Vegas Virgins? NO WAY! My husband and I have about 14 trips to Las Vegas between the two of us. So, when we decided to use some air mile points for a quick trip to Las Vegas we decided to try and stay somewhere we had not stayed before. It was going to be a short trip, only 4 nights. So, we decided we could splash out on something more than a regular room. In the end, we decided on a Petite Suite at The Mirage.
~Booking~
When we go to the states, we always book our own arrangements. In the United States, most of the time the cost is per room. However, package holidays in the UK charge you per person and the room ends up costing you A LOT more that it costs them!
With is in mind we went to www.mirage.com and did our booking directly with them. The website is easy to navigate. By clicking on HOTEL, you have the ability to look at the different room choices with 360 degree views. Click on Hotel Promotions to see if there are any specials during the times you are wanting to book. Then, you can go to Hotel Reservations and put in your dates that you want to stay. Room choices available will come up with cost per night and total cost. Please remember that tax is not included in these prices. Add 8% for the tax. If you are not set in your dates and can move it a few days or weeks, have a look at the prices. You will find that prices can vary widely. It is also best to book in as far in advance as possible. You are able to cancel up to 48 hours before your arrival date. So, if the prices go down, you can book on your partners name and then cancel the first ones. If prices go up, well, you saved loads of money. We booked in July 2006 for April 2007. We got the suite for $300 per night. I kept checking prices and they steadily rose in those 9 months until the same suite cost $1,200 per night!!!! So, we were glad to have booked when we did. Also, be aware that ALL hotels in Las Vegas increase their prices for Friday and Saturday nights. So, if you are wanting a quick trip, plan it for a Sunday to Thursday.
The booking of the room was simple and quick. Reservations were made and confirmation emails sent within 15 minutes!
~Pre-Arrival~
I had some questions about the Royal Service that came with the Petite Suite. I rang and the phone was answered within 2 rings. The woman who helped me was very nice and answered all my questions quickly.
~Check In~
It is stated that check in is at 3 PM. Our flight landed at 11:45 am and we were at the hotel for 12:45 pm. We weren't sure if we would be able to check in or not. Upon arrival, we noticed that there were 20 people checking in people and there were no more than 3 people in line to be checked-in in any given line. There was also a Mirage employee moving people into lines for most efficiency. In our line there was a couple being checked-in when we arrived and one couple in front of us. Within 15 minutes we were being tended to. Our names were taken and we were quickly told that our room was ready. After a 10 hour flight, we were happy about that.
Our own check-in was uneventful. Our credit card details were checked to be sure we had booked the room. (You have to have the same CC that you used to book the room.), the Royal Service was explained and we were shown how to get to our rooms by using a map of the casino.
One thing to keep in mind, you are in Las Vegas. Hotels are a by-product of the number one business of the city- gambling. So, in ANY hotel casino you stay in, you WILL have to walk through the casino to get to the elevators (lifts). This is their business and if you fully understand that, you won't be shocked.
We did find that the walk to the lifts was not bad. We have stayed in other hotel casinos that have had a MUCH longer walk.
~Room~
One of the reasons we choose the petite suite at the Mirage was because it had 2 bathrooms. YES, you read right! 2 BATHROOMS- His and Hers.
The room door is actually French doors that open into a marble floor and mirrored foyer. There is a wet bar that includes a sink, drinking glasses, wine glasses, ice bucket, fridge and mini-bar. Please note that the mini-bar is very expensive. We knew how mini-bars can be in Vegas and asked for it to be locked when we checked in. This was to prevent any late night snacks. We did not miss the mini-bar at all. We picked up drinks and snacks in various places each day and just put them in the fridge for ourselves.
The main room is divided into a living room/sitting room and then the bedroom. The living room included a large sofa, chair, coffee table, lamp table and entertainment centre. The entertainment centre included a large tv, VHS player, CD player and radio. There is a ceiling to floor picture window that looked out at the landscape of Las Vegas. The views were spectacular. The bedroom included a king size bed, 2 side tables with lamps and a tv cabinet. When you turned on the tv, it would rise out of a cabinet at the foot of the bed. When you turned it off, it would lower back into the cabinet. The bed was comfortable with pressed sheets, feather pillows and a soft blanket.
