Have the opportunity to stay at the Venetian or Bellagio in Las Vegas for the same price for two nights. Not very interested in gambling. Which is better for quality of rooms and restaurants and overall luxury?

I would choose the Bellagio for both the restaurants and overall luxury. The Venetian is OK but they still have a few problems to work out. On the other hand the Bellagio is pure luxury all the way and very well located.

Neither one. They are both overexposed and a rip off. Mandalay Bay is the classiest of all. Much better pool area and more for the "young" set. The others are for old foggies.

Anybody that picks the Mandalay Bay over the Bellagio gets what they deserve. After all the Mandalay Bay is a Circus Circus property whereas the Bellagion is a Steve Wynn property. Need I say more. One has class and the other does not.

We've stayed at the Four Seasons in Mandalay Bay, and just recently at the Venetian. We've gambled several times at Bellagio...and will probably stay there the next time we go. I highly recommend Four Seasons...if you want luxury. Mandaly Bay has good gambling and very good restaurants. Bellagio has great gambling and even better restaurants. Bellagio seems to promote atmosphere and quality. Venetian has great architecture and the furnishings in the rooms are very nice and still in good condition. I say this because with the staff (or lack of)...it won't be this way for long. When we checked in at 3 p.m. there were 300 people in line and only 4 desk clerks. They had an additional check-in area for a tupperware convention that was going on...but it was so poorly marked that no one knew where it was. From the time we pulled into the valet line...until we finally got our luggage (after pleading and threats)...it was an hour and a half later. The conventioneers didn't receive their luggage for about 10 hours...and some not at all. There were 3 valets and about 35 cars backed up. Check out in the morning is equally chaotic. Don't even consider getting a bellman to help with luggage. When you call you get a voice mail service. The same if you want your car brought around. they said it would take 5-6 minutes for the car. 25 minutes later...we and about 20 other people were still waiting. There is no A/C in the rooms. It's a cooling system that isn't adjustable (the "thermostat" is just to placate you). They have no room fans available. In addition...there are vents in the filthy windows that blow hot air into the room...necessitating the drapes stay closed at all times. Housekeeping showed up at about 5:30 p.m. to clean our room, despite the fact that the "clean room please" placard had been hanging on the door since 9 a.m. If you so much as touch any item in the mini bar..it will automatically be charged to your room. It is next to impossible to get those charges removed. You will also be charged automatically for the fax in your room. It's only $.25 a day...but multiply that times the number of rooms...and this hotel is making a killing. The bathroom has no ventilation or decent light. Everyone in Vegas (locals) seem to think that the Venetian is soon to go bankrupt. I can see that it'll never be finished. As they continue to hammer away everyday...you'll be pleased to learn that the fire alarm system goes off every 15-30 minutes. There are announcements that accompany the alarm...but they can't be heard over the "whooping" of the alarm. If they ever did have a fire...no one would pay any attention, anyway.
Some one had a great architectural idea with the Venetian...but failed to comprehend that a hotel is much more than the structure. Once you turn over the keys to your car...you're a prisoner there until they decide when you'll get your luggage, car, and check-out receipts back. Avoid this place until it's been sold off to someone that knows how to run a hotel.

Whew. What a nightmare! I sure am glad we weren't at the Venetian for the Tupperware convention!
The Venetian check-in (on July 23rd) did take a long time, but we saw long check in lines at all the hotels at around 3:00 p.m. every day. Tip: get there much earlier. We had a good time at the Venetian. We thought their restaurants and room service were outstanding, and really enjoyed our spacious (and absolutely quiet) room. No ventilation problems there. We found the rooms at the Bellagio (where we also stayed) to not be nearly as attractive, although their pool courtyard is beautiful. Perhaps we will try the Four Seasons next time, it sounds like the perfect compromise. All in all, Las Vegas (the Bellagio included) is extremely crowded, and as such, it lacks "exclusivity". If you go there expecting it, you'll be disappointed. Be prepared to "crowd surf".

I was not overly impressed with the standard rooms at the Bellagio, although the bathrooms were certainly quite nice. While I have not stayed at the Venetian as yet, I am sure that when it is fully completed that it will surely be the BEST on the Strip -- especially since the STANDARD rooms are a generous 700 sq. ft.!

If you wish to stay at the Venetian, than I suggest that you do it fairly soon. Word on the street is that the Venetian is already in serious trouble and it's future is VERY uncertain.

Why does everyone get into a pissing contest over the nicest hotels in Vegas? You might think you were staying in a barn the way some of you act. Our family can barely afford Circus Circus or Stardust and it makes me sick the way some of you whine.

Dear Peter, Why all the hostility? I re-read the posts and didn't seem to note any pissing contests. People are relating their opinions and experiences in answering a direct question - whether to stay at the Bellagio or Venetian. Whether you can afford to stay there or not seems irrelevant.

I'm still unclear as to why you felt it necessary to respond. Should know one stay at these places since you can't? Where is the whining? I DON"T GET YOUR IDIOTIC RESPONSE! Please explain.

Wouldn't you be upset if you had the problems Karma experienced? Don't you feel it is valuable information to know that this could happen. Isn't it interesting to know that others have heard they are in financial difficulty such as LVLarry. Or that Betty had just fine experiences? I Just don't get your response.

Peter, there was a time that Circus Circus would have been way beyond my budget too. I would have given anything to stay in one of the nicer hotels...and never believed it would one day be possible. Now that we FINALLY have a little extra income...I want every dollar to count...as I'm sure you would. After reviewing several travel boards and hearing that the Venetian was still having a "few, small problems" in an otherwise fabulous property...we decided to give it a try. We were, it turns out, seriously misled. For $15 more per night...we could have had the ultimate luxury of the Four Seasons. Little did we realize what a difference $15 could make (in that price range). Four Seasons includes two breakfast buffets each morning also, for the extra $15 (and the food is outstanding). Not only that, but when you check in...there is NO wait and the desk clerk escorts you to your room. There are staff members everywhere...offering assistance at every turn. There is free use of the spa and a private pool with free cabanas...in addition to being permitted to use all of Mandalay Bay's facilities for free. At the Venetian, you can't even get your own luggage (and we weren't even with a convention). At Four Season's, the room comes with a coffeemaker, a humidifier, robes, chocolates on your pillow, and amazing views (if you want them)...all without screaming alarms that go off all day and night. When we wanted to go to Bellagio for dinner...instead of hailing us a cab...they brought the limo around (free). One morning, as the mini bar attendant was doing his rounds...I coughed (just a little throat-clearing cough). He, literally, ran to me with a bottle of orange juice and told me to be sure to take care of myself...and then asked if he could get me anything else. On his way out...he left a little bottle of hazelnut flavoring for my coffee the next morning.

So I ask you Pete, if you were given a choice...which hotel would you want to spend your hard earned vacation money??? We felt the Venetian was a complete waste of money...regardless of the price.

We returned last week from the Bellagio and had a lovely time (aside from the gambling). While my husband and I had a standard room which, as another poster said, was not really special though nice, my daughter and her friends in their 20's had a spectacular suite (one bedroom plus a large sitting room) for $300 a night which was fantastic. I really enjoy the Bellagio because there's not many children around. (Hey, I'm a teacher and love them, but...). No children are allowed in the hotel unless they are staying there.
We visited the Venetian two days, and I was amazed at how very crowded it was. The canal is nice but not many shops were open yet. All of these hotels are nice; make sure you visit them all when you're there. It's quite a place...Oh,, if you stay at the Bellagio, ask for rooms overlooking the fountains; they are spectacular!!! They're worth the price of the room - watching the shows at night...