My first time in Las Vegas
NOTE: Due to the size of this post, a recounting of my trip to Las Vegas, consider it a work in progress that I'll be adding to as seach section is finished--right now the draft is eight pages long in word. So, I urge you to check back periodically to look for updates.
”Vegas baby! Vegas!” -Trent (Vince Vaughn) in the film Swingers (1996)
I recently got back from spending four nights/five days, Sunday, December 17 through Thursday, December 21, in Las Vegas (“Vegas”) on vacation with my girlfriend Karen. This was my first time going to Vegas. Until this trip, the closest I’ve ever come to being there was watching the ubiquitous shows on the Discovery and Travel cable TV channels about where to stay; the top 10 attractions, how to win in Vegas, etc.; the History Channel shows about, well, the history of Las Vegas; the accounts of my friend’s vacations when they went there; and the depictions of old and new Vegas in the film ”Ocean’s 11,” both original (1960) and remade (2001) versions.
Now, I'm one of the many to have walked the Strip.
I booked the trip through Triple A’s in-house travel agent. After exploring several options, the agent found us a really good package deal for a four-night, five day stay at the Venetian. Triple A ranks the Venetian as a 5 and one-half star hotel--their highest possible rating--which is defined as: “Located in a choice setting and exquisite surroundings, offering the finest guest services and amenities. Ideal for the discriminating traveler.”
The deal included airfare, hotel, and transfers (the ride to/from the airport and hotel) all for $768.00 per person, plus with trip cancellation insurance, the total was $808.00 per person. I picked up the tickets a few days later, and was happy to find some package deal “goodies” that included:
• $10.00 meal/gift credit at Planet Hollywood.
• $15 credit at Desert Passage.
• Primm Tours with buffet lunch.
• Tour 2 with buffet lunch.
Of these coupons, we didn’t use any. The credit certificates we forgot about even when we knew we would be in the area where we could have redeemed them. The tours we chose not to do because we didn’t want to be stuck on a bus for most of the day, and where this was my first time in Vegas, there was no shortage of things to see and do in walking/cab distance within our immediate area.
Our flight out of Boston’s Logan International Airport was scheduled for 8:30 AM. We originally thought of leaving on the 5 PM flight for “getting ready reasons,” but my father suggested getting a morning flight--that way after we get there and check in, we can relax for a bit and have the rest of the day to start doing things; versus arriving in at night and just wanting to crash. So at 5:45 AM we woke up then took a cab to the airport. The return flight was booked for 11:26 AM. Originally, we were going to leave at 5:00 PM, but decided to take the morning flight because after we check out, we’d basically be killing time until our flight leaves. This way, there’s no idle time and we wouldn’t have to choose time killing activities that weren’t too lengthy.
We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare, even after allowing time to get checked in, get through security, etc. After making it through security with only my car lock deicer being confiscated (it was deemed flammable and under pressure flammable and something about being under pressure), we waited for about an hour and a half, then boarded the plane. We were crammed into a three-seat economy class row. The plane wasn’t completely filled, so we were allowed to move to a completely empty row with a seat between us.
We boarded the flight and roughly six hours later arrived around 11:13 AM PST (2:00 PM EST) at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, NV. We were about 12-13 minutes late. Fortunately, I came prepared for the flight with a magazine and two books to finish reading.
First Impressions
”As I pulled onto the Strip a few hours later, a link in the golden chain of American culture fell into place. Downy and Las Vegas, hamburger stand and tourist Mecca, the flickering neon arches and the explosive Dunes sign, the efflorescence of commercial strips, simple and grand the nation over: forget alabaster, American cities gleam in neon.”-“Googie Redux” by Alan Hess. Chapter 8: Las Vegas, Page 158.
Since this was my first time in Vegas, we followed conventional travel wisdom/advice and stayed on “The Strip,” officially known as Las Vegas Boulevard, a 4.0 mile, north-south stretch of road where the majority of the mega-Hotel-Resort-Casinos. By day, Vegas exteriors aren't much to look at. The current crop of signature resort/casinos such as the Venetian, Caesars, the Luxor, New York New York, et al. are all visually interesting because of their architectural onomatopoeia-but there is something missing-a vibrancy that only comes out at night when the city is awash in the glow of lit-up neon lights.
