Las Vegas with kids, some comments

[SnuggleBuggles]

I had the best luck using the Trip Advisor Las Vegas message board forum for planning advice.

So many other shows to see- I'd do another Cirque Show. Or La Reve.

We didn't rent a car- no plans to leave the strip. We almost did a hiking trip to Red Rocks and we found a tour online that would have provided transportation and other stuff, in case that was the off Strip excursion you were planning.

[ChefGirl]

I know nothing about the Bellagio shuttle. Our rental car (a full size sedan) was very inexpensive.

The service isn't bad, per se, at the Bellagio. I think you'll enjoy your stay. Our fountain view room really did have a SPECTACULAR view, and staying there was worth it for that view alone. The beds were luxurious, and the room was lovely. Our room service dinner was also delicious.

I raved about the Four Seasons because we really felt the difference between a huge hotel that caters to high rollers and a small hotel that treats all its guests beautifully, including the children. You will have a good time at the Bellagio. I just loved the way the Four Seasons went out of it's way at every turn to do little, special things to make our stay better (and didn't charge for all those extras). The Bellagio charged extra for everything, and that turned me off. It's still a lovely hotel, though. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Just check the rental car rate....it's around $70ish for 3 days for a compact vehicle....is that reasonable? did you find easy to navigiate around Vegas? Any toll roads? Did Bellagio charge you for parking? Underground or outside parking? Thank You!!!! It has been SO LONG since we traveled by ourselves.....

[Ms B]

Just check the rental car rate....it's around $70ish for 3 days for a compact vehicle....is that reasonable? did you find easy to navigiate around Vegas? Any toll roads? Did Bellagio charge you for parking? Underground or outside parking? Thank You!!!! It has been SO LONG since we traveled by ourselves.....

DH and I love Vegas . . . we went at least twice a year for a number of years before The Biscuit came along. We found renting a car to be worth it if the rate was less than the roundtrip by cab from the airport to the Strip plus one trip to Lotus of Siam (our fave restaurant in Vegas bar none). That would come up to $30 each way from the airport, plus $20-plus round trip to Lotus, so $70 would be fine with me.

Parking in Vegas is free and plentiful in the hotel garages or at valet both on the Strip and downtown. Be prepared either to walk a ways from the garage or to wait for the valet (and please tip them). There are no toll roads that I know about, but there is a charge to enter Red Rocks if you go there (it is a national park).

The rate you got at the Bellagio is good and we always like the location because it is very central on the Strip. Caesar's is close (love the Forum Shops) and the Venetian and the Mirage are not far. The back end of the Bellagio opens to the tram and you can reach other hotels that way.

Tell me what you like to eat and budget and I can give you some recs. At the Bellagio, we prefer Olives for tuna or beef carpaccio, pasta, and the bread basket. If it is warm enough, we like to sit out on their balcony and watch the fountains. Mix also is pretty good, although very loud.

If you like shows, Absinthe is great if it still is playing. It is somewhat adult, but intimate and a lot of fun. DH and I saw Garth Brooks at the Wynn and the show was amazing. We have been to many of the Cirque shows. O is my favorite, but DH prefers Mystere.

For off-strip adventures, we like to visit and hike Red Rocks (if the weather permits), to hit the north outlet mall (we avoid the south one like the plague), to wander around downtown and get our picture taken with the million dollars at Binion's and then get drinks at Downtown Liquor Bar (dark, retro, with relatively inexpensive cocktails), and to go eat off-Strip at Raku (high quality Japanese with my favorite bathrooms in Vegas, best done late night when the chef crowd is there), Hot 'n' Juicy Crawfish, Lotus of Siam (best Thai in the USA), and In 'n' Out.

For more tips, try the podcast at Five Hundy by Midnight. http://www.fivehundybymidnight.com/fhbm/

[123LuckyMom]

I would rent the car. Valet parking is free at all the casino hotels, I think. For the cost of the valet tip you can go easily door to door. We didn't explore outside of the strip and the Thomas and Mack Center, so I don't know about toll roads.

Your hotel deal is fantastic! Enjoy your trip!!!

[stonecali]

I second the recommendation for Absinthe. We LOVED the show. I want to go again! I would say it is very rude and crude you have to have a good sense of humor! My face hurt from laughing so much. The ringmaster guy and girl are extremely raunchy. It was hands down the best show I've seen in Vegas, and I've seen a lot. Read some of the yelp reviews to see if it is for you! http://www.yelp.com/biz/absinthe-las-vegas

[SnuggleBuggles]

My friends and I couldn't have done a rental car bc we enjoyed cocktails and such. . No one wanted to drive. We were happy cabbing it (helped to split cost 3 ways) or walking.

