We went out to LA for some college visits and the 17 year old boy and I took a 36 hour side trip to Las Vegas.

Flew in on America West on Halloween. Arrived around 5pm. Checked into the MGM at the airport check-in. Very friendly, very quick. I chit-chatted with the agents about how this was the boy’s first visit and since he was under age, one of the cooler things about the visit would be a nice view, so they gave us a really good room on the 26th floor. We had an option with our plan (see below) to upgrade to a Bungalow Suite, but the view wasn’t as good, so since we were only staying the one night, we stuck with the regular room. We got the slip that would allow us to charge to our room (that’s how the food and spa credit works)..the only potential downside to this was that we had to pick up the Aladdin Gift Card from registration in the actual hotel…..Ba Dum Dum….

We had gotten the Holiday Spree package which included $35 towards food, $35 gift card at Aladdin’s Desert Passage, $25 towards the spa, and an option of $10 upgrade to a Bungalow suite (or $30 for some other type) This works out really well if you are only staying for a day.

Took the CLS shuttle to MGM (It’s $9.95 r/t to the Strip, so it was $19.90 for the two of us. I would have taken a taxi if we were just going to MGM and back but we were going to return from Wynn, so I figured this would be a little cheaper). There were no lines at registration, so we were able to waltz up and pick up the Aladdin stuff with no problem or waits.

Headed to the room which was the next to farthest room from the elevator, but it had a gorgeous view. Decided to use our food credit towards the dinner buffet since both of us take a while to wake up in the mornings and are perfectly happy with Starbucks. No line at all there either (it was about 6ish). Food was yummy. Only criticism was that the crablegs were a little chilled/bordering on icy. But, they were flying off the buffet so fast I’m not surprised. (more…)

This is my first trip report so please bear with me.

This was a “girls only” trip as husbands and boyfriends couldn’t get away. There were nine of us. Three stayed at the Mirage (because they’d never stayed there before) and six of us stayed at MGM (same reason Laughing ). We brought along one newbie who has now become a Vegas fanatic!

We flew America West, out of Portland, OR and I think I’ve found my new favorite airline! They were on-time both directions, park at the main terminal so no long walks and tram rides to pick up luggage, and the luggage was there as soon as we walked to the baggage area.

Took cabs to and from MGM with no problems at all with the tab being under $10 each way, before tip.

It was HOT, HOT, HOT. First three days were 117 with lows of 95. We had a great time anyway and spent lots of time at the pool!

HOTELS:

The three who stayed at the Mirage said their experience was just ok. They liked the location. They said the pool was nice except they had to be down there by 7AM to get lounge chairs AND the place was crawling with pre-teen girls, who were in a dance competition, and their families. They weren’t wild about the rooms either (small windows and bathrooms).

The MGM was great! I want to send a HUGE THANK-YOU to Michael Steinberg of Biztrip.com. He was able to arrange 27th floor rooms for us with fantastic strip views, and included a $25 dining credit! Everything was ready for us at check-in and the staff couldn’t have been more friendly. The rooms were very big, beautifully done, large view windows and bathrooms. We learned our way around quickly and the walk to the elevator wasn’t any longer than other Vegas hotels. The pools were wonderful with plenty of chairs for everyone. We spent ALOT of time in the Lazy River and reading (and drinking Wink ) under the palms.

DINING:

Since the guys weren’t with us, we got to try restaurants we haven’t tried before, AND NO BUFFETS…….not that there’s anything wrong with them Rolling Eyes. We had a fantastic Italian dinner at Hole In The Wall. Had a ball and a great meal at Margaritaville. Enjoyed wonderful late night dining at Cheesecake Factory, Rainforest Cafe, and New York Deli. (more…)