Our December road trip began and ended with a stop in Las Vegas - a perfect pit stop to break the long drive ultimately heading to Park City and Jackson from San Diego. Sin City is always a fun option for one or two nights- great restaurants, lots of entertainment, and consistently large crowds. You can read about our past visits to Las Vegas here and here. When traveling with the kids, we've always stayed at either The Bellagio or The Venetian. In this post, I'll compare the two resorts.
pros: The MGM app allows you to check in from your phone with a digital key so you never have to wait in the long lines upon arrival. The rooms are spacious (a two-bedroom suite has four bathrooms!) and well-adorned with luxurious fabrics, linens, and accents. The hotel boasts dozens of fantastic dining options along with a variety of worthwhile shows.
cons: extremely crowded and smokey
It's always hard to select where to dine in Vegas simply because there are so many wonderful choices. We decided on The Mayfair Supper Club because of the live music it offers. Dinner with a show is a great way to end the evening.
pros: stunning views of the famous Bellagio Fountains (ask for a window seat), live entertainment, swanky interior
cons: like everything in Vegas, the food and drinks are over-priced
must order: the roasted half chicken and the pappardelle pasta
pros: the suites are expansive and for a nominal fee you can guarantee connecting rooms, the Palazzo wing is the newer section of the hotel and has a more modern feel- some rooms even have great views of The Sphere. Like the Bellagio, there are endless choices to dine in and entertainment to enjoy. The shopping area in The Venetian is a fun experience in itself as the hotel recreates scenes from Venice, with gondolas and all, in a Disney-esque manner that is playful and enjoyable to walk through. The Venetian also has a direct, indoor bridge to get to The Sphere, making it extremely easy to access if you plan on watching a movie or concert there.
cons: the check-in process was long and arduous
We dined at Miznon and LAVO which were both great selections. Miznon makes one of the best falafel sandwiches you'll ever bite into and I was honestly tempted to cancel our LAVO reservations to have one more out-of-this-world falafel stuffed pita.
After dinner, we experienced A Postcard from Earth in The Sphere. Before the movie, there are opportunities to interact with sophisticated robots that carry a conversation with you! Plan to get there thirty minutes before the screening to peruse through the interactive displays.
Although the rooms in the Bellagio are more luxurious, The Venetian is the better hotel, in my opinion, to book especially when traveling with kids. It's less crowded and having the Grand Canal Shoppes to stroll through along with The Sphere makes it all the more fun.
Bookending our road trip with a stop here ensured less time on the road and more family fun! After a good night's sleep and breakfast delivered to the room we were ready to load the car and head to our next destination.