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Arizona - USA
Fairmont Princess - Scottsdale, Arizona
Operator and Date: independant (via Trailfinders)
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Hilary - Cheshire (30, 29)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
You could not fault the hotel for its accomodation or amenities. This was a last stop in a 3 week honeymoon tour of the canyons, before winding up at the Fairmont for a 10 day rest.
Room - was beautiful, very elegant furnished with mexican type furniture. Huge bathroom with double sink, separate shower and large bath. Room was more of a suite really with dining table and couch also.
Pools - excellent, with good bar serving lovely cocktails. Quite strange to be the only non americans, expecially on fathers day when the place was besiged by freeloaders being let into the complex by their friends. But this was only one day.
Food - Hacienda restaurant was excellent quality and service, we returned 4 times just to keep sampling it - massize margaritas.
Food in the other restaurants was varaible. I was surprised to find bacon poeces in what was described as a clam pasta when I eat no red or white meat! Service can be hit and miss, for example when asking the restuarant manager to seat us we were abruptly told that wasn't her job!
Definitely recommend trip to the local fashion mall for clothes and shoe bargains and a trip to the ice cream parlour downtown - just like the fonz!!!
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Grand Hotel - Bisbee, Arizona
Operator and Date: INDEPENDENT - MARCH 2004
Opinion submitted in Dec 2004 by : PAUL AMEIL, CLEETHORPES (44)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was my last hotel stay in what had been a very enjoyable 2 week motoring holiday in Arizona. Bisbee has an almost European feel about it, very friendly (it was not unusual while walking around for people to say hello!), but the hotel was awful.
My room was the Old Western Suite, in which the bed was in the back of a replica wild west wagon. the biggest problem was that originally the whole ground floor of the hotel had been one large room which had been split into 4 suites with paper thin walls! Without going into details, suffice to say that you could hear every noise from the other guests! Apart from that, the room was not very clean, the breakfasts rubbish. I wouldn't recommend staying at this hotel. This spoilt what had other wise been an excellent holiday, the highlight being an all too brief visit to the Grand Canyon.
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Hotel Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort - Scottsdale, Arizona
Operator and Date: March 2004 Independent Booking
Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : S.Infante-(52,52)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Stayed here for 5 nights beginning March.Good sized rooms with fridge inc free bottled water daily,safe deposit box,free local phone calls,local shuttle bus.Nice views over lake/mountains/desert and next to golf course.Good restaurant.Unfortunately we had unseasonable weather,and it rained and was quite chilly.But our last day was 83 degrees!
Assuming you have a car go to the Rustlers Rooste restaurant in Chandler. Quite an experience.Decorated like an old saloon with live bands nightly and great views over the valley.Drove to Tucson-nothing special,and Tombstone wih was a bit touristy.Do not bother going to Phoenix,no shops and nothing particular to see.Go see Sedona and see the countryside round there.
Some great scenery and canyons in Arizona.Worth a visit anytime!
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Scottsdale Hilton Spa and Resort - Phoenix
Operator and Date: Trailfinders - September 2004
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Kevin and Linda Davis 48, 46
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We flew to Phoenix via BA, collected a Dollar hire car (car was an intermediate Dodge Stratus 4 door) and drove to Flagstaff stayed in the Radisson Woodlands, highly reccomend it, stayed 3 nights, visited the Snowbowl (ski lift) to top of Mount Humphries (highest mountain in Arizona which was brilliant. Loads to do in and around Flagstaff.
Then on to Grand Canyon, stayed for 4 nights at The Grand Hotel, would not reccomend this, rooms dark and dingey, restaurant over priced, would probably try the Best Western if we went back.
Grand Canyon is awesome and enjoyed every minute of being there inc the helicopter flight.
Then on to Lake Powell and stayed at The Lake Powell Resort complex, lovely,ask for a renovated room with lake view, it was beautifull. Stayed 3 nights, really enjoyed the trips on the lake.
Drove back south to Scottsdale Phoenix, very, very hot but the Hilton was great. The shopping in Phoenix is wonderfull, fantastic malls.
We loved Arizona,and only scratched the surface, it is so varied, from forests to deserts. City living to small town America, the awesome Grand Canyon to the blue of Lake Powell. It was our first visit to the USA and first fly drive but would definately go again.
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Various Motels - Arizona
Operator and Date: May 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Alan Gamblin (57)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Flew B.A. to Pheonix Arizona. An 11 hour flight but suprisingly agreeable getting through immigration. Officers very friendly & even shared a joke.
Trip was arranged on a fly/drive basis with all accomadation being pre-booked on the internet.duration of trip was 3 weeks & 3 days & we could easily have used another week.The first 3 nights were spent at the Hospitality Suite Resort Scottsdale which is a very affordable Hotel/Motel that we would highly reccomend. It is well positioned,offers a great complimentary breakfast & two free drinks around the pool.If you have never been to Scottsdale then I would say it is agreat place to start a trip out west.The shops & restaraunts are excellent & if you enjoy western art (as in cowboys & indians)you will be in heaven.We also took the opportunity to self drive the Apache trail which is a round trip of about 150 miles & despite what it says in the guide books should hold no terrors for any reasonably competent driver. Also visited "Rawhide" which is a second rate western theme park. Go if you are stuck for something to do but try to avoid eating in the restaraunt as it is overpriced & not very good.
Our next stop was Sedona which is an absolute must. Not so much for the town, which is nice enough but for the fabulous surrounding area. Don't miss Oak Creek Canyon & the Church in the rock also make time for a Pink Jeep tour (unforgettable).
Moved on to Williams which seems to exist for Route 66 memoribilia & the Grand Canyon Railway & little else.The Railway is great fun & well worth takeing the 2 hour trip to the Canyon. It is very much a cowboy experience with a genuinely amusing wild west shootout & "Hold up" on the return journey.We spent a further 2 nights at the canyon which can never be wasted time.We stayed at Bright Angel Lodge which is very basic but vey close to the rim & with an excellent restaraunt.Try to walk at least some of the way down Bright Angel Trail as it is wonderful to see the Burros return in the afternoon. Also try to catch the sunset which is spectacular.
After the canyon we drove a fll day through the Navajo reservation to Canyon De Chelly. A long drve through generally uninteresting, unattractive country but ultimately rewarding as Canyon De Chelly is fantastic.We stayed at the Thunderbird Motel which is owned & run by the Navajo. In our opinion it is overpriced for what it offers & the cafeteria is certainly not a gourmets paradise. We would reccomend eating in the nearby town of Chinley. The only practical way into the canyon is to join an indian guided 6 wheel truck tour. We took the 4 hour morning tour which was brilliant & left us time to drive the canyon rim in the afternoon.
Our next stop was Moab which has an awful lot to offer being situated between Canynlands NP & Arches NP. We stayed 3 nights at The Tomahawk B&B. The Tomahawk boasts a wonderful website & we really expected to be staying at somewhere like the Ponderosa hoasted by the Cartwrights. Instead it was more like staying at Oil Drum Lane hoasted by the Steptoes.Vance the proprieter is a nice enough guy & the room was not too bad but the place is surrounde by junk, generally unattractive, offers no change of towels etc & our stay ws not helped by the promised gourmet breakfast being replaced by a self made banana sandwich because Vance did not appear one morning. No apology was forthcoming & being British of course we did not complain.If in Moab do not miss the National Parks & Canyonlands by night which is wonderful.
Our next stop was Mount Carmel (just outside Zion NP)& we took the very long scenic route over Bolder mountain & through Escalante which with stops was a ten hour drive but well worth while. We stopped overnight At the Arrowhead Country Inn which was everthing the Tomahawk wasn't.A woderful place run by super people.
We had a few hours in Zion a place definitely worth a revisit & then on to Vegas where we stopped 3 nights at the Alladin.The Alladin is a great place to stay let down by a disappointing pool & pool area. Vegas is better than ever. The Paris & Venetian are top drawer, New York, New York is vibrant n the evenins with a great Irish pub. The new pirate show outside Treasure Island is rubbish, the Luxor & Statosphere downmarket & too far down the strip.In Vegas the position of your hotel is everything because the town is nothing if not tiring & everything is further away than it appears. We caught 2 shows whilst in town Cirque De Sol (Mystere)& Lance Burton & would happily reccomend either.
Moved on through Death Valley for a one night stay at Mammoth Lakes & spent most of the next day exploring the Tioga Pass & Tuolome Meadows on the way to Yosemite NP.The Tioga Pass was only cleared of snow 2 weeks previously & was absolutely beautiful with it's mountain lakes & thick snow still lying. We actually hit Yosemite Valley on Memorial Day which was not a good idea as although this is truly one of the grandest places on earth njoyment is not enhanced when the place is jam packed & impossible to get around comfortably. For some reason best known to myself our hotel whilst visiting the park was in Mariposa which is about 40 miles away. If possible I would suggest it is better to stay in the park.Our penultimate stop was at Monterey on the California coast. Monterey boasts a large & interesting Aquarium,a lively wharf & a profusion of Sealions & Sea Otters which are quite wonderful. We had pre booked a 4-5 hour Whale watching trip & would say that whilst we did indeed see Blue whales & plenty of Dolphins it was not an experience we would care to repeat.We can only reccomend that unless you are an EXTREMELY good sailor think twice about this trip because it would test Noah.By the time we sighted the whales a large number of the passengers had lost the will to live & it was very little compensation to them that there was ONLY another three hours to go.
Spent our last full day driving down the Big Sur stopping for an interesting couple of hours at Hearst Castle.
Flew ot of LAX after a brillian t if expensive holiday.
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Atlanta - USA
Hyatt Regency - Atlanta
Operator and Date: Hyatt Hotels - June 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Stuart Edwards - Hove (31,40)
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Considereing how much we paid for this hotel, we were very disappointed. Granted, it was clean and quiet and the bed was comfortable, but never having stayed in a Haytt before we had expected more from one of their 4 star hotels.
The hotel is a huge ugly concrete block in a distinctly 70s style. On walking into the lobby, there is a large atrium which was quite dramatic, but that was the only impressive part about the hotel. The rooms were drab and dark and needed renovating. The furniture was chipped and scratched. There was no minibar or fridge. There was a notice on the back of the door saying that it was forbidden to bring your own food or drink into the hotel!! There was a balcony, but it looked onto the office block next door.
The breakfast was good - all you can eat f0r $10, but avoid the revolving restaurant on the roof as it is overpriced and the food is awful!!
Atlanta itself is boring! There is nothing to see and the weather was pretty bad too (thunderstorms every afternoon). The only redeeming feature is the shopping. Take the MARTA (underground train) from the station next to the hotel and you can get to Lennox Mall, Phipps Plaza and Perimeter Mall. Ask the hotel staff for directions. The Marta will also get you from the airport to the hotel. Flat fare for all journeys $1.75. Get off at Peachtree for the hotel.
Only stay in Atlanta if you are on your way to somewhere else... like we were!!!
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Sheraton Atlanta - Atlanta
Operator and Date: June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Anne & Charlie - mature
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Spent 3 nights at the begining of the holiday and 2 nights at the end in the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel. Hotel was nice but we felt that it wasn't quite the same high standard of either the Sheraton in Edinburgh or Perth Australia. It had a lovely courtyard type swimming pool with a glass roof which is opened on hot sunny days. Wouldn't recommend paying the extra to have the use of the Club Lounge - but the rooms were nice and the food was good.
We certainly did not find Atlanta boring - we can recommend taking a tour with Francine "See Georgia through my eyes" a local lady who shows you lots of things that you would not see with a large Grey Line Tour. For only $55 per person (we shared the comfortable mini bus with just one other person) we enjoyed 5 hours of Francine's Atlanta including experiencing "soul food" for lunch - she picked us up at our hotel and dropped us off at a train station because we wanted to go shopping rather than return to the hotel.
We saw good live music in a bar near the hotel and the Coca-Cola museum and Underground Atlanta were within walking distance.
We were able to fly to Atlanta from Edinburgh and we toured Tennessee from there.
It was a great holiday.
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Boston - USA
Hotel Colonnade - Boston
Operator and Date: Independent
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : williams 58, 24 and 20
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel is in a prime location in copley square area, not far from the backbay areas too.. i walked a lot and it doesn;t take much time to walk the city. The trolley(underground)is cheap and easy to use. there was a stop right outside our hotel. The only downside i would say about the hotel is that it didn't have a coffee/tea maker, which in the great scheme of things is not a big deal especially when starbucks is across the road.. i did visit the copley square hotel and it comes with one, its just nice to wake up in the monring and have coffe before getting ready to go out.
its a lot cheaper than the copley square hotel so we saved money and spent it on clothes at the cambridge mall, the biggest and best within the central boston disrict.
it's also open until 10-11pm. great idea that.
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Hotel Copley Place - Boston
Operator and Date: SEPTEMBER 2004
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Vicky, Rachel, Ruth(25,22,22)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed in the Copley Square Hotel in Boston in September 04.The weather was very good we were in sleveless t-shirts the whole time. The shops are very good in boston. Me and my friends liked saks, copley square shopping centre and the prudential centre. We spent alot of time in TFI Fridays were the food was very good and the staff were pleasent.
The hotel itself was very clean the staff were very friendly and the food was very good. There is an night club in the basement of the hotel which we thought was very good. We also went to Quincy market which is well worth a visit but so is solem where the witches were meant to be. Dont forget to go to cheers which is well worth a visit. All in all we really enjoyed Boston and would go again. Rooms are spacious and clean.
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Copley Square Hotel - Boston
Operator and Date: travelbag
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Jo 40. Peter 43 , Katie 12, Ashley 10
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The one thing this hotel has going for it is location.Two stations on the "T" are close by this is cheap safe and relaible. It is 3 mins walk from the Duck tours start point and 5 mins from the prudential centre with its skywalk.Both of these were a must. We arrived at 5pm and having checked in went up to the skywalk it gives great views of Boston and gives you and idea of how the city is laid out.
We were not expecting 5 star luxury for the price of the hotel but it was disappointing. the entrance is impressive but the corridors and room smelt musty and there was evidence of past water leaks. The wall paper was peeling, white paint had yellowed and there was evidence of mould in the bathroom. We all shared a room but there were only 2 towels on our arrival and each day we had to go to reception after the maid had been to ask for an extra 2 towels. We had no toilet paper in the room on arrival and the shower gel dispenser was empty.The maid never emptied the bins in the room during our 4 day stay. It didn't spoil our stay as we only used the hotel to sleep and shower but I would not recommend it.
Must dos in Boston are the Duck tour, great fun and the drivers let children drive on the river; Whale watching we saw 30 hump back and minke whales on our trip... breathe taking. The street performers at Qunicy market went down well with the kids though we didn't think they were as good as the ones in Covent garden. After 3 days American history began to get on our nerves a bit. The first time we heard the story of the Battle of bunker hill 200 british red coats had been killed by the 4th time we heard it the number was up to 1500!!!!
Good places to eat, Steves Greek and American on Newbury Street and Applebees were very good value. There are also lots of places to eat at Qnuicy market. Try the clam chowder it is fantastic!
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Harborside Inn - Boston
Operator and Date: Indepent - June 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Martina Brady - Limerick, Ireland (40,40):
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have just returned from this hotel and found it to be great. It's a fantastic base for visiting in Boston. We got the T from the Airport ($1.25) and it was just 2 stops away. When we came out of the underground the hotel was right there beside us. Initially things didn't look great as they sent us to a room that was already occupied but this was quickly rectified. Our room was really nice. Not like the usual hotel room, a bit more charming, very comfortable and very clean I would not hesitate to use this hotel again.
At the moment there's no restaurant and I'm not sure if thats going to change, However you are just 2mins walk fron Quincy market where you can get literally anything you want to eat either to sit down or take away. There are some really great restaurants around there too. We ate in McCormack and Schmicks on our last night. A bit pricey but fab seafood.
A tip - if you want to eat in the union oysterhouse BOOK IT no matter what night of the week it is.
Anyway don't worry about The Harborside Inn, it's great. We had read some dodgy reviews before we went but really couldn't fault it. We also read it was noisy at night - we never heard a thing - we were in an Atrium room, apparently these are quieter. Book away and enjoy your stay!!
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Lenox Hotel - Boston
Operator and Date: Vir-gin - April 2003
Opinion submitted in Apr 2003 by : Jackie Garrard - Leicester (41, 32)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Have recently returned from a wonderful weekend break to Boston.
The flight with Vir-gin was excellent (as always) and we were lucky enough to be on one of the newer planes with a choice of 50 films, games etc. It certainly passed the time on the flight (although it's only actually 6 hours to Boston anyway).
Before arriving in Boston I was slightly concerned about "The Big Dig" which is currently underway. I thought that there would be roadworks everywhere etc., however I was pleasantly surprised that the work is actually being undertaken on the outskirts of the city so the centre of Boston was roadwork free.
The Lenox hotel is full of character (not like the modern, characterless hotels that you often find nowadays). There was a bar (drinks quite expensive - we paid $15 for a cocktail and a Guiness - yes, we were drunk at the time!!), but there was also an Irish pub on site which was always busy and slightly less expensive. They also did food although we didn't eat there (but it looked nice). The rooms were spacious and had lovely marble bathrooms. To be honest though we were hardly in the room (only to go to sleep and take a shower before going back out). The staff were extremely friendly and even ordered us a chinese takeaway one night when we'd had a few too many in the pub and couldn't be bothered to stagger to a restaurant.
Regarding tours etc., we did a whale watch (very choppy seas, did see 2 humpbacks but they kept diving so only saw them for a few minutes - wouldn't do it again at that time of year). We also did a ducktour which was excellent. The driver was very funny as well as informative and let any children onboard drive the duck in the water which they really enjoyed.
We had some excellent meals. We went to Kashmir indian restaurant, Tapeo spanish restuarant, House of Blues (when over at Harvard), Cheesecake Factory and Legal Seafoods (you must go for a seafood meal when in Boston - have the clam chowder - it's gorgeous).
Things to see - go to Harvard. Also, Quincy Market, Fanieul Hall, top of the Prudential Center (great views of the city), Cheers pub (we didn't go in, just had photo taken on the steps outside).
Whilst we were there it was the Boston Marathon and the finish line is approx. 100 yards away from the hotel. Didn't know it would be on when we booked but it was a great atmosphere, loads of people about enjoying themselves etc.
Had a really great time and will definitely go back.
By the way, the weather was nice. Sunny all the time, but quite chilly on one day and freezing on the whale watch. Two weeks previous they'd had snow so be careful if you want nicer weather.
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Sheraton ( at Prudential), Boston, Mass
Operator and Date: Independent - January 2003. (Five days)
Opinion submitted in Jan 2003 by : J. Young, Yorkshire _ 45, 50, 14
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We booked all this trip ourselves, and were slightly apprehensive about how easy it would be to get from Logan airport into the city, and whether we'd be able to get around. Answer is that it's easy. Boston has a safe, reliable subway system, the T, which costs a dollar a journey.
The Sheraton was quite expensive, but has several advantages - you can walk directly into the Prudential Center, an office/smart shop mall, which has several good restaurants. Ask for a room on a high floor, with a river view if possible, they wiill try to find one, if there's one free. The views are spectacular, and the beds are very, very, soft and comfortable.
The Cheesecake Factory we visited twice because we thought it was so good - and the prices were ok for a city centre place. Food was wonderful - the youngest member of the party said the Choc Oreo cheesecake was the nicest thing she'd ever eaten! Marche/Movenpick was also quite a novel place, for a change.
Be careful if choosing a Trolley Tour. We went on the Beantown Tour, but after we were on, and had paid, the driver announced that we wouldn't be going out to the Museum of fine Arts, which was a scheduled stop. Also, you are supposed to be able to get on and off where you want, but our driver was keen for everyone to do a round trip and then get off. Since tipping is virtually obligatory, if we'd got off and then got on again, we would have had to tip again, so it would have been cheaper, and quicker to walk, or go by T.
It's quite easy to walk around the main part of downtown, although the traffic,and the building work that's going on all around, are a bit off-putting. There are the occasional disreputable types on street corners, but you'd get that in any city.
It's lovely to walk across Boston Common, (especially if it's snowing, as it was when we went). Fanueil Hall and Quincy Market are like a sort of Covent Garden, if you like that sort of thing.
Catch the T to Harvard, and have a look around. The Bertucci restaurant there serves wonderful, mouth-watering pizzas ( and is not expensive). Quite a few shops to look around there, particularly selling clothes etc that would appeal to students. DO NOT buy Harvard Univ. souvenirs in the famous Co-op there, you can get the same items cheaper in Boston ( fanueil Hall, for example).
The JFK Library and Museum is also worth a visit. Catch the T to JFK, and then there's a free bus every 20 minutes for the 10-minute ride to the museum. It's quite impressive. Takes at least a couple of hours to do properly. Small cafe there, ditto souvenir shop, but that's all.
All in all, it's an excellent place for a long weekend break. We didn't stay there, but the Midtown was not badly situated for a not-too-expensive hotel.
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Wyndham Boston Tremont - Boston
Operator and Date: Independant - Sep 2003
Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : Andrew Smith - Lincoln UK (41,41)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel was booked for a 2 night stopover prior to travelling further inland. It is ideally situated to explore the city of Boston by foot. Set in the heart of the theatre district, you are met at the doors by eager staff who will whisk your car away to secure parking (about $26.00/day),immediately one less thing to worry about! The hotel is clean and tidy. Our room rate was about $118/night(Incl)and we found ourselves way up on the 10th floor overlooking Tremont Street. The room wasa little small but adequate for our needs.
The concierges knowledge of the town was a little dodgy so with a good guide book everything that you would want to see in Boston is within walking distance. We did not eat in the hotel but there are many restaurants and bars in the vicinity. A good breakfast can be had if you turn left out of the hotel, about 50yds on the left!! Freedom Trail, Boston Tea Party (Although ship is closed), Boston Common, Cheers Bar (Both of them!) were all thoroughly enjoyed, to name but a few. The 'High-Light' had to be lunch in the restaurant at the top of the Prudential Tower - fantastic views, excellent service. The set 3 course lunch was great value for such a setting.
Only one word of warning, with reference to the hotel, it is also the venue of probably the most popular night-club in Boston. Saturday night sees the side walk across the hotel entrance absolutely mobbed, this can be a little intimidating when trying to get back to your room. The noise of the crowd on the sidewalk was audible until the early hours, although I cannot remeber hearing music from the club.
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California and the Golden West
America's Golden West - California
Operator and Date: Travelsphere June 06
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Frank & Darlene - McNeice (50, 48)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Just returned from a 12 day tour of Nevada & California with Travelsphere. There were 2 bus groups & we never stayed at the same hotel as each other once, (rumour had it they always stayed at better hotels than us, but I bet they heard the same rumour)
Our tour guide hadn't done this tour for two years so her knowledge of Las Vegas was limited, however our bus driver Harold was an expert, as well as a magnificent pianist(& driver)
We stayed at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. The hotel is a little futher out than most of the hotels on the strip & looking a little tired but the rooms were enormous & exceptionally clean. Vegas is fantastic & 3 days is not enough time to do it justice. I cannot describe the Grand Canyon trip, we did the 3 - in - 1 trip (I think it was about $320 each), Plane to the canyon, helicopter down into the canyon & boat ride along the Colorado river, along with lunch on the rim. It was out of this world. You need to check out as many hotels on the strip as you can, each one is amazing, my favourite was the Venetian, the ceiling looks so much like the sky you won't beleive it.
We went on to Palm Springs where we stayed at the Comfort Inn. The rooms were fine & clean & the pool was a Godsend considering the 105 degree heat. Palm Springs was a relaxed little haven after the hustle & bustle of Vegas & gave us the chance to unwind. The aerial tramway ride was worth the $30 each for the view alone.
A couple of days later we headed for Los Angeles. This is my only serious complaint about the holiday. We were staying at the Figueroa hotel & the tour guide advised us not to wander, as the area was none too safe. I have to ask the question:
"If Travelsphere knows that the area isn't suitable to allow us to walk about, why book us in there?"
The hotel seemed content to overcharge us so 27 of us wandered into the local diner en-masse, much to the shock of the waitresses.
On the whole we found Los Angeles to be disappointing, all smoke & mirrors, even the area aroung the Chinese Theatre was really run down, although Disneyland was excellent & worth the $66 per head. Universal Studies is a must for anyone who likes movies & rides at $59 per head (I don't do rollercoasters but even I had a shot on the Mummy's Tomb)& the Terminator 2 show was magic for those of us who are still big kids at heart.
We had an overnight stop at the Vagabond Inn San Luis Obispo on the way to San Fransisco, which was fine. The Madonna Inn next door has to be seen to be believed (New definition of tacky) but the meal was nice & as usual the staff were extremely attentive.
San Fransisco was fantastic & we were lucky to get some clear warm weather too. The trip round the bay is a must & a trip without a meal at Fishermans Wharf is a waste. We even managed to geta trip onto the "Rock", our very kind tour guide arranged everything for us whilst we were out on our boat trip. The Catherdal Hill hotel is a lovely hotel with large clean rooms & very helpful staff.
Our final night included dinner at the Fisherman's Wharf & a cocktail from one of the tallest restraunts in San Fransisco.
Tipping is expected so we just left 15% on the table for the waiters/waitresses wherever we went.
Your luggage is taken to & from each hotel (tip-free) The only thing is that it has to be packed 1 hour before you are due to leave (04:45 on the last morning!!!!)
This was our first visit to the states & it was a great way to see as much as possible without driving.
We would certainly go back to las Veags & San Fransisco & would reccomend this Travelsphere trip to anyone who does not mind living out of suitcases for 10 days & wants to see as much of the west coast as possible in a short space of time. We met some lovely people, had fantastic weather, good food & lodgings (on the whole) & saw some amazing sights...... What more could we ask for?
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America's Golden West - California
Operator and Date: Travelsphere - October 2004
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Pat Riddle - 56, 61
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I cannot add anything more than has already been said in previous reviews of this tour. Although hotels differ. I gather that hotels can differ for each tour. Our tour guide was Patrick (Canadian) very professional and the best tour guide I have come across. Driver was very good too.
Of course, the fellow passengers make the difference and we had a very good bunch. We still keep in touch with a few. I would recommend this tour to anyone. It is a very good way to see Las Vegas and California. Would perhaps and have liked more time in San Francisco but this is an available add on. It is good value for money.
We were very lucky with the weather and it was glorious even in San Francisco, which apparently can be changeable. Perhaps October is the best time to go.
Hope to travel with Travelsphere again in the future.
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America's Golden West - California
Operator and Date: Travelsphere
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Dave Percival - Wrexham (52,49)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Went on Golden west tour on June 22nd 2004 - flew to Chicago with BMI (excellent) and then onto Las Vegas with Ted (United Airways low cost option) which was not so good - immigration at Chicago was a nightmare - it was a good job that the flight to Vegas was delayed over an hour.
First stop - the Stratosphere hotel in Vegas - slightly off the strip but a 301 bus takes u to the strip in minutes(cost a dollar and 25 cents)- accommodation good - Went to Rio for the Carnival show, Bellaglio for the fountain show, looked around the Ventian, Luxor , Flamingo and Caesars Palace - all excellent hotels in their own right - Vegas well worth visiting
Went onto Palm springs staying at the Vagabond Inn - again good accomodation - just minutes from downtown with its many restaurants etc - this was via Calico a ghost town
After a couple of days moved onto the Sportman Lodge, Studio City in Los Angeles - another very nice hotel with many shops within walking distance - this was via the Crystal Cathedral and Long Beach
From there had a night in the Vagabond inn in San Luis Obispo - right across from a small shopping mall and a few restaurants - again accommodation good - via Solvang
Last stop - Cathedral Hill in San Francisco - on main bus route into Union Square taking a 38 Geary - this was via Monterrey and Carmel and the Big Sur.
Tour Manager was Tom - he was excellent and as he was american knew where to go and what to do
Overall , an excellent holiday, extremely well organised with an excellent tour manager and bus driver (john) - well worth the money.
If you are looking for a relaxing beach holiday then this is not for you with early starts but if you are looking for a taster with lots of sightseeing then this is made for you
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Coach Tour - California and the glorious west
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook : October -November 2006
Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : coach party was mixed from 20- 70+ ( full coach load)
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: No rating
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Having done the Thomas Cook East coast USA tour( review posted) and much of Florida by fly drive over the past 10 years, we now consider ourselves fairly seasoned travelers about the USA.
The tour consisted of 14 days. Flying from Heathrow to Los angeles by BA.
As usual TC( Thomas cook) provide a free taxi service both ways as part of the price. A good idea and pain free especially when coming home.Cost was £1,300 each, which is about standard for this type of tour with a discount through airmiles.
The start was spoilt by TC relocating the head office and not supplying tickets in a reasonable time.(October 2006) We had to phone a number of times to get them delivered at the LAST minute. TC this is just NOT ON and has lost many customers because of your inept customer care. Many were very cross about the terrible service.Shame on the company.
Hotels were very good to excellent and the locations were mostly well sited for the tour.
Hotels were Waterside Coast long beach: fine.3 days .Wyndham at Palm Springs for 2 days: Nice. Little America at Flagstaff for 2 days: excellent.Golden Nugget at Las Vegas for 2 days: OK but not told about refurbishment, pool 'US' etc ( thank you not TC )and not the best location at the very end of the stip which is 6 miles long. Shilo Inn at Oakhurst (for Yosemite) for 2 days: fine. Finally The holiday Inn at Fishermans wharf San Francisco for 2 days: ok.
The tour covered 2,800 miles which was a lot and you can expect a couple of very heavy travel days covering 500 miles or more approximately in a day. A sort of 8am to 6.30pm with stops, drive. This can be almost too much even for those who expect it.
The tour guide was fine but why, oh why, do they believe that they have to fill in the gaps and repeat in some cases 3 times the same information in a parody of a school teacher. They actually need a lesson in how to deliver a topic and a few Ray Mears/ Lonely Planet/ tourist videos would have been far more effective and interesting. After a while the standing joke was that every tree or bush in the desert was a 'Yucca' tree etc. I speak as a geographer/ geologist/educationalist. Do not let this put you off because all tour guides have strengths and weaknesses. Some may have done the same trip many years and it can show. They need to refresh the approach from the 'new excited tourist' and cater for their needs. It is a difficult balance. But experience should not breed indifference or complacency. Above all they should cater for the unusual needs or problems encountered and not dismiss, as 'not my problem or part of my job'. Yes it is. The remit of a tour guide is wide indeed and should be very flexible. Enough said on this point.The coach driver was Super.
The places visited were extremely varied and exciting. They included Los Angeles, Long beach, Venis beach, Santa Monica, Hollywood, San Diego, Palm Springs, Flagstaff, Grand canyon, Las vegas, Calico ghost town, Oakhurst, Yosemite, Monterey,Carmel, Sausalito and San Francisco. There were lots of other places also and many, many things to do.
It was an an EXCELLENT trip for its cross section of places and well worth the pain of coach tour logistics. It catered for the Canyon/Yosemite fans to the I'm going to hit Vegas, people, which frankly for UK people is, Margate or Blackpool on steroids! But well worth the fun even if you would normally stick your nose in the air at such places. Do see a show in Vegas and tour the hotels. Grand Canyon and the Yosemite are simply drop dead awesome DUDE. LA is as you would expect. A lot of cars with only one person in each. Traffic jams in rush hour, but fun when sitting in a coach. Holywood is tacky but a must and I would love to see a concert at the Hollywood Bowl for a $1.00 ticket. Nice to visit Venice beach etc.Now where was Baywatch filmed? San Francisco was a real mix and exciting. The Fishermans Wharf area at night is NOT a very safe place and we were targeted by a pick pocket gang in a camera shop but spotted them attempting to do the close body squeeze. Take care in this area and other places such as the tenderloin? Despite this there is much to do and see. It is a very good place to visit. A ride hanging onto the tram care is a must for all. Not sure about the cable or wooden brakes though.
Ok, now about the gripes, whinges or moans:
Expect to be really tired and jetlagged at LA, Visiting places such as Universal studios whilst the body says 'need sleep in soft bed'.This will continue for some of the tour because of the early mornings and late evenings and long hours on the coach. The tour is a taster OK!
A major moan. some of the paid tours( most) should have been the official free tours. The Las Vegas night tour was without doubt a real cheap trick. To pay was mean and wrong. Money back please and also a few others should have been free. I will not budge on this view TC.
Next was the organisation of the tour. Many hours were wasted travelling extra distances.For example, to visit the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff required a fairly long journey. What a waste. better to stay nearby and have precious extra time. To visit a place such as Carmel for 40 minutes or Calico for for less than 2 hours is partly bad planning. In the Canyon or Yosemite the total time available was measured really as a few hours at each.Very rushed, better organisation of routing and distances is needed to give the maximum stay time and better use of the coach. We will simply have to go back on a private tour to see them correctly.
To sum up and despite the moans the trip was worth doing and I would say do have a go. You will have a good experience but not a relaxing holiday. Also if you are of the older generation please go only with a friend. If you need HELP, then this is not for you and neither should the tour company accept you on your own. Only you can decide if you come into this category. We will do another tour so we must have enjoyed the experience.
One final point that can be overlooked. The coach was full. This was a strength. Such varied and nice people who were a pleasure to meet, who were never clinging or in your face and of ALL ages. Variety is the spice of life and we would be happy to meet all of you on a tour again. For those of you who may read this, the author was the pain in the posterior with the new camera who shot everything dismally. ( not a david Bailey)
I do hope this is a fair assessment of the trip and no criticism of any person is ever intended and will be instantly removed if required.
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Tour - California and Golden West
Operator and Date: Titan HiTours - September 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Alan & Vivienne - London (50s)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We travelled with Titan on the California and the Golden West tour in September/October, 2005. We spent 14 nights in 9 different hotels, plus the last night on the flight home.
We made our reservation directly with Titan, and found them to be surprisingly inflexible in their dealings with customers. For example, they offer a bus service to Heathrow airport, but will only pickup from one address, even if two couples are travelling from close addresses and are on a direct route to the airport. We found this could be resolved by booking the pickup from the furthest address, then asking the driver (for a tip, of course) to stop at the second address. However, reading the latest Titan brochure it seems that they are changing to individual pickups - and not before time.
The return journey was much more efficient, with both couples in our party being dropped at our individual addresses. This service is, of course, included in the price, and it is irritating that customers such as ourselves, living four miles from the airport, must pay the same overall price as other living much further away. I asked about this when making the reservation, but was told that this is the way Titan work and no concession could be made for customers living close to the airport - another example of their inflexibility.
The greeting service at Heathrow Airport was impressive - a representative meeting you from the minibus, summoning a porter, and a further Titan representative inside the terminal, introducing us to our tour manager. A particularly good feature of this holiday was that the tour manager travelled out with us at the start of the holiday, and back again at the end. As this was our first experience of Titan and tour-style holidays, we could not speculate on whether this practice is standard.
Tour holidays are not for the faint-hearted. They involve a lot of hotel changes (packing/unpacking sometimes every night), early starts in the mornings (although everyone on this tour seem to handle this very well, and even I didn't complain at the regimentation), and long journeys in the coach (this is handled sympathetically, though, with stops every 2 hours or so; and the coach was comfortable, if a little noisy from a faulty emergency window). On the plus side, however, you have no route planning, no driving and no navigating, and you can sleep through the traffic jams rather than getting hot under the collar.
Our tour manager, Bea, was excellent, filling us with facts on every place (sometimes on every building) from her mine of information, and although I have forgotten most of it, it was all very interesting at the time. Every morning she related to us the plans for that day. Every time we made a stop, she pointed out where to get coffee/food and where the restrooms were. At every hotel stop, she would dash out of the coach to get our room keys for us, and every time we stopped at a hotel for more than one night she called each of our rooms to ensure everything was OK. To illustrate her attention to detail, she even maintained a stock of postage stamps for sale to us, so we didn't have to venture out to the post office - that's service!
The tours involved staying at nine hotels in 14 days, and although the hotels varied in their size, standard and levels of service, all were generally of an acceptable level. All had large rooms, most had good-sized bathrooms, and several had pools. The main criticism I would make of the hotels that Titan use is that some of them were not particularly well-located. Even after a day of traveling and sightseeing, some people like to take a walk to an outside restaurant in the evening, or perhaps to a local town centre, and it was not always possible to do this. All the hotels except the Stardust in Las Vegas had coffee-making facilities, but to get the water hot enough for tea, and to get any sort of reasonable substitute for fresh milk in the rooms, was all but impossible. All the hotels offered a reasonably-priced breakfast with adequate variety (although we did not try the hotel breakfast in the Holiday Inn in San Francisco).
