Please critique my agenda

Hey guys, new to the boards and not entirely sure where this post fits since it involves a lot of different items (food, lodging, nightlife, etc.) but I could really use your help figuring out if I am on the right track as far as our Vegas plans go. A little bit about myself. I am a 30 year old male traveling with my 26 year old wife. She and I went to Vegas a few years ago and had a pretty awful time. She had just come off an exhausing quarter at school and the chaos and craziness of the place really overwhellmed her, which in turn overwhellmed me. We didn't have a good plan that time and we ended up just feeling totally out of our element. No shows, no nice dinners, just a couple of Fat Tuesday's yards, a bad hangover, and a lot of getting lost. Fast forward about 4 years and I have been back twice with a few guy friends and have had a great time. For some reason the yards and getting lost isn't half as stressful when you are with your buddies ...but I digress. This time I am taking my lovely wife back to Vegas and I want to give her a great experience. The glitz, the glamour--everything Vegas has to offer a couple such as us. So, here is my agenda so far and I could really use some help tweaking, confirming, critiquing, etc. in order to make sure I am doing what I need to be doing to ensure we have a fun time. Thanks for any help you guys can provide!

Dates: August 9-11
Hotel: Vdara Lake View Room (I just feel like we need a home base that isn't near a casino or the chaos of the strip--yet still within walking distance)

Friday: Plane arrives early in the morning in California (we are also doing a week in Cali after Vegas). We are driving over and plan on taking a nap in the afternoon after checking in. Not sure what to do or where to eat after that, but we are doing the Rockstar Club Crawl that night as we had a Groupon and it seemed like a good way to experience the Vegas club scene without having to wait in all the lines or worry about transportation. There is an open bar on the party bus as well. This is our crazy night of debauchery. I just need to figure out where to do dinner before hand. We would like something more casual and fun (party atmosphere) as the next couple nights are a bit more formal. The clubs on the agenda are apparently Revolution at Mirage, 1Oak at Mirage, Chateau at Paris, and Pure at Caesars (any experience with these??). Not sure what to expect. Neither of us have ever clubbed and we are kinda excited to try it out for the first time in Vegas (my life does love to dance and dress to impress, I should add--me, it's Vegas and I am up for pushing myself outside of my comfort zone a bit).

Saturday: Sleep in. Wake up late and hang out at the pool using the $50 pool credit we got when we booked our room. That evening we were thinking of going to either Craftsteak and Ka or Sinatra and Le Reve (need advice on this one). Le Reve is more expensive currently but I like the idea of going to Wynn more than I do MGM (just looks far more beautiful). We'd also like to have a drink at Parasol Down after the show (show's at 7:00) and watch the Lake of Dreams show (is Parasol Down gonna be insanely packed after the show lets out!? Any advice on getting a table?).

Sunday: We'd like to do a spa treatment (a massage) and I'm trying to decide between Qua at Caesars or something closer like the Bellagio, Vdara, or Aria. I would like a place where we could burn at least 3 hours. Might do some shopping that afternoon as well. Not sure where to go though (forum shops, Crystals?). That evening we have reservations at Prime a few minutes before sundown and I have requested a table outside overlooking the fountains (second choice was next to a window).

And that's pretty much it for now! Sorry if this seems super anal, but I'm guessing there are a few other people on here who can relate to the compulsive need to plan. And I'm fine changing plans last minute. I just want to have some good ideas going in

So, where am I on/off? What am I not considering? Or what else should I be looking at for dinners, shows, or experiences?

Thanks guys!

 

Since you said you've never clubbed in vegas before, make sure you wear dark jeans, collard shirt and dress shoes. JackColton.com is your friend for all that stuff. Those clubs aren't the hottest on the strip but you will have a great time. Did the sin club crawl last year with some friends that flew in from Germany. Chateau was a lot of fun out on the rooftop. I thought Pure was overrated when I went. If you do decide on going out another night, check out Marquee. You can get presales online and its a better way to go then just getting in line.

 

That's the thing... other than food, nothing on your list appeals to me at all. But how can it be critiqued? It's Vegas. It's beautiful! Have fun

 

Go for a couples massage at Aria or Bellagio. For Saturday, Wynn is definitely prettier than MGM, so probably more romantic too

 

I'd do Sinatra and la reve your already set for prime so steakhouse 2 nights in a row does not appeal to me. Qua for the spa I think is a bit nicer then the aria spa but my wife loves both aria is closer to vdara. Either choice is good. I don't do the club scene so can't comment on that. For a nice casual meal before the club crawl though look at mesa grill at caesars excellent food and a casual environment.

 

I highly recommend Le Reve. Rather romantic and still lots of 'flash' with all the water effects and swimming/diving. And there are no bad seats in the house. For more $$ they have couples booths where they'll bring you champagne and strawberries. (Pound a 5-hour Energy first so you don't get sleepy.)

