Las Vegas for everyone!

Here are the best spots we've found in the city that never sleeps.

Recommended Hotels/Casinos:

South Point Hotel- If you don't mind staying off the strip this is a fantastic hotel and casino. Inside you will find a huge movie theater, a bowling alley, and a full size rodeo arena. The rooms were pretty big by Vegas standards and always super clean. Each of the rooms also had a flat screen television which not only saved space, but looked very cool. Room prices range from $70 during the week to $120 on the weekends.

Why- Inexpensive rooms, good variety of food on site, shuttles to the MGM Grand.

What to watch out for- The casino is a few miles from the strip so be ready to take the shuttle or drive your own car. Check the arena schedule before you go, sometimes the rodeo competitions eat up the room and you will probably pay more.

Secrets- The Coronado Cafe in the casino serves food similar to Denny's, but better. The restaurant is open 24 hours so allow yourself to indulge in some pancakes at midnight.


Hampton Inn Suites Las Vegas Airport- I've blogged about this hotel once before, so for full details on our stay click here.

Why- Inexpensive rooms, free breakfast, large rooms, very clean, calm clientele, very family friendly

What to watch out for- It's distance from the strip is the hotel's biggest drawback. It will take about 30 minutes each way. If you venture into the breakfast hall between six and seven AM you will be sharing the area with business travelers and their luggage, so wait till after seven. The parking lot is open and lies next to a busy road. Make sure you park close to the building for safety and a little added security.


The Flamingo-  "No school like the old school" comes to mind when I see the Flamingo. It is a classy hotel that has all the best Vegas has to offer at a reasonable price.

Why- Location, location, location. If you want to walk the strip, the Flamingo hotel is perfectly placed to allow you quick access to the strip and to the other major hotels. The Flamingo has an impressive wildlife habitat that is great for viewing or taking pictures.The hotel has a good variety of restaurants and they are all reasonably priced.

What to look out for- The hotel is very popular with the senior citizen crowd so you may find the lines for restaurants and buffets a little longer then expected. Make sure you clarify where your room is in relation to the elevators. There are at least two elevator banks in the hotel and if you pick the wrong one you will walk a long way to find your room.

Secrets- The rooms on the west side are perfect for seeing the strip from your room.


The Excalibur-  If you are looking for a bargain stay in Vegas, this castle is the place. Much like the Flamingo, the Excalibur has everything you need for a fun filled family trip to Vegas. It's allure is more for the family travelers, but the child-less will like the prices and the location.

Why- From the family point of view the casino was well ventilated, the rooms were clean, and there was plenty of interesting things for the kids to see and do. Not the least of which was the "Tournament of Kings." There is also a "Sponge Bob" 4-D show, and a fun dungeon. The entire hotel is awash in vibrant colors, and medieval thematic elements. This makes it super eye candy for the little one. The Excalibur is far more family oriented than the other hotels on the strip.
For the kid-less, the casino is easily maneuverable and the atmosphere is fun. The "Tournament of Kings" show is good for adults, and a great way to catch a meal while watching some entertaining sword play. Unfortunately its the only show worth spending money on. The sports bar and betting area is very large, and they show a variety of sports contests. The food prices in the Excalibur are typical for Vegas, but there is not a lot of variety. That being said, the rooms are reasonably priced, clean, and the location is superb.

What to look out for- Parking leaves a lot to be desired. The parking garage is behind the hotel and looks like it barely survived the last 50 years. There are no defined walkways from the garage to the hotel, and you have to cross a fairly busy four lane road. There is also no signage on the back of the hotel to assist you find the proper entrance. Your best bet is to look for the tour buses and enter through the nearby doors.

Secrets- Rooms on the south side of the hotel offer a fantastic view of the Luxor hotel/casino and the airport. There are flat screen TV's in the rooms, but they come with an annoying "beep" tone that triggers when you hit the "Menu" button. There is no way to turn it off, so just hope it does not wake the kids up when you press it.