By far, the most negative aspect of this holiday was the flights to and from Los Angeles. Although direct, spending 9 or 10 hours in the Economy section of a BA flight was absolute hell. The legroom is appalling, even for smaller people like ourselves, and the food and service not much better. When booking our holiday, I tried to find ways of upgrading to World Traveller Plus or Club World, but Titan were adamant that their seats were not upgradeable - another example of their inflexibility. Mysteriously, two of the people in our tour group travelled home in Club Class, so there are ways if you can find them.. If anything would stop us going on another tour-type holiday (with any operator) it's these hellish flights.
The hotels where we spent more than one night were as follows:
San Diego - Red Lion Hotel (2 nights):
Although this sounds like a pub with a few rooms, it is actually a low-rise 400+ room resort style hotel in pleasantly landscaped surroundings. There was a nice outdoor pool, and a good restaurant where I had the best roasted rib of beef of the whole holiday. Breakfast is a choice between a la carte and a buffet and was reasonably priced, so all types are catered for. The rooms have safes.
The hotel is situated out of the town, but the bellboy will drive you into town in the hotel minibus for a tip of $1 per person, but if you want a lift back, it has to be by 10pm. However, taxis are available in the town, and cost about $5 to the hotel.
San Diego itself is a pleasant, atmospheric town, with a distinct Mexican influence. The harbour area is interesting, and the old town has been rebuilt in authentic style to include shops and restaurants. Titan included a half-day tour of the town, which was very interesting (but why does it need to start as early as 8.30 on the day after arriving?) and the harbour cruises are interesting and informative.
Las Vegas - Stardust (2 nights):
The Stardust is a 32-storey 1,500-room hotel built 50 years ago, but quite smart and in a good location. Probably like many of the hotels in Vegas, it is impersonal, with a casino that seems to be full of people at all times. Being one of the older hotels in the area, it does not have the novel shows, shops or attractions of the newer hotels, but in a way, that's a relief because these attract crowds of non-residents.
The rooms in the Stardust are large, with good-size bathrooms, but there are no tea/coffee making facilities. There are several restaurants, but you need to watch the time you want to eat, as queues to get in can be long. Because of this, we didn't try the official breakfast, but ate at the deli counter in the lobby, where you could get Continental breakfast type items at reasonable prices, and a decent cup of tea.
Everything has already been written about Vegas, so I won't attempt to repeat other writers' reviews. Suffice to say that Vegas is big, bright, brash, naff and enjoyable all at the same time. The two nights we spent here were definitely not enough, but that's typical of a tour-type holiday (it also means that if you hate a place, you don't have to worry as you won't be staying there long).
San Francisco - Holiday Inn Van Ness (2 nights):
San Francisco was the disappointment of this holiday for our group. All the aura built up about the city from various music over the years is exaggerated, and this hotel was undoubtedly the worst one we stayed in on the holiday. It is a 26 storey 60s-style concrete tower, with a small and extremely unattractive-looking outdoor pool, inefficient and unresponsive staff, and restricted facilities.
Unlike all the other hotels, where we identified and labelled our bags before they were taken to our rooms, in San Francisco we were dropped at the sea front, and our bags taken to our rooms from the coach. This resulted in a number of bags being delivered incorrectly, one couple receiving six bags instead of two, and one of our bags going missing for more than an hour due to it being delivered to an empty room. The staff were hardly helpful in trying to resolve the problems - they seemed to be overwhelmed by the hordes of people arriving on numerous other coaches.
On the first evening (a Sunday), after having an optional group meal at a waterfront restaurant, we arrived back at the hotel just before 10.30pm looking for a nightcap. We entered the only bar in the hotel through an open door, sat down, and went to the bar to order, only to be told the bar was closed - an example of the attitude of staff and the restricted facilities.
On the first morning, after spotting the queue to go into the breakfast room, we decided to follow the tour manager's recommendation to eat at the New Village Café, behind the hotel. The food was good, at reasonable prices, with boiled water for tea (fairly unusual in the States, as in many other countries). However, do not venture too far away from where the café is situated, as the hotel is near an area frequented by vagrants, alkies, druggies and various other dubious characters. On the free evening that we had, we took a taxi to Ghirardelli Square, where we had a superb - if expensive - meal at McCormick & Kuleto's restaurant, overlooking the bay. The taxi cost $10, and avoided the need to use the roundabout routes necessary on public transport.
Overall, we thought Titan should seriously consider using a different hotel to this one due to its location and poor service.
Anaheim - The Clarion Hotel (3 nights):
At first glance, the Clarion looks quite a reasonable hotel. It has nine floors, is not unattractive in appearance, with tidy grounds. We were given a room on the 7th floor, which was undergoing redecoration on our arrival, so the lift door opened to a strong smell of wallpaper paste and various decorating debris. To be fair, this did not detract from the general enjoyment of our stay, but decent hotels often close floors when refurbishment is taking place.
The Clarion is reasonably well-situated, on the main Harbor Boulevard, near to various shops and (mainly fast food) restaurants, and within walking distance of Disneyland (which was just as well - see later). It has a pleasant and clean outside pool and surrounding area. The room we were allocated was a double suite, which had two beds, a sofa, several comfortable chairs and a fridge, but the ordinary doubles were a little smaller.
We spent a day at Universal Studios on the optional Titan excursion, but the hotel is not ideally located for this attraction, with the journey taking around 75-90 minutes in the LA traffic. Universal Studios are brilliant, being oriented slightly towards adults, and the highlights for us were the trolley tour of the studio sets and special effects, and the Waterworld show. Queuing did not seem to be too much of a chore, with all the queue areas being shaded, and fine mist jets cooling the air. Because the journey to and from the hotel cut down the time we actually at Universal, we were not able to take full advantage of all the attractions on offer. If Universal were the main reason for visiting the area, it would be better to stay at a more convenient hotel and leave a full day to enjoy the studios.
We took advantage of the included day pass at Disneyland to see what was on offer. Disneyland can be summarized in four words - crowds, queues, kids and noise. From the moment when we started queuing for the shuttle bus to take us (watching several go straight past, full), we resigned ourselves to a day of waiting in line. Several of the attractions had queues indicated of 70-90 minutes (although we found these queue time indicators were often inaccurate). Disney operate a 'fastpass' system, whereby you can book a priority admission to some of the most popular rides. We took advantage of this for the Indiana Jones ride, booking at 2pm, but the earliest time we were allocated was 6.50, so we eventually decided not to bother. One really irritating aspect of Disneyland was that, unlike Universal, many of the queuing areas were not shaded, so it was extremely uncomfortable when waiting for rides. Disney are also adept at hiding queues; several times we thought we were close to the admission gate, only to find the queue snaking around the area once again.
Back to the hotel, and the most negative point - trying to eat. Breakfast was taken in the Tivoli Gardens Café, and was totally table service. Unnecessary queues formed at the door, while the only waitress seemingly capable of showing guests to their table went about the more important task of clearing tables. Service was painfully slow, with each of the courses having to be served by waiters, and on each of our three mornings, having a simple Continental breakfast took about 45 minutes. We had similar problems in the hotel grill, where we were told at 8.30 on one evening that the headline dish on the menu (roasted rib of beef) had 'run out'. We were offered an alternative, but were then told we could not have the accompaniments that went with the headline dish. After some acrimonious discussion, the manager was called and agreed we could have the alternative with our choice of vegetable and potatoes. He then returned to his other job - running the karaoke in the bar.
On our final evening, we walked for about ten minutes along Harbor Boulevard (away from Disneyland), and found Il Capo, and excellent Italian restaurant with good food and courteous staff. We would suggest this as an alternative to the hotel restaurant.
Overall, this hotel could be reasonable with an injection of decent management, particularly in the food service area. Considering the age profile of the people on these tours, it might be better for Titan to swap the ticket for Disneyland to one for Universal Studios, and book an alternative hotel near the studios.
The hotels at which we stayed for only one night were as follows:
Phoenix - Holiday inn Midtown
Williams - Holiday Inn
Visalia - Holiday Inn
Modesto - Courtyard by Marriott
San Simeon - California Sea Coast
All these hotels were of a reasonable standard, with good-sized rooms, some with very small bathrooms. None had room safes, and all but the Sea Coast had restaurants. Some had pools, and several had small gyms. The main criticism of these hotels was the locations - only one, in Williams, was within walking distance of the town centre, and another, in Modesto, was in an out-of-town mall that had had a small number of shops and restaurants nearby. The others required a taxi to get to outside restaurants, so the organizers of these hotels do not expect customers to venture out in the evenings.
Overall, we enjoyed our holiday, and were impressed with Titan once on our travels. Dealing with their reservations department was frustrating, and the flights in Economy Class were absolute hell. This is the sort of holiday for fit people, and definitely not for children, who would be bored by long periods on the coach. It is a good way of packing in a lot of sights in a short space of time, and can act as a taster for future holidays. We are not looking for another tour holiday, although we would consider one if, as on this occasion, we found a number of attractions in one area that we wanted to see within a short time. However, I would never want to repeat the flights we had, so any future tour holiday would have to be with a company that would offer more flexibility on flights than we had on this one.
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Tour - California and Golden West
Operator and Date: Titan HiTours June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Neil Wainwright - Oldham (56, 54)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was a great value for money 2500 mile 16 day tour including main visits to San Diego, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco and La/Anaheim (Disneyland). Short stops at Sedona, Santa Barbara and Monterey made you want to stay longer. The 1 hour stop in Hollywood was 59 minutes too long - what atacky dump. The majority of hotels were on the better side of acceptable but the Clarion at Anaheim could be improved on. Driver Mark Whitaker was efficient and helpful with a good sense of humour. Tour Manager Gail Niece was excellent - if you are lucky to get on a tour of hers she adds an extra dimension with her knowledge and personality.
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Tour - Hollywood / Palm Springs / Anaheim
Operator and Date: Self organised March /April 2005
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Peter & Lynne Martin (54)
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: No rating
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was stage one of a 'rundfaht'planned for over Easter 2005. First few nights were spent at the Best Western in Hollywood. we cannot sing the praises of this place highly enough. Older 30's main building,full of character, and a new extension at the rear built around a small pool. Rooms are themed and very individually decorated; ours was '007'style. The walls were covered with beautifully framed posters, photographs an other 007 memorabilia. The hotel was 10 minutes walk from Hollywood Boulevard with it's 'stars' set in the 'sidewalk' every few yards, Man's Chinese Theatre etc etc.A pleasant stroll during the day but NOT recommended by night!!!
Downtown LA is but 15 minutes away by car. Farmers Market is a splendid place to relax, eat and take in a film. Rodeo Drive was interesting but I felt that 99.9% of the people there were, like us, only 'gorping' in the windows of overpriced retail designer shops. The wide division between 'have's' and 'have not's' was summed up nicely by a homeless and obviously down on his luck ethnic minority sitting on the pavement under the window of Cartier's begging for change with a McDonalds paper cup. If you get the chance visit the Gene Autry Museum of the West in Griffith Park. Most entertaining and informative and able to burst a few myths and misnomers of the 'Wild West'. The Tar Pits near downton LA are also worth a walk and view.
The major draw for us was Universal Studios. A rather splendid place which caters for all tastes. One can be turned upsidedown, shaken, shocked and come away totally awestruck.
An overnight stay in Barstow en route to Las Vegas allowed us to visit Calico, a reconstructed 'ghost' town. Worth the diversion especially the staged confrontation between the cowboy and the ind...native american! We've left a narrative about Las Vegas alrady and so to a rather nice surprise.
We found ourselves, on the way to Anaheim, in Palm Springs. This should be re-named 'Pleasant Valley'. I'm led to believe that this is the equivalent to Eastbourne, Southport or Harrogate. (God's waiting room western USA). Having said that there is a vitality whech is infectious. Young and old seem to be happy inn each others company and there is a complete absence of litter, graffiti and anti-social behaviour. Every thursday there is a street market in the main shopping street. This is substantial and attracts a great many locals and visitors. Our particular favorite was a modest stall consisting of a table behind which sat a bearded gentleman. A hand made nanner over the table declaimed "Ask The Rabbi..", so we did!
From Palm Springs to Anaheim and the "Red Roof Hotel" on Disney Way. Obviously well placed for Mouseland but equally good for reaching Santa Monica, Venice Beach and other spots. One evening diversion which we recommend is "Medieval Times". On offer is an evening of jousting, feasting and entertainment. A bargain at about $50 of their dollars. I must confess that we went in quite prepared to take the p**s but were totally captivated by it. We've learned that the Americans may not be 100% accurate in their undertakings but that this is more than compensated for in their tremendous enthusiasm.
We intend to return to the West Coast next year to continue our endeavour which is to , once again, teach them the English language!!
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Tour - Wonders of the Golden West, California
Operator and Date: Jetsave - August
Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : Tracy - Aberdeen (31, 41)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
A brilliant holiday. Travelled just under 3000 miles in a fortnight. Loads of brilliant sights.
Travelled from LA to the Grand Canyon (you actually stay in lodges at the Grand Canyon). Onwards to Las Vegas then up to San Francisco via Yosemite National Park then back down to LA to fly out.
Tour is 14 days long + your night on the plane back to the UK. You stay in 9 different hotels over the fortnight.
Touring is not an easy option, you move onto a different hotel most nights, but it is great way to see the country.
PS I do recommend watching the sun set at Hopi Point over the Grand Canyon. Truly beautiful!
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Hotel California - Santa Monica, California
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : J Paviour
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: No rating
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel was the one of the worst we've ever stayed in and we travel a lot. The rate was exorbitant, the rooms were dirty, there was no air con, and the rooms were noisy.
However, the worst aspect by far was the fact that we discovered bed bugs crawling around on the sheets on the second morning of our stay. Neddless to say, we checked out immediately and the manager didn't seem all that surprised by our discovery. We were offered no compensation but told that they would "put the room out of service" - yeah right!!! Don't go there get a room farther from the beach it'll be cheaper and, hopefully, cleaner.
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The Hilton Towers - Aneheim, California
Operator and Date: sept 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : NICOLA 22. 22
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
After coming here after Las Vegas i literally burst out in tears! the hotel is lovely it was just empty and in the middle of concrete city. We were close to Disney, which is the same layout as the florida one, but slightly smaller. We managed to squeeze 3 days out of it. That was the only attraction near us. The hotel had a small swimming pool,which is surrounded by the building, so goes in the shade quite early, 2 spa pools which were in the shade, & loads and loads of sunbathing area, the pool bar/cafe was closed and many nights we dinned alone in the restaurant!
The hotel i would say is a conference hotel not a holiday hotel, and you really must have hired a car to stay there, or in Aneheim.
I thought i was staying close to Hollywood in LA,near shops and people.We werent!We flew to LAX and got taxi from the airport, 95dollars later, we arrived at our hotel!!
We managed to find a shopping mall but it wasnt anythin like i expected, more of a local hangout.
Dont get me wrong the hotel was immaculate but just sadly, in the wrong place and a bit too quiet!
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Macarthur Place - Sonoma, Wine Valley, California
Operator and Date: Direct - June 2003
Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : Patrick & Philippa Vickery (37,32) - Glasgow
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
On our 3 week trip of California & Nevada this was our favourite place.
The Wine Valleys are beautiful and the towns quaint, the wineries fabulous to visit, the food exceptional and the locals really friendly. (Although Napa town itself feels different as it is a lot bigger)
We stayed when there was an annual wine auction so it was incredibly difficult to get rooms. As a result we paid much more than we usually would but wow, what a difference.
MACARTHUR PLACE has rooms ranging from £227/$357-£367/$577 a night and we could only get the most expensive, a Cottage Suite. However this was a detached cottage overlooking most beautiful gardens, with a private patio. Inside was an enormous 4 poster bed, a study, dining area, seating area by the fireplace, walk-in closet and a huge bathroom including jacuzzi bath for 2.
There is a complimentary library with cheese & wine reception, free DVD's for each room, stacks of books and games, 24 hour free web access and settees by the fireplace.
The restaurant, SADDLES, has a bar and casual dining area used by guests and locals alike. We ate the best steaks ever - apparently Prime Selection is the top 2% of beef produced and only available to the catering trade.
There is also an outdoor heated pool and an incredible spa which offers a wide range of massages and complimentary type therapies.
One day we did a winery tour. You can either drive yourself, go one a guided tour, hire a limousine (although the wineries think this is a bit brash!), walk or hire a bike as we did. The concierge had suggested this was the most fun and it was - luckily we stayed quite sober through the exhiliration of riding a bike for the first time in years!
We also took her suggestion and made a picnic from the amazing deli on the Main Plaza. THE CHEESE FACTORY offers more than I have ever seen and makes great sandwiches to go. Pack up a bag and head off to the numbers of wineries around the valleys.
We visited RAVENSWOOD who sell a great Merlot and onto BARTHOLOMEW where we bought a chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and sat in beautiful grounds overlooking Sonoma. Many locals were doing the same but on a much grander scale (linen tablecloths, etc).
For dinner we ate at THE GIRL AND THE FIG - a French restaurant in town where we could eat outside as the temperature here was perfect. However, on a Sunday night Sonoma closes pretty early so grab that bottle of wine and take it back to your terrace (a perfect end to the evening).
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Various hotels
Operator and Date: Jet Save April 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Jan Burrows Leicester
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
!4 day tour of the west coast of America. Started in LA where we spent 2 days. Had a trip to Farmers Market and Hollywood and took a seperate trip around the stars homes. Great value for money if you haggle with the tour reps selling tickets outside the Chinese Theatre.
Moved onto Phoenix for one night (very hot) then onto Grand Canyon. Wow! We stayed in a lodge in the park and saw sunset at Hopi Point - don't miss this its fantastic. Grand Canyon is indescribable!! Was snowing when we left the park!!
Onto Las Vegas which I found quite tacky but had a great trip down the Black Canyon starting at the base of the Hoover Dam. Packed lunch included and it was a fantastic trip. Wish now I had taken the helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon as it sounded great so if its offered take it!
Onto Yosemite where the scenery is fantastic especially the waterfalls and El Capitain and then to Lake Tahoe in thick snow. Very cold up there but the lake is beautiful. Unfortunatly the lake trip started the next week so we missed out on that.
To San Francisco where it rained solidly for 2 days but what a fantastic city. Don't miss the cable car rides, Pier 39 and the trip round the bay. I thought it was a magical city and loved it. Couldn't believe I was driving across the Golden Gate Bridge - try and go to the hills above the city to see the view - it's spectacular.
Back to Los Angeles down the coast road - 17 mile Drive is so beautiful. Just to watch the Pacific waves rolling onto the shore was brilliant. Stopped at Monteray and Carmel (no sign of Clint!)and stayed at Lompoc overnight before returning to LA for the flight home.
I thought this was a really good value trip. The tour guide was very informative and looked after us very well. The only critisism I had was the hotels in LA and San Francisco. We were warned about the bad areas at both hotels and advised not to walk in the area around the hotels on our own. I know we were in big cities and there are always dangers but I feel the tour companies should find hotels in better districts. The one in Frisco seemed to be in the heart of the down and outs who slept on the pavements most nights and there were lots of strip joints on the way into town. Fortunatly I was not travelling alone but for single travellers it was a nightmare going out on their own.
Would recommend this holiday - its a lot of travelling with lots of early starts but you get too see so much - think we travelled about 3000 miles. I'd always wanted to see the West Coast and this tour more than met my expectations.
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Western Wonders Tour - California
Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos Tourama-April 2004
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Joan Ashton-Heysham,Lancashire 63,61
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The tour started in Los Angeles at the Radisson Wilshire Plaza.Very good Hotel and easy to get to Farmers Market by bus.Day in Universal Studios then after the 2nd night on to Scottsdale,Arizona.Very nice resort.Old town is a quaint cowboy town with lots of Art Galleries and Indian Art Stores.Check out all the sculptures.Some good restaurants.We ate at the Pink Pony.
Amerisuites was our hotel for 2 nights.Very good indeed.Then early morning off for a balloon flight over the desert.Excellent.I would recommend it to anyone of any age.
On to Williams next and then the Grand Canyon(Fantastic)before staying in Las Vegas for 2 nights.Check out the new ride at the Stratosphere.We only watched!!!
Fresno was the next stop and the only poor one on route.Only overnight bit not recommended.
Good night at Best Western,Sonora before leaving for San Francisco for a 3 night stay.Holiday Inn Select on Kearny Street was very good.Right next to Chinatown
Went to Alcatraz and of course pier 39.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable tour and our guide,Adriano,was excellent.He was informative,friendly and made everyone feel part of the party.
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West Coast Anaheim - California
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin Holidays Nov 2003 (2 weeks)
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : The Kilbourn Family 39,35,10,7,6
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Right opposite Disney's California Adventure. Transport to parks by tram is quick, frequent & cheap. Kids were free on trams when accompanied by adults. Hotel staff were mostly very helpful. Rooms clean & adequate. Food in restaurant was large portions but did find price for same breakfasts daily varied considerably. Virgin rep was great (Linda) & did her best to get us a good deal on trip to Vegas Luxor Hotel & Helicopter flight to Grand Canyon with limousine transfer. Helicoptor was late leaving as not enough fuel so did not get a good look at Hoover Dam as pilot in a hurry & also he did not open champagne which was supposedly included in trip so that was disappointing as was the fact our lunch in Canyon was hurried too. 2 day Trip cost in excess of £1,500 so that was annoying. Luxor was amazing as was Vegas not tacky but Glitzy. Buffet at Luxor was delicious.
Coast Hotel pool nice & jacuzi but weather was unusually cool (warmer than UK in November though). Only downside was road noisy. A view over Disney is a plus as you can see fireworks at night. Also parking & rollaway bed could prove expensive on a 2 week stay.
Would recommend this hotel for location & once new park built will be right in middle of Disneyland.
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West Coast Highlights
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - April 2007
Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Marie & Ray (Retired)
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: No rating
My/Our Holiday
Opinion: We have just retured from the West Coast Highlights tour of the USA which we enjoyed immensely. However, due to absolute chaos at Heathrow we were unable to enjoy the hospitality of the "Executive Lounge". The whole trip, although tiring, was wonderful. However, I feel I must point out that the show arranged whilst in Las Vegas "The Ratpack is Back" (costing 61 dollars each)is a complete rip off. The brochure states "another option is to take in one of the extravagant shows which Las Vegas prides itself - relive the 60s at "The Ratpack is Back". We like everyone else felt this would be at one of the hotels on the strip - nothing of the sort. It is a backstreet building, which was apparently once owned by Debbie Reynolds, the show lasts for 1 hour only and then you are politely ushered out of the building. You do receive a free drink but do not have enough time to finish the one you have ordered and paid for. I would advise anyone to put this money towards a show which is on in Las Vegas and book this independently before going as it is not always possible to get tickets when you are there.
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Western Discovery Coach Tour, California
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - Date Not Specified
Opinion submitted in Aug 2003 by : 45,38
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This is the first time I have booked a package holiday with virgin and it's the first time I have flew with virgin Atlantic but I must say I was not very impressed with virgin Atlantic the aircraft interior was very tatty and not very clean on the outward leg of my journey our TV's did not work on the return journey the table's were broke and we had to eat our meals of the floor we did complain about this and filled in a complaints form but I have heard nothing since, Now i paid the extra for an upgrade to premium economy this was probably worth it for the extra legroom alone but on the whole I wouldn't travel with virgin Atlantic again I'll stick to British airways.
Anaheim Radisson maingate 3 nights Disneyland/universal studios/Hollywood
Day one early arrival and a settling period at the 3 star Radisson maingate the hotel itself is clean and comfortable but with a décor of browns and greens "ERR". but be aware the hotel bar is very expensive $14 for two beers.
Day2 Disneyland Day3 Universal studios
Day4 on the coach for a days travelling and site seeing, set of from Anaheim at 8am head into LA and a 1 and half hour stop in Hollywood, then head north along the pacific coast and take a hours launch break in the beautiful town of Santa Barbara, back on the coach as we head further north for an overnight stay at the historical Santa Maria inn that has all the charm of a English country hotel and one of the best hotels you'll stay in on this tour.
Day5 another day of travelling and site seeing and another early start as we set off to San Francisco. Stop of points for today are Carmel " a Truman show look-alike town" and the beautiful coastline of 17 mile drive we arrive in San Francisco late afternoon for a 2 night stop over at the 5 star Sheraton fisherman's Warf an extremely combatable hotel. The 2 nights we stayed here wasn't quiet enough, we found ourselves trying to cram everything in all in one day.
Day6 included a city tour of San Francisco this city tour was included in the main price of the holiday. The tour included the golden gate bridge, twin peaks ( a brilliant panoramic view of the whole bay area), a short stop off at haight Asbury and the Castro area's plus the coach dropped us back of at fishermen's wharf for a not to be missed trip across the bay to alcatraz island.
Day 7 back on the road and start heading inland to Yosemite national park we had a two hour stop off here and if there was ever a place on earth that could be describe as the garden of Eden then this would be it. Back on the coach and head off into the mountains an ascend to the tioga pass at 3000 metres, we went in late June and did not expect to see any snow but when we got over the pass he had a 10 minute stop of so we could have a few snowball fights. Onward to our overnight stay at the alpenhof lodge on mammoth mountain, the hotel was nothing special a typical basic skiers hotel that you would find any European ski resorts.
Day 8/9 9am start today and a long day on the coach as we travelled across the great basin desert heading towards a 2 night stop over in las Vegas, we arrived in las Vegas Hilton at 2 pm the actual size of the hotel is quiet incredible 3200 rooms and the rooms themselves were very large and spacious with two queen size beds and a very large bath that was very welcome after 5 hours we had been travelling on the coach. Well worth a visit is the star trek experience at the Hilton, the fountains of bellagio and the Venetian shopping mall with a canal running through the middle of it. We took in a show at the treasure island casino it was mystere performed by cirque du soleil this was a brilliant jaw dropping show with a mixture of circus, dance, theater, music.
Day 10 back on the road for a as we head towards zion and bryce canyon and an over night stay at ruby's inn a motel in the middle of no where thats nothing special.
Day11 onward to the grand canyon and an overnight stop at the grand canyon lodges. Pretty standard hotel rooms here and not a lot to do in the evening.
Day 12 flight over the grand canyon in an helicopter, this is a not to be missed experience, the views you get from the helicopter are absolutely amazing. on the way to phoenix you'll pass through Sedona, the Navaho nation and have a short stop off at Montezuma castle Then it's back on the coach for an overnight stay phoenix at the Sheraton hotel that behind a shopping mall absolutely hated this place there was nothing to do and they shut the bar at 10pm to the annoyance of all the British travellers.
Day 13/14 San Diego 2 nights at the bayside inn pretty standard hotel but it's position is quiet well placed for all the attractions that san Diego has to offer
Well that's it a total 9 hotels and 2700 miles on a coach all within 14 nights, you do see a hell of a lot on this tour and it is worth the price tag of £1300
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Various - West Coast of USA, California
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin USA & Canada - 2003/4
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Steve, Sandra & Gary Drury (46, 37, 17)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I'm sorry to say, but our dealings with the booking of our holiday from the start were bad. We booked the original "King of the Road" tour in the Virgin brochure but because we added an extra day at the start and end of the holiday, our holiday became "tailor made". Because of this, we had to pay an extra £1K and we did not receive any maps, etc, etc, etc.
Anyway, once away, our coverage is as follows :
HOLLYWOOD
A fantastic place to visit. Luckily our hotel was in the vicinity of the Walk of Fame, etc, so we did not have to wonder too far. We visited Universal Studios and the star's homes in Bel Air and Beverly Hills - not to be missed!
ANAHEIM
Such a happy place to be. People and staff were wonderful, even if they thought we came from Australia! Why do people think English people come from Australia? Stayed at the Sheraton Anaheim. Other comments say it is over-the-top? - why? how? It's wonderful and so are the staff. Only quibble - don't get a room by the poolside as it's noisy until 10.30pm if you're trying to get to sleep!
PALM SPRINGS
All I can say is "I want to live there". Wonderful place, wonderful people, wonderful sites. ONLY problem, stayed at Wyndam Palm Springs and we were fed up with the noise of kids running around from 8am, even by the poolside! Shame, because it's a lovely place.
LAKE HAVASU
Don't want to say too much about this as we are taking it up with Virgin BUT the place as a whole is lovely and well worth seeing. "London Bridge" is spectacular and everyone there is lovely. "Denny's" is a superb place to eat - very cheap, very friendly and the strawberry milkshakes are the best EVER!!!
GRAND CANYON
I cannot express in words how magnificent this place is! My husband surprised us with an hour trip (MUST BE DONE!) by helicopter over the Canyon. I still can't believe the sites and how I felt going over it. Grand Hotel was superb - book it!
LAS VEGAS
We stayed at Mandalay Bay - You HAVE to go there. It is brilliant. The rooms are fabulous - floor to ceiling windows, excellent room service and everyone is so helpful. Even though it is at the start of "the Strip" you can walk it easily in a day! OK, so it was a 10 mile roundabout walk, but how about this, I only put on 3 pounds in over 2 weeks, eating waffles with cream, pizzas, burgers, 3 course meals in the evening, beers, cocktails and wine! Honestly! Las Vegas is the best place on the planet - believe me! I want to go back tomorrow. There is absolutely nothing there I can fault and I am fussy!
YOSEMITE
Very sad to leave the bustling Vegas but Yosemite is beautiful. We tried to go on the uncovered tram ride but it was fully booked - shame. However, we went on an unexpected "hike" and ended up walking for 4 hours - 7 miles up and down a mountain. Never known anything like it! Absolutely unbelievable! Yosemite is wonderful and so calming.
SAN FRANCISCO
Our last and final destination. Stayed at the Holiday Inn Fishermans's Wharf. Very good hotel and very good service. Absolutely recommend a visit to Alcatraz but YOU MUST book before you go!
All in all, our holiday was fabulous and as KEEN AND FREQUENT travellers, this holiday was the best ever!!!! We loved America, loved the people and their way of life. Our son wants to emigrate .... need I say more???
If you are in doubt as to where to visit in the States for the first time, do the "King of the Road" tour. I thoroughly recommend it!
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Yosemite, Death Valley (California): Las Vegas; Grand Canyon
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin Flydrive, Sept 2005. Hotels booked independently
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : the Youngs, West Yorkshire ( 45 and 50)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We had hired a Dollar car from San Francisco, to drive, via Yosemite and Death Valley, to Las Vegas and Grand Canyon.
Yosemite is fantastically beautiful, worth spending a couple of days there, but the waterfalls dry up in summer and autumn, so don't expect raging torrents. We stayed at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. Staff v. friendly, room fine, BUT not much choice for eating out actually in the park. It's great not having to drive a round-trip of 40 miles or so to an outside motel, but the dining choices were an overpriced "posh" restaurant, (main courses starting at about 23 dollars), which was nothing special, or a canteen-style cafeteria, where you had to queue for ages to pay, while your food cooled. Be warned if you try that one...
Leaving Yosemite, we stayed one night at Lee Vining (Mono Lake), where we ate fantastic ribs at Bodie Mike's. It was full of locals who drive miles to eat the barbecue there.
If you drive through Death Valley, make sure you have lots of water in the car, (for passengers to drink), and that your car is ok. Ours broke down (not overheated), and we managed to limp the last few miles to FurnaceCreek, where we'd booked to stay the night anyway. The car was no better next day, so we had to ring Dollar's emergency number. They were excellent. Within 4 hours, they had sent a new car out from Las Vegas(130 miles away), and on a Sunday morning, and just took our old one away. There was no extra charge, not even tipping!
We now highly recommend Dollar.
It was our first visit to Las Vegas. It's not our sort of place, to be honest, but it's quite interesting for a day or two. We stayed in teh Imperial Palace, which has a brilliant location, centre strip. We paid extra for a superior room, and think it was worth it, as our room was great, but we heard several other guests grumbling about their rooms. The higher floors are best. The place was full, anyway. Monorail is ok, but only takes you up and down the Strip.
It's a long (5-hour) drive to the Grand Canyon, but it's basically one long straight road.
At the Canyon, we stayed at the Kachinka Lodge, which is in the national park. All the lodges and hotel are clustered together. Our room was fine, but didn't have a canyon view.(we tried booking one, but all the canyon views were booked, 10 months before we went...) Food at grand canyon much better, several restaurants, although you should expect a wait, as everyone watches the sunset over the rocks, and then rushes off to dine. Several gift shops, ice cream places etc. We hiked along the Canyon edge, which is fine, even for the unenergetic, like me. Scenery was amazing, but I think I preferred Yosemite's wildness.
Flew back,again with Virgin, from Las Vegas. Be warned, if you take a non-stop flight to the UK, you will be sent to the international terminal, which is much smaller and has fewer amenities than the main terminal, which is for internal flights, and those which change within the US. (ie, if you fly back via LA, you'll go to the big terminal...) It's ok for a few hours, but wouldn't be much for a long delay, as there's not enough seats for more than about 200 people. But that's just a minor quibble.
Virgin flights both ways were ok, although the flight back from Vegas was not as well-equipped as the one out, from heathrow to San Francisco.
PS. if you're looking for a convenient airport hotel at SF, we really enjoyed our one night at the Vagabond Inn Burlingame, booked via expedia. it's only a mile from the airport, but there's a couple of restaurants nearby, nice views of the Bay, and even free internet use in the lobby...
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Various - Tour of West Coast USA
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - October 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Jackie Garrard - Leicester (44, 35, 15, 4)
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: No rating
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have just returned from our tour of California / Nevada and had a wonderful time.
Before I get into the details of each place we visited I thought it might be useful if I mentioned a couple of things. First of all, if you are travelling with Virgin (whose flights were once again excellent), please make sure that you take your own roadmap of California. Whilst Virgin do send driving directions through with your tickets, these are not entirely accurate and if we hadn't had a roadmap with us we would have been in real trouble. So, whatever you do, you must buy a roadmap before you leave the UK. Secondly, there was a lot of driving involved on our trip which we really enjoyed. However, if you have small children I would certainly recommend taking a portable DVD player with you which you can plug into the cigarette lighter. This kept my son amused on some of the longer journeys (8 hours from Yosemite to Vegas)and not once did he ask "are we nearly there yet" which I'm sure like me, drives most people potty.
The roads were fine but we stuck to the motorways where we could to save time. If you're not a particularly confident driver then this type of holiday probably wouldn't suit you because you're driving into some of the biggest cities in the States and in LA for example you've got 8 lane motorways. It can be pretty hairy when you're not 100% sure where you're going, but I think it all adds to the holiday experience.
Right, down to the locations.
SAN FRANCISCO - Holiday Inn Fishermans Wharf
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Fishermans Wharf which is in a fantastic location, albeit it can be noisy at night so if you're a light sleeper this probably wouldn't be for you. It's in walking distance to the cable car and obviously Fishermans Wharf where there's always plenty going on and wonderful seafood restaurants. If I was going to SF again, I wouldn't have a hire car, unless you're driving out to different places. We didn't use ours once because we were too busy doing the sights. Also, luckily we had our car parking free with Virgin but if you're not with them you had to pay $35 a day parking. We did a tour of SF which included Alcatraz (a must do if visiting SF). Would love to return, it's an amazing city.
YOSEMITE - Cedar Lodge
It took us 4 hours to drive to Yosemite (after a bit of a detour due to dodgy directions from Virgin!!). The scenery in Yosemite is absolutely amazing - it really has to be seen to be believed. We stayed at the Cedar Lodge which was out in the middle of nowhere but we were only there for one night so we weren't bothered. The actually centre of Yosemite National park is about a 25 minute drive away so if you want to be close to the centre you'd be better staying in the Yosemite Lodge which is also in the Virgin brochure. The hotel was fine, it had an outdoor and indoor swimming pool, a bar/diner (where everything was deep fried - yuck!) and was very comfortable for a nights stay. I wouldn't have wanted to stay there for a longer period though - a bit desolate for me. Again, I would go back. It was beautiful and made a nice break from the hectic city of SF.
LAS VEGAS - Flamingo Hotel
It took us 8 hours to drive to Las Vegas from Yosemite (this included a 45 minute stop for food / petrol). It wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be and again, getting the portable DVD player for my son was a godsend. The Flamingo Hotel is very centrally located on the strip which is why we picked it. It isn't one of the really fancy hotels but who wants to spend a fortune on a bedroom that you're never in. We found the Flamingo to be really nice with a lovely pool area. My only gripe is that they don't have a lounge area where you can go and listen to a band and have a drink (like they do at the Luxor). They've only got bar areas which aren't so good if you've got children because they can't sit at the bar. The Flamingo is also on the monorail system which transports you up and down the strip (you have to pay for this now - $3 a single trip or $10 multiple use for the day). It still saves your legs because the strip is about 3 miles long and in that heat it takes it out of you. I won't tell you too much about Vegas because you have to experience it for yourselves. I've been with children and without and there's plenty to do whatever the situation. The kids loved it because there was always plenty going on. Don't be put off if you have children - it isn't only geared towards adults. My husband and I are going back on our own in April 06 so that tells you how much we love it.
