I gave my wife a trip to the southwest in April as a Christmas gift. It will include a couple of nights in Las Vegas, our first trip there. I have reservations at Bellagio in a lakeview room. The problem is that my wife says she would rather stay someplace else and use the money we save for dining and shopping. She says that she has some friends at work who recently went to Las Vegas and stayed at the Barbary Coast, with a view of Bellagio's fountains, and really liked it. She also suggested to look at the Flamingo. But I want to stay at Bellagio! What can I say to her to change her mind and want to stay there also? Or should I maybe change my way of thinking?

Save your money for gambling and shopping. I've stayed at a lot of Vegas Hotels (Strip & Downtown but neither one mentioned) and have found all Vegas rooms to be just ok. I've stayed at the Mirage, Paris, Luxor Towers, etc. and have never been blown away by any of them. Much like Disney World Resort hotels, the rooms are nice but not so nice you're going to hang out and spend a lot of time there. Remember, like Disney, they want you out spending $$$$! If you're going to be in Vegas on a Sun-Thurs. you ought to be able to get a decent room at MGM, Exaclibur, Luxor,etc. for well under $100.

dcp hasn't stayed at any of LV's best hotels and that's why he thinks all the rooms are similar or just "okay".
Stay ina nice room at Bellagio, or Venetian or even one of the Four Seasons rooms (which I don't think are as nice as the other two) and if you still think all rooms in LV are similar or just OK then it's time to check your sensory inputs.

I completely agree with dcp that among Luxor, Mirage and Paris there's nothing to rave about. They're no different than a basic Hyatt.
But if a nice room matters to you, some of the best in the US can be found (the suites in particular) at Bellagio and FS.

The old theory about there are no nice room features and furnishings so you're not inclined to stay in the rooms is true for mediocre hotels like the ones dcp mentioned. This is NOT true for the nicer rooms at the better hotels.
I'd also add that one of the better rooms in LV I've stayed in was a penthouse suite at Mirage. Very different from the basic rooms there.

As for your question kevin, if your wife doesn't care about room quality, then you may be wasting your money at Bellagio. Barbary Coast is like a Hampton Inn. No frills, passable.
How do you change your wife's mind?
Well, how long have you been married, kevin? I have a bias on this one which I'll keep to myself ;-)

my husband and I travel to LV at least four times a year - we are not degenerate gamblers, we own a Bed and breakfast in So Cal and LV is only three hours away. That said, we have stayed in Bellagio, Venetian, MGM, Paris, Mirage and Mandalay Bay. I tend to be a princess but the room with the best view we ever had was at Paris - a basic room but overlooking the Eiffel tower and with a view of the fountains in the distance. So romantic! And less expensive than Bellagio.I don't know the rate you got on Bellagio but they just got five diamonds and that might be why its so expensive - Paris rooms are nice with good quality furnishings and for me a separate bathtub is the key, which they have. So, not to agree with your wife, because I would stay at Bellagio in a second if we could afford it - if you guys like food , there is amazing food to be had - don't miss Lawry's (off the strip) and the restaurants in the Bellagio are great. ANd the shopping is world class I usually spend a fortune.Hope my advice helps.

Kevin, I would definitely stay at Bellagio. I have stayed there twice and have found it overall to be heads and tails above the other strip hotels. (Although I haven't stayed at the Four Seasons which would be fabulous as well). Not only are the rooms lovely, but the service and atmosphere are second to none. Also on my last trip, I had gotten a really low rate because I traveled a few weeks after Sept. 11 when occupancy was way down. By the time I arrived, rates had gone back up and I had one of the lowest rates they had booked. I asked if it was possible to upgrade at the front desk and without a blink the desk agent upgraded us to a corner room with a whirpool bath! If you spend time in the casino or in the room it's well worth the extra money for the comfort and service. Also if you go to the pool at all, it is one of the nicest pool areas. Never too crowded, very beautiful and low key. Have a great time!

Perhaps I misunderstood your first sentence, Kevin.....

" I GAVE MY WIFE A TRIP....AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT."

Kevin, YOU are a great guy! How wonderful to give your wife a trip for a Christmas gift. Now, I am sure your wife is a fine lady, but right now she has some marbles lose. She should just be thankful that she got something...most women get a sweater or something picked up on Christmas Eve, some women don't get anything. If it's your gift to her, she should just accept it, give you a big hug, and keep smilin' til April. I've also got a great guy who is taking me to NY for my birthday. He's decided that he thinks I would like the W Times Square...so that's where we're going. And yes, I would love to stay there. But, had we been booked into a Days Inn, I'd still be thrilled with the trip--and the chance to spend time with my boy discovering a city. Yours isn't a family trip you're planning together, it's a gift. How would she feel if she prepared a picnic for your birthday, but then you said you preferred white whine (sic) rather than red, ham instead of smoked salmon...

Kevin,

If this is your first time to Las Vegas and you love to eat, drink, gamble and see unbelievable shows and do this all night long, then you won't care what your room looks like. A quick shower, a small nap then out and about you'll be.

For those of us who have experienced Las Vegas a hundred times the room is more of a concern because we may spend a bit more time there. Yah, right. Telling all our friends we stayed at a $300 night room, now that's a real ego booster!

Save your money for food and fun this first trip then plan another to enjoy your room. Any of the previous mentioned hotels on the strip should please your tired bones.

Phx

I have stayed at the Barbary Coast before and find it to be a very nice, but basic hotel. If you stay there, try to get a king room with a view of Bellagio fountains. Since you are staying just a couple of nights, and this is your first trip, ask yourself how much you will actually use your hotel. With just a couple of days, I'm sure you will not have the time to use much of the ammenities that you would be paying for at Bellagio. You can see the beauty of Bellagio without staying there. Basically you will be paying all that extra money for a larger room, with nicer bed linens and a marble bath.

Bellagio is a great hotel. If you want a nice room and great service, it's the one! I WOULD NOT STAY AT THE BARBRY. I care too much about the quality of the room.

I totally disagree with the other posting about the Mirage. I stay there often and find that you get what you pay for (great pool, good restaurants that aren't too pricey.)

One thing that you will notice at Bellagio is that if you stay there, you will notice the price point is high for everything - room service, the restaurants, the stores. This is a hoity-toity hotel, so don't think the high prices stop at the room.

kimberly if I was staying someplace like Barbary Coast I wouldn't spend any time in the room either. It wouldn't enhance my vacation.
But when you stay someplace as nice or nicer than your home, it can be enjoyable to hang out a little bit there, to enjoy the room service, to enjoy the pools, the whole package.

You get what you pay for.