November 22nd 2009. First up, you should know that I love Las Vegas. It’s hard to convince non-gamblers just why they have to go there, and until you have you’ll probably never understand just what it is about the place. The vibe of the Strip, the sheer extravagance, the architecture and the lights. Lots of lights! This was my second trip to Las Vegas and after staying downtown the first time, this time I chose to stay at the Encore Hotel, sister casino and look-a-like to the Wynn to which it is adjoined via an up-market shopping arcade.
I get excited just looking out the window on the plane as you land - the runway we came in on at Las Vegas (flying from LHR with BA) ran parallel to the Strip and at night it’s just an incredible sight. It doesn’t matter how long your flight was, the sight just puts you in the mood! You can see the Wynn and Encore to the North of the Strip as you come in, both looking identical and, by Vegas standards, understated. It’s a 15 minute cab ride to the hotel - $20, or $25 if they go via the Interstate. …
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Posted in: Hotel Reviews
Arrived at the Excalibur late evening on a Friday after our flight to Las Vegas from New York had been delayed for over 4 hours. We were rather exhausted & as we made our way to registration (reception) we were approached by a hotel employee who asked us where we were from & ushered us over to a desk “to receive free gifts”. Turns out this desk was trying to sell us tickets to shows, sight seeing tours etc & there was in fact nothing free at all! Not that I was bothered as I wanted to get to my room but what a hard sell! Just as we had arrived & hadn’t even checked in! …
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Posted in: Hotel Reviews
Posted in: Hotel Reviews
I spent 7 days here in May. The Stratosphere is ok & clean, I was on floor 21. The all-you-can-eat breakfast is 15 dollars and the pool is on floor 8. I could only stick it for one hour as the rap music on the speakers was very loud but i am 50!
The only issue was my wallet was stolen having all our money creit cards in. Having spent £1000 …
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Booked the Encore at $129 a night, normal rate is $300 a night. The hotel only opened on 22 December and is the newest hotel on the strip.
Check in was a zoo with no proper lines. Waited 10 mins, asked for a quiet room on a high floor away from the noise of XS nightclub I’d read about. She said that would be north facing, but it wasn’t ready yet, could be 1-3 hours and took my mobile number to call when it was ready.
Got a pool pass and went there for an hour. It was mobbed, the beds were very close together and it seemed cramped. Eventually found 3 beds that looked abandoned. No phone call, but checked back around 2 and our room was ready, 6347, on the 63rd floor which is the top floor and at the very end so as far away from the noise as it could be.
Gorgeous room, bed area separated from living area with a marble divider and 48” flat screen TV that swivels between the two areas. The king bed was so comfy it was like sleeping on a cloud and I struggled to wake, electrically operated curtains and sheers, doorbell, privacy button rather than a card on the door.
Floor to ceiling windows with a view of Circus Circus, Riviera and the north strip. Saw as far as the Plaza which is downtown. Mini bar, but we didn’t touch it as items moved for more than 60 secs are charged to the room. 3 seater black sofa and one of the seats was extended like a chaise long. There was a desk, fax machine and internet access at $13.99/24 hours. The fully mirrored walls made the suite seem twice the size and the room was spotless.
There was a large bathroom with a very deep bath, separate shower, twin sinks and the toilet in a separate room with a phone. There were two bathrobes and digital weighing scales. Nice lemongrass and citrus toiletries – shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser, shoe polish, but there were only bars of soap instead of shower or bath gel. Large wardrobe with 3 drawers and the iron and ironing board and safe. There were also 4 drawers in the bedroom.
We also had dinner at Switch at the Encore where the walls and ceiling change every 30 mins. We chose the Prix Fixe menu at $59 each and both had the same, Corn Chowder, Petit Filet Mignon with whipped potatoes and milk chocolate crunch bar. With 2 coffees and a bottle of wine the bill was $183 plus tip and was worth every penny. The service was excellent and friendly with 4 or 5 people serving us. They had noted that it was my birthday and with dessert brought out a lemon sorbet with “Happy Birthday luci” pipe in chocolate on the serving tray.
Cocktail service was good in the casino and we had a couple of paralyzers which were very good.
I would cetainly stay here again if I got another offer.
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We booked the Bellagio almost a year ago having previously stayed at Caesars Palace. We had high expectations based on reviews we had read and also the price we had paid but sadly were badly let down. On checking in we did get an upgraded room using the $20 trick and also it was my 50th birthday. However, on entering the room it was clear the standards were way below Caesars - the room had broken crisps on the floor so obviously had not been vacuumed, an empty wine bottle by the bin, 2 broken telephones and no bathrobes! Coupled with the fact the room was tiny compated to Caesars and only 1 bathroom and normal bath - in Casesars its 2 bathrooms, double shower and whirlpool bath - all in all very dissappointed with Bellagio. In addition the pool was very crowded on days the sun came out, beds were scarce but this was due to the fact that you were given so many towels, no-one bothered to move them when finished which made every bed look occupied when in actual fact they were not! Would not stay at Bellagio again - they use the Fountains as the main attraction to get you to stay there (yes they are beautiful) but the rooms badly let the hotel down - we will return but to Caesars!
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Although I’m prone to a bit of gambling, I have to admit that Las Vegas was never really high up on my list of “must see” destinations, but a conference took me there for 4 days in the dark English November months and I have to admit, Vegas really surprised me. So much so that I recently took advantage of late 2009’s economic downturn and got a fantastic package holiday to Encore on the strip. This Las Vegas review however concentrates on my first holiday there.
Of course everyone likes a bit of sunshine and decent temperatures, but I didn’t really know much about the city itself apart from the fact it’s Casino City! So if I wasn’t a gambler, would I have enjoyed it? The answer is yes, but 4 days would probably have been plenty and I’d suggest for those that don’t really like their Blackjack or slot machines, it would be better visited as part of a US tour, perhaps taking in California and the Western seaboard. …
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Posted in: Holiday Reviews
Lonely Planet author Sara Benson is a big fan of Las Vegas. Traditionally a city of dirty little secrets, it’s now a high-rolling playground where the hotel room is a thing of the past. It’s all that you would expect - casinos, strip bars, wedding chapels and steaks but some things you would not - art galleries, the Atomic Testing Museum and a serious underground punk scene. Beware, there’s absolutely no rest for the good nor the wicked.
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Posted in: Destination Videos
Best deals and inexpensive fun in pricey Las Vegas. Free hotel attractions, the best way to view the city, European flair and the perfect ending one could possibly want - a helicopter tour at night in the city of lights!
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Posted in: Destination Videos