I first went to Vegas in 2003 and can remember spending the first 2 days completely awe struck at how incredible and fantastic the city was! I fell in love with its energy so much that time, that i returned in 2004 for a longer visit and even after 2 trips still haven't had time to see it all!
When you get there you suddenly realise just how big the Las Vegas Strip is. Theres a lot to do bewteen the start of it at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino right up to the breathtaking Fremont Street Experience at the end.
The wondeful thing about Vegas is that you could walk around in a clown costume, with your underwear on your head or in a pink tutu in the middle of the day and nobody would bat and eyelid! Thats the pure magic of the place. Everyone is so carefree and you can be whoever you want to be. Everyone is genuinely having fun and you can feel that in the atmostphere. In the 2 trips i've had there i can honestly say i haven't seen
a single bit of trouble. I was walking around at 3am in the morning and felt safe and secure.
You spend the majority of the time walking in and out of the casinos, which are open to all 24 hours a day and are all like a little city in themselves. Each hotel is absolutely gigantic and will probably take you at least half a day to look around properly. Each hotel holds its own attractions and has its own special theme. For example, you could have an Egyptian day in The Luxor, a day in New York at the New York, New York Hotel, treat yourself to some glamour at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Resort or go up the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel! Of course, there are the Las Vegas classics, like MGM Grand, Caesars Palace and The Flamingo all of which are well worth a visit. My top picks would be Bellagio, Paris and Caesars.
All of the hotels have at least one thing aimed at children, so its not all nightlife, gambling and drinking as some people believe Vegas is. There are plenty of animal parks, swimming pools, games and kids attractions around. However its worth mentioning that at night these kids attractions close.
Even if you're not a hard gambler i can guarantee you'll spend at least one night hooked on a slot machine!! Its very hypnotic and addictive and scary how fast the time passes when you're in the middle of the casino. Cocktail waitresses lure you to stay with free drinks! Its always incredible to watch the real gamblers play their game. The amount of money they bid and lose sometimes is mind blowing!
After a few days the "ding ding" of slot machines and cash registers may get on your nerves slightly, which is when you should take advantage of one of the local coach tour companies who offer good value trips to places such as the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, the Mojave Desert, etc. Its easy to escape into Arizona for a day into a totally different world!
You'll never starve in Vegas. There are buffets, restaurants, fast food places and cafes EVERYWHERE! Each hotel has about 20 restaurants or cafes which are all themed. You'll find whatever type of food you want! A lot of the time you'll get handed discount buffet flyers for an all you can eat $4.99 dinner or something! The idea is to get as many people into the hotels as possible, which is great for tourists because there are so many free perks everywhere.
Both trips i've had in Vegas have been right at the start of October and the temperature was roughly 35 degrees the whole time, sometimes slightly hotter. It is a dry heat which is very tolerable, although on the few occacions the temperature went over 40 degrees i had to retreat to one of the hotels for a little air conditioning! Watch out for sun stroke in the middle of the day because the heat is deceptive with so little humidity. I think that Septmeber/October or May/June are the best times to go temperature wise, as i was told by locals while i was there that in July and August the heat is just unbearable.
Moving around on the strip is easy. There is a bus service which runs from one end to the other and a new monorail service which provides transport to hotels mainly in the central area of the strip. Taxis run from the airport and are very clearly signed. Most hotels have a taxi rank with someone who'll summon your cab and look after your bags for you. You get a sense of being exceptionally well treated whether you're in a top casino or a slightly smaller one. Everybody is friendly and nice.
Nothing is more amazing than being on the Las Vegas Strip at night. You have the glamour and glitzy lights of the hotels and in the background the wonderful Nevada mountains. Its a sight that'll stay with you forever. You'll be blown away by everything and will want to return again and again. It hard to put into words how great it is, but when you've been you'll know exactly what i mean and i'm sure you will be raving about it too!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Hotel - 3801 Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA, 3801 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada, NV 89109, United States of America - 2 Stars - 1878 Rooms
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Apr 14th, 2005
very helpful by (100%):
