid 20's) and any must-do trips would be good?<BR><BR>Thanks<BR>Rachel

Having stayed at the Aladdin this past weekend, I would not overpay, relative to other options. If $120 a night is better than you can do elsewhere, great take it. If you can get a better deal elsewhere, Aladdin doesn't provide enough to be worthy of a premium price.

RAE, what was it that you didn't like about the Aladdin?

For the money I paid, which was about $390 a night for a suite, I didn't feel like I got my money's worth. I didn't expect it to be equal to the Bellagio or Venetian, but I also didn't expect them to skimp on things like towels and toiletries.<BR><BR>There is nothing wrong with Aladdin, per se. For me, I just didn't think that it was anything special that would distinguish it from other hotels. <BR><BR>That said, the room was clean, the staff did try and be helpful, and the pool was passable. Just don't pay a premium for the room versus other options in that range, like Monte Carlo. But, versus some of the older places like Stardust, Frontier or Circus Circus, it is likely a better option given its location.<BR><BR>

Have you considered a condo? Try www.oakwood.com We stayed in the Meridian apartments which are managed by Oakwood - centrally located, pool, fitness center, nice grounds, free parking. In fact, we did not need a car. You'll get an entire apartment for what you would pay for a hotel room.

RAE may only be suggesting your rate isn't all that good. RE: your original questions: better - Aladdin is rated all-round superior; location - Flamingo is a slightly superior location; entertainment is strip-wide, and you are not restricted to the hotel your staying at, so thats a toss up; pool goes heavy to Flamingo. Games of change are at both, yet I prefer the Flamingo. Restaurants/night life are at both, yet I prefer Aladdin.. I recommend that you keep your reservation (assuming it can be cancelled w/o penality) since it sounds like you are satisfied with it, but check often between now and Sept. My expereince is that good rates come up often, and you may find a better one. Having stayed at the Aladdin, my two cents: very nice - good quality all around, but if I were presented with, say Bally's for the same days at $89 a nite, I'd take Bally's. Same for Treasure Island, Monte Carlo or MGM. BUT, if Aladdin also offered the $89, I'd take it. So keep checking, and keep an open mind and you'll enjoy LV.

Speedo,<BR>Your right, the rate I paid wasn't that good for the value we received in return. However, we went this past weekend and Bellagio was sold out and the Venetian's rates, for a standard room, were higher. We paid the going rate on a suite this weekend. I'd never pay that rate again at the Aladdin. Bellagio, no problem with $390 a night as they at least make you feel like you are getting your money's worth.