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On January 31 2010 CEDRIC wrote:
Hello
First : you really have a great site.
I’m considering staying at a Dynasty suite at the Mandarin Oriental.
Last time we stayed in a Penthouse at Bellagio and I’m wondering if Dynasty is nicer ?
Also does the parlor at Wynn is about the same size than the Penthouse at Bellagio ? The price are about the same.
Do you know if Wynn usually upgrade people using American express Platinium travel service ?
Thank you so much for your help& have a nice day
Kindest regards
cedric
Hello,
Thanks for writing. I stayed at Mandarin in December and was blown away by the service. The building is brand new and overall nicer than what you’ll find at Bellagio. The whole facility is quieter and more serene than Bellagio as well – the lack of casino means a very different vibe.
The Wynn Las Vegas Parlor Suite is smaller than a Bellagio Penthouse – the comparable room would be a Salon Suite at Wynn which is larger than the Parlor.
Wynn does have an agreement with AMEX Platinum that offers later checkout (when available) and spa passes. I believe that’s current but you might want to check with AMEX to be sure.
On January 28 2010 Mike wrote:
I am heading down with a large group (20-25 people) in mid-April for a bachelor party, and we looking into booking at a hotel with a smaller, more intimate casino, so that our group won’t get so disbursed and separated while gaming. In the past we’ve stayed at the Hard Rock for this reason, and found the smaller casino and central bar have worked out very well. We were wondering whether there are any other hotels you could suggest which offer a similar set-up or design. Any suggestions are appreaciated. Thanks in advance.
I’d consider Encore, next to Wynn Las Vegas. They’re connected but Encore has it’s own casino, quite a bit smaller.
The rooms are killer, the pool very nice and the club, XS, is one of the hottest in town.
Encore’s my personal go-to hotel.
On January 28 2010 dzot wrote:
Looking for an upscale place south of McCarran; would you pick Green Valley, M, or where?
M Resort probably. Nice spot with good choice of restaurants.
On January 23 2010 aussie9 wrote:
Hi, we are 2 Australian families heading to VEGAS for 3 nights early april 2010 before heading into the Grand canyon, we are looking for hotel recommendations please, we have one family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids 11 & 9 years) the other family (2 adults and 3 kids 13, 11 and 8 years) so nine people in total. We want to experience the centre strip casino location, we are not big gamblers just want to have fun with the kids. Are there casino hotels that take 5 in a room or will we require an extra room? Hotels we were looking at were Planet hollywood, TI and Paris, all seem to have good prices, location and reviews. Our budget is somewhere between $70 to $130 per room per night if we can all fit into 2 rooms would be a bonus then we may even consider Ballagio or Encore, we have heard about these “resort fees” are they a compulsory charge, sounds like a ripoff to me are they at all the hotels ??
look foreward to your recommendation, thanks in advance
aussie9
Hi,
Standard rooms are limited to four persons. To get more than that in (abiding by the rules), you’d need to get a larger room (aka suite).
Planet Hollywood, Treasure Island and Paris are all good options for middle of the road properties in good locations. That said, depending on your dates, I’d still recommend looking at ARIA (CityCenter – brand new) and The Mirage. Sometimes the rates dip down pretty low. The three you mentioned have decent swimming pools but none are fantastic. Better pools at Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, and Flamingo to name a few.
Resort fees aren’t in place at all hotels but where they are, they are compulsory, yes. Many customers think this is a rip-off. Of the hotels you mentioned, Paris does not have a resort fee (none of the hotels owned by Harrah’s Entertainment have resort fees – Paris, Caesars Palace, Bally’s, Flamingo, Imperial Palace, Harrah’s or the Rio. Other hotels like Wynn and Encore do not have them but many hotels do).
Hope that helps, feel free to write back if you have more questions.
On January 21 2010 Andrea wrote:
Hello. I love your site! I booked a deluxe room at Flamingo for myself and a few friends over Memorial Day weekend. I used a player’s club offer and the room is $40 for 3 nights. I usually stay at The Mirage, and I know it is not going to be near that level, but the reviews of the deluxe rooms are really scaring me! I have seen that a lot of people are offered an upgrade to a GO Room for around $30 a night at check-in, which I would do, but I don’t know that it will be offered on the holiday weekend. My friends don’t wait to pay more, and they really only care about the pool. Are the standard rooms really that bad? Should I just spend the extra money to secure the Go Room? I hope you can ease my mind! Thank you!
Thanks!
The standard rooms at Flamingo are a bit tired and small but they are almost always clean. If you only really care about location and pool, it’s a fine place to rest your head.
