Need advise on Vegas trip
 

My husband and I haven't travled much. However, he has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. I want him to get as much living in as possible before he gets too sick.
I am suprising him with a trip to Las Vegas.I have the air taken care of. Now I'm working on the hotel. what is the best way to get the best deal on hotel stay. With doctor and hospital bills money is tight but I want the best bang for my buck. HELP!

Hi, sorry to hear about your husband's health and I hope you have a great trip to Vegas. I love to scour for hotel bargains and have been reading the posts in these forums for the last few weeks while I shop for my own Vegas hotel deal. I picked up a web site from another post in this forum - try: http://www.smartervegas.com/hotels.aspx
I have been comparing their prices/package inclusions to everyone else and they seem to come up best in all situations. Hope it helps and thanks to others who have posted it!
JB

I think the other site is www.cheapovegas.com. Check it out.

You could also go directly to the hotels own websites. They offer specials and package deals with coupons,2 for 1 dinner vouchers,spa treatments etc...Some of the more affordable but still nice hotels on the strip are the Luxor, Tropicana,New York New York. The Imperial Palace is in a great location and is affordable.(I'm not sure if they've updated it yet or not, it used to be kind of old)The other hotels are beautiful but more expensive. Not sure what your budget is but for a very special occasion it may be worth it. Have fun!

If you like condos, try the Grandview. I have stayer there twice. It is pretty new and a really nice property. It is about 7 miles south of the strip on Las Vegas Blvd which is nice since the traffic can get so bad on the strip.

Two things....

Since this sounds like a special trip for your husband...definately stay on the strip. Any Hotel located from Mandalay Bay to Treasure Island will be a fun experience.

To the poster just above me...Las Vegas Blvd. IS the strip. While true that 7 mile south is out of the traffic, it is also out of everything else.

Alli, for the first time visitor to Vegas, the main part is the strip, or Las Vegas boulevard on a map.

If you stay in the middle of the strip, this is the best. Flamingo, and across from it Caesar's have the best location.

Go to each hotel's website, like Bally's, Imperial Palace - those are on the cheaper side - and see if they have a calendar showing the hotel's rates. The price may be very different from week to week.

If you don't find what you are looking for, continue exploring hotels in other parts of the strip till you find the one that is affordable.

Although many people don't like it, we've stayed at Sahara several times. It's on the monorail and the bus stops are right there, the price is low, and the breakfast buffet is rather good. Of course, the center of the strip is better, but keep this in mind as the last resort.

I agree, stay mid the strip for a first time trip. Priceline might be a great way to go. With a little research, you can figure out the 4 star strip hotels.
Many people are getting the brand new Palazzo with their 5 star choice. It's either that or the Venetian, and can be had for the high $100's.

i would rather stay at mandarin instead of sahara - if the price was an issue. they have very good deals there, check their website often. the last time we did an overnight in vegas before going home from zion - we had a room for $39/night. you may also want to try monte carlo - they are reopening and should have good deals also.

so sorry to hear about your husband. best wishes to you and him and I'm sure your trip will be very good indeed.

alli859, I'm sorry to hear about your husband.

Here's the calendar that Faina referred to:
http://www.harrahs.com/destinations/...ket-home.shtml

check out sidestep.com

Also travelzoo's specials:
http://hotels.travelzoo.com/las-vegas-hotels/

I would recommend a hotel in the strip preferably, even Sahara or Riviera. There is a bus 24/7 that travels the strip. Also, if you haven't picked your dates yet, weekdays tend to be significantly cheaper.

If you post your dates perhaps we can help you find a hotel.

For a somewhat budget-minded nice dinner, we loved Il Forniao in NY NY.

Also, Bill's Gambling Hall (formerly Barberry Coast) is in a great location. I've not stayed there, but the prices are low.

We just returned from a week in Las Vegas and stayed at Bill's. Highly, highly recommend. Not "luxurious", but just fine. Especially for the rates. Between booking and arriving, checking their website, our rates went down three times, to half the original. Each time, rates were cheerfully adjusted with a phone call. You have to keep checking, because went up again after going down.

The BEST thing about Bill's is that it is tiny compared to the "resort" type places, and you can get from your room to Center Strip in minutes, compared to a very long hike through some of the larger places. The location could not be more convenient for seeing and doing.

Have a look at the reviews on TripAdvisor! Along with reviews for other hotels.

And, you'll find tons of information, tips, recommendations on the TripAdvisor forum.

I am an avid user of Priceline and Hotwire and other hotel booking websites, but the general recommendation is NOT to use them for Las Vegas - always book directly through the hotels - and I concur.

Feel free to e-mail me [email protected]

We just returned also and stayed at the Flamingo in their "Go Luxury" room. It is a fun and retro room, with a view of the Bellagio fountains, for about $100/night, midweek. The Flamingo also has more traditional rooms for about $70/night, midweek. Monte Carlo is trying to lure people back in after the fire they had, so is also offering good deals.

