attractions

We traveled to Las Vegas Nevada in December 2013 to attend a UFC event. We made a vow to stay at a different hotel each time we go to Vegas—and of course I always vow to try new restaurants! We flew Spirit airlines from Houston to Vegas (one way–$123 per person) and flew Southwest airlines from Vegas to Houston (one way–$135 per person).

This visit to Vegas we actually stayed in 2 different hotels. I follow lots of hotels on Facebook because they offer greats deals to their Facebook Followers every now and then. This is a case were I got a tremendous DEAL on Facebook for MGM Grand Hotel.

WHERE WE STAYED:

MGM Grand: deal on Facebook–1 night– $65.00 for a King Junior Executive Suite. We were on the highest floor with 180degree views. The room was very modern, luxurious bathroom, clean, great (expensive) mini bar. Check-in and check-out were easy. * I did the option of a “cash deposit”—which is a WAY better deal! You don’t have to put down as much money, and you get your money back right away when you check out (instead of waiting for 3-5 days for a credit card refund).

Our 4 other nights were spent at The Flamingo. I found a deal online for 4 nights for $495.—called the reservation line and booked it for even cheaper–4 nights for $395. *Call for best rates* The Flamingo is located in the center of the strip. Easy access to everything, walking distance to many casinos, easy access to the LV Monorail (which was great for winter time). Room was clean, updated, and the view was nice. Check-in was a tad long, but we were offered cheap upgrades (do it!), check-out was easy.

WHAT WE DID:

Atomic Testing Museum: Found a terrific deal on Groupon! This was fun, lots of reading, but very educational. There was a movie in the middle, which helped break-up the reading. We also toured the “Area 51” exhibit. It was a little dinky–but since it was included in the groupon–it was worth it. I would recommend this.

Neon Sign Museum: Again, found a great deal on Groupon. This was a lot smaller than I imagined. But it was fun and worth the money, it is a guided tour, so don’t be late! 🙂

Joe Rogan: He did stand up at the theater inside The Mirage. Tickets were a bit pricey, but I LOVED all the opening acts. The opening acts were, to me, more enjoyable than Joe Rogan. Our seats were good, I really don’t think there is a bad seat in that theater. Drinks were extremely pricey! I might opt for a cheaper comedy show next time

UFC Event: We went to a fight inside MGM Grand Arena. Seating was great, beer/snacks were easily accessible, crowded getting out after the event. I would say there really is not a bad seat inside this arena.

Vegas!The Show: inside Planet Hollywood. This show was A-MAZING. I opted for the best seats because I found a coupon code that was for Row 3 discounted tickets. Tickets were about $90/per person. Well worth it! I felt like I was IN the show, the seats were so close! I couldn’t stop smiling because it was so great, and the performers kept making eye contact with the audience. It was a variety of everything–singing, dancing, tricks, etc. Would definitely recommend this show! (Search for coupon codes!)

Minus5 Ice Bar: inside Mandalay Bay. This is a very touristy experience, but I am glad we did it! We opted for the fur coat and hat upgrades simply because I wanted a cute picture. The drinks were good, the actual bar is small, but we still had fun and we bought the cute pictures. Total spent was $150.00: fur coats, hats, pictures, drinks. *See Pictures below* I would recommend this if you have the money to spend, if not, skip it.

WHERE WE ATE:

Japonais–inside The Mirage. It is a wonderful sushi restaurant, not too expensive, but definitely a romantic-type dinner. The sushi was terrific, and our calamari appetizer was to die for! Sit in the front bar area if you like to people-watch. Make reservations.

Margaritaville–inside The Flamingo. A fun vibe, live music (cover band) was terrific. Drinks were a fabulous but a tad pricey. Food was delicious–Tex-Mex (a tad overpriced) but you’re paying for the name. A great place for a quick drink/snack. No reservations needed.

Wolfgang Puck–inside MGM Grand. We ate here 3 times on our visit–and will go back! Lunch menu was great, I had the chicken salad sandwich and Kyle had the BLT. Amazing! Reasonably priced! Celeb-sightings. People-watch–opens into casino. No reservations needed for lunch.

The Earl of Sandwich–inside Planet Hollywood. We had a late dinner here after a show. I had read about this on TripAdvisor and it seemed really popular with good reviews. The sandwiches are served hot, which I haven’t eaten many hot sandwiches, but it was really good! Since it was the end of the day they were out of macaroni (which I had heard was amazing). I would recommend this for Lunch!

The Buffet at Excalibur–(Lunch) I was pleasantly surprised with the wide variety of this buffet. Food seemed fresh. Self-serve beverage station was excellent. This meal was free by using our MyVegas rewards. Would recommend this buffet.

The Buffet at MGM Grand–(Breakfast/Brunch) This buffet was not exciting at all considering its location. I didn’t eat much, but Kyle was not impressed. This meal was also free by using our MyVegas rewards. Would NOT recommend this buffet.

