Bellagio and Paris 8/5-8/11

The road to the Promised Land can be bumpy.



Usually our trip to the airport is ho-hum; not this time. Since it was summer we decided to take the bus to the airport. The bus stop is only a block and a half from where we live; it’s cheap; and, with the bus you don’t have to worry about parking or construction, or anything else. I had checked the schedule the night before and was certain what time the bus left. We got up early and did all the small things we needed to do before we left. I’m checking some things on the computer when my wife says that the bus comes at 6:45am. I disagree and tell her it’s 6:55am and we don’t have to leave for another 10 or so minutes. At about 6:40 I check the bus schedule online and I was wrong (note to self: never doubt the wife). We rush out and I am running to the bus stop. I think that if I get to the bus I can hold it until my wife gets there. I get to the bus and look for my wife. She gets on the bus and is bleeding from the chin. She tells me she tripped on the bricks that line the bus stop area and has split her chin open and cut and bruised her knees. Right about now I feel like shit. If I had only listened. We get to the airport and are going through security when I set off the metal detector. TSA looks at me like I’ve got a weapon; and, I realize I still have my cell phone in my pocket. For a brief moment when I looked at the agent I thought she was thinking it’s time for a full body cavity search.

The flight itself was uneventful thankfully. When we were about 30 minutes from landing I tell my wife a story I had heard about how people steal limo rides. I tell her that when they see the limo driver holding the name sign they go up to him and say that they are that person. I tell my wife if I see my last name I’m going to do that. She looks at me and says “How many people have your last name?†I tell her this is Vegas the odds of probability are with me. We land and make our way to baggage claim. As we’re making our way to our carousel I see my name. I point this out to my wife and then tell her let’s go over there. I meet the driver Olena. I then tell my wife I rented a limo to take us to the Bellagio and to take us back to the airport when we leave. Olena gets our luggage and takes us to the limo and then asks my wife if she’d like some champagne. My wife loves champagne so, needless to say, the answer was a most enthusiastic yes. Two glasses of champagne later we’re at the Bellagio. Olena asks my wife if she’d like to take the bottle, but, my wife decides it’s probably not dignified to check in with a half empty champagne bottle.

The Room Fiasco

We check our luggage with the bellman and proceed to invited guest check in. When we get there they tell us sorry we don’t have a penthouse suite available right now, but; how would you like a Executive Hospitality Suite. It’s remodeled and 2515 square feet. With the understanding that if we don’t like it we can have a Penthouse Suite when one is available. We get the key and we’re headed to 8601 in the Spa Tower. The suite is huge; however, there were some problems with it. The ice maker didn’t work. No matter what was done to it, it just wouldn’t make ice. The bathroom was smaller than I thought it would be; and the tub was smaller and the view wasn‘t what you would have expected. The biggest problem raised it’s ugly head early the next morning with the sounds of construction. We both had looked forward to this trip for sometime and we were supposed to be up on the 28th floor or higher with a private elevator and everything else. I called down to the desk and talked to a manager. I was told that as soon as one became available we would be moved. I know right now people are asking “why would you want to move to a smaller suite?†It was all about not meeting the expectations that we had from visiting the Bellagio website numerous times. I go down to the front desk on Monday mourning around 11am and speak to one of the girls at the invited guest check in; and am told that they will have a Penthouse available later in the day and that they have reserved it for me. I should call or stop by around 4pm and it will be ready for us to move into. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. When I called the front desk I was told that no Penthouse was available. I told the clerk that I had spoke to a manager and that a Penthouse had been reserved and was just waiting for housekeeping. She told me that the only thing they had available was a Tower Suite. She said that it was the same size as the Penthouse and was on the 22nd floor in the Main Tower. We say fine and they send up a bellman to move our bags for us. When we get to the room the bellman has set our luggage up and set the temperature in the living room and bedroom and turned the ice maker on in the refrigerator. Our room was 22049 so we had a panoramic view of the Rio and Palms with the desert hills in the background. Very nice. The tub was much larger; which was very nice for some together time. The things I loved about both suites was the steam shower. I would get up in the mourning and take a shower and then turn the steam on and just sit down a cleanse myself of all the alcohol I had drank the night before. Very nice. Both rooms were nice; but, I must admit I liked the way the Bellagio had decorated the Executive Suite. It was modern and the touch screen control panel was much better than any remote. The Tower Suite had not been remodeled and was decorated in Italian Provencal. The bathroom was probably 1 ½ times larger than the one in the Executive Suite and the tub was definitely bigger. The beds were excellent. I would get 5 or 6 hours of sleep but it would feel as though I had gotten 8. We’ve got to get one of those beds for home. Loved the flat screen TV, the Tower Suite did not have these. But, in all honesty, we didn’t spend a lot of time in the room watching TV. On Thursday, we moved to the Paris for the last two days and boy did we miss everything we had had in the suites. We just had a standard room on the 4th floor with a view of the pool. Neither one of us got any good sleep in the room; not because of any noise; just bad dreams. We dubbed the room the bad dreams room.


