Cory

Planning a trip to Vegas in the Spring. I have reservations at Bellagio and Venetian and just can't decide which one to choose. What are your experiences, good and bad, with both locations?

Nic

Bellagio-
better restaurants
better shops
nicer casino-slots pay!
"O"
Nothing but good experiences at the Bellagio,th Venetian is good for a llok around but I would not want to stay there-

suzanne

The Bellagio is by far the ritziest hotel in town. I've never stayed there...I couldn't afford it! I stayed at the Venetian when it first opened. The rooms were very nice and all...but the Bellagio's casino blew all the others away.

Max

Venetian has been slipping the past year. Service is faltering more than at some other places. I've never been impressed with the fake canals since I've actually been to Italy, but I do give them credit for the effort. Rooms are very large, but feel borderline over the top to me.
Bellagio is the best executed hotel casino vision in the world. The best group of restaurants, nicest casino, great pools (another downfall at Venetian), beautiful facade and lake/fountains.
Venetian is a very nice hotel and decent casino. But it still doesn't measure up to Bellagio.

danie

Cory,
The Bellagio for sure. We stayed at both hotels and would not go back to the Venetian. The Bellagio, as big as it is, is much 'cosier' and welcoming. The restaurants, the pools, the staff, the shops are much better at the Bellagio.
have fun

philip

6 months ago I would have said Bellagio, hands down. However, on a trip in November I was very disappointed as service has clearly slipped at Bellagio. (We've stayed there 6 times in total.)

We found a dirty room on arrival, keys that wouldn't work, lost dinner reservations, 5 to 10 minutes on hold for any type of service call (room service, clean towels, dinner reservation, calls to the spa), and 30 minute plus waits for a bellman, amomng other things.

I understand the economics of why it has slipped, but it is disappointing. This is not the same Bellagio that it was a year or two ago.

Does anyone know if they have staffed up again after the 9/11 cutbacks?

Not that Venetian will be significantly better if they have cut service in light of traffic declines in the fall.

I'd say pick the one with the best rate for the time you are going. I'd stay at Bellagio again, but my expectations aren't as high and I'd see where I can get a better rate on a larger room than the standard Bellagio room.

ryan

Max,
Trust me, Bellagio is not the best hotel in the world. It is nice and for Vegas it is above average.

It doesn't come close to the Peninsula in Hong Kong, the Four Seasons in Bali, or the Crillion in Paris. I've stayed at all four, it is not even a contest.

ryan

Max,
Sorry, misread your post the first time. I should know better than to try and read something with my 6 month old on my lap.

Max

Ryan:
I've stayed at the FS Bali and FS George V in Paris, Villa d'Este on Lake Como and the Lanesborough in London. I have a feel for what 'best in the world' is like.
I did qualify my comments as 'best hotel casino'. (And that's including Monaco).
I see that you caught that, but just to give Steve Wynn his due I thought I'd frame those comments (too bad MGM can't be trusted to maintain what Wynn started).

Nic

If you have one bad experience in a hotel, that does not mean that the entire hotel has "slipped"...you should try it again, before coming to that conclusion..We stay at the Bellagio every year, and have not had a bad experience yet,except for the drunk that hassled me and security had to show him the door

dave

YES YES - Bellagio

NO NO - Venetian. Although it has huge rooms, it also is just too huge in general. So much that I think the service is slow because everyone's running acres to get to your room.