* I can’t take credit for the phrase “architectural onomatopoeia,” that was directly taken from the book “Googie Redux” by Allan Hess.
Unbridled Hedonism
“You gotta love livin', baby, 'cause dyin' is a pain in the ass.” --Frank Sinatra
Nicknamed “Sin City,” Las Vegas abounds with opportunities aplenty to indulge in greed, gluttony, and lust --in other words-- everything needed to have an adult-oriented good time. My overall plan was to treat Vegas and all it has to offer like one of the all-you-can-eat buffets. I wanted to do a little bit of everything to get the whole experience. I wanted to gamble, see a show, and gorge myself the buffets. So, I did plenty of research and talked to friends who have been to Vegas, to see what interested me and made a list of things to do that interested me.
Since this was my first time to Vegas, we followed traditional wisdom for first timers and stayed on the strip, actually we stayed in the heart of the strip to be more precise. Upon checking in, I heeded the advise of Travel Channel shows and got coupons and any free things I could get from the hotel.
Sadly, though, I pushed myself so much that I wound up getting sick on day three of our trip. I pushed myself through it, only to later pay for it at home with a pounding headache, a progressively rising temperature, and sinus issues for the next four days. Was it worth it, hell yes.
Our Hotel, The Venetian
Located on the north end of the strip was our hotel, the Venetian, a themed hotel and casino modeled on the city of Venice. The hotel sits on the ground of the legendary Sands Hotel, home of the Rat Pack.
Our suite (all rooms at the Venetian are called suites) was a Venetian Luxury suite in the Venetian Hotel proper. Basically, we got the standard guestroom which was a room comprised of three sections, you entered into the bedroom, and to the right was the bathroom, and to the left was a living room. After doing some checking, the dimensions of our suite equaled the size of a two-bedroom (or very spacious one-bedroom) apartment. The room description according to the Venetian’s web site follows:
”Our standard Luxury Suite offers 650 luxurious square feet and an accommodating, canopy-draped, king-size bed with overhead reading lights. This suite also features a 130-square-foot marble-finished bathroom, a sunken living room with full-size sofa sleeper, a dining table with chairs, refreshment center, two 27" televisions, in-suite safe, three dual-line telephones, separate modem line and a personal fax/printer/copier, bringing you the most beautiful, well-equipped suite in the world.
Upon check-in, we got additional “goodies” -- i.e. coupons for gratis hospitality gifts at select venues located on the Venetian property -- listed below:
• Slot promo credit or table game match play $15.00
• $6.00 off adult admission (per person) to Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum and free gift (which turned out to be a shot glass with the Madame Tussaud name on it).
• Free mimosa or bloody mary with purchase of breakfast entrée at Pinot Brasserie.
• Two-for-one admission to Canyon Ranch Spa (admission is $35.00 per person).
Of the coupons we received at check-in, I only used the slot promo credit and the discount admission at Madam Tussaud’s. Having recently read and heard many mentions of the Canyon Ranch Spa being one of the top rated spas in the country, I regret not having taking advantage of this opportunity.
Prior to our stay, I had read some reviews about the hotel, most of which rated the hotel an 8.0 or better on a 1-10 scale. One complaint people had been the ever-present slightly perfumed air that filled the hotel. I didn’t think this was an issue--it was just barely noticeable, but you quickly get used to it. I’m hypersensitive to smells/odors and it didn’t bother me in the slightest.
The service was great. Whenever I called the front desk or the concierge for something, I was immediately greeted with “Hello Mr. , How can I be of service?” and when the phone conversation was done, I was thanked again by name. On one occasion, we had requested extra towels that were promptly delivered. The kicker is that I got a phone call from housekeeping, saying that we had the privacy sign on the door, so the runner couldn’t knock on the door to deliver them-even though we requested it and were expecting it, he still couldn’t knock. Now that’s great service.
I liked the hotel and will definitely stay there again. I’ve definitely been spoiled (just for the room size alone) and know that a standard hotel will never just do the job anymore. I think the Venetian will be my default hotel whenever I stay in Vegas.
