In April this year, my wife and I went to Las Vegas to celebrate my 40th birthday.  You can read all about the trip in the Travel Report I posted on THE ROLEX REFERENCE PAGE.

In the report I commented that the resort we stayed in (Caesar’s Palace) was a bit of a disappointment.  Actually, given the great experience I had at Caesar’s back in 2004, our most recent stay was a pretty big disappointment.  Since the last time I stayed at Caesar’s, it’s been acquired by the Harrah’s Group, and in my personal opinion, the resort has lost focus on customer service.  I mean, I understand the economy is down and times are tough.  And I also understand the fact that I don’t gamble means that I’m less than a 2nd class citizen in Vegas.  Still, I’ve experienced much better in Vegas.

Perhaps my best Vegas experience ever was during our 2007 Vegas trip where we stayed at The Wynn.  Our next trip back I think we’ll stay there again, or perhaps we’ll give the Bellagio a try.

The first time I ever stayed in Vegas (1999) it was at the MGM.  That was a very special trip for me, and the MGM will always be a special place.  You get a lot for your money there, so I definitely recommend considering it:

In 2008, we stayed at the Venetian and unfortunately had an experience not entirely unlike our most recent experience at Caesar’s.  Though given a choice, I’d go with the Venetian…).  Still, the location is hard to beat, and we did enjoy the pools there.

Around 2003 (I think….) I stayed a few days at The Rio.  The Rio is a fun place, and a good value like the MGM (huge rooms).  The problem is that it’s too far off the strip for my liking (you’ll be spending a lot of your vacation waiting for shuttles or taking pricey cabs).  But if you don’t plan on spending a lot of time on the Strip, then the Rio could be a good choice.

Let me know where your favorite place to stay in Las Vegas is!

-John