AboutTom Expertise I can tell you detail of every major hotel in Vegas, such as the restaurants they offer and the attractions they maintain, on the Las Vegas Strip. The kind of patrons each hotel attracts. How to play blackjack, both etiquette and strategy. How to obtain comps and make the most of your money when in town. Any Vegas general knowledge.
Experience
Past/Present clients Caesar's Palace, Flamingo Las Vegas, Bally's, Paris and Las Vegas Hilton.
Expert: Tom Date: 5/16/2008 Subject: First time in Vegas
Question My husband and I are taking our first trip out to Vegas for our anniversary. We have tix to see Love on our actual anniversary and will be staying at the Mirage. Other than that we have nothing planned just yet. Can you recommend places to see? We're interested in the nightlife (can you recommend a good club/bar?) and sight seeing. My husband is the gambler, me not so much. We will only be there from Friday night to Monday so I don't expect to see all there is to see. I'd just like to know some high lights. Also we are looking for a nice restaurant to go to before the show, traditional American food...perhaps a good steakhouse?
Thank you very much in advance for any tips you might have!
Answer Hey Karen,
You're staying right in the middle of all there is to see and do, and you're at a great hotel with all kinds of attractions and activities. So you won't have any problems finding plenty of diversions while you're there.
Let me say up front that you're going to be blown away by Love. I saw it last summer and couldn't believe my eyes. I'm not even a huge Beatles fan and I came out of there wanting to buy all the merchandise in the gift shop. Anyway, you're going to love it.
For places to sightsee, you since its your first visit I would try to stop at all the big (admittedly cheesey) attractions on the strip. Walk down to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. Cross over to Flamingo and tour the flamingo gardens. Try to schedule a visit to Bellagio at night to see the dancing fountains that rise from the lake in front of the hotel, and then go inside to walk around the conservatory. If you get time, go downtown in the evening and walk around under the Fremont Street Experience - its a big neon canopy with animation that covers all of "old" downtown Vegas. You'll also want to spend some time out by the pool. Mirage's pool is very nice.
For bars and nightlife, well, I would need to know what kinds of places you enjoy. For big boomin' 'Paris Hilton' style nightclubs, try Jet at Mirage, or Tao at Venetian across the street. Tryst at Wynn is beautiful, set on a lagoon with a waterfall. But those places can be hard to get inside, so make sure to arrive early and get on the guestlist if you can. If you're looking for something less intense, try a rooftop lounge like Mix at Mandalay Bay or Voodoo Lounge at Rio. Or if you just want to hang loose with a band in a casual setting, try the Carnival Court at Harrahs. Just keep your eyes open when you get to town, I'm sure you'll see plenty of places that interest you.
There are plenty of great restaurants all around your hotel. I like Stack at Mirage, which is a new trendy steakhouse with a modern atmosphere. There's also a brand new French steakhouse across the street at Palazzo called Morels with an outdoor patio right on the Strip. For that matter, I also adore Mon Ami Gabi, another French Steakhouse, with outdoor seating on the strip directly across from the Bellagio fountains. Once you've had your fill of steak, make sure to try Social House at Treasure Island (Japanese), Dos Caminos at Palazzo (Mexican) and the incomparable buffet at Wynn. Oh, and the breakfast buffet at Paris is the best in town.
You'll find so many things when you get to town you won't know where to begin. Make sure to check out the tourist magazines in your room and in the back of the cab, they'll have plenty of suggestions as well.
If you need any other specific details,, just let me know!
