Vegas Help, Please! (Kind of Long)

dori851

My FI & I are going to Vegas for our HM (May 14th - May 20th). We haven't booked our hotel yet, but have it narrowed down to Mandalay Bay, MGM, The Mirage, NYNY, The Luxor, & The Flamingo. I'm so overwhelmed by all the reviews on the internet that I thought I'd ask you ladies for some help! Which of these hotels would you recommend? Stay away from?

Also, what shows would you recommend seeing? So far, we have tickets to LOVE & that's it. Should we consider seeing another cirque show? I would like to see Peepshow with Holly Madison! Yes, I'm a Girls Next Door Fan Has anyone seen that?

What restaurants would you recommend eating at? FI & I are willing to splurge on a few meals so some nicer suggestions as well as more casual suggestions are appreciated So far I've only heard that we MUST go to Margaritaville.

Any other suggestions or advice that you ladies have would be awesome! Neither of us have ever been to Vegas before, so this will all be new for us! Thanks!

AllyG303

I'd go with Mandalay Bay for the hotel, just because the pool has a beach area.  The Mirage does, too.  The Luxor, IMO, is kind of a boring hotel to stay at.  I also like MGM and NYNY, but more to visit at nighttime.  The Flamingo is dated, IMO. 

Can't recommend shows since I've never been to any when I've gone. 

If you're looking for something romantic, you can eat in the Eiffel Tower at Paris (side note, if you're looking for delicious breakfast, the creperie is amazing!).

StephBeanWed61502

Mandalay Bay - I think this is your best option.  It's the most luxurious by far, and has a really cool man-made "beach" for guests.  The only down side is that it's at the extreme end of the strip, so you would have to take a tram/cab/etc. to get almost anywhere.
MGM - I stayed here last year.  It's really nice, the service is good, and it's GIGANTIC so you almost never have to leave the MGM if you don't want to.  It's on the same end of the strip as Mandalay Bay though, so you run into the same transportation issues, and while the pools are nice, they're not as special as Mandalay Bay's.
The Mirage - Very similar to Mandalay, although not quite as "luxury", IMO.  Also, signficantly better location - it's right in the middle of the strip, so it's walking distance to lots of other places.
NYNY - Cheesy, run-down, full of kids, lame food options, and just overall not romantic.  You couldn't pay me enough to stay in this place.
The Luxor - Not as bad as NYNY, but similar problems - cheesy, lame food options for the most part, and full of kids.  Also, it's right near Mandalay Bay, so add in transportation issues.
The Flamingo - My brother stayed here recently - he said it's comfortable, but nothing special.  He also went with a group of guys, so they weren't exactly looking for romance.  My sense is that it has more of a "spring break" vibe, which may not be ideal for your honeymoon.

As far as food goes, I've pretty much never had a bad meal in Vegas, so when it comes to "splurge" options, just pick the place with the menu that's most appealing to you.  I don't really have any input on shows.

SuMmErKuTiE

We've stayed at MGM Grand and The Mirage and chose both of those hotels for their pool areas and location on the strip. Mandalay is a great hotel but is all the way down on one end of the strip. Plus, we noticed the most kids running around at that hotel compared to the others when we went over there to check it out. I haven't heard great things about NYNY or The Flamingo, but definitely check out the NYNY while you're there and ride the rollercoaster.

We loved MGM because of their lazy river, and we loved the Mirage because of their waterfalls in the pools. They also upgraded us to a suite just for "liking" the resort on FB and walked in to a free bottle of champagne chilling on ice. So, definitely "like" whatever resort you choose on FB and write on their wall that you're honeymooners coming in on such and such dates and see what they'll do for you.