[ChefGirl]

DH and I love Vegas . . . we went at least twice a year for a number of years before The Biscuit came along. We found renting a car to be worth it if the rate was less than the roundtrip by cab from the airport to the Strip plus one trip to Lotus of Siam (our fave restaurant in Vegas bar none). That would come up to $30 each way from the airport, plus $20-plus round trip to Lotus, so $70 would be fine with me.

Parking in Vegas is free and plentiful in the hotel garages or at valet both on the Strip and downtown. Be prepared either to walk a ways from the garage or to wait for the valet (and please tip them). There are no toll roads that I know about, but there is a charge to enter Red Rocks if you go there (it is a national park).

The rate you got at the Bellagio is good and we always like the location because it is very central on the Strip. Caesar's is close (love the Forum Shops) and the Venetian and the Mirage are not far. The back end of the Bellagio opens to the tram and you can reach other hotels that way.

Tell me what you like to eat and budget and I can give you some recs. At the Bellagio, we prefer Olives for tuna or beef carpaccio, pasta, and the bread basket. If it is warm enough, we like to sit out on their balcony and watch the fountains. Mix also is pretty good, although very loud.

If you like shows, Absinthe is great if it still is playing. It is somewhat adult, but intimate and a lot of fun. DH and I saw Garth Brooks at the Wynn and the show was amazing. We have been to many of the Cirque shows. O is my favorite, but DH prefers Mystere.

For off-strip adventures, we like to visit and hike Red Rocks (if the weather permits), to hit the north outlet mall (we avoid the south one like the plague), to wander around downtown and get our picture taken with the million dollars at Binion's and then get drinks at Downtown Liquor Bar (dark, retro, with relatively inexpensive cocktails), and to go eat off-Strip at Raku (high quality Japanese with my favorite bathrooms in Vegas, best done late night when the chef crowd is there), Hot 'n' Juicy Crawfish, Lotus of Siam (best Thai in the USA), and In 'n' Out.

For more tips, try the podcast at Five Hundy by Midnight. http://www.fivehundybymidnight.com/fhbm/

this is so helpful.....thank you. You have convinced us to get a rental car.....as far as restaurants go, Lotus of Siam is already on our list....my fear is that the restaurant will be packed ..... do they need reservation? Raku sounds good to me too..LOVE Japanese food.....authentic Japanese food! Is it expensive? When you say best done late night.....how late? We like good food, whether being hole in the wall or a nice fancy place but has to have good food.....I wouldn't mind going to a good Italian restauarant or a nice steak place...Thanks so much!!!!

[Ms B]

this is so helpful.....thank you. You have convinced us to get a rental car.....as far as restaurants go, Lotus of Siam is already on our list....my fear is that the restaurant will be packed ..... do they need reservation? Raku sounds good to me too..LOVE Japanese food.....authentic Japanese food! Is it expensive? When you say best done late night.....how late? We like good food, whether being hole in the wall or a nice fancy place but has to have good food.....I wouldn't mind going to a good Italian restauarant or a nice steak place...Thanks so much!!!!

I would make a rezzie at LOS. They expanded about five years ago, but they always are busy. We generally go for lunch and have no problem making a rez about a week prior. Our favorite menu items are the Nam Kao Tod (#14), the Crispy Mussel Omelet (#69), the catfish dish under #63, the Crispy Duck with Panang Curry (under Chef's Specials), the Drunken Noodles Sea Bass (also under Chef's Specials), and the coconut ice cream with sticky rice (and mango if in season). The somm should be able to steer you to an appropriate and well-priced Riesling. Be prepared, it is in a somewhat sketchy shopping plaza, but we have never had a problem.

Raku can be reasonable or pricy, depending what you order. We usually get some skewers to start (bacon wrapped enoki mushrooms and the kurobota pork are faves) and then move on to the house-made tofu (fried in dashi), the foie gras custard, and the crabs (if in season - you eat them whole in the shell). We usually go to Raku on a night when we have been to an earlier show. It opens around 6 pm. but really gets hopping (and cheffy, if that is your thing) after about 10 or 11 pm, when the Strip places start to wind down. Rezzies are a must.

