Nov 18 I arrived in VEGAS virgin and went home a...

When I was in Vegas I was like a preschooler in a candy shop; my eyes were wide open the whole time. Reality was returning to Vancouver. And in time I began to think that I had done Vegas and would never need to go there again. But upon reflection my thinking has changed and I would return, but for a different trip, one that emphazied exploration in the surrounding area. Without doubt the area to explore would extend as far south as Arizona, in particular the Grand Canyon. Looking forward to it.

Nov 18 Fam is completed

Fam completed and now we are on our own...

let's hit the Pub...which is the name of the place. The pub is within the Monte Carlo. 130 different kinds of beer on tap and the hot wings were a dollar each. Told her we could get hot wings in Canada for 10¢ and the waitress said, "Honey you ain't Canada now! You in VEGAS baby." Well, with a laugh from everyone we ordered. I shared a plate of wings with my roomie. Good thing! When the wings arrived, they looked like chicken wings on steroids or turkey wings! Were they ever big! AND DELICIOUS!

Pictures: The Pub, inside the Monte Carlo Las Vegas

Nov 18 Monte Carlo

LAST Hotel Inspection...Monte Carlo





Monte Carlo has a very sophisticated feel about it, however when we went upstairs for room inspections, I found the hallways to be blah. The wall colours were bland, there were few pictures, no furniture, just empty. It was very unappealing. The rooms were the opposite, relaxing and comfortable. The hotel offers deluxe rooms to one bedroom suites.

The extravagent side of the Monte Carlo is the floor of suites known as Hotel 32. You are treated as a VIP from the moment you land in Las Vegas; picked up by complimentary limousine at the airport, you are provided a mobile concierge who is available 24/7, and a personal suite assistant who see to your every need.

Amenities:

• Wide variety of restaurants and lounges, including an ice bar called Minus


• Spa & Salon


• Shopping, including Street of Dreams


• Fitness Center


• Golf


• Pools that include a lazy river and a wave pool


• Meeting rooms and business center


• Weddings and Banquets


• Tram Station

Pictures: The Monte Carlo, Las Vegas and The Pub, inside the Monte Carlo, Las Vegas

Nov 18 The Fountain of the Bellagio

If you are looking for a fantastic free Las Vegas attraction the Bellagio Fountain is second to none. Every Monday through Friday, between 3:00 and 8:00pm there is a show every half hour. From 8:00pm until Midnight the show is every 15 minutes. On weekends the show begins at 12:00pm.

The Bellagio

On we tread to the Bellagio


WOW! That is all I can say. WOW! What a magnificient hotel and casino. The lobby is grand in scale and design. The 18 foot ceiling is a coffer filled with the most extraordinary glass sculpture, a chandalier called Firori di Como by artist, Dale Chihuly. There are so many entertaining areas where one could just sit and watch for hours, as people make their way from the candy store to a chocolate fountain.


There is even a Botanical Garden area with a waterwheel, a weirdwood tree that speaks and appears as if he is watching you as you walk around teh animal shaped hedges. The garden changes with the seasons and celebrations. While writing this report I checked out their Conservatory Garden cam and one see that it is set up fro Chinese New Years with a dragon, pond, and floral displays.


Rooms are very lovely. However, I know I would be pulled to the garden displays, the lobby, and pool and that I would spend very little time in the rooms.


Amenities include:

• ConciergeFountains of Bellagio


• Spa & Salon


• Fiori di ComoPools


• private cabanas and courtyards


• Gallery of Fine Arts


• Golf


• Room service amenities


• Botanical Gardens with seasonal displays and exhibits


• Meeting rooms, catering, special functions


• Tram Station

Nov 18 Vdara Hotel and Spa

Vdara is a AAA Four Diamond Award Hotel and Spa. It is according to its literature "an internationally inspired all suites, non smoking, non gaming eco friendly boutique hotel and spa".

Just off the strip, behind the City Centre, it offers a welcome relief for those who love the scene, but do not need to gamble all the time. The hotel offers short stay to long stay accommodation in room categories ranging from suites to a 2 story, 2 bedroom penthouse.

Vdara's base suite includes a kitchenette with an under the counter refrigerator, a two burner electric cook top, a dining table for two and a large spa style soaking tub. The rooms are sophisticated, fresh, inviting and offer a media hub for cameras, DVD players, M3P players, and game consoles.

Amenities include:

• Concierge


• Spa & Salon


• Pool & Cabanas


• Variety fo Dinning experiences, including a gourmet coffee and pastry shop, and in-room dinning


• Shopping at City Centre


• Tour desk for reserving excursions


• golf


• Tram Station


• Ballrooms, Meeting rooms, wedding reception services

Pictures: Vdara Hotel and Spa

Nov 18 Aria Resort & Casino

Another busy day and first up is breakfast at the Venetian...

Don't bother having breakfast at the Venetian; it was $16.00 and the buffet was small, very small and the food was not great! Spend the extra five dollars and head to The Wicked Spoon.

Movin' On to the Aria Resort & Casino for our presentation of the MGM Resorts

Once we were shown to one of the many meeting rooms we were met by our host for MGM Resorts. They provided us a wonderful sit down lunch, which we followed by playing a game of Jepardy. The prize for the winning team was 2 nights free accommodation at a resort managed by the MGM Resort & Casino. Unfortunently our team did not win, but we had a fun time and had numerous laughs. The MGM Resort International brands include the Aria Resort & Casino, Bellagio, Vdara, MGM Grand, THEhotel, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, Circus Circus, Monte Carlo and Mirage. Whew!

And so the walking begins...Sight inspection of the Aria

There were a lot of lovely touches in the Aria. It is new, a AAA Five Diamond resort hotel and casino, where luxury never ends. Glass balls hang from the ceiling in their bars, trees grow out of the floor and modern art, really good art hangs on all the walls. It has its own shopping centre, huge in size, a tram that connects the hotel with the other MGM resorts.

The rooms complete the luxurious feeling. They are inviting and fresh and I felt like I was in my own personal sanctuary. Rooms have massive floor to ceiling windows that open up the view of the Strip and the Spring Mountains, while flooding the room with light. Each room has enough technical gadgets to keep any geek happy; controls for temperature, blinds, lighting, music, TV and so on...Despite the different number of room categories, deluxe, suites, penthouse, the luxury never suffers!

Amenities include:

• Tour desk for booking excursions



• Shopping at the City Center (in the hotel)



• art collections within the hotel



• 3 very distinct pool (for Aria guests only)



• varied dining experiences



• Liquid Pool Lounge



• spa and salon



• Nightclubs, bars, lounges



• City Center TRam Station (operating hours 8am to 4am (Take that Vancouver!) and free



• Golf



• Convention and Meeting Center



• Viva Elvis with Cirque Du Soleil was showing while we were there

and of course a magnificient casino!

Pictures: Outside patio and lobby bar, Aria, Las Vegas