Partly because I’m based in California, Las Vegas is one of my favorite places for a short getaway. It’s a unique place, in that for all its international reputation for partying and crazy times on the Las Vegas Strip, the rest of Vegas is more of an affordable town (caveat – I live in one of the most expensive areas in the United States) with a relatively close-knit community.
This overview focuses primarily on the Las Vegas Strip. I assume most everyone has an idea of what the Strip is – if not, this is why we have Google. Google away!
People who vacation in Vegas seem to fall in one of three categories:
- Those who want to party nonstop for multiple days on end and come home with unbelievable yet crazily plausible stories to tell their friends.
- Those celebrating some kind of milestone or special occasion
- Those who want to get away, not think about problems, and be catered to and pampered.
I’m usually in category 2 or 3 or some mix of both. Vegas – even the Strip – does not have to be solely about the party scene, and I’d encourage anyone who avoids Vegas because they aren’t into clubbing to take another look and consider falling into category 3.
Getting there
LAS airport. It’s your one option for flying. There’s also driving, Greyhound, and Megabus or Boltbus if you’re coming from the LA area. As a rule, I am not a cheerful road-tripper, so I fly.
I’ve found midweek to be the cheapest days to fly into Las Vegas. If you’re going on a weekend, consider Thursday night and/or Monday morning. The cost of an extra hotel night is often less than the added cost of trying to leave on a Sunday. If possible, avoid going during a holiday. Any holiday, even the ones I consider a poorly named day off in commemoration of mediocre (at best) men on the wrong side of history (cough, Columbus), will mean paying a surcharge on nearly everything related to your trip. Similarly, prices drop considerably if you can make it a midweek trip instead of a weekend trip.
You can rent or not rent a car in Las Vegas, depending on your plans. Transportation is pretty reasonable (except for the overpriced and annoyingly positioned Monorail), so buses, cabs, Uber, and Lyft are pretty good options for getting around if you want to stay near the Strip, or take a trip downtown. Generally speaking, parking is either free or reasonably priced ($10 or less daily), so renting a car is not a bad option if you plan to explore Hoover Dam or the canyons or venture away from the tourist zone.
If you Uber/Lyft from the airport, LAS has specific areas designated in the parking structure for ridesharing pickups, and this is a different designated area than the one meant for passenger pickups. Before you call the car, make sure you know where you are in relation to that area, and how long it should take you to get there.
As a pedestrian, keep an eye out for the bridges that span Las Vegas Boulevard. Ground-level crosswalks are less common on the Strip, so to cross the street you’ll need to cross at a skybridge, and they aren’t always the most conveniently located. It’s also worth getting familiar with the free trams that go between some of the hotels. The one I probably use the most runs between Mandalay, Luxor, and Excalibur. There’s another one somewhere near Aria and the Bellagio, but I’ve found it to be inconvenient to access.
Before you go, it’s a good idea to get some cash, especially if you aren’t renting a car. ATMs aren’t the easiest to find near the Strip, and the ones in the casinos charge rude amounts, like $8.99 per transaction.
Where to Stay
Staying mostly focused on the Strip, there are two major hotel chains: MGM and Caesars. If your plan is to vacation in Las Vegas and stay on the Strip, the single most important thing you can do is to join the loyalty programs for both. MGM has Mlife, and Caesars has Total Rewards. Like most loyalty programs, joining is free. The first place I check before booking a hotel is my loyalty account, to see if there are any offers for free or cheap rooms during my preferred dates. It’s also well worth a few searches to see if there are any discount codes available for use. I’ve put together a chart of which hotels fall under which company – this is not comprehensive as I’ve left off hotels that I consider off-Strip or outside the cluster of major Strip hotels. I’ve added an asterisk to the ones I’ve stayed in (or at least seen a room), and color-coded those based on level of luxury/price.
I’ve also ranked the hotels I’ve stayed at in order of personal preference with all else being equal:
*Some of my favorite LV hotels until I found out who owns them. Le sigh.
**I think my personality might be too elderly to appreciate this one. Also, home to one of the most uninspired pools on the Strip.
