My 2 Cents
Here are some tips that we have put together on our travels 2 Las Vegas. These opinions are those of Travel2. Feel free to post below and add your 2 cents.
Tropicana Towers. The Garden Rooms are in the low buildings and some are part of the original hotel, which is motel style. Tropicana was the worst experience ever. We went with a group and only chose the Tropicana because everyone else was staying there. I’ve stayed in one of the Garden rooms which had a front door (outside was a long hallway which led to the lobby on one end and the pool at the other end) and a sliding door which had the “garden area”. this was a square field of grass with other garden room wings on the left and reight, and stright ahead , a gate and walkway to the pool. It wasn’t a bad view but it reminded me more of an empty school campus than a garden area. The others in our party were in the tower on various floors. We saw all the rooms and they were all about the same. Small, rundown, not very clean looking just because of their age. The pool was probably very nice at one time, but is now very run down looking. The staff was awful. My friend got refused a beer because she still had 1/3 left in her bottle. We laughed at first until we realized she was serious. The 2 waitresses we had would not serve us another drink until we gave her our empties. The reasoning was “though they were free, the drinks weren’t to be wasted”. So to some it up, the rooms aren’t great, the location stinks (for us at least, since we prefer center strip), and the staff is angry. Alot of the staff issues are that they seem to be an older group that has probably been there awhile. Instead of the CW that offer much eyecandy with their short skirts, you’ll find mainly older women with sweaters over their uniforms and black nursing shoes.
Avoid the Nevada Hotel and all other hotels in the Freemont street area!! Also avoid the Las Vegas Hilton! They are old, musty and showing their age.
Don’t stay at the Stratosphere. It’s very far on the north end of the strip (close to downtown Las Vegas). The service is terrible. My phone wasn’t working and I didn’t have enough towels. I requested towels3 times and never got either - and the front desk people were quite rude about it too. They’ll charge you $10/day for a “resort fee” (which is basically meaningless).
Food and Buffet tips:
Some great Chinese food in LV is at Lotus of Siam. Order a plate of #14 (the crispy rice salad), Lotus of Siam is located at 953 E. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89104
Don’t go to Zeffrino at the Venetian. Very disappointing. Bland, pasty butternut squash and chard soup. Odd flavor in the ravioli sauce. No inspiration from the dessert menu. Instead, try the MGM Grand, much better. Roasted red peppers with a bit of crunch, garlic, basil, oil, salt, very nice. A mountain of shaved fennel in a tart dressing with chives. Short ribs falling-apart tender. Roasted carrots with rosemary. Roasted Jerusalem artichokes. Roasted hedgehog mushrooms not to my taste, the only false note. Dessert: ‘monkey bread’, a cinnamon pull-apart with caramel dipping sauce, excellent. Pear sorbet with a touch of burgundy, nice. All served family-style.
Best Hot Dogs In Vegas. A premium Dog with your choice of mustard, ketchup, relish, onions, saurkraut (or all of the above) at the Suncoast Hotel/Casino in Summerlin. And the price, only seventy-five cents a hotdog. This price is only available at the hot dog stand near the sports bar, not in the restaurants or cafes. Sometimes, that is my main reason for going to Las Vegas! Great hotel/casino, movie theaters, bowling alleys, bingo and many choices of restaurants and cafes. But the hot dogs are delish!
Mandalay Bay has an excellent selection of restaurants. One night we chose the Buffet located just off the casino, before you enter the mall area. The buffet at Mandalay Bay has a great selection of red meat such as Prime Rib and Steak, which were done to perfection. Seafood was abundant and fresh. Duck and poultry dishes were excellent. There is also a wide variety of vegetable, salads and bread to choose from. Deserts were top notch as well and service was more than adequate. A well spent $29/person.
Great shows in Las Vegas :
Definitely do the Zoomanity show of Cirque de Soleil. It is ‘adult’ but not nasty and is in a small room at New York New York, so you get to tour that amazing space in route to the show. You can usually get cheap tickets at the booth at the Fashion Show mall food court. Go to Hard Rock hotel for a time one night late…the people watching alone is amazing and the casino like no other. For ultimate luxury, you have to go to Bellagio, if only for a drink in one of the lounges. It is a special place I would never choose to stay but always spend some time there to wonder around.