LOS ANGELES - Renaissance Hotel
It took us 4 hours to get from Las Vegas to LA and for once the Virgin directions were correct so we found the hotel with no problem at all. The hotel is very nice - I think it's only about 3 years old and it's very modern. Out of the 6 hotels we stayed in, this was probably the nicest. We could see the Hollywood sign from our bedroom window which was pretty cool.
We only really went to LA to do the "celeb" bit and see the Walk of Fame, Stars Homes etc. and it didn't dissapoint. Hollywood isn't the nicest of places and I wouldn't have wanted to have stayed there for longer than 2 nights but it wasn't as rough at night as I was led to believe. We walked out at night and went to the Pig & Whistle pub on Hollywood Boulevard (nice food - not typical US fare) and whilst there are some strange characters out and about, they weren't threatening. The hotel is located right next to the Hollywood & Highland shopping complex and the Kodak Theatre (where they hold the Oscars).
From Hollywood we went to Malibu and Santa Monica but the weather was a bit dodgy so didn't stay long.
ANAHEIM - Sheraton Anaheim
It didn't take long to drive to Anaheim although we were driving in torrential rain which the Americans can't seem to handle so it probably took us a bit longer than it should have done. We specifically went to Anaheim to go to Disneyland. If you're not going to go to Disneyland, don't stop at Anaheim. It's not got much else about it. Luckily the rain had stopped the next day so we went to Disneyland. Had a fantastic day there and my son could go on all of the rides, even Space Mountain so that was great.
The hotel itself was nice but we didn't use the pool or anything because we didn't have time and the weather wasn't wonderful. Nice bar/lounge area to have a drink and we had a good meal there. If you're travelling with Virgin you get some discount coupons to use at the bar and in the restaurant. It saves you a few $.
On route to San Diego we stopped for a few hours at Newport Beach (where they film the OC) and Laguna Beach (got a parking ticket - whatever you do, if you go there make sure you don't park the wrong way on the street!). Both lovely resorts, would have liked longer at each.
SAN DIEGO - Humphrey's Half Moon
This was the last place we stayed and the hotel was lovely. We were upgraded to a suite which had a lounge and kitchen and we had a view of the pool. The hotel was located on Shelter Island which is much more chilled out than downtown San Diego. Again, lots of nice restaurants within walking distance (Seafood, Italian, Mexican). The hotel is also a concert venue in the summer and they have had acts like Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin this year. Also, they have live bands on every night in the lounge which if you're over 21 is fine. However, if like us you have children with you, you were kicked out of the lounge area once the music started. Virgin should really mention this in their brochure because there aren't really any places where you can just go for a drink after you've eaten your meal.
Went to San Diego Zoo which is amazing. We saw a Giant Panda which I've never seen before and the Polar Bears were great. They come right up to the glass and I have some great photos. Didn't go to Seaworld but I've been before and it's also good. Probably not as good as the one in Florida though.
Well I think that's it. We really did have a wonderful time. It's a lot more expensive for eating and drinking than going to Florida because you don't tend to get the same deals on kids meals etc. Also, they don't have the likes of Sizzlers where you can get the odd cheaper meal. I'd say we were paying on average around $80 a night for our evening meal.
If you want to see more of California, I would definitely recommend a driving tour. We saw so much that we wouldn't have seen if we'd have flown between the locations. Plus, it felt as though we'd been away for about a month which I think was probably as a result of going to so many different places.
Give it a go, you won't regret it.
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Various
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook TOURS - Sept / Oct 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : YVETTE HUDSON 22.04.1948
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
i have recently returned from a Thomas Cook Tour of the West Coast of America. Whilst we were able to take in a lot of the beautiful sites it was so regimental. We had early morning calls at 06.30am each morning had to bolt down our breakfast and be on the coach at 08.00am. We were pestered constantly by the rep who only wanted to sell his trips. I would not recommend this way of seeing America to anyone.
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Coach Tour - USA
Coach tour. Many hotels
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook 2005/Sept/Oct
Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : 50
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
An escorted coach tour with Thomas Cook during September to October 2005. 14 days. The Eastern Spirit tour. A driver with car personally takes you to the airport and back home as part of the tour. Cost not cheap - think £1600 per person before you spend your pennies on lunch, a helicopter ride or trivia.
A good tour starting in Montreal and visiting Ottawa, Toronto,Niagra,Albany, places in New England( part of the war of Independance route),Cape Cod, Rhode Island, Plymouth , Boston ,Mystic,New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. I believe the route may have changed slightly this year. Note : Philadelphia and Baltimore were 'all in a day' on route between New York and Washington. Just over 2,000 miles travelled. Flights via Air Canada and American airlines from Dulles Washington.
Nice hotels. A mixture of Delta to Best Western, expensive to medium etc. None bad.Some rather expensive if we had not been on the tour, especially at Niagra. No meals included( oops! one breakfast). An excellent tour rep who flew out with us and back to the UK. The rep points out places to eat and what to see and looks after your needs without being 'mother'. He was a 'mine' of interesting information about everything. Fellow passengers are never in your face and you can see them or not as you please during the tour. Your case is taken to and from your room and loaded onto the coach so no lifting, but the trip is NOT for people who find walking difficult. Despite it being a coach tour they all take their toll of your stamina.I think you should be able to easily walk 1-2 miles unaided befor you need food or tea in the case of my other half.
It was extremely pleasant to not have to drive and see places easily, visiting many that you would not have known about without extensive research.
Some morning starts were very early. eg up at 6.30 via a hotel alarm phone call by the tour rep ( good idea believe me) and then case on the coach at 7.15 and departure at 7.45, as a typical example. and then the days visits unfold, before your arrival at the next hotel in the late evening /afternoon depending upon distance etc.
Highlights? : The whole tour but specifically the brochure does not tell you of so many good things that you can and do visit. I just love the lady who has lived in front of the White House for the last 25 years in her own home made shelter protesting about nuclear arms. I wonder if Mr Bush ever invites her in for tea!!!
Was it worth it? Yes and yes again. a real enjoyable snap shot. Many memories and high points such as the Toronto tour (lift is glass fronted on the outside), helicopter over Niagra, Empire State building, Plymouth plantation, Niagra on the lake, Lexington and Concorde,Ottawa and seeing on police memorial day hundreds of real mounties in red uniforms.Walking around in Boston on the night that the Red Sox are playing the New York Yankees and I am wearing a Yankees baseball cap.Doh!! Yellow cabs and associated interesting driver, the White House, Mount Vernon, clam chowder,deli food, eating steak whilst overlooking Times Square and Niagra. speaking to very friendly USA citizens ( some in New York live up to their brand of famous hospitality) and a thousand other interesting thing.Foe example, I never knew that George Washington applied to join the British army and was turned down! How history may have changed etc.
Needed a holiday to recover!!!!
Ps.I shall now forget fly drive and take the easy option.Except when in Florida.
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Colorado - USA
Colorado Springs and Breckenridge
Operator and Date: Self Organised - April/May 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Two couples (one US) aged 52 - 60
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: No rating
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We spent three weeks in Colorado. The first few days in Colorado Springs, then 10 days in Brekenridge and finally 7 days back in Colorado Springs.
Flights were booked direct through Airmiles.
The accomodation in Colorado Springs (for both stsys) was booked on-line staying at the Marriott Courtyard in South Colorado Springs. The accomodation at Breckenridge comprised a three bedroom appartment booked through RCI and is run by Hilton Vacations.
Transport was via a 4 x 4 hired from Enterprise Car Hire booked on-line.
ACCOMODATION
The Marriott Courtyard accomodation was as expected and was on a B&B basis. The hotel only serves breakfast but other resturants close by. Very much "is this Colorado or Coventry?" since they are the same the world over. Very clean, well serviced and freidly staff. Swimming Pool and Gym on site. No probelms whatsoever. The weather (this was late April/early May) was cool in the evening and sunny, dry and warm (70 degrees)ish during the day.
The accomodation (self catering) at Brekenridge was very good. A high quality and spacious appartment with all the facilities you need. The rooms are cleaned mid-week and at the end of the week. There is a small shop and a Bar on site together with Hot Tubs, Gym etc etc.
At night time (this was early May) it snowed most evenings but by 10 am it had melted in the town and the days were sunny and about 65 - 70 degrees. Sun burn risk is high. The snow stayed on the surrounding mountains.
THE PLACES TO GO ETC
Colorado Springs is about 70 miles south of Denver and is located under Pikes Peak and Cheyanne Mountain (NORAID HQ.) It is the home to a number of military bases and the like. Typical mid-west town with the usual stores and a small but interesting centre. Close by is the "Garden of the Gods" and various other Native American sights. Well worth a visit but you need to be reasonably fit to walk round them. Approx 2 hours drive away is "The Royal Gorge" which is a bridge over a gorge some 1350 feet deep. Very spectacular but somewhat senseless since the bridge serves no purpose at all!
Brekenridge is located approx 70 miles west of Denver and is set in a wide valley. A very popular ski resort in the winter and hiking etc resort in the summer. It is some 10,000 feet up and you will feel the altitude so be prepared. The original settlement is still there (a gold mining town) and most of the buildings are now eateries of some kind. Most of the hotel/condiminiums are located on the sides of the valley and are hidden by trees. We arrived in early May during the "Mud" season (3 weeks) when a number of the eating places were closed for cleaning before the summer tourists arrived. This meant some restrictions in choice but very few tourists - great! From Brekenridge there are a number of places to visit including Vail - a waste of time in my opinion - and Glenwood Springs - interesting - You can also go via the Hoosier Pass (12,000 ft) which is on the Continental Divide. A very spectacular drive.
TRANSPORT
We hired a 4 x 4 for our three week stay. Had we not been going to Brekenridge or into the mountains a normal car would suffice. It just felt more comfortable on some of the dirt roads! The cost of fuel was approx half that which you pay in the UK. Main Interstate roads were busy and generally ran well. City and urban roads were OK. Only in the outlying areas were some of the roads very "basic" but passable.
We flew by BA direct to Denver Airport from LHR. Flight was fine. The welcome by the Department of Homeland Security made you feel like getting back on the plane and going straight home again. Very un-welcoming and rude. So much so we may well not consider ever going back to the States. So much for that "Special Relationship" between the UK and the USA! NOT GOOD.
SUMMARY
This was our third trip to the US. Previously we had been to Texas and New Mexico. On all our visits we had met up with our American friends. We were able to take advantage of our american friends local knowledge together with some research beforehand which made it a wonderful holiday. Had we relied upon general info from Tourist Centres etc we would have missed a great deal. Certainly time spent gaining some local info and background certainly paid off.
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Hawaii - USA
Aston Mahana Kannapali - Hawaii
Operator and Date: Pleasant Hlidays America-Jan 2004
Opinion submitted in Feb 2004 by : (61,61)):
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion: We booked this holiday on the internet, we cannot praise them enough, they even sent all our documentation to our home address.
We booked our own flights from Heathrow to San Fransisco on Virgin, stayed at the Commodore hotel for 3 nights, which was a basic hotel, clean, good service, and central for a easy walk into town. San Fransisco was excellent. From S/F we went to Maui in Hawaii, picked up a great car at the airport and drove to the Mahana. Maui is a paradise, very green with lots of fruit plantations, and waterfalls, perfect place for a honeymoon.
The hotel was brilliant the rooms were bigger than anything we get in europe, we had a one bedroom ocean front, two bathrooms, big lounge ,big kitchen, and every thing you need to cook any kind of meal. These condo`s were privately owned so they had their owners stamp on them. In a morning we had coffee on the balcony and watched the whales leaping out the water in the bay. The hotel was right on the beach, with small pool, but there is no facilitys for food or drink, but thats no problem because we could use the Embassy Hotel next door.
The Mahana is more for the quiter holiday maker, but there are plenty of hotels along the Kannapali shore which is the best place on the island. A mile up the road is a small seaside town called Lahaina, very old and plenty of restuarants, we had a excellant meal on a patio deck right on the beach, and the prices at the moment are very good because of the strength of the pound against the dollar, if you dont want to drive to town theres a free bus service from most of the hotels.
Just across the road from the Mahana is a couple of good eateries, where you can get a steak or a pizza, and theres a great supermarket with everything you need for cooking meals, which we did on odd nights, just to sit on the balcony with a bottle of wine and see some of the most brilliant sunsets you`ll see anywhere in the world was to die for. We did a whale watch one day cost about 70 dollars(recommended).
Its not a big island but to drive round it you`ll see some fantastic sights, and white beach`s on the side of the road. We spent seven nights on Maui then flew back to S/F for three nights staying at the Sheraton on Fishermans Wharfe, first class hotel. Go and see Alcatraz, you can book that on the net (16 dollars)well worth seeing. Eat clam chowder and fresh dungeness crab on the wharfe, walk across Golden gate bridge, and ride on the cable cars (3 dollars), first class shopping if you like that kind of thing, and have a meal in china town. Some good eateries in S/F which we went to were Lefty O`Douls near union square, and for a nice evening meal wearing best bib and tucker go to Ceasers at the back of the Sheraton hotel, four course meal with wine and coffee was $60. This was a fantastic holiday and all the prices can be found on the internet.
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Aston Waikiki Beachside - Oahu, Hawaii
Operator and Date: Independent - July 2003
Opinion submitted in July 2003 by : Dave - Campbell
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Oahu's Hidden secret - CRIME
I am aware that crime is rife everywhere around the world but on Oahu I am not sure whether they are ignoring it hoping that it will go away or, as I suspect, burying it so that it won't affect tourism.
There are violent crimes but the main crime is theft - especially from cars, especially items left in the boot, the beach and bag snatching.
36 hours after arriving on Oahu I went to Hanauma Bay. Finding the car park full at 9 a.m. I parked my car with about 30 others in a layby on highway 72.
I decided that it would be safer to lock my valuables in the boot of my car instead of leaving them on the beach - but when I returned everything had been stolen, my cash, credit cards, cameras, phones, even my dry clothes. There wasn't a mark on my hire car.
When I went to the police station to report the theft I had to wait in line behind everyone else reporting similar thefts. When I mentioned to the police officer that there was no damage to the car he said "this gang is really sophisticated!"
When I contacted the consulate to replace my documents the lady said "let me guess you left your items in the trunk of your car, everyone I speak to says the same thing"
Getting replacement passports isn't easy as you need 2 documents proving your British Citizenship, two passport photos and $77.50 per passport - they said but we do take credit cards, to which I replied "so do lots of others but they don't return them!"
We had 4 days on the island, enjoyed 2 and spent the remaining two trying to sort out replacement credit cards etc.
There was NO warning of the possibility of theft but all the Islanders we spoke to said "Oh it's a major problem now"
Forewarned is forearmed - so if you are visiting Oahu DON'T LEAVE YOUR VALUABLES IN THE CAR - MOST BEACHES HAVE LOCKERS BUT IF THEY DON'T LEAVE YOUR VALUABLES IN THE HOTEL SAFE.
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Hilton Hawaiian Village - Oahu Hawaii
Operator and Date: Virgin Holidays - May 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Debbie & Robert (33,35)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We went to Oahu as part of our honeymoon trip. The hotel is fantastic. It has everything you want, every type of restaurant/cafe you could need and a variety of shops including a small supermarket where prices are reasonable.
We had a room in the Diamond head tower which when looked out of the balcony had a lovely view of the beach and sea. It was great! The beach was nice and not croweded but only really went on it in front of the hotel. The sand was a bit shelly near the beach and the sea wasn't quite as clear as I thought it might be, but still went for a dip a dew times.
Visited Pearl Harbour and the Polynesian Culteral Centre which is a must. This centre has 7 themed villages from different parts of Ploynesia. There are shows and demonstrations of their cultures.
I also sent to the Sea Life park to swim with a dolphin! I got a belly ride and enjoyed every minute!
Waikiki is nice, they seemed to have spent money making it nice. It has many designer stores and lots of restaurants to choose from. It was about a 15-20 min walk from the hotel.
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Hilton Hawaiian Village - Oahu Hawaii
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - August 04
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : H and A Stanforth - Redcar, Teesside (27, 29)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
An excellent honeymoon destination and hotel. Definitely glad we chose the Hilton. Extremelly good customer care and service and we didn't want to leave the hotel grounds becuase we felt so relaxed there. We did go on the Pearl Harbour trip (11am trip - lovely.) and the island trip (longish day but good to see the rest of the island and driver/tour dude was funny) Make sure you have a lot of spending money if you intend to SHOP, or if you generally shop in Prada and Tiffany's then you're in heaven!!! Excellent part of the beach, only problem is the cost of the parasol and sunbeds and the hire of inflaable water beds and rings. Expensive, especially if you don't intend on being on the beach from 9am until 6pm (like some did)
Everything on this honeymoon was fantastic. From being upgraded to a room 'with a view' instead of the garden view we payed for to the night before we left was an absolute delight and we are definitely wanting to go back again when funds allow).
We would recommend splitting the two flights (from Heathrow) over a couple of days. we did it all in one go and was a killer!!!! More - so going out there than coming back. You're forever going back in time. Our travel day was Monday and never seemed to end. We saw 5pm at least twice (I'm sure it was actually three times)
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Outrigger Reef on the Beach - Oahu, Hawaii
Operator and Date: Gold Medal - September 2004
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Kevin and Joanne Quantrill (35, 33)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This is a truly wonderful hotel set right on Waikiki Beach. The beach is smaller than we expected but it really never felt over crowded. There is also a large outdoor pool area inside the hotel with ample beds around it.
We had read other reviews about the hotel being in need of some modernisation and we think this must of happened. From our first walk into the massive open plan reception we felt that we had picked the right hotel.
On checking in, we were told we had been given a free upgrade. Our room was amazing. We had a corner room with 2 balconies (views over the city and a view of the sea), a sitting room part of the room with a sofa and a king size bed.
We are beach lovers but with so much to see and do we found we spent less time on the beach than on other holidays.
2 sunbeds, parasol and table are about $30 a day. We got them the days we were on the beach, others didn't but soon changed their minds. Occasionally through the day the tide comes right up the beach. Laying on a towel when the tide comes up and everything getting soaked didn't look much fun!
The walk to the main part of the town was just 5 minutes away. Here the other hotels all had there own restaurants that anyone could use as the choice of restaurants on the main road is quite limited. A must for a meal out is the Cheesecake Factory. Don't be put off by the waiting time(normally at least an hour). They give you a small box and just before your table is ready it buzzes, so you can wonder off and do some shopping and just wonder back when your table is ready for you.
There are 3 restaurants in the hotel. The best choice was the one where you cook your own food!! You order what you want and they bring it to you raw and you join all the other diners at a massive grill and cook away.
The open bar that overlooks the beach and ocean is wonderful. There is live music playing each night and this bar gets pretty busy later into the evening (as does the beach around it where you can take you drink outside, sit on the beach and listen to the music).
There are 2 other bars in the hotel, we didn't go into them but they both looked equally as much fun (one with live music and the other around the pool area).
Every member of staff we had any contact with were so friendly and they were honestly there to make sure you have a wonderful stay.
The hotel organises trips to Pearl Harbour. We booked the mid morning trip rather than the early morning one (which leaves about 6am) but would advise anyone to take the early one as we had to wait about 2 hours to go across to the memorial. The earier trip has no queues!
This was the 2nd location on a 3 stop holiday (we had been to San Francisco and were going onto Las Vegas)and were in Oahu for 1 week and didn't want to leave. When (I hope)we visit again it will be staying at this hotel and for 2 weeks!
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Royal Hawaiian Hotel - Oahu, Hawaii
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook Select - June 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Steve and Sandra Drury (48, 40)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
After spending a fantastic week in Las Vegas at the Bellagio, we flew with Hawaiian Airlines to Oahu. The flight was fantastic and on arrival we knew we had come to a lovely island. I was disappointed not to be greeted at the airport with a lei as I dreamt of this happening, you always see it in the films don't you? However, on arrival at the Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki Beach, we were greeted with a lei and felt more at home.
I must admit, the hotel is very old and we were very disappointed with our room. We had a 'sunsational room' but this was very pokey, overlooked the area where plants are kept to be planted in the grounds with the car park entrance behind. Not what we expected at all. The room badly needed work on it, updating and redecorating.
The famous Mai Tai bar is fantastic and the staff cannot do enough for you. Our other complaint is the pool area. If you are rich and famous, your sunbed is made up for you at what must be before 5am in the morning as we ventured to the pool area at 6.30am to find many beds already made up by the pool attendants for these sort of people. What was really annoying was that most of them did not come down to the pool until at least 11.30am and then spent about 1/2 hour on their beds, left them reserved and spent the rest of the time on their other 'reserved' beds on the beach! There are even signs to say if a bed is not used for an hour, the towels will be removed! One rule for one and one for another.
Unfortunately, during our stay, we were called from the UK to say she had hours to live. As soon as my husband went to the Concierge, everything was done for us, they were brilliant. They phoned Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Airlines and got us on the next available plane home. At a time like that, they were remarkable.
I doubt if we will return to the Royal Hawaiian, but it is worth a visit but you would have to pay for a big upgrade to a luxury ocean room to get a decent room.
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Honolulu - USA
Moana Sheriton - Honolulu
Operator and Date: Page & Moy-March 2003
Opinion submitted in Apr 2003 by : Martin & Barbara (46,47)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Stayed on three Islands for our once in a lifetime trip,each one very different from the other.
Honolulu-Moana Surfrider Hotel.
This is the oldest Hotel on the island,but very Superior,roomslovely,very clean.People very friendly and helpfull.The beach is fantastic.well worth staying there.
Big Island;Hilton Waikola Village.
This is fabulous,everything there you need for a fantastic time,You can get to your room by boat or train,rooms are very nice.Massive complex where you can go swimming with the dolphins at their special pool,there is also an adult only pool.
We were very lucky to be able to watch the whales in the ocean.(time of year).
kauai.Sheraton Kauai Resort.
This is big complex,with 2 sides to it,one on either side of the road.On the main side is the beach,with swimming pools,a snack and drink bar,happy hour each evening with dancing and singing and as many miti's you can drink.The other side as a small swimming pool as well.
A fabulous holiday for myself and hubby for Our 25th Wedding Anniversary.
How do we beat that next year???
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Outrigger Reef on the Beach - Waikiki Beach, Hololulu
Operator and Date: United Airlines March - April 2005
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Sylvia and Alan, Ayrshire 48,48
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
for our 30th wedding anniversary (Pearl Wedding) we decided to go to Pearl Harbour (husband is ex Royal Navy) We travelled with United Airlines. We had 3 nights in San Diego, 7 in Hololulu and 4 in San Franscisco. If I go again I would just stay overnight in San Fransisco and have 10 days in Hawaii beefore returning to San Fransisco for a few days. this is only because of the extra number of flights going to San Diego caused us.
In Hawaii we stayed in Outrigger Reef on the Beach What can I say, the hotel was fantastic. The hotel is right on Waikiki Beach with fantastic views of Diamond Head. The huge lobby was very clean, light and airy (even with around 50 US servicemen checking in). The hotel is actually 3 towers and we were in Ocean Tower on the 14th floor (really 13th but they do not number floor 13 as such).
The room was lovely, everything we needed and a sea view with balcony. The tolietries are fantasctic. The Maid left us extra when we said we loved them. Kona coffee is left in the room as well and is great. Again we were left extra. We had mentioned at the time of booking with the travel agent that the trip was a special anniversary but this information was not passed on to the hotel. If it had been we would have certainly been upgraded to a deluxe room but these rooms had already been allocated so no free upgrade. Mind you the room we had was lovely so we were not disappointed. We were given a gift package of a holiday bag, 2 t-shirts,a CD of hawaiian music, hotel gift dollars which we used for dinner one night in the restaurant by the pool. Oh, the pool was freezing (late March) which was a surprise but after a few minutes we got used to it.
The hotel has some shops on the ground floor and a Starbucks (great for your breakfast as with most amaerican hotels it is room only).
The Shorebird Bar and Grill is a great place for drinks while watching the sun go down. Glassless windows right on the beach! The food is great - the bowl of prawns my husband has as a starter was amazing - he thought he would never get to the bottom of them - fantastic value!! The local live music was great.
The whole area around the hotel was about to be upgraded and pedestrianised so United did not offer this hotel in their 2006 brochure although you could book it through the hotel website. I believe the upgrading of the area is now complete and I would love to go back and see what they have done.
We booked a couple of tours through the hotel. A helicopter ride round the island, the Pearl Harbour trip and a Round Island day trip. The tours were good value for money. The helicopter trip was fantastic. We were paired up with another couple which did not detract from the trip in any way. The pilot was amazing. His knowledge was first class and he hovered over special places of interest. The flight took in the whole island of Oahu and it was amazing to see the valleys were Jurassic Park was filmed. The return to the helipad took in the path of the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbour which was very moving.
The Pearl Harbour tour was lead by Ben our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable. Although we had pre-booked the tour, when you arrive at the museum you have to book a time slot for the boat to the Arizonal Memorial which was a couple of hours later. BE WARNED - you are taken over to the Arizonal Memorial by a boat which holds 150 people at a time which I feel reduced the overall reverence this memorial deserves. You only have 15 minutes on the memorial which can seemed rushed especially if you want photos etc. We were both extremely moved by the whole tour. In the museum you have the opportunity to meet survivors who will answer any questions (and perhaps sell their book). The whole experience should not be missed. Part of the tour was a drive round ,the Punchbowl a natural depression which holds a military cemetary for those killed at Pear Harbour. All in all the tour is not to be missed. Fort de Russy (right next door to this hotel in the park is a good museum also with emphasis on locals.
The Round Island tour was great made even more so by our fantastic guide, Tiny (extremely ironic). He is a native Hawaiian and his stories really made the trip. He even has you speaking Hawaiian by the time you get off the bus!! For lunch the tour stopped at a great golf resort with fabulous views and the meal for $13 was fantastic vaule (not included in the cost of the tour). The stop at the Dole plantation is really an excuse to make you spend money. The Pineapple Express trip round the fields was a bit cheesy (especially the commentary). The shop was typical of american visitor attractions - ranging from cheap to extremely pricy!
ONE TIP, if you are on an organised bus tour, they pick up at different hotels some of which are Military owned. TAKE YOUR PASSORT OR PHOTO ID as the military will not allow anyone on the bus into the complex without ID. We had to get off and wait for the bus to go into the complex drop people off then return to pick us up (10-15 mins but in the heat it seemed a lot longer).
Ala Moana Mall (5 mins on the bus of 15 minute walk along the sea front road) is worth a short visit with some nice shops. The Hawaiian patchwork is beautiful but the quilts are VERY expensive. The food court is always BUSY but has most kinds of food, american, mexican, japanese, etc.
Hilo Hatties is a good chain of stores although they can be expensive.
On the whole the hotel was fantastic. I would recommend this hotel. I can't wait to go back.
PS Mahalo means THANKS and not TRASH as we thought - (it is on all the bins)!!
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Hotel Pacific Beach - Honolulu
Operator and Date: Jet Life - June / July 2003
Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : Ben , Nicola (26,24)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
we went in late june, early july including independence day!
we stayed at pacific beach which already reviewed by one couple as excellent which i have to agree, it has a big fish tank in restaurant when i say big i mean two stories high with stingrays etc and you can have a diver write a romantic message while you eat at specific times going again to get married.
the surf is excellent you can sunbath on grass next to beach then run to the sea across the hot sands if like me dont like beaches though it is one of the best beaches i have seen.
went to waterpark which is full of kids was not that busy when we went but try the half pipe it is amazing.
yes nearly forgot with jetlife we got the hawaii necklace when arrived that many people told me i would not!
found nightlife quiet would welcome any feed back on this.
volcano tour go early in morning as too hot in afternoon to walk also do not bother with anything else than shorts and t-shirts surf ones as thats what everyone wears!
Pearl harbour have to do...very sad
weather hot but cloudy little rain for seconds they call it pineapple mist its very welcome wish would have rained longer
very sad to leave best holiday ever you have got to get a body board and flippers on first day and catch a wave its amazing..and i can not swim!!
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The Sherton Wakiki - Honolulu
Operator and Date: United Vacations
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : M Abram - Wigan (40,38,12,42,41,16,13,64,62)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This is the second time that we have stayed in this hotel it is idealy located right on Wakiki beach, The staff are so helpful there is nothing that is to much trouble for them, everyone is so freindly and the place is spotlessly clean you don't need any towels for the pool area or the beach they are all provided. there is a lovley snack bar round the pool with waiteress service so no need for you to even make the journey to the bar there are twelve lifts so you never need to be waiting to get one.
it's a must to eat at the cheesecake factory which is located just down the street also vist the international market shopping area you will find some good bargins and there is always live music and hula dancers.
Over all this is one of the best hotels that I have ever stayed in
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Las Vegas - USA
Aladdin Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: United Vacations - May 2006
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Karen & Stevie (36 & 46)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed in the Aladdin for 4 nights. We didn't ask for an upgrade but our room was great anyway. We had a good view of the hotels in the strip, 2 queen sized beds and a huge bathroom. We had breakfast in the Spice Market Buffet restaurant once but didn't like it too much, the rest of the days we had breakfast in the Zanzibar which was excellent! We also had a meal in the Mexican and the Chinese restaurants within the hotel which were also excellent especially the Chinese. Visited Starbucks a few times as well - open 24 hours as was Zanzibar. Had a few hours shopping in the Desert Passage, shopoholic heaven!! Went to the theartre within the Aladdin to see the variety show which was great and well worth the money. Only visited the pool area once which was pretty quiet but very clean and tidy. The only complaint we would have about the hotel was in that we got lost a few times round about the mezzanine part and exit areas, not sure if this was because the hotel is being changed over to Planet Hollywood but was a bit confusing at times, did not seem as well set out as most of the other hotels. All in all really enjoyed staying at the Aladdin although when we go back would stay at a different hotel as they all look great!
Las Vegas itself was fantastic. We visited most of the hotels but will have to go back to visit the ones we missed. Each hotel was different with there own themes and huge, you would have to go and see it for yourself to understand how amazing they are! Some parts of the strip was a bit "tacky" but whilst you were in the hotels it was a different world. We went to a couple of shows at night, The Variety Show in Aladdin and a hypnotist show in the Stardust Hotel which was a good laugh. We also visited Hoover Dam which was breathtaking..next time it's Grand Canyon!
Apart from this hotel that we stayed at our favourites were New York New York and The Mandalay Bay. We visited The Shark Reef within The Mandalay Bay hotel which was very interesting.
We flew by United Airlines and all the flights were excellent and we were well looked after.
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The Aladdin - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: December 2005
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Steve and Mel Price 44,45
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
4th time in Las Vegas 1st time staying at Aladdin. Lovely hotel, helpful staff. Ask to be upgraded well worth it! We were given a room overlooking Bellagio fountains. Room lovely and clean. We ate at Zanzibars cafe which was excellent for breakfast better than buffet.Valet parking free for guests well worth it if you have hired a car,felt like royalty. Music awards at hotel so saw plenty of stars, i.e. Mariah carey, Ricky Martin, Keith Urban,loads of others too.
If you hire a car take a trip to Red Rock Canyon,well worth it. Fremont street fabulous. We will go back again and again. We love it.
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The Aladdin - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: March 2005- Capitol World Travel
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : 26 - 65 (91 people in total)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We went on a trip from work which all attending had to achieve with set targets, we were them able to take our partners so 91 of us in total took ourselves to Las Vegas, what a place its like no where else on earth, it really is 24 hours, you get get up and walk around at any time of the day and night and the whole place is buzzing, although around 5am is very good.
We got there in the middle of a heat wave so it was around 90-100 every day (middle of March) so it was quite hot for us brits. The hotel staff were fantastic and after several requests they opened the pool which is not normally open until April.
The food is great but quite expensive and watch the bottled water left in the room, if you open it its very expensive. There is everything you need so no need for hairdryers etc.
Take and empty suitcase for the shopping, for all the bargain hunters out there there are plenty to be had in Vegas, several outlets villages but the one close to Freemont street is the best.
My one complaint is that the hotels do not show the exits very well so once you are in you are lost in there for an hour, we walked our feet sore wondering in and out of the hotels, they are amazing, MGM Grand has its own lions, the bellagio has a 10million dollar ceiling of glass roses, there is something for everyone (except children) its not really for the kids.
Going to the Grand Canyon is a must, you have to do it, what an amazing experience it is like nothing you have ever seen, the flight down to the bottom and the river ride make it the best and the little market at the top with the natives is also very good, they have some excellent bargains.
So just one final word, WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS STAYS IN VEGAS!!! oh yea and tip everyone its how they make a living.
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The Aladdin - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Mr and Mrs Bentley (29, 33)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Aladin is a good hotel, in a very good location. Its not as busy as the other hotels but in our opinion that was good as some of the other hotel casino,s etc were packed.
Great location on the strip as its right in the middle, food was good as was the shopping in the hotel with the 1.2 mile dessert passage under the Aladin.
Worth asking for the upgrade on the room, we got a fountain room for nothing more than asking and a smile.
Rooms are good, with plenty of space.
We would come again, and would not mind staying in the Aladdin although the Hotel choice is endless.
The strip is great and safe with good police visiability, Fremont street is worth a visit but be careful, we were warned by everybody not to walk to far beyond Fremont and on the taxi ride back to the strip you coud see why.....a bit rough with single men hanging around on corners waiting for a possible target.
A great city with a larger than life feeling.
Very very good, we will go back.
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The Aladdin - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Expedia - Sept 2003
Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : 28, 29
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Aladdin itself has everything you need, even a shopping mall with a convenience store, all within the same building! The buffet is also fantastic, although $21, but you can get a $20 voucher if you play the slot tournament.
The pool is lovely, palm trees and the arabian theme everywhere. Very nice. Snack bar and pool bar expensive for drinks etc, so we didn't use it - instead we bought cold drinks downstairs in Desert Passage's ABC store. The pool is probably only open around April to October though.
The rooms are large, 2 double beds (one soft, on firm), we asked for a 'free upgrade' showing the desk clerk a $20 bill behind our credit card, and she gave us a high floor room, looking out onto the strip, over the eiffel tower, arc de triomph, and over to Bellagio fountains. Well worth it! The bathroom is also big, with double doors, separate WC in there, separate shower and deep bath - lovely. There is cable TV, along with channels about the hotel, quite good as you always know what's going on.
The location is good, walkable to most of the main hotels. Not in a bad area, although there's a lot of porn slappers which can get quite annoying. They're all over the place though, not just at the Aladdin.
Only one thing - DON'T use the phone in your room!!! Very expensive to call home (like $40!!!)
All in all, a wonderful place, just hope planet hollywood (who've now bought it) don't ruin it!
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Ballys - Las vegas
Operator and Date: expedia - Sept 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Graham Morgan-south wales
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
If you are looking for good vaule for money, in an excellent location, right in the center of the strip look no further than Ballys.Having just spent a week there (sept 2006)I can recommend it.
Friendly staff good meals, at a reasonably price, at its Sidewalk Cafe.Good large casino which seem to be a lot lighter than others on the strip.Our room was on the 21st floor North Tower with a good view of the top half of the strip.
One of its great pluses is its position right across the road from the Ballagio and its fountain show,it is also only 5 mins from Ceasers palace and the Flamingo.
It is also joined directly to its sister hotel Paris by means of a covered shopping and dinning arcade.Ballys benifits by having its own monorail station,which is ideal when you need to avoid the heavy traffic on the strip.
If you prefer to travel the strip, I recommend the bus called the Duce you can travel the whole length of the strip right up to freemont street, for two dollars, have the right money they do not give change.The bus stops right infront of Paris 1 min from front of Ballys.
If you require a nice cool beer in the open air at a good price, just out side the entrance to flamingos you will see a collection of tables and chairs just off the sidewalk .Here you will see a small bar set up with a sign (2dollar draught beer),about£1.08.thats cheap and you can watch the world pass by on the sidewalk.Ballys good location &clean.
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Bellagio - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Airtours - June 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Denise & Gareth Edwards (26, 32)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have just returned from our fantastic honeymoon at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas, all I can say about this hotel is WOW!! Its beautiful and absolutly huge after a week's stay I still couldn't find my way round!!
As we were on our honeymoon the lady at check-in upgraded us to a lake view room and I would recommend anyone going to ask for an upgrade, the view was excellent we looked out over the dancing fountains and if you put the tv on channel 31 you can hear the music.