There are other hotels a block or two off the Strip that are also good options (Elara, Westin, Residence Inn, Marriott Grand Chateau), and Airbnb/VRBO have some pretty awesome offerings, but I won’t be covering those here.
The next most important thing to know about is resort fees. Nearly every hotel with convenient access to the Strip has gone the way of the dreaded resort fee. Of the hotels in my chart, resort fees range about $30-40 per room per night, except for the Best Western, which still doesn’t charge one. Resort fees are annoying and add to the overall cost of your vacation, but I suggest you just accept the fee as reality and incorporate it into your budget. If you’re traveling with friends, it’s less noticeable per person anyway.
Lastly, allocate sufficient time for check-in. Utilize mobile check-in, and if you can’t, and you don’t have elite status that allows you to skip the line, then count on spending time waiting for check-in. One reason I like to fly in late Thursday night is because there’s usually no line at that time.
Food
Las Vegas is home to some of the best food offerings you could possibly want. Starting with the buffets! For about $20-50 per person, there are tons of options for unlimited food. So far, my favorites have been the Bellagio buffet (all the fancy things), the buffet at the Wynn/Encore, and the one at the Mirage (I recently found out that the ~$30 for the buffet includes wine and beer as well). As a general rule, buffet pricing is lower for breakfast & lunch, so if I’m trying to get a large group of budget-conscious people to experience a Las Vegas buffet, then I try to schedule brunch or lunch. Or, if I want to try out a fancier buffet, it’s more cost-effective to go earlier in the day.
Restaurants
Fiamma Italian Kitchen – MGM Grand
SUSHISAMBA Las Vegas – Venetian
Aureole – Mandalay Bay
Todd English’s Olives – Bellagio
Ginseng Korean BBQ II – across from Monte Carlo
Hot N Juicy Crawfish – Planet Hollywood
Mon Ami Gabi – Paris
Trevi Italian Restaurant – Caesars Palace
Bouchon – Venetian
Late Night Pizza
Sirrico’s Pizza – New York-New York
DiFara Pizza – Caesars Palace
Off-Strip
Daytime Activities
LV Strip
Pools – It’s my considered opinion that Mandalay Bay has the best pool complex on the Strip. They have a faux beach complete with sand and generated waves. And a lazy river! It’s awesome. Sadly, a room key from Mandalay, Delano, or Four Seasons is required for entry, so I don’t get to go if I’m not staying there. When I do, and I’m with at least 3 other people, it’s often worth it to pay for a cabana for the day – guaranteed shade during a Las Vegas summer is a very good look.
Spa – I don’t often get spa services, but most of the spas in the Strip hotels offer a day pass for about $30, which allows access to all the spa facilities without having to pay for an expensive service (massage prices in Las Vegas are just disrespectful). A day pass to the spa is one of my favorite things to do on my last day before heading home.
Fun Dungeon at Excalibur – if you don’t mind kids and want to re-live your youth, check out the arcade underneath the Excalibur hotel.
NYNY Roller Coaster – there’s a roller coaster in the hotel. Find a coupon and go check it out!
High Roller – I haven’t been on this yet, but it sounds like a Ferris wheel that sometimes features bottomless mimosas
Eiffel Las Vegas – the replica of the Eiffel tower is pretty awesome to look at from the street, and impressive to see from within the casino. You can also book tickets to go to the observation deck at the top, or dine in the French restaurant in the tower.
Mandalay Aquarium – I love zoos and aquariums, and Mandalay has a pretty cool aquarium buried somewhere in its massive convention center complex.
Television City – In the bottom level of the MGM Grand, there’s a TV research center where they run free screenings of upcoming shows. You can sign up to watch one, and afterwards you provide feedback on the show. Several years ago, I got to watch and give feedback on the in-process pilot of Arrow. I didn’t know at the time that Arrow would end up being one of my favorite TV shows!
Shopping/Outlets – absolutely everywhere, there are stores trying to get you to spend money. There are at least 3 large malls within the hotel complexes, and not far away there are outlets. You can find stores at every price point.