 

Thanks guys! I had forgotten about Bobby Flay's restaurant. My wife had been wanting to try that. I think we'll go there on Friday.

 

You want me to critique your agenda? Here is goes-

Clearly there's not enough drinking and gambling.

I didn't know there was anything else to do in Vegas??

 

Definitely Le Reve and if you really want to impress her, buy tickets in the Champagne Circle. It comes with a bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, popcorn, underwater view flat screens and the best seats in the house.

We've done it twice and it was a great experience both times.

 

Ha!

Gambling isn't my thing cause I'm...wait for it...not stupid with my money.

I thought drinking was a given that's why I'm not devoting any time to it on the agenda. It's gonna happen everywhere.

And joking about the gambling thing...kinda ;-)

 

Good to know. I'll check it out. Thanks!

 

Gotcha. Have a great trip!

 

presuming you're coming from Southern California, the drive to Las Vegas is long and mostly boring, but I suspect you will be too revved up to sleep by the time you actually get to the Strip. since you will be at Vdara, I would recommend that you start your evening nearby with a cocktail at the Mandarin Bar on the 23rd floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel. you'll get a great view of the Strip in both directions. you can point out all the casinos you'll be headed that night on your club crawl and maybe spot a casino or two to visit later too. yes, it's a bit ostentatious and doesn't open till 5, but it would set the tone of glitz and glamour quite nicely.

http://www.mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas/fine-dining/mandarin-bar/

 

As a serial fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of guy, my only critique is that you're too regimented!! Have fun!

 

my advice is to double check all your reservations ahead of time.
Drink lots of water.
plan ahead for traffic Friday from Cali to Vegas.
get a jug of water in your car for the ride through the desert.
Fun restaurants near Vdara:
China Poblano in Cosmopolitan
Todd English P.U.B for the brunch and bloody mary bar.
go to the spa close to your own hotel-no one wants to trek all the way to Caesars from Vdara after a relaxing massage-besides, the Aria must have a Killer spa!
Drink lots of water.
Definitely see Le Reve-amazing show. Sinatra seems kinda fuddy duddy for a young pair of peeps, Maybe Red 8 ? Check the menus out & decide.
Go clubbing while you are young.
Drinks are expensive -save now!
Enjoy Vegas.
p.s if your wife doesn't appreciate your sincere and earnest attempt to have a great time planned for her, she's a fool.

 

I love your agenda! Your rationale for choosing Vadara makes perfect sense. I hope you enjoy the best trip EVER!!!

 

Thanks to everyone who posted recently. I'm taking time to check out each idea, restaurant, etc. as they come!

Love the look of the Mandarin Bar! Would this be better than Chandelier at Cosmo? Trying to decide between the two for a craft cocktail lounge. I also like the look of Hyde at Bellagio.

Todd English seems like a great place to grab dinner on Friday. Food looks fantastic and I dig the laid back atmosphere.

Another question...we weren't planning on walking to Caesars for the spa, but how convenient are cabs? Should lines be very long in August?

 

Mandarin Bar is more of a hotel bar with a fabulous view and a private, romantic ambiance; Chandelier is actually inside the casino itself and has more of a let's-get-the-party-started feel to it. Both are impressive to see, but you should be prepared to pay a premium for drinks at either.

The food is very good. It's definitely a pub atmosphere, which sounds like what you had in mind for your Friday night meal.

Well, cab lines can be long at any time of year, especially on weekend nights. And, in August, a lot of people will be looking to get from place to place without having to walk outside in the 110 degree heat. But since you'd probably do the spa during the daytime, cab lines shouldn't be awful. If you do decide to walk it, don't walk along the Strip to get from CityCenter to Caesars; instead, use the short walkway that leads from Vdara to to the tram station for Bellagio and then just walk through Bellagio to get to the pedestrian bridge that crosses Flamingo Road from Bellagio to Caesars. Look for the "to tram" signs at Vdara or ask an employee to point the way. You would not be outside for much of the time along that route.

Good luck. I think your wife will definitely be seeing a much different side of Vegas based on your itinerary.

 

Sounds fantastic!

I definitely concur Sinatra/La Reve - and spring for the VIP circle seats if you can. Makes for a lovely evening. Any of the restaurants in the Wynn/Encore property would be great, but I do love Sinatra. It is mellow, but I wouldn't call it fuddy duddy. It's very elegant and romantic.

Todd English's PUB is one of my favorite casual restaurants in Vegas. Excellent food, and many great options for drinks.

Prime is fabulous as well, especially if you can score a fountain view table. I personally see no problem with steak every night. That's not how I eat at home, but what else is Vegas for if not induldgence? Hubby and I end up at steakhouses at least 4 nights out of 7 while in Vegas.

 

Thanks again for the feedback guys! Maybe I'll throw up a trip report when all is said and done to let ya know how it went. There are some great ideas on here that I'm sure we'll be going with