New "Topic Of The Week" question:

[Steve]

New "Topic Of The Week" question:


When you go to Las Vegas everyone has a favorite place to stay or a favorite restaurant.

Please list your favorite and tell us why. Also even thought it is your favorite,what is the one thing that could could be improved.

Steve

[leighw55]

Our favorite is the Golden Nugget downtown for a hotel, best place for the price and have never had bad service there.

Our favorite to eat at is at the Masrket Street Cafe in the California downtown for their prime rib special. $6.99 and that even includes a dessert.

On the strip we like the Flamingo to stay at and to eat at the Ellis Island for their $4.95 steak special. Great meal that you would pay $17.00 for at the Outbakc Steakhouse and as far as we are concerned it is just as good.

[chuckls]

My wife and I really enjoy the Rio when we go to Vegas - and it is our usual 'place of residence' for 4-5 days. Our host makes sure we have a corner upgraded suite (usually on the 17th floor). A great view of the center strip - airport and surrounding mountains.

We also enjoy the atmosphere and the variety of slots.

Chuck

[Dufferjoe]

One of the best places for good old time Vegas hospitality is Hugo's Cellar in the Four Queens Hotel on Fremont Street. It's a classic dining experience with outstanding food selections and even better service. My wife and I go there often for special occassions and it's the one place my daughter loves to go to when she is in Vegas. Always great....we have never had a disappointing experience.

[starvegasgirl]

My favorite place to stay is MGM!!! It's my favorite because I am usually pretty lucky when I stay there and I LOVE the lazy river!!!!!! It would help if the rooms didn't cost so much!!!!

My favorite place to eat is the Pink Taco at the Hard Rock. They have amazing food! Hasn't let me down yet! They could use some improvement on the margaritas (the best are at the Caesars outdoor bar).

[honydo]

I like Ellis Islands $4.95 10oz. steak dinner with the trimmings. This food saving allows more money to gamble while we're in town. The one thing that could be improved would be the hostess record of customers waiting times. They seem to lose pages and not take customers in order.

[westie]

"When you go to Las Vegas everyone has a favorite place to stay or a favorite restaurant."


--I am one who disagrees with the premise. I am flexible on where we stay within certain guidelines. I look for the best place to stay that offers good VP and room rates which means I stay off the Strip. Last trip we stayed at the Tuscany because FPDW was offered with excellent comps. This trip we are only staying there 4 nights in order to burn off the comps, but I refuse to gamble there now that they have downgraded the video poker machines. The remainder of the trip, 10 nights, we will be at the Silverton - again FPDW and good room rates.


For restaurants, I want to try different cuisines at reasonable prices which means I don't eat on the Strip very often and try to mix up the restaurants between new and old. My favorite restaurant is Todd's Unique in Henderson where the chef is actually in the kitchen - what a unique concept that is!! I also cannot wait to get back to Origin India which is the best Indian restaurant in Las Vegas.

[Turnip579]

HUGOS CELLAR at the 4 Queens so I agree with DufferJoe. We stay DT at 4 Queens so our first night in town is Hugos. It's the ultimate way to start your Vegas trip.
Typical Items Ordered:
Blue cheese crusted filet mignon
Salad cart with EVERYTHING, along with their Raspberry vinigerette.
Jumbo shrimp cocktail.
And LOTS of whisky. :D

As far as food on the strip... we always eat at Gonzalez y Gonzalez at New York, New York. The chicken dishes there are superb PLUS ask for their Tequila menu. I sat for awhile and tried to "digest" the menu, wanting to try something new but was overwhelmed. I ended up talking to a host about the differant types and he was very helpful. I drank something called Correlejo Reposada (sp). Awesome tequila! I drank about 1/2 a bottle of it then went to see Carrot Top.
Tequila + Carrot Top = Awesome Night :p

SIDE NOTE: We were there in March and noticed that the La Salsa Cantina in Neonopolis is gone. We liked the tequila there and the food. BUMMER! :cool:

[marie]

love to stay downtown, 4 Queens have always gave us great room prices, rooms may not be fancy, I dont go to look at the room, :-) I go to gamble. also agree that the prime rib at the California is hard to beat for the price. Love going to MS Dont go on the strip very often too crowded too many kids, and porn hawkers

[sean]

New "Topic Of The Week" question:


When you go to Las Vegas everyone has a favorite place to stay or a favorite restaurant.

Please list your favorite and tell us why. Also even thought it is your favorite,what is the one thing that could could be improved.

Steve


Sir Galahad's in Excalibur. Best Prime Rib I have ever had

[mishaysdad]

For us we have lots of favorites, because we try to mix it up and stay different places. Our hands down fav is the Palms though. The Fantasy tower has the most comfortable beds ever! When I win the lottery I am movin in! The casino is smaller than most so you don't get lost. The desk, bell, and wait staff are VERY friendly and helpful! The breakfast buffet is cheap and GREAT! The pools are oh so cool! ..... and the Bars!!!!! :

[AnnPedi614]

My new favorite restaurant is Enoteca San Marco at the Canal Shops in the Venetian, food was excellent and service awesome. Not sure I would change anything.

My favorite hotel is a toss up between Wynn and Bellagio. If Wynn had Bellagio's lake and casino it would be Wynn and if Bellagio had the pool and rooms that Wynn has it would be Bellagio and actually if Bellagio just had Wynn's chairs and bar, Bellagio would be better.........

