Not another Vegas hotel question...groan (please help)
 

My dear husband surprised me this morning on my 40th birthday with tickets to Vegas in a few weeks. I haven't been in 11 years since I lived in LA and I'm quite excited about going. He hasn't however finalized the hotel so I need your help. We would like to find a place on the strip (since we don't have a car and want to be centrally located) and my only other request is for a nice pool area (to relax without the children for 4 days!). He's already done so much and I don't want to break the bank...any suggestions?

In order of most expensive to least:

Mirage, Venetian & Bellagio.

The Mandalay Bay has a man made beach and wave pool, but is not in the best location since it's at the very end of the srip. In cooler weather its not such a big deal, but when temps are over 100, you don't really want to walk much.

I suggest the Mirage for it's location and incredible pool area. Their rooms have also been recently redone and are very nice.

The Venetion's standard room is a large suite, although I have never stayed there, from their website and what I have read here, you really can't go wrong, especially at the discount rate.

The Bellagio is rated very highly and I believe it's the only true luxery hotel in Vegas.

Since you will be going in summer, you should be able to get a really good deal. The Mirage sent me an E-mail advertising rooms for 89.00, The Venetian has a deal for 119.00, I don't know about summer specials at the Bellagio.

Oops! I meant in order of LEAST expensive to MOST expensive!

I think the prior poster meant least to most expensive.

If you want to relax without kids, and I assume you mean other people's, as well, Mirage may have more kids than say Bellagio. Another option that is economical and convieniently located is the Monte Carlo. It is definately more low key than the other hotels, which isn't a bad thing, but you probably won't have a ton of kids at the pool.

Caesar's also has a really nice pool area. Not sure how it is on rate.

Check out The Flamingo. We've stayed in other places (Mirage, MGM) but found this to be the best for us.

Its centrally located (don't need a car), the best pool (do a search here) and only $55 a night this summer (ask for Pool Party rate).

Yes, there will be kids. There will be kids everywhere. Ours will be there too, but they're quite cool (smile) as we'll be there for two nights this July, ourselves.

Happy birthday!

Hi Karen!
I am often treated to a birthday celebration in Las Vegas and it is quite fun!
We now stay at the Bellagio and I highly recommend it. Children are kept at a minimun and the 5 pools are lovely. The restaurants are all pretty good, you would hardly need to leave the hotel!
The rooms are amazingly comfortable, very quiet, huge, I could live in the bathroom~
Whatever view you get will be fine, at night the Strip is especially nice to see but you don't have to go for the extra cost.
Have dinner or drinks at the Voodoo Lounge in the Rio Hotel and you can see the entire city of Las Vegas !
You won't need a car~
Happy Birthday :)

My choice would be Bellagio, centrally located, romantic, adult friendly pools, nice rooms.

Thanks to all of you for your quick replies...I'll start checking them out. Now, what's the best way to get the best rates, via phone or on the web?

For the Bellagio-check on the web first then call the hotel .. DO mention it is a Birthday trip..they will do small things that are celebratory-also do the same when booking the restaurants, and try to do that now so you can get tables in the places you really want eat.
Try to have lunch at Olives out on the terrace, that is always a treat and not very $$ as you can split a wonderful flatbread pizza and a salad.
Also, Spago is nice for lunch inside to be more private, "outside" if you want to watch the parade of people walking through the Forums.
Be sure to get a Players Card at the hotel, use it every time you put a nicket or a dollar in the slots .. they add up and you get comps from the hotel for it.
Good luck!

Look at that! I invented new money..."a nicket" :) meaning a nickel~

For centrally located hotels you can't go wrong with either Bellagio or Venetian. For something more moderately priced the Harrahs and Flamingo, which are on the same block as Bellagio and Venetian, are also nice.

My husband and I stayed at the Bellagio for our 40th. It was the perfect hotel without kids. Everything is first class and their buffet is expensive but well worth it. The best we had. Also pay the extra to get a room facing the fountains. It is SO worth it. Although if you ask nicely, they might be able to get you one without paying extra. Almost the entire side of the room is a big picture window. You can pull your chairs in front of it while you're wearing the nice robes they give you to enjoy, turn the stereo to a certain channel, and hear the music in your room as you watch the fountain show. It is so romantic! And the beds are so comfortable. Big down comforters. It is definitely my first choice, although more expensive. Mirage would be my second choice, not so much for rooms but for the pool area.

