Trip report

Hi, back a week ago from our first trip to Vegas to celebrat OH%26#39;s 50th birthday. Weather was great.. mid 70s. Stayed at the Flamingo because of locationand excellent room rate. Flew with Virgin for direct UK-US flight. Booked last Christmas so well in advance, paid £530 pp for direct flight and 8 nights - bargain. Did it via Expedia once Virgin%26#39;s New Year flight sale was announced on 27th Dec.

Booked in at Terminal one hotel book in facility but need not have bothered as arriving mid week there was not a big queue at the hotel front desk. Taxi from airport easy, cost $12+ tip.

Was first allocated a 4th floor room but that had a view of the air conditioning unit on a roof just below so asked to be re-allocated to a high floor. Was asked if we wanted to pay $20 per night extra for a strip view, declined but were delighted to be allocated a room with a view anyway! Full view of Caesar%26#39;s Palace from room 16134.

Room a bit old and in need of a refurb but quite large with 2 queen beds and spotless. Bathroom dull and tired but again, clean. Beds very comfy with nice soft bedlinen. Location and cleanliness made up for the shortcoming of the %26#39;brown-ness%26#39; of the room

Had done heaps of research on Trip Adviser so thank you to everyone for your tips. They helped us get the most out of our trip. These are the things that we loved... breakfast at Wynn ($18 pp) Caesar%26#39;s Palace ($15pp - we asked if we could sit by their pool after and that was fine), and Bellagio ($15) in that order). Sunday brunch at Paris with the bottomless champagne glass $25pp , excellent, the best food of the lot. n.b. you cannot book this in advance, it is well worth the 30min queue.

Used the tkts office to see the following shows, Mamma Mia $50 pp Legends $25, Cirque de Soleil -Reve $85 and worth every penny. Fabulous show at the Wynn.

We went to the sushi bar Roku at Caesars for happy hour drinks twice - $3 for a glass of wine and $4 for the hot appetisers e.g. chicken on skewers, shrimp tempura. Make sure you ask for the happy hour menu (4-7pm weekdays, 4-6pm weekend), or you will may end up with a bill for $18 dollar per glass wine! Very %26#39;S*x in the City%26#39;. Go past the bar and sit at the sofas at the back and you have a Strip view to enjoy with your drink. Also tried Cleopatra%26#39;s barge at Caeasar%26#39;s for cocktails and a little dance one night. Watch the barge, I swear it sways or maybe it was the %26#39;Cosmopolitans%26#39;!!

We liked the Venetian too, we had a casual lunch at the taqueria canonita right next to the %26#39;canal%26#39;. We took the TA recommendation for the best marguerita in town and ordered up a pitcher for $24 and watched the gondolas coming and going with the gondoliers bursting in to song all the while. Great food too. I had the chicken salad dish and OH had a steak sandwich. It was a day when we had not had a buffet breakfast as with the buffets we found we only wwanted to eat once a day and just have something light pre show.

Used the Deuce bus service all the time $5 for 24 hour pass excellent.

Only a couple of things that we didn%26#39;t much like - Rio (got the shuttle bus down there which goes from Ballys), had the buffet there one evening and thought it too canteen like and the casino area with the carnival overhead didn%26#39;t do it for us, nor did we much like Fremont St bar for the overhead light show. Also went to Pampas, the Brazilian restaurant in Aladdin, great for big meat

eaters as they keep coming round with cuts of beef, pork etc as long as you want them to, if you do go there, get your tickets for half price from the tkts office.

Good shopping at Fashion show mall. Mac*y%26#39;s, Dillard, Nieman Marcus etc etc. Went on the bus to the outlet shopping mall near the airport and got some good shoe purchases.

Saw Big Elvis at the Barbary Coast. He has a beautiful voice if you are passing around time of the times of his weekday show

It was a memorable trip, found Vegas to be very clean and safe, packed at the weekend time, only nuisance we found were the street people who are flicking cards for call girls at you all the time.

Flamingo brilliant location, glad we were so central so that we could do a lot of hotels on foot. Don%26#39;t think you can manage with sandals, do walk with trainers, your feet will thank you!

Trip report

What a nice report, glad you enjoyed your Vegas holiday. ;)

Trip report

How fun...did you gamble...? I am leaving in a half an hour for the airport..just waiting for my friend..she is always late..better not be today....cab is here at eight ten....told her if she is late..she is paying...LOL

Great report, thanks for sharing it! Sounds like you had a really nice trip. How many margaritas did you get in one pitcher at Taqueria Canonita?

Glad you had a memorable trip, and glad this forum helped to make it more enjoyable!