amys325

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_vegas-help-please-kind-of-long?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:35841f50-9afe-4f2d-a6f9-94a3978bccf4Post:9a0103a3-b891-4b10-87ed-6411b1b5ea6b">Vegas Help, Please! (Kind of Long)</a>:
[QUOTE]My FI & I are going to Vegas for our HM (May 14th - May 20th). We haven't booked our hotel yet, but have it narrowed down to Mandalay Bay, MGM, The Mirage, NYNY, The Luxor, & The Flamingo. I'm so overwhelmed by all the reviews on the internet that I thought I'd ask you ladies for some help! Which of these hotels would you recommend? Stay away from? Also, what shows would you recommend seeing? So far, we have tickets to LOVE & that's it. Should we consider seeing another cirque show? I would like to see Peepshow with Holly Madison! Yes, I'm a Girls Next Door Fan :) Has anyone seen that? What restaurants would you recommend eating at? FI & I are willing to splurge on a few meals so some nicer suggestions as well as more casual suggestions are appreciated :) So far I've only heard that we MUST go to Margaritaville. Any other suggestions or advice that you ladies have would be awesome! Neither of us have ever been to Vegas before, so this will all be new for us! Thanks!
Posted by dori851[/QUOTE]

I think Mandalay Bay is really nice, but it is on the South End of the strip.  Which isn't a terrible thing, but I like to be centrally located when in Vegas.  Not to throw you off, but have you looked into Aria.  It's a new hotel in City Center and it's beautiful and it's not expensive at all.  It's also part of the M Life chain (which is what almost all of the hotels you named are part of).

Who told you to go to Margaritaville?  I personally wouldn't waste my time with it.  It's a chain and it's not that good. 

I would recommend Mesa Grill at Cesars.  Amazing food and a fun atmosphere. 
Julian Serrano is a great tapas restaurant at Aria.

Love was a fantastic show.  Good choice on that.  I've heard mixed reviews about Peepshow, but I think you'll enjoy it if you want to see a lot of Holly's boobies :)  I don't think seeing 2 Cirque shows is necessary though.

I would take a day and go walk the strip and see all the different hotels.  I'd even take a cab to downtown Vegas to see the light show and some of the older Casinos.

Have fun!

jemmini6

Ditto PP's about Mandalay Bay.  We stayed there the last time we were in Vegas and it is a nice hotel.  The pool area is amazing, but extremely crowded (there's a line before the pool opens at 8 to be able to get a pool chair).  We splurged and rented a cabana for a day and it was totally worth it, we got to enjoy the amazing pools without worrying about if someone was going to steal our spots.  The downside, of course, it that it is literally the last hotel on that end of the strip, so you are far away from a lot of stuff and cabs get expensive.

As far as other shows to see, one of my favorites is Phantom of the Opera.  Apparently, this is their last year in Vegas, so H and I are planning to go see it again in the summer.  Other than that, I'd recommend stopping by one of the Tix4Tonight booths daily and seeing what's available, you can get some pretty good deals there.

MrsKathyC

We stayed off-strip when we went. We stayed at The Orleans. Never got to the pool so I don't know how that is.  We had a rental car so we could go hiking and to see the Hoover Dam.

If you like country music, specifically Toby Keith, you can try out his "I love this bar & grill" restaurant.  It's in Harrah's (if it's still there, that is)

Epiphany1031

We LOVE staying at Mandalay Bay. Our favorite by far. It really isn't too big of a deal that it's not literally in the center of the strip because there are tram/train things (can't think of the name, lol) that are free, can get you from hotel to hotel. We used that a lot when we stay at Mandalay Bay. Plus it's fun to just walk around and check out the sites.

NYNY is very fun to check out. I LOVE it in there!  I've never stayed there but want to in the future. I've stayed at the Flamingo before, that's a nice place too but Mandalay Bay is the best!

lls31

We stayed at The Mirage and loved it.  Great rooms, great pool, great location.  No complaints at all.

While we were there we saw "O" at the Bellagio and it was absolutely amazing.  I highly recommend it.

I'm trying to think of the places we had dinner, but I can only come up with Kokomo's at The Mirage and Okada at the Wynn.  Kokomo's was fantastic.  Okada was good, but I've had better sushi here in PA.  

