Vegas is one of my favorite party destinations. I've been a handful of times over the past 3 years and wanted to share some of my opinions.
Planning a trip? You've come to the right blog post!
Where to Stay:
* The
Palazzo was magnificent. I'd stay there again in a second! Friendly staff and gorgeous rooms (all are suites!)
*
Mandalay Bay. This hotel is so beautiful and feels very clean. The only inconvenience is its location, positioned at the very end of the South Strip.
I have also stayed at the
Rio (okay, budget-friendly choice with a free shuttle to the strip),
Treasure Island (average hotel, nothing special about it. I also got trapped in an elevator during my stay), and MGM (hotel is nice but feels huge - because it is, and has a sort of business-trip feel to it, rather than a place you would go for a vacation or to party).
How long should I stay? If you take full advantage of the Vegas experience, it will
burn you out SO fast.
In a good way! In my opinion, a weekend is perfect, but if you've never been before and really want to see it all, I'd recommend at least 4 nights.
What Shows to See:
Anything by
Cirque du Soleil. I hear
O at The Bellagio is romantic and visually stunning, while
Mystere (which I've seen twice and loved) is fun and entertaining!
If you want
a dose of naughty,
Peepshow is so fun with just the right balance of raunchiness. The audience is almost 50/50 men and women, so it's a great choice for a date night or even a bachelorette party.
Where to Eat:
Brunch Buffet: You can't go on a trip to Vegas without experiencing an
infamous all you can eat brunch. Try
Le Village Buffet at the Paris Hotel. They are also famous for their crepes!
Swanky Dinner: All I can say is... this was one of the most
memorable meals of my life, that's how good it was!
N9NE Steakhouse at The Palms. I got the stuffed chicken breast with a side of truffled macaroni and cheese. And of course, a $15 pomegranate martini!
Where to Drink:
Frozen Drinks: Kahunaville at Treasure Island. Yummy raspberry margaritas. They often throw in a free test tube shot of tequila.
Martini: White Chocolate at
Olives in the Bellagio Hotel.
Where to Party:
XS in the Encore Hotel is the most incredible nightlife experience. To get on the guest list (
highly, highly recommended, go to
Napkin Nights.) We got in line BEFORE opening, and the line was probably 40-50 people deep. And this was on a Monday guys!!! With the guest list bonus, we cut the line and felt like we got the VIP treatment, without having to pay.
The club is gorgeous, with huge indoor and outdoor spaces, go-go dancers, a bunch of dancing poles, and a large dance floor that overlooks the pool.
Other nightclubs I hear tons of great things about are
Tryst at the Wynn, and
Tao at the Venetian.
Jet is a club I wouldn't go back to. The layout was strange
(they have their VIP tables IN the dance floor so it gets crowded and awkward).
Where to Shop:
I love LOVE the
Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace. This elegant mall is loaded with
high-end shops. Marc Jacobs, Juicy Couture, you name it. It's a fun place for window shopping, that's for sure.
For more budget-friendly shopping, the
Fashion Show Mall is connected to Treasure Island and has my usual favorites - like Forever 21!
Where to Pool:
Vegas is infamous for their
pool scenes.
Mandalay Bay has a wave pool and a sandy beach. Several hotels boast
"day clubs" with DJs and cover charges. I love the pool at the
MGM. It has a twisty, lazy river and huge yellow floats
(which normally cost $, or you can just grab someone's abandoned one!). Plus, you can float along with a huge frozen drink in hand and life will be pretty blissful!
Let me know in the comments some of your favorite places to go in Vegas!