One bathroom included a LARGE whirlpool tub, makeup table, sink, toilet and closet. Half the room was covered in mirrors. There were plenty of lights that could be changed to meet your needs and moods. The make-up table also included a blow dryer and magnified lighted mirror.
The second bathroom includes a very large marble shower, sink, toilet and closet. Again, this room had plenty of lighting for every need or mood.
Both bathrooms are done in marble and tiles. They each included their own amenities from the Aqua Lime range that included bath crystals, shampoo, conditioner, bath sponge, exfoliating soap, toothbrush, toothpaste , mouthwash, shaving kit, shower cap, body lotion and hair spray. There was a iron and ironing board and extra pillows in the closets. One bathroom had a safe in the closet.
We found the room clean and nice smelling. All fixtures were working properly and no visible signs of excessive use could be seen. The room was cleaned twice a day.
The second being a turn down service with chocolates and flowers left each night.
~Royal Service~
Because we had booked a suite, we received the Royal Service which included:
Fresh flowers in the suite
Invited guest Check-In and daily newspaper delivery
priority seating for the The Danny Gans Show
priority seating in the Mirage restaurants
~Room Service~
I ordered room service one night. The order arrived 45 minutes later and was hot and very good. It was served on a table clothed table with complete settings and extras. The total for one meal was $20 plus I gave a $2 tip (£11). I felt that was fair and lower than costs of other room services I have used.
~Restaurants~
There are several restaurants at The Mirage. They range from fine dining and bars and lounges. We only ate at two restaurants, Caribe Café and Carnegie Delicatessen
.
Caribe Café is a 24 hour restaurant that has an extensive menu. You can get most things at any time of the day. We had breakfast here one morning. We found the service good and the food to be very nice and filling. The servings were very large and our bill came to approximately $40 (£20) for the two of us.
Carnegie Delicatessen looks like a New York café. It is open from 7 am to 2 am and offers a wide variety of menu choices. We had breakfast at this restaurant as well. Again, portions were large and filling and cost about $40 (£20) for the two of us. I found service at this restaurant to be VERY good. The waitress was very attentive and helpful.
~Player's Club~
One of the first things you should do before doing any gambling is join the Player's Club. The desk is located to the right of the elevators. The Player's Club card allows you to accumulate points that can be used for free play on slot machines, comps such as free/discounted rooms, shows, food and more. The card can be used at lots of the casinos on the strip. At the end of your stay, go back to the Player's Club desk and ask what comps you are entitled to. We were comped a free night and received $80 of free slot play.
~Casino~
The casino, itself, is large with a wide variety of slots and table games. We play mainly slots and found that the slots have change a bit in the last few years. There are some "old" style fruit machines as well as many new interactive slot machines. You can play 1 cent to $5 slots. There are High Roller slots in a special area. However, we never went in that area. I am mainly a 1 cent slot person and my husband is a $1 slot player. We did fairly well by breaking out even.
Cocktail waitresses were plentiful and we easily got drinks at ANY time of the day. We found that the drinks were stronger at The Mirage than at the other casinos and that they came around more often. Drinks are free but a $1 tip makes sure she comes around more.
~Other Facilities~
There is a small shopping arcade towards the back of the casino. You will also find a games arcade in this area as well.
The Spa facility is located in the same area as the shopping. They offer a variety of services as well as exercise equipment.
There is the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat that is home to a family of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and a tiger habitat where a family of white tigers live.
The lobby hosts a massive tropical fish aquarium that delights you when you are checking in and checking out.
~Conclusion~
I found the hotel to be good value for money. It is centrally located and allows easy access to many of the top casinos and shopping in Las Vegas. The hotel was clean and well maintained with polite service throughout. I would recommend this hotel to family and friends and would consider it for future Vegas trips.
So, if you are a Vegas Virgin, this would be a great "starter" hotel for you. I say "starter" because once you go to Vegas, you will just want to go back!!
Vegas Virgins? 
Ah I love reading reviews about people's stays in Vegas as I enjoyed it so much when I was there!