Downtown Las Vegas
Fremont Street Experience – a pedestrian-only area with tons of things to see and do. There’s a massive video screen above that has a light show every day.
Mob Museum – this museum has a lot of really cool exhibits on Las Vegas history related to organized crime. I went with my family reunion last year and everyone enjoyed it. There are often Groupons and other discounts available as well.
Downtown Container Park – a park made of old shipping containers that house restaurants and shops, and there’s a playground in the center for kids.
Neon Museum – where old neon signs spend their retirement years.
Off-Strip
Hoover Dam – I have actually never been here so I can’t vouch for it personally, but it’s on my bucket list and I know it will be amazing.
Go Karts – I went here and crashed spectacularly, and only survived because these are electric go-karts and someone has an automatic shut-off button to ensure that inexperienced secret speed-demons like me have a chance to live to see another day. Bruises notwithstanding, it was hella fun and I’d totally go back.
Seven Magic Mountains – an art installation about 30 minutes away that has massive brightly-painted boulders
Hiking – if you’re into nature, Las Vegas has some pretty spectacular destinations for active lifestyles
Nightlife
I will preface this with the following: I am not college-aged, I have never liked nightclubs, and I have a low tolerance for drunken idiocy. My recommendations reflect this.
For universal advice, if you are interested in nightlife or day parties, it is in your best interest to allow random people to stop you on the street or in the casino and ask for your number if you’re interested in such-and-such club. These are promoters, they are legit, and they can get you and your crew into free nightlife. I actually cannot remember ever paying to get into a club on the Las Vegas Strip. Your second option, which allows a little more direction in the club you end up at, is reaching out to promoters on Twitter or Instagram before 3pm(ish) on the day you want to go, or in advance if you have a more complex bottle service request. They are very responsive, super easy to identify, and it’s an easy way to get on a guest list. The third option, if you prefer not to extensively interact with a person, is to use the app Discotech. You can scope out which events are happening and when, and can see if a guest list is available, or if bottle service is for sale.
The catch is usually that you must be inside the club by a certain hour to guarantee free entry, usually 11pm. This is doubly important for guys. Las Vegas clubs have extremely gendered pricing, and it’s hard to find low-cost options for guys. If your group includes women, you have a better chance of getting the guys in your party in with the group, if not for free, then at least discounted.
Also, drinking in Vegas nightclubs costs much more than it should for the simplicity of the drinks you’ll get. I’m a huge fan of fancy cocktails and don’t mind the occasional $15-20 drink IF it is made with some kind of effort or talent or thought. Vegas nightclub cocktails are basic as hell, tiny as hell, and still cost $15-20. Each. Try to find a free guest list that comes with a drink, or a wristband, or bottle service (free bottle service is apparently a thing, but I’ve never seen it myself. I think I’m too free with the meanmugs and sideeyes), or just pre-party beforehand. Pro-tip: Sit in a casino and veryyyyyy slowlyyyyyyy drag out playing a small amount of money on the slots until an attendant appears to take your drink order. These are free, and you just need to tip!
Clubs
Chateau – this one is at the Paris hotel, on the rooftop and beneath the hotel’s Eiffel Tower replica, and has vies of the water show at the Bellagio. The outdoor aspect is appealing to me because it allows for fresh air in a club. As far as ambiance goes, Chateau is winning Las Vegas. Then there’s the music – top 40 and current hip hop, somewhat rare in Vegas.
The Bank – on the smaller side, located in the Bellagio, this one also plays hip hop.
Hyde – another Bellagio club/lounge with impressive views and fresh air.
Omnia – Omnia is at Caesars Palace and has a really cool vibe. It’s a large space with multiple levels, and an outdoor deck that overlooks the Strip.
Marquee – located high within the Cosmopolitan hotel, Marquee is massive, with multiple rooms and a pool deck that’s open during club hours (I adore the option of escaping into fresh air).
Drai’s – located in The Cromwell, Drai’s regularly hosts performances in the middle of the club. Last time I was there, so was T.I.
Lounges
Lily – in the center of the Bellagio’s casino, this lounge has cocktails that meet my standards of excellence, and there’s also seating that is occasionally unreserved. There’s often a reward redemption for a Lily cocktail in the myVegas app (see below).
