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Hotel for the return journey

Discussion in 'LV Strip Hotels' started by majoro, Jul 25, 2014.

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  1. majoro

    majoro Tourist

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    I'm staying in Vegas next year as part of my honeymoon (first trip!) and have booked a Skyline Terrace suite for five nights. After this, we're flying out to Hawaii for 7-8 nights, then flying back into Vegas. I'm keen to take the opportunity to spend a couple more nights in LV before taking our flights back, getting over the Atlantic isn't cheap so want to get the most out of it. Flying back directly from Hawaii to London costs an absolute fortune, so a couple of nights more virtually pays for itself through cheaper flight combinations.

    My question is- which hotel to stay in on the way back? I'm thinking MGM properties as we'll already have stayed in the Grand and should have racked up plenty of Mlife points on our first stint.

    I would say plus points for me would be good BJ and sports betting, nice cocktail / whisky lounges. Pools / clubs not of interest.

    My first thought is Bellagio as its a bit further up the strip, but I'm happy to field suggestions from those in the know!
     
  2. spicole

    spicole No shirt, no shoes... NO DICE!

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    If you want to stay with Mlife, I vote either Bellagio or Aria. I checked the Bellagio off of my Vegas "bucket list" in June. It definitely met my expectations. However, it wasn't cheap! I personally prefer the stylings and vibe at Aria. Bellagio is very classic and old-school with older clientele ("old money") while Aria is very modern with great architecture and a bit younger ("new money").

    I wrote a detailed trip report on my trip to B in June if you are interested.

    Bellagio and Aria will both have the best(?) blackjack conditions on the strip. Cocktail service was better at Aria IMO. There are great cocktails at all of the restaurants there. I especially like the margarita selection at Javier's. You are also next to the Cosmopolitan and will have easy access to the restaurants and cocktail menus there (along with the red-hot people watching).

    My only other advice is that this may be a great opportunity to stay at a property you may not otherwise stay at. If you want to try something new, now may be a great time!

    Hope that helps!
     
  3. lotso-bear

    lotso-bear VIP Whale

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    I would choose Aria since I like their rooms as well. If you're willing to pay for it then take a look at the 1BR SkySuites.
     
  4. chonglosaxon

    chonglosaxon MIA

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    What is your budget for the room and your level of gambling? If you tell us this, we can get you the most bang for your buck.

    You will probably want to stay at another mgm property s it depends on.the level of play and what you want to spend.
     
  5. heatherlovesvegas

    heatherlovesvegas VIP Whale

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    Bellagio is a little boring to me.. I'd go with Aria, since it's brand new, it's just a totally different feel than MGM has. Or if you want a different area, maybe do Mirage, I haven't stayed but the 1 bedroom tower suites look awesome! I guess this would depend on your budget, I think we are all aiming high since you said you got the Skyline terrace suite.

    BUT, because you are doing 2 trips in such a short time, it might be advantageous to not stay at Mlife for the 2nd. It could screw up your average. If you are going all out for the first 5 days, your room rate alone on that suite could make you gold haha. But because you don't live here though it may not matter. I would just say don't spend $10,000 on your first leg, and then like $1000 on your second. I
     
  6. snoop-a-loop

    snoop-a-loop Low-Roller

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    I stayed at Bellagio a couple years ago and Aria last month. Honestly you can't go wrong with either. I agree with one of the prior posters who alluded to Bellagio being "old money" and Aria "new money" - totally the feeling you get.

    I wouldn't hesitate to go back to either. But I loved everything about Aria, from the rooms to the casino to restaurants. Its an excellent choice.
     
  7. majoro

    majoro Tourist

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    Sounds like a good contrast, thanks.

    Challenge accepted….

    What are they taking as my average- just gambling, or overall spend on rooms / f&b as well?

    Lotso- thank you for the steer on the SkySuites, I'd not looked at them before and they seem very nice indeed.

    Budget-To be honest, having looked at the cost of nice hotels in Hawaii, Vegas is not my main concern any more- $400-500 a night is a lot of cash but this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I'm sure I'll be back in Vegas one day, but it won't be in a high-end room!

    Play- I'll mainly play BJ (though I plan to learn a few new games before I go) at whatever level I need for a decent set of rules which seems to be $50/$100 a hand on the strip from what I've read on the Wizard of Odds survey. However I'm comfortable with room spend levels without factoring in any comps.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 28, 2014
  8. lotso-bear

    lotso-bear VIP Whale

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    If I were you, I'd just splurge/allocate most of my $ towards a nice hotel in Hawaii. The Four Seasons Maui, Four Seasons Hualalai, and Andaz Maui get raving reviews from my travel agent. During your second visit to Vegas, just get a pretty standard/average room at an upscale property (ex. Aria/Bellagi) or a cheaper high end room like Hotel32. Many deals can be had in Vegas...
     
  9. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    For the last several trips I keep thinking it would be nice to spend a couple nights at Red Rock Casino and their spa before heading home. I haven't managed to actually do it yet, but it sure sounds like a great place to decompress before the journey home.

    I have a couple of girlfriends going to a conference in Vegas. They are doing 2 nights at Mirage, moving to Rio for the conference and then were going to do 2 nights at Red Rock "for me". :) Then Groupon put out a deal for Green Valley Ranch that they couldn't pass up and they're doing that instead.
     
  10. landsburger

    landsburger High-Roller

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    This is good advice. Stay at a very nice property but don't shell out $500 plus a night on the room. Tip or pay for a nice view.
     
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