Las Vegas – Where to stay?

Where to stay in Las Vegas?

Where to stay in Las Vegas? That’s one question we get a lot, so here are our recommendations:

If you are only in Vegas for a couple of days and you want to be close to where everything is happening, make sure you book a hotel on The Strip. The Strip is the long stretch of road also known as Las Vegas Blvd. South, and this is where you find the large majority of the giant casino resorts and shopping malls.

On The Strip, we suggest that you stay somewhere between Wynn/Encore to the north and Mandalay Bay to the south. Further south and further north will be too far from all the action.
During the summer, Las Vegas is hot (literally speaking) so walking any longer distances is out of the question.

Taxis, Uber and Lyft are only allowed to pick up passengers at the designated taxi/ride share stands in front of the casinos, so even though it is not a problem to book a ride, it might still include a lot of walking inside and outside the casinos. Picking a hotel, which is not too far from the places you are planning to visit, can save you both time and money.

Regarding room rates, the best deals are usually on stays during the week (unless there is a big convention in town). On Friday-Sunday and on holidays the prices go up significantly.

If you like pool parties:

..and you are in Las Vegas during the summer months, make sure to pick one of the hotels with a dayclub. Dayclubs are like giant pool parties, and some of them have regular guest performances by celebrated DJs and artists from around the world. Some of the resorts with popular dayclubs include MGM (Wet Republic), Marquee (Marquee Dayclub) and Encore (Encore Beach Club). If you don’t want to dress up to go to the pool, but prefer to tan in peace and quiet, while reading a book or knitting a sweater, choose Palazzo, Venetian, Caesar’s Palace or Bellagio, which all got beautiful pool areas without the unga-bunga ambience.

If you love shopping:

Most of the casino hotels have some kind of retail area, but if you are looking for shopping that goes beyond souvenir shops and luxury boutiques, consider Planet Hollywood (Miracle Mile Shops), The Palazzo/The Venetian (Grand Canal Shoppes) and Caesars Palace (Forum Shops).
The Palazzo, The Venetian, Wynn and Encore are all located just opposite Fashion Show Mall, which is the biggest mall in Las Vegas. From these hotels, you are also just a short bus trip from the big Ross store north of The Strip and the outlet shopping mall Las Vegas Premium Outlets North.

If you’re into clubbing:

Some of Las Vegas’ hottest clubs right now are Marquee at Cosmopolitan, Hakkasan at MGM, Omnia at Caesars Palace and XS at Wynn/Encore. If you are looking to party all night long, it makes good sense to stay close to your favorite club. Being able to walk right up in bed, while the other partygoers are queuing in the taxi line is priceless. If you are not sure which clubs you will be visiting, stay at Caesars Palace or one of the other hotel on that part of The Strip. Then you will be within walking distance (of course depending on what kind of shoes you are wearing) to most of the popular clubs. The southern part of the Strip (from New York New York and further south), does not really have a lot of options when it comes to fancy clubbing, but the dining opportunities are fabulous and the room rates usually a tad lower than the rest of the Strip.

If you’d rather spend your money on something else than hotel rooms:

One of our favorite budget hotels in Las Vegas is The Linq, which is located just opposite of Caesars Palace, right at the heart of The Strip. The location of budget friendly Excalibur and Luxor is also ok. Spend a little more, or look out for special offers, and you might be able to land a nicer room at New York New York, Planet Hollywood or MGM.

Las Vegas: Sweets Raku

Japanese dessert restaurant in a Chinatown plaza a few miles off the Strip. Sweets Raku is known for Insta-worthy creations, of the too-pretty-to-eat type, but the desserts do not just look good on Instagram, they taste good too. The combination of flavors, textures and colors is done with an attention to detail characteristic for the Japanese cuisine, but with a touch of French elegance.

There is a minimum spend of $12

Sweets Raku has a sister restaurant, Aburiya Raku, which is a nice Japanese grill restaurant located in the corner of the same plaza as Sweets Raku.

Sweets Raku is very often full with a line out in front, so expect a wait.


Sweets Raku, 5040 West Spring Mountain Road, Suite 3, Las Vegas, Tel: 702-290-7181

Sweets Raku Las Vegas

Free things to do in Las Vegas

The Dancing Fountains at Bellagio, Las Vegas Guide

Las Vegas is a great place to have fun, and it is not just for high rollers. There are plenty of things you can experience for free in Las Vegas, and here are some of our favorites:

1. Watch the dancing fountains in front of Bellagio

The dancing fountains in front of Bellagio is a beautiful sight, especially after dark. It’s probably the most popular free thing to do in Las Vegas, and on weekends it gets really crowded in front of the Bellagio Lake. The fountains dance to a rotating musical repertoire spanning from Michael Jackson to The Beatles and at the end of the show, the water shoots far up in the air. You have the best view right in front of the fence, and if you want to take photos without too many heads and hands in your frame, this is where you want to be.

The Fountains of Bellagio, Las Vegas

The Conservatory at Bellagio, Las Vegas Guide

2. Admire the flower displays at The Conservatory

Take a break from the hustle and bustle on The Strip inside this peaceful corner at Bellagio. The flower displays at The Conservatory changes with season, so even though you’ve been to Vegas before, The Conservatory is always worth a visit. The Conservatory is open 24 hours, but especially in the afternoon, it sometimes gets crowded. The best time to go and visit is early in the morning.

Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden, Las Vegas

Read the blog post about the Conservatory (Mitzie Mee) >>

The Flamingo Wildlife Habitat, Las Vegas Guide

3.  Say hi to the flamingos at the Wildlife Habitat

Vegas is Vegas, so of course The Flamingo has its own Flamingo habitat. The beautiful pink birds are hanging out in a lush garden with natural fences, and they seem to be treated well. In addition to flamingos, there are also a number of exotic birds and fish species to admire.

Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden, Las Vegas

Read the blog post about the Wildlife Habitat (Mitzie Mee) >>

The Volcano at The Mirage, Las Vegas Guide

4. See the volcano eruption in front of The Mirage

The volcano in front of The Mirage erupts every night to an infernal soundtrack composed by Mickey Hart from The Grateful Dead and Zakir Hussain. The free performance, which includes fireballs, flames and smoke, goes on for about 10 minutes, before the volcano calms down again.

The volcano is located right in front of The Mirage, so you’ll have a nice view from The Strip. On weekends, the eruptions attract a lot of people, but The Mirage is quite a bit north on The Strip, so it does not attract the same crowds as the dancing fountains in front of the Bellagio.

The Volcano at The Mirage, Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Sign, Las Vegas Guide

5. Visit the Las Vegas Sign

The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign is located at the southern end of the Strip, just south of Mandalay Bay. The sign looks best in the golden hours just around sunset and sunrise, so try to get there around that time. It gets busy out there, so prepare to wait if you want a selfie in front of the sign.

For the plane spotters: McCarran Airport is just across the street, so depending on which runway is in use, you can also get a really nice view of airplanes taking off or touching down.

Read the blog post about the Las Vegas Sign (Mitzie Mee) >>