The number of casino hotels on the Strip in Las Vegas continues to grow at an astounding rate, making it even more difficult to figure out which one is the right one for you. Not every hotel in Vegas is right for everyone, so I have collected my favorites into categories and listed them below. My recommendation for having a great time in Vegas is to explore the casinos around your hotel, each one offers different themes, shops, dining and entertainment options that may not exist in your hotel.
Getting the most for your money in Vegas starts with when you go. Midweek stays are much less expensive than Friday and Saturday. It’s worth spending the vacation time to go when the rates are ¼ or ½ of what they are on the weekends. Start your search at Vegas.com where you can see all the different hotel rates for you dates. Then check directly with the hotels that match your budget or desires. You can often get the same or better rate than what is offered at Vegas.com and get a better “package” offer if you go direct to the hotel.
Best Vegas Hotels for families
Each family is unique, depending on ages of kids and patience of Mom and Dad. I have noted hotels in Vegas that have family friendly amenities and/or have larger rooms and suites. Keep in mind that almost all the Vegas Strip Hotels are somewhat family friendly. I have listed in them in order based on rate from lowest to highest.
Excalibur
Luxor
New York New York
MGM Grand
Planet Hollywood
Venetian
MGM Signature
If you want to get away from the Casino environment completely and just come back to the Strip to check out the fun stuff for kids, check out the Alexis Park Resort (off the strip.)
If you'd like to see the 5 other categories I detailed...visit my website at www.askmyconcierge.net. It was too long of a post to put here. If you have questions or want to ask me about another destination, just post a comment on this entry and I'll respond in my blog!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Central California Beach Getaway
Los Angeles and San Diego are common destinations for those not blessed enough to live close to a beach. However, I wouldn’t really call either of these locales an “escape” or a “getaway” due to the crowds, traffic and expense that go along with them. However, Central California is a great alternative to LA or San Diego for a beach escape.
Pismo Beach offers a wide, fairly clean beach with a wide variety of dining, shopping and accommodation options. It is classic California Beach town in every way. Hotels here are far from the large hotels and resorts you will find in Southern Cal, which allows for a more unique stay close to the beach or a variety of “budget” hotels that would require a walk over to the beach.
The other great thing about the Central Coast is the incredible number of day trip options that are available if you tire of the beach or if the weather goes bad.
For a more complete picture of my recommendations and tips for a Central California Beach Getaway, take a look at my website at www.askmyconcierge.net. If you have questions or want to ask me about another destination, just post a comment on this entry and I'll respond in my blog!
Pismo Beach offers a wide, fairly clean beach with a wide variety of dining, shopping and accommodation options. It is classic California Beach town in every way. Hotels here are far from the large hotels and resorts you will find in Southern Cal, which allows for a more unique stay close to the beach or a variety of “budget” hotels that would require a walk over to the beach.
The other great thing about the Central Coast is the incredible number of day trip options that are available if you tire of the beach or if the weather goes bad.
For a more complete picture of my recommendations and tips for a Central California Beach Getaway, take a look at my website at www.askmyconcierge.net. If you have questions or want to ask me about another destination, just post a comment on this entry and I'll respond in my blog!
Monday, June 15, 2009
How do I get presale concert tickets?
I get a lot of questions about how to get good concert tickets. The short answer is... getting good tickets is all about the work you do before the tickets go onsale. Here's a little advice:
Join your favorite performer’s fan club and sign up for email info. This will at least let you know when they are coming to your town. Many fan clubs also have presales that will allow you to buy first.
Sign up to receive emails from your favorite venues, stadiums, etc. Again, this will allow you to know when your favorite band is coming to town. Many venues have their own presales and will email you the codes.
Check to see if any of your credit cards have presales. American Express is the leader in presales, especially for the Gold card and above. However, many credit card companies like Citi have started offering concert ticket presales.
Check out my website for more info and tips at www.askmyconcierge.net
Join your favorite performer’s fan club and sign up for email info. This will at least let you know when they are coming to your town. Many fan clubs also have presales that will allow you to buy first.