Do check the specials on Travelzoo.com, etc. The most important factor in room rates in Vegas is whether or not a large convention or event (rodeo, NASCAR, etc.) is in town. This can double or triple a room rate. Our $100 room at the Flamingo, for example, was $310 the week before-- during NASCAR week.

I'm sorry about your husband, and hope you enjoy your trip and time together.

Check the Luxor - they sometimes have amazing deals, and it's actually such an interesting place, I totally recommend it. The service there is exceptional....

I agree with what has been said about Bill's. In my opinion, the location and pricing can't be beat.

The small size of the hotel and casino are pluses to me - you're not walking for miles to get from your room out onto the street.

Bill's (and back when it was Barbary Coast) is always my first choice of places to stay when in Vegas because of location and price.

Hi All,
I really appreciate all your responses.I was totaly lost. My daughter travels alot with her job and helped with the arrangements, she managed to get us a room at New York New York.I did get on www.cheapovegas.com, www.smartvegas.com and vegas.com and found lots of info. We leave for Vegas on the 22nd of March and come home on the 28th of March.John is going nuts trying to figure out where I'm taking him. I don't know who is more excited him or me.
Thanks again.
alli

Did you choose any shows yet? I recommend Mystere at Treasure Island and maybe Terry Fator at the Hilton. Las Vegas shows can be pricey but are amazing because (with some exceptions)the theatres are much smaller than other places and you get great seats. Zumanity, a Cirque show about sex, plays late at NYNY where you are staying, but I dont know if you would like that sought of thing. Even for that, you would have to buy ahead of time by phone. Buy by phone from the hotel directly. It is better, I think to buy in advance, though sometimes cheaper to buy whats left over when you are there but you don't get the selection. Also if you were willing to splurge $150/person dinner, Picassos at the Bellagio is the most amazing food experience I've ever had. I don't want to overwhelm you... and I hope you have a phenomenal trip. Please update us when you get back.

alli, have a wonderful time. You both deserve it.

Have a wonderful time in Vegas. I hope your husband enjoys his surprise. We leave for Vegas on Saturday!

Here's another recommendation for Mystere - our first Cirque show - and we loved it!

We drove all the way to Atlantic City (from NH) to see Terry Fator because he was not performing in Las Vegas during our visit. Well worth the drive!

The very best meal of our trip was Bouchon at the Venetian. Moderate prices, too.

Check out dualing pianos in the Bar at Times Square in New York New York.

And, be sure to see the Fountains at the Bellagio!

We thought the very best views were from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Definitely go to Nine Fine Irishmen in NY, NY. The band is excellent and it’s a great place. I haven’t eaten there but the food did look and smell good.

Sorry to hear about your health issues. My husband and I go to Vegas about 2-3 times a year. We stay at NYNY, Treasure Island, The Mirage or Bellagio. I love NYNY. It's got a lot of energy and the food at Il Fornaio and Nine Fine Irishmen is great. Also ESPN Zone, but it's bit noisy. If you have a chance to see Danny Gans at the Mirage I would HIGHLY recommend it. It's hilarious and clean. We've been twice. Also, Mystere is Awesome! Have a great time. Good Luck!

I am very sorry to hear about your husband's health. What a wonderful way to do something positive! SkaiSW suggested Mystere; saw it in Oct with 3 teenagers, and it was incredible! We are leaving for LV this Thursday and have tickets to see Ka (saw Kooz in SF in January). We found the best prices by entering Cirque du Soleil in the Google search engine, believe it or not. You simply cannot go wrong with any of the Cirque shows! Gallagher's Steak house in NY NY is excellent but pricey. Roxy's in the Stratosphere is a good place to have breakfast or lunch~reasonably price, good food and a Happy Days type atmosphere. djkbooks suggested the fountains at the Bellagio~my daughter's personal favorite. There is a great view from the top of the Stratosphere, but it's a bit pricey, not sure what the cost is compared to the Eiffle Tower.....Best wishes to you and your husband for a lovely trip!

Sorry to hear about your husband's health. I am excited for you both about you trip. It's giving me chills,such a wonderful surprise! I wish I could see his face when he finds out! Enjoy and have a wonderful trip.

I am researching our first trip together and cannot share anything about LasVegas, but would love to hear about yours when you return. :)

What does everyone think about contacting the hotel manager and explaining the situation? Maybe something could be done to make this a more memorable time, as in an upgrade or special show seats?
Or maybe she'd rather not draw attention to their situation. What do you all think?

I work at a cancer institution/hospital. the last thing our patients want to feel when on vacation is the special other attention. Most patients just want to feel normal. However, I think it is very kind to think of suggesting that. I would imagine it would really be up to alli since she knows him best.

How kind and thoughtful were all your replies.

This brought one important thought to my mind...."God never promised us tomorrow" so we need to do all we can now.....we will always have bills, always have children in college, and there is never a "perfect" time.

But when God calls us home..."we should have no regrets, about what we should have done"