Travel Guide | Las Vegas | 2015
No trip to the west coast of America would be complete without a quick stop over at Sin City itself, Las Vegas. We only spent 3 nights in Vegas so there wasn't much time to see and do (we only saw one play!) and had to unfortunately leave some things for our next visit (e.g. The Grand Canyon). Below is a run through of the places that we managed to visit in our extremely brief time there.
Superb
★★★★☆
Great
★★★☆☆
Ordinary
★★☆☆☆
Disappointing
★☆☆☆☆
Horrible
The Palazzo
3325 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
★★★☆☆
View from the prestige lounge
One of the newer hotels on the strip, the Palazzo is certainly opulent and even the standard sized suites are massive, well decorated and comfortable. However, as with most things in Vegas, it's all just a magnificent show piece that's only skin deep, so bear that in mind. For example, as grandiose as the rooms are, they lack even basic tea/coffee making facilities - and they initially refuse to provide you one citing 'fire risks' yet you can somehow bypass these 'fire risks' for $30. Location wise, it's quite good, with the world famous Venetian, Wynn and Treasure Island all next door.
Tip: The prestige (club) lounge is definitely worth an upgrade too as you get a better check in service, a great bar service in a relaxing lounge and an astounding view of the city (see above and the headline picture).
Check In
The Buffet at the Wynn
3131 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States
★★★☆☆
The buffets in Vegas are almost legendary - a plethora of food both in quantity and variety. I haven't seen anything like it whilst in England and it's almost matched by the gargantuan feasts one can have in Asia. The Wynn food is good quality and within walking distance of the Palazzo.
BLT Burger
3400 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States (The Mirage)
★★★★☆
This upbeat and trendy burger joint came highly recommended but it's a shame that it's nestled in the drab and dreary Mirage.
The burgers didn't disappoint. We ordered the BLT and the Tex-Mex. Both of which were nicely composed and presented with lovely flavors and blended with their respective fillings nicely. The beef patties were grilled perfectly and deliciously juicy with the deep beefy flavor. The lettuce was crisp and fresh and added a nice crunch. The ratio of mayo, ketchup and mustard was smack on. The buns were well toasted and held its firm without becoming soggy despite the generous heap of chilli on the tex mex.
My inner carnivore was satiated.
Lobster Me
Grand Canal Shoppes, The Venetian
★★★★☆
Fast food lobster joints have recently become quite prevalent on the 'high street' and due to this, have made lobster more affordable and available to the masses. One such outlet we stumbled upon was Lobster Me in the Venetian and we were left extremely satisfied.
Lobster Me's speciality is their lobster rolls and they are exquistely buttery and juicy. The lobster was prepared rather well, with no rubbery texture at all. Their Mac & Cheese was also quite delightful, with a lot of cream and generous chunks of whole lobster covering it. If you're in need of a quick bite and need something different from a burger, definitely check this out.
The Gun Store
2900 East Tropicana Ave
★★★★☆
Hailing from England with its strict gun laws, there are no opportunities to fire off a plethora of guns at a gun range for anyone outside of those that hunt recreationally or go for clay pigeon shooting.
Therefore for me, going to a gun range was something I wanted to cross off my bucket list and I couldn't have picked a better company. Whilst I have very little experience in gun ranges, these guys were friendly and welcoming; and everything was performed in a professional and safe manner. The range is a little outside the strip (maybe a 10 minute ride) but they offer a complimentary pick up, and as it was a little quiet in the afternoon, they dropped us off directly at hotel (otherwise they have pre-specified drop off zones).
If you have an itchy trigger finger, The Gun Store should be your first port of call in Vegas.
The Buffet at The Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South
★★☆☆☆
Spread is wide but the decor and eating area is old and cramped now. Service wasn't particularly great either. It's worth going to if you've just watched the water feature, otherwise, this buffet is missable.
Grand Lux Cafe at Palazzo
3325 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
★★★☆☆
An offshoot of the cheesecake factory, Grand Lux cafe is similar in all but the name. Gigantic portions, OK food quality and an average eating experience. You won't be raving about the food, but you'll definitely won't leave hungry.