Food

We ate at the Café Bellagio twice. The food for the most part was like eating at a Denny’s only more expensive. They did have a drink called the Funky Monkey. It was rum based with banana liqueur crushed ice and bananas . Very tasty, and it has a delayed effect.

We ate at Fix. They have a pre “O†special. Between 5 and 6pm you get a three course meal for $40.00.
My wife didn’t feel like she could eat all that so she ordered a salad and the roasted chicken with smoked mashed potatoes. She thoroughly enjoyed her meal. The chicken was succulent and very tender and the smoked mashed potatoes had a subtle smoky taste with tiny pieces of smoked ham through out. I ordered the special and had the roasted tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwich, prime rib, and for desert the espresso milk shake with melted brownie. The soup was excellent with a hint of parmesan. The grilled cheese were bit size and a nice complement. I ordered the prime rib medium rare. This would be the first time I’ve had prime rib in all the trips to Vegas. I was very disappointed. It was cooked exactly how I wanted and with anticipation I took my first bite. What the ??? All I could taste was salt. They had gone overboard with the salt and half the prime rib was fat. I was not impressed. My wife finished her meal and decided to smoke a cigarette and do some gambling so I told her I’d meet up with her when I had eaten the desert. The desert was mediocre. The espresso milk shake was more like milk with ice shavings in it and the melted brownie was cold and tasted as though the ingredients hadn’t come together as they should. I spoke to the waiter about my meal and he apologized but said there was nothing he could do. I spoke to the manager before I left and his body language was that I was wasting his time and I was getting a deal what else did I want. The meal came to 82.50 before tip. Definitely not on my list to eat at again.

We ate at Palm in Caesars for lunch. We did the business man lunch special. We both had the filet. My wife had the Caesars salad and I had the mixed greens. It comes with cottage potatoes and potato chips on a plate that you both share. Because this was our first visit we were also offered desert at no extra charge. The service was excellent. The food was excellent. I was surprised by the potatoes. They looked as though they would be greasy but they weren’t. They were very tasty. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough room left to try the desert. Cost of the meal before tip 42.50. Definitely something we will do again if it’s available.

We ordered room service several times both at the Bellagio and Paris. All in all it’s only a couple of dollars more than eating at the café and being able to have a couple of drinks and not have to stand in line or deal with the noise and hustle and bustle it’s well worth the few extra dollars.

We went to the Peppermill one evening and went to the lounge and sat down by the fire pit. This was the first time for both of us and had been on our places to visit for several years. We both ordered a drink and then we ordered the sampler. The service was excellent as were the drinks. The sampler was an artery clogging fried food extravaganza. We both liked the Peppermill but wouldn’t make a special trip to it. It’s down the end of the strip by the Riviera.

Firsts

We’ve been to Vegas 8 times together and this was only the second trip that was just us. So we did a few things that we always wanted to do but couldn’t.

We went to Rumjungle and had a drink. I really liked the place with the waterfall walls and changing color bar; but, my wife thought it was too techno. We went to Red Square but there was no room at the bar so we didn’t stay. I really thought that the bar would be larger and the whole surface would be made of ice. I was disappointed. My wife liked it better than Rumjungle.

We walked through Four Seasons on our way to Mandalay Bay Shark Reef. We both agreed that if you wanted to be in on the Strip but not have to deal with all the noise this was the place.

We went to Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. The cost was $33.00 but it was well worth it. Some of our other firsts were gambling related.

We saw Big Elvis purely by accident. He just happened to be singing when we went into Bill’s. We also saw the midget running up and down the bar in OShea’s.