Places to Eat


Mon Ami Gabi- Paris Hotel- The best steak I've ever eaten! This restaurant is not for the whole family, rather it is a fantastic place for you and your date. The prices are high, starting at about $20 a plate, but the food is worth every penny. If you are going on the weekend make sure you call a few hours in advance and make reservations. The restaurant fills up quickly and the line can be up to two hours long. During the weekdays, you should still plan to spend a few minutes in line if you decide to east between five and eight. This place is definitely not a good place for kids. My suggestion is save for you and your sweetheart.

Le Village Buffet-Paris Hotel- (BREAKFAST) In terms of style, atmosphere, and taste, Le Village Buffet is my top choice of breakfast buffets in Las Vegas. We will start with the most important element, the food. It was, in one word, fantastic. The range of choices available to you are staggering. Everything from eggs served in a half-dozen ways, to savory crepes that will make your mouth water. The buffet has a range of meats from your basic breakfast sausage to a jazzed up turkey sausage. When it comes to sweet things, the buffet hosts a range of muffins, breakfast cakes, and a French toast that was hard to stop eating. Our top items at the buffet were the Cabrese Salad Crepe with balsamic, the Eggs Benedict, and the French Toast. But don't just stick with those three, go crazy! You will enjoy it all.

The atmosphere was awesome. The entire eating area is set up like a small neighborhood street in France. There are little shops, houses, and cafe's interspersed with a fountain, some trees, and ceiling painted like a bright French morning. The waitresses were dressed in French maiden dresses and added to the whole feeling of being half a world away. The only down-side to Le Village Buffet was the overall layout of the dining room. Some of the seating areas were so far from the buffet, you may need a passport to get to the food. The tables near the actual buffet counters were too close together which took away a little of the intimacy the Paris is known for. The lines near the crepe counter was not planned well so be ready to stand for a few minutes right next to a table of hungry buffet goers. Having said that, the crepes are worth the wait.

The price for breakfast was good, about $15.00 per adult. The children's prices are slightly less and kids 3 and under eat for free. The buffet is kid friendly so take the family for a giant breakfast. As far as breakfast buffets go, you would be hard pressed to find one that matches Le Village Buffet. In our score book, it even ranked higher than the Bellagio breakfast buffet!

The Carnival World Buffet- Rio Hotel- So much food, a person would explode trying to eat it all, but try it anyway! The Rio buffet is famous for it's all-you-can-eat crab legs, but there is so much more. The buffet is broken into different ethnic kitchens ranging from Asian on one side, to contemporary Mexican on the other. You can find everything in-between including french fries, fried chicken, spaghetti, and even pizza. The buffet area is spacious and the counters are spread out in a way that reduces the "traffic jams" found in many buffets. Most of the seating is close to the buffet area, but there are spots that are quit remote, so try to convince your host/hostess to seat you to the right of the main entrance. The best seating in the house is next to the "VIP" section and if you get to the buffet between 11:00 AM and 3:00PM you should not have a problem getting a seat there. This is the "lunch period" according to the restaurant. The seats next to the VIP area are comfortable and you are about 20 feet from the Asian kitchen.

The only drawback to the Carnival World Buffet is the dessert area. The pastries are not  very original, and taste like you would expect from a mid-budget buffet in Anytown, USA. The worst part of the dessert section was the cakes. We sampled the "Red Velvet" cake, the "Carrot Cake", and the cheesecake. Both the red velvet and the carrot cakes has a glaze on top that tasted like standard store bought jelly. The cheesecake was not very creamy, and even somewhat dry. If I were still able to eat dessert after all of the other fantastic food in the buffet, I would go for the gelato machine.

The Carnival World Buffet buffet is kid friendly, but the kids may not eat enough food to justify the price. The average adult lunch price is $18.00, and $14.00 for kids. Dinner is $25.00 for adults and $17.00 for kids. If your kids are adept at buffet eating, this will be a good investment.