[Ace$Qn]

Nora's Italian Cusine............5 minutes or so west of the strip....in a little strip mall...............the Italian food was incredible, in both quality and quantity. The prices were exceptionally reasonable, for both food and wine.
It's not fancy....but who cares? It's terrific!

[Jackpot22]

I like to stay at TI. First time there and I just loved it!!! Food Rio's Seafood

[Blackjack]

:cool: Bally's is the place to stay (at least for myself & friends) over the past 14 years. (very central location) Plus, it has a lot of memories from a friend we lost to cancer. Not a restaurant----but, great service (with a smile), is the Sports area bar at the Venetian. What a great group of guys! When they say the lady pro-golfers rock......so does Vegas!

[natalie2vegas]

Another vote for Hugo's Cellar! We love the salad fixed at the table and the dessert tray at the end. The thing I would change is the cheesy rose given to the ladies. My sister and I threw ours away in the ashtray trashcan at the elevators.

For places to stay, we really like the Venetian if going higher class and the old Barbary Coast if going on the lower end. It just depends on how long we are staying, how much we want to spend, etc. We haven't been to the BC since it changed to Bill's, but I guess it hasn't changed much.

[parillamilt]

We usually stay at the Mirage because it's next to a bunch of casinos within easy walking distance. The location is near perfect. We were getting worried that the property was getting a little ragged around the edges, but they have pumped a bunch of money into it and now it's way better. The buffet improvements there make us come back to it 2 or 3 times during our stay.

Our favorite place to eat is the Grand Lux Cafe at the Venetian. I know it's a Cheesecake Factory in Disguise, but it's the place that gets it right most of the time for us when we are there for lunch or 2am. The one major bother is the noise level there. Everything just echos and somehow the layout just amplifies the sound.

[hambone]

Meal - Ellis Island $4.95 steak dinner.
Resort - TI (with thoughts of Mirage and Bellagio).

[billfarr]

We've tried several of the hotels downtown and are going back to Fitzgerald's. The rooms are nice (read clean and quiet, only there to shower and sleep) the staff is friendly and personable, the prices are good and the Bushmills is great. I can drink all I want downtown and almost crawl back to the Hotel, I don't need a DUI so walking to the Freemont St. Casinos is a real PLUS.
BillFarr aka The Mick:)

[Robbylou121]

My favorite place to stay is Fitzgeralds downtown. We get treated like VIP 's there and everyone is so nice and friendly there. We love the breakfast in the upstairs cafe area for a regular "sit down" meal and for a quick snack we love Mermaids with the giant chili dog and fried twinkie desert..YUM. :D

[akper]

When I am paying, Harrah's is my favorite place to stay.
When my company is paying, the Venetian is my top pick!

As for fav places to eat... I still love the Rio Buffet.

[turkeyfish]

We have stayed at Excalibur, MGM, Golden Nugget, Fremont, and Fitzgerald's
Our favorite we keep going back to is "The Fitz" Rooms are clean and comfortable. Slot attendants and cashiers friendly. Bartenders take great care
of us and always remember us from trip to trip. Our favorite paces to eat downtown are Don B's, Roberta's, and the Pullman Grille.

[Souette]

The WYNN won me over with its service my last visit. Bellagio has the better beds I think...but service in all areas at the WYNN was perfect. In fact, I wrote them a letter after I got home and mentioned the specific staff members who stood out. And the casino was less crowded which made gambling fun.

Taco Mexicano...a little joint sitting on the triangle behind the Stratosphere next to Denny's as you head into downtown. Can't understand a word they say and I fake my way through the menu on the wall. 50 cent tacos. Just the tortillia, meat and onions. No fancy stuff that the American taco joints push. Food is cheap and delicious.
If I stay at the Strat, I just walk past the buffet and out the back door over to the Taco place. When I travel solo, the one question I get asked every time by my husband is, "Did you eat at the taco place?"

I will, however, add Hugo's Cellar to my list for next trip!

[jojok]

I love to stay at Caesars. The bathroom is the best ever as is the beds. I don't like their casino tho and play across the street at Harrahs or Paris or the Barbary (Bills ). I have never eaten at a bad restaruant yet. I try to eat at one good one every trip. Last trip was the Mesa Grill. Awesome! Also I loved Wynn buffet. Stuffed myself on the crab legs. Yum! Mostly all my money goes into the machines and I end up eating as cheap as possible except for the one good place. Yes, I would rather gamble than eat!

[CeeJayRocker]

If you like to bet on football and horses, and I do, there is no finer place to stay in Las Vegas than the Las Vegas Hilton. Fantastic sports and race book, great cocktail service if you're betting the races or games, no better "Vegas" atmosphere anywhere, especially since the Stardust closed.
The history in that building is the stuff that made Vegas what it is. . . From being featured as the Whyte House on Diamonds Are Forever, to the Elvis years, the fire that woke up the world, although not with as much impact as the MGM fire, etc., etc., etc. . . . The rooms are fine enough, the pool is nice, there are enough restaurants to eat in a different country at each meal of a weekend stay, and the casino itself is large, light and airy . . . Can't beat it. Wouldn't change a thing. . . . :cool:

[jolo777]

The Rio is my favorite place to stay, so far, it is always up beat like being at a party all the time, always puts a smile on my face no matter what. I also think the buffet at the Rio is great. Having a free shuttle take us back and forth to the strip when we want a change of scenery is also a plus. That does not mean I will not stay at other hotels and try other restaurants because I will and do often but Rio seems to be home base for now. As for improvements, it could use a face-lift, many areas getting a bit grungy.