The restaurants are excellent we ate most mornings at the buffet restaurant and we also ate at the pool cafe, Fix, Noodles and Jasmine which I would recommend the food was gorgeous and you look out to the fountains. It is expensive to eat and drink in the hotel ($15 for 2 drinks) but there are cheaper options outside of the hotel.
There is so much to see and do in Las Vegas we was there for a week but could have stayed longer. I recommend going to the Voodoo Lounge at the Rio Hotel its 51 floors up on the roof of the hotel and the view is amazing, I would advise that if you are planning on going to any clubs you get there early or pay extra for queue jump because people were queing up for nearly 2 hours just to get in!!
We went on a helicopter to the Grand Caynon which was amazing got some great pictures.
We will definitly be going back and would recommend the Bellagio to everyone.
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Bellagio - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - June 2006
Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : Kev, Lyn (50,49 )
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was to be the "holiday of a lifetime" and we were not disappointed.
The flight was a nightmare. We picked up and dropped off in Glasgow adding to the already long travel time.
On arrival we were taken from the airport to the hotel in a hubber which was a total surprise, and much appreciated. The hotel is awesome and will take your breath away. Our room was luxurious with two huge beds, an oversized T V and a gigantic bathroom. The rooms are kept spotless and they even turn down your bed each night and leave a sweet on your pillow. A very nice touch.
Do not pack towels as they are supplied around the pool area. There are also machines of ice cold drinking water all around the pools and free of charge. Keep your eyes peeled, we were sunbathing next to Caprice. We also spotted Paris Hilton and Mike Tyson!
The buffet in the Bellagio is good value and not expensive, the breakfast is excellent. We tried the restaurant in the conservatory which was quite expensive but Ok for a treat. The buffet at Ceasars Palace was also good value. If you feel like eating in try a panini from the coffee shop or get a take away, there are no objections to taking food into your bedroom.
Take plenty sunscreen, the weather is unbelievibly hot. There are fans spraying out water all along the strip, they are very welcome!
If you like to shop Ceasars Palace and Aladins are the best. The Venician is a good day out, try the gondola ride. In the evening watch the pirate show in front of Treasure Island and the volcano next door at the Mirage.
Do not miss the Grand Canyon Ranch trip that takes you over the Hoover Dam. Also the helecoptor down the strip is a must, do it at night for best effect.
I defy anyone to not enjoy Las Vegas and especially the Bellagio Hotel. Take my word for it, it is money well spent.
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Bellagio - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook Select - June 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Steve and Sandra Drury (48, 40)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was a very special holiday as I was celebrating my 40th birthday. When we visited Las Vegas two years ago, the Bellagio was closed due to a power cut. Just by looking at the hotel, I knew it was the place I really wanted to go to. Did it let us down? No way! From entering the magnificent lobby, we got the WOW factor! The staff are so polite and helpful, the room was fantastic and the restaurants and facilities brilliant. We always find something to complain about but this place is definitely the best and we would recommend it to anyone. Las Vegas is a great place to be. We spent a whole week there and visited the Margarita bar, opposite Caesar's Palace frequently.
If you fancy Las Vegas, you've got to stay at the Bellagio!
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Bellagio - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Airline Network - March 2006
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Suzanne - Cumbria (38, 38)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
After Four hectic days in New York City we left from Newark airport on our second Continental Airlines flight of the holiday, Very comfortabe planes with good service, only gripe was that the entertainment could be better Chicken Little or a bad horror film was only two choices on a trans atlantic and the internal flight.
On arriving at Las Vegas Airport, ( complete with slots in arrivals) we were definately in Vegas. As part of the trip we arrived at the hotel in style in a stretch limo, with an old school driver complete with roses and Champagne for us two female party animals.
The hotel is central to the main part of the strip and is near many attractions, restaurants and shows. Having taken a later flight out of New York we checked in around 9.15pm the receptionist became very excited and told us she had a treat for us both. Being tired after travelling for most of the day we did not take much notice but wanted to get into the room in the 5th floor. Having got to the floor we discovered why she had been so excited the reception had given us a suite in the hotel.
wow is all I can say, the room had two bathrooms with jacuzzi and steam room, dining suite and settee plus a desk with data ports. the best part of the room was the view over the strip an the fountain shows, you could spend hours watching the fountains but that is a waste in vegas.
Having viewed all thr suite had to offer we noticed that there was only one bed, so on telephoning reception thanking them but saying that we needed another bed they replied with no problem and within 5 minutes there was a porter with a spare bed and linens at the door.
Next day headed out to the Grand Canyon with Heli USA what a great trip well worth the money the helicopter carried 6 plus the pilot and took us over the grand canyon and landing at there ranch where you could go riding or just have a look around the site with the guide singing cowboy, beware it can get cold in the desert in March take a jacket or fleece with you. One the way back the pilot took us over the strip hotels pointing out the main hotels Fantastic.
Only in Vegas for three days on the last day we went to ceasars shops and the venetian, Ceasars was a grest set out area, but found the venetian not as impressive for shops.
Also worth a mention is the eating out in vegas it is superb and covers all cuisines, for a great buffet we ate at he Paris hotel just opposite the Bellagio, the Village buffet had so much choice all set out in different areas that you did not know where to turn to get your next plate. The cheesecake factory at Ceasars was also worth a mention. The restaurants at the Bellagio had great menus but as were were staying in the hotel we felt we should venture out.
The partying even mid week was great, light at the bellagio had some of the best music and DJ's, the bar at teh top of the Palms was also a favourite and had a good view of the strip.
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Bellagio - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Alan and Jan - Jan 2006
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : 51,48
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We spent a week in Las vegas in the Bellagio,what a fantastic hotel and what a city.Helicopter trip was great,flew with papillon helicopters-one tip,do not book your flight with the tour operators on the strip,book direct with papillon,saved over 240 dollars.seen some good shows,celine dion,barry manilow,joan rivers and legends in concert,don't pay full price for legends as it is easy to get it half price in the discount ticket booths.breakfast in the buffet at bellagios was good value,also we ate at changs in the alladin which is very reasonably priced.If you want a juicy steak try the Range which is in Harrah;s.If you havent been to vegas before then you dont know what you are missing,cant wait to see it again.all in all a brilliant place.Visited January 2006.
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Bellagio - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Expedia with United Airlines June 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Neil and Melanie Paragreen (40,33)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
How can we describe las vegas! After knowing so many people who have been we decided to go for the experience and needless to say we were gobsmacked. Flew with united via washington and were upgraded on all of our flights to premium economy for free, so we had planty of leg room and lots of seat width.
On arriving at the Bellagio you are just overwhelmed. The lobby is spectacular the best way to see the glass ceiling is about 6 am when everywhere is relatively quiet. Check in was easy and we found our room in a few moments. We had a fountain view room. If you are staying here you must pay the extra for the fountain view it is just amazing. We were on the 26th floor overlooking the eiffel tower and watched and watched the fountains. As Bellagio guests we got late seats for "O" by Cirque du Soleil. the hotel keeps back brilliant seats for their guests and we sat 8 rows from the front. This show was something else we were both astounded, the cast received a standing ovation at the end. We also managed to see Jerry Seinfeld at Caesers. He was hilarious. The shows in Vegas are pricey but you have to see at least one.
We also did the helicopter trip to the canyon with a boat ride along the colorado river, that place has to be seen to be believed. The helicopter ride was so smooth you did not you were flying.
Lots of shopping opportunities from top designer to budget so something for all tastes. the fashion show mall is worth a visit wit ha good array of shops. the gondola ride at the venetian was beautiful, it is $15 pp or $60 for a private gondola for 2. We were serenaded by our gondolier, it was so lovely.
We will go back to Vegas but probably for 5 days and couple it with a more relaxing option.
Las Vegas leaves you spinning!
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Bellagio - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - May 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Lesley & Phil (30)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We left San Francisco for a week in Vegas. When we got to SF airport we were allowed on an earlier flight which was so good of America West - this is how friendly the people are.
I had never been to Vegas before - as you fly over the strip to land the sight before you is amazing - the Luxor, the MGM, Excalibur - I couldnt believe it.
There are not enough good words to use to describe the Bellagio. It is huge, spectacular, monumental, lavish. After a week I could still get lost. The Conservatory area was beautiful with a floral display of swans.
There is some work going on at the hotel at present - this is to build further rooms in another tower.
The ice cream parlour and coffee house are fabulous. We could never get in the buffet as it was so busy. The rooms are beautiful - chocolate and cream colours with a well stocked minibar, marble bathroom, huge kingsize bed. The fountains are the best thing in Vegas by far.
We visited all the hotels, I particularly liked Mandalay Bay (Sharks Reef is very good), the lions at the MGM, NY NY is impressive from the outside, Caesars Palace is excellent - esp the shops, loved the gondolas at the Venetian, Sirens show at T.I is very good too. The white tiger enclosure is worth going to at the Mirage but I felt sorry for him being on his own. These are the newer hotels on the strip. The older ones such as Circus Circus, Stardust are still worth a visit but looking a bit run down now. We went on the new ride at Stratosphere Tower which hurls you off the side - not as bad as it looks !!!
We spent a day at Wet and Wild too - lots of locals there so you need to go early - the Royal Flush is an excellent ride.
Went to the Star Trek experience at the Hilton - I am not a trekkie (hubby is) but was very good all the same.
One of highlights was Heli USA trip to Grand Canyon and Ranch - flying over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and Canyon was amazing but the Ranch itself was fantastic - it was like being in another world. Casey (one of the cowboys) was great and looked after us all - he even played a song for me and my husband and gave us a cd for a wedding anniversary present. There is horse riding too. We flew down the strip at night which was great to see all the hotels lit up.
Fremont Street experience is certainly worth the trip - if you get the bus up there it is about 2$ each. The light show is brilliant.
We saw every age of Elvis imaginable and lots of weddings - everyone is so cheerful and we felt very safe. There are lots of people trying to sell trips and the like but easy to ignore them.
Outback (opposite Mirage) is great for steaks and really well priced and go to Dennys for breakfast - reasonably priced and very good food.
Set your gambling limits and stick to them as it is easy to get carried away - the casinos are a sight to be believed - I saw a guy lose 10k at 8.30 am after an all night session.
Vegas is truly an experience and everyone should visit at least once. There is a hotel being built which is to be more opulent than the Bellagio.... I may have to back again soon..........
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Bellagio and Caesars Palace - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin Holidays - April 2004
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Jo & Martin (40, 29) & friends (63, 59, 59, 38, 35, 28, 28, 27, 27, 12, 5)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
What can I say about Las vegas that hasn't already been covered. This is my second trip to Las Vegas and I still didn't get time to do everything I want despite being there for 9 nights. Already planning third trip!!
First 7 nights stayed in Caesars Palace. We had been mucked about with our flights so were shattered when we arrived, the girl at check-in upgraded us for free to a deluxe room, slightly bigger and in the main Forum Tower. The room was fantastic, has great views over the strip (Treasure Island, Mirage), and had a massive marble bathroom with spa tub. As we were getting married in Vegas we had a few friends with us, they all stayed at Ballys, Monte Carlo, Imperial Palace and New Frontier. All were happy with where they stayed.
Toured around for 2 weeks on honeymoon and then came back to vegas for two nights. We had booked the Bellagio, and when we arrived they were full so they upgraded us to the Penthouse Suite for free. Fantastic. We had two bathrooms, a his and hers. One had a steam shower and the other had a massive jacuzzi tub. We had tv with surround sound system, great for watching movies on. There were 4 tvs in the suite, one in the lounge, one in the bedroom and one in each of the bathrooms. Didn't want to leave the room the first night so we ordered room service. It was fantastic. The suite overlooked the pool area and the South Strip (Monte Carlo, NyNy, Luxor, MGM, Mandalay Bay) and because we were on the 37th floor the view was fantastic.
As for Vegas.... It's not all tack and gambling. There is so much to see and do. We did a helicopter to the Grand Canyon for £168 each with papillon who were very good, and very safety conscious. Star Trek Experience at the Hilton is good, even if your not a big Star Trek fan. Views from the Stratosphere excellent. Circus Circus was full of screaming annoying children, so if your not a big fan of little ones don't go there. Fountains at the Bellagio a must see again and again and again. Luxor is good for IMAX, motion rides and an arcade area where under 18's can go (under 21's not allowed in casinos). A trip out to Hoover Dam is a must, and friend did a trip to Laughlin which she highly recommends. Sirens at TI is OK, but get there early, they only do about 4 performances a night and it gets very busy. We were there 30 minutes before and it was already nearly full.
Dolphins at the Mirage are worth seeing.
If you want to go shopping and have deep pockets go to Canale shops at the Venetian, Forum Shops at Caesars, or Aladdin. We found all three of these looked really good but tended to have the same stores in them. If you want bargains head to Primm, about 30 miles south of Vegas on the I15, but don't go on a Sunday you'll hit all the traffic heading back to LA after the weekend.
If you want to go drinking or use visa and you have a UK photo driving licence that that with you. A lot of shops require photo ID if you want to use your visa, and bars need photo id for everyone that your over 21. A photo driving licence is acceptable and it saves carrying your passport around with you.
As for food. Paris has excellant food but expect the service to mimic real Parisian service (ie. slow). Simon at Hard Rock has excellent food and cute waiters :) We had our wedding dinner at Il Fornaio at New York New York and it was excellant. The food and service was top rate and we couldn't have wished for anywhere better. Buffets at Bellagio (expect to queue a while) and Mandalay Bay were the best for quality and choice. Monte Carlo was good for breakfast.
We visited in April and the first week it was about 24-28c each day which was just right, when we came back it was just in May and the temperature had risen to 38c which was far too hot. Check hotels pool policies, Caesars and Bellagios pools were heated but friends at New frontier, there pool wasn't and even though it was warm, the pool was too cold to go in most of the time. Also some pools close out of season.
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Caesars Palace - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin - Feb 2006
Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : Gary & Teresa Innes - Buckie, Scotland (40, 35
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Went to Vegas for my 40th birthday (paid for by the wife, which made it even greater!) We flew on a Virgin Megadeal which was great value for money and could not fault the flight or Virgin staff, who could not do enough for you. When we took off my wife was talking to a cabin crew member and told him we were going away for my 40th birthday, which was that day. Once we were in the sky he duly arrived with a glass of champagne and nibbles for us, which we thought was a really nice gesture and a great start to our holiday! On arrival we were not disappointed with Caesars or Vegas. Stayed in a Palace Tower which was 25 floors up and had a great view of the strip. Room had a massive bed and jacuzzi bath which held 2 easily and was spotlessly clean. We went to see Elton John and Celine Dion who were playing a charity concert that night and they were excellent.........well worth the money!
Also went on the "Champagne Picnic" helicopter flight over the Hoover Dam and landed in Grand Canyon for picnic which was breathtaking, it really needs to be seen, to believe the actual size and beauty. Also if you like fair rides you MUST go up the Stratosphere Tower which has the highest fairground you could imagine! You have to pay at the bottom to go on the rides, and once you arrive at the top you understand why! If you didint pay you just wouldnt do it cos they sure are heartstopping when you are up that height and hanging over the side looking down!!
Finally we had a gamble with the wife winning and me losing...........but hey you go there for a little fun, so it doesnt really matter!
Definitely be going back to Vegas sometime and would definitely have no hesitation in going back to Caesars, but then again all the hotels look brilliant on the Strip!!
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Caesars Palace - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Kuoni - September 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Chris - Manchester (33,29)
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Not a place to spend more than a few days in if you are not the sort of person who finds chintzy tackiness appealing.
During my stay (4 nights) the place was awash with drunken Americans as it was their "labor" day holiday.
There is little to do but wander around other hotels and shops. Riveting. Do not believe anyone who waxes lyrical about the "entertainment" as the fountains at the Bellagio were sub Alton Towers, and most other shows appear to be based on the belief that any lack of artistic merit can be more than compensated with by sheer volume.
As for Caesars Palace, I stayed in the Roman Tower. The alarm clock and telephone in the room were broken. The rooms all have inter-connecting doors through which you can clearly hear everything going on next door. Terrible. Kept our sleep to around 3 hours per night due to vocal American idiots.
The pools are full of cretins standing waist deep and drinking/smoking after noon so make any visit early.
In all, a poor resort and disappointing hotel.
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Caesers Palace and Paris Paris - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: No tour operator booked independently August 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Linda and Pat (52, 63) Oxford
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Visited friends in San Diego and drove with them to Las Vegas from there. We stayed in Caesars Palace for 3 nights. It is a truly amazing hotel as indeed most of them are. We stayed in the Palace Tower which was far superior to the other ones ( Forum etc.),with the possible exception of the new Augustus Tower which we didn`t get to see but is apparantly fabulous. The room was huge like a small apartment, spotlessly clean, jaccuzi and view of the strip completed it.Las Vegas itself is truly a wonderful experience. Do go to see the Fremont Street experience while you are there. It`s up past the Stratosphere Tower a way in the `downtown area`and is where Vegas started. A fantastic atmosphere,go on a Thursday evening when the band there gets everyone rocking and dancing in the street.
A helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon is one not to be missed. We did one with Pappillon and had a champagne picnic on the floor of the Canyon. THE VIEWS WERE SIMPLY BREATHTAKING,going over the Hoover Dam and finishing up flying over the strip WOW!
Stayed an extra night to the original plan and booked into the Paris Paris, great hotel with, I think, a cosier feel to it. Looked round most of the hotels while we were there, the worst being Circus Circus which looks very old and shabby.
Great place to people watch is the casinos even if you don`t really gamble much, everything there is an experience and we will be going back again.Looking back I think a week is probably what you need there if going for the first time and maybe just 3 or 4 days would be enough if we return again which I`m sure we will. I anyone drives from San Diego to Vegas as we did then DO stop off at Peggy Sue`s diner, an original 1950`s, this too is another experience not to miss, if the Fonz from `Happy Days` had walked in he would not have been out of place !!
This waas our first time to this part of America and we had the time of our lives.
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Caesers Palace - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin - 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Joanne Stroud (27,36)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
WOW, what a place. You really have to see it to believe it. Ceasars Palace was fab, we had a budget room and it was beautiful. One of the top hotels in Vegas. The Bellagio is a must, the fountains outside are something else, every 15 mins they dance to a different piece of music - spectacular. The Mandalay Bay was also beautiful as was the venetian and Alladin. Had buffet breakfasts in Alladin, Bellagio, Rio and a chinese restraunt in New york New york, all very good although bellagio and alladin were the best. We flew with Papillon to the Grand Canyon, worth every penny although haggle over the prices to get a good deal. The views of hoover dam and lake mead were amazing. we landed down in the canyon for champagne - WOW! You have to see it to believe how beautiful it is. Vegas is not what i call a relaxation holiday so take your comfy trainers as we walked miles, there is so much to see, the views from the eiffel tower in the night are definatly worth paying for, you can watch the bellagio's fountains its breath taking. the stratosphere views are also fantastic.
BEWARE they are trying to sell timeshares out there we went for a look and lost nearly a whole day, they are expensive and the flights from uk to vegas are very expensive cheaper to buy package deals.
Everyone should go to Vegas at least once to experience it, i cant wait to go back. x
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The Carriage House - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: independent may 2003
Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : avril rice, dorset
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
If you don't fancy staying in one of the mega hotels along the strip this hotel is ideal. It is situated two blocks from the strip and from our hotel window we had views of the strip from the Paris hotel stretching to New York hotel. This is an all suite hotel so you have facilities to cook snacks etc should you want to.There is a newly opened restaurant on the 9th floor called Joeys which gives a great view of the strip at night and is reasonably priced.There is a swimming pool and tennis court on site and the staff are all very friendly and helpful. Although children are welcome I would recommend this hotel more for couples as the clientele seem to be more mature. I found this hotel on the internet and booking was very easy. Would definitely consider staying there again if we return to Las Vegas. There are an awful lot of places to eat on the Strip and trying to find the right one can be a bit daunting. If you want a reasonably priced all u can eat buffet I would recommend the buffet at the Boardwalk which is open 24 hours a day.
If you want an airline that gives you legroom instead of a goody bag full of stuff you don't really want then I can recommend American Airlines. Hope this info helps.
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Circus Circus Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Thomas Cok - March 2007
Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Samantha Clarke 6 adults aged (22-35)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Just returned from staying at Circus Circus and had a great time.
Myself and 5 friends from the uk (between the ages 22-35) stayed here. We were a little worried after reading reviews. But we had nothing to worry about everything was fine.
When booking in we were given lots of room options, we all had great views from the rooms (Strip & Stratosphere Hotel) The rooms were all very clean and the maids were great (we tipped $1 a day)
The lifts were quite busy at morning and evening but didnt have to wait too long for the next one.
The buffet restaurant is great value $11 for breakfast (£5.50 pp)
Lots of choice eg. scrambled egg, bacon, sausage, corned beef hash, hash browns, french toast, pancakes, waffles, fruit, cereal, muffins, donuts, cakes etc
Garden Grill for evening meal, prepare yourself they are massive meals. My partner and i would often share two starters for our meal (waffle fries and chilli & popcorn chicken) this would cost about $10 for both of us to eat and you get so much that we were full.
The casinos are great in the hotel, any drink you want whilst playing eg. Corona, Bud, Vodka and mixer, water, pina colada, baileys etc from cocktail waitress just tip them a dollar note or chip and they will return with next drink within ten mins. You dont even have to be playing alot realy you could just sit at a 5c machine and they will ask you.
Deuce bus stop outside hotel(slot of fun part of circus circus) this bus travells on the strip to every hotel, buy a $5 ticket and u can travel all day on any bus. Dont worry bout missing stop the bus driver has microphone and announces every stop.
If possible try not to go out till later in the evening as this is when it is busy and alot more fun on table games, Often we would be going to bed at 1am and the hotel would just be getting busy.
If you are goin try and go for more than a week, we went for 6 days and this was no way long enough, their is so much to see.
Go and see the Bellagio Fountains (wow) Ceasers paalce, new york new york, paris etc
You could spend a day in each one.
For those of you who like shopping, shopping mall near wynn hotel (bus stop outside) its massive. Big catwalk in middle of mall, models showing clothes you can buy in mall.
hope you find these tips usefull.
Any questions im happy to help with.
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Circus Circus Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook nov 2006
Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : Anne 32 & John 42
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Wont rattle on as the reviews here are endless but didnt want to feel left out, so will just say, Las Vegas is fantastic.
I won this holiday in a competition, would never have gone otherwise, not on my list of places to see but now I have been, want to go back, so much to see, packed a 2 week holiday into 3 days. Circus Circus reviews not that good, but we loved it, ok its not as glam as the others but it was clean, nice rooms, pleasant staff and plenty of excellent places to eat.
All in all, a great place, any age, maybe not for kids, 1 tip, take your walking shoes, you will walk like you have never walked before!!
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Circus Circus Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Independent - June 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Lauren and Andy (25,26)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Circus Circus was a good place to stay. The only drawback is the check in desks, stood for 1hr waiting in a queue to check in. If you are prepared for that then one of you can park the car whilst the other queues. The rooms where very large and clean and quiet and we found the casino very friendly to first timers, some of the tables have a low bet of only $4 which is great till you figure out how to win! Which we both did!
One tip have ID on you if you are under 30 or look under 30 as it's the law to ID you in the Casino and as the croupiers change all the time they will ID you more than once. Take it as a compliment.
As we had limited time there we went all out to see as much as possible so didn't use the pools or restaurants in the hotel. Wouldn't have wanted to be in that heat sunbathing anyway - if you want to do that do not go in June you'll just get sunstroke.
The Bellagio has the nicest buffet for dinner and the fountains are fantastic. The Stratospheres rides are the scariest I've ever ever seen (but I'm scared of heights). We found we had to queue for everything in vegas but all the queues constantly moved.
Definitely going again, only this time for longer probably 10day holiday and will try another hotel not because circus circus was bad just because we want to, and we'll go when its cooler, I nearly melted out there even at night its baking.
If you're going have a great time!
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Circus Circus Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Last Minute - 2006
Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : David & Laura 26
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed in the Tower rooms which are highly recommended over the Standard Manor rooms. Circus Circus is not a bad place to stay at all, although there are some really bad points such as the check in desk, when coming from England on a long haul flight the last thing you need is to queue endlessly. The staff behind the counter are like the computer says no character off Little Britain! Also avoid the Buffet here, it is NOT nice, go to the Spice Buffet or even the Bellagio Buffet which for the extra cash is definately worth it. This hotel is 25-30 mins walk away from say Bellagio so if you dont like walking or mind getting taxis stay elsewhere!!
Although all in all we had a fantastic time, id recommend the Beatles Love or Mystere, but BEFORE you buy any tickets go to the tickets for tonight booths, theres 2 around and the sell everything from Cirque to Soleil to Madam Tussards half price or reduced, even the Big names like Elton John, David Copperfield.
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Circus Circus Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Brian Watson - Newcastle ( 43,42,40,39,70,68,15,12)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Circus Circus is very busy. loads of people everywhere and its such a huge hotel it takes a good few days to find your way. This is the best hotel if youve got kids.
The indoor theme park and the fair have plent to occupy the kids. Under 21s cant go into bars or stand in the casinos although they can walk through the casinos. There is however a bar in Circus Circus (Blue Iguana) that lets kids in as it is a restaurant as well- expect to pay around 4 dollars a bottle altough as its a mexican bar they do a large variety of tequila based drinks and you get a free bowl of nachos and dip when you ask for it. The buffet restaurant serves a huge variety of excellent food. Outside the hotel some of the casinos charge 75c a bottle of beer. Hotel pools are great and always sunbeds available at any time of day no matter how busy. Try the Peppermill restaurant on the other side of the road a bit further along the strip. It serves fantastic food and huge portions. The decor is great as well.
The weather is very hot but as its a dry heat it is bearable and doesnt make you feel clammy. Worth seeing the hoover dam and going to the top of the stratosphere. Try and visit as many hotels as you can. Bus service is ok but there is a lot of traffic on the strip so the journey can take a while.
Overall great holiday, would like to go back
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Circus Circus Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: July 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : The Duggans
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We went to Vegas on a last minute booking for a week in July and would highly recommend it to all, including families. Do not be put off taking youngsters as there is loads to see and do outside of the casinos. Admittedly the hotels are based around gambling but it is a once in a lifetime holiday everyone should experience!
The hotels alone are like museums, shopping malls and theme parks. It takes a whole week just to visit the main hotels, which is highly recommended as it is soooooooo hot outside. The Fashion Mall is excellent and has affordable shops unlike many hotel shops which only sell designer labels. For theatre lovers Vegas is heaven as there is almost as much choice as Broadway. We saw Cirque du Soleil in the Treasure Island Hotel. This is highly recommended. Don't be fooled by the Legends show. It is as cheesy as Peter Kay describes and not really worth the extortionate prices.
Food and drink is reasonable as like all of the USA portion sizes are huge. However it is an expensive place and theatre shows in particular can cost more than $100 per person! Everything is in walking distance although there is a great bus service on the strip.
The Circus Circus hotel is great for families as there is a theme park with a rollercoaster and lots of amusements for kids. However it is quite noisy and doesn't compare to some of the other hotels on the strip. Our favourites were Wynn, the Venetian and the Mirage. However these are very expensive. The Circus Circus is perfectly adequate and in a great location. The rooms are large and clean, however the swimming pool isn't great.
All in all it is a great holiday destination, which often gets bad press. However we loved it and didn't go in the casinos all week. Its like Disney Land for adults!
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Circus Circus Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - June 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : A & B Leeds (34,32)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We went to Las Vegas in June this year for our 10th wedding anniversary and stayed at Circus Circus for 14 days.
THE HOTEL
If you do not have children, I would not recommend Circus Circus unless you firstly get a cheap deal on it (like we did) and secondly you only intend to use it as a base for exploring the rest of Vegas. Be warned though. The hotel is not very central to main area of the strip around the MGM Grand. It is a good 30 minute walk to this area during which time you will have to barge your way past numerous people trying to push leaflets on to you for various exotic services (just ignore them and they will leave you alone). Alternatively you can catch the bus for $2 each or get a taxi but be prepared to be stuck in a traffic jam for an hour at peak times, especially on a Friday and Saturday night when the strip is grid locked.
If you do have children then they will be in their element at Circus Circus with the Midway (free circus acts and circus style attractions), a large amusement arcade, theme park and three swimming pools. To be frank though, if I had children I would not dream of taking them to Las Vegas. It is very much an adult playground rather than a children's.
On arriving at Circus Circus it was obvious that the hotel has seen better days. The outside of the building looks dated and tired but there again, it is one of the older hotels on the strip.
Check in was a nightmare, as we had to queue in a cattle run for approximately 50 minutes. After an 11 hour flight this is not funny. Apparently this is normal for Vegas on a Sunday and large queues occur in even some of the more expensive hotels. The hotel is huge and we were given a map to find our room. Walking through the public areas we soon got the impression the some of the public areas were in need of refurbishment, especially the casino which looks as though it has hardly been touched for decades.
On arriving in our room on the 23rd floor of the West Tower we were therefore pleasantly surprised to find it had been recently refurbished. It was a large room with a very large bed and a large bathroom containing numerous towels of different sizes which are changed daily if required. The room was spotless and had a great view of the Stratosphere Tower. Our one gripe was the that the air conditioning unit was the original 1960's one and was very noisy. It was OK as long as you set it to fan only,which we had to on a night time so that it didn't keep us awake.
In summary the room was great at Circus Circus but most of the rest of the hotel needed to catch up with some much needed refurbishment work. The casino especially needed redecoration and was, to be frank, a bit dirty. But at the end of the day there plenty of other casinos to go to. A special mention has to be made about the dinner buffet at Circus Circus. We went there one night when we were short of time. I would strongly suggest that you avoid the dinner buffet unless you enjoy reliving your school canteen days. It truly was terrible. The roast ham for example was not even a proper ham joint, but was made of re-constituted meat. The food was such poor quality that we hardly ate any. It was cheap at $10.99 plus tax but you really do pay for what you get in Vegas.
Also to mention is that the shops and bars inside the hotel are quite expensive. I was surprised to find them charging $4 for a bottle of beer in both the bar AND the hotel shops. I think this is a deliberate tactic to make the free dinks you get whilst gambling seem a better "comp" than they actually are. If you want a night cap in your room then there is souvenir shop just outside Circus Circus (turn left outside the front door)which also sells a great range of alcoholic drinks at far cheaper prices than the hotel.
THE RESORT
The High Points:-
- The Stratosphere Tower and rides. I you like being scared stupid by amusement park rides you'll love the rides at top of the tower. The Big Shot is fantastic. - The Apollo Night Flight helicopter ride. Absolutely great views of Vegas at night and they were generous with the champagne beforehand, which was great with helping my wife's Dutch courage. Funny, she normally hates flying but strangely loved this flight.
- The buffet at the Paris Hotel. Not cheap but an excellent selection of dishes arranged according to the different regions of France.
- The Spice Market Buffet at the Aladdin. Again not cheap but an excellent selection of quality food. Be prepared to queue to get in but it is well worth the wait. There are chefs cooking dishes to order, apart from buffet food all included in the price. The place was so busy that the food was being eaten as quickly as it was being made, guaranteeing the freshness of the dishes on offer. I would especially recommend the lemon sole served with creamed spinach on the seafood counter, also the crepes,which made fresh to order and flambéed in brandy with fresh fruit.
- A flight over the grand canyon in light aircraft. Spectacular views and a great experience of being in a small plane (18 seats). Take care if going for one of the evening flights as the thermals are especially strong on an evening. The turbulence scared my wife half to death.
- The Bellagio fountains at night. Also the Bellagio conservatory is well worth a look.
- The Elvisarama Museum. If you go to this is it well worth the extra to pay for one of the tribute shows at either 14.00 or 16.00. The chaps impersonating Elvis were as close to the real thing as any of us will ever see, in this lifetime at least! One of the impersonators looks and sounds like the young Elvis so much that it is almost spooky.
- The hotels resorts are all worth a look and takes a day to just see 2 or 3 of them.
Careful planning is needed to make the most of your holiday in Las Vegas.
The Low Points:-
- We flew with My Travel and found that their service was not especially good considering what a long flight it was. The seats on the plane were very uncomfortable and the video equipment was faulty, so we could not enjoy the films properly in order to break up the journey. They provided very little food and left it a long time between serving the main dinner and a mediocre snack later on, so we were very hungry in the meantime. Luckily an older couple in front of us had brought their own sandwiches and sausage roles and had enough for several rows around them!
- The CAT bus which goes up and down the strip. This is a relatively cheap way of getting about but is frustratingly slow due to traffic and the number of stops up and down the strip. Each stop seems to take forever due to the number of people they cram on. I have seriously been on less crowded buses in Greece. Also further delays are caused by people not having the correct change when they get on the bus, as you must give the exact amount. The bus also attracts homeless people who ride up and down on the strip using discarded day passes that they have found (it costs $5 for a 24 hour unlimited pass). My recommendation is that you either walk to as many places as possible, or stay in the central area of the strip in the first place. All in all the CAT bus is a very unpleasant experience. If you really must use it, try to use the 302 express service (which luckily stops outside Circus Circus) as it stops at less places.
- Waiting for the CAT bus. Be prepared to wait for a long time for the bus to show up 3 at once and then to fight with other passengers to get on board - not for the faint-hearted. When standing at the bus stop try to stand well back from the road as the locals may try to spit at you from their cars. One tried it with us but fortunately was a bad shot!
-The Star Trek Experience. I visited the web site for this and it looked amazing. However, this was one of the most disappointing days out I have ever had. They have recently put up the price to $34.99 plus tax so it is not cheap. The rides are OK but the museum was much smaller than I expected and is just a bunch of exhibits in glass cases with ambient music and videos, rather than the interactive experience that I thought it would be. Quarks Bar serves tackily named dishes and drinks based loosely on the Star Trek theme and there was not a Ferengi in sight, just a bunch of waiters in Russian-looking uniforms. If you really want to go, then my tip is to wait till after 12.00 midday and then go to the Tix-4-2nite stand near Circus Circus for a 50% off ticket. Going to The Star Trek Experience after 12.00 midday is OK, as it really doesn't take that much time to get round the place. Incidentally, if you want to go on the rides at the Sahara Hotel, then it is also possible to get a 50% off ticket at the same stand.
- Having to avoid the leaflet merchants in numerous places up and down the strip and other hawkers trying to sell trips, show tickets and time share. The only good thing about this is that no-one was particularly pushy.
- The roads that run parallel with the strip on either side of it are crammed with strip joints and other establishments of an even more dubious nature. My wife found it a bit unnerving.
SUMMARY
-Las Vegas is a fantastic experience but it may take you a while to settle into the place as it is so hectic. The flight over is very tiring and it will take you a few days to get over the jet lag even if you deliberately stay up the first night in Vegas to try and acustomise to the time difference.
-You need to plan your holiday itinerary in advance if you want to get the best out of the place.
-Try to stay as central as you can afford in order to avoid long walks up down the
strip, or horrendous bus and taxi rides. For the extra cost of the hotel, you may get some of this back in saved fares and also save yourself a lot of time and aggravation.
All in all, we will never forget some of the great times we had there though - there is literally always something happening 24 hours a day, that you will not see anywhereelse in the world.
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Circus Circus Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: United - 2005 / 2006
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Phil 36
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
If you're planning a trip to Vegas do yourself a favour and book a decent hotel.. You know the ones I'm talking about.
Circus Circus and any of the other older/original hotels should be left well alone.
Vegas is amazing.. Circus Circus is not.
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Circus Circus Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: united vacations april 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : watt family (49 45 11)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
An excellent holiday, we only went for 1 week as travel agent said that would be long enough in Vegas WRONG!. We tried to cram as much as possible into that week visiting different hotels, museums, freemont st. out of town shopping outlets and of course grand canyon. Only problem we encountered was not being able to play on slot machines with our 11 year old with us we had to take it in turns and we also got moved when sitting with a drink in certain areas.
Hotel was comfortable although very very busy (easter hols) loads of kids!! LAS VEGAS was everything we hoped it would be and more ! a fantasy playground , something for everyone and lots of Elvises!! which was another reason for my visit anyway!!Resort was fairly cheap we found the souvineer shops in freemont st. the cheapest. Great entertainment Hope to go back to do all the things we didnt get time for and oh! to try relaxing in the lovely weather!
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Circus Circus Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Expedia - December 2003
Opinion submitted in Feb 2004 by : Sam & Dave Markham (30,35)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Las Vegas is absolutely incredible and words just do not describe how amazing the place is! We stayed at Circus Circus, which, although a 3* hotel and clean was just not for us. The name suggests what the hotel is going to be like and to be honest we didn't expect anything else, if you're taking kids to Vegas then Circus Circus is an ideal place to stay, otherwise stay well away.