Fizz – in Caesars Palace near the entrance to the Forum Shops, the décor in this place is so over the top I had no choice but to approve. It was developed by Elton John’s husband. The drink menu is champagne-focused, and there’s a happy hour that brings the prices back into the realm of acceptable.
Other
Shows – Vegas is famous for concerts and performances. Every night, there are a million different options for shows to go see.
Mirage Volcano – the Mirage hotel has a (fake) volcano that has a scheduled eruption a few times each evening. I’ve never seen it (at least not that I can recall), but it’s on my list of things to eventually visit.
Bellagio Fountains – every 30 minutes from 3-8pm, and every 15 minutes 8pm-midnight, the lake in front of the Bellagio lights up in a water and light show that is synchronized to music. It changes periodically, and it’s a beautiful display that never gets old to watch. If you’re near the Bellagio, wait around and find a good spot to watch the lake in the 5 to 10 minutes before the 15-minute mark.
Loyalty Programs
Make sure you have your loyalty card with you wherever you go on the Las Vegas Strip. Every time you pay for anything, remember to 1) be aware of which program covers your location, and 2) ask if you can get loyalty credit for your purchase. Every time I go out to eat in Las Vegas, I include the relevant loyalty card with my credit card when I go to pay my bill. When the casinos can see that you are actively spending money in their establishments, they are more likely to give you free or discounted things later. I make it a habit to accrue at least a few points with Mlife and TR on each visit.
$0 + resort fee
Total Rewards
I’ve found TR to be more free-flowing with the complimentary rooms – though it’s worth noting that their resort fees are on the higher end across most of the brand at nearly $40 per night. Still, if the room rate is $0-30, that’s still a great deal on a room. It makes me more likely to try out hotels within the brand that I’ve never stayed at. My biggest complaint about TR, which has actually dissuaded me from booking their properties on more than one occasion, is their wifi limit of 2 devices per room. Two devices. In 2017. It’s an absolute outrage.
The program is free to join, and basic-level membership is Gold status (that’s what I have). As you gamble and/or spend in TR properties, you have the potential to move up in status to Platinum, Diamond, and Seven Stars. There are tiered benefits to each status level, most notably free parking at TR properties and a free hotel stay in the Bahamas with Platinum, and waived resort fees beginning with Diamond.
TR partners with Wyndham Hotels, and those with status in either program can match to the other. I don’t pay a ton of attention to Wyndham, so I’m not that familiar with the benefits.
MLife
I focus most of my Vegas loyalty on Mlife, because they don’t have an archaic wifi limit and I find the prices for their mid-range and lower-range properties to be more reasonable. Joining is free and the basic-level tier is Sapphire. Spending within MGM properties allows you to move up the tiers to Pearl (my status), Gold, Platinum, and then Noir. Like TR, Mlife has tiered benefits for each status level, such as free parking at MGM properties beginning with Pearl, room upgrades at Gold, and complimentary limo airport transfers at Noir. One perk that I have fun with is the ability to skip the lines at many of the buffets – it’s a relatively small thing that feels extremely VIP in practice.
Mlife has some interesting and lucrative partnerships, such as one with Southwest where you get 600 Southwest points for each Mlife stay, and status matches with Hyatt’s loyalty program.
myVegas App
Once you’ve joined Mlife, download this app and make it a point to log in every day and play. It’s a free app that has mini slot games, and the app gives you a free allotment of tokens to play with each day. Every time you play games in the app, you accrue reward tokens that can be redeemed for real things at MGM properties in Las Vegas. I’ve been using it for a little more than a year and I’ve already redeemed a free cocktail and three 2-for-1 buffets.
Enjoy!
Pick a few things that sound appealing to you, and your vacation to Las Vegas will be what you make of it. Don’t try to do everything though – you’ll just end up exhausted and needing another vacation to recover from your vacation. I go to Las Vegas with ridiculous frequency, and there are still many things I haven’t done yet.
This is incredibly helpful! I’m also enjoying the MyVegas app now too! Great tips.