[momviolett]

Favorite place to stay is the Golden Nugget.We are downtown people & the G.N. is the jewel of Freemont Street. To eat we like the Bay City Dinner at the Golden Gate.

[xanadu4964]

I like staying at Harrah's because it is within walking distance of several other casinos and I love the court outside. (Ghiradelli's Ice Cream Shop) yum

For favorite meal we like the Steak special for 5.95 at Hard Rock. Not on menu but you can ask for it.:)

[gerrybl]

My favorite place to stay is New York, New York. Can't beat all the comps I get. As for restaurants, I don't really have a favorite. I just like good food at a reasonable price.:)

[Sweetshel]

We usually stay at a timeshare -- my favorite is the Hilton Grand Vacation on Karen Avenue. Have stayed there three times and it's just lovely -- great units with all amenities and the property has the feel of a hotel. Parking is covered, safe and very convenient.

My favorite restaurant is Austin's in Texas Station -- it rivals any NYC steakhouse (and it's less expensive). The room is beautiful and a surprise from the looks of the casino and hotel. Service is terrific and food is incredible.

I'm leaving on the 24th for 15 nights -- and Austin's is my first stop when I arrive.

[wa8ckt]

:D This is a hard question. Going to Vegas since 1971 every year, one or more times, and staying at many Hotels. My first love would be the old MGM Grand, stayed there many times, then the Dunes, Ceasars, Mirage, TI, Flamingo, and of course Stardust and Sahara. Roberta's is a great place to eat (better back when the Lobster was $6.99), but still super. Of course many of the favorites are now gone,like Dome of the Sea, and Sultans Table (Dunes), Barrymores (MGM Grand) , Monticarlo at DI, Baronshire at Hilton. NOW over the years have changed our wants (yes 40 years does that) We hav settled in at the IP for over 20 years. OF COURSE A MOTEL 8 in the canter of the strip, BUT LOCATION, LOCATION. Great staff, clean rooms, small casino, just compfy and all rooms have been comped for years. Going in two weeks, 4 nights comped, dinners, shows, and so on. Only $227 direct out of Flint, MI.
I guess I would change the prodo slappers. But if it really offends wander in a casion and have 10 more Miller Lites :D

[gwedough]

I stay just about everywhere on the strip; Bellagio, Cesears, the Hotel, Harrahs, and the Venetian. All have their advantages and disadvantages.

Bellagio - style, sophistication, average size corner rooms, long long walk to the new tower from the Casino.

Cesears - not sure why I folks think this is a great hotel...good gaming...but I've stayed in more elegant Holiday Inns. Never never never stay on a weekend or over a holiday...can't breathe so many folks

Harrahs - My favorite till they became the huge corporation they are now (no more personalized service, no more friendly staff. The rooms were never a highlight but the staff and people there always were and I miss it. Of course that means no more 4-6 hours at a stretch of gaming at the hotel late into the night and early morning.

the Hotel (at Mandalay Bay) - Wow! Beautiful rooms, beautiful rooms, best beds and highest threadcount linens (I sleep better there than anywhere else in Vegas...but I don't like to sleep in Vegas...LOL). Staff is amazing they treat me like royalty (and I'm just a weenie College Professor). BUT...it's at Mandalay Bay...at the edge of the strip...so any movement between casino's takes a lot of time and effort.

THE FAVORITE

The Venetian - Biggest rooms, greatest comps, competes for my business (whereas the other guys honestly don't care if they lose you). Centrally located, good staff (could be more efficient on the hotel desk for check in even for VIP status). On the bad side...stay waaaaay up in the tower to avoid noise. On the 21st floor at 8 AM they turned on the pool music and we could hear it in our room (on the 21st floor?????).

RESTAURANTS

Too many to list but I will say "OLIVES" at the Bellagio makes the best Osso Bucco I've ever had. MESA GRILL at Cesears makes a sweet potato frie that will make you cry. MON AMI GABI at Paris for lunch has the best french onion soup in the world (coupled with fresh hot bread...sigh). Lastly Shanghi Lilly's at Mandalay Bay has Clay Pot Chilean Sea Bass unlike anything I've ever had and I often dream about it in my sleep. HONORABLE MENTION - Breakfast at the Paris Buffet is the ONLY buffet I will consider going to anymore.

OK...long, lengthy, and it's late and I've made myself hungry (for food AND for another trip to Vegas).

[pateboo]

I stay at Excalibur, it's reasonably priced for me, good location, and I LOVE their food court. They have Quiznos, Krispy Kreme (they make them there, so you get the whole variety), and Cold Stone Creamery. I go the week of my birthday and get my hair cut by a woman named Joanne at their salon. It isn't cheap to go there for a cut, but she's worth it. I always go to the Steakhouse at Camelot. They've won the Zagat award. The only thing I'd change about it is, I wouldn't allow little children after a certain hour. You pay a lot of money to eat there and some parents let their kids run around like crazy in a fairly elegant restaurant. :eek:

[janel]

I love the Flamingo. I've stayed at the Mirage, Harrahs (number of times), the excalibur but my fav is the Flamingo. Great pool, great location, good prices.