There is a theme park within the hotel and this includes roller coasters, a log flume, pirate ship etc (all indoors)so you can imagine the noise that is around you all day long! The rooms are well away from any of this though so you don't actually get disturbed once you are away from the amusements.
We didn't get to do or see half the things we wanted to but I would definately recommend the fountains at the Bellagio, Sirens of TI (Treasure Island)and catch a show if you have time. We went to see Lord of the Dance at the Venetian (I know it's a long way to go to see an Irish show but I would never have seen it at home so why not)?! The shopping mall at Caesars Palace is second to none and make sure you stay around the statues on the hour to see some spectacular animation.
If you are going to try your luck in the casinos, be warned, your money disappears very quickly but most of the slot machines have a 95-98% pay out so as long as you don't put all your winnings back in, your time in Vegas could prove to be very fruitful. We came back with slightly more than we went with but we were prepared to lose the lot - don't gamble if you expect to win - it won't happen!
We have already booked to go away again, this time in November (apparently it's cheaper over Thanksgiving) and we are staying at the Aladdin. Absolutely can't wait and we are saving already!
Thoroughly, thoroughly recommend Vegas to anyone, not just gamblers - it has to be seen to be believed - oh and take loads of film for your camera!!!
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Circus Circus Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: United Vacations, Dec 2003
Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : Roger Foggin County Durham (56, 52)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed at Circus Circus hotel from over New Year eve 2003/4, this was the school holidays and the place was packed with young children and at times resembled a refugee camp as they lay and sat We stayed at Circus Circus hotel from over New Year eve 2003/4, this was the school holidays and the place was packed with young children and at times resembled a refugee camp.
The hotel rooms are big with twin double beds in them, and couldn't fault the services.
There is a breakfast buffet from 7am and costs $7.99, believe me there is everything you could possibly think of to eat for breakfast including all soft drinks and coffee etc. This changes to a dinner buffet later in the day and stays open until 9pm for $9.49, this really is excellent value.
One thing I would say is if you want to use phone cards to phone back to the UK, do not use the cards you get in the hotel, they work out at a dollar a minute and you will have trouble with them on the phones, you can get cards from most of the souvenir shops and the best one we found was one by Walgreen's supermarket opposite the Westward Ho hotel, about 400 yards from Circus Circus hotel, this worked out to 6 cents a minute phoning the UK. Also next to Walgreen's is a store called "Strip Liquor" and if you want any bottles this is about half the price of buying bottles in the hotels.
We saw 2 shows while there, Celine Dion at Caesars Palace which was unbelievable, not just her singing but the special effects, the stage covers half an acre and has the biggest LED screen in the US, doesn't matter where you sit you get an excellent view, we got tickets with a couple of days notice. Also saw the Cirque de Solair show in the Treasure Island hotel, another show worth every penny!
New Years eve is an experience! The strip (about 5 miles) is closed to traffic that evening and the place really lifts, about 350,000 people there and never even heard a swear word! Compare that to your local city on NY eve!!. There are fireworks set off from the top of the main hotels at midnight and it really is something to see.
Visit the Fashion Show Mall in the centre of the Strip, every store you can think of including Macys and Bloomingdale's, and most cosmetics are half the price of the UK shops, also the shopping centre at the end of the strip, a big one and Nike trainers are yours for 30 to 40 dollars.
Worth taking a bus down to Freemont Street for the hourly light show on a night, but get the bus back to the strip, this is not one of the best areas and the bus drivers will warn you off wandering around this area.
Use the CAT bus which runs up and down the strip, it costs $2 each trip no matter how far you go, and runs every few minutes, you pay by putting 2 single dollar bills into the machine, beware the driver does not carry change and no change is given if you only have a 5 dollar bill!
If you are going to be there for the 2 weeks then ask the driver about a months pass, costs £30 dollars but its unlimited rides and it soon pays for itself.
If you are interested in Alpaca wool products, visit Alpaca Pete's shop in the Stratosphere tower shops, they are less then half price compared to the UK
Las Vegas is not everyone's idea of a holiday but it certainly is ours, we had a fantastic time!
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Circus Circus Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - Sept 2003
Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : Sharon Coles (25, 26)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Las Vegas is absolutely fantastic! You don't even need to gamble, there is so much more to Las Vegas than just the casinos!
We booked a 2 week package holiday with Virgin and stayed at Circus Circus.The flight was good-this was the first time we had flown with Virgin and were very impressed. Circus Circus is really huge and they even give you a map when you check in! Contrary to previous reviews we loved Circus Circus even though we are a young couple with no kids.
What we thought was great was even though it was busy there were always spare sunloungers by the pool (even in the afternoon-how rare is that?!) and the pools were really nice. The room we had was in the west tower and was newly renovated and very spacious, clean, well decorated and comfortable with air conditioning. Lifts were efficient so being on the 12th floor wasn't a problem at all. Circus Circus has several restaurants.The buffet is great for quick serve yourself food. Pink Pony is a good all round place to eat.It also has the game Keno (like a lottery) which you can play whilst you eat your food.We won &10 dollars on our first go! They do a delicious bacon cheeseburger in there!
The Blue Iguana (mexican restaurant) does really nice chicken fajitas.We were completely in awe of the size of the hotel-it has plenty of shops,and its casinos are huge! We liked the Midway (where the circus acts are) as there are loads of arcade games there.Other people have also grumbled that Circus Circus is too far up the strip -its only about a 20 min walk to Caesars and Venetian. Anyway we always used the CAT buses on the strip(the buses are air conditioned so it was better than walking in blazing heat!).They are every 8 mins, cost a flat $2 fare and go up and down strip. There is also a service called the strip Trolley bus which is a little cheaper but is very slow as it goes in and out of each hotel and takes ages.We thought the CAT buses were really efficient so never felt far away from anything.Outside Circus Circus there are shops, Slots of Fun, Wet and Wild is just up the road and The Riviera is opposite.
We love shopping and went to several different malls: Belz Factory Outlet, Boulevard Mall, Meadows Mall,Fashion Show Mall and Premium Outlets.We bought so much we had to buy another suitcase to get home!Everything is good value, for example we got Levis for £15! Now for excursions.You have to see the Grand Canyon! We booked all our excursions through Virgin but they use local companies so the guides you get are true americans which make it an even better experience.
The first trip we did was The Quest-we took a coach to the Grand Canyon then flew down into canyon by helicopter(wow!) then had a raft ride down the colorado river ,then flew back up the canyon.We then stopped off in the Halupai Indian Reserve and had lunch at the rim of the canyon.It was breathtaking.Our guide told us that the west rim(where we were) is not touristy at all and there are no fences at the edge or commercial outlets.However he said at the south rim there are hotels and macdonalds and it is very touristy.I'm glad we saw the west rim -it was so natural-not ruined by man.
Another excursion which was brilliant was ATV tour-you go quadbiking through the Valley of fire.Quad biking is great fun and the scenery is beautiful. We also went on an excursion rafting and to the Hoover Dam.Another fun excursion to do is the Area 51 Tour-you travel the Extra Terrestial Highway and have lunch at the Little Aleinn (get it?)!!The most important reason we went to Las Vegas was to get married and we had our ceremony at the Little Chapel Of The Flowers.It was perfect.We selected their "Lake Las Vegas" package, so after the ceremony we we taken to airport by limo and a helicopter flew us over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead and at Lak Las Vegas we were taken by water taxi across lake to Mira Lago restaurant for a gourmet meal.Then on way back helicopter flew us over strip at night!! I would definitely recommend this chapel as it was one of the very few wedding chapels that looked pretty not tacky. We had the time of our lives and want to go back!!!!
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Excalibur Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - October 2006
Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : Fiona & Phil - Newcastle 29, 31
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was our first visit to Las Vegas and we thought it was fabulous. There is so much to see and do that despite having no interest in Casinos or gambling we were kept more than busy. We booked only a few weeks in advance and managed to get a good deal but we did not upgrade the flights at the time of booking which we subsequently regretted as we ended up upgrading at the airport. We were flying with Mytravel and I would recommend the upgrades. You get boarded first and given a drink, they did not even weigh or check our hand luggage on the way out, the seats are bigger and more comfortable, given pillows and blankets, service is better, free headphones, free drinks throughout the flight and snacks, increased legroom, more entertainment choice, priority check in, increased baggage allowance (to 30kg) and your luggage is offloaded first (make sure they put a yellow tag on it though!).
When we were out in Vegas we enquired about upgrading for the return and were told it was full however we got to the airport early by taxi rather than waiting for the bus and we were then upgraded. in addition check that your seats are together because there was a couple who were complaining that they had not been seated together.
When you arrive at McCarron airport take a taxi, especially if you have upgraded as we were warned you would be left waiting for everyone else to come through if going on the bus. The taxi was approx $10. Make sure that when going to the Excalibur they drop you at the front entrance and not Tower 2 because you need to check in at the main building.
The Excalibur isn't massively special and seems a bit tired but it was great for what we wanted it for and also for the price we paid. The room was spacious - we upgraded for $70 for the week to a room with a strip view and were overlooking New York New York. The room was quiet, had two large queen size beds, large tv, and bathroom with shower (no bath). It was comfortable but not plush. No safe in the room. Buffet breakfast more than adequate for breakfast and lunch. A bit too much most of the time! Good choice though.
Weather at end of October was good. Average about 77 degrees - we were sunbathing but you were a bit chilly when you came out of the pool. Two pool areas but one was just about to be renovated as we left so it would seem there is going to be extensive refurbishment from now to Spring 2007. The sun went down quite early which meant that you got out onto the strip early. There are ample shops in the hotels to buy beer, wine, snacks etc.
We tended to go out of the hotel for socialising. The other hotels etc are all within easy access - americans seem to dislike walking and there are moving walkways and trams etc to get you about. We visited the following:
Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay - well worth a visit - approx $16 but also go to the restaurant with the wine tower where the waitresses use pulleys and ropes to go up and get the wine.
Luxor - tomb - not really worth the entrance fee, especially if you have/are going to visit the real thing. Go to the hotel though as sphinx etc great.
Aladdin shops - nothing really special - but does have gap, victorias secret and sephora. Buffet was quite good here as well.
Mirage - went to see LOVE - latest offering from Cirque de Soleil based around the Beatles music. It was amazing but tickets not cheap at $125 each. A must see though. Bars and shops nice here too.
Caesars Palace - great shops, really nice surroundings. Tiffanys shop in here.
Bellagio - not really to our tastes but great to look around.
Venetian - lovely to look around, especially around the canal etc.
Rio - we went to the buffet here because it was recommended but we didn't rate it at all and the Aladdin buffet was better.
MGM Grand - go and see the lions - amazing enclosure (free of charge). The Killers were also playing here at Studio 54. We ate at Emerils restaurant and it was fantastic.
Stratosphere - go for the views and check out the people on the rides - have to see them to believe them. We ate in the revolving restaurant as well - book in advance (we booked on internet before we left home). Chateauxbriand wasn't brilliant to be honest and it was pricey - best part of $200. Restaurant was also freezing cold so wrap up warm!
Palms - go to the ghost bar on 55th floor - great bar, apparently excellent star watching (but its a bit dark). $10 entrance for blokes, girls get in free.
New York New York - really nice hotel, we ate in the America restaurant which was good.
Fremont street experience - go and make sure you see the lights - taxi ride away but fantastic. we didn't go into many of the hotels etc but the prices advertised were certainly very cheap for food and drink!
Shopping - don't go to the Betz outlet - this is the Las Vegas Outlet Centre and we didn't really rate it. Go to the Las Vegas Premium Outlet Centre which is the other end of the strip. We got a taxi to the outlet and spent a couple of hours there. It was well worth a visit - everything discounted.
Also go around the shops in the hotels but we aware that the prices may not be lower than the UK. I wanted to purchase a Cartier watch when we were out there but checked prices at home only to find that they were cheaper here, despite assurances by the salesman. I was pretty glad that I hadn't bought it. Tiffanys will give you selling price for pieces in UK. Price on tag isn't final price - there is 7.5% sales tax to go on at the till.
We flew back out of terminal 2 at the airport and it was pretty rubbish - there's a newsagents and some places to eat/drink but not much else. Duty free was being refurbished and you could still buy but nothing except few perfumes, few bottles and cigarettes - no gifts. Cigarettes cheap - we brought back regals and benson and hedges for friends - just under 30 pounds for 400 cigs.
Finally a warning - it was warm during the day but at night it does get a bit chilly. Its not worth (unless maybe at the height of summer) taking summery evening wear because it is freezing cold inside all buildings. This was expecially noticeable when you were in the casinos and also in the restaurants. I had to buy a couple of jumpers and would advise taking a jacket with you - I had taken a light cardigan but it wasn't enough. Also chances are you will be walking a lot so take shoes you can move around in. And plenty of money!
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Excalibur Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - oct 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : bev chambers - darlington [45,40]
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
everybody told us las vegas was fantastic so we decided to go to celebrate my 40th birthday. how disappointed we were i guess there has to be someone who doesnt like it and it was us.
people are very friendly, meals are massive but spending a week going from one hotel to another just seemed endless they look fantastic but it didnt do anything for us.helicopter ride to the grand canyon was fantastic i did that on my birthday and wont forget it,view from stratosphere fantastic, we enjoyed freemont street lots of characters there.american superstars show was very poor seen better acts in our workingmans club.we flew with my travel they came round with the drinks trolley twice on a 11hr flight [its not as though they were free].not a lot of room but was ok.we are glad we went but unfortunately it wasnt for us we are going to stick to long beaches and cocktails if you dont like gambling then maybe this is not the place to go
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Excalibur Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) Mytravel July2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Amanda, Dundee (36,37)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Viva las Vegas! We got married in Las Vegas in 96 and returned to renew our vows!
What a FANTASTIC time we had, we would highly recommend the Excalibur it was agood hotel for the price and if poss ask for room with strip view ($10 extra per night) but well worth it, rooms big and clean. If your thinking of getting married or renewing Graceland Wedding Chapel is the place, it was great ten years ago and BRILLIANT this year, staff very helpful, nice limo, beautiful flowers, FAB elvis performed vows and sang requested songs, great photos and dvd all for under£200!!
We also loved the heli flight down the strip ($50 with papillon) the gondola ride in Venetian ($12) watch the Bellagio fountains from up the Eiffel tower, saw Blue Man Group, but didn,t think they were worth £50 ticket Only bad meal was Circus Circus buffet-awful recommend Hard Rock (free bus at Harleys) Planet Hollywood Dennys Excalibur and Luxor Buffets good
Remember take comfy shoes and don't go in July 116deg.
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Excalibur Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: June 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Rachel & Tony (34,35)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Hotel was fantastic, large clean rooms, reasonably priced food, friendly staff and good atmosphere.
But don't go in June like we did, temperature was in the 110s every day and was much too hot. You think you can walk along the strip but in that heat you can't! Take the Strip trolley instead, it links all the major hotels for $5 for an all day pass.
Stratosphere Tower - $10 each, took an amazing 37 seconds in the lift! Great views.
Lions at MGM - free - how close do you want to be!
Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay - worth doing.
Fountains at Bellagio - was disappointed at how short the show was at about 4 minutes.
The Venetian - the gondolas are motor powered but worth watching from the side of the walkway.
Volcano at Mirage and show at TI were both broken the night we went.
Fashion Show Mall/shops at Caesers Palace - woth wandering round but only seem to be designer/expensive shops - no good for the bargain hunter.
Grand Canyon - went with Grand Canyon Tours - we thought we had booked to go from Vegas airport but got taken to Boulder City about 20 minutes away in a bus. No a great problem. Flight out was good (in small plane) but was glad when we arrived. Then took bus tour around canyon. Spectacular. By the time we got our flight back it was cloudy and we were told it could be bumpy. Well, we were both sick. Have since been told that helicopters are more stable than small aeroplanes - not sure if this is true - but we went by plane as we thought it would be smoother. But the trip more than made up for it.
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Excalibur Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: April 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Matthew & Kirsty Brown (33, 29)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This is our 2nd trip to Vegas and we love it! The Excalibur was great for the price and we had some kids in our party so it was good for them.
We went to Vegas to get married and took 31 people out with us - all staying in the Excalibur. Everyone was put on the same floor in the same tower so that was great. They upgraded our room to a view of the strip and it was nice and big with a king size bed. Nice double shower cubicle in a good sized bathroom.
We got married at the Viva Las Vegas wedding chapel. We had Elvis marry us and it was great fun. I loved every second of it. The staff were fantastic at the chapel. Everything was done over the internet or via email. They even sorted out 2 stretch excursions for my guests.
Me and hubby then did a photo tour with Karen of Picture Me In Vegas. She was great and took us to the Bellagio, Paris, Luxor, Venetian and then to the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. Everyone was congratulating us, shouting their good wishes - it was a real boost. At the sign everyone passing in their cars/lorries were shouting out the window and honking their horns!!
We then went to Ricardos (mexican restaurant near the Palms and Rio) for our reception. Again - great service and everything was done via email. We had our own private room, personalised menus and they sorted out a cake with Freeds Bakery.
Would definately recommend getting married in Vegas!
There is so much to do in Vegas and I think most of it is covered in the other reviews.
We are planning to go back in about 18 months for New Year - can't wait!
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Excalibur Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - June 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Elizabeth & Stuart (25 & 23)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We found this hotel to be of good standard. The rooms were of a high standard and were cleaned every day. The room service is excellent.
The hotel has many facilities - shows, places to eat, shops etc., but we found that many of these activities were geared towards children.
I would reccomend going to see the Blue Man Group show in the Luxor hotel. It cost around $90 each but was worth it.
Also, the helicopter trips over the Grand Canyon are a must. The views are unbelievable and amazing.
There are thousnad of places to eat out in Las Vegas but one place I would say to go for an extra special treat is the Top of the World restaurant at the stratosphere tower. It's expensive but the views are worth it and the food is very high quality.
The Ghost Bar Nightclub in the Palms hotel is well worth a visit. The bar is on the to floor of the hotel and has an open air part where you can see over the whole of Las Vegas. It costs around $20 to get in and the drink are no cheap but I would definatley say to visit.
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Excalibur Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Independent, Sep 03 (flew with Virgin)
Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : N Wood (26)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
An absolute bargain! We paid $50 plus tax (around £37) for a huge room in one of the mega-resorts on the Las Vegas strip. I think £18 per person per night, with strip views, is not to be sniffed at.
There was a bit of a queue at check-in (apparently Sunday is a busy day, and the Excalibur is about 90% full every day of the year) but the staff were efficient & friendly. There's a special free-fone number you can dial whilst still at the airport called the "King's Window" which apparently speeds up proceedings and lets you walk straight up to a separate check-in desk with no queue.
There was a slight delay on getting our luggage sent up (again because of how busy they were)so if you are that bothered then I'd suggest checking how busy they are first - if they are V busy - wheel your own suitcase! They were, however, very prompt at sending up a maintenance man with a set of lock-cutters when the lock on my suitcase refused to relinquish it's grip.
The rooms were huge & well-maintained, with faux-gothic arch mirrors, medieval style tapestries on the walls, plenty of wardrobe space & drawers, and a big bathroom with loads of counter-top space for the toiletries. They only have showers (no baths) but the cubicles are huge doubles and I doubt you'd have time for a bath in Vegas anyway.
The hotel pools are nice (2 pools with mini-flumes) if only 3 ft deep (the norm for vegas -think it's to conserve water??)
The Camelot theme is hysterical, with music from Robin Hood & First Knight piping you in, crossed swords on the walls, suits of armour, and being paged as Lord X or Lady Y on the tannoy.
Recommended - the Coyote Ugly bar at New York New York hotel next door - cheap night out for upfront girls- dance on the bar, get free drinks!!
Don't forget to buy your day pass on the strip buses. A 24hr ticket is $5. If you do more than 2 trips in a day, it's saved you money.
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Excalibur Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: March 2003
Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : M O'Brien - Merseyside
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We love Las Vegas but the Excalibur has been refurbished since our last visit 2 years ago and it is looking better than ever.Many restaurants - and bars, quite chilled and The Sherwood Forrest cafe is great for food. The buffet is amazing - be prepared to see gateaux and then some at 8.30 !
This end of the strip is more convenient for us as we love the Hotels and nightlife near here. An absolute must is the Piano Bar at NYNY - but take ID and go early, two pianists playing everything by request and it makes for a a happy happy crowd - they play all sorts -and it's fab. This trip we went to Light at Bellagio- someone beckoned us over and gave us a free entry card in the day - for which we were grateful as it saved is quite a good deal. It just seemed a random handout thing. The club is good but very dark and busy busy- an experience though and classy.
The strip always surprises, new Hotels - new spas- The steak house at Circus Circus was memorable - if you eat meat- it's great value. Do the helicopter trip down the strip- about £50 and well worth it - we had a blast and you get close to the Hotels etc. You will love this place but take comfortable shoes - if like me you are loathe to wear them - take whatever you can walk in for up to 4 miles - as on average that's what we walked each day alone and we are quite lazy in the heat !! See the Canyon, it's not good to come so far and not see it. We found Freemont Srteet a little odd but then we didn't know what to expect - it is clean and seems to offer more low key casinos. anyway - enjoy y'all - you sure will PS the staff at Exaclibur were genuinely lovely and seemed to be quite keen to impress.
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Excalibur Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Booked with Teletext and Internet
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Sara and Kevin - Merseyside ( 43, 38 )
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
LAS VEGAS!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!
What a fantastic place. Words cannot describe Las Vegas, it really does have to be seen to be believed.
The Excalibur looks great from the outside, but I thought the inside was looking a wee bit tired. However, to be fair, the staff were friendly and efficient, the entertainment was plentiful and varied, the choice of food was superb....and cheap, compared to UK. The rooms could maybe do with a bit of an overhaul, but they are, nevertheless, large and more importantly, clean.There is maid service every day and all towels are replaced if you so wish, bedding also, on request. Pool area is OK, but just OK....we were there for 6 days and did not have time to think about going into the pool, we looked through the door into the pool area, that was about it.
Having never really gambled before, one of the great things I liked about Excalibur is the minimum bet is only $4 per roll on the tables....at the Venetian or Caesars it was a minimum of $25!! We won over $500 at the Excalibur, so it's probably no wonder we think it is ok. We would stay there agin, if for no other reason than it is really good value for money, has a great location....and if you DO lose, they also have 1c slot machines!!
Flew with BMI and the flight was faultless. Pillows, blankets, flight socks, eye-pads, ear-phones, free drinks, good food....that was in economy!
Only got back from LV this morning and have already spent a couple of hours looking at flights for the return trip!!
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Fairfield Inn (off Strip, Paradise Road) - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Independant - Walk-in
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : 46/44/13
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Stayed at the Fairfield after trailing around for 3 hours looking for somewhere to stay, everyone told us we would get rooms in any of the big hotels as we were going off season (just after easter)as walk-ins, perhaps that was possible years ago but Vegas is so popular now and busy all year round now, I would always book before I go.
The Strip was brilliant!!!!!! The hotels are sheer opulence and absolutely gorgeous. However saying that, we are really glad that we were off Strip, although the main hotels are gorgeous, the constant noise of fruit machines would seriously drive you crazy and the smoke-filled foyers and gaming floors are are a pain.
The Fairfield was a wee haven to return to after the buzz of the Strip. The hotel at the time we were there (April 05)was undergoing full renovation and we had a newly completed room which was FABULOUS! We couldn't believe our luck! Beautiful room, gorgeous bathroom, lovely bedding, very, very comfortable beds and pillows guaranteed you a good night's sleep and a lovely smell in the room, fresh and clean. I am a clean freak and even I couldn't find a speck of dirt!! There was a free breakfast every morning we were there, enough to get you started. Staff were great, friendly and efficient. We did not have to queue to check-in or out unlike the big hotels where people were standing in queues of an hour or more. It was less than half the price of some of the grubby looking, cigarette-stinking others that we tried. We had a car as we were touring and it was so easy to park as all the big hotels offer free parking so it was very convenient rather than using the monorails and buses which always had queues.
A lucky find and one we would return to and recommend.
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Gold Coast - Las Vagas
Operator and Date: Expedia - April 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Pete, Bev & Jono (44,48,19)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We had previously stayed at the Luxor, which although was fantastic, it was also too big, with miles of walking, so we thought we would try something smaller. Read reports on the Gold Coast so opted for that. Stayed here in December 2004 & again in April 2005.
Small reception with helpful staff. Rooms had all facilities needed, e.g. aircon, hairdryer, large beds, bathroom with bath and shower (although bathroom a bit old fashioned). Swimming pool adequate, with lovely hot tub at the side, a fitness room if you want it.
The buffet is fantastic, quality and value for money, e.g. breakfast usually $6 which includes all drinks and as much as you can eat of ANYTHING, and we mean ANYTHING!!! There's Chinese, Mongolian, Mexican, American, Seafood, Italian and dessert station. Same at lunch & dinner as well but different prices. Other restaurants in the hotel as well.
There is a 70 lane bowling alley in the hotel!! And the shuttle bus takes you to sister hotels, e.g. the Orleans where there is a cinema complex. Another shuttle bus takes you to the strip in about 10 mins, drops off & picks up at the Barbary Coast which is right in the centre, opposite Caesars Palace.
Overall, good hotel, comfortable, and a good base for Las Vegas, smaller and more personal than the bigger hotels, and cheaper if you're on a budget. You can still visit the big hotels.
Las Vegas itself is out of this world, Disneyworld for adults!!! Celine Dion is worth seeing, fabulous. Other (cheaper) shows worth seeing are Le Cage at the Riviera; American Superstars at Stratosphere; Legends at Imperial Palace, and a MUST is the Fremont Street Experience.
If you like cars, visit the car exhibition at Imperial Palace, you can pick up free coupons in magazines, and you will not be disappointed.
There is so much to see in Vegas, we could be here all day, but on a final note, to all you men who like 'boys toys', go to the Las Vegas Gun store 2900 East Tropicana and enjoy shooting real machine guns and hand guns e.g. AK47 & Magnums (all supervised safely in booths)- GREAT FUN!!!!
We have been three times now to Las Vegas and will DEFINITELY be going again!!!
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Gold Coast - Las Vagas
Operator and Date: best travel -february 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : John-Lindsey Bell
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Dont be put off by first impressions after driving down the ultra glitsy strip to find this hotel,we arived very tired at 2am and thought we were in hell after there being no room available(travel agent cock up).Things started to look up in the morning after a great breakfast at unbelievable price.the room was standard american room,comfortable spacious and great beds.After tripping round all and i mean all the other hotels on the strip we can only say that yes there are glitsyer hotels,larger hotels,and bigger casinos but the Gold coast was just right and the best thing over all the others that does it for me was the food,at least half the price of everywhere else and just as good.The shuttle bus was it seamed always just waiting to take you to the strip,and a short walk to the rio and their shuttle bus put you at the other end of the strip.
If i returned to vegas then i would without doubt stay here again,just because the others are big doesnt mean there good.
Clean hotel,polite staff.For me 10/10.
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Gold Coast - Las Vagas
Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel- may 2003
Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : mrs stokes (28,31)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
my husband and i have stayed in the gold coast twice now, and we wouldnt hesitate to stay there again. although this hotel is not one of the more glitzy or glamourous buildings on the strip, it is very comfortable and relaxing. the staff are friendly, the food is excellent, especially terrible mikes burger bar which does a fantastic range of burgers and snacks. the gold coast even has a hotdog stand in the middle of the casino, selling hotdogs for 75 cents!. the pool is lovely and the rooms are spacious, clean, with cable tv, pay per view movies, 24 hour room service, iron, hairdryer etc. there is also a free shuttle bus which takes you up onto the strip just by the barbary coast hotel. the casino itself at the gold coast is just the right size. you have a nice variety of slot machines and table games without the worry of getting lost or having to walk miles to your hotel room. there is a 70 lane bowling alley upstairs too, which is very reasonable priced, and i would highly recommend the cheese fries in the bowling snack bar!
we enjoyed the huge variety of ice creams in kates corner and also the coffee shop, both located in the hotel. the handy thing about staying in the gold coast is that you are only a short taxi ride away from down town vegas, so you get the best of both worlds for about the same taxi fare. i wont even try to explain what vegas itself is like. we have been there four times now, and we cant wait to go again. wouldnt recommend vegas for very young children, but apart from that there is plenty to do for all ages. if you go downtown to see the freemont street experience, remember to try your luck on the wheel of fortune slot machines in mermaids casino and also in la bayou casino. thats where i had the best luck! las vegas is my favourite place in the world, and i would definately live there if i had the chance.
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Gold Coast - Las Vagas
Operator and Date: expedia march 03
Opinion submitted in Mar 2003 by : k henderson-orkney 47,50
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
anybody thinking of going to las vegas,stop thinking of it and go!.
we will have to go back as a week was not enough,the only drawback is the horrible journey home.
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Hilton Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: american holidays - 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : mark & louise n.ireland ( 30,29 )
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
As a thirtieth birthday present to myself the wife and i decided to go to vegas breaking ourselves into the american way gently,NOT.after 12hours of mindnumbing flights and no ciggies(connections at heathrow&LA)we arrived at mccarron midday to scorching 90 degree weather which in mid march was great.our package didnt include hotel transfers but right outside the airport door there is a booth that sells return transfers to any hotel for only $10.
Arriving at our hotel which is just offstrip(paradise road)check-in was quick and easy everyone was so helpful.Our room was on 30th floor just below barry manilows floorsize suite although we never saw him.our room had everything you could want including two large double beds, satellite including hotel info channel,bathroom could have been better though shower over bath in very small cubicle but served its purpose.Do not drink bottled water in rooms though after doing so myself i found out it cost $8 a bottleand dont ring home from room phones it cost around $40 for about 5 minutes use payphones up the road.View from room wasnt the best but only used it for sleeping and washing,too much to see and do.
hotel itself very nice,some pretty swanky restaurants,very nice B.L.T in 24hr cafe at 4.30 in morning.Breakfast very good in restaurant beside sports betting area eat all u want$9.99.photo i.d required in bars everywhere no matter what age which i found annoying as i only brought my passport which id left in hotel safe, quite embarrasing standing there being asked for i.d and being refused a drink,felt like an underage schoolboy trying to blag his way.getting to the strip was very easy as the hilton is one of the stops on the monorails circuit,station is just out the back past the star trek experience and tickets are only 2or3 dollars for a trip to any hotel on the strip best value is the 10 ride ticket at only $20 which you will need because walking to the likes of the MGM would take about an hour.As for walking to the strip it takes 5 minutes to get to circus circus if you want to start from there.
On the strip i would recommend the fountains at bellagio,elvis playing in the background it sunk in that i was actually in vegas.Lot of walking involved in and out of hotels which are like cities within hotels,very easy to get lost in them.MGM is THE hotel,absolutely huge,lion enclosure is worth a look if you can find it.Go to mirage at night to see the volcano outside erupting its impressive.as for eating out take your pick,stardust does a very good buffet at $9.99,riviera is good for meals in early hours peaceful away from everything.Excalibur is also good for lunch and is cheap.
at night try tangerine nightclub or coyote ugly in newyork newyork is worth a look but remember i.d.STUDIO 54 is also a must where if your lucky youll bump into a celeb or two.Purchasing an excursion as we did got us free entry into a lot of clubs and a few shows as well as half price meals at certain hotels which saved a few quid.
Do not go home without doing a grand canyon tour which can be booked at street booths all up the strip or directly with the tour firm.We took the helicopter ride with HELI USA which flew us over lake mead which is breathtaking over hoover dam and down into a working ranch where we had lunch cooked for us cowboy style,we also took in horseriding which made us feel as if we were in a western before flying back over the strip at night seeing everything lit up was a sight to remember and all for only £300 for two,it was the highlight of the trip.
Amusement ways the rides at top of stratosphere are a must although the elevator ride up to them is a bit hairy,also try out the coaster at NEW YORK NEW YORK and the nascar cafes coaster they are excellen.
DOWN POINTS very little to comment on except for street p*rn peddlars who shove leaflets down your throat every few hundred yards,also beggars they are not like home where they sit in one spot,a few followed us about which scared the missus a bit but if you tell them where to go they soon get the message,also keep your wallet in your front pocket always as places can get very crowded and theres plenty of pps about as i found out firsthand.If you decide to explore off strip as we did stay to main roads if possible,we found ourselves in a mexican neighbourhood which wasnt very plesant be milky tourists we stood out like sore thumbs lets just say our afternoon leisurly stroll turned into an olympic 100m qualifier haha.Road crossings are also a nightmare,green hand dosent stay for long and drivers are mad to get going no matter if your in the middle of the road or not.
All in all its an amazing place i could be here forever talking about it but id recommend it to anybody,its a must see place and ill be returning as soon as possible.
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Imperial Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - Sept 2003
Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : Trudi Curson 42.51
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
September 21-28 2003
Hotel is not 5 stars but 3 stars. the swimming pool needed a good clean out from sun tan cream,pieces of hair,sweaty feet smell of the water.
The lifts to all floors were constantly breaking down.
The day after we arrived. The arrivals ramp at the back of the hotel, was being replaced. unknown to us that,the work started at 5.15am. If you were on the parking side of the hotel. When 'Virgin' were told, they said they had no idea it was going on.It will be going on for one year.
This gave you only one escape route out of the hotel. Except for the rickety outer fire escapes. Even the room balconies had very bad cracks. The balcony doors locked on you,were standing there taking in the views.
The bed mattress were second hand had been steralized,that good of them.
The food in the buffet,at all sittings was repeated everyday no variety at all.
With 'Virgin' you have to ring your transport hotel pick-up 24 hours before departure. Which arrived half an hour late.
Apart from the hotel, we had a great hoilday.All the hotels in Las vegas are out of this world. Be prepared to walk l mean everywhere, parking a car at every hotel will cost you a fortune.Best kids hotel 'Circus circus. regular circus acts, great side shows, aerodome out back plenty to do.
'La Cage' at the Riveira, excellent show,but awkard sittings arrangements.Don't buy your tickets from street vendors only the hotel box office you get the best seating.
Not every street corner has an 'Elvis'.The best one we found was in 'Caesar's Palace' in a meorabalia shop.Best show Elvis at 'Legends' at the Imperial Hotel.
If you go downtown to 'Fremont Street' don't go alone, go in two's. While we were there, a police officer got shot,a tourist got robbed.
'Belz'outlet factory off the the strip,well worth a visit. Now called the Las Vegas Premium outlet'But the new premium downtown, not worth the taxi ride.
You must like gambling, drinking,no sleep,walking,watch the heat.
The weather was over 95 degrees most days.
Visit the Liberance musuem, the magic shows are over the top.Celin Dion was well worth her £95.00 a ticket.Siegfeld and Roy are well past they sell by date.All the advertising you see of acts are well out of date. Don't go looking for the yellow brick road at MGM.It's not there, give way to lions well 1 a day. The monorail won't be finished until 2006.
The Grand Canyon is not as red as it shown in brochures,go anyway for the helicopter ride.
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Imperial Palace - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Organised ourselves Nov 2005 and Sept 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Steve Firth 56 Sue Firth 55
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We arranged this holiday ourselves, booking through a travel agent. In 2005 it was a 2 centre holiday 4 days in Las Vegas, 3 in Memphis. We hardly scratched the surface of Las Vegas in 2005, so we decided to pay a return visit this year.
We stayed at the same hotel, Imperial Palace, for price, location, and convienience. I will say straight away this hotel cannot match up to it's more glamourous competitors, Ceasars Palace, Venitian, Mirage etc, they outshine the Imperial in every department, except price, and that is where the Imperial beats them all.
For it's location, slap bang in the middle of the Strip, it's hard to beat, and as we spent so much time exploring Las Vegas The Imperial Pallace was a perfect base. Check in was quick and curtious, and being a non smoker I could detect the aroma of ciggerette smoke in the casino, it's there, but not overpowering. I have heard rumours that this place is going to be demolished and replaced by something more grand, and undoubtabley more expensive and maybe that is why the decor has this lack of care look about it. The place is worn at the edges, no doubt about that, but it's not fair to say it is run down, it is still an imposing place. Our rooms were spacious, and again, have seen better days no doubt.
Bedding, and towells were changed everyday, the cleaning was thorough, so no complaints. As this it Las Vegas there is always something going on and that something is usually gambling. But beyond that there is a wealth of stuff to explore and for a solid week my wife and I took in as much as we could. A flight over the Grand Canyon, by airplane, a flight in a helicopter over Las Vegas by night to see it all lit up, and last but not least, a show by Celine Dion made for a memorable week.
Add to that a trip to the top of the Eifel Tower in the Paris hotel, 800ft or so I believe, to get a panoramic night time view of Vegas, well worth the $10, or a trip to the top of the Stratosphere, for another panoramic view of the Vegas landscape during the day, only $6 this time as we are classed as 'Seniors' for being over 55 so get reduced admission.