I heard the Spice Market Buffet in Planet Hollywood is the best buffet in Vegas, but we didn't have a chance to check it out.

For a more casual dining option, I wish I could remember the name of the place we had lunch in Planet Hollywood.  It was along the Miracle Mile and it was very reasonably priced.  I tried Googling it and I think it may have been Lombardi's, but I'm not positive.

TravelingJen

I can't advise you on any of the hotels as I haven't stayed at any of those places. However, if I were honeymooning in Vegas I would personally probably choose the Palazzo, Venetian, Wynn, or Encore.

In terms of fine dining, I would recommend L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (MGM) or Le Cirque (Bellagio). Both meals were two of the best of our lives. We also liked Strip Steak (Mandalay Bay).

I have gone to multiple Cirque shows, but my favorite is definitely O at the Bellagio.

xxstardust

Agree with the PP who equated the Flamingo with spring breakers. I stayed there and June and it's a great hotel ... but definitely not what you're looking for in terms of ambiance/romance for a honeymoon. It's predominantely young kids looking to get hammered.

ljsquintz

I have been to Vegas about 7 times.  FI and I actually met in Vegas, so it holds a special place in my heart.
Hotels - Go with Mandalay Bay or MGM.  If you do MGM, try to stay in the West Wing - the decor is more modern and it is closer to the strip.  The MGM is HUGE and if you are not in the West Wing you will end up walking far awhile just to get to and from your room to the Strip.  NYNY, Luxor, and Mirage are not very sexy (ie not HM appropriate) and the Flamingo is def dated.
Shows - I have seen several shows.  I would recommend any of the Cirque du Soleil shows except Zumanity, but O at the Bellagio is the ultimate Cirque show - book tickets now, they are very hard to get.  I do not recommend Zumanity at NYNY - it is a bit risque, but does not contain the exciting acrobatic elements of the other Cirque shows.  If Avenue Q is still playing out there, that's an excellently hilarious show and very unique.
Restaurants - Fiamma and Pearl (both at MGM) are fantastic.  In terms of a buffet (which everyone should do at least once while in Vegas), the Bellagio is fantastic.  The casual option I love is the Grand Lux Cafe in the Venetian.

Inside tip - go to the lounge at the top of the Polo Towers - you get an amazing vie of the Strip from there, and it is off the beaten path so it is a nice respite from the craziness of the strip, just for a few drinks.
Also, you will spend a lot of time just walking around checking out the hotels - they are amazing and a sight unto themselves.  Shopping is also excellent.
I could go on and on - PM me if you want more specific info

dori851

Thank you all SO much for everything so far I love all the suggestions & am making a spreadsheet of everything! I am also looking into other hotels that were suggested aside from the ones I listed! I may be PMing a few of you to ask some specific questions All this information is helping me out a TON!

saraschilling88

Ok I can't help with hotels as I've only stayed at Treasure Island and the Excalibur (think Excalibur has been torn down since then)... 

I saw "V" which was a variety show at the Desert Palace Shopping Center (I think, its been 9 years).  My parents loved the Cirque show they went to (O I believe)!!   My brother lived there for years and wished we could have seen The Blue Man Group or Gallagher (not sure if Gallagher still performs, but he looked hilarious)!!

Margaritaville was an excellent restaurant (especially if you are a Jimmy Buffet fan)!! 

Other fun things we did (it was a family vacation, but still things you could do as a couple):
Bellagio- the Water Show (free I believe), also just walked around in there to look at all the decorations (gorgeous)!!
Treasure Island- They had a Pirate Show called "Sirens of TI", my brother said the show changes every few years, but if they still have one I would definitely check that out!!
M&M World- Literally a store FULL of M&M stuff (if you like M&Ms, and if it is still there).
Fremont Street- There is a light show over that street every night, and just walking around at night and seeing all the older casinos and the people on the street was SO MUCH FUN!!
NYNY- The roller coaster was fun!!
Hoover Dam- We drove there and took the tour, it wasn't a super long drive (1.5-2 hours I believe), but was very worth it! 

