Trip Report - Mirage - Dec. 4-7

This is my first trip report and our first trip to Vegas in over 6 years, so it was almost like going for the first time!

Flights:
We flew Southwest Airlines non-stop from Omaha to Las Vegas as part of a Southwest Vacations package. Our flight was an hour late due to bad weather on the west coast (go figure). I arranged for a limo transfer to the Mirage with Las Vegas Limo, what a great way to start our trip!

Suite:
Since we were belated celebrating my 40th birthday, we splurged and booked a 1 Bedroom Tower Suite at the Mirage. It was about $300.00 more than a normal room at the Mirage, and a bit less than a lake view room (not a suite) at the Bellagio. The private elevators to the suites were nice, our room was on the 26th floor. My jaw must have hit the floor when we opened the door to the suite. Oh, my gosh! My hubby and I decided it was the nicest room we've ever stayed in. 1100 sq ft., marble floors, large living room with 2 sofas, a bar with stools, dining table with 4 chairs, separate bedroom with a TV that rises out of a bureau. The bathroom was huge, a large soaking tub with jets, large separate shower, walk in closest, dressing area, vanity, I could go on and on. Floor to ceiling windows, we had a beautiful view of the volcano, the Venetian, and Treasure Island. We could have spent all our time in the room. Had to drag me out when it was time to leave.

Hotels:
Since it had been several years since we had been to Las Vegas, we wanted to see some of the new hotels. The first night we walked over to the Venetian, and we went back there several times. Loved the Grand Canal shops, restaurants, human statues, and the overall feel of the place. We also made it to Mandalay Bay, New York New York, Paris and most of the shops, Aladdin and the Desert Passage, and Bellagio. I liked the Venetian the best, followed by the Paris. Loved the fountain show at the Bellagio. They were redoing the conservatory and botanical gardens in a winter theme, however it wasn't done yet when we were there. I have to ask. Who's idea was it to change the Treasure Island sign from the great skull and crossbones to T.I.? We saw the Sirens of T.I. show. Talk about cheesy. They ruined what was a great themed property, in my opinion.

The Mirage:
I had always wanted to stay at the Mirage, and it didn't disappoint. We traveled with another couple and one night my friend and I went to Ava, the band playing there was terrific. The last morning we were there we went to the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. It was a nice way to end our trip.

Dining: The highlight of our trip was eating dinner at the Top of the World restaurant at the Stratosphere . Expensive, but the view was worth it! We also ate dinner at Taqueria Cañonita at the Grand Canal shops, very good! Lunch on our first full day in Las Vegas was at Todai, a Japanese Seafood Buffet in the Desert Passage. If you like seafood, you'll love Todai. We had breakfast at the Mirage Buffet one morning. It has been relocated to a conference room. It was good, however the room seemed a bit small. There was quite a wait at times. We also ate dinner one night at the Hard Rock, nothing special, typical Hard Rock experience.

Gambling:
My husband likes to play Blackjack, and he was happy that the Mirage had $10.00 tables, even on the weekend. He commented that the dealers were friendly for the most part, and that the service was good. I am not much of a gambler, I enjoy people watching, the shows, seeing the new hotels, the shops, etc. However, I did put $20.00 in a Double Diamond slot machine. On my 4th play, I won $180.00! So I cashed out, took the money and ran.

Photos:
I have some photos from our trip posted at
http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?showSlide=true&Uc=f52jv8p.lmsqi6t&Uy=-yk3s9p&Upost_signin=BrowsePhotos.jsp%3FshowSlide%3Dtrue&Ux=0
if you're interested.

Overall:
Loved the Mirage, especially the Tower Suite. I highly recommend this to celebrate a special occasion. Next trip I'll remember to bring eyedrops. If you're not used to being around a lot of smokers, it comes in handy! Thanks to everyone who helped us make the decision to book the Tower Suite (especially Hunter). Next trip we may try and stay at the Venetian. Hard to beat the Tower Suite though!

 

Amen! Sounds like you had a great time, thanks for posting.

 

Good report. Sounds like a lot of sight seeing was done. Vegas is definetly a great town for the sport of people watching. Enjoyed the photos!

 

Nice pictures. Mine never turn out that good. I can't wait to get their. T-11

 

Thanks for the trip report! It was great to see your photos- especially of the suite as I'm always curious about what they look like- very nice!!