Sign up to receive emails from your favorite venues, stadiums, etc. Again, this will allow you to know when your favorite band is coming to town. Many venues have their own presales and will email you the codes.
Check to see if any of your credit cards have presales. American Express is the leader in presales, especially for the Gold card and above. However, many credit card companies like Citi have started offering concert ticket presales.
Check out my website for more info and tips at www.askmyconcierge.net
Sunday, June 14, 2009
My Spain Day
I spent a majority of yesterday researching information for a trip to the "outlying" areas of Spain. While Spain is not exactly a travel secret, I had forgotten what an incredible diversity of natural beauty, ancient history and great food that Spain offers. I came across three towns/cities that I would highly recommend that you consider. The three towns are Ronda, Toledo and Cordoba.
All of these ancient towns date back to the time of the Romans and were conquered by the Muslims during the Crusade era. They feature incredible architecture due to the mix of Moorish and Gothic styles. In fact, Cordoba features the Mezquita-Cordoba Cathedral, which is a Cathedral built inside of the most beautiful Mosque left in Spain. This is very unique, as usually the Christians instantly demolished any Mosques they found and built Cathedrals over the top of the ruins. The natural beauty, ancient culture and foods combined with the history is just too wonderful to miss.
On a side note....I spent my evening at Degrazia's Gallery listening to a Flemenco Guitar Band by total coincidence. They were incredible! The unique aspect of this particular band is that they integrate a violin in the music, which provides a wonderful counterpart to the quick tempo of the guitar. Check them out at http://www.degraziamusic.com/.
More great stuff is available at www.askmyconcierge.net
All of these ancient towns date back to the time of the Romans and were conquered by the Muslims during the Crusade era. They feature incredible architecture due to the mix of Moorish and Gothic styles. In fact, Cordoba features the Mezquita-Cordoba Cathedral, which is a Cathedral built inside of the most beautiful Mosque left in Spain. This is very unique, as usually the Christians instantly demolished any Mosques they found and built Cathedrals over the top of the ruins. The natural beauty, ancient culture and foods combined with the history is just too wonderful to miss.
On a side note....I spent my evening at Degrazia's Gallery listening to a Flemenco Guitar Band by total coincidence. They were incredible! The unique aspect of this particular band is that they integrate a violin in the music, which provides a wonderful counterpart to the quick tempo of the guitar. Check them out at http://www.degraziamusic.com/.
More great stuff is available at www.askmyconcierge.net
Friday, June 12, 2009
Getting around in Europe by Train
Traveling around in Europe is much different than in the US. One of the major differences is the availability of public transportation within city areas and the effectiveness of traveling by train from one stay to the next. For instance, for the classic "Big 3" trip of Florence, Rome and Venice I would recommend using trains and public transportation exclusively. Trains are faster, less expensive and much more relaxing than renting a car or flying.
While I'm on the Big 3 trip, if you have more than 2 days in Florence, rent a car to travel out to Siena or San Gimignano just for the day and explore the tiny little roads that wind through the tiny villages that dot Tuscany, but don't keep it beyond the day. Parking is expensive and just about impossible in Florence.
For train info in Europe, use www.raileurope.com to check for schedules and ticket prices. Keep in mind that schedules are only posted 30 days in advance for many daylight trips. So you'll need to "mirror" the days of the week that you want to travel within the current month. Overnight sleeper trains (awesome way to travel in Europe!) are often available further in advance. If you are traveling by train within one country, you can often get slightly less expensive tickets on the country's specific train company. For example, the "Big 3" trains can be purchased at www.trenitalia.com.
Don't forget to check out my website at www.askmyconcierge.net for more travel info!
While I'm on the Big 3 trip, if you have more than 2 days in Florence, rent a car to travel out to Siena or San Gimignano just for the day and explore the tiny little roads that wind through the tiny villages that dot Tuscany, but don't keep it beyond the day. Parking is expensive and just about impossible in Florence.
