Please enjoy a recent travel review from Lisa Essett, our Director of Marketing and Social Media here at Travel Brokers.
Just wanted to share a couple of things I learned while I was on vacation in Vegas this past December. I’ve been to Vegas many times. But, this time was a little different. It was Christmastime and Vegas was bustling with visitors. Definitely more visitors than
any other time of year. Because it was so busy, I used that opportunity to plan ahead.
Here are a few things I’ve discovered:
Dining Reservations- Vegas is always busy, but there are certain times of the year when it is busier than normal. Typically around the holidays such as Christmas and New Year's. Knowing this information, I planned ahead and made all of my dining reservations 3 months in advance. I know that sounds excessive. However, other travelers have the exact same idea, and reservations start booking up very quickly. Despite starting early, I noticed that some restaurants were already losing availability. So I was very glad I made my reservations when I did. I definitely recommend taking this precaution when traveling to Vegas, even when it isn’t a holiday. Just to be sure you can dine where you wish.
Walking- If you’ve never traveled to Vegas before, you may not know exactly how big the Strip is and how much walking is involved. I definitely recommend wearing comfortable shoes such as walking or running sneakers. The strip in total is about 4.2 miles long. Not everyone can walk the entire thing in a day. I recommend breaking it up into parts throughout your stay. Visit a few casinos one day, a few the next, and so on. Your feet will thank you at the end of the day.
Delta Skymiles- If you happen to fly out to Vegas on Delta Airlines, you can now use 3000 miles to pay for checked bags originating from participating domestic airports. I noticed that it didn't give me this option when I left Detroit, MI but it did when I left Las Vegas, NV. So our airport here in MI may not be participating yet but that may change over the next year or so. There are many airports throughout the US that are participating now. Check delta.com for more information.
Delta Skymiles/Lyft- In addition to the above, you can now connect your Lyft accounts to your Delta Skymiles accounts and rack up points for every ride/mile. In a place like Vegas where Lyft may be used frequently, this can add up. I got over 500 points that weekend alone just from Lyft rides around Vegas. Speaking of using Lyft to get around Vegas, I highly recommend it over using a taxi. The taxis out there tend to charge a surcharge on their rides. Lyft is a lot more reasonable in price. It is also extremely easy to hail a ride through the Lyft app. The longest I ever had to wait for a ride was 3 minutes on average. Lyft is an extremely easy way to navigate Las Vegas, especially when you’re exhausted from all the walking!
Kaptyn transfers- When I traveled to Vegas last, I booked through Delta Vacations. They use a company called Kaptyn and they include private SUVs and limos in Las Vegas. Something I learned on my trip was that most hotels have multiple valet areas. My last driver told me that they always pick up where they dropped the client off because they have special permission to do so. So if someone tells you to go to a different valet area to be picked up, such as where taxi pickup is, that is incorrect. You should always go back to where you were dropped off. I unfortunately was given the wrong information initially and almost missed my transfer due to being in the wrong area. Thankfully I was able to locate my car at the main entrance and get to the airport on time. If you’re not sure what to do, ask your driver before departing the vehicle. They are very knowledgeable!
Miracle Mile Shops- There are many shopping malls on the Vegas Strip. A lot of them are very high-end. The Miracle Mile Shops attached to Planet Hollywood is a little bit more of a "normal" mall I would call it. They have many stores like H&M, Garrett Popcorn, Sephora, MAC, and more. But the awesome thing about this mall is they have really excellent places to get cheap food and drinks. Food and drinks in Vegas can be very expensive in most places. Here at MM Shops, most places have 3 for $10-$15 drinks and food under $15. One place even had food for under $7.99 and it was packed. It's called Ocean One. It surprisingly has good reviews about the food. If you’re trying to do Vegas on a budget or even just want to eat/drink for a while on the cheap, go here.
Aria- This is an excellent hotel. This is where I stayed during this last visit. This hotel and casino are located on the South part of the Strip. It's attached to Park MGM by a walkway and Bellagio by a tram. It's on a good part of the Strip, near lots of dining and activities. My favorite thing about it is the new food hall they opened where the buffet used to be. It's called Proper Eats and it just opened in late December. It has several different food stalls inside and you order online and then go pick it up from each stall. The food was excellent and the food hall itself is beautiful and clean. Very reasonably priced. I would recommend this place for lunch even if you aren't staying in the hotel. The casino floor is excellent and if you enjoy slots, there is a lot to choose from. It's worth a visit.
Travel Advisors- The most valuable piece of advice I can give when traveling to Vegas is, to talk to a travel advisor! Our agents are the most knowledgeable about this destination and can help you find the right flights, the right hotel, the right transfers, the best activities, and more! Stop by and talk to us. We’ll help you do Vegas the right way.
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