The Go rooms got a higher end refurbishment treatment – if you can get one, I’d go for the upgrade but if not, you should be fine.
Just remind yourself that you’re having a blast with your friends, getting a sweet deal and after all, you’re in Vegas!
On January 20 2010 C Taylor wrote:
Myself and my girlfriends are visiting Vegas for the third time in May.
We wanted to stay at either Encore or Wynn. Which would be your preference?
Also, I understand the pool area is smaller at Encore?
Are you allowed to use both hotels pools?
Thanks
Hi,
I personally prefer Encore – I think the rooms are nicer, though the rooms at WLV are also great. The WLV rooms are due to be remodeled later this year.
Encore’s pool area isn’t quite as big as the one at Wynn, that’s correct. You’re restricted to using the pool at the hotel you’re staying at.
Encore is building the ‘Encore Beach Club’ that doesn’t have a specific opening date yet but is set for right around that time. It will include another new pool and nightclub, Surrender. If that’s going to be open by the time your trip rolls around, that’s another reason to choose Encore.
On January 20 2010 Dustan wrote:
wondering if you know of any hotels that have a spa suite with two beds in the room? thanks for the help. oh yeah your sight rocks!!
Thank you! As far as I know, there aren’t any suites in that configuration, no. There are certainly multi-bedroom spa suites at many hotels, though they are very expensive. You could also consider a roll-away bed, depending on your need.
On January 17 2010 Nancy wrote:
I am planning a bachelorette party in Vegas for a friend. There will probably be somewhere between 6 to 16 ladies going. We are in our early 30’s.
My friend (the bride to be) really wants to stay at the Luxor. It seems like a weird choice to me. Will this work for a bachelorette party? Are there any other suggestions? We will want to go out at to bars and such – but the majority of us are in committed relationships – so it would be about having fun (oppossed to meeting people). We also want to do some type of Thunder Down Under type of thing.
Hi Nancy,
Luxor is an interesting choice… not fantastic by any means, the hotel’s rooms are a bit tired. Still, it should work for a bachelorette party – there’s a club there (LAX), a reasonable spa and pool along with a typical array of restaurants. Mandalay Bay is next door, connected via a small shopping area.
Mandalay itself might be a better venue – the rooms are nicer, especially in their THEHotel tower. MBay also has better restaurants, though you could easily access them from Luxor as well. Both Luxor and Mandalay have a sprinkling of bars to keep you occupied.
As far as other hotels, you might take a look at the brand new ARIA at CityCenter or perhaps the year-old Encore – both have fantastic rooms and popular clubs.
‘Thunder’ is probably a great choice for a bachelorette party – it’s right next door at Excalibur.
On January 12 2010 RJ wrote:
Dear RateVegas Experts:
I’m an avid reader of your site in addition to others about Las Vegas (vegaschatter.com, vegastripping.com, to name 2), and I really like it.
My partner and I will be celebrating our 3 year anniversary the weekend of February 19th. To commemorate this anniversary and also as a Christmas surprise, I used my entire bonus from my job and purchased a Southwest Airlines/Aria Hotel – Deluxe Room package from MGM Mirage Vacations as his big Christmas gift.
I have been reading reviews of the Aria not only on your outstanding website, but also on yelp.com and tripadvisor.com, and am becoming more nervous with each review I read.
Do you know the name of who at Aria does what Angela Lester does at the Vdara? It’s my goal to communicate ahead of time with someone at Aria to explain the importance of this special trip and to head off any potential drama before we arrive. I’m anxious to make this trip as worry-free as possible. I have had great success with other hotels in the past by faxing a letter explaining my special situation.
Keep up the great work.
Regards,
Roger
Wow, what a great present!
Regarding Aria, I should say again that I had a great time, despite some problems at the property. Those problems were literally the first hours the place had been open, a tough time for any property.
The head of Aria is Bill McBeath. You might also copy the ‘Director of Hotel Operations’ and send another copy. It will reach the right person.
I’m sure your trip will be fantastic. Food wise, I give a special recommendation to Serrano and Sage, two fantastic restaurants.
On January 10 2010 Rob wrote:
My wife and I are coming to Vegas with some friends in April for our 10th Wedding Anniversary. We are looking for a good italian restaraunt for dinner and would like some suggestions. Thanks.
I’d suggest checking out the following:
Nove (Palms) – classic food, roof-top view. I really enjoyed this place.
Bartolotta (Wynn Las Vegas) – very seafood heavy ; amazing prep. One of my fave places.
Sinatra (Encore) – Italian inspired, high end cuisine.
Sirio (Aria) – New restaurant with a large menu of traditional, simpler dishes.
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