r/LasVegas

Four of us from the Netherlands, late thirties to early forties, friends for 25 years. In September we finally do the trip we have been talking about since we were nineteen. Five nights at ARIA, arriving Thursday 10 September after driving over through Death Valley from Los Angeles, flying home on the 15th back to Amsterdam.

Why I am here. Two days ago I asked the same kind of thing in r/AskLosAngeles and it genuinely changed the trip. We had no plan at all for LA, none, and now we have a really good one, built almost entirely out of what people there told us. So I am back for the harder city.

My actual problem is this. Every time I open Instagram I get another reel telling me I have to do this in Vegas, I have to see that in Vegas, this place will blow my mind. There are hundreds of them and they all sound identical. I have completely lost the thread on what is genuinely great and what is just very well marketed to people like me.

So I would rather hear it from you. We want the full Vegas experience, whatever that actually means. Not a quiet, tasteful week.

Food. We will absolutely eat at a truck at three in the morning, but here we also want restaurants that make you go wow when you walk in. It does not have to be expensive or fancy. It has to be a place, with something going on, the kind you do not forget.

Bars. The hidden ones. The ones that are not signposted, or that are behind something else, or that have been there since long before any of this.

Clubs. We want two proper big nights, all in, the whole production. We are not bottle service guys and we are not going to pretend to be, but we do want the real thing rather than a sad room with a queue outside. And if that means bottle service, fine, we'll take it 😉

Gambling. Where should four people who are not serious gamblers actually go and play? Somewhere with a bit of atmosphere rather than a wall of machines.

And the big one: what is the thing you have to have done in Vegas? The one that is actually as good as people say.

Sport is a big one for us. One of us played American football for years back home and none of us has ever been to a live game of anything over there. There seems to be a Raiders game against the Dolphins that week, would you go to that, or is there something better on? And how do you actually get tickets without getting fleeced?

And one more. Helicopter, Grand Canyon with a landing or the short night flight over the Strip? If you have done both, which one did you still talk about a year later?

Tell me what is real and what is a reel, pretty please

Choosing between, totals include any resort fees and is for 4 night stay length.

Park MGM: totally free stay and $200 resort credit to use. No mention of view.

MGM Grand: totally free stay and $100 credit. Strip view room is not extra.

Bellagio: $259 for the stay in premier room / $100 credit

Aria or Cosmo: $220 for the stay / $100 credit. Can pay $50 more to upgrade to Strip View at Aria

V'Dara: $262 for Studio with Fountain view for stay / $100 credit.

last minute long weekend type trip so trying to keep expenses fairly low - have to pay for airfare - but like to stay somewhere nice ; is a birthday trip. A place that make a nice impression would be good. Not too concerned about a place being crowded/loud vs. quiet. Given the location, crowds won't bother us.

we: myself, wife and will bring our 12 year old daughter and share a 2 queen room. Parking does not matter would take a taxi from the airport and back.

wants: good location for walking (mid-strip), pools are important, value location and view more than actual room size, no smoke smell in rooms or main areas of the hotel (smoke smell on the casino floor is fine). Shopping is important, wife and daughter will want to check out the indoor malls at Caesers Palace and I assume Bellagio and/or The Venetian. Tables don't matter much. No clubbing, late nights, etc...

Plan on going to KA show (inside MGM Grand) and likely a show at the Sphere (only option is Wizard of Oz). - if staying at the Bellagio could possibly switch KA for the O show instead but tix costs are much higher.

restaurants: would likely do one high end dinner otherwise preference for casual / decent value options but nicer than a food court.

Originally I was thinking the Bellagio but the current offer is a little different and now the Park MGM or MGM Grand are better values. I assume the Bellagio rooms would not be fountain view?

I assume our daughter would prefer the pool at MGM grand and MGM Grand is where the KA Show is so would be convenient for that. Park MGM close enough to just walk over and use pool at the Grand? Would we actually do that or feel strange - is there a changing area?

Many talk negatively about the size of the MGM Grand and how far the rooms can be from everything else - I have not stayed there and though walked past it / through it I don't have much memory of the property.