Getting the best rates in Vegas can be tricky. Check all the travel search engine websites including, vegas.com, vegasfreedom.com, expedia, etc. Also, check the individual hotel websites. And, finally, call the front desk. The rates can even differ depending on who you get at the front desk. They were running a special once at Aladdin and you had to make a few calls to finally get someone who would give you the special. Crazy! The closer to the date, the more advantageous the individual hotel websites will be as they usually put together package deals when they are undersold. You can try this code at Bellagio and see if it still works, the rate includes a fountainview upgrade:

C139EMAIL

Must agree with Loki; "time spent in reconaisance is seldom wasted". Rates in Las Vegas are constantly changing, as the "yield management software" works it's magic.
That said: Bellagio is usually tops on the quality/price curve; the rooms in Venitian are fabulous if you can get a really good deal; Ceasars has a certain "true Vegas experience" about it and should be considered if the price is right; Monte Carlo has a great position, while lower down the evolutionary scale than the others it is probably the most underated/good value property on the strip.
Happy Birthday, have a great time, Greybeard

Once again my thanks to everyone with great info. I spent a good chunk of my morning making calls...unfortunately, reasonable rooms at Bellagio, Venetian and Mirage are not available for most of my stay due to some sort of convention (isn't that standard in Vegas?). However, Rockin rep's review of the Flamingo peaked my interest so I checked that out. The 5 pool idea sounded nice and the $55 room rate sounded too good to be true considering the central location. We did book this but I realize the hotel is not one of the newer ones and would love to hear input from others about their experiences here...also, more recommendations for restaurants would be great (last time I was in Vegas was 11 years ago when I was in the travel industry, earning peanuts and not able to really have fun).

My guess is that you will not be able to relax at the pool at Flamingo, and you will be leaving your kids behind to deal with everyone else's kids running wild at Flamingo. I'm not sure if it's true but someone said that Flamingo allows the public to access the pool so even the locals can drop their kids off in the summertime.

The largest convention in June/July is only 35,000 which I wouldn't think would have that great an impact but if they say that it does...

I would go somewhere else especially for a special occascion. I found vegas.com to have the cheapest rates for Caesars at certain times though it's still pricy. How about Paris? I haven't been to their pool but rates are usually reasonable. TI has been pretty cheap lately though the pool is so-so. The pool at Flamingo is definitely nice but I don't think "relaxing". Some of the rooms are pretty beat, some are OK. If you get a room you don't like, don't hesitate to ask to be switched.

check Mandalay Bay then. They have great pools and it is new. Somehow I just think you might like it better there than the Flamingo~but then that just might be me :)

Try the Venetian. They're offering outstanding rates right now and have the largest rooms. Some people even consider it romantic! BLAH! Vegas? U could always try priceline.

>)

Mandalay Bay os not bad, however it is at the far south end of the strip. It is not centrally located.

I agree, Mandalay Bay (though very, very nice) is too far south. To be centrally located I recommend Mirage, Flamingo, Caesars, Bellagio, Venetian, or Bally's. Paris is nice too (but im not sure about their pool area).

Depending on the time of year, Flamingo may be your best bet. If it is after school starts, there wont be many kids and the pool area is wonderful and the hotel is very affordable.

I agree with Jodiebug. That "corner" of the strip is where I usually stay. The Flamingo is older, but has been renovated. I have been happy there. And the pool is very nice. I stayed at Harrah's this last time, because I got a free room there. (Harrah's has a casino in my town, so I have earned comps, which can be used at their other locations.) My traveling companion and I thought the free room at Harrah's was perfectly nice. (Harrah's has also been updating.) I have no idea if Harrah's even has a pool. (That wasn't on my "needs list" this time.)

l thought I read that Ceasar's lets the public use their pool for an entry fee.

My thought is this: what will be the focus of your trip? I never spend much time in my room, so what I look for in a hotel is a nice, clean, comfortable location, close to where I will spend most of my time (so that I can walk, rather than wait on a bus or pay for a taxi). I tend to try to save money on the room, and then visit the restaurants or attractions I want to see at the other, more expensive hotels. Having said that, if money were no object, I would definitely choose the Bellagio. It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful hotel on the strip. I'm sure every aspect of a stay there would be perfect. But, it is probably the most expensive stay, as well. So far, I have had to be content with enjoying the Bellagio's beauty by visiting the Conservatory (free), the art gallery (cheap), "O" (Cirque du Soleil's show there, expensive but worth it) and the fountains (free...and my favorite thing in Vegas).

Central location and reasonable price range, without a ton of kids: Flamingo, Harrah's, maybe Bally's.

I would also recommend the spa at Mandalay Bay (for a relaxing splurge) ...and the lunch buffet at Mandalay Bay was just incredible. (The dinner buffet is probably just as good.) We tried it, just because we didn't feel like waiting on a table at one of their other restaurants, and we were extremely surprised and happy with the excellent food there. Not your typical buffet at all. Very high on my list.

Hope this info helps.

