Las Vegas
We went in October and flew from Gatwick which took about 10 hours with Virgin Atlantic. We stayed overnight at the Hilton in Gatwick the night before and took advantage of the Twilight Check- in which was excellent – I would highly recommend it! As we already had our boarding cards the whole process couldn't have been easier.
On arrival in Vegas we took our pre-booked transfer from the airport to our hotel, The Venetian which has a great location on the main strip. Driving down the strip is an experience in itself with its vast array of hotels and casinos and neon lights everywhere you look.
The Venetian Hotel oozes opulence as you walk into the foyer and the check-in area is the one of the biggest I have ever seen. It is an all-suite hotel and our room really did have the wow factor. This was enhanced by our amazing view over the strip and the Mirage Hotel where we were able to see the daily dancing fountain show. The hotel is like a mini Italy. The main restaurants are set in what is a replica of St Mark’s Square. It’s very clever as you feel like you’re outside when you’re not. There are street stalls and musicians amongst other things as well as an endless list of designer shops. The hotel also boasts its own nightclub and a large food court where the choice could not be more diverse. However, the hotel is most famous for the Gondola rides. Couples can be heard being serenaded and it's hard to remember that you’re not in Italy and in fact indoors!
On the strip you’ll be spoilt for choice as to where to eat. We opted for breakfast at Denny's on most days as it was a 2 minute stroll from our hotel and prices were reasonable. It’s worth pointing out that many of the casinos offer free breakfast or a heavily discounted rate but unless you want to gamble at 8am in the morning Denny's is probably the better option.
The list of shows available in Vegas is endless and there are numerous booths along the strip offering tickets for selected shows at special prices. We went to see Rod Stewart at Caesars Palace and had a fantastic night.
If you like to shop you will like Vegas. There are several shopping malls on the strip offering big name designer shops. In most of these you can get things a lot cheaper than in the UK. We chose to walk everywhere on the strip which can be a long walk. However, there is also a monorail that runs from one end of the strip to the other. Alternatively you can purchase a 24 hour bus ticket on a hop on hop off kind of basis. For those people who prefer a tour with commentary the big red bus tour operates in Vegas and again you can hop on and hop off.
Of course the main trips that spring to mind that are usually taken from Vegas are the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam, tickets can be pre-arranged before travel if required.
The weather was HOT with little respite from the sun, that’s one of the reasons we really appreciated the 3 pool areas at the Venetian. There was waiter service around the main one which was fantastic and helped to add to the feel of luxury! I can confidently say that Vegas is definitely on my list of top destinations now and somewhere I would highly recommend. If it's on your to do list then make it a definite. I would love to chat more to you about it and share some of my tips and insights, so if you are interested in Vegas just get in touch!