heezy545i

Had the chance to stay at your three hotel choices over the last year. For the venetian, I stayed in the venezia tower. It's the newer tower and its nice and all, but a long walk and three elevators to get from your car to your room puts it last on my list. If you choose to stay there, I'd recommend the regular/main tower. Pretty much a toss up between the wynn and bellagio. I prefer the Wynn's rooms with it's big windows and swing out plasma, but I remember the beds being a bit on the plush side. If you haven't stayed at bellagio yet, I'd stay there as it's center strip location is very convenient. Also the upgrade to a lakeside view is worth the price. All three of those hotels are top notch, but I actually prefer the Hotel at mandalay bay. The Hotel is a separate tower at mandalay with it's own check-in area. Everything is very modern compared to the other three and most of the rooms are suites. Along with the modern decor and two big plasmas, I think it was the cheapest out of the four.

I remember eating at the mandalay buffet and not being very fond of it. This was some time ago and during lunch, so take that for what its worth. My staple buffet is the bellagio. The best in my book and if you've eaten there before you should know what you're in for because I don't think it changes much. I heard the buffet at the Wynn is supposed rival that of bellagio, but the line was quite long when I went so we ate elsewhere. The Rio is supposed to have quite a good buffet as well, but never had the chance to eat there either. For non buffet restaurants, Vegas has tons of choices, just depends what type of food you want.

The last show I saw was La reve at the Wynn. A cirque du soleil style water show which was enjoyable with no real bad seats in the house. Though I don't think it's much different than the other cirque du soleil shows you'll find in vegas such as the O show or mystere.

For clubs, Pure at ceasars and body english at hard rock is recommended by everyone. Pure is a pain to get into however. Unless you pay to get in, it can turn into a wasted night. Tao at venetian had an impressive decor, but I found the girls to be lacking. Only stayed there for a short time however.

norham

no, i'm so not ready for digging my own grave .

norham, which hotel did you stay and which restaurants did you go? did you get any deals?
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Stayed at Ballys which was OK but then I'm not into plush surroundings as long as its clean after all your only in it at night I booked in july of 05 but prices over new year triple in most places so deals were off, I ate in Wolenskys steak house amongst others and what steaks couldn't finish mine. As for buffets most I saw had long lines even for lunch queing at 11.30am in some personally I didn't want to waste 2 hours each evening in a line But there are so many try the forum shops they have a few nice ones. but thee is a wide choice as you know I saw some deals offering rooms for 2/3 nights for 99 with 100 in chips thrown in only for U S residents so I didn't look any further

evh5150

but all is fine because you have me to swoop in and make you forget alllll about that nasty Vegas wedding

amigo525

Like many already said, just tell them you are a member of the 'e60 forum' and you will be all set. You'll get special treatments. Try it and let us know. I have never done it.

Iceman

but all is fine because you have me to swoop in and make you forget alllll about that nasty Vegas wedding
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OK, I think we have reached the point where we'd better stop...

miss525i

ok...now Trev is getting the wrong idea

UUronL

In LA, I'd try to stay somewhere in W. Hollywood. I used to stay in a Hyatt across from the House Of Blues on Sunset Strip. You can walk to a bunch of stuff. Miyagi's is right there - Monday nights they have all you can eat sushi. Let's just put it this way... young aspiring actresses out in droves, looking to be seen and eat some sushi on the cheap. 3 levels, and it's packed. Right next door is Saddle Ranch, a cool western themed bar with a mechanical bull. I think they filmed some movie scenes in there with that bull - great bar scene there too. Right up the road is SkyBar at the Mondrian hotel, but unless you're staying there, it's next to impossible to get in. Very chic though. The Gate is closeby, a good club - I saw Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman there one night - actually, it was the night he lost his basketball shoes. He was either suspended or cut from the Lakers the next day for missing practice - he cited the lost shoes as the cause. There are countless other clubs - Whiskey a GoGo, Viper Room, etc... I mean - that's LA. I've seen more famous people in LA than anywhere else. It's ridiculous.

Up the road a bit is "Mel's", the diner made famous in the movie American Graffiti. I love breakfast there (Elvis scramble), but all the food is good. There's a Hustler store (I like the shirts, and -love- the girls that work there). I wear my "Larry Flint for President" shirt when I vote in Presidential elections.

I was going to recommend Reata in Beverly Hills, but I did a search and it went bankrupt in that space. Asia de Cuba (same as what's in NYC) is in the bottom of the Mondrian Hotel as well. Good fusion restaurant. La Buca is a really superb northern Italian restaurant on Melrose. They used to claim you could see Sopranos actors in there from time to time, but I never did.

If you're not up for the hustle and bustle, someplace like Hermosa Beach is really nice and low key. Lots of rooftop bars - the people sit and watch the sun go down. The haze allows you to watch it, staring with no eye protection without getting any eye damage. I was skeptical at first, but people there have done it hundreds of times with no ill effects.

You might be able to go see a Lakers game. Don't succumb to the scalpers. I went to a Lakers v. Nicks game once - running the gauntlet of scalpers, you would have thought there was absolutely no way to get tickets. I walked right up to the ticket office and purchased two at normal price that were closer than what the scalpers were offering.

daydok

my 2 cents:

hotel: bellagio, for me, has the best location and accomodations. catch the 'O' show if you can. i always ask during check-in if they have any specials or promotions for guests. wynn is at the end of the main strip, but across fashion show mall. mandalay bay has the killer pool, but maybe not in january. hard rock is party town, if you want the 24hr action atmosphere.

food: surprisingly, the alladin buffet is actually the best i've tasted. rio's regular buffet is blah, but they have a seafood buffet that's worth the trip off the strip. bellagio's is good too. also, there's a deli in the paris hotel that sells smoked salmon sandwiches that's killer.

shop: desert hills premium outlet in cabazon is the one to go to. all the high end stuff (prada, gucci, barney's ny etc).
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=6
there's primm and barstow, but they're more on the mainstream stuff (polo, jcrew, ck, etc).
just to walk around and window-shop, i still like the caesar's forum shop. (tods, armani, etc)

you can count on about $10 a pop for a taxi ride from hotel to hotel around the strip.

anyway, you can't go wrong in vegas - have fun, man! (post pics)

evh5150

I already HAD the wrong idea hun!

alohalc

i stayed in mandalay bay before and i think i'm going to take your advice, stay at bellagio. now i need to find deals but very unlikely to find one since there will be a convention on the second day that i'm going to stay :'(.

i tried the bellagio buffet before and they are not bad at all. i've heard people saying buffet in aladdin is even better for cheaper price. daydok is saying that, too. i might give it a shot. well, i think i'll go to buffet one night and a regular restaurant the other. will probably go to one of the four five diamonds restaurants in mgm. i tried one in there before. for me, it's a rip off . so i won't go to the same one again...but will go to another one and have them rip me off one more time .

all the shows are so similar in vegas now. i just don't know which one to go. very confusing . i wish they still have s & r. i love white tigers .

i wish i could go to clubs this time but i won't be able to since i'm going w/my gf's parents, too .

thank you very much for the detail info .