[marydesj]

We have been staying at the Fremont downtown. The rooms are clean and comfortable (small bathrooms)with reasonable rates. You don't have to walk two miles to get to the casino from your room, which is a big plus.
The old Barbary was cozy. We use to love the Bellagio fountain view from our window until they put up the walkways. Don't know about Bill's.
We will miss the Stardust, I'm sure we won't get any comped rooms at the Echelon!!
As far as food goes, no real favorites. Pretty much any where you get a decent meal at a good price (rather put it in a machine).
Six days and counting. Can't wait!! Dread the looooong plane ride though.

[Nevada]

The Flamingo get rooms comped ,is in middle of strip easy to walk to most casinos, rooms are kept clean plus have safes in rooms to keep all my winnings in :D

[flamingofun]

Flamingo is our home for years. It has everything one could want. A little upscale but not stuffy. Casino is big, pool area georgous. Wide choices in food from elegant to Margarittaville. Deli/coffe shops/bars everywhere. Location is perfect. Once had an emergency situation back home & Flamingo staff handled this above the call of duty. Have stayed at others on occasion, but Flamingo is the affordable mega resort. viva las vegas

[Mulberryflash56]

Going back to 1999, our first Vegas experience, we booked 5 days at MGM! I fell in love with that place at first sight. The size of that place is unbelivable.....However, I was never able to get on first base with the "marketing/comps" department; so I moved on to HARRAH'S properties where my wife and I are treated quite well with free rooms and other perks..... usually at PARIS, BALLY'S, The PINK BIRD, and HARRAH's. They have even comped us for HARRAH Lake Tahoe, our new bundled of fun place...Our favorite place to eat a simple meal is always ELLIS ISLAND! However, for a beautiful sunset dinner, it's always on the 24th floor of BINION'S Ranch Steakhouse. Looking towards the Strip and other parts of the city at twilight, it's quite an uplifting experience.

[Boston_Bill]

My favorite place to stay is the Golden Nugget. I think its the best value for a quality hotel. Everyone who works there has always been very friendly and have never had a problem.
Dont really have a favorite restaurant. I guess Id say the Peppermill.

[JMVegas5866]

TI WAS my favorite until inflation kicked in on the rooms. Look at the bottom of my signature and you can see all of the places I have stayed in Vegas. Out of them all I must say that currently the Fremont is my most favorite. Fremont's rooms are affordable, clean, and pretty hip with the new decor. I love my Fremont room :) Most of all it is my favorite because it is was built by renowned architect Wayne McAllister in 1955. He also built the Sands and the ElRancho. His most famous works are his Bob's Big Boy Resturaunts in CA (whatever remains of them). I loved my Fremont room better than any of the other places because it was most practical for me. Just give me what I 'need' and forget the 'extras'. It's like when you order a computer and they 'throw in' all this software you'll never use :p The only thing I would advise the Fremont to improve on in their rooms is to upgrade their TV cable stations. They only had like 10 stations LOL. I didn't care because I don't waste my time watching TV while I am in Vegas, so no big deal. Overall all employees at this hotel were very friendly. My maid was a sweetheart and I always have cool servers at the breakfast buffet. Hotel check-in and check-out was very quick. Their check-in is 3pm, but I was still able to check-in at 11am and get my requested non-smoking room with ease. Coolest of all the elevators to the rooms are about 15-20 foot steps opposite side from the check-in desk. Most importantly I felt the Fremont is very generous with comps. When I arrived home on a Sunday from Vegas, the next day on a Monday I had already gotten free room offers mailed to me from the Fremont. Location of the Fremont is perfect for me because I can walk to several casinos within a 5 city block radius and they all offer low minimums on their games. I can also walk to my favorite historical areas from Fremont Street (Las Vegas High School, the Morelli House, the Neon Boneyard, the Jim Dayton House and it's surrounding quaint neighborhood, the Fremont Post Office, and many more places that I admire). At night time I can see what REAL Vegas lights look like... the bright NEON glowing from Vegas Vic, the neon lights covering Binions and the Fremont, the chasing lights that spell out "Four Queens", the moving blinking Golden Gate sign, and the words 'The Famous Pioneer' that still glow proudly.

Yeah, honestly I love ALL the places I have stayed at in Vegas because they are ALL unique. I like to think I give all a fair and honest and unbiased reports based on what each offer. Due to the enourmous changes on the Strip I would say all the places I have stayed at in the past are still awesome, but not for their current asking price. Making the switch to DT was one I will never regret, and thanks to places like the Fremont I can still afford to go to Vegas and stay in a clean room with friendly service and the room rates won't force me to shorten my stay.


Favorite resturaunts.. well I have 3.

I ALWAYS eat breakfast at the Fremont's Paradise Buffet, IMO it's the best bargain breakfast buffet in Las Vegas for the value of $6.24 (thats with tax factored in). They have chefs that make you omlets and they also make fresh pancakes. That alone is worth $6 if you were to order it in any resturaunt or cafe... and eggs are eggs and batter is batter no matter where you get it.