Yes–MyVegas rewards are fabulous! The games are addicting and who doesn’t love FREE!?!

Overall, this was a great trip to Vegas. Our GRAND total for 5 nights-6 days cost us roughly $2,400.00 not bad for a week long trip! Don’t forget to check out my TIPS for a better/cheaper trip!

Below is an outline of my planning process where I will give a few examples of what I do (personally) to prepare—before booking anything. I usually begin this process roughly 6-7 months before the date of the trip to get an idea of what it will cost.

1. Where do you want to go? (Important)

2. Are you going to Drive or Fly?

Drive: Determine how many miles you will travel—and estimate your cost of gas (round-trip.) After you have determined your cost….is it cheaper to fly? If you plan on driving think about rental cars (smaller cars = better gas mileage) and also keep in mind certain hotels/places charge for parking–so budget the cost of parking as well!

Fly: My FAVORITE site (for air travel) is www.airfarewatchdog.com This site allows you to search all airlines (not just big name airlines, but smaller companies too!) Sites like kayak.com are great…..but they don’t list Southwest or Allegiant airlines. On Airfarewatchdog you can set your preferences (where you want to fly to and from) and they send updates to your email on when those flights are cheapest! Always check direct sites as well!! I can’t tell you how many times a day I look at www.southwest.com or www.allegiant.com And I know this sounds weird, but check flights at random times (prices change ALL THE TIME!). If for some reason you are awake at 2:00am on a Wednesday—check for flights! I have found some crazy good deals late at night on Southwest.

3. Where are you going to stay? (Things to keep in mind!)

If you are flying to your destination try to stay somewhere “central”–near food, near attractions, etc. Because cabs are pricey and you don’t want to have to rely on them too much!
If you are driving to your destination make sure to research ahead of time if the hotel even has parking and how much it costs to park there.
If you’re going somewhere that you know you won’t spend a lot of time in the hotel room—then go cheap! Don’t splurge on the hotel. Save your money for good food and attractions!
Are you taking a pet? –It is HARD to find places that allow pets. But if you are, then only search for hotels that allow pets (most websites have a setting you can click to include pets)
My FAVORITE site (for hotel searches) is www.trivago.com this site allows you to search your trip date, and refine your searches. It searches the major hotel websites and tells you who is offering a specific hotel CHEAPEST. I also love www.hotels.com you can accumulate stays and earn free nights! Plus, when you sign up for hotels.com they send coupons and discounts all the time!
Sometimes you can find the best deal simply by CALLING the hotel directly—many times I say I saw a deal online and they always try to beat it. Calling directly may even lead to better deal than they have listed on their website. Example: The Flamingo (in Vegas) advertised 4 nights for $425. —sounds great! I called to book over the phone and told them I wanted the deal they had listed on their website—she told me the best price she could do was 4 nights for $325! WHAT?!? I saved $100 just by calling the hotel directly!!

4. What are you going to do?

My trips generally revolve around a main activity (UFC, a Concert, a Show, etc.)–that’s not to say that yours should. Always double check the dates of events and attractions, and find out exactly when tickets go on sale so you can buy early.
If you don’t have something specific in mind, I like to check out www.10best.com it lists the top 10 things to do the city you are traveling to.
Another site I always like to check, in regards to attractions, is Groupon! Yes! Search on Groupon the city you are traveling to and see if they have any great deals on attractions! But be sure to check expiration dates and black-out dates before you buy on groupon! www.groupon.com

Other things to keep in mind:

You don’t HAVE to purchase trip packages. (example: Southwest Vacations—hotel+airfare+car) Most of the time it is cheaper to book separately!

BUY IN SEGMENTS!! (Budget)

This is how I budget efficiently for my trips–and I start this probably 4-5 months before the trip departure date.

First I purchase the big attraction tickets–because these usually go on sale really early! (UFC tickets, Football tickets, Concert tickets, etc.)
A few weeks later (after pay day) I purchase the outbound flight tickets (buying round-trip tickets is not necessarily cheaper!) And if you don’t mind flying 2 different airlines then you can find some REALLY good deals!
A few weeks later I purchase the return flight. (Don’t forget to account for baggage prices in your budget!)
A few weeks later I purchase the hotel (I leave this for last because most of the time there is an abundance of hotels in major cities). I never worry about not finding a hotel.
Lastly, I purchase any other smaller tickets ahead of time. Bus or Train tickets, smaller attraction tickets, smaller show tickets, pool tickets (if where you are going has a pool), etc. I also make dinner reservations (if needed). Keep in mind lots of big cities require dinner reservations!

Purchasing in segments allows you to spread out your money so it doesn’t seem overwhelming (or shock your system) if you spend hundreds or thousands of dollars. This also allows you to “save” for a month or two for “spending money”–Because other major purchases have already been paid for!

HAPPY TRAVELS!

igo-everywhere

I go. You-go. We all go. Igo Everywhere!

Rewind: Vegas (December 2013)

Big Travel/Trip: The Planning Process