I am making my first trip to Las Vegas this fall. Since it's going to be a gift for my spouse, I would like to make the trip somewhat special. I have been reading through the travel sites (Fodors, Frommers,Cheapovegas.com, ect.) and it seems to be the concensus that the best hotels are Belliago, the Venetian and Mandalay Bay/Four Seasons. But from what I have read, these places can have a lot of attitude too, that service is saved for the people with money, that there is a certain way to dress and so on. I don't mind spending the extra dollars for a great place, but I don't want to stay somewhere where I won't feel comfortable or feel out of place. Is what I've heard about these places pretty accurate? Would I do better at someplace like the Mirage, New York New York, or one of the mini-suites at MGM or Treasure Island? I've also read that the tower rooms at Cearars are really nice.

Jim,
There have been numerous posts about Las Vegas clothing styles recently. In addition, I posted a trip report recently about our stay at Bellagio. But the short answer, from my experience, is that at Bellagio, we were treated wonderfully and never spent a dollar gambling. With the exception of a few of the most formal restaurants, the dress code in Las Vegas is very casual -- too casual for my tastes, but that's a different question. You will see more sportswear and more attention to style and fashion at properties like Bellagio and the Venetian -- but even in those places, very casual clothing (shorts and logo T-shirts) is everywhere. Hope this is helpful. Have a great time.

There's one thing you need to realize about Las Vegas Jim: it's different than everyplace else in the world. Hotels similar to Bellagio, if located in Beverly Hills, NYC, DC, etc will come with certain "attitude baggage", and if that's not your style, that can diminish the enjoyment of your stay.

In Las Vegas, while people might think the attitude at Bellagio or FS is 'snooty', that's a very relative thing. Yes, staff are a bit more formal than at your local Hampton Inn, but I have NEVER encountered actual snootiness (by my estimates) having stayed at Bellagio 6-7 times, FS twice, Mandalay several times.
The real point is that Las Vegas is an extremely casual place. People seldom dress up anymore (it's not at all like the 60's etc).
It's YOUR trip. And even if you don't like someone's attitude, ignore them. But I know what you're referring to about attitude because I've seen several people write about it before.
If you've never stayed in a nice hotel, I suppose it's easy to feel like a fish out of water in the opulent surroundings some of these places provide.
But if you've stayed at decent places in other cities, I really doubt you'll feel uncomfortable.
Go and have fun and don't give it a second thought. Vegas is 100% about having fun and forgetting about your 'real world life'.

Hi Jim,
My sister-in-law recently got back from Vegas and stayed at the Bellagio.
She said she was ripped off at a slot machine for $300.00. They insisted that her quarters dropped down, paying her off. My sister-in-law didn't want to argue the point and was out the $300.
Number One, that many quarters do not drop down, someone comes and checks the machine and you are paid in bills.
For this reason, I would not stay there no matter how nice it is.

What planet does that kind of logic come from?
I have an indirect relative who claims a slot machine ripped her off, therefore the hotel in which it is located must be a horrible place.

Well, I stepped on a piece of glass in the park yesterday. Maybe I should sue the city? You can bet I'll never go that park again, it's a bad park if there's glass in it! Huh?

STOP:Go to the Four Seasons, which is the top 5 floors of the Mandalay Bay. It is 5 star like the Bellagio. However, it is non-gaming which is a treat to get away from in Vegas. Private pool, great spa, and it is a Four Seasons and until you stayed in one it is hard to comprehend.

Anywhere along the strip is good. We have stayed at the Monte Carlo suite(good), MGM grand tower suite(good),Venetian(great). I have friends that recently stayed at the Belliago and said it was fabulous. We do not gamble to much but we like to see all the shows and hang at the pool and spas.
All of the above mentioned hotels have great pools with the exception of the Venetian. All are beautiful and for this being your 1st trip you'll be impressed wherever you stay. PS the MGM is more "family" style. You must do lunch at Spagos (Cesars shops area). PSS the Mandalay Bay is pretty far uptown and kinda out of the way...

I stayed at the MGM in March and was not real happy with the hotel. I hope all the hotels are not like that one. I find it is too big for its staff. No personal service. Had a problem with our room. The previous person had come back and showered after they cleaned the room. We called to have someone clean it up. They told us to leave the room and they would take care of it. Well a few hours later (ate at the buffet. YUCK) we came back and nothing had been done. We also checked out the pool and for the THOUSANDS or rooms they have they only had one pool and one hot tub open. How many people can you get into one small hottub? It was gross.

And your comments are very typical of those I usually hear abut MGM.
But this raises a key point: when a hotel has over 3000 rooms to maintain and service, providing each guest with a feeling of personal concern and "service oriented attitude" can be REALLY difficult to accomplish.
I sometimes hear complaints about Bellagio or Mirage or whatever because the service "wasn't the same quality as at the Ritz back home".
Well, I'm not sure if it's really possible to provide that level of service to a guest population the size of a small town.
Some people like the Four Seasons in Las Vegas for that reason. At 300-odd rooms it's a fraction of the size of the casino hotels.
But I think people forget to factor the size issue in when they evaluate service at big hotels. NOT that this excuses poor service. Just an issue people should be aware of in advance.

My husband and I are in our mid-twenties and just returned from 5 nights at Treasure Island and REALLY loved it. Our room was fabulous and very "posh" for $59.00 a night! It was truly a beautiful and classy room. The pool was small for the number of guests using it and don't you just hate thirty or fortysomethings acting like twentysomethings??!! Lots of middle aged (or close to it) adults boozing it up by the pool, trying to chill with the younger crowd but not having any luck!! I'm sure you can see where I'm coming from! Regardless, we had a great time and highly recommend Treasure Island. We'll definitely stay there again and again!!

If you're trying to strike a nerve with your comments about age, Jen, I'm sure you'll succeed.
Las Vegas is all about getting away from the home routine and humdrum everyday existence and having fun, letting loose and having a good time. And for some people, that means doing some of the things they did when they were twenty years younger.
If they outlaw fun in LV, it'll dry up and blow away in a hurry.
(Now if you're referring to 45 year old guys 'hitting on' 20 year olds, I still kind of shake my head at that too, but then, that happens at home where I live as well. Just not as often).