The Golden Gate's Bay City Diner I go to ALL the time... they have good food and excellent service. I like to sit at the counter. Their dinner specials rock! If I get tired of Fremont's Paradise Buffet breakfast, then Bay City Disner at Golden Gate is my second choice for breakfast. If your a night owl and can't sleep and are up into the ealry hours of the AM then you can catch the Bay City Diner's grave yard specials!

I ALWAYS eat at the Venetian's Grand Lux Cafe... everything on the menu is good there. So that would be considered a favorite. Their food is awesome and service is impeccable.

This year I inherited 2 more favorite places: (1.) The dinner buffet at the Golden Nuggett. It's the best dinner buffet Downtown for quality of food served. I like it because they had all my favorite Italian dishes there. (2.) Binion's Snack Bar. I love the Binions Burgers!

[planetbass]

I love to stay at the Excalibur, because I love being near Luxor and Mandalay Bay and the Tropicana - plus, hey, it's got a Krispy Kreme onsite. I'm kind of attached to it because it's the first place I played roulette.

When I stay off-strip, I love to be at Sam's Town because I've always had a big, clean quiet room and I like the Firelight Buffet and the corny Mystic Falls. Like some other people though, I wish the cocktail waitresses were more in evidence once I start one of my after-midnight slot marathons...

Picking a good place to eat is tricky because my fiancée is vegan so we tend to stick to buffets where we can get lots of salads. Last visit, though, in October 2006 we found two lovely places at the Palace Station - the Grand Café (for lunch) and the Pasta Palace (for dinner). I gotta tell you that the food and the service were first-rate in both. Pasta Palace staff made us feel welcome even though we were the most "casually" dressed people there and when they say all-you-can-eat pasta, they mean it!

If anyone has ideas about places that vegans can get interesting food, well, we'll love you forever :-)

December 4th, we're due back in Vegas for our honeymoon. We finally get to stay at the Luxor and the Golden Nugget (glad to see some folks here rate it highly - I *love* Carson Street Café BTW). Last 3 days will be spent in a suite at Sam's Town.

I can't wait.

[skwess]

My favorite place to stay is Treasure Island (TI).
I have the best Slot Host and I am spoiled when I go there.

[PinkFloydActuary]

We've yet to stay in the same place twice intentionally, so I can't pick a favorite place per se. I think the Luxor wins for accomodations (granted, we've not stayed at the high-end places, so that's the perspective I'm coming from.) Table limits have creeped up there over the past few years, so that would be my change. Actually, that applies to most places!

EI is the current favorite dining place - the deal is still the best in the city, and the gaming while you wait for the table is not too bad (I did find full pay JoB two years ago and while the BJ rules are lame, you usually can get in on a $5 table) I just wish the wait wasn't as long!

[PinkFloydActuary]

The old Barbary was cozy. We use to love the Bellagio fountain view from our window until they put up the walkways. Don't know about Bill's.


The BC would have been my choice - it was so awesome to get from your room to on the strip in two minutes - but I've seen how Harrah's destroyed the gambling at most of their properties, so I expect that Bill's has that problem as well.

[rbobst]

TI is our favorite spot. My slot host treats us great and I'm a pretty loyal person so until things go wrong we stay there twice a year. Since they put in the new pillow top beds and Plasma TV's there isn't much to complain about. The casino is very intimate and cozy and fun to play in. We've had our best run of luck at TI and the Mirage but I do agree that the Venetian and the Wynn are nice places to gamble at although we haven't been as lucky there.
As far as food is concerned we are pretty basic eaters. Nothing fancy so we enjoy the 24 hour Cafe's in TI and the Mirage, although we may check out the Grand Lux in the Venetian since so many people recommend it. Also California Pizza Kitchen in the Mirage. Tony Roma's in the Stardust used to be a regular visit for us. We still would like to try some of the Italian Restaurants but not the big expensive places in the strip hotels.
Rick
T-minus 2 months and counting till our next visit

[wiley]

Our favorite place to stay is Bally's: location, location, location - not to mention reasonable rates, friendly atmosphere, good coffee shop. T-60!

[SandyA]

Been staying at Caesars primarily for over twenty years now and it just feels like it's home. I would love to see their VP paytables return to the "good old days", but I know that's not going to happen. I guess that's the trade off for staying in the Augustus Tower - crappy paytables, nice rooms! I do stay at other places occasionally, but always return to Caesars.

I don't know if I would say The Palm is our favorite restaurant, but it's our favorite lunch stop every trip. Most trips we try at least one new place that I've read about on line - next trip we're planning on Rosemary's.

Sandy

[VegasBride]

:p We are partial to the Station Casinos. We have stayed at three of them, got married in one, eaten at four, and visited nine. Our favorite place is Palace Station. We have been staying there since 1998. We have a great casino host, get our room and food comp'd., limo service, fruit basket in our room, champagne when we got married, and extended check-out time (we always get the red-eye back home to Ohio). Plus, we have hit some pretty good jackpots.

:D Since Chang's opened up there about two years ago, that has become our favorite restaurant. The walnut prawns are to die for. Also, the Sonoma Cellar at Sunset Station. My daughter and son-in-law love the Pink Taco at the Hard Rock, so we have to stop there just about every trip.

