LAS VEGAS - where to stay w/kids
 

Any hotel suggestions for family with 15 & 13 year old girls. We will be in Vegas for 2 nights - love to shop, eat and maybe take in a show.
Thanks for your help.

The hotels with lots to do for teen girls are the ones with lots of stores/shops in them... I would recommend, Venetian, Caesar's, Mirage, Mandalay Bay or any hotel in close proximity to those. Check out www.cheapovegas.com to get a humorous view of all the strip hotels. Bellagio probably would be good, but tends to cater more to adults and doesn't try to be family oriented as much.

If your teens like to lay out by the pool like mine do, these same hotels have good pool areas, others with good pools are the Tropicana or Flamingo.

If you go during the week and avoid weekends you can get a great price on the Venetian on Priceline, especially in the summer (around 90-100 dollars a night).

The Venetian is the only 5* hotel that participates with Priceline on the strip so it is easy to bid for and be guaranteed a nice hotel for the price.

P.S. Now if your kids are into MTV and such they might like the Palms or Hard Rock hotels as both are of that type and have good pools, you just won't have as much accessible shopping there as you would directly on mid-strip, etc.

We recommend the Mirage or Mandalay Bay for kids--especially if they like being by a pool. Mandalay has a faux "beach" and the Mirage has a beautiful, tropical oasis with water slides. Mirage also has an area with several tigers (and usually cubs)--Siegfried and Roy's Garden--which includes some dolphins. Gives kids who like animals something different to do. Since Mirage is closer to some other resorts that you might find interesting to visit (Venetian, Caesar's, Aladdin), you might go with Mirage over Mandalay.

For some fun sightseeing, Aladin is also great for shopping, kid-friendly eateries, and disneyesque decor. We have never stayed here, so I don't know how the rooms or pool is.

I would not recommend Bellagio or Palms for kids.

Two nights is just about right (depending on your tolerence for ringing slots,etc)---have fun!

Best shopping options:
Caesar's, Bellagio, Venetian and Mirage/TI due to their proximity to the Fashion Show Mall. THE FSM has a Neiman-Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Bally, Cole-Haan etc etc.
What price range are you looking for? That's the biggest key. If price is not an issue, stay at Bellagio. 13 and 15 year olds will be absolutely fine there--Bellagio discourages small children, and the pools there are among the most relaxing/quiet and elegant in LV.
For high energy pools, look into Mandalay Bay and Caesar's.
There are too many restaurant options to list without specific criteria. No limits there.

If your girls want a hotel where they will see other teens, then DON'T stay at Caesar's. We were just there 2 weeks ago, and the only minors we saw were a few babies. Caesar's pool has a topless area, and is overall quiet with soft jazz music playing. The restaurants at Caesar's are more upscale (around $50 for an entree), and the tickets for Celine and Elton are $$$$.

I'll second the recommendations for the Mirage. We saw a LOT more children (of all ages) there than at Caesar's. And oddly enough, the majority of the Mirage rooms are closer to the Forum Shops than the Caesar's rooms! (It was a LONG walk to get to the other end of the property!) The Mirage pool is also more family-friendly, and plays pop music. Mirage also has restaurants in a more moderate price range, and a buffet.

The answer to your question depends upon whether or not money is an issue. If not, I would recommend Mandalay Bay for its pool.

My next recommendation would be Luxor because they have a huge pool, IMAX theater, giant arcade, and a new shopping mall which connects it to Mandalay Bay.

Having said that, if money is an issue, be aware that almost all hotels charge extra for more than two people in a room - even kids. Mandalay Bay charges $35.00 per extra person, for example.

If money is an issue there are a few hotels that do not charge for kids who stay in a room with parents. There may be others, but Circus Circus, Flamingo, Ballys, and Paris do not charge extra for children staying with parents.

Of those, the Flamingo probably has the best pool, most reasonable rates, and best location.

Have fun!

It's not accurate to state that restaurants at Caesar's (implying most or all) are expensive at ~$50/entree.
First off, Caesar's has no less than 19 restaurants. Second, the variety includes everything from inexpensive delis and casual Mexican places to high end gourmet. There is literally something for every budget and taste, and fewer than 5% of all the items served will be over $50.

I agree with Christie that Caesar's isn't the best choice for kids (although I also agree with Travleis that there are restaurant choices for all budgets). There are other LV hotels that are more kid friendly such as Mandalay Bay, Mirage, Treasure Island, MGM, Excalibur, and others. I will admit, however, that this post is somewhat self-serving as I often stay at Caesar's and one of the things I like about it is the lack of kids.

The hotel part is tricky depending on the maturity level of the 15 and 13 year old. For some I would suggest the Mirage and for the younger type Excalibur.
Food - New York, New York
Show - Lance Burton at Monte Carlo, Mystere and O.

I recently stayed at the Flamingo and think this could be a good choice for you. First of all, as stated earlier, Flamingo, Bally's and Paris (avoid Circus Circus) do not charge for the children in your room. My room at the Flamingo was recently renovated, very nicely decorated and quite a good size. Your girls will love the Flamingo pool. It really is one of the best in Vegas. Mandalay Bay is another good choice (they will charge you for the girls), but it's location is not as good as Flamingo.

The Flamingo is so centrally located. From there you can shop at Desert Passage in the Aladdin, Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, Canal Shoppes at The Venetian and the Fashion Show Mall. Actually, more shopping than you can do in two days.

I would recommend "Mystere" at Treasure Island. It is a Cirque du Soleil show and it is fabulous. "O" in Bellagio is another great show. I'm sure you and your girls would enjoy either one of these Cirque shows.

There are so many good restaurants. There is a Margaritaville in the Flamingo, which the teens might like.

Have fun!

The last time I was at the Bellagio, children under 18 were not allowed on premises unless they were staying at the hotel.

The "under 18" Bellagio limitatation has been lifted for a while now. But on the other end of the spectrum, many local casinos started enforcing a new rule that under 18 are not permitted without a parent on evenings after 9. Some places (Station casinos) people with children are only allowed to use certain entrances.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my request for hotel suggestions. I greatly appreciate the info. I will review your responses with the family and let you know where we have decided to stay.