[MORE TO COME...]
”Vegas baby! Vegas!” -Trent (Vince Vaughn) in the film Swingers (1996)
I recently got back from spending four nights/five days, Sunday, December 17 through Thursday, December 21, in Las Vegas (“Vegas”) on vacation with my girlfriend Karen. This was my first time going to Vegas. Until this trip, the closest I’ve ever come to being there was watching the ubiquitous shows on the Discovery and Travel cable TV channels about where to stay; the top 10 attractions, how to win in Vegas, etc.; the History Channel shows about, well, the history of Las Vegas; the accounts of my friend’s vacations when they went there; and the depictions of old and new Vegas in the film ”Ocean’s 11,” both original (1960) and remade (2001) versions.
Now, I'm one of the many to have walked the Strip.
I booked the trip through Triple A’s in-house travel agent. After exploring several options, the agent found us a really good package deal for a four-night, five day stay at the Venetian. Triple A ranks the Venetian as a 5 and one-half star hotel--their highest possible rating--which is defined as: “Located in a choice setting and exquisite surroundings, offering the finest guest services and amenities. Ideal for the discriminating traveler.”
The deal included airfare, hotel, and transfers (the ride to/from the airport and hotel) all for $768.00 per person, plus with trip cancellation insurance, the total was $808.00 per person. I picked up the tickets a few days later, and was happy to find some package deal “goodies” that included:
• $10.00 meal/gift credit at Planet Hollywood.
• $15 credit at Desert Passage.
• Primm Tours with buffet lunch.
• Tour 2 with buffet lunch.
Of these coupons, we didn’t use any. The credit certificates we forgot about even when we knew we would be in the area where we could have redeemed them. The tours we chose not to do because we didn’t want to be stuck on a bus for most of the day, and where this was my first time in Vegas, there was no shortage of things to see and do in walking/cab distance within our immediate area.
Our flight out of Boston’s Logan International Airport was scheduled for 8:30 AM. We originally thought of leaving on the 5 PM flight for “getting ready reasons,” but my father suggested getting a morning flight--that way after we get there and check in, we can relax for a bit and have the rest of the day to start doing things; versus arriving in at night and just wanting to crash. So at 5:45 AM we woke up then took a cab to the airport. The return flight was booked for 11:26 AM. Originally, we were going to leave at 5:00 PM, but decided to take the morning flight because after we check out, we’d basically be killing time until our flight leaves. This way, there’s no idle time and we wouldn’t have to choose time killing activities that weren’t too lengthy.
We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare, even after allowing time to get checked in, get through security, etc. After making it through security with only my car lock deicer being confiscated (it was deemed flammable and under pressure flammable and something about being under pressure), we waited for about an hour and a half, then boarded the plane. We were crammed into a three-seat economy class row. The plane wasn’t completely filled, so we were allowed to move to a completely empty row with a seat between us.
We boarded the flight and roughly six hours later arrived around 11:13 AM PST (2:00 PM EST) at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, NV. We were about 12-13 minutes late. Fortunately, I came prepared for the flight with a magazine and two books to finish reading.
First Impressions
”As I pulled onto the Strip a few hours later, a link in the golden chain of American culture fell into place. Downy and Las Vegas, hamburger stand and tourist Mecca, the flickering neon arches and the explosive Dunes sign, the efflorescence of commercial strips, simple and grand the nation over: forget alabaster, American cities gleam in neon.”-“Googie Redux” by Alan Hess. Chapter 8: Las Vegas, Page 158.
Since this was my first time in Vegas, we followed conventional travel wisdom/advice and stayed on “The Strip,” officially known as Las Vegas Boulevard, a 4.0 mile, north-south stretch of road where the majority of the mega-Hotel-Resort-Casinos. By day, Vegas exteriors aren't much to look at. The current crop of signature resort/casinos such as the Venetian, Caesars, the Luxor, New York New York, et al. are all visually interesting because of their architectural onomatopoeia-but there is something missing-a vibrancy that only comes out at night when the city is awash in the glow of lit-up neon lights.