If I could change anything, it would be that we could go to Vegas more often.

[PatSprouseYo]

Aladdin casino used to be our favorite spot. A lot of great memories, but we also thought they had great service and value (4 star in the heart of the strip for $49 a night?! sometimes free). In December we'll be staying at the Planet Hollywood, and we're hoping it will make us just as happy.

As for food, we always eat at the Paris buffet a few times each trip. Their brunch, I think, is the best in town!

As for changing one thing? I don't know...Vegas changes itself so much its hard to keep up...but, thats Vegas! :)

[ChicChas]

I've only been going to Vegas for a couple of years so I don't have the history so many in this forum have.

So far, I keep going back to NYNY hotel. I always have a good time there although one stay I didn't like the room itself. But it was free so I didn't complain. (Other places have been MGM, Tropicana and Luxor)

My favorite meal so far has been at the Eiffel Tower restaurant at Paris. This was during my first trip two years ago this weekend. Very pricey.

For a better bargain in an upscale restaurant, I really enjoyed my experience at Hugo's Cellar. Hope to visit there again soon.

For more moderately priced meals, I've gone several times to Gonzalez y Gonzalez at NYNY, Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill at Harrah's and Peppermill.

[smsudave]

My favorite restaurant is hands down Michael's. It was located at the Barbary Coast for many years and has now relocated to the South Point Casino. The service is superb and the food is outstanding. Make sure you bring a deep wallet because you do pay for what you get. Definitely a one time experience for people who want to experience and "Old Style" Vegas experience.

[kjwawb]

we've always done the mgm properties (and formally the one club) so i think the best hotel is the hotel at mandalay. there is not enough that can be said about 2 bathrooms. that and in the morning being able to close off the bedroom while dh sleeps. the bad side is the stocked mini bar gets in the way of actually using it for anything you personally want to keep cold and they would take the things away last time. and i almost forgot - that wave pool and lazy river!!!!!

the other best is the signature at mgm. an actual, usable, able to let the vegas air in, balcony! it brings you back to surreal reality. bad side on both properties- it a 14 mile walk to the casino from the hotel and a 21 mile walk from the signature.

good thing we're splitting our time among the two in oct. 47 days to go!

best restaurant: del frisco's - 3925 paradise road. dark, rich, expensive and you have to ask to see the secret trick of the james bond table.

but we tried hugo's in march. it jumped into second place beating kokomo's at rio and even steve's beloved steakhouse at the hilton. sorry:p
kim

[GILUV2Gamble]

[My loyalty has three names: Harrahs, Station Casino and Sam's Town. I make sure my play at each of the properties is ample enough for goodies. I love staying at the Rio. I prefer the old towers to the new one. Less walking to get to places I need to go. The World Buffet. The Station Casinos I've stayed at them all. Love the Red Rock. Talk about getting pampered. Also, Green Valley Ranch excellent staff all around. Boulder Station and Sunset are really comfy. Sam's Town is soo folksy. Gotta love it. Firelight buffet and the Fresh Harvest Cafe'. I'm not one for high end resturants. They're great but.

[MHIROTSU]

My favorite hotel is the Las Vegas Hilton (I think it's because I get a few extra things from my Hilton Honors card). But I like the pools at Bellagio. I'm glad to see so many people liking downtown hotels.

My favorite place to eat is the cafe at the California. But the steak special at Ellis Island is a real close second.

Mike

[Jacob36]

My favorite place to stay used to be Barbary Coast. However, now that it is part of Harrah's and changed to Bill's, I do not spend a penney in any Harrah's or MGM and do not plan on starting any time soon.

Now my favorite place is The Orleans, but then I am all ways looking for a new place to call my favorite. As long as it has nothing to do with Harrah's or MGM, it could end up being a favorite.

What would be the one thing I would change at Orleans?
I would have to say, I would have them bring back all the full pay VP!

[Hbaseballfan]

The Orleans has been are favorite place for a few years now. The rooms are big enough and the casino is very easy to get around in. Used to love Ballys, but since the Harrahs takeover, the offers dried up.
We love to watch Monday Night football inside brendans Irish pub, nice give a ways.

Favorite place to eat is The Grotto inside the golden nugget with our favorite waiter being our son Richard

Ellis Island can't beat the price

Wynn buffet Incredible

[alwinj]

The best hotel and casino to stay is at the sunset station in Henderson.
The rooms are beautiful with a gorgeous scenery of the sunrise mt. and
the galleria shopping complex. You can walk to INN and OUT, and
Walmart supercenter.......The best eating place is the Buffet in the
Orleans hotel. Now without the smokers, the eating area is gorgeous and
huge. The price is cheap, and the qualilty is out of this world.
Aloha from Alwin Aug 2007

[jimbobfeeney]

Our favorite hotel is Ceasars. We get comped from the total rewards program even though we never play there, Craps llimits are way too high for my blood. Augustus tower rooms are great!.
Favorite restaurant is Emeril's Seafood at MGM. But my best dinner there was a pork chop glazed in apples and maple syrup. Go figure. We willl be back in October. Can not wait.:cool:

[marmirdc]

Our favorite place as of today is Sam's Town..we are treated well and its very easy to earn comps. We stayed in a suite for 5 nights(all comped) this past May and it was wonderful. I have booked CP and the Augustus Tower, so I am anxious to see if what everyone says is true. The only thing I would change about Sam's Town is the buffet!!!!..its terrible and we won't eat there, but there cafe has been very good and we always eat at Billy Bob's for a very affordable and excellent meal.

marmirdc.