Gambling

We did a little gambling at the Bellagio mostly slots. My wife was briefly up 20.00. We spent one afternoon at the Sports Book playing the ponies, or should I say they played us. We played 5 races and my wife had the only winner. It didn’t matter who I picked to win. They either placed or didn’t bother to finish the race. Oh, well, it was fun and it really wasn’t very expensive. We probably lost 120.00 at the Bellagio it’s just a little to high end for me and there just didn’t seem to be a good vibe there. My wife loves penny slots and can stay on them for quite some time for only a 20 investment. She found three games that she really liked. The Goldfish game at the Paris, The monopoly game at the Paris, and Deal or No Deal at the Flamingo. We sat at the Flamingo Thursday night and played Deal or No Deal for 2 ½ hours on 20.00. Friday mourning around 1am we head back to the Paris to play a $5 slot machine. We had decided before we left for Vegas that we were going to put 300 in a 5 slot machine and play it out. My wife picks a machine and we deposit the money. Three minutes later were down to 150 my wife decides that were not playing this machine anymore so we cash out. I pick another machine and we put the 150 in. Two spins later we hit for 1020.00. My wife sees the credits but she’s so used to playing penny machines that it doesn’t register right away. I tell her to cash out. She thinks we’ve just won the 150 we lost on the other machine. When the ticket is printed out I show her. She has to sit down. This is our biggest win in all our trips to Vegas, so, now, we can scratch off another first.

Final Thoughts

6 ½ days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Vegas. We never felt rushed or overly tired. I loved the bed , steam shower, and refrigerator at the Bellagio; I will definitely miss the steam shower. The businessman’s lunch special at the Palm is an outstanding deal and we will do it again. Limo from and to the airport is the only way to travel. If we can afford to do it we will. I saw something I had never seen before and that was on two different occasions I saw taxis get pulled over by LVPD. Two got pulled over at the same time on Tropicana by NYNY and the next day one got pulled over in front of the Bellagio. Drink service was spotty everywhere we went. A cocktail waitress at the Flamingo said something to us that I never thought I’d hear. We had been playing Deal or No Deal for 2 hours and I had been ordering Hennessey and getting double shots and my wife had been ordering Jack and Pepsi. I’d been tipping 5 every time we received a round and when she bought us our final round I went to tip her and she said “No, you don’t have to do that you’ve tipped me quite well.†I was shocked. My wife looked at her and said “I used to be a bartender and a waitress and I know how difficult the job can be. So if we can afford to gamble we can afford to tip.†I used to be a big proponent of the Deuce but have come to the conclusion the summer is not the time to be waiting outside in 100+ degree weather waiting for an overcrowded bus that you may or may not be able to ride because it is over crowded. When I figure out how to link the pictures I will do it.

 

Here are the room photos:

http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07055.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07052.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07046.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07045.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07044.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07025.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07014.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07013.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07012.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07011.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07010.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07008.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07007.jpg
http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/?action=view&current=VegasAug07006.jpg

 

great TR. sorry we couldn't hook up at luxor.

 

pics aren't coming up right.

 

I played w/ the URL - This should work for GMoney's pics.

http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/Vegas%2007%20Bellagio/

 

http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x319/gmoney590/

Sorry all I'm hoping the above link works.

 

Not a problem. We had wanted to go to Red Square and Rumjungle so Luxor was right on our way back; and, we wanted to take a look at it since the remodel. I just wish the VP Gods had been smiling on me. Maybe when we're all in Vegas again we can hook up.

 

gmoney590,
You know how to travel in style. We'll have to start calling you Joe Schmo Jr,
I couldn't help but laugh about you not listening to the wife regarding the bus time. I've been there myself and know what it's like to feel quite sheepish.
Excellent reading. I'm envious of the steam shower.

 

Chef, I'm no Joe Schmo; but, when a deal comes up that's too hard to refuse I will definetly roll with the high rollers on a low rolllers budget. The steam shower was a great way to deal with drinking too much the night before. I can only hope that another deal comes along that alows me to enjoy Vegas that way.

 

Thanks for the TR gmoney. It's nice to see someone who has been an avid supporter of everyone else's reports get one of their own in. Sorry to hear about the troubles early on, but it look like you really made the most of your trip.

 

great trip report gmoney!! i was cracking up reading about the story you told your wife about catching the limo.... im thinking of using that line on someone the next time im up there... LOL...

sounds like you had a great time enjoying vegas...

thanks for sharing...

aloha,
Kel

 

My only concern after I told her the story was after we landed and we were walking through baggage claim and 1. I didn't see the sign until we were almost at our carousel and 2. I wasn't sure if my wife would even walk toward the limo driver once I pointed out the name.

 

Thanks Joe,

I thought of your SkyLofts report when we entered the Executive Suite; but, alas, I just don't have your skills.

 

Great report. I envy the suites - I'm one of those people in those normal rooms at Paris, LOL!!!

Got to say, did manage to go to RumJungle for lunch one day and their sandwiches were AWESOME. I didn't dare do a drink since I was driving but I loved the decor.

 

while it wasn't the perfect start to your trip, it sounds as though the two of you really had a good time! Thanks so much for the report and the pics!