We honestly spent most of our vacation just walking around the strip looking at the different hotels!! 

ljsquintz

I agree with PP, check out the light show on Freemont Street - it goes off every 30 minute or so at night.  Freemont Street is like Vegas stuck in the 70s, in a good way.   Grab a yard of some yummy frozen drink and walk around and play cheap slots.  It is a quick cab ride from the main Vegas strip.
I also suggest the dueling pianos bar at NYNY if you are looking for a relaxed night out as opposed to a club - the bar is open to the casino, so don't pay the cover charge, just stand right outside the bar and listen and dance along.

fallbride1109

I would pick Mirage or MB--I wouldn't recommend MB after the school year but I think you should be OK on that.  I actually prefer the Mirage pool--MB's pools remind me more of a water park.

There are so many great dining options in LV.  We ate at Mesa Grill on our last trip and I want to eat at the Eiffel Tower on our next one--you can tell them it's your HM when you make your reservation and ask for a table with a view of the Bellagio fountains.  Mix at MB would be nice--see if you can get a table with a view of the trip.  If you want a steak, my boss just ate at Delmonico and said it was great. 

nycheryl

Hello -

I'm getting married in Las Vegas (saw your post on the LV board), and figured I could weigh in here.

Excalibur, M&M world, and Sirens of TI are all still alive and kicking.  Excalibur actually just had some renovations (but you couldn't pay me to stay there). 

I've stayed at Mandalay Bay (where our ceremony will be), MGM (6 times), and Golden Nugget (downtown).  If you want a romantic/quiet hotel, I'd definitely pick one of the following:

Mandalay Bay (preferably THEhotel)
Signature at MGM Grand (where we're having our HM)
Venetian/Palazzo
Wynn/Encore
Aria/Cosmopolitan
Bellagio

Most of the mid- to high-tier hotels also have nice suites if you'd prefer a specific location. 

Also, I hate the MGM Grand West Wing rooms.  There's not a door to the bathroom - it's relatively open to the room - and that just doesn't fly with me.  Plus, the halls are long and the rooms are dark (and not in a sexy way).

I'd recommend at least seeing the Bellagio fountains, shopping/touring the new City Center, possibly stopping downtown, etc.  I also wouldn't recommend packing in too much stuff!  The best part about Vegas (IMO) is chilling at the pool all day then eating amazing food at night.

Please feel free to PM if you have more questions... and pop on over to the LV board for more!  There's lots of threads to lurk in to get more info

HTH!

Summer2011Bride

Out of the ones listed, I have stayed at MGM and Flamingo. I liked MGM better. The pool area is great. The only thing I didn't like was its size. Sure, there's tons to do right in your hotel, but it was a far walk just to get to your room, and it at times felt overwhelming.

We didn't not like The Flamingo, but it seemed more dated than the others. The pool area is nice (unfortunately we went there in the winter) and it is centrally located, which we loved.

I think you will love LOVE! We went and it was fabulous! I have heard good things about Ka and Mystiere (SP?) as well.

We went to a nice Italian place in the Mirage called something like Oneida (not sure but it starts with an O!) However, most of the time we go to Vegas, we try to eat on the cheap, so I don't have other nice restaurant recs. We did like Margaritaville though and it was in our hotel (Flamingo). Best frozen margarita I've ever had!

sparkles776

I personally wouldnt stay at Mandalay Bay or Luxor. They are very far down on the strip.

I have stayed at NYNY and I liked it a lot. It definitely doesnt give off a HM vibe though. When we were there, I dont remember seeing any kids. Nathans in NYNY is good for lunch.