[VegasBride]

My favorite restaurant is hands down Michael's. It was located at the Barbary Coast for many years and has now relocated to the South Point Casino. The service is superb and the food is outstanding. Make sure you bring a deep wallet because you do pay for what you get. Definitely a one time experience for people who want to experience and "Old Style" Vegas experience.

:cool: Bill's Steak House has taken over where Michael's used to be. I agree with everything you said about Michael's. Have eaten there a couple of times. They say the prices have really gone up since they have moved to South Pointe. They were outrageous to begin with ($36.00 for a ceasar salad; and that was about five years ago). Bill's, of course, has the same atmosphere and the prices are much more affordable. But the quality of service is not the same.

[pateboo]

I've only been going to Vegas for a couple of years so I don't have the history so many in this forum have.

So far, I keep going back to NYNY hotel. I always have a good time there although one stay I didn't like the room itself. But it was free so I didn't complain. (Other places have been MGM, Tropicana and Luxor)

My favorite meal so far has been at the Eiffel Tower restaurant at Paris. This was during my first trip two years ago this weekend. Very pricey.

For a better bargain in an upscale restaurant, I really enjoyed my experience at Hugo's Cellar. Hope to visit there again soon.

For more moderately priced meals, I've gone several times to Gonzalez y Gonzalez at NYNY, Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill at Harrah's and Peppermill.

How was Tropicana? Because if anything ever happens to Excalibur and I couldn't stay there anymore, Tropicana would probably be my next choice to try.

[ChicChas]

How was Tropicana? Because if anything ever happens to Excalibur and I couldn't stay there anymore, Tropicana would probably be my next choice to try.

My stay there was in April 2006. Generally speaking, it was fine. I was in a garden room. It was very large with two queen beds and a seating area with its own private lanai which I really liked having. The decor was pretty basic and it was looking a bit tired and frayed around the edges. But the room was clean and everything worked fine.

At that time, the service was fine and the staff friendly, although I've been reading that the new owners have significantly reduced the staff size.

Only restaurant I used was Java Java to get my coffee in the morning. There was never a line.

Pool was really nice. I camped out near the smaller, adults only area, but also used the larger pool. Beautifully landscaped with full food and beverege service. Swim-up blackjack.

I didn't gamble much in the casino when I stayed there as they were still coin operated machines and I prefer TITO. They have converted over to TITO machines since and I've had some pretty good luck on their video poker during subsequent visits.

[Witty38]

My favorite resort to stay is the Green Valley Ranch and Resort in Henderson. (Have you seen the rooms?..they are gorgeous. TV while you are taking a bath!) Sure, you don't stay in the room much..but guess what?..when you lose or are losing at the casino, it sure is nice to comfort yourself in a pleasant setting..you rest better at night, too. Overall, the resort is a nice setting, easy to get to, GREAT parking, spacey non-smokey casino and away from the hectic strip!

Regarding favorite restaurant... I must say, at any given time ALL restaurants in Vegas are good, average or bad, depending on so many factors.

BTW, I first heard about this resort in the ebook "There is Life Off the Strip...Here's Where!"

[rlombardi2000]

My favorite place to stay was always the Rio. The rooms are spacious, several good places to eat, great pool area and believe it or not, I've been pretty lucky there on their VP machines. My new favorite place to stay is Caesar's in the Augustus Tower. I also like their restaurants and shops. However, I would still rather play at the Rio since I I don't seem to have any luck at Caesar's. My favorite restaurants would be Buzio's at the Rio and Mon Ami Gabi at Paris. Next trip, (next week) we will be staying 2 nts at Rio and 3 nts at Caesar's. I'll let you know how it goes.

[irelandvegas]

I think i would like to stay in all the hotels, just to say i did it. But, admitting we are creatures of habit, the current favorite is Paris. Monorail station is a huge walk behind Ballys, best to use for those long hauls,anything Mid Strip, just walk. Its a great location, and we love to walk: one day south one day mid one day north etc. The value is good, clean rooms, and often we have been upgraded to corner rooms ( not sure why, just asked really nicely) that a a bit bigger and have that extra light/view. We are low rollers, so a table is a table, we can loose anyplace if we try hard enough.
We are foodies, so we have tried many of the higher end eateries. ( yeah we pay 80-100 per night for our room and over that for dinner... ) Among our great experiences have been: Ballys Steak House ( ignore the cheesey commercials while on the moving walkway) Steak House at TI, Red Eight at Wynn ( lunch= great appetizers! ) Chinios at Paris, Ceasars for Breakfast ( room was "nero's" sat out on the deck by the pool..)

[Kaystr1]

We always stay at MGM/Mirage properties. We get great comps from them, so that is our choice. We've stayed at TI a few times, Mirage a few times, NYNY a few times, MGM Grand once. Next trip in Oct will be Mirage, again. This trip we have 4 nights,in a suite, comped, limo from and to the airport, substantial free play, VIP check in, and $150 in Mirage rewards. We really are not high rollers, quarter and dollar slots. They treat us well and will continue staying with these properties.