No rezzies needed at Hot 'n' Juicy Crawfish -- you can look at their website to see if it is for you: http://hotnjuicycrawfish.com/ We love it for casual lunch. Other good lunch spots for us have been Spago in Caesar's, Mesa Grill at Caesar's, Olives at the Bellagio, and Bouchon at the Venetian. If Estiatorio Milos in the Cosmopolitan is doing its lunch special (I think it was $30 or $35 for 3 courses), then run, do not walk, for some of the most pristine fish I have ever seen. Our current favorite Sunday brunch spot is MOzen at the Mandarin Oriental. It is super-spendy, but worth it, especially if you are prepared to drink your weight in the complementary champage.

For steak, my choice would be Wolfgang Puck's Cut (in the Venetian/Palazzo). The bone marrow flan is unbelievable. Expect to spend beaucoup bucks. We have never had a problem walking in and sitting at the bar.

If you wanted to combine steak and Italian, you could do apps and bread basket at Cut and then wander over to B&B Ristorante in the Venetian. The beggar's purses and the mint love letters are fantastic if they are on the menu. We also usually sit at the bar here -- it gets packed during the regular dinner hour.

At that point, I would go on down to Guy Savoy in Caesar's for dessert -- they do the classic three-star dessert cart and it is worth every dollar! We have never had a problem walking in here.

PM me if you plan to go to the north outlet mall -- I can put you in touch with my David Yurman sales rep if you are into their stuff. Outlet prices are 30% off the silver items, 40% off the gold, and more off of the clearance.

[ChefGirl]

I would make a rezzie at LOS. They expanded about five years ago, but they always are busy. We generally go for lunch and have no problem making a rez about a week prior. Our favorite menu items are the Nam Kao Tod (#14), the Crispy Mussel Omelet (#69), the catfish dish under #63, the Crispy Duck with Panang Curry (under Chef's Specials), the Drunken Noodles Sea Bass (also under Chef's Specials), and the coconut ice cream with sticky rice (and mango if in season). The somm should be able to steer you to an appropriate and well-priced Riesling. Be prepared, it is in a somewhat sketchy shopping plaza, but we have never had a problem.

Raku can be reasonable or pricy, depending what you order. We usually get some skewers to start (bacon wrapped enoki mushrooms and the kurobota pork are faves) and then move on to the house-made tofu (fried in dashi), the foie gras custard, and the crabs (if in season - you eat them whole in the shell). We usually go to Raku on a night when we have been to an earlier show. It opens around 6 pm. but really gets hopping (and cheffy, if that is your thing) after about 10 or 11 pm, when the Strip places start to wind down. Rezzies are a must.

No rezzies needed at Hot 'n' Juicy Crawfish -- you can look at their website to see if it is for you: http://hotnjuicycrawfish.com/ We love it for casual lunch. Other good lunch spots for us have been Spago in Caesar's, Mesa Grill at Caesar's, Olives at the Bellagio, and Bouchon at the Venetian. If Estiatorio Milos in the Cosmopolitan is doing its lunch special (I think it was $30 or $35 for 3 courses), then run, do not walk, for some of the most pristine fish I have ever seen. Our current favorite Sunday brunch spot is MOzen at the Mandarin Oriental. It is super-spendy, but worth it, especially if you are prepared to drink your weight in the complementary champage.

For steak, my choice would be Wolfgang Puck's Cut (in the Venetian/Palazzo). The bone marrow flan is unbelievable. Expect to spend beaucoup bucks. We have never had a problem walking in and sitting at the bar.

If you wanted to combine steak and Italian, you could do apps and bread basket at Cut and then wander over to B&B Ristorante in the Venetian. The beggar's purses and the mint love letters are fantastic if they are on the menu. We also usually sit at the bar here -- it gets packed during the regular dinner hour.

At that point, I would go on down to Guy Savoy in Caesar's for dessert -- they do the classic three-star dessert cart and it is worth every dollar! We have never had a problem walking in here.

PM me if you plan to go to the north outlet mall -- I can put you in touch with my David Yurman sales rep if you are into their stuff. Outlet prices are 30% off the silver items, 40% off the gold, and more off of the clearance.

OMG! You are totally awesome! You made me laugh with your David Yurman comment.....we have an outlet here.....my husband will kill you if I add more pieces to my current collection! I need re-read/research/digest your posts. THANK YOU!!!!!

[Ms B]

OMG! You are totally awesome! You made me laugh with your David Yurman comment.....we have an outlet here.....my husband will kill you if I add more pieces to my current collection! I need re-read/research/digest your posts. THANK YOU!!!!!

No problem . . . but tell your DH what I tell mine . . . the deals are so good at the Yurman outlet, they are practically free . . . plus it gets him off the hook on my holiday/birthday/Mother's Day gift . . .