Just back from 4 great days in Las Vegas. We stayed at the Flamingo and did the airport check in. I asked for a renovated room on a high floor and after a little balking that they were all sold out, they managed to find 2 for us. Even though it only had one king bed (so my mom and I had to share), we did have a very nice room on the 19th floor, overlooking the Bellagio fountains. Thursday was not crowded so we could have waited to check in at the hotel...but Sunday was a different story. The line in the lobby was enormous, so if you go on a Sunday, definitely check in at the airport.
The pool is very nice but crowded. The first morning we got down there at 9 am and had a very difficult time getting a chair. Every morning after that we got there at 8 am and it was much better. We stayed by the main pool with the waterfall, on the side close to the Grotto Bar. That way we could just hop up and get our drinks ourselves instead of waiting for the waitresses who were extremely busy.
We had lunch one day at the Flamingo buffet, using our 2 for 1 coupon. Nothing special, and we usually aren't big fans of buffets anyway, but for the price it was just fine. Also used a 2 for 1 at the Deli for hamburgers another day.
Ok, enough about the Flamingo, here are some other highlights. First, restaurants. We did dinner the first night at Spago in the Forum Shops. We ate in the cafe part - the food was delicious very reasonably priced, except for the wine. At $10 a glass, that really shot our bill up. I highly recommend the mushroom and spinach pizza. On Friday we had a late dinner after our show at Rainforest Cafe. Even though it was cheesy, the food was good and my 16 yr old cousin was thrilled, not by the decor, but because the waiter was hitting on her! Saturday's dinner was at the Pink Taco in the Hard Rock Casino. Great food, and lots of it, reasonably priced, very hip, fun, good music and crowd, etc. Sunday we had lunch at Mon Ami Gabi in Paris. We ate inside because it was very hot that afternoon and my aunt didn't think she could take the sun on the patio, even with the umbrellas and misters. Again, fabulous meal and reasonable. We all either had the quiche or crepes and it was wonderful. For desert our last night we split a bananas foster crepe from the crepe stand in Paris. It was sinful!

Part 2:

As for the hotels and casinos, my favorite used to be Caesars...but that was until we visited the Hard Rock. This place has my name written all over it and I will definitely stay there next time. The crowd seemed to be my age group, late 20's to late 30's maybe? Great pool area, cool music and decor - the whole place was really up my ally. I also really enjoyed Paris...just the layout and the shops and such. Sort of styled like NY, NY, but classier I guess. Another first time stop was at the Palms. Never Again. What is the attraction to this place? Everyone in there looked like they turned 21 yesterday, and there was nothing but incredibly huge lines wrapping around the whole place to get into the night clubs. The place has hard wood floors that look like they came from a gym or something, and the decorations were sparse and boring. I really don't see what all the hype was about. Guess I have confirmed that I am no longer the MTV generation. My cousin thought it was "the coolest". *sigh* We went to the Stratosphere for the first time and had a few drinks at the lounge on the 109th floor. It was a nice, relaxing time and great view. My mom sweet talked our way up there so we didn't pay the normal general admission charge for going to the top. Ok, entertainment. Our show choice was The Blue Man Group and we all loved it. Totally different than anything I have ever been to. If you don't like loud music though, avoid this one. The music and comedy is great, as are all the special effects and crazy little touches. We also hit a few night clubs and lounges. Forget those who say you need to be a pretty girl in a short skirt to bypass the line and the cover....all you need is to have your mom with you! My mom and I hopped into Coyote Ugly and Studio 54 just by asking at the VIP entrance. I think the bouncers just got a kick out of seeing a 50ish woman dancing to "Big Pimpin' "! We also enjoyed the Voodoo Lounge at Rio.
Things I've learned...take the bus instead of a cab. We did this our last day and were kicking ourselves that we didn't figure it out sooner. Also, there is a trolley that we got from the Stratosphere, but it takes quite a long time because it drives up and stops at a lot of the casinos. There is a free shuttle from the Stratosphere to the Hard Rock, and a shuttle from the Rio to Harrahs, so it's pretty easy to get everywhere without a cab. Gambling was the cheapest at the Stratosphere, as well as the most laid back. They were letting people pose with the dealers and take pictures. Everyone was friendly and helped people along who didn't understand as well. We had the most luck at the Aladdin casino though. My aunt did terrible at the Flamingo so we didn't even bother trying the slots there.
I think that's about it. Thanks to everyone for your advice and staying to read my very long winded message. I'd be happy to answer any other questions about the Flamingo or anything else if needed.

Very interesting and detailed report. Thank you. Glad you had a great trip!

Yes, please tell me all about the Flamingo. I'm considering it or the Paris based on opinions and price. I've never been to Vegas so I need lots of advice. I'm going this December with my husband.

What a great report! Thank you for posting! And I agree with everything you've said about Flamingo. Only you did not mention the penguins, this was my favorite part

Could you explain the airport check in further? Do you drop your luggage there also? I'm wondering if it would be good for us to do. We arrive at 9 PM on Labor Day.

The airport check in is very easy. Head right down to the baggage claim area. Right there you will see a room for all the Park Place hotels - Flamingo, Paris, Caesars, and Ballys I think. You just wait in a fairly short line there and check in just as you would at the hotel. They take your Id and credit card and give you your room keys and guest coupon book. Then you go and grab your bags and go to the hotel. They don't do anything with your luggage, that is still your responsibility. The Flamingo has a shuttle that you can book when you check in, but I think it's like $5 a person and can take up to 40 minutes, so we just took a cab. By the way, the cab line is huge, but moves fairly quickly. When you get to the Flamingo, you bypass the front desk completely and just go right up the elevator to your room.
I think on Labor day this would probably be much shorter than waiting at the hotel. Like I said, the line we saw on Sunday was unbeliveable. It wrapped the whole way around the lobby and down the hall past all of the gift shops. They were still waiting at 11 at night when we came back.

belle,
I liked the Flamingo because it is centrally located, and was very inexpensive for a strip hotel. Paris also has a great location, and I think a little nicer atmosphere - so maybe for your first time, that might be a better choice. We've been to Vegas 3 times before so we were really looking for a good deal more than anything. The Flamingo had a rate of $55 week and $110 weekend when I booked.
If you are going in December, you won't get to enjoy the Flamingo's best feature, the pool. They have a great tropical setting outside with flamingos, and yes, penguins! I would say if Paris is of a comparable price, go for Paris. They have a nice layout of shops, casino floor, and restaurants all mixed. The Flamingo is older without a "theme" decor, but is still a perfectly fine hotel and casino. I was not disappointed.

belle

IMHO there is no debate between Paris and Flamingo...hands down the Paris is the right choice. It will likely be more expensive but if it is even close, Paris is worth it!

Thanks for the great report!

Keith