But with all this going on you have to eat, and the choice is overwhelming, whatever takes your fancy, you will find a place that serves it. For us it was the various buffets on offer at the various hotels, we tried a few. The Imperial Palace's own Emporers buffet, about $10 for breakfast and about $15 for dinner, should satisfy basic hunger, but if it something more sophisticated you want then by the time you get through the list of restaurants available you will never get to eat. We tried, the buffets at Imperial Palace, Mirage, and Monte Carlo, meals at the Barbary Coast, Outback restaurant and even a snack in Betty's a cafe in the Imperial. Each place had it's own merits, but the choice in them all was excellent and we were well satisfied with what we had paid, never going above $25 each for a meal.
Entertainment, never mind where do I start, it's more of a where do I stop? In the Imperial they have something called Dealertainers, these are people who look after the card tables and also double up as pop star lookalikes. These varey from Little Richard and Roy Orbison, to Madonna and Shakaria, and not forgetting, how could you, Elvis. We saw Alice Cooper, and Michael Jackson perform, not bad for a freebie. Other freebies worth seeing is the incredible water show at the Bellagio. Now to me Las Vegas is the more vivid at night, and this water show, impressive as it is in daytime, comes alive at night, as does the beam from the top of the Luxor, the Eifel Tower in it's glory, the Pirates at Treasure Island, the whole stip makes for a more vibrant atmosphere at night.
But lets not forget downtown, and Freemont Street, the old, original Vegas still offers visual panorama worthy of its more uptown neighbours. We had a steak at Tony Romanos, baked potato and salad, Bacardi/Coke and Brandy/Coke, the lot $40, good value. Then it was onto the freebie show, a group were singing U2 stuff, good they were, then the lights came on. Now that is an understatment, they are not just lights but the whole roof is like a giant video screen that comes alive with dazzling images the full leangth of the street. This lasts for about 10 minutes, but what a 10 minutes, put together with all the lights of Queens, Golden Nugget and the rest, you just hope they never have a power cut.
I don't know if the Friday we experianced is the same every Friday, but it seem the whole of America came to Vegas for the weekend as side street were closed off and a multitude of bands, DJ's all took over to play their type of music, Rap, you got it, Rock n Roll, you got it, Country you got it, the whole Strip was rocking in some shape or form. Now if you were a little weary you could sit on a balcony at the Margaritas bar, just along from the Imperial, although nice, I thought the drinks were a little on the expensive side at $8 each, maybe it's just me. There are some downsides, and one of them is the guys and girls giving away, or trying to, little cards with phone numbers on. They are everywhere and do nothing to keep Las Vegas tidy as their cards are strewn all over the pavements/sidewalks, most people just ignore them, they are just doing their job after all.
I could go on, but maybe this piece will be edited when I send it in, but a couple of other things to mention. The Imperial Palace have no room safes but offer a free safety desposit box for all your stuff you do not want to carry around, and, unless you are rich, extremely rich in fact, don't use the hotel phones, there are payphones in the lobby, you buy a phone card, which is the better option. Also if you prefer a peaceful night, then I would advise a room at the back, not possible for everyone I know, but the Imperial is next door to it's masters, Harrahs, and Harras have an open air stage, which happends to be alongside the front of the Imperial, the occupants of that stage sound like a mix of every heavy metal band you can think of, thrash and bask I call them, and they play their music? until the early hours of the morning. Now this may be ok for you, if you like that type of thing, but if you want sleep, without ear plugs, then a room at the back, although not as pretty as looking out over the Strip or the swimming pool, is a better option. Talking of the swimming pool, like most hotels, you need your room card/key to get in the pool area, it's ok, but we only visited once, too much too see and not enough time to see it to stay round the pool, maybe we should come back again, yeh that sounds like a good idea.
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Imperial Palace - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Expedia - Jan 2006
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Andy Pullar - Dundee (43, 50)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
First impressions of Imperial Palace was a bit run down and shabby. The entrance is not the most appealing on the strip but this was reflected in the price (£322 for seven nightsin Jan 2006). The bedroom was dark as it was in the low corner of the compplex. the room was spotless and fresh towels and maids every day.
The casino area was old fashioned and run down but still all staff were very helpful and welcoming. You can use the business centre to check in to your return flight which is handy. if any of your party cannot check in on the internet for your return journey it means they will be subjected to an additional security check at the airport. This can be quiet a lengthy process with all your contents of hand luggage being wiped with swabs and then you going through a puffer machine.....a bit daunting.
Las vegas was wonderful.....everything we expected and more. Take your time at each hotel as they are massive and sometimes with lots of hidden gems. Buffets in the hotels are best value. Breafast $9, lunch $12-17 and dinner $17-$25. You get free water/tea/coffee and soft drinks. Best value was "Maxs" in the Alladin Dessert Passage. Lunch was grilled salmon, herb mashed potatoes and veg for $3.99 plus all drinks were 3 for 1 all day. It was a perfect place for relax and people watch in great surroundings.
Check out "tickets at 1/2/price" outlets on the strip for great offers but not for Celine Dion of the other top shows. We went to see Celine with 3rd row seats and the show was unbeleivable. Mamma mia (as alaways) was superb.
Taxi from airport to strip hotels about $14-17 dependeing on how far up the strip you are.
try "voodoo lounge" at the Rio casino. (free shuttle from "harrahs"). The bar/restaurant is 51 floors up and has leather sofas outside on the massive 2 level balcony. The food and drick was pricey but well worth it. $15 for a beer and vodka & coke. Free eanrt to bar before 8pm. This has one of the best views in Vegas.
Helecopter flight with "pappilon" was $466 for two adults with flight over Hoover Dam and a landing for champagne and light lunch in the Grand Canyon.....what a trip.
Tip hostess for every free drink as long as you are playing.
Timeshare touts are everywhere...beware of "free show and dinner" touts.
There are 2 premium outlet malls. One at each end of the strip.
Buy 10 journey passes for the Monorail as this works out at $3.50 per ride as appossed to £5 if you pay each time. The tickets are sharable...if there are 2 travelling just put your ticket through the turnstyle twice.
Love Las Vegas.
I used voipcheap co uk to call vegas to get great deals. Calls using this are totally free.
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Imperial Palace - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: October 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Helen Jenner 34, Dan Thomas 29
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Stayed at the Imperial Palace recently and have to say I was appalled by the standards. The rooms were not clean, the furniture was broken and dirty. We had a balcony facing a wall, but you had to climb out the window to get outside.
Our carpet was soiled and sticky and the room was musty.
Certainly unusual for U.S hotel standards.
Food o.k in restaurants.
Reception staff and concierge miserable.
Our door would not lock for 3 days, took them 3 days to send a locksmith to fix it, he was rude to me as he had been called out of bed.
Las vegas amazing, lots to do and see. Take plenty of money, its not that cheap.
See the Bellagio fountains, amazing.
Use Virgin Atlantic Airways, they are excellent.
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Imperial Palace - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours-August 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Nicola-22,22,22,21,24,26,27,27
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Well my return trip to Vegas..for 11 nights!
We took 6 friends this time and stayed at the IP on the strip...
We flew with My Travel-will never fly with them again! We stayed over at the aiprort hotel the night before to get extra legroom for my boyfriend who is 6ft 4(i had tried to pay for it at the time of booking but was told the whole group would have to pay £160 each aswell for his legroom??!!)we checked in the night before we flew, i asked the girl at check in if it was possible that we could have 2 emergency exit seats or front row seats(last year BMI couldnt do enough for us they suggested we be seated at the front row and arranged it for our return journey free of charge!!) and werent botherd about all of us sitting together, was told straight no, we would all have to pay extra legroom if we wanted to do that!! The plane was average if not poor, no variety of programmes to watch & little room on a 10 hour flight didnt stand us in the best moods.
Anyhow we arrived at our hotel just before 11am. Having been to Vegas before i knew what was to come, but the other 6 couldnt believe it, and to be honest it made me speechless just as the first time!
The hotel was OK. We werent given the newer rooms as we requested but the other rooms were clean! i was lucky my room had a balcony and a patio door looking out onto a pool, dont be fooled when it says balcony and view in the holiday booklets...2 of our rooms had balconys but u had to climb out of the window to get on them and the view...straight onto a wall or a bus depot!! the pool was small, too small at a weekend as the place was packed because of its location, and could do with a revamp!(but whilst we was there Harrahs,hotel next door, had just bought out the IP so there could be changes ahead!) We heard bad rumours about the food at the IP, but to be honest it was fine. Try the Fireside restaurant in there,(the best steak i had all holiday)the buffet is ok, but your that close to all other hotels you can nip to them for breakie!!
We saw the hawaii Laua at the IP(its a show/buffet all you can eat and drink) $30,food werent that good, entertainment out of date, but all you drink.....GOOD!!!! we also saw the Cirque Du Solei show at Treasure Island, breathtaking!!! it is a definate must, we only paid $60 each for the bog standard seat and got a great view!! a REALLY REALLY big must is the piano bar!! great free entertainment in the Harrahs hotel!its so fantastic we had plenty of great nights in there!!!
If i was to go back and stay at an average price hotel and be in the middle id try the Mirage, if i was to go all out it would have to be the Venetian and for a quietish stay(you are in Vegas!) it would have to be the Luxor!! I doubt id be going back to the IP.
I would advise any1 not to fly with My Travel on a long haul flight, our return flight was awful....2 1/2 hour delay whilst we were sat on the plane!! no drinks, only 3 televisions on the aircraft, and the sound system didnt work and to top it off it was even smaller than the first plane!!!
But after a few grumbles Vegas is still top on my destination list and would go back there time after time, there is loads to see, and the weather was fab, americans are the nicest people by far and we all had a great holiday!!!
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Imperial Palace - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: american airlines - April 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Val and daughter -( grown up!)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
On arrival, very dismal and nothing to look at, but the whole strip comes alive at night!Great hotel,centre strip and very easy to go back and forth either way. not so grand compared to the likes of Bellagio or Ceasars, but spacious and clean with very helpful staff and great for a place to rest your weary feet, as you will be doing a LOT of walking!(take sensible shoes). Also have the only dealertainers (singing by lookalike and sounsalikes), tina turner, michael jackson,Elvis.....great entertainment.
Book grand canyon flight early on in case of bad weather cancellations, same goes with all the free outside shows. Try to map out your days as they simply fly by and there is such a lot to do. Freemont experience is awesome the light show on the ceiling is fantastic...and all free happening on the hour every hour after dusk. Various prices for same articles in all shops, so shop around. All shows were really good, worth going to see as many as you can, Best shows are cirque de sole.
The legends in concert at Imperial Palace was brilliant, look through all coupon books, we found coupons off for most shows and eateries. Do go and see the ceilings in the forum shops and the venetian, fountains at bellagio (day and night) and volcano eruption at Mirage. Miss out the Elvis-a-rama, some quite interesting bits on display, but nothing spectacular and definately not worth $10. some of the rides are worth the money, especially the insanity on top of the Stratosphere....only for the strong hearted! Will be going back for sure!
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Imperial Palace - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: BMI - December 2004
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Debbie, Tim and Niall - Crewe (37, 33, 13)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Where shall I start! The Flights by BMI outward bound was a direct flight plenty of leg room in economy, free food and drinks for the whole flight. The staff were very attentive and helpful.
Las Vegas where everyones dreams can come true!!
Imperial Palace may not be the flashiest hotel on the strip, but its in one of the best locations, with everything near to hand,if it isn't walkable the trolley bus picks up at this hotel.
The rooms: They are clean and large with everything you could need apart from a kettle and fridge.
We never had any problems with the lifts the for the whole of our stay and we stayed on the 14th floor.
Children in Vegas:
Don't worry about keeping the kids happy here, we travelled in the winter so all the pools were closed, but we didn't have to worry because all the hotels have stuff for kids.
LUXOR: Imax cinemas, arcades, museums, etc.
MANADLAY BAY: Shark reef.
MIRAGE: Siefred and Roys secret garden, white tigers.
NEW YORK: roller coaster
To name just a few.
Visited Circus Circus and was very dissappionted very tatty in need of some care and attention, looked a bit dirty.
The fountains at the Belliago should not be missed.
The Paris hotel is unbelievable just imagine standing beneath the eiffel tower in america.
Treasure Islands Sirens show is great for everyone, lots of bearly dressed women for the men to watch!!!! and some attractive men for the women.
Don't forget the Gondolas at the Venetian, were you get sung to in Italian as you travel around the canals within the hotel or outside the hotel.
The food in Vegas is plentiful as you would expect, you can have anything here, with many of the famous restuarant chains and many with top chefs.
You DON'T have gamble in vegas to enjoy it!!!!!!
But on saying that the casinos are awsome and you have to have a go. We tended to sit at the bar and play poker on the bar top. We did play the slots and had a few wins but it didn't pay for our trip unluckily.
Would we go back? Yes Yes YES
Would we stay at the IP? YES
Can't wait to go again and renew our wedding vows as we didn't have enough time.
We stayed for five nights and found that this just wasn't long enough.
We tried to do the flight over the grand canyon and hoover Dam, we booked and paid for it but it got cancelled due to bad weather and unluckily it was on the day before we were due to fly home so it could not be rearranged. So our TIP to you is if you are planning to go to vegas in the winter and want to do these trips book for early on in your trip so if yours got cancelled it could be changed to another day. So you don't miss out like us.
But on the upside that means we have an excuse to go again!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please Please go to Lsa Vegas, everybody should witness that mirage in the middle of the desert!!!! You have to see it to believe it.
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Imperial Palace - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin Feb 2004
Opinion submitted in Feb 2004 by : 39, 40
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
we went to vegas for my husband's 40th birthday, we had a great time, so much to say about vegas!!!, don't need to gamble there so much more to vegas.
the IP was good, ok it's not like some of the top hotels on the strip, but then if you want venetian etc then it reflects on the price, we just wanted somewhere to sleep!!! this hotel is smack in the middle of the strip, so it is easy to get to any of the hotels. we found it clean, rooms were large, didn't have any problems with the lifts, the staff were great, we found the buffet was really good (i prefered it to lots of the others, including the aladin, which people raved about!!), we had a balcony which alot of hotels in vegas don't have, would i stay there again, definetly yes!!!!
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Imperial Palace - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Vir-gin - April 2003
Opinion submitted in May 2003 by : Joanne and Sue - Essex & Southampton, (40 , 40 )
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Well what can I say, went to Vegas to celebrate our 40th birthday's, When you hit 40, do it in style, we did!
I had never been further than tenerife, so was not looking forward to 10 hours on a plane, but Vir-gin were great! They kept us fed and watered all the way to Vegas!
Flight was great, even let us help ourselves to the wine when we fancied a glass!
The hotel was not as pretty as the others on the strip, but the rooms were great, maids were good,(leaving them a dollar every day did the trick!)
Room service, what a great invention! we were ordering up all sorts day and night, why, because we could!
All in all, the holiday was the best I have been on, Vegas is just the best place on earth, and going to the Grand Canyon by helicopter was such a moving experience, it brought us both to tears!
Shopping! what great shopping! we hit Tiffany's and The Diamond Exchange and treated ourselves to a little 40th birthday present each!
Cesars palace shops were fantastic, and having a meal in Bartolini's by the fountain was fantastic, expensive but well wort every dollar!
We lived like queens for the week, why, because we could!
Played a bit of Black Jack, had beginers luck, which was just as well as we had seen more shops to visit at the end of the strip by Treasure Island (fashion show mall)Macy's is there too!
This experience will stay with us till we die, everyone should go to vegas, it's like nothing on earth, and you won't believe your eyes!
Already planning when we can go back again!
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Key Largo Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: August 2002
Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : Liesa & Andy (40 & 41)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Flew direct from Manchester to Vegas with mytravel, OK-ish flight, not much leg room, seat back entertainment kept us amused, several people kept having a sneaky fag in the loos - cant blame them on an 11 hour flight.... please aircraft companies lose a loo and build a 'smoke cubicle' I would happily pay a fiver to go in and have a ciggie - give it to charity!
Flight very bumpy coming in to land, the view from the forward camera is something to see - Las Vegas is like a big gold mirage in the desert, its an awesome sight.
Our hotel was off the strip, but had a regular bus service up to Harrah's, we used that at night and walked up during the day. Rooms OK, cant complain as we were on a budget due to getting married while there, so spent the first few days sussing out chapels etc, finally decided on the 'Chapel of Love', which was small enough for the 2 of us! Huge disappointment on returning home as our wedding video was blank and it was going to be shown at our reception. Anyway we are going back to Vegas this year (2007) to re-new vows, re-do video and have a week in Hawaii afterwards - will report back on this site. Hotel small so a lot more intimate, got lots of drinks off the waitresses - great cheap nights out! Not in room long enough to warrant huge 5/6 star prices, unless you're well off stay in a cheaper hotel and use the facilities of the expensive ones!
Vegas itself - wow, you feel like you are in a film set. Weather is fabulous, hot and dry, didnt see one nasty creepy crawly which for me is a bonus.... oh apart from those Mexican chaps peddling hostess services/prostitutes booklets on street corners, I eventually yelled at them to piddle off as it can and does get annoying. Lots of reviews on this site already so can't add much more about this resort, there is SO much to do here, you don't HAVE to gamble, then again why would you come here otherwise?
Generally prices very good value, and the service you get is brilliant, the UK has a lot to learn in this department. Lots of food choices too, you dont have to go anywhere near scuffy McDonald/Burger Stink, most bars do huge (real meat) burgers if they're your thing. You will put weight on, whatever you eat.
A definite once in a lifetime experience, we loved it. Leave the kids or wait till they are older (21), this place is basically for the adults... fab!!
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Booked via Internet - October 2006
Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : John - Stockport (41,38)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We booked to go to Vegas for a short break six weeks before departre, we used My Travel for the flights and booked directly with the luxor for accommodation.
Flights - The flights were direct, the cabin crew attentive and pleasant, the meals average. Each seat had its own back seat TV and a couple of decent films, legroom OK for some one who is 5 foot 9. No delays, however it was difficult to get comfortable enough to have a decent sleep, but we paid economy prices so our expectations were met.
Las Vegas Airport - it took us about 1 hour to get through customs and pick up our baggage and as we had travelled with two other couples, we decided to get a limo transfer, it cost $50, the usual transfer price to Luxor is about $12 to $17 per taxi, so was worthwhile. If you want to do the same just go outside the arrivals exit and accros the road from the taxi's there were about 10 limos, all waiting and unreserved.
Luxor - Check in was slow, there were only about 20 people before us, but the whole process took about 50 minutes. I had booked our rooms on line direct with the Luxor six weeks before departure, opting for a tower room. however a couple of days before departure I checked out the web site and realised the prices had been slashed by 40%, I rang the hotels reservations direct and asked how they could help, they were happy to upgrade us to a Pyramid Spa Suite and reduce the rate by $60 (Cost was $430 for three nights). The room was massive with a spa tub over looking Part of the Strip, it was need of decoration and quite dark, but clean and comfortable. If you stay in the Pyramid there is a high chance you will have to use an Inclinator (a diagonal lift) as we were on the 27th floor we had use this a couple of times a day, every one we spoke to felt quite dizzy after use - wierd !! We ate a Buffet Breakfast ($12) and Dinner ($19), both were good value, for the breakfast we ate late (10:40 ish) and as we had completed fruit juices, cereals, we were surprised to see that all of the breakfast hot plates were being removed for the lunch menu, however the idea of eggs, sausage and a choice of either chinese, italian or roast meet did not appeal, but to some it may !!! We also ate at the Pyramid Cafe, were it cost approx $10 for a large sandwich and fries, tasted good and good sized portions.
Casino - at the luxor it is over a large space, there was every game you could think of. The staff were inconsistent, we played Craps one night with an amazing night of luck and guidance from the staff we had a nice little win, but when we tried other table games on other nights some of the staff were about as helpful as a chocolate fireguard !! We found that the Cocktail waitresses were very frequent around the tables games, but not as frequent around the slots. Usual process you should tip a $1 for each drink received, however I would suggest that if you are staying in the same area that you tip $5 first time and ask the waitress to come back every quarter of an hour, they will if you keep them sweet !! We also drank in one of the bars, here for 6 drinks it cost $40 so it works to play small slots (1 cent a go) and get some free drinks off the Cocktail waitresses, you never know you may hit a jackpot.
Grand Canyon - you have got to do it, it cost $310 per person (thank god we had a win the night before) we used Sundance Helicopters. We left the hotel at 07:30, a limo picked us up, the flight there was 45 minutes with both a guided commentary plus a helpful pilot pointing out other interesting bits n bobs, we landed had a champagne breakfast (Croissant and muffin) for approx 30 minutes, there are some amazing sights, and I would recommend if you can afford it, try to budget this into your spends, it is a definite wow, if you are staying for longer than a couple of nights there are other options via road that are a lot cheaper, but I would do the helipcopter experience all over again when I go back. Flight back was via the strip so we got to see Freemont street and all of the sites from 2000 feet.
Vegas - due to time contraints we did not explore as much as we would like, we only got as far as treasure island, if you plan to go to the pirate fight get there 30 minutes before it starts becuase you can get really crushed which spoils the whole experience, the fountains at the bellagio are amazing. we went around all of the hotels, venetian amazing but the shops are dear !! There is so much to see and do, you have to make use of the both the hotels trams that link them to the same hotels and of the monorail and or deuce bus, we walked one way and trammed or taxi back. As and when we go back we will definitely see more, for example, outlet villages, Stratosphere tower, New york roller coaster etc...
Summary - flights ok, if I could afford more I would go for it, but they were adequate, Luxor, would definitely go back, but possibly stay in the tower just to avoid the inclinator !!
Finally - we were there for Halloween - the americans take this seriously every one dresses up, yes we saw some sights !!!!
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin nov 05
Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : mrs rose, staffs 41,40
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
What can i say, absolutely out of this world.
Its amazing to see the hotels, the venetian is awesome, caesars palace is fantastic, aladdin with the thunder storms,stratosphere is so high up,mirage with the volcano, the fountains at the bellagio, paris paris has got the eiffel tower, oh i can go on and on. This was a surprise 40th birthday off my husband and what a birthday present. The Luxor was beautiful,wish it was just positioned a little further up the strip. Went to Circus circus and i hated it, what a vile dirty looking hotel. The stratosphere is great to go to the top, but not in a nice area. Excalibur was another great hotel next 'door' to the Luxor. I would stay anywhere along the strip, but my favourite truly is the Luxor but it's a bit of a way out, so therefore i would say Caesars Palace. On a shoe string the Flamingo is perfectly situated, but give me anywhere and i'll be on the next flight out. By the way virgin was superb to fly with too.
You have to go to take it all in, it's better than i ever could have imagined, i hope one day i will go back, the sooner the better..enjoy
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin - Nov 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Leanne & Dan - Kent (21, 22)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I was taken to the Luxor in Vegas by my boyfriend for my 21st birthday. It was the best present anyone could have ever given me.
The Luxor hotel is out of this world. We stayed in the tower and im glad we did as the rooms are massive, clean and had excellent views. The food in the hotel was lovely and very plentiful. The location of the Luxour isn't so good as other hotels but they didn't really bother us too much.
Vegas is a place everyone MUST go to. The Casinos are brilliant even if your not a gambler, its fun to have a go on the slot machines. The shopping out there is brilliant and cheaper than here. Visitng each hotel takes up quite a bit of your time but definitely worth it.
Anyone who goes Vegas will have a fantastic time!!!
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - September 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Steve Birmingham 40, 38, 34, 33
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was the first week of a twin centre holiday with virgin, great flight from LGW to LAS, 10 hours 50 mins, great service. Luxor was really impressive from the outside and we went through check in, we were waiting to be asked for a credit card imprint, but we was not.
We were put in the pyramid side on the 17th floor, lifts were quick and great fun in the inclinator!!! The corridors and door could do with a lick of paint, we met up with another couple who said they were at the Luxor the previous year and it had gone down a little since then. It seems that they recently decorated the tower side and the pyramid side will be next so this should make it a little more presentable. The safes are located in the lobby, and are free, however there is always a long queue for them. There are no shaded areas around the pool which can be really busy in the day, you will need to show your key card to gain access to the pool area, this I understand is common practice for all hotels in Vegas.
Although I enjoyed the holiday, if I returned I would not stay here, purley as it is located at the end of the strip, the Mandalay Bay is next door and this is the last hotel on the strip, so something more central would be better, and seeing some of the other hotels, which are in the same price range as the Luxor, these would be our preference.
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - April 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Julie Lush, Darren Whitty 23,22
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Wow - This is by far the best place I have ever been!!!
The hotel was fantastic, We ugraded to the deluxe suite which had a jacussi in it, Oh my god it was out of this world.
We stayed there for 4 Days, after being to San Francisco for 4 days. Everything about Las Vegas is fab!!!! There is so much to do and see, unfortunately we didnt have enough time to see everything.
I recommend the Blue Man Group - That was fantastic and so exciting.! Defo worth the $90 we paid.
Grand Caynon was amazing as well, I mean what more could you want at 7am in the morning??
The only dissapointment was that we didnt get to see the Bellagio fountains as everytime we went to see them, they wouldnt put them on due to high winds.
Otherwise if youre looking for the perfect holiday, GO TO VEGAS!!!
It's everyones dream come true!!
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin April 05
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : carol swansea (42,47)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We booked for a week room only at the Luxor and a deluxe wedding with virgin.
A fantastic holiday and perfect wedding Virgin handled and arranged everything for our special day.
The Luxor was fabulous the only thing was that there was'nt any tea or coffee facilities in the room, and it was a long walk to the cafe. Try the steak house in the Luxor i've never tasted such gorgeous food before.
I would highly recommend the luxor to anyone.
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: MARCH 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Deb 39, Steve 42
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Las Vegas is something everyone must do in their life time. The Luxor is an ideal hotel and really reasonably priced in the grand Vegas scheme, however we are going back in 3 weeks and we are staying at Caesar's Palace, which is much more luxorious and in our opinion better positioned on the strip.
The Luxor is fab, the rooms are wonderful and very very spacious - the one thing missing is tea/coffee facilities, but it is the hotel ploy that you don't spend long in your room but that you get into the Casinos and spend your dollars - and loose them!
One thing that is a must in the Luxor is the Pharoe's feast at breakfast, our first morning we couldn't sleep due to jet lag and excitment and we went down to breakfast at 6 am - we couldn't believe how busy the casino still was, the ching ching of the slots can be heard everywhere. Anyhow the breakfast is a feast indeed - we had breakfast there everyday and never ate again until the evening. We couldn't fault the Luxor and would stay again ~ however we wont as there are hotels that far surpass in standards, Caesars being one of them, Bellagio, Venetion, Paris ~ so my advice would be if you can afford it, stay at one of these, but it depends what you want, if you are in Vegas, you aint gonna spend your stay in your room, so perhaps it is wise to book in a cheaper hotel, but use the facilities of the best.
Trips worth doing:
The Grand Canyon with Papillion flights, we booked on the internet in advance - reccomend the last flight of the day as you see the Canyon as the sun is going down and as an added bonus you see the strip by night on the return flight.
The Hoover Dam - personally we would give this a miss, it is quite a long drive and you get to see it from the helicopter when going to the Canyon.
Statosphere - A must, and if brave do the rollercoasters at the top - the views from the top of this tower are "awesome"
There are loads of free attractions, the pirate show outside of treasure island, watch your bags as there are allegedly pickpockets. The Bellagio fountains are wonderful, we watched them from the top of the Eiffel Tower, attached to the Paris Hotel, this is a 3rd of the size of the real one. The volcanno outside the Mirage is OK - personal choice really. Legends at The Imperial Palace is a great show, and the lookalikies are very impressive - good entertainment.
One last piece of advice, don't forget to tip otherwise you wont get served again!
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: March 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Christine Weaver - Ruislip (46,48)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was our second visit to Vegas and the Luxor was the 4th hotel we had stayed in. We had stayed our 1st night at the Stratosphere because we knew after a very long and tiring journey, with Delta airlines via Atlanta,(I do not recommend that those of you travelling with children make any connections at this airport on your inward bound journey) Atlanta airport is vast and has many many people passing through it, and after a flight which seemed to take forever, making a difficult connection is the last thing anyone needs. Both my friend and I were glad that we had left our kids behind on this occassion. Also when we arrived at Las Vegas airport our luggage failed to arrive with us and after the performance at Atlanta neither of us were surprised. Although it did appear much later that day or night we had lost all sense of time by then all we wanted was a shower and a nice clean bed which is exactly what the Stratosphere provided.
We were both looking forward to going to the Luxor for the remainder of our stay and where we had arranged to met friends who were flying in from New York the following day. I found staff at the Luxor helpful and polite. We arrived by taxi at the Luxor at 11am. chancing our arm hoping an early checking would have been possible sadly not that early but the bell boys were very helpful took our luggage and told us to contact the office when we had a room and they would deliver our luggage. Which was great as it left us hands free to enjoy the rest of our day.
As it was Mothers Day here in the UK our kids had treated us to a champagne brunch, we decided to go for what had been reccommeded as the best brunch at the Bellagio and although we did queue for about 50 minutes it was worth the wait and the extra $6 for a bottomless glass of champagne made the meal complete. Feeling quite full and light headed we headed back to the Luxor a longer walk back than I remembered going but I think it was probably the champagne. Check in was swift and hassle free we were offered a choice of rooms either in the pyramid or in the towers. We had decided beforehand that we would prefer the towers as the rooms are bigger not so noisey and have a shower as well as a bath. Our decision was backed up by the very friendly lady at the checkin. We also explained about our friends coming in the next day and asked if it would be possible to have rooms that interconnect or very close by and with 4400+ rooms I'm sure you can see the reasons why. This was done with no problem.
Unfortunately the first room we went to was very dark and dull and it's outlook over roof tops etc didn't make to a very good start I must add the room itself was fine but with all that lovely sunshine outside we wanted to see as much of it as we could. The reception staff changed our room without any fuss and they even managed to put our friends next door when they arrived.Also as promisied one phone call and our luggage appeared within 10 minutes of our call pretty good by American standards as hurry is not a concept they r familar with.
Disappointing was the breakfast buffet this was where we found the staff indifferent and the only place we failed to leave a tip this also put us off eating the again but our last evening we went to the dinner buffett which was different again and we now wish we had eaten dinner there earlier. The one place we would not recommend to eat is the Excalibur dinner buffet. Food was terrible and they had a very strange system when you went in with no information on how it worked not recommended. All in all we had a great time the Luxor has just one thing against it and that's it's location at the end of the strip you always have a long walk or bus ride to get to the larger themed hotels. My recommendation would be to stayed at the Flamingo Hotel which has a great location right in the middle of the strip, and is on par with the Luxor.
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin Holidays - February 2005
Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Christine & Chloe
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We went to Las Vegas because all the flights to Miami with Virgin were fully booked when we wanted to go!
In February it is cool in Vegas, during the day it is 18-20C degrees max (65-70F), but nice and bright.
Before checking in we asked one of the bell boys where the nicest rooms were, and he told us the West tower, as it had just been renovated. The room we were allocated was very large and brand new, with beautiful wood furniture with a big TV set, but no tea or coffee makers. The bathroom was luxurious, but the sink was a bit blocked.
The first morning we went to their buffet breakfast. Lots of stuff to eat, but none to our taste. If you like very sweet puddings, you would love it.
We also had dinner there once. Plentiful, but again, not that brilliant.
We had lunch once at the MGM, it was better, but the one at Alladin's was the best, although you had to queue for 40 mins. We had a buffet dinner at the Bellagio's, had to queue for 1 hour, it was the best though, a great choice and plenty of fresh fruit, which the others did not have. We had a dinner one night in one of the Bellagio's restaurants. It was rather expensive and rubbish.
As we don't gamble - you must think, what on earth were they doing in LV - we spent most of our time shopping (the Fashion Mall was great)and visiting the hotels. We thought the Venetian was the most beautiful. The Bellagio we found a bit tacky (but very nice if you like lots of gold and red). The Mandalay Bay was elegant. We found the shops at Caesar's Palace outrageously luxurious and their bendy escalator extraordinary!
We really enjoyed our holiday but, unlike most vistors on this website, once is enough.
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: February 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Paul -Stockport 38
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Luxor is excellent,Vegas blows your mind.
A few places I'd try visit;
1.5hr flight over Grand Canyon $99,Heli over the strip $50 & New York Taxis.I thought Freemont st was slighlty over rated (light show good,however shops tacky !)perhaps I was expecting to much ?
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Sept 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : NICOLA 22,22
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
After a horrible start of having to cancel our virgin holiday package to florida,(due to huricanes)my boyfriend and i were a bit unsure of how we felt about our new holiday package....1 week in the Luxor, Las Vegas 1 week in Hilton,California.
We flew with BMI,who were great! we had changes to make, and unfortunately missed our connecting flight as we were late getting in and had to go through passport control!! 2 1/2 hours! really recommend direct flights, or make sure u have alot of time between changes!
After a long day of flying and a long queue for the taxi,would advise going for a limo or pre-booking!
We eventually arrived at the Luxor at 12.30am!! and our long day of flying and dealays seemed worth it.
We went up to our room in the towers, which id request to say in, and we'd been given a deluxe double it was out of this world!!! clean and immaculate! large steam shower, loads of space huge t.v great views!!
The next day we were up early and went for a wander around the hotel, we got lost trying to find the breakfast all you can eat buffet, and ended up at the normal restaurant, bit pricey for breakfast, make sure u find the escalators down to the buffet! the breakfast was amazing, loads to choose from and the staff were lovely!
The Luxor itself is an amazing place,the pool area is like something from a film set.Again staff cant do enough for you. The choice for food just within the Luxor is amazing. The only down side to this hotel is, it is slightly out of the "central" area. But there are plenty of taxis and a monorail!!
Las Vegas is truely an amazing place. Every hotel is themed and there is loads to do. Wouldnt really recomend it for families though. A must is the knight show at the Excalibur. We went in September 2004, the weather was lovely the whole week.
The plus sides- great people, great shopping(shops open till 1.00!!), great hotels, great food, great weather.
Down sides- only 1,there are some spaces along the strip with waste land, where its really untidy and people are handing out flyers for "extra services". Not really nice, as they do put them in your face. This is the only downside that i found.
Sadly after the best week of my life we had to leave for California, i wish we could have stayed on to see more!
However it was that good we are goin back for 11 nights this year and taking 6 others with us!!
A truely awesome place a must for anyone, any age!!!
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : John 50 , Sue,46
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was the second leg of a three centre holiday provided by Virgin (Orlando, Las Vegas and San Francisco). After leaving the theme parks of Orlando we arrived, courtesy of America West Airlines (pretty good but take your own headphones, they only RENT theirs)at a theme city. The place is bonkers. Everything is huge, not least the Luxor with its two IMAX, three theatres, nightclub and probably several other things we didn't find.
When we arrived, it was late, the taxi queue was huge so we hired a limo for $26, twice the taxi fare but when you arrive at the hotel you are treated like a celebrity.
Walk into the foyer and prepare to catch your jaw as you take in the size of the Luxor - it's huge!
Fabulous room in the east tower, just a short walk from everywhere else in the hotel. Couldn't fault the hotel on anything and any visitors to this place must go and see the Blue Man Group. Impossible to categorise but they'll blow your mind with their music and make you ache with laughter.
Avoid the porn peddlars on the strip and you are guaranteed a great time. can't wait to go back.
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - May 2004
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Jim Byrne - London (37,36)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This is a fantastic hotel, we stayed in the Pyamid, the rooms are large and the shower big enough for six. It is at the far end of the strip but there is a monorail to both the Excalibir and Mandelay Bay. All the hotels on the strip are out of this world you realy have to see them to believe it. It realy is the entertainment capital of the world. In The Luxor it is $5 a beer but in Westward Ho (five minutes walk) $0.99 a beer so look around. Another great thing in Vegas is the Buffets for about $7 -$10 you can eat as much as you want.
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Luxor and Aladdin - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - April 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Lynn Turton - (48, 50)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
It's right what people say about Vegas, you do have to go yourself to appriciate the extent of it all. We stayed four nights at the Luxor & then four nights at the Aladdin. We prefered the Luxor for the hotel itself, but the Aladdin for its location being more central.
If you are staying at the Luxor the tower rooms (where we stayed) are larger and newer and quieter than the pyramid. We found the people to be the friendliest we have encountered anywhere we have holidayed. The buffets are plentiful, extremely varied and very cheap. Explored all the main hotels on the strip. Caesers is having work done at the front at the moment, but inside is amazing as is the shopping in there. They also have shops dedicated to Celine Dion & Elton John. The fountains of bellagio had us spellbound so don't go without seeing them. The only disapointments we had were 1) that we could not get to see the show outside Treasure Island as it was so popular that it was constantly packed and 2) Circus Circus. It was strewn with litter and seemed to be the place all the local kids hang out at due to the fact it has a circus at the rear. We walked in and straight back out again, and that is our first and last time at the place.