Have stayed at Mandalay Bay / W before and excluded them due to location even though I like the property and pools. Lazy River definitely would be a +.

Questions:

I have MGM reward credits: I can use them like cash for KA tickets or meals at restaurants within the hotel or to pay the above fees? I don't have enough credits for all that but enough to help offset any one of these things at least.

Offer says taxes are additional but list $0.00 for everything so are there any taxes? Maybe a minimal room/city tax per night or something?

See you next summer Las Vegas 😞

When it comes to summer in Vegas, the only way out is through.

The good news is, you're halfway there. Yee-haw! To mark the midpoint of Vegas's most miserably inhospitable season, we're offering special, two-week only TOO DAMN HOT promo for our favorite locals. Save up to 50% on tickets to any performance of Atomic Saloon Show.

But you've gotta act fast. Like summer itself, this deal won't last. You must book by August 16. So treat yourself and a loved one (or more, smoke 'em if you've got 'em) to an evening at the horniest, wildest, funniest, most unforgettable show in Vegas, for less, because we love you.

M33/F22 visiting from Jersey looking to link up with people/make friends. Planning to go to omnia tn, anyone else going?

I’m in LV a lot for work.
Somehow I’ve never stayed at the MGM Grand.

Normally Vdara because I’m in town to work and it’s got the washer dryers in the rooms

But Ive been. Aria, Park, Belaggio, Cosmo and back in the day Mirage.

My question is for those who stay there often

What kind of room should I try to get at check in ?

$50 trick in mind

At this point it’s sport for me
I’ve gotten the 2 floor penthouse at Vdara using the trick once

Hey - heading to Vegas and I booked 4 rooms and paid. I added the people who’s staying in the other 3 rooms to it - can they use their cards to put down for incidentals/fridge charges/etc? I keep getting run around answer on phone. We are staying at Planet Hollywood - anyone experience this?

Hey everyone! I'm planning to visit Las Vegas at the end of September. Since it's not my first time, I want to explore the city and the surrounding areas.

I definitely want to visit the Valley of Fire. I'm also considering a road trip to the Grand Canyon, but I'm not sure which route to take or which spots are best. Spending some time on the Colorado River sounds great too.

Overall, I'm looking for scenic, beautiful places. I'd love any recommendations or guidance you can share

I don't have this problem in my other vehicles, just the Audi but, anytime I'm using Android Auto or Apple Carplay and get near the strip they start lagging and then the app crashes over and over again. Does this happen to anyone else?

It's too bad the Beatles Cirque de Soleil ended. I always wanted to see it.

My car is 17 years old and probably worth 4k. I’m looking for someone to just do a bare minimum paint job/wrap on the hood and roof. The hood is chipped to hell and the roof has sun damage. I went to Maaco and they wanted like $1,300 just to do the hood and roof and about 1k more for the rest of the car.

I may attempt it myself but I’d consider paying to save me the hassle for the right price.

OYO Hotel Casino on 115 E Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89109, which has a horrible reputation as a dirty, dated, dump hotel is using fraudulent fictitious hotel names and photos to trick travelers into reserving a non refundable rooms there.

Don't fall for this scam by OYO's disreputable owners or your vacation will be ruined! If you see Las Vegas hotel search results with these names- Palette, Collection O, Oravel, or PRISM- it's the fraud name for OYO. Travelers beware when reserving a hotel room on booking.com, Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com, Trivago, or other 3rd party sites.

I have 2 questions for someone that did either these recently, I know rules and such change all the time.

Can my guest check in if I add their name to the booking at Caesar or MGM properties ( haven't booked one yet ), we are both flying in at different times 6-8 hrs different.
Also I might consider getting a 2nd room at the Rio / Venetian and have my guest check in.

Second question, how do I use the free self parking since I have both the Caesars/MGM credit card?

Thanks

Will KA have enough within the show to keep an easily bored guy engaged and interested?

I am taking my friend/client to dinner in Vegas regularly, I would love to have your recommendations. We have enjoyed Din Tai, and the casual Italian place at Venetian.

She lives there and regularly goes to a supper club, not sure where we should try next.

Doesn't need to be super fancy.

Thanks!

Tell me about your first time in Vegas :D