* I can’t take credit for the phrase “architectural onomatopoeia,” that was directly taken from the book “Googie Redux” by Allan Hess.
Unbridled Hedonism
“You gotta love livin', baby, 'cause dyin' is a pain in the ass.” --Frank Sinatra
Nicknamed “Sin City,” Las Vegas abounds with opportunities aplenty to indulge in greed, gluttony, and lust --in other words-- everything needed to have an adult-oriented good time. My overall plan was to treat Vegas and all it has to offer like one of the all-you-can-eat buffets. I wanted to do a little bit of everything to get the whole experience. I wanted to gamble, see a show, and gorge myself the buffets. So, I did plenty of research and talked to friends who have been to Vegas, to see what interested me and made a list of things to do that interested me.
Since this was my first time to Vegas, we followed traditional wisdom for first timers and stayed on the strip, actually we stayed in the heart of the strip to be more precise. Upon checking in, I heeded the advise of Travel Channel shows and got coupons and any free things I could get from the hotel.
Sadly, though, I pushed myself so much that I wound up getting sick on day three of our trip. I pushed myself through it, only to later pay for it at home with a pounding headache, a progressively rising temperature, and sinus issues for the next four days. Was it worth it, hell yes.
Our Hotel, The Venetian
Located on the north end of the strip was our hotel, the Venetian, a themed hotel and casino modeled on the city of Venice. The hotel sits on the ground of the legendary Sands Hotel, home of the Rat Pack.
Our suite (all rooms at the Venetian are called suites) was a Venetian Luxury suite in the Venetian Hotel proper. Basically, we got the standard guestroom which was a room comprised of three sections, you entered into the bedroom, and to the right was the bathroom, and to the left was a living room. After doing some checking, the dimensions of our suite equaled the size of a two-bedroom (or very spacious one-bedroom) apartment. The room description according to the Venetian’s web site follows:
”Our standard Luxury Suite offers 650 luxurious square feet and an accommodating, canopy-draped, king-size bed with overhead reading lights. This suite also features a 130-square-foot marble-finished bathroom, a sunken living room with full-size sofa sleeper, a dining table with chairs, refreshment center, two 27" televisions, in-suite safe, three dual-line telephones, separate modem line and a personal fax/printer/copier, bringing you the most beautiful, well-equipped suite in the world.
Upon check-in, we got additional “goodies” -- i.e. coupons for gratis hospitality gifts at select venues located on the Venetian property -- listed below:
• Slot promo credit or table game match play $15.00
• $6.00 off adult admission (per person) to Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum and free gift (which turned out to be a shot glass with the Madame Tussaud name on it).
• Free mimosa or bloody mary with purchase of breakfast entrée at Pinot Brasserie.
• Two-for-one admission to Canyon Ranch Spa (admission is $35.00 per person).
Of the coupons we received at check-in, I only used the slot promo credit and the discount admission at Madam Tussaud’s. Having recently read and heard many mentions of the Canyon Ranch Spa being one of the top rated spas in the country, I regret not having taking advantage of this opportunity.
Prior to our stay, I had read some reviews about the hotel, most of which rated the hotel an 8.0 or better on a 1-10 scale. One complaint people had been the ever-present slightly perfumed air that filled the hotel. I didn’t think this was an issue--it was just barely noticeable, but you quickly get used to it. I’m hypersensitive to smells/odors and it didn’t bother me in the slightest.
The service was great. Whenever I called the front desk or the concierge for something, I was immediately greeted with “Hello Mr. , How can I be of service?” and when the phone conversation was done, I was thanked again by name. On one occasion, we had requested extra towels that were promptly delivered. The kicker is that I got a phone call from housekeeping, saying that we had the privacy sign on the door, so the runner couldn’t knock on the door to deliver them-even though we requested it and were expecting it, he still couldn’t knock. Now that’s great service.
I liked the hotel and will definitely stay there again. I’ve definitely been spoiled (just for the room size alone) and know that a standard hotel will never just do the job anymore. I think the Venetian will be my default hotel whenever I stay in Vegas.
[MORE TO COME...]