Did a helicopter flight to the Grand Canyon. All I can say is absolutely amazing. I was a little scared as I had never been in a helicopter before, but it was very smooth. Landed on the Canyon floor & had a champagne picnic, wonderful. Would I go again? Tomorrow if I had the chance.
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Dee Quinn Dundee Scotland (47,40.69) - Feb 2004
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
First trip to Las Vegas won't be the last, Stayed at the Luxor Feb17-24th 04, could'nt fault this hotel it is awesome, we were in the east tower block 18 up, lovely views and rooms, don't miss the Blue Man Group, did'nt know what to expect, but oh what a show well worth the 96 dollars,seen a few shows but this one was the best. There is so much to see and do in Vegas, the fountains at the Belligo are not to be missed, as are all the hotels everyone of them has a different theme,eating out is very cheap. The factory Outlet 2 miles south of the strip is worth a vist lots of bargains,we ended up going twice.
All in all a fantastic holiday, memoiries will last forver(even though it was a long flight)
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - AUGUST 2003
Opinion submitted in Aug 2003 by : JOHN SPELLINGTON - BIRMINGHAM
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel is the most amazing hotel i have ever stayed at, i have no complaints and i have just written this to recommend it to other, not all this british public want to moan and complain. the best holiday of my life. thankyou airtours will be doin it again next year!
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Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Vir-gin - !st to 6th February 2003
Opinion submitted in Feb 2003 by : Christine Weller - 48
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Everyone should go to Las Vegas at least once. The journey was a little tedious (queues, searches and more queues) especially as I had to go to Los Angeles and transfer there. However, all flights were on time (Vir-gin and United Airlines)although I am glad I upgraded to Premier Economy.
Have been on holiday alone before but never the US but no need to worry. Everyone in Las Vegas was friendly, courteous and the service was incredibly good. The Luxor hotel was amazing, all you could possibly want and more in one hotel. Did the usual touristy things - helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon (highly recommended) two shows, Blue Man Show at the Luxor hotel which I have to say didn't impress me much. However, Lance Burton at the Monte Carlo was AMAZING. I need to go for another week to see the hotels I missed but would go a little later in the year as it was cold 5 out of 6 days.
Didn't win a fortune either but it was fun losing. The Luxor is so big I still had trouble finding my way around when it was timeto go home.
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MGM Grand - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin may 2006
Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Terry Broderick (50 51)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We went to LV to celebrate a birthday as an treat.flew from heathrow to Los Angeles on virgin,10 hours each way with a 40 minute connecting flight to Mc Carran with United/Ted. usual flying, once in your seat, great but getting to the seat can be tiresome. virgin made the onboard experience much better.
caught the shuttle each way to/from hotel $11 each way
we visited most of the hotels on the strip and thought that the MGM was only bettered by the Luxor and Bellegio but the differences between the hotels is difficult to measure, they all try to have their own stamp and as such offer an amazing experience.
This was our first trip here and as you would expect there is a big learning curve to go through but the place is astonishing.An adult playworld to drink, gamble and see an amazing variety of shows.We stayed for 6 nights from 1/5/06 and could see Celine Dion, Tom Jones ,Elton John,Wayne Newton,and Rita Rudner plus a vast choice of acts ranging from the Rat Pack, The Blue Men to variety acts such as Penn/Tellar,Siegfried and the incredible Cirque Du Soleil,Ka, (one of four shows in Vegas) which we saw at our hotel $125 each but what an event to enjoy.
Our hotel struck us as typical Vegas, very large, well organised friendly staff with a large shopping area with a variety of eating options and shows.you can view tigers/lions /sharks /fish in your lobby or the next hotel. i think the MGM lobby including gambling areas would cover 15 football pitches.It sleeps 5005 with the same number of slot machines, this does not include the shops ,theatres, sportsroom with seats for 200 to bet on the events on TV or high roller siderooms, crap tables or card tables.
We had the option of 5 pools,Spas and a great lazy river.
We ate in, out, in a buffet, at a cafe and in a restaurant and we were only disappointed once on a coach meal near the dam.the choice and price range is limitless.
wWe went on one trip to the Hoover dam at $30 each plus $12 on a underground tour. our time on the coach was 6hrs and the driver was very friendly and in formative but the visit to a chocalate and cactus farm used too much time. out of 6 hrs 30 mins we came up from the tour inside of the dam to find we had 20 mins before we had to get back on the coach.not much time to walk the top or look around at lake mead or the colerado river.We then drove 3 miles to the Hacienda hotel to spend an hour and a half including a lunch that i would not offer to my dog.
when i go back to Vegas again im going to hire a car, pay a little more and spend as much time as i choose to at a location
This put me off going on a helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon.Why spend between $500-1000 for two to see something so wonderful and to have work to a schedule.
When we return we will spend less time in Vegas and hire a car to drive back to LA/SF via the dam, the canyon Yosemite Jellystone or whatever we choose. After all ,who,s holiday is it?
The strip is so long and busy that you need to consider the trolleybus or the deuce. The deuce goes to the limits of the town where some of the malls are.$5 each per 24 hr period but we found the times left a lot to be desired.must be the same the world over, you wait 30 mins(i am not joking)and 3 come along at once
car hire Budget $37 for a compact/$50 for a 4 wheel drive per day and fill the tank up before returning the car, petrol is now $3.10 per gallon and insurance is $30-45 per hire. this offers a lot of options.
Las Vegas is an amazing place.Lots to do and friendly, you are made to feel wanted and i found i felt safe anywhere despite the amount of drink consumed. I think it would be very hard work for parents to bring children to (what holiday is'nt) and not really suitable but good fun for adults, especially in groups.
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MGM - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - November 2005
Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Jane and Graham Nicolson (29,27)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We visited Las Vegas for our honeymoon and couldn't believe this place. Fantastic. MGM is massive and it took almost a whole day to get round it. The temp was still hot enough to spend a day by the pool in mid November!!!
If you like thrill rides go to the Stratosphere and do the rides at the top. Wicked. Did Grand Canyon helicopter tour but next time will do a more comprehensive one where you can have lunch in canyon.
The strip is awesome at night.
Only 2 tiny problems. Try to avoid weekends as Friday and Saturday nights are mobbed and when you buy a $3.99 steak, expect just that, a steak that is worth $3.99. Suppose we should have known what to expect. Viva Las Vegas.
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MGM - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - Sept 2005
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Mandy & Stephen - Leigh, Lancs (27)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Absolutely fabulous!! This was the 2nd time we have been and we have booked again. Same operator same hotel! Think that says it all.
We flew direct from Manchester and paid extra for Premiair Gold seats.Recomend this to all. It makes all the diff on such a long flight. The seats are much bigger, all drinks are free and you get your own personal TV with lots of films to choose from. The only problem we had was with the transfer, we had to wait over a hour for everyone to get on the coach, not really worth it as the strip is only 10 mins from airport and a taxi is around $12.
The hotel is amazing. It can take a while to find your way around but its worth it. Plenty of places to eat, you barely need to leave the hotel! One sugestion I have is to use the Monorail between hotels. If you get a 10 day pass the price isnt too bad but it gets you all over plus its air conditioned a must in Vegas!
There are more must sees than I can fit on here but please, please see the Bellagio fountains. Spectacular. I turned into a wimp the first time I saw them and got a lump in my throat!! Daft I know but once you have seen them you will see why.
All I can say is you have to see it to believe it with Vegas. Amazing!!!!!!
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MGM Grand - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Expedia - May 2004
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Jo - Manchester (31,64)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Las Vegas is a MUST, this is the 2nd time I have been and it just gets better.I booked on line through expedia and I really got the best service I have ever had from a travel company, they kept me up to date with any changes and sent me a page full of links for things to do & see in Vegas. I took my mum for her birthday, we were out there from Sun - Thurs and although we had 15 hrs of flying via Washington it was well worth it.
Flight - We flew with BMI who were GREAT, the only downside was having to change at Washington Dulles where the Immigration queue was a nightmare, last time I came through here I missed my connecting flight and this time we just made it as our ongoing flight was late.
Hotel - MGM was really good, rooms a bit small and dark for such a big hotel, I have also stayed at the Monte Carlo and the rooms were much more impressive.The staff at MGM were so friendly and couldn't do enough to help, and the hotel as a whole was amazing!!! Great Pool also!
Grand Canyon - Last time I came I went on a helicopter trip which was amazing but this time we took an SUV tour which took 8 hrs Hotel to Hotel and I would really reccommend this tour. We went with a company called ATV Action Tours but actually booked on the internet through Looktours.com. Both companies could not have been more helpful and Ping our tour guide was a real character.
All in all you have to go, the dancing fountains at the Bellagio are not to be missed, I would really recommend food at Cheeseburger Oasis in the Aladin Hotel, V nice. Also although I cannot remember the name there is a little restaraunt on the strip right between New York New York and the Monte Carlo who do the BEST breakfasts and V cheap as eating in the hotel can be expensive, but be prepared for a 15-20 min wait, this place is popular.
I would love to go back to Vegas again very soon, but bring on the direct flights from Manchester!!!!
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MGM Grand - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - June 2003
Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : Nikki, Keith (24,34) and another 16 people
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
My husband and I got married in the MGM wedding chapel on a Friday evening after 1 weeks stay in the MGM and it was absolutely fantastic.
There were 18 of us travelling all together. The chapel is beautiful and the staff very helpful. The wedding package was a complete bargain and we were thrilled with the quality of everthing that was included in the package price. The photo's and DVD were very professional, the flowers were very pretty and we also got spa time and massages as part of the package. The spa was lovely although a little pricey for treatments - however, as the spa is rated in the top 10 in the USA, it was worth it.
One thing we were slighlty disappointed with was that we didn't get the option of a king size bed as promised in the Virgin brochure. Not a big problem - just felt a little seen off by Virgin's false advertising.
The MGM is the largest hotel in the world and it takes a day or 2 to get to know your way around the hotel. The pool area is unbelievable - I've never seen anything like it. There are many different pool areas (one for adults only, one with a lazy river - which was excellent - one for pool games etc). As we have been to Las Vegas before and saw a lot of the touristy things last year, we spent a lot of time at the pool this year - also to help get a good tan for the wedding.
Last year, we stayed at the Luxor which was cheaper than the MGM. Therefore, we were quite disappointed with the quality of the rooms. They were clean and well kept, but in comparison to the Luxor, they were substandard. The bathrooms were very basic and small. However, the hotel itself was far more impressive with a huge variety of quality restaurants and entertainment.
Some friends who came with us booked their holiday separately (via the MGM website for their room and Virgin Atlantic for the flight) and although they paid the same money, they had an upgraded room which was lovely. In the future, we will book like that as there really is no need to have a package deal to Vegas. The only thing you don't get is the transfer to/from the hotel but that is not needed. The Strip is about 8 minutes from the airport and costs less than $10.
Last year, we did the Grand Canyon trip by helicopter, but this year we did the extended trip where you actually get to stop and have lunch at the edge of the canyon and also go to the bottom and have a boat ride along the Colorado River. Although this years trip was obviously more expensive, it was so worth the extra cost. On last years helicopter trip, we only flew over and through the Canyon without stopping. We felt that you don't really get an appreciation of it until you stop and look over the edge or stop and look up from the bottom. If you are a bit wary of flying, I suggest a very early morning trip as the plane flight is very dodgy the hotter it is.
We love Las Vegas and will definitely be going back many more times - hopefully to stay in different hotels each time.
The first year we went, it took us a few days to really get into it and enjoy it. Looking back, we think it was because we were wandering around aimlessley going in and out of one casino to another to another etc. Without trying to sound too sad, we made a plan (things we wanted to see and places we wanted to go) and after that, we started to fall in love with it.
This year we went to see Penn & Teller at the Rio - which was disappointing. It was all old stuff we've seen before and was quite boring. We also saw Lance Burton (magician) at the Monte Carlo and that was 100 times better. Very entertaining and well worth the money. I would recommend picking up the free booklets and leaflets you can get in taxis and on the streets as there is so much to do in Vegas that these proved very helpful.
There were 2 children with us this year (young teenagers) and LV is not a good place for kids. There is so much they can't do and places they can't go, it became a bit of a military operation just to plan what we were going to do in the evenings. The hotels are very strict on children not stopping in the casino areas and there are no bars at all which were child friendly.
I can honestly say that Vegas is somewhere that has to be seen to be believed and everyone should go at least once.
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Monte Carlo Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : mrs cuttell
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel was of the highest quality, located in the centre of the strip. The rooms were very luxurious and the hotel was fantastic. The pool area was a little small, but you don't go to vegas to sun bathe. The staff were all very friendly and the facilities are great. For the best views ask for a ballagio view, this will give the most amazing views of the fountains and the south strip. ( also ask for a high floor so as to gain better views of surrounding area)
A few tips: dont miss the lions at MGM, The rain storm at alladin shopping centre,the fountains at ballagio, The pirate show at treasure island, The canals at the Venetian. and for the cheepest tickets in town go the coca cola bottle at the mgm it opens at 2pm everyday and has half price tickets for all the top shows available for that evening.
PROBABLY THE BEST HOLIDAY WE HAVE EVER BEEN ON !!!!!!!
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Monte Carlo Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - March 2004
Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Michael Hesten - Morayshire (40, 42)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We flew to Vegas with Virgin Atlantic direct from Gatwick. We treated ourselves to premiere economy seats, so we had an excellent trip. We were the first to leave the aircraft at Vegas (our baggage doing the same), so made it through the airport in less than 15 minutes. I would suggest catching a Taxi instead of the Virgin supplied busses to the strip hotels, as it'll save long waits and probably cost less than $15 ($11 to the Monte Carlo).
We really enjoyed are second trip to Vegas (as much as the first visit). The Monte Carlo Resort was excellent and well situated on the strip. The hotel was not as 'themed' or quite as big as some of the newer hotels around, but was extremely friendly and had everything we could wish for - including its own brewery, which produced six different beers.
Check-in only took 5 minutes, and our room was of a good size and kept wonderfully clean. Towels and bed linen were changed daily.
The casino was large and airy, and provided plenty of walking space for negotiating the slots and tables.
Five different fast food outlets were available within the hotel plus a 24-hour café. Another 2 or 3 restaurants (and the usual buffet) existed, but we didn't get a chance to try them. Food was also served in the main bar next to the glass-encased brewery. We used the café for Breakfast, which cost about $20 for 2 very big 'waitress served' breakfasts and all the coffee you could drink (the worst waiting time we had for a table in the morning was approx 5 minutes).
We tried out a few different restaurants within Vegas including 'Prime' at the Bellagio. The meal at Prime was excellent and we had great views across the lake with its fountain displays, but with wine and tips the bill came to nearly $300, which was 10 times the cost of the hotel Buffet. Still when on holiday.
Make sure you take time to visit the 'Rio' Hotel / casino (just off the strip), which has a wonderful carnival every hour in the casino area, plus a very good Indian restaurant (GayLords) and the famous Voodoo lounge bar on the 51st floor with its open-air bar!
We're very much looking forward to our next trip to Vegas in another few years. By then Vegas will have at least another 3 major resorts to visit. (Including possibly, a London themed resort, which is currently in the planning stage).
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New York New York Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin - Nov 2006
Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : Adam and Helen (30, 29)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We had a fabulous six nights at the New York New York Hotel Las Vegas.
On arrival we explained that we were there for a special occassion and were upgraded to a wonderful deluxe room, which was huge!, with a view of the strip. Our room was on the 16th floor and was lovely and quiet (although the roller coaster does not start until 11am anyway)
We enjoyed the theme of the Hotel with the cobbled streets and replica apartments, bars etc. and found it a fun and friendly place to stay. We honestly felt that having viewed other hotels on the strip that we had made the best choice.
There is good entertainment within the Hotel, including live music at the Big Apple bar which we would recommend.
Food within the hotel is good, but it's worth being aware that MGM, the Bellagio, (and others) are all part of the same group and that means you can charge meals/ drinks in those places to your room as well. (very useful!) The buffet at the Bellagio is a must for any sea food fans, we also had good meals at the Luxor and Mirage buffets.
We enjoyed relaxing at the hotel pool and using the whirlpools in the middle which were lovely and warm.
As everyone says, a Grand Canyon trip is a must - it's absolutely spectacular. There's so many different combinations you could put together for this trip, but ours included a helicopter flight and boat ride in the Colorado river and it was amazing.
One last tip for people travelling with virgin atlantic is to use the online booking service - it's a great time saver at the airport and you can select the seating that you want.
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New York New York Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - september 2004
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : sue - manchester (43,42)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Me and husband went to America for the first time in September 2004 and decided to stay in Las Vegas. Being initially doubtful about our choice, we chose to fly there directly with Direct Holidays. The flight was great, the time passing quickly with choice of films to watch on your individual screens.
Arriving in Las Vegas and seeing the themed hotels was slightly surreal. All hotels are very close to the airport so quickly arrived at our hotel - the New York, New york - the reception is reached by going through the casino which seemed very strange, we asked for a high floor and got one overlooking the mountains, lovely. Our room was massive, a double bed each. Arrived mid afternoon but were advised to avoid sleeping as long as possible to avoid jetlag. Unpacked and ventured onto the `Strip`, overwhelming at first with all the traffic, neon and people. The weather was fantastic the whole time we were there, around 90 in the day and 70 all night, very hot.
We stayed in Las Vegas for 2 weeks which most people thought was a long time here but we still didnt get to see everything we wanted to see. Each hotel can take a day up in itself they are so huge, most of the hotels have free or payable attractions within them. Our favourite was the Dolphins in the Mirage hotel, you can stay in here watching the dolphins for as long as you wish.
The trip up the Eiffel tower and the Stratoshpere have to be done, we went at night and the views with all the neon lights are fantastic, from the Eiffel tower top you have a great view of the dancing fountains at the Bellagio hotel. Make sure you travel to the very top of the Stratosphere and see the rides, the one that fires you off the top is scary enough just watching, wasnt brave enough to actually go on it. The hotel New York New York has a massive roller coaster all around it which my husband went on and was very scary. You cant go wrong for eating places, most of the hotels have as much as you can eat buffets at reasonable prices, you can eat in any of them you dont have to be staying there.
The highlight of the holiday for me was the Grand Canyon trip, we flew over it, and the Hoover Dam in a helicopter which was a first for us, fantastic. We then landed at a working cowboy ranch for lunch, you can also book a trip that lets you stay here overnight in either a log cabin or an indian tepee, the cowboys do riding displays and you have free time to walk around yourself or as we did take a horse ride, another first for us, up into the mountains, fabulous scenery. The return trip takes you over the strip to see the hotels, well worth the money. I could go on forever about all the things we did but best to explore for yourself, we picked up all the free booklets we could and planned what we wanted to do and did as much as possible.
Will definately go back one day - its an adult playground. We would stay in different hotel next time though as the pool area is too small at the New York New York compared to other hotels and we do like to do a bit of subathing for a rest, as we have never walked a much before on a holiday, as everwhere is so huge.
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New York New York Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Independant - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Janet and Stuart Walker ( 26 and 31)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
What a fantastic place!!
The hotel is amazing. We upgraded to a Jacuzzi suite - wow, is all I can say.
We had no view to speak of, but who cares! This also meant our room was very quiet.
The room was spotless and the linen/towels were changed every day.
The room was huge, with TV, air con, seating area, huge jacuzzi in the corner, seperate shower room, large vanity area, and we also requested a fridge.
There are ice and vending machines on all floors.
The hotel is masive and a bit confusing at first, but once you find your bearings its fine.
The staff were all really helpful and friendly. The choice of food in the hotel is great, as are the prices. The shops are great,and the funfair area is great fun!! As is the roller coaster. As is the pool!!
In fact, Vegas is great! Highly recommended.
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New York New York Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: kuoni - April 2003
Opinion submitted in Apr 2003 by : mike d'aranjo -- london --- 57 years
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I booked this holiday wiyh Kuoni but I might just as well have booked it my self because I probably overpaid and although the telephone service when booking was polite I never saw a kuoni rep. from start to finish.
New york New york hotel was good/average by las vegas standards.
the pool was smallish for the size of hotel and out of action for about three days / the lighting in the bedrooms was very poor/and only 50% of roulette tables were in use -- the excuse being not enough staff/ restaurants were very average.
I have been to vegas three times and next time it'll be the MGM grand much better value --- a great pool area and great food at the buffet and Emeril's sea food restaurant.
Whatever you do dont miss the helicopter ride over the strip -- MAGIC!!!
Lake Mead worth a trip as well as the canyon.
LAS VEGAS IS FANTASTIC !!!
but dont go in April too packed.
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Orleans Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : John Kelley - Blackpool (44,47,)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Orleans is just off the strip, because of this they seem to try harder to keep you happy, they certainly succeed, the restaurants are excellent and great value, the casino is great and really friendly even to on-lookers, free drinks as much as you like even to non-players.
If your wife is like mine a Donny Osmond fan he appears there regularly and I have to say as a reluctant husband it was a fantastic show.
There is a courtesy bus to the strip every half hour so you miss nothing being off the strip just fantastic value.
I would recommend it to any-one. Enjoy.
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Orleans Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Sept 04
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Mandy and Paul - Bristol ( 36, 48)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed at the Orleans for 5 nights in the middle of september. The hotel is off the strip so the room rates much more reasonable than the themed hotels.There is a free bus that runs every 20 minutes to the strip and the sister hotels.
Plenty to do on site, you get given a voucher book when you check in. We used the health spar voucher on the second day we were ther, a whole day relaxing getting over the jet lag just using the steam room, jaccuzi and outside pool. Everything was very luxurious - to us anyway.
The food in the 7 or 8 restaurants was very good, the french buffet was excelent value for mony.
Yes there is a very large cassino - thats what people go there for after all. But you dont have to gamble.
We spent 5 days looking at Hotels and enjoying the facilities that are for people that spend megga bucks. The fountain at the ballagio is a MUST.
One of the best thing's about staying here was that on return to Vegas after a visit to the grand canyon we booked into the Barbaery Coast - a sister hotel on the strip. Because we had been staying at the Orleans we were up graded to a Suite. Las Vegas Is a must GO, we spent a week totaaly amazed.
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Orleans Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Expedia-Mar 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : K Henderson - Orkney 46,50
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was our second trip to las vegas and we enjoyed it as much as our first,travelled this time with BMI and it was an excellent way to start and finish our holiday. Rooms in the Orleans are very good with a nice settee and easy chair that was nice to sit in and look at the view of the mountains.As everyone else says where else can you eat good food at very cheap prices, get a drink for nothing (1$tip),shop at prices to dream of.Cannot wait to get back next year.
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Paris Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Independant - Various 2003
Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : Nick - Leeds (33, 31)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Four trips to Las Vegas in just over a year (yes, we enjoy the gambling!) and the latter of the two staying at Paris. We'd previously stayed at The Venetian and MGM Grand, but some USA friends of ours stayed at Paris and we were impressed enough to reserve there for the third and fourth trips. Couldn't have been happier - fantastic location and top-class hotel. Absolutely nothing to complain about.
Foodwise we avoided the buffet restaurants. It's no surprise that the majority of Americans there are overweight - they queue for ages just because it's "all you can eat". We tended to hunt out the smaller restaurants, but on our last visit we mainly ate at Cafe Ile de St Louis in Paris itself. Good tip - make sure you get their equiavelent of a loyalty card to put in the machines you're playing. We ended up with over $100 in cashback and enough comp dollars to mean we didn't pay for a single meal all week. Fantastic breakfasts every day - more than enough to provide enough stamina for a full day gambling!
Las Vegas is one of those places where there's something to suit most people. Ok, the main attraction of the city is gambling so I'm not sure how suitable it is for people with children, but even then there are rollercoasters (New York New York and Stratosphere) and lots to see and do in the other hotels. There's also plenty of shopping on offer, particularly the large mall just past ti (aka Treasure Island) and prices are reasonable. A must-see recommendation is a helicopter trip over the Grand Canyon - worth every cent.
Having visited LV in different seasons I'd thoroughly recommend being choosy about the time of year in terms of the weather. It's 40C+ in August - wonderful to be in but unbearable for sunbathing, and cool in Winter. We were there for New Year and it was averaging 13C daytimes and around zero at night - take a decent coat. If you're wanting to combine the attractions with some sunbathing then choose April/May or October for the 30C temperatures.
Another important point to mention...whilst drinks are free in the casinos if you are gambling, it is only polite to tip. The accepted value is $1 per drink. You'll be amazed to see how many people don't tip - but you'll also see that the waitress will come back more frequently to those who do....need I say more?!!!
An out-of-this-World place - can't recommend it enough. Much better if you're a bit of a gambler though!
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Rodeway Inn - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - Oct 2003
Opinion submitted in Nov 2003 by : Husband and wife ages 54
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This motel which is a 5 minute walk off the Las Vegas strip and to th side of the San Remo hotel, at first site looks OK.
But you will soon find that it has no draws in which to put your clothes, the mattresses are absolutely foul if you look under the sheets and the grounds are a haven for drugs and pr*stitution in the nights.
This is somewhere for single people and only on a short stay basis.
A far better choice would be the Ellis Island Super 8 motel off Koval and Flamingo which the airtours rep moved us to when we complained. This is only a 10 minute walk from the strip and is an absolute cracker and very reasonably priced.
When in Vegas a journey on the bus will cost 2 dollars a time but if you go to the bus terminus down by Freemont Street (a must see experience) you can get a monthly pass for 30 dollars which enables you to jump on and off all the buses on all routes as many times as you wish.
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Sahara Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: United Airlines March 2003
Opinion submitted in July 2003 by : David Williams 22 Middlesbrough England
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The best holiday of my life! So much to do, so little time. Also one of the cheapest places to be (provided you dont gamble your life savings!) food was excellent, about $5 for all you can eat and as much champagne as you can drink!
look out for money off coupons in brochures, they are everywhere.
The sahara was excellent, theres a rollercoaster on the side and its one of the smaller places!
have dinner on top of the stratosphere, expensive but well worth it.
better than anywhere else in the world, for all the family not just non-stop gambling.
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Sheraton - Anahiem Luxor - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Aug 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Nicola Percy (27)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Booked with Virgin for the first time and were given the best treatment throught our duel resort holiday. Flights were fantastic, too much free food and drink served and individual TVs in head rests meant I could watch girlie films while he watched violence and played on the nintendo games.
SHERATON ANAHEIM
Were more looking forward to our second week in Vegas but opnion quickly changed upon arrival. This hotel was fantastic. Room was huge and cleaned daily to a very high standard. We had air conditioning, coffe maker, iron, hairdryer and TV. The bed wa the biggest and best I've ever stayed in- called a Sheraton Sweet Sleeper with fresh soft sheets daily and about 40 pillows. The restaurant was reasonable although a little pricey for breakfast ($12) but food was excellent quality. A free bus was provided for nearby Disney but you only have to stand in the car park to see the fireworks from there each night. Booked all Virgin trips including Disney passes, bus and helicopter tour of LA and VIP tour of Universal (highly recommended if you've already done Universal by yourself). Roads are large and easy to drive on but road users rarely indicate and will squeeze into the smallest of gaps between cars. Fantastic place overall and will definately be returning.
Flew by American West to Las Vegas- not the greatest of experiences but better than the 5 hour drive.
LUXOR LAS VEGAS
Couldnt wait to get to Vegas but to tell the truth we were a little disappointed. The hotel was nice and clean but not a patch on the Sheraton possibly because of the shear size of it (over 4000 rooms). All of the hotels had their own attractions which ranged in price from reasonable to silly money. It seemed like everyone wanted money from you- even when you stood for a taxi the person who opened the door for you would expect a tip. Some hotels were fantastic and well worth going just for the experience, some like the Luxor seemed like they needed slight modernisation. Room was on 21st floor of pyramid with fantastic views of Mandalay Bay. Again huge bed, iron, hairdryer, double shower, air conditioning, TV. The Luxor had over 14 restaurants (Chinese on Madalay Place absolutely gorgous) and a food court with McDonalds, Pizzas, etc.
Desert heat at times unbearable but most hotels are linked so you don't even have to step outside. Didnt gamble much but casino offered free lessons in most table games daily. Did all excursions, helicopter over Vegas and trip to Grand Canyon with horse riding. All fantastic again and Virgin only booked you with reputable tour companies. Local shoppping malls were great and got some real bargins on real designer goods and jewellry. Roads were ok but the strip gets evry grid locked at juctions and lights take forever to change. If you work out the side streets you can save yourself from sitting in traffic and being beeped at constantly by frustrated taxi drivers. Fantastic experience and would go again but this time only for 4 days- once you've seem one casino you've seen them all!
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Stratosphere Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Expedia - December 2006
Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : Christine and Neal 45,46
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Booked through Expedia who we don`t recommend, if good customer service is required. They are uncaring and robotic awful customer service.
We flew to Vegas with BMI and were pleasantly surprised with the quality of flight, food and service. Films and games on your own screen. The stewardesses are the usual at todays standards of robotic questions and answers with doing just enough to act happy. Soft drinks are all complimentary.
On arrival to Las Vegas customer service changes to superb as they work to earn tips which is a great idea as quality is more or less assured.
The Stratosphere is at the far end of the Strip and a fantastic building. The hotel rooms are big and extremely clean. Upgrade to a strip view room when you get there. Two 4ft 6" beds in each room. For European standards it`s excellent. The Americans expect higher but we don`t for a budget hotel.
The staff are friendly and helpful and although they work for tips it comes over as very genuine. The buffet meals are plentiful choice and good value. Many eateries within the hotel from McDonalds to the expensive top of the tower. The hotel shows are not good, catering for American humour which is so different to UK humour. The shows and rides come free to hotel guests.
Only drawback is location. If you`re a couple it`s ok for the price. We are a family of four and worked out the cheapest way to get to the main attractions, around two miles away on centre strip was by taxi. Buses and monorail for four was around the same price but slower and not door to door. This costs around £25 per day so think of adding travel costs onto your holiday and maybe upgrade to a more central hotel is good advice worth considering.
Shopping is fantastic with most items half UK prices or less. The Premium Outlet Centre near the Strats by far the better outlet centre of them all. Adidas, Nike to high designer stores. We went with one change of clothing as advised so that there is plenty of room in your suitcase and went there on the first day. If you`re a smoker find a mini market away from the strip or duty free on the way back. Marlborough on the strip around £3 per packet off the strip or duty free around £1.50.The Fashion Show Mall, The Venetian and Caesars Palace Forum Shops are superb.
The Gunstore near the Hard Rock Cafe [ a two course meal with soft drinks for around a tenner each ] is worth a visit. I was taught how to shoot 25 rounds into Osama Bin Laden with an AK47 for £12.50.
The Blue Man show at £80 each was for me not worth it and the worst value for money of the holiday.
For free, most hotels have attractions. The Bellagio fountains fantastic. The MGM lion enclosure. The Gondoliers at The Venetian and so on.
A week to remember the kids cried having to leave a superb place.
Highly recommended.
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Stratosphere Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Byee Travel Aug 2006
Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : Norma and Thompo 40 , 38
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We flew to Vegas in August 2006 with BMI. Ok flight. Return flight was a nightmare due to BMI's incompetence. But that's another story. Rest assured the complimentary flight vouchers we got will not be used!!
Our "double room" at the Strat was nice and clean with two double beds, a TV, air con and an adequate bathroom. No safe in the room, however you can store things securely within the casino area of the hotel. Unfortunately didn't have a view of the strip but we weren't in the room that much anyway.
First glimps of the casino is breathtaking - until you take a trip along to the Venetian or Bellagios. That's when the Strat shows its lack of class. Having said that you cannot fault the value of the place - cheap as chips - but you end up paying more in taxi fares etc as the worthwhile strip is a bit away past all the "older hotels." As someone else pointed out, the distance between all the hotels is vast.
Breakfast is good in Aces diner within the Strat, but also good is the Ihop just a five minute walk away. Pancakes to die for and if you manage to clear your plate there's a chance you will die! Massive helpings. A tip is NEVER order a starter with any meal!!!!!! We had dinner in the Top of the World restaurant one night and it was so good, not just the food but the whole experience! It makes you feel special to be up there.
Premium outlets is well worth a visit for shopping. Bargains gallore.
We took a trip to the Hoover Dam and also a plane ride over the grand canyon...... a must. We booked these in Vegas at the little kiosk just across the road from the Strat. No hassle what so ever and value for money.
Drink water continually and wear loose, cool clothing - no heels! Id is definately the desert. So hot outside that you can feel cold in the hotels and restaurants due to air con being over effective.
It's essential to take a wander through some of the other hotels, each one with it's own breathtaking features. You won't see the like anywhere else!
We went to Hawaii for a week then returned to the Strat for an overnight stay prior to flying home. That wasn't so good. We got back to the hotel at 7am and had to wait for 6 - 7 hours before a room was ready for us. No courtesy room to go to, we just had to rough it in the hotel reception enduring the noise of the Casino. Then we were told we could upgrade for an additional $50 and a room was instantly available........... we bit their hand off due to tiredness only to be disapponinted on arrival to the suite. It was old, dingy and stank really badly of cigarette smoke. So much so it was nipping our eyes....... It was only one night so we "made do." I would not return to this hotel solely because of the treatment we got on the last leg of the trip.
Go to Vegas - but pay a bit more and stay Central strip in a classier hotel.
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Stratosphere Tower Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Expedia/Virgin Atlantic - June 2006
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Tammy & Andy King - East Yorkshire (32 & 40)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I booked for us to go to Vegas as a surprise for my Husband for his 40th Birthday and, quite frankly, Vegas blew us away. We went for a week and had a fabulous time.
The flight with Virgin Atlantic was just excellent; they fed us constantly, came round the plane with water and juice constantly and the bar was free. Baileys all round!! I arranged for a bottle of champagne to be brought to my husband to mark the start of his birthday trip and the cabin staff could not have been more helpful. Thoroughly impressed with the flights, there and back.
Seeing the start of the famous Strip for the first time was so exciting. The transfer was very short as McCarren airport is just by the strip. The Stratosphere Hotel is very good, we found it had everything we needed under one roof and a great big pool on the roof of the hotel block (floor 8).
There are many places to eat within the hotel, we tried the buffet for $9.99, and again on the sunday (champagne brunch 12.99) and needless to say we got a bit squiffy.
We also ate in Fellini's (Italian) which had excellent service and food, and had lunch in Roxy's Diner which is great fun (fab food, a DJ and staff who sing 50s songs!) and we also ate at the Top of the World Restaurant at the very top of the Stratosphere Tower. Its pricey, but the views are absolutely breathtaking, and it rotates ever so slowly so you get a 360 degree view of the city sprawled out 1000ft beneath you. It takes around 1 hour and 20 mins to get round completely, and the view of the Strip from here is awesome. Well worth it.
I just have to say that you MUST go see Vegas for yourself; contrary to popular belief it is NOT tacky, it is NOT like Blackpool (!?!) and it is NOT full of kiss me quick hats! Literally billions of pounds have been spent on these hotel resorts and every one is spectacular. Our favourites were: Venetian (Venice in a nutshell, canals-even inside and upstairs!- gondolas, Blue Man Group, Phantom of the Opera, Great litle restaurant called Valentinos, & Madame Tussauds); Bellagio (glass ceiling of flowers in lobby, replica USA in miniature, boutiques, Olives restaurant and the fabulous Fountains at the front in Lake Como, make sure you see these, they happen every 20 mins or so and are just magical); New York New York (Irish bars, Manhattan appartments and the attenton to detail, wow!, Central Park in the casino, even steam coming from under the manhole covers! Great place in here called America, good for lunch,massive portions though beware! try the loaded skins and the topped nachos, plates are massive, two can share you wont need anything else i swear); MGM Grand (lion enclosure, they are massive and so gorgeous), Studio 54, Monorail which goes from here right up to the Sahara, so you can get from one end of Srip to the other with stops in between.); Paris (the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, French cafe lined cobbled streets, great restaurant called Provence in here with opera-singing staff, fantastic food); Luxor (Egypt themed-King Tut's tomb replica, rides a plenty including Imax, Chapel); I could go on forever but will just say, go see it yourself.
For my husband's 40th on the 9th June, i had booked a champagne picnic in the Grand Canyon. We went by helicopter and there were only 6 of us including the pilot. It was awesome, Andy said it was the best thing he'd ever done, and on our return the pilot brought us back over the strip, it had just started to get dusk and everything was all lit up, it was just spectacular.