You should look into staying at Planet Hollywood. FI and I loved it there. Their rooms are HUGE. I think the restaurant a PP was talking about there that is good for lunch is Earl of Sandwich. I personally love Pinks for lunch too. I did see Peep Show because I love Holly, but the show was horrible and hard to watch, there are so much better shows to see.

As for shows and other places to eat: FI and I saw Criss Angel Believe and loved it, it was definitely my favorite show we saw. We also saw Blue Man group, which was very good too. If you are looking for good places to eat dinner, I like Bacio at Tropicana. It is a little italian restaurant that has like 10 tables. We like the steakhouse inside Planet Hollywood, and Mesa.

I love Vegas and we are going back in August and staying at Cesears this time.

hcampana

Mandalay. Try to stay ay THE hotel at manday if you can afford it. Sometimes they have good prices, so you should at least look. Go see O. It's the most amazing.

Britt0412

My favorite casual restaurant in Vegas - Serendipity 3. It's right along the Strip outside of Caesar's Palace. It's fun and whimsical with amazing frozen hot chocolates. I go there every time I'm in Vegas!

MrsKathyC

I forgot Blue Man Group was in Vegas.  Definetly try to see them!  I've seen the crew that performs in Boston!

SD210

We love staying at the Mirage, which has a great pool and excellent location on the strip.  We also love BLT Burger in the Mirage, which has the most delicious milk shakes- highly recommend.  If you are a Beatles fan, you will enjoy LOVE at the Mirage - my FI loves that show, though I personally prefer O.  We saw Absinthe last time we were there and loved it, but it is R rated (swearing, jokes about sex, etc.), so if that bothers you I would stear clear - but check out the Absinthe reviews on Yelp to get a better idea of what the show is about. We thought it was funny and a very cool show, because you are very close to the stage and see all of the Cirque-like acrobatics up close - not a bad seat in the house.

Our favorite restaurant is not that fancy, but so tasty - -  Mon Amie Gabi, which is the french restaurant in the Paris hotel.  You can sit outside on the deck and you are directly across from the Bellagio fountains.  It's a breathtaking view, and the food is delicious and reasonably priced for the location (most entrees are $17 - $26).  I always get the steak frites there; my FI swears they have the best french onion soup on the planet, not too salty, etc.  We eat here every time we go to Vegas.

Note, all of the MGM properties charge you a $25 a day "resort fee," which adds up over the course of a week  The Flamingo is owned by Caesars and Caesars does not charge any resort fees.  Last fall, Flamingo upgraded and renovated a bunch of their rooms.  If you book there, go for a FAB room (you'll see that category when you book), as those are the renovated rooms.  I agree with others who say it's not the most glamourous hotel, but for its location and price, I wouldn't dismiss it.  I like Mandalay Bay (I'm even considering getting married there, it is beautiful), but for a first time visitor I would recommend staying somewhere more centrally located on the strip.  That's why we like to stay at the Mirage.

Either way, you'll have a blast.  Be sure to check out the hotel reviews on Tripadvisor - - they have lots of customer submitted pictures of the hotel rooms so you can see what these places really look like!! 

aperriera

I love Vegas! The company I work for puts on several events each year in Vegas so here are my recommendations:
- Of the hotels you are considering I think MGM is the nicest. That said, I would look into: The Venetian, Bellagio, The Wynn, or the Cosmopolitan. If you can afford them they are definitely nicer. I think someone recommended Paris, but we have been there for an event and it was terrible. We have never had so many complaints!

As for food: My favorite restaurant in Vegas is Mesa Grill. SOOO Yummy! Also look into Bouchon in the Venitian. It is Thomas Keller's restaurant. He also has the french laundry in Napa which is consistently rated in the top 5 resaurants in the US and he was rated Time magazine's best chef in America and the prices are really affordable. Someone else suggested Le Cirque and Joel Robuschon... I would agree with those.

As for shows: Love is amazing. V was just ok, but I didn't feel it was as good as others in Vegas. Jersey Boys is fantastic and I really loved KA too.

Hope this helps!