In my last blog post, I dove deep into describing some of the 5 star hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. But there are a lot more options in Las Vegas than just $600+ a night hotels. The Caesars brand of hotels has a big variety of price points and many of the best locations on the strip. It’s most expensive is Nobu at Caesars Palace, but Harraha’s, the Linq and Flamingo are on the inexpensive side, especially during the low season. These are also great options for when you are traveling for work or to a trade show and the hotel’s rate for participants is still high. There is always a Caesars property that will offer a good location and great value.
Paris- On my most recent trip to Las Vegas, I attended a Travel Expo that was being hosted at the Paris hotel and this place does not disappoint! I have stayed at the Paris hotel before, however this trip I didn’t because they were sold out of standard rooms by the time I decided to go. Fortunately, the Horseshoe hotel that shares a connected entrance to the Paris ballrooms and Planet Hollywood next door to choose from on this trip. I’ve got the dates for next year’s show, I’ll be booking Paris early next time, it’s a lot of extra steps.
The Eiffel Tower Restaurant has always been one of my favorite spots for dinner with a view and now the new Cheri Rooftop bar is located just under the Eiffel Tower Restaurant with those same amazing views. Inside the hotel, there is an Americano Cafe, Vanderpump’s new bar and restaurant and Martha Stuart’s Bedford. At Vanderpump, I was a bit put off, when I found out that you have to pay a fee to make a reservation that is covering the “experience” and not put toward food and beverage cost once you arrive for your reservation. I’m willing to spend money on expensive food, drinks and experiences, but not willing to pay a fee just to be allowed to order. It really rubbed me the wrong way and I’ll point out none of Gordon Ramsey’s restaurants do that practice.
Inside the hotel, you are immediately greeted by the casino and legs of the Eiffel Tower. There is an elevator that takes you to the Eiffel Tower restaurant or observation deck. Past the Bordeaux tower where guests find elevators to their rooms, there is a cute promenade made to look like a French street. Cafe Belle is a great spot to stop for coffee and a pastry or warm sandwich at lunch. Past the restaurant is a Crepe takeout shop that I’ve always remembered as having the best crepes this side of the Atlantic. I was excited on the first morning of my conference to line up for a bananas foster crepe… and it wasn’t that great. In fact, the crepe I had in the Denver airport the day before was better, how disappointing!
Horseshoe is the hotel that sits just north of Paris and shares an inside walkway and parking garage. Keep walking past the garage through the shops and more restaurants into the Horseshoe’s casino. Horseshoe has been undergoing a full renovation from its original Bally’s. A renovation and rebranding toward the growing tourist who love country music. With so many artists like Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain and Garth Brooks all having residencies in Las Vegas, the crowds are loving staying at Horseshoe with Ole Red, Blake Shelton’s bar and grill right out front on the strip. This eatery has 4 stories of decks with amazing views of the strip. There is no lack of inexpensive food and shopping stalls out front of the hotel in a Bazaar area that hasn’t made the full rebranding transition yet. There is also a mall in the basement level with activities like virtual reality, an arcade and a Dino experience great for kids and adults. There is a food count with quick and cheap options down there as well. Finally, the Potted Potter show is attracting Harry Potter fans to the Horseshoe too. This 70 minute shortened version of the 7 books and 8 movies has had rave reviews in both England and now Las Vegas. Great family friendly activity in this sea of drinking and gambling.
Planet Hollywood was the hotel hubby and I stayed at on this trip. I knew Horseshoe was under renovation and didn’t want to end up in the middle of that kind of noise. I was excited to check in virtually the morning of my trip and skip the long check-in lines, but that feeling would be short-lived. Unfortunately, all Caesars properties, and many in Las Vegas, consider your room category as a ‘preference,’ but not guaranteed. So everything I saw upon checking in and getting my keys from the kiosk said king room, then hubby and I walked into a room with two beds. Not a great start to a romantic trip. After some time talking to the assistant manager, I found out that room types are not guaranteed, but if you check in at the front desk, in person, you often get your choice more easily than with the kiosk, lesson learned. Even though I was disappointed, they did find a king room with a better view the next day, so we changed rooms and were quite happy to schlep our bags. They did make it right in the end, but it seems like such an inefficient system, especially when other hotels offer run of house rates to help reservation systems.
Our room in Planet Hollywood was nice and had a great bathroom with a deep tub and separate shower. The room had a good view, viewing the newest attraction in Las Vegas, The Sphere. I thought it was going to be gimmicky, but the Sphere actually has a funny personality throughout the day and night. Everything from emoji faces to turning into a basketball for March Madness. Downstairs there is a large casino floor that has Gordon Ramsey Burger, a PF Changs and Hollywood Cafe for all day brunch, specialty coffee and fancy milkshakes. The Miracle Mile Shops are off to the side of the casino with tons of food and shopping options. We bought our hard liquor at the ABC store in the mall and then got mixers, water & munchies from Walgreens/CVS for the room. Ocean One is another restaurant and bar in the shops, located right by the rainstorm that comes through every half hour. They have good drink specials, 3 for $12 and shareable snacks or appetizers. Not sure I would have dinner there, since there are so many great food venues, but the drinks were great.