Im not saying we enjoyed this trip or anything but...we are planning to go back asap, and next time would like to push the boat out and stay at Bellagio or Venetian, which are both in the centre of the Strip.
I cannot sing the praises of Las Vegas enough, the place rocks! You wil never be stuck for anything to do and although the weather in the Nevada Desert is roasting, all the resorts are well air conditioned and its bliss to step in to these places during your sight seeing and have a cold beer.
If you never go anywhere else in your life make sure your last trip is to Las Vegas, you will not regret it. And remember, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Happy Times!!!
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Stratosphere Tower Hotel - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Expedia April 2006
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Liz & Dave - Herts (48, 48)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
First time to America, flew Virgin Atlantic - excellent flights. Stratosphere Hotel north end of The Strip. You need to use public transport to get to The Strip - its too far to walk. We used The Duece Bus, pay driver $2 or ask for day pass $5 took 45 mins some days, very busy so we used mono rail ($5 per person) catch it at the back of the Sahara Hotel (10 min walk from Stratosphere), but don't go to their buffet, its awful!!!!
Stratosphere rooms are standard and quite acceptable. Any problems or questions, just ring staff who are very helpful (manual provided in rooms!!!!) All buffet food is excellent in hotel - make sure you are hungry!
Weather hot most days in the 80's, chilly at night, one very blustry day and we froze, take clothes for all weather and no high heels, you really do walk miles. We researched all free shows given by hotels and made a list, we found hotel staff were not always helpful when we asked where shows were, always consult hotel maps - usually found inside entrance. Allow a couple of hours for each hotel, although they look close on map, I can assure you they are not.
We booked night flight helicopter trip on line before we left with Heli USA £28 per person, it was excellent. We also flew to Grand Canyon for Champagne breakfast, taken to and from airport by stretch limo!! £185 per person, worth every penny, booked with Sundance views are spectacular!!!!!!
Would not stay at Sahara or Circus Circus, Stratosphere is fine, free show in hotel and free viewing of tower for every guest, be prepared the lift travels at 21mph. Go to Las Vegas its an amazing place, we had a fantastic time.
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The Stratosphere - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Travelsphere - June, 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Hindsons - Leicester
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Started our USA West Coast Tour with Travelsphere in Las Vegas and the WOW Factor is indescribable!
The Stratosphere is situated at the top end of "The Strip" and the CAT public transport stops right outside which is a great bonus as Las Vegas is so large it would take up a good part of your day to walk from one end to the other.
Our room was excellent and the food we had in the hotels own restaurants was good, if a little expensive - but the options outside didn't appeal to us in the very short time we had available.
Once you see the crowds and traffic towards the centre and other end of the strip, I think you might agree that this hotel is in a quieter area and as such, is a welcome relief.
Staff we met were very friendly and helpful.
One "must do" when in Las Vegas, is visit the Grand Canyon.
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The Stratosphere - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: travelsphere - 2004 / 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : gill john cheshire
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
we were a bit worried about stopping in the stratophere hotel after reading a lot of reviews on the hotel but the hotel was really nice the buffet cafe was good value for money and the 302 bus just stops outside,it cost $5 for a day pass so good value,the rooms are basic but clean and with all those rooms we did not hear any noise at all through the night if possible ask for a room facing the strip its a great view also a must is going up the stratosphere tower, great views all around,
all in all a good basic hotel.
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Treasure Island - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Independently booked - July 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Sean and irene Monk (43, 50)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
First time to Vegas but definitely not our last. We went expecting it to be a little bit tacky but were very pleasantly surprised. My brother goes to Vegas every year and this year we decided to join him and see what he raves about - now we are the ones doing the raving. WE LOVE VEGAS!!!
Booked independently and travelled with MyTravel - never again. Booked direct flights and ended up being told after check-in that the flight was making a detour to pick up extra passengers in Scotland (we were not amused). We were more than 6 hours late and after having to sit on the plane on the tarmac for over 3 hours and refused food and water, we arrived in Vegas very tired and very angry. A strong complaint (ABTAs suggestion) has been made to MyTravel and we await their response!!)
We stayed at Treasure Island. Booked about a month before and got an exceptionally good deal. We booked a deluxe room but they very kindly upgraded us to a superior deluxe on the 23rd floor with a strip view - it was fantastic. The room was huge, very clean, huge telly, big windows, lovely giant soft bed and great en-suite. My only grumble was there were no tea/coffee making facitilies and no mini fridge. Still, they had Starbucks downstairs.
The pool was lovely with plenty of beds. The casino was huge with plenty of machines. There is a monorail that takes you direct to the Mirage which was handy. The food was lovely in all the restaurants, especially the cafe. Ben and Jerry's icecream - heaven.
Visited most of the hotels including Venetian, Caesars, Bellagio, Mirage, Circus Circus, Stratosphere, Sahara, Hilton, Paris, New York, MGM, Casino Royale and Harrahs. Our favourite was Venetian and next time we will stay there as it is gorgeous. You really feel as if you are walking the backstreets of Venice.
Went to Denny's quite a few times as I love pancakes. MGM buffet is super, New York lovely for a cuppa and a cake. Planet Hollywood in Caesars is a must and the Mirage at lunchtime for salad and pizza is to die for.
It was hot, far too hot at 117 most days. We sweated our little butts off and this is probably why we didn't put on any weight, bearing in mind we ate for England!!
Did a few shows including Phantom at the Venetian, Mystere at Treasure Island and Star Trek at the Hilton (I met a borg and wasn't assimulated ha ha). The shows were fantastic. Got the tickets at the Tx place. If you book on the day you can get them half price and believe me, they are a bargain.
Went to both shopping outlets, the outdoor one is the best. Checkout Billabong and Roxy gear for a quarter what you pay in England. Bose is cheap and we bought a docking station for iPod at a third the price than in England. The Disney shop is great for kiddies and we came out of there loaded with stuff for the grandchildren.
Don't miss Freemont Street - it's a must and we thoroughly enjoyed it here.
My brother was staying at the Rio and he booked a table for us at the Voodoo lounge on the 50th floor. You take the life on the outside of the hotel (scary) and you sit at your table overlooking all of Vegas. We had cocktails on the verandah which was awesome and the open-air disco is another thing - wow!
We don't gamble, we were just typical tourists and just there to see everything. We didn't get to do the grand canyon or the hoover dam which was shame but at least we have something to look forward to for when we go back next year. Have alredy started to save ha ha ha.
Do go to Vegas. It's not tacky at all. It's superb. The hotels are stunning, expensive looking but really quite reasonable. We had a lovely time with lots of good memories and lots of fun.
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Treasure Island - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Independently Organised - March 2005
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Peter & Lynne Martin (53)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Monumental in scale and in design. Treasure Island Resort, or TI as it now likes to be known, is a place which is guaranteed to amaze.
he rooms are comfortable and well appointed. A powerful shower and all the bits you'd expect including a safe. All that's missing is a facility to make tea or coffee. We suspect that this is a ploy to disuade one from staying in when one could be spending money elsewhere! For some reason American hotels set great store by their lobbys. (It's possible for rooms to be abysmal, food apalling and yet to redeem itself by having a "recently refurbished lobby")TI's lobby is no exception, it is substantial and opulant.
Check-in was quick and efficient, baggage was taken care of by the valet parking chaps and miraculously re-appeared when a magic number was dialed on the room phone.
ood was available for all tastes. "Steak" provided what it said and provided it very well -about $100 for two including an average wine. Other dining experiences lived up to their individual promises.
The actual casino gaming floor was awesome! All times of day or night saw people enjoying themselves at the tables or machines.
The 'show' performed 3 or 4 times each day in the lagoon at the front of the building is possibly the best free show in town. A battle between a ship manned by 'Syrens' and a ship crewed by hearty matelots. The Syrens win with spectacular effect.
The Strip is worth walking and its possible to visit New York, Venice and Paris in the same morning or evening as well as have a meal in the Castle of Camelot! The 'don't miss excursion' is the Grand Canyon. The best tip is to book direct with the airline "Kingaire". Grand Canyon Discovery covers a flight by light twin to the Canyon S Rim, To the bottom of the chasm by helicopter, a trip by boat along the Colorado, helo to the top, bus trip to several viewpoints, lunch and flight back to Vegas. A once in a lifetime trip! Only criticism was that the lunchtime meat apparantly had gone to its happy hunting ground a considerable time before!
Vegas is a place that everybody should see once but we found that 3 nights was about as much as was comfortable.
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Treasure Island - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Booked privately on Internet - August 2003
Opinion submitted in Aug 2003 by : Ray, Lynne, Andy & Janine (Young Adults)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I've read some reports that say about the long queues when checking in. Well I think I've just got the world record! We waited 6 hours! Arriving in Vegas via Virgin Atlantic (very good 10 hour flight) we got to Treasure Island at 2pm. The place was heaving with people. The reason being that the computers had all gone down and no-one was able to cope! We waited in the queues for about an hour when a kind Bellboy suggested that we leave the bags with them and go off and have a walk along the strip, get a coffee, etc. and return when the queues have died down This we did, only to return and find that the queues had trebled!
We eventually checked in at 8.00pm! They did however compensate us with free meals all week.
Throught out the week The reception was a mix of crowds of people to about six people checking in, so it really is a chance factor if you get the busy end when checking in. Our bad check-in experience was, I'm sure, just a one-off, but then we English are used to queuing!
We then learned that the Hotel's famous Buccaneer Show is now closed and a new show called "The Sirens of TI" will open in October 2003 sporting scantily clad girls girating around poles!
The hotel itself is very nice; nice pool area with "Cabanas" situated around the edge of the sunbathing area. These are like glorified Beach Huts which are available for daily hire ($90 weekdays; $100 weekends). These do give you your own space within which to crash out, your own girlie hostess complete with thong! television and very comfortable sun loungers.
The rooms are very comfortable, no tea & coffee making facilities though and no fridge. Like most Vegas hotels, there are no balconies and the windows don't open.
The restaurants are very good with a high standard of food being served.
The Casino is just like every other one in Vegas but the staff here are very friendly and are always willing to chat and have a laugh with you.
We saw the Hotel's own show, "Mystere" and thought is was excellent. Based on circus feats, some of the acts were stunning.
Like most visitors, we walked the strip, visiting all the other hotels on the way. They were all very good hotels, each with their own themes. Must sees: Bellagio and its Fountains, The Venetian and its Gondolas and shopping arcades, The Mirage and its Volcano; The Stratasphere and its Roller-coaster and Big Shot rides (which 2 of us rode on; the other 2 chickened out!); The Golden Nugget, downtown, and the Freemont Street light experience.
Other notable hotels are the Paris, Luxor and MGM Grand.
The weather was initially very hot (104 degrees); a thunderstorm mid-week plummeted the temperatures to 83 degrees.
Tried to play golf at "Shadow Creek" a very exclusive course owned by Treasure Island. It costs $500 to play! Sadly it was closed for re-seeding. Instead we played "Bali Hai" at the southern end of The Strip. It was excellent! The course was in immaculate condition, so much so that my colleague joked with the Head Starter if he was allowed to smoke on the course and, with that, he went inside and came out with an ashtray that fitted in the golf cart!
we shall probably visit Vegas again and would probably choose The Venetian hotel to stay in. The Bellagio is arguably the best hotel, but it's so crowded with people visiting it to see why it's the best.
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USA Hostels - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: independently - 2004
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : sue
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
after staying in some great hostels i was very apprehensive about staying here as it is south of fremont light parade and in not such a savory area. the hostel was a great place to meet the same like minded travellers. the pool was small but still ok to relax in and like all the big hotels they have the steamers around the loungers to keep you cool as day and night temps were in the 40's!! they also had a jacuzzi which a lot of us took to use at about 4am. the hostel put on limo trips around vegas and we got taken to coyote ugly bar which is just like the film and then onto house of blues to end a fab night out.
walking up to freemont bus stop is ok during the day, but you would be stupid on your own, especially without the company of a man. if your not with a man then you do get hassled and the feeling of being very unsafe. if your on your own this is a cheap option and you do make friends in the hostel bar or bbq. if there is 2 of you and its out of season then a hotel is actually cheaper, like circus circus which is a lot more central.
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The Venetian - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: direct with hotel - june 2006
Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : me &my husband 22 & 25
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
wow - both hotel and las vegas blew us away.
1st of i would like to say we came to las vegas to get married and that is an experience i would recommend to anybody.
we stayed in the venezia towers in a terazzo suite (the only rooms in the venetian with a terrace). if you stay in the venezia towers you are able to use an extra pool area which is a little like a court yard on a roof. if you stay in a terazzo room you are right next to this and so we never used the terrace once because it was not at all private and was very noisy. we payed quite a lot extra to have that terrace and i did regret it because for the same price we could have had an even better suite). once you shut the french doors though you cant hear a sound and the room was beautiful. there are 2 queen beds, a large sunken living room with lark desk, wardrobe coffee table etc. the hall ways make you feel as though you are walking through a venetain palace or something. i have stayed in some beautiful hotels in some of the most beautiful places in the world but i have never stayed anywhere as amazing and extravagant as this hotel.
the shopping centre is lovely - you really do feel as though you are walking around venice. there is afast food court if you dont want anything fancy to eat - in my opinion the best places in there are haagan daz and nathans famous (they use the hotdogs in the world famous eating contest). nathans are actually the best burgers in the world - i am not a fan of fast food but my husband is and even i wanted to go back every day for lunch. madame tussauds is in the venetian and worth a look.
my husband and i are not gamblers but the casinos are amazing. if you dont look at least 21 make sure you carry a passport otherwise you wont be able to stand in a bar or casino. shopping is wonderful. make sure you check out caesars palace shopping centre, the aladins cave shopping centre (i think this hotel is becoming a planet hollywood hotel) and the fashion mall (which is on the strip near treasure island). you can make of las vegas whatever you want to. we didnt gamble one penny and neither of us are into nightlife or fancy resteraunts but during the day with all the shopping and museums and things like that we managed to tire ourselves out completely.
we went in june/july and it was VERY hot - i think it averaged at about 40 degrees celcius a day.
las vegas is probably the most friendly place i have ever been to - the atmosphere is great.
a wonderful place to go.
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The Venetian - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Own Arrangements - March 2006
Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Ken & Sheila both 60ish
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Heard mixed reports about the Venetian before we went, but it proved to be an absolutely excellent hotel, definately living up to its 5 star rating.
The suites (not rooms) were very large and comfortable, and the service was very polite and swift. Excellent in every way, and we can recommend it.
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The Venetian - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Trailfinders -Sep 2003
Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : Nicola Finnie - Glasgow (32,38)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
After touring the USA for 3 weeks, my fiancee and I arrived in Vegas to get hitched, Elvis styleee!
Stayed at The Venetian which is the best hotel on the strip bar none. Don't believe all the hype around Bellagio - if you want the 'Vegas Experience' with a touch of luxury, stay at The Venetian.
As we were honeymooners, the manager upgraded our suite to one with views, a whirlpool bath, 2 bathrooms, 3 TV's and on the day we wed we received flowers and bubbly. I felt like a highland princess in my wedding gown and my fiancee felt like William Wallace out of Braveheart in his kilt, as the people in our hotel had no idea about highland dress (we're Scottish). The attention we received was, at times, breathtaking. One lady asked my now hubby why he was wearing a skirt and if he was wearing anything under it!
The Venetian is magical - just the experience of the 24hour blue sky in the shopping mall is worth losing a few bucks in the casino. Basically, it was a once in a lifetime experience and at £280 for 3 nights with Trailfinders, an absolute bargain. By the way, our marriage is still going strong....unlike Britney's.
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The Venetian - Las Vegas
Operator and Date: Direct - June 2003
Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : Patrick & Philippa Vickery (37,32) - Glasgow
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Depends why you are visiting Vegas as to where you should stay. We visited to gamble (a little), drink (a bit more), eat (quite a lot) and chill out in the warmth.
So we chose to stay at THE VENETIAN at a cost of £130/$206 a night in a suite overlooking the Strip with amazing views over Treasure Island Pirate Fight and The Mirage Volcano.
Our room was on the 32nd floor so great views (I wouldn't be so happy lower down and apparently these rooms are noisier) with a king size bed on a raised area, seating /dining/study area on the lower level and a huge bathroom including bath for 2.
Vegas is all about money. If you don't have it then don't expect great service. This place is nothing like the rest of the States - if you are not a high roller or don't tip big then don't get stressed out if you are not treated in a special way. My tip is to dress well, then they will treat you well as they think you are wealthy, and will therefore tip them well (your choice thereafter).
HEAT - Noone tells you how hot - 115F is stifling during the day and it doesn't get much cooler at night.
SHOPPING - Not something we are into but all of the better hotels have large shopping malls (The Venetian is a little different as it does feel a bit like Venice rather than the rest feel like any nice shopping centre).
GAMBLING - Again, unless you are betting more than $100 a hand forget about anything special. Most of the gaming floors are pretty similar.
DRINKING - Avoid the $1 drinks places as they have clientele who are gambling/drinking addicts so not quite the chilling wine bar. We drank in V @ Venetian (trendy wine bar/club feel), POSTRIO @ The Venetian (great bartenders), ZEFFERINIS @ The Venetian (very stylish), CAHONAVILLE @ Treasure Island (amazing display bartenders but downmarket people at bar including hookers!).
EATING - STAR CANYON @ The Venetian (very relaxing, good food). RAINFOREST CAFE @ MGM Grand for breakfast was ok. Mexican at MANDALY BAY for lunch which was very good and they have water sprays to keep you cool. Best place to eat for a Vegas feel was MON AMI GABI @ Paris Paris where we had a table on the air-con terrace directly opposite the Bellagio fountains. The waiter (Terence) was excellent, the food very good and the fountains every 15 mins completed a wonderful meal. GRAND LUX @ The Venetian is a great place to eat throughout the night if you get caught in that sleepless night trap. SPAGO @ Caesars Palace is another Wolfgang Puck creation and the food is excellent but be sure to 'order' a break between food as 2 courses arrived when I was in the loo!
GRAND CANYON - At £161/$255 this was an expensive trip but still not sure if it was worth it. The Grand Canyon is certainly worth seeing but we did it in a helicopter which included a picnic in the Canyon, an hour on the floor of the canyon, a sunset view and a fly down the Strip (definitely the best part of the experience). Personally I would do one of the $100 hour flights as I don't think you get much more out of the more expensive trips.
SPAS - The Canyon Ranch @ The Venetian was voted best in the world by Conde Nast. It costs $30 so about the same as a day rate at a good hotel in the UK but feels like an oasis amongst the storm of craziness. Wonderful.
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Los Angeles - USA
Fairmont Miramar - Santa Monica, Los Angeles
Operator and Date: Direct - May 2003
Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : Patrick & Philippa Vickery (38,32) - Glasgow
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
LA is a strange place. Not the city you imagine from the movies. Instead more like London at the beach!
We wisely chose to stay in SANTA MONICA for 3 nights as this was easily the best place to stay from the limited areas we saw.
We stayed at the FAIRMONT MIRAMAR which is at the junction of Wilshire and Ocean so at the seafront but next to the road that takes you to the Downtown sights. However, although Ocean is the first road, there is also the freeway in front of it before you can get to the beach - very odd!
Our room was good value at £153/$240 and was a Deluxe with ocean views looking at the pier, a balcony, king bed, seating area but smaller bathroom than we expected.
The hotel was incredibly classy and had a beautiful restaurant overlooking the pool and a lovely outside terrace by the waterfall/fishpond.
There are hotels right on the beach (Loews, Shutters, etc.) but we thought it might feel a little intimidating at night as the beach is closed to the public but used by those who would rather not be spotted in their activities!
First we visited MALIBU. Unless you get out of your car and walk along the beach to look at the homes then don't bother as all you see are garage doors on a busy freeway. We had the worst meal of our 3 week trip at THE REEL INN.
We had a couple of drinks on THIRD STREET which is in the Fishermans Wharf (San Francisco) and Cannery Row (Monterey) arena with 'older' buildings geared towards tourists. Much better on Main Street or ? Avenue (ask any local).
We ate at a Mexican restaurant in Santa Monica which was quite good but we preferred the American/Mexican food as it was much tastier.
DOWNTOWN - We drove around BEVERLEY HILLS and BEL AIR which were stunning but fabulously wealthy. Then on Sunset Boulevard to HOLLYWOOD. I have read mixed reviews of this and I have to say that we were disappointed. It was grubby, tacky and full of beggars (including women weeing in shop doorways). We didn't like it at all but I can understand that it would be interesting to some (but don't stay there!).
VENICE BEACH - Has to be seen to be believed. This is what happens when you mix humans and drugs!!! I have never seen or experienced such a crazy place. It could feel intimidating but when you talk to some of the stall owners they were all such great characters - including the guy with a red mohican, numerous piercings and covered in tattoos who was incredibly friendly and intelligent. Spend a while wandering the strip and grab a picnic to enjoy some people watching (the locals spend all day at the beach with enough food and drink to feed the five thousand!). But do it during the day as night is not as friendly apparently.
Dinner at OCEAN SEAFOOD. Fantastic meal but ask for a break between appetizer and entree as they do bring the food our rather quickly.
Drink on the pier is fine earlier on but later the gangs start to gather and it begins to feel more edgy than we would prefer. However it does feel like USA Blackpool - Candy Floss, Amusements, etc. but the view from the end is pretty good especially at sunset.
We also dinner at the CROCODILE CAFE - typical American joint (bit like TGI Fridays) where we had good pasta and an enormous burger. So, we ate what we could manage and (following the locals tradition) got the rest to takeout and then left it next to a sleeping homeless person.
There are more homeless here than anywhere else we had seen but during our whole stay we were never bothered - never asked for money and never intimidated. It appears that it is warm enough to sleep out all year and, as the locals give them food, they don't pester.
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Holiday Inn, Garland Ave - Los Angeles
Operator and Date: Seligo January 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Angela 61
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I was burlged and the hotel manager says he is not responsible for guest safety.
The emergency exit was open and staff say guests often use it as a short cut to their rooms. The door of my room was forced very easily. There were only a few splinters of paint. The burglars removed the room safe from the floor. It was obviously not very secure.
I have written to the manager three times and had no reply.
I have contacted Holiday Inn Guest Relations but they say the hotel is indiviually owned and managed and they cannot interfere.
The hotel was in poor condition with torn carpet in the corridors. The window frames in my room were rusty and would not open. The washbasin and bath were badly stained and the bath had been painted and the paint was peeling off. There were no plugs for the basin or bath. The maintenance man looked at the problems and said he would come back. He didn't.
Most of the staff were abrupt, unfriendly and unhelpful.
Guest Relations sent me a cheque for $53 for the condition of the room. This is pathetic.
Seligo have now refunded the cost of the room after a 4-month arguement.
English and American lawyers have told me I cannot claim compensation because I cannot prove the emergency exit was open!!!
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Hotel Marina Del Rey - Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin Travel Store- Oct 2003
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was my first visit to LA, although my husband had already been on a couple of occasions. We decided to stay in Marina Del Rey as it is close to Santa Monica and was recommended to us.
On arrival, we arrived at the Hotel Marina Del Rey (Bali Way) and the area looked lovely, unfortunately the hotel was awful. We were given our room key and when we opened the door the smell hit us immediately, the entire room was damp!
The ceiling was leaking, the bedding was damp and smelly and the carpets were mouldy. After complaining, we were shown another room which was marginally better however beacuse it had a view of the marina the receptionist wanted another $20 per night - frankly I did not care about the view, I just wanted a room that didn't smell and wasn't damp!
The front desk was rude and did not really want to help, so the following day we checked out and moved to the Holiday Inn Express - Marina Del Rey just down the road, which I can who heartedly recommend!
Marina Del Rey is a good base, close to the airport, with a pretty marina and good restaurants, just don't stay at the Hotel Marina Del Rey!
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Marina International - Marina del Rey, Los Angeles
Operator and Date: Kuoni - April 2003
Opinion submitted in May 2003 by : Gill - Merseyside (37, 40, 3)
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Fortunately our stay at this hotel was just one night on a stop over. Upon arrival(and departure) there was no porter to help with the luggage. There was just one receptionist who spoke little English. After waiting some time to check in I handed in a hotel voucher with all the relevant details but he couldn't find the booking. He huffed and puffed and eventually handed over the room cards. We then had to go searching for the room down corridors and through a court yard with two large suitcases, hand luggage, a buggy and a small child.
The following morning I made enquiries regarding a late check out. The receptionist stated that it would cost$55 which I agreed to pay. At this time I also requested the shuttle bus to the airport for that evening at 7.50. However, when checking out he tried to charge $90 for the room which I refused to pay, eventually he relented and I paid the rate we had agreed earlier that day.
The shuttle bus failed to turn up. I went to reception several times to find out what was happening. It finally arrived at 8.40. It seems that he didn't make the booking. Luckily I had allowed plenty of time, so we made the connecting flight.
The Marina del Rey area is ok as a stop over as it's just 30 minutes from the airport. But I certainly wouldn't recommend this hotel. The room was nice, it had two double beds and was quite big but the service was appalling.
There are restaurants over the road from the hotel including a diner were we had breakfast. It was nothing special and quite expensive.
On the whole it was a very disappointing start to the holiday
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Queen Mary - Long Beach - Los Angeles
Operator and Date: United Vacations
Opinion submitted in Dec 2003 by : SK (21,22)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Very Dissapointing. Rooms were scruffy, carpet dirty, took 5 mins to get warm water for a shower.
Bar and restaurants were closed for guests for the majority of the stay for private functions.
You could hear the conversations of the guests in the next room as the walls were so thin. Also, the promonade deck above the room meant that you heard constant noise above 24 hrs.
The boat itself is a good 20 min drive from downtown Long Beach. LA is about a 1 hour drive.
Not recommended.
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Radisson Maingate - Anaheim - Los Angeles
Operator and Date: Vir-gin Holidays-April 2003
Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : Richard Yeo-Southampton (37,32,16,13,3)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
First time visiting the USA after many trips to the med and was looking for something to do other then sit round a pool and trail the shops at night looking for gifts, also our 3 year old needed some serious entertainment to keep her amused!!! After a few nights surfing the web we settled for Los Angeles as it offered Disney, Hollywood, Long Beach etc and seemed not as expensive as I had imagined for the actual holiday, but once you add the price of the food and trips to see all the attractions the cost soon mounts up, however it stiil represents money well spent.
THe flight over is around 10 hours but the planes were comfortable and the entertainment system was superb with the choice of 50 movies plus comedies, kids channels, music etc kept all maused and the cabin staff looked after us very well and even smiled when my 3 year old was sick in the aisle, sorry however you were!!
We arrived very jet lagged (8hours behind) and found LA airport very busy and we opted for free transfers and after a couple of hours arrived at our Hotel and after checking in got to our room and found ants in the bathroom, back down to reception and with out any fuss gave us another room and apologised, we then crashed out!!!
Welcome meeting the next dat and $600 dollars was handed over to pay for trips to Universal Studios Hollywood, Star Homes Tours in Hollywood and The Queen Mary In Long Beach. Disney tickets were purchased in the uk and cost around £400 for the five of us for five days and this proved to be better value than any deals around the resort.
The eateries around the resort were plentiful and for the first few days we tried Dennys and IHOP which are traditional american diners and for $560-60 dollars could feed all of us and the service was great with large portions, we also ate in Disney Parks but this was more snacks but still cost $50 dollars for a couple of hot dogs and drinks all round. The park does not allow food but take some drink in with you as the water is almost $3 dollars.
The Disney parks were great, The California Adventure park being the newer of the two and it shows, although thereis something cool about the fact the other one is the original park opened in the 50's, five days proved to be just about right and would advise that you try to break up the visits as it is very tiring walking around for 10 hours a day!!
We spent one day at Universal Studios Hollywood and that was fantastic, cost around $60 each with the 60 minute coach trip included and was great value, the Star Homes Tuor to Hollywood was disapointing as most of the stars of today have moved out of Beverly Hills and it is more a run down of the stars of yester year, the Walk of Fame and Manns Chinese Theatre made it worthwhile, although next time i would hire a car and spent more time looking around as the trip was a bit hurried. Hired a car for a couple of days and drove to Long Beach to visit the Queen Mary, very interesting and well worth the trip particularly the "Ghost Legends Tour", the freeways were a bit scary according to my family, apparantly I nearly crashed a couple of times?? The next day we visited a shopping area out of the resort and found the prices much lower for clothes and got some bargains.
The weather was ok, around 70 degrees apart from one day when the heavens opened it wasnt bad for April. The hotel staff were allways friendly and willing to help, cant fault the Raddisson on any point(Nice heated pool, although it is only a block from Disney park it is on a main road so watch your young-uns!!
All in all a great 10 days and I would like to go back again as California is such a large place and we only saw a fraction of what is on offer, 10 out of 10, people tell me that Florida has much larger parks and is much better etc etc, but it didnt seem to offer the variety of California and the cost to Florida was much higher.
Keep offering these type of deals to the states Vir-gin and Majorca will be a thing of the past to us, thank god!!
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Sheraton Anaheim - Los Angeles
Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin Holidays - May 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Christine, Chloe and Jenny
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Los Angeles is brilliant!
The weather in May was very warm, but not too hot.
The Sheraton was very nice, the gardens superb. The room was large and OK, clean, but not what I call luxurious (but then maybe I am very fussy).
The 2 Virgin reps were very helpful, and the trips we booked through them were excellent.
The area is where Disneyland is. Disneyland is more or less the Florida Magic Kingdom. We had a great time.
Universal Studios in LA were fantastic. We spent 2 days there.
The LA area we liked best, apart from Beverly Hills, was Santa Monica: great promenade along the sea front, fantastic shops and modern shopping mall...
Venice Beach was run down compared to it. It is also rather dodgy, hence the police station right bang on the beach.
We explored the Orange County area. If you go there, don't miss the West Coast Plaza. It must be one of the most beautiful shopping centres I have ever seen, with all sorts of shops, department stores, and if you have loads of money, designer boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, etc.
The only thing we did not like about the Anaheim area is the lack of decent food. If you like junk food, you will be OK, but we don't, and we found it very difficult to eat what I call 'proper' food.
But apart from that, we had a faboulous time and we will come back!
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Staybridge Inn and Suites - Anaheim, Los Angeles
Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin - Aug 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Tuck - Notts 25,26
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Hotel is not 5 star but it has everything you will need,very large rooms with full kitchen,free laundry,free breakfast,helpful and friendly staff and a great location. It is situated just off the Santa Ana freeway which is the main road out of Anaheim, so it is easy to access anywhere- LA,Hollywood,San Diego.
You will need a car as everything in LA is at least 1 hour away although the nearest beach is only 20mins - Huntington beach. Would recommend hiring beach cruisers as they are loads of fun. Also buy a map of the stars homes,we chose to follow the map on our own instead of going on an organised tour that way we could view the homes we were interested in and not a bus full of peoples. Get sat navigation in the car it will make life alot easier especially if you are going to see the stars homes on your own. Take a drive up Mulholland Drive it is a long road but the views you get of Hollywood and downtown LA are amazing-the best you will see.
Santa Monica beach is a must see ask the lifeguard to let you hold the famous red float in the lifeguard tower and be a baywatch babe for a minute or two. Beverly Hills is a real playground for the rich and famous,it will leave you in awe. The whole LA experience is like something out of a film it will be a box office hit for you or a Hollywood flop.
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Massachusetts - USA
Clipper Ship Inn - Salem, MA
Operator and Date: Independant - May 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Jim - Worcester (52, 51)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Went to Massachusetts to visit daughter in Salem. The hotel was a motel on outskirts of Salem. Clean, very large room and inexpensive. Opposite a Dunkin Donuts (nice for breakfast) and a couple of restaurants.
15 Mins walk from centre of salem (no problems in walking day or night). Salem is very "witchy" as my daughter puts it. Witch items, museums etc everywhere.
Recommend Reds in the centre for brekfast, Vast amount and cheap.
Did a trip to Boston on Salem Ferry which is a fast catamaran.
Went to Gloucester for a whale watching trip. Thoroughly recommended, saw many Humpbacks, Fin whales and Minke.
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Harbor House Inn - Hyannis - Cape Cod, MA
Operator and Date: Booked Direct - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Gary Webb - Bishop's Stortford (46, 45, 17, 15, 13 & 11)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
After many years saving my family and I fulfilled one of our dreams to holiday in Cape Cod. Cape Cod lived up to our expectations and is truly a wonderful place to visit with the only exception being The Harbor House Inn, Hyannis, MA.
Because this was a dream holiday we decided to pay a bit extra and on hearing from the Innkeeper and viewing through the internet we booked the Harbor Suite at the Inn.
Unfortunately the suite is misrepresented on the website and the smooth talking Innkeeper is clearly at ease and gifted with his graphic descriptions of the "all suites" accommodation at the Harbor House Inn.
One of the unfortunate things about the Harbor suite is that it is located directly above the Innkeeper's kitchen and office. When he or his staff start work at 6.30am you have the pleasure of hearing the preparation procedures and also have the added bonus of the frequent barking of the owner's dog. Yes you do not need an alarm when staying at the Harbor Suite as the staff will ensure that you do not miss breakfast.
The website says that the suite can accommodate 8 persons. We had 6 in our party and it was a squeeze, particularly as the second bedroom doubled as the kitchen!
I see from other reviews that the succulent and hearty breakfasts at the Inn come into some criticism. Unfortunately again it's true with the Innkeepers office doubling as the breakfast area. Also one waffle maker between all guests is efficiency at its best!
The location of the Inn is also enhanced by the literary skills of the owner. Yes it is near Hyannis Harbour, however its across the road and has the wonderful outlook of a short term car park.
The final insult and problem with our stay was in relation to our exit. We made a genuine mistake in believing that our stay was inclusive dates. On what turned out to be our last day we returned to our accommodation to see that all our possessions and valuables had been moved to another room. Unfortunately this move had not been done in a very caring way and a number of items were damaged. Additionally my sister in laws valuable eternity ring was initially missing, although eventually we found it in the bottom of a bag. This obviously caused her considerable distress and upset and therefore we decided to immediately leave the Inn and move on to other accommodation.
On returning to the UK we discovered that our credit card had been debited with additional amounts and on speaking to the Innkeeper he promised to provide a justification and breakdown of these costs. Unfortunately despite repeated phone calls and e-mails the Innkeeper has so far failed to honour these promises. I have been civil and polite in my dealings with Innkeeper and Owner.
As I stated at the start of this review Cape Cod is wonderful and you should make a visit, however be sure not to stay at THE HARBOR HOUSE INN, HYANNIS.
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Massachusetts / Vermont / Maine
Operator and Date: Insdependent Booking -October 2004
Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : S.and V. Infante (52,52)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Went to look at the famous Fall colours!Well worth the visit.The best areas are west and central Massachusetts,Vermont and Maine. Visited Boston But in my opinion it is overated,as is Cape Cod-flat and not particularly pretty.The Maine coast is much,much nicer.Stayed at BOOTHBAY HARBOUR,a small New England resort,at the TOPSIDE INN a nice B&B.Good breakfasts.Also visit Camden.
In Vermont stayed at the BEST WESTERN at WATERBURY.BIG rooms and free breakfasts which were more than adequate,near Ben and Jerrys ice cream factory,Good for kids-with free samples.Go to Stockbridge in W.MASS a very pretty town.At this time of year America is celebrating the fall and Halloween and everywhere is decorated with pumkins,garlands and all things ghostly!
Maple syrup,cider,apples in abundance.
Definately a good are to visit at this time of year,but would be good in the summer as well..Wonderful scenery.Recommended.
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Memphis Tenessee - USA
Baymont Inn East - Memphis Tenessee
Operator and Date: Expedia Nov 2004
Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Roy Barbara and Bev 50 + and 30
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was the trip of a lifetime for an old rocker!
We booked flight+hotel+car on Expedia and for 3 people, flight, a medium car and 2 hotel rooms we were very pleased at the total price of £1728.
We thought the hotel may be a bit out of town but this turned out better as the famous downtown ones had difficult parking and the facilities were excellent for a 2/3 star. The journey into downtown Memphis took only 15 mins. on their excellent road system.
The attractions were many and varied, get a guide book, Elvis's Graceland being the star attraction which is brilliant for a fan despite being disappointingly small and a bit tacky. Sun Studios was the best tour for me and you actually get to feel the presence of the likes of Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Carl perkins, Elvis of course, and on the day we went in november it was very quiet and I was even allowed to play Jerry Lee's piano, Great Balls of Fire!!
Beale St is good, very bluesy and they're still doing it, musicians on every corner, interesting shops and restuarants, get your fill of jambalaya, crawfish pie and filli gumbo! (we did, its a bit strange)
The rock and blues museum is a 'must see' and traces the history from slaves to blues to rock to present day, amazing.