For train info in Europe, use www.raileurope.com to check for schedules and ticket prices. Keep in mind that schedules are only posted 30 days in advance for many daylight trips. So you'll need to "mirror" the days of the week that you want to travel within the current month. Overnight sleeper trains (awesome way to travel in Europe!) are often available further in advance. If you are traveling by train within one country, you can often get slightly less expensive tickets on the country's specific train company. For example, the "Big 3" trains can be purchased at www.trenitalia.com.
Don't forget to check out my website at www.askmyconcierge.net for more travel info!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Cruise Do's and Don'ts
I worked on a cruise ship for a year and have taken more cruises since. I love cruising! Here are a couple of my favorite Do's and Don'ts for crusing:
DO explore the entire ship at different times (which can be quite a chore on the Mega Ships) to find the spots that are perfect for you. A crowded sunning deck during the day turns into a romantic interlude at 11pm. The thing I miss most about Ship life is sitting on a dark area of the deck in the middle of the night listening to the rush of the waves and enjoying the depth of the stars. If there is a deck around or in front of the "bridge", this is the perfect spot for a late night star gaze as the lights are turned off for better vision for the bridge officers.
DON’T STAND IN LINE! One of the most mystifying things I witnessed during my days working on the ship was the number of lines people would stand in. The only time I would recommend standing in line would be for getting off the ship when you have a tour that leaves immediately after docking. Otherwise, stand up on the deck enjoying the sights and watch the rest of the idiots race off the ship to stand in line again.
To see more Cruise Tips, visit my website at http://www.askmyconcierge.net/
DO explore the entire ship at different times (which can be quite a chore on the Mega Ships) to find the spots that are perfect for you. A crowded sunning deck during the day turns into a romantic interlude at 11pm. The thing I miss most about Ship life is sitting on a dark area of the deck in the middle of the night listening to the rush of the waves and enjoying the depth of the stars. If there is a deck around or in front of the "bridge", this is the perfect spot for a late night star gaze as the lights are turned off for better vision for the bridge officers.
DON’T STAND IN LINE! One of the most mystifying things I witnessed during my days working on the ship was the number of lines people would stand in. The only time I would recommend standing in line would be for getting off the ship when you have a tour that leaves immediately after docking. Otherwise, stand up on the deck enjoying the sights and watch the rest of the idiots race off the ship to stand in line again.
To see more Cruise Tips, visit my website at http://www.askmyconcierge.net/
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Arizona Escape
I love the desert Southwest, especially Southern Arizona. Bisbee is a great spot to use as a base to explore Southeast Arizona. Bisbee itself offers several great B&B's as well as the Copper Queen Hotel. My favorite B&B's are the The Letson Lofts and Gym Club Suites. However, most of the options in Bisbee are great. Check them out at TripAdvisor.com.
Bisbee has great shopping on Main St., some very good dining options including Roka and Santiago's Mexican. Attractions include the famous Mine Tour, the museum and some great architecture around town. Make sure to take a stop in the Warren area to see some older grand homes. On the way, stop at the Bisbee Breakfast Club for an incredible breakfast or lunch.
Day trips from Bisbee are numerous...hiking in the Chiracahuas and Huachuca Mountains, birdwatching in Ramsey Canyon, visitingTombstone, Karchner Caverns, and the wine country around Sonoita are all great trips. Parker Canyon Lake is also close by taking a backcountry road right along the Mexico border.
Got questions about Bisbee and Southeast Arizona? Post a question and I'll do my best to provide great info.
Bisbee has great shopping on Main St., some very good dining options including Roka and Santiago's Mexican. Attractions include the famous Mine Tour, the museum and some great architecture around town. Make sure to take a stop in the Warren area to see some older grand homes. On the way, stop at the Bisbee Breakfast Club for an incredible breakfast or lunch.
Day trips from Bisbee are numerous...hiking in the Chiracahuas and Huachuca Mountains, birdwatching in Ramsey Canyon, visitingTombstone, Karchner Caverns, and the wine country around Sonoita are all great trips. Parker Canyon Lake is also close by taking a backcountry road right along the Mexico border.
Got questions about Bisbee and Southeast Arizona? Post a question and I'll do my best to provide great info.
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