The only part of the hotel that was disappointing was the pool area. You hear about all these amazing pools and day clubs, but this place was lame. There are two pools, but the adults only pool has not opened yet for the summer season. Being that we didn’t have our kids, we were looking for a hot tub without kids. The lukewarm hot tub in the family area was not appealing and all the chairs, seating, and loungers on the pool deck were at an additional cost. The shade of a daybed or convenience of a lounge area would be worth the cost if we were going to spend the whole day relaxing by the pool, but we only had an hour before heading home. The bar was ok and they will bring you food from Gordon Ramsey’s Burger and a pizza place to your room or pool area, but it still fell really short in experience and ambience.
The Flamingo hotel’s pool was the complete opposite of Planet Hollywood. If I had more time, I would’ve come to Flamingo’s adult pool instead. The pink pools have separate areas for families and adults only (with lots of security), but anyone who is staying in a caesars hotel can come swim here. The Flamingo has a great location in the center of the strip! It has an old Vegas feeling and is not as opulent as many of the new European styled resorts, but the pink signage and flamingo gardens make up for the theme. Flamingo is close to the Linq promenade with inexpensive, but good eats like Gordon Ramsey’s Fish & Chips. The Linq has the High Roller, an eye-like experience that moves slowly and allows amazing views of the city. There is a great happy hours special for 30 mins with an open bar experience in your own capsule. These areas are connected by the new monorail system that transports visitors from MGM, to Horseshoe, the Linq and on to the Las Vegas Convention Center for easy access on the east side of the Strip.
Steak Houses
Flamingo is home to Bugsy & Meyers Steakhouse and keeps a traditional, mob influenced establishment. Looking for a great filet, ribeye or tomahawk steak… Las Vegas has you covered. From steakhouses who have resided in Vegas for decades to the latest and greatest chefs on the strip. If you are interested in a great steak house, try one of these suggestions:
- Carverssteak- Resorts World Las Vegas
- Barry’s Prime Restaurant- Circa hotel
- Hugo’s cellar- 4 Queens
- Oscars steakhouse- next to the plaza hotel
- Eiffel Tower Restaurant- Paris
- Gordon Ramsay Steak- Paris
- The steakhouse- circus circus hotel
- CUT by Wolfgang Puck- Bellagio
- Don’s Prim- Fontainbleau
- STK- Cosmopolitan
- Jean Georges Steakhouse- Aria
- Stripsteak- Mandalay Bay
Buffet Dining
Only a small number of buffets came back after covid and most transitioned to breakfast, brunch & lunch buffets that close by 3:00pm. There are buffet offerings at Excalibur, Luxor and Circus Circus, but I do feel they are less expensive for a reason. They are busy and have well attended food stations, but cater toward family dining more than gourmet or culturally extensive cuisine. I remember loving the Luxor buffet in the past, but we’re talking 20+ years ago. This is the buffet I would try with my daughter when I show her Vegas or if we were taking the whole family, but not for a romantic weekend. When it comes to the best brunch buffet, I don’t think you can beat Bellagio’s brunch, which has a seafood extravaganza on weekends, so check your reservations. They also offer a bottomless mimosa or drink package that is a good deal if you are going to knock back 4-6 drinks in the 90 minutes most buffets allow you to have the table. I never do the drink packages at buffets, I want the room to eat and really enjoy the meal. I’ll pre-game a drink before or get tipsy at the pool after, but I think there are better drink deals than at the buffets.
My favorite buffets have stood the test of time and the pandemic. They are all very popular and I always recommend having a reservation. Even with a reservation you will often be waiting in some sort of line, just a shorter line. This last trip, my husband and I went over to the Wynn one night to try their famous evening dinner buffet, known for seafood and caviar. This buffet did not disappoint! I went ready to eat in a comfortable dress and left my food guilt back in Colorado. However, I will say that having buffet foods that are high in seafood, sushi, and salads does help prevent that complete over-stuffed feeling you can easily get at a buffet. I love seafood, so I was in for it all and 95% did not disappoint. I will admit, I got some over-cooked, mushy crab legs but I think that is bound to happen at a buffet of this size. I also had an encounter at one of the crab leg stations with a guy who was really picking through and guarding the legs, it should’ve been my sign to come back once they were refreshed. Hubby was really pleased by the carving station and all its condiments to go with the different proteins. We tried the prime rib, filet mignon, carved turkey, roasted chicken, sliced ham and some kind of sausage hubby enjoyed.