Las Vegas Shopping:
If you like bargain shopping there’s LAS VEGAS PREMIUM OUTLETS. Big brand names for much less. Catch the bus from the Strip to DTC (Downtonwn Transport Center) and from there catch a shuttle (costs just $1) to the Outlets. Great selection of name brands for much much le$$ than department stores.
Check out Fashion Show Mall right off the Strip. All the anchor stores plus more.
Get to know the real Sin City
Think of Las Vegas as an amusement park with cheap booze and gambling. Or– Look for something more, like art exhibits and live music and theatre and college sports etc. Las Vegas built its reputation on “Tacky”, so just try to view things with that in mind. Las Vegas can be a fun town for one or two days. T-shirt and sneakers are ok in the most luxurious of LV casinos. The Monte Carlo has a dress code - suit and ties, believe it or not.
Recreational activities like renting a boat at Lake Mead might be a nice way to spend an afternoon. Hiking is iffy, except for the Red Rocks. Rental cars are fairly cheap in Las Vegas. There are terrible sand storms in the winter. Lots of outlet shopping, if you need gifts for people 
Caesar’s Shops is interesting. PF Chang’s Restaurant is excellent.
Las Vegas is a great place to go for a family Vacation. There is something in Vegas for everyone. I was just there on my Honeymoon and it was amazing. Everyone knows Vegas is becoming more and more of a family destination but I had no idea how many kids are in Las Vegas until I stayed there. There was kids all over the place and tons of things for them to do such as rides and animal habitats.
Fun things to do in and around Las Vegas :
The Strip (Las Vegas Blvd) is fun… Since most of Vegas “landmarks” are casinos, it’s fun to start your trip in the south end of the Strip (Luxor) and walk up north… You start your journey in Ancient Egypt, the next hour you are in a medieval castle, then you are in NYC, then in Monte Carlo, then in Ancient Rome … … you get the idea. Best time to hike the Strip is in January when it was pleasant during daytime. I don’t recommend doing that in summer when the temperature reaches 115 degrees. I took my kids to Las Vegas last year. I enjoyed the Stratosphere Tower with its spectacular views over the entire Las Vegas area. My 13-year-old daughter loved the rides on top (I was too chicken). I also enjoyed the Shark Reef at the Mandalay Bay. The Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage was OK, but a bit small and pricey. I have been disappointed with the restaurants in Las Vegas. The food is mediocre and the prices are high. My favorite restaurant on the strip is the Harley Davidson Cafe.
Lots of folks rent a car in Las Vegas and drive to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s about a 4 hour drive. Accommodations can be found in Williams, Flagstaff, Tusayan (near the rim) and inside the park as well (El Tovar, Thunderbird Lodge). El Tovar is my favorite, very rustic with lots of history and located very close to the rim. The Grand Canyon Railroad operates from Williams. You board a restored train and ride to the Grand Canyon Village near the rim. If you stay in Flagstaff you can take a shuttle bus to Williams to board the train. I bet there are some tours/buses that run from Las Vegas as well if you don’t want to drive. Many folks choose not to hike down the trails to the canyon. The trails are steep, icy in winter and require excellent physical fitness if you plan on hiking more than a mile or two. As an alternative there are short pathways/trails that run adjacent to and along the rim. With a little effort you usually can find a quiet spot to yourself and enjoy the view, maybe picnic. During winter months the road to Hermit’s rest is open to vehicle traffic (closed during summer except to shuttle). You can drive the road and park at numerous locations where you can then take shorts hikes along the rim. Again its not to hard to find a quiet path if you make a little effort. Mules rides are available but I’m not sure if they run in the winter time (trail can be icy). Helicopter and airplane tours are available at the Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan (just outside the main entrance). You can also take helicopter tours from Las Vegas and tour Lake Mead.
