Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Ongoing Las Vegas 'pro-tips' thread

Voodooman · 07-14-2015, 09:42 AM

^^^ Going to Vegas with the spouse is a significantly different experience than going with the fellows. Spending a little bit extra, and taking a little more care in where you stay is going to make all the difference.

When I took the Mrs. a couple of years ago, we stayed at Vdara, and it was great. She's not a huge gambler, so not having a casino in the hotel was no big deal. As well, the rooms are all suites, so you get some extra space, and a full kitchen, which may come in handy on a 5 day trip. Not saying that you'll cook meals, but it's nice to have a place to store some water, beer and wine that you can pick up at Walgreens, right in front of Aria. As well, Vdara is non-smoking, and just generally quieter overall, which my wife greatly enjoyed. And it's a 2 minute walk across the courtyard and you are in the back of Aria, which has all the amenities you would need. You're also connected by monorail to Bellagio, Aria & Monte Carlo. It also has a nice, albeit fairly quiet pool, and I would recommend splurging for a cabana for the day.

As for pricing, I've found that packages through Hotwire or Expedia are often the best value. I just plugged in your dates, and Hotwire gave a package price of $1,550 all in, including direct flights both ways on WestJet (You'll have to pay the $30/day resort fee to the hotel at check-in). There were also good deals for Bellagio or Wynn at the same price if staying in a casino hotel is a deal breaker. Or the Mandarin Oriental, which is super high end, for less than $2,000.

The Fashion Show Mall is right on the strip, within walking distance from Vdara, and is fairly upscale. There are a couple of outlet malls, but they are pretty low-end from what the wife told me. As for shows, chicks love the Cirque. Not generally my cup of tea at all, but we went to Love (the Beatles themed one), and having the huge musical component made it enjoyable for both of us.

Lots of other great shows and restaurants. One of our favourites from Hawaii is Roy's, and they have a Vegas location just off strip that I would recommend. And on the other end of the spectrum, no trip to the Southwest is complete without a stop at In-N-Out Burger.

Finally, I would actually recommend renting a car. They are generally dirt cheap down there, and parking is free at all the hotels and downtown. Just makes it easier if you decide to do some off-strip exploring.

07-14-2015, 09:42 AM	#995
Voodooman Scoring Winger Join Date: Aug 2011 Exp:	^^^ Going to Vegas with the spouse is a significantly different experience than going with the fellows. Spending a little bit extra, and taking a little more care in where you stay is going to make all the difference. When I took the Mrs. a couple of years ago, we stayed at Vdara, and it was great. She's not a huge gambler, so not having a casino in the hotel was no big deal. As well, the rooms are all suites, so you get some extra space, and a full kitchen, which may come in handy on a 5 day trip. Not saying that you'll cook meals, but it's nice to have a place to store some water, beer and wine that you can pick up at Walgreens, right in front of Aria. As well, Vdara is non-smoking, and just generally quieter overall, which my wife greatly enjoyed. And it's a 2 minute walk across the courtyard and you are in the back of Aria, which has all the amenities you would need. You're also connected by monorail to Bellagio, Aria & Monte Carlo. It also has a nice, albeit fairly quiet pool, and I would recommend splurging for a cabana for the day. As for pricing, I've found that packages through Hotwire or Expedia are often the best value. I just plugged in your dates, and Hotwire gave a package price of $1,550 all in, including direct flights both ways on WestJet (You'll have to pay the $30/day resort fee to the hotel at check-in). There were also good deals for Bellagio or Wynn at the same price if staying in a casino hotel is a deal breaker. Or the Mandarin Oriental, which is super high end, for less than $2,000. The Fashion Show Mall is right on the strip, within walking distance from Vdara, and is fairly upscale. There are a couple of outlet malls, but they are pretty low-end from what the wife told me. As for shows, chicks love the Cirque. Not generally my cup of tea at all, but we went to Love (the Beatles themed one), and having the huge musical component made it enjoyable for both of us. Lots of other great shows and restaurants. One of our favourites from Hawaii is Roy's, and they have a Vegas location just off strip that I would recommend. And on the other end of the spectrum, no trip to the Southwest is complete without a stop at In-N-Out Burger. Finally, I would actually recommend renting a car. They are generally dirt cheap down there, and parking is free at all the hotels and downtown. Just makes it easier if you decide to do some off-strip exploring. Last edited by Voodooman; 07-14-2015 at 09:48 AM.