Las Vegas has some of the best and busiest buffets in the world and a great way to satisfy every pallet. Next time you head to Vegas, try one of these buffets on the Strip:
- Wynn Seafood and Caviar (dinner)
- Bellagio (brunch only)
- Bacchanal in Caesars (dinner)
- MGM Grand (brunch only)
- AYCE Buffet at Palms (dinner)
Off the Strip
Fremont Street is located North of The Strip in what’s known as Downtown or Old Las Vegas. Most people grab a cab to see the Fremont Street Experience, a pedestrian mall that has the world’s largest LED canopy screen show called Viva Vision (that starts every hour from 6:00-2:00 am). The casinos on Fremont Street are less opulent, but also much less expensive and most don’t charge resort fees. These hotels & casinos share the original marketing strategy of Vegas, bringing tourists in with inexpensive food, drinks and hotels to get them to play in the casinos. Many people like to come pull slots or try their hand at table games downtown because you can find $5 tables and some casinos have free lessons on the games during the afternoon. Plus the amazing restaurants that are all half the cost of the Strip.
The best hotels on Fremont Street include Circa, the only adults only hotel and the Plaza Hotel which is the gateway to the Fremont Experience and has seen all the celebrities back in the day. My favorite hotel downtown is the Golden Nugget, because it has a great pool area with a water slide through a shark tank. My Mother-in-law has fond memories of hanging in the casino with her best friend Pat at the 4 Queens. It’s nice this area hasn’t changed much, especially compared to Las Vegas Boulevard.
One of the new downtown speakeasies is located in the Container Park called Oak & Ivy. The Downtown Container Park is an open-air shopping area with boutique shopping, restaurants and live entertainment for the whole family. There is everything from a kids interactive playground (featuring a treehouse) to barrel-aged whisky and everything in-between. There are also free concerts throughout the year on the main stage that draw artists with big names that perform for free.
Day trips from Las Vegas
I like to get outside as much as possible during the day in Vegas, just to see the sun. Those casinos can start to get dark after a while, and you forget about the beautiful desert weather. One of the most famous experiences is to take a helicopter ride over the strip, especially at night. There are some great day trips to get you into nature and I mean more than just tanning on the pool deck.
- Grand Canyon (South Rim, West tour, Skywalk)
- Lake Mead
- Hoover Dam
- Lower Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend
- Kayak in Emerald Cove
- Red Rock Canyon
- Valley of Fire & Mojave desert
- Mount Charleston
- Bryce Canyon & Zion National Park
Know Before You Go
Vegas culture seems like everything goes, but the age of gambling and drinking is strictly enforced. All children must be off the casino floor or only allowed on the main carpet in the hotel, not near the machines and table games. Cannabis is legal and trying to become more social with lounges popping up, you will smell it in every valet area. If you are interested in partaking, go to a dispensary off the strip for reasonable prices. Open container laws allow tourists to carry drinks on the streets (no glass). With the price of drinks in this town, it’s great to have some drinks in your hotel room to cut costs a bit. There are some other great places like Ocean One in Miracle Mile shops, where you can get 3 for $12 and they will give you a triple in a to-go cup! The one thing that seems strange to me is that cigarette smoking is still legal on the casino floors. I walked by quite a few people smoking and depending on the quality of the hotel’s air filtration system depends on if you smell it in the casino or not. Most places I didn’t smell stale smoke, just when someone was actively smoking near me. I don’t know how they get around the fresh air laws in Nevada, but they do in the casinos.
There are also many scams to avoid in Las Vegas, no one is on the strip taking pictures, doing magic or singing for free…they are all trying to make a buck. The taxi scams have been cleaned up with some regulation, so that’s not much of a concern these days. Some are more scammy than others with ATM skimming and fake parking attendants in the worst category. There are fake club promoters and fake show ticket scams, never pay someone on the street for these things! You can get on club guest lists for free or reserve tables/bottle service at this site Club Guest Lists and get secure ticket prices on this site Vegas Shows. Then there are things that tourists get taken for like sidewalk card games, street performers and photos with showgirls or buff guys that aren’t really scams, but you should still avoid them at all costs. It clogs the streets and takes advantage of young and naive travelers and can even cause arguments and fights over pricing. Unfortunately resort fees are not scams and a big part of Las Vegas culture. Make sure that you factor these costs into your hotel budget, see what you actually get for the fee and if your stay is not satisfactory ask the manager to remove the resort fees for the day. They have more ability to do that than refund or even ‘comp’ a request.
When I was explaining Las Vegas to my daughter, she responded to the European themed hotels by saying, “like Disney?” Not really! I couldn’t tell her that Vegas is far from the happiest place on earth for those on a losing streak, but the tourism board doesn’t want those statistics published. They want to focus on tasty restaurants, flashy casinos, visually stunning shows and opulent hotel rooms and I’m a sucker for them all! For someone who is not a gambler, I certainly can have a fun time, and spend lots of money, in Las Vegas.
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