We like the location of TI & Mirage.

Restaurants are really not a priority for us, we usually just eat at the cafes, occasionally we've eaten at Gallaghers in NYNY, my BF loves the huge steak.

[iam4nd]

The Las Vegas Hilton has been our main haunt for the past several years. It has everything we want including nice rooms, an excellent selection of slots and VP, a beautiful and very functional sportsbook with plenty of betting windows, good selection of restaurants, easy access to the monorail, and good room rate specials (especially for slot tournaments). If I had one complaint it would be (as in many Las Vegas hotels) the lack of a place to get a decent cup of coffee at a reasonable price in the morning. It just doesn't seem right to pay $4 a cup for regular coffee:mad: (I'm 60 years old so I still remember 5 and 10 cent coffee:o ). I can sit at a slot machine and get it for a tip but that's not always timely. Guess we'll just have to continue bringing our one cup coffee maker with us.

I guess our favorite restaurant is still the Italian Ristorante in the Riviera:) . The food, service, wine, and atmosphere have always been excellent and we've been stopping in there almost annually (usually for a birthday or anniversary) for the past ten or twelve years. If there is one thing to be unhappy about it's that the Ristorante is in the Riviera hotel and thus probably won't be there much longer:( .

[Hockey53]

Our favorite to stay is at the MGM.Although Fitzgeralds to me is a good place to stay with Freemont Street right there. Most of my luck though has been playing slots at the MGM. Infact we will be staying at the MGM from Sept. 22nd-Sept. 24th to see the L.A. Kings-Colo. Avalanche play at the MGM Garden Arena Sat. night. Good luck everyone and have a grat time when you go to Vegas.:)

[cindyinnj]

My favorite place to stay is Bellagio.
My favorite restaurant is Michael's at Barbary Coast.

Can't think of any improvements that they can make right now...:D

[sinkhole]

I really like Onda at the Mirage. Baked clams would be a nice addition to the menu. Asparagus and/or creamed spinach too would complement the dinners.

The strip could definately use some plants for a nice visual effect and create some oxygen. Inside the casinos are nice, but the outsides need improvement.

[hipster818]

Hotel wise my wife and I like to mix it up. We always look for a great deal at a great hotel. So there really is no once place that we go and stay at so far, yet that could always change in the future.

Restaurant: There is Mr. Lucky's at the Hard Rock Hotel. I've been going there for at least one meal there since they opened. There vanilla milkshakes are great. On the high end Nobhill is a great place that we like to go to for nice meal. Yet again over all my wife and I like to mix things up a bit. Vegas is always changing and it's nice to breakout and try something different.

[thedude]

We recently stayed at Wynn. This place is "over the top!" The rooms, amenities, and service were great. The casino even had a $5.00 crap table (just one half of the table, the other half was reserved). I don't think anyone can top the way Steve Wynn treats his guests. We also stayed at the Rio. Real bummer! Stayed in a newly renovated room where the carpet was coming up because they didn't match the seams. People there just didn't seem to care about customers.

We love to eat at FatBurgers when we go to Las Vegas. :eek:

[dreamcatcheril]

favorit place- The Hotel offering the best post card comps for the dates I am planning on being in Vegas.

the Dunes golf course,, does that count?

[judyqu]

Hard to choose between the Bellagio and Wynn as a favorite; both are fantastic and we are treated very well while guests at either. Favorite restaurants to dine are Rosemary's on West Sahara, Austin's Steakhouse at Texas Station Casino, and the Palm Restaurant within Caesar's Forum Shops.

[Mooey]

My husband and I have been going to Vegas together since 1990. We've stayed at the Flamingo, Excalibur, Imperial Palace, Monte Carlo, NYNY, Golden Nugget and Fitzgeralds. Our favorite place to stay, believe it or not is the Fitz! We have a great host named Nichole, we stay in Club 21 rooms for free. Our gambling budget is a little higher now than it was 20 years ago but we still prefer to stay at Fitzgeralds. It just feels like home and we know exactly what to expect. We have a nice clean room, a coffee pot, a safe and it's always very quiet. We love downtown, everything is so close and you can still find some good bargains for food. We recently stayed on the strip and absolutely hated it! We thought we were missing out by not staying there but I'm glad we tried it again so now we know. Everyone has their own individual preferences but Fitzgeralds is home to us. We go to gamble, not to sightsee (been there, done that) and all we need is a clean room and a shower. As far as improvements, they could do a little something about their shower pressure!
:)

[wildpitcher]

I think my overall favorite hotel is the Golden Nugget. I also like Orleans and (believe it or not) Hooters. All good values and very nice rooms. The rooms at the old Barbary Coast are nice, as well, but Harrah's has ruined the table games there at the new Bill's Gambling Hall (sigh). I don't like the huge mega-places. I like to be able to leave my room, be in the casino or a restaurant quickly, or leave the place quickly if I desire. So now you see the common thread in my hotel choices.

At Golden Nugget I like the Carson Street Cafe. At Orleans, I like the Prime Rib Loft. At Hooters, the bacon at the "Dam" Restaurant (after Hoover Dam) is the best I've ever had.

On days where the gambling is not so good, I love In`N`Out Burger on Tropicana, west of the strip. Double-double, with onions - yum.