We arrived after a fantastic flight in Premium Economy with Virgin. Personally I’ve never considered upgrading because being only 5ft 4 I don’t need the extra space but I’ve got to say the service was fantastic and the facilities are great. It made the almost 11 hour flight fly by.
On arrival into Vegas we were picked up and transferred over to our hotel, the strip is 15 minutes’ drive from the airport so it didn’t take long to get into our hotel which for the next 5 nights was the Luxor. The hotel is one of the most iconic properties on the strip shaped like a Pyramid with a beam from the tip which can be seen from space. The Luxor itself has a lot going on. The Casino is really fun and there are various shows such as ‘Criss Angel Believe’ and the ‘Jabbawockeez’ dance show. There are various restaurants at the Luxor from fast food to fine dining. We ate at ‘Rice’ one night which was delicious, a tip if you ever go – share a main as the portions are huge! I will say that I was slightly disappointed with the Standard Pyramid rooms, they are quite dated and very dark but we did look at other rooms such as the Tower Deluxe and they have been renovated and are really nice. It doesn’t cost much to upgrade so I’d definitely recommend paying the extra.
The first full day in Vegas we were up early so we went over to the Premium Outlet Mall, there are two main ones the North Mall and the South – we went to the North. If you enjoy shopping this really is the place to go. There are malls on the strip such as the fashion show mall facing the Wynn and the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood but I personally found that the prices were similar to UK prices. So if you are looking for a bargain the Premium outlets are the place to go. After the mall we dropped our bags and went to ‘Margaritaville’ which is near the Flamingo, we sat on the terrace and had a bite to eat and a few drinks before heading back to get ready for the night. We had a show planned down in Fremont Street which is classed as ‘Old Las Vegas’ we went to watch Gordie Brown who is a comedian and impressionist. The place was packed and the Americans seemed to love his humour but I think I’ll stick to British comedians!
We had scheduled visits with MGM Resorts group which includes Aria, Vdara, Bellagio, Monte Carlo, Mirage, Excalibur, Mandalay Bay, New York New York and MGM Grand. I won’t go into detail about each property, they are all very different and unique in what they offer. If you are looking for quality five star it would have to be the Bellagio – it really is a stunning property and the rooms have just been renovated. The Aria is a close second it is one of the newest resorts on the strip, very modern and clean. If you are looking for 24/7 lively I would say New York New York, I have stayed here previously and there is a great buzz around the resort. For those looking for a great base Monte Carlo is in a really good location.
During the evenings we mainly visited various hotels and bars, Vegas is very busy but also quite laid back. Our first evening we went down to the famous Caesars Palace and had a meal at the Cheesecake Factory, I love Caesars the location is fantastic, there are many bars, restaurants and clubs (and of course the casino), Caesars also has the Forum which is a shopping centre featuring Abercrombie, H&M, Sephora etc. Caesars also has some of the biggest artists who have residency throughout the year such as Rod Stewart, Celine Dion, Elton John and Shania Twain. I personally wouldn’t stay at Caesars purely for the fact that is it so big it would probably take 30 minutes to get from your room to the lobby! After our meal we crossed over to the Flamingo, we had a few cocktails and hands at black jack but jetlag had taken over and we called it a night.
One of my favourite bars has to be the Chandelier at The Cosmopolitan. It is set over 3 floors draped in thousands of crystals and beads to give the effect that you are sat inside a Chandelier. One of the evenings we had a limo tour which offers access to 3 clubs, we went to 1OAK at the Mirage which had a great vibe, we then went over to the Palms to Ghostbar which is on the 55th Floor and has an outdoor area. As it is off the strip you get full view of the bright lights of Las Vegas. We then ended in Pure at Caesars Palace which has various rooms to cater for different music tastes.
A great thing to do at night is walk down the strip and watch the various free shows at that are on, you have the Treasure Island pirate ship and the Mirage Volcano and you have the Iconic Bellagio Fountains, it really is spectacular. However the highlight of my holiday was a night helicopter tour of the Strip, I was a bit apprehensive at first but I thought it was just remarkable.
Vegas has so much to offer and isn’t all about the Casinos and nightlife, the resorts have fantastic pools to lounge around in the day as well a wonderful spas. There are some of the best shows in the world with Le Reve at the Wynn, Cirque du Soleil shows, there is always live music and acts on at Hard Rock Café and various other places. Visit Vegas with our US multi centre holidays.
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