Thanks to everyone for their replies. After extensive research including phone calls as well as internet, I found that Bellagio, Venetian, Mirage, Caesars and Mandalay Bay each had at least one night they were sold out for my dates (6/24-28) due to a convention. I ended up booking the Pool Party Package at Flamingo. I don't think I can beat the location, pools, etc for the rate! I also checked with a few employees and they insist you have to be a guest of the hotel to gain access to the pools (or tropical paradise as they refer to them). Now, does anyone who's been there lately, have any opinion of the type or location of room to request? I know they've built towers and many rooms since I was last in LV and don't know which rooms are nicer/larger/quieter/better view.
Also, any restaurant recommendations? Something between hotel buffets and Nobu! You know, maybe between $25-$50 per person! Thanks again everyone!

Spago's at Caesar's Forum Shops. Try the Asian chicken salad.

Karen:

What dates did you get the Pool Party rate for? I checked for next month and it was $140 per night.

Thanks.

Deborah - How does $55 per night sound for Tues/Wed/Thurs and I think somewhere around $150 for Friday (amazing how much more they're able to charge on the weekends). My husband booked it over the internet - there's a special section marked Pool Party Rate.

I'm not a fan of the Flamingo. It's pretty trodden. The rooms are subpar. And that pool has the potential to be GREAT, but it falls short and I rate it a C+. But if the others are booked up, then I guess that would be my last resort too.

For pools, here's my ranking:

Mirage: A+
Bellagio: A
Mandalay Bar: A-
Caesar's: B+
Treasure Island: B
Venetian and Paris: B-
Flamingo: C+
MGM, Ballys, Aladdin: C
Luxor, LV Hilton: C-
Anything else...don't bother when it comes to Vegas pools.

Mirage doesn't get that many children, because the rates tend to scare those families to the Flamingo, Monte Carlo, etc.

-Darvy, the travel gal

Darvy, thanks for your input. I have been trying the other hotels all week (because you never know when a cancellation will open something up) but to this point, other than Mandalay Bay (which wanted almost $500 for Friday night) your other top-rated hotels are still booked for at least 2 of the days we'll be out there - and we're not flexible on dates (grandparents watching the kids). I know Flamingo has older and newer rooms and maybe we'll get lucky with a nicer one.

Not to steal your thread, karen, but Darvy, how would your ratings change if you were taking teenagers along?

Check out www.lvol.com for lots of
Vegas info.

Spago in the Forum Shops?
Yech!!
Based on some (bad) advice from this forum I ate there last spring. What a waste. Bad cheesy pseudo-atmosphere, OK food (definitely not better than good food from a mall food court) and with so many other nice restaurants in LV, I ask, why would anyone choose Spago?

Also, for a special occasion the Flamingo would be a downer IMO. But budget must always be considered.

Because they make an amazing Asian chicken salad!!!

Maybe you just had a bad Spago day? or the dish you chose was not so good?
We always have good lunches there, dinner was only not so great because of the crowds and noise.

Rwilliams...must have been an unfortunate 'bad' Spago day. I've eaten there numerous times (out on the "sidewalk" area for the better pricing and atmosphere) and always had good meals and several that were exceptional.

I liked beachbum's question to Darvy_Kuntz. How would the pool ratings change (if at all) if teenagers were included? Darvy? Anyone?

karenvk -
we stayed at the Flamingo last September and thought it was a great value. There were no children at the pool but it was Labor Day week so I suppose they were back to school. Our room had been recently renovated. We liked the Flamingo Room for dinner - ended up eating there twice actually. The food was very good and the prices reasonable. We're going back again this Labor Day and got a great rate of $39 a night using our player card. Can't beat it!

Pegoode, thanks for the positive vote for the Flamingo. I think the pool situation will certainly be a crap shoot (no vegas pun intended). With temps above 100, there might be no one or everyone at the pool! Keep those restaurant recommendations coming!

Karenvk - it is no crap shoot - there will definitely be a lot of people at the pool. I've been to Vegas in the summer several times and there are always a good number of people at the pool (even when it is 105).

Hey Karen:

Unfortunately, I am going on a weekend to Vegas and the pool party rate goes up to $140 rather than $55. I have a good friend that goes to Vegas a couple of times a year and said she and her husband went by the pool at the Flamingo and said it has been renovated very nicely. The casino is also in a good location on the strip (very central to a lot of things. It may not be the newest, but the weekend rate is decent (not pool party, but AAA rate). Thanks.

Deborah, thanks for your post. You're right...the location is great. I used to live in LA and come to Vegas frequently (but before all these mega hotels were built) so part of me really wanted one of these newer places but between some being sold out and the rates at the others, I just couldn't justify it. The Flamingo is just fine (although I heard not a great place to gamble - fine with me - I'm sure they'll take my money anywhere!). Does your friend have any good restaurant ideas?

I'm a bit angry now because I found out the gym costs an additional $20 a day at the Flamingo. I'm not happy and may not stay there now. My rate is over $100 a night as it is. As for restaurants, yes, they like Cafe Lux at the Venetian, Cozymel (on Flamingo), PF Chang, Cheesecake Factory at Caesar's and say there is a good brewery at the Monte Carlo.