Hi, I’m Katie! Are you new here? I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel! I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world but my specialty is Disney travel. Want to work together? Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!
Viva Las Vegas!
Welcome travelers! Who’s ready to talk Las Vegas? I just got home from a long Presidents Day weekend (2024) in Las Vegas to celebrate my husband Scott’s birthday. The inspiration for this trip was to see a concert at The Sphere, a brand new venue unlike any other. We went to Vegas about 10 years ago, so this was a repeat destination for us, but Vegas has so much to do and is constantly adding more entertainment that there were more than enough new (to us) experiences to choose from. Let’s dive into the trip!
Friday Arrival
We flew from Baltimore to Las Vegas and landed at LAS around 9:45am. The arrivals section of this airport immediately sets the stage for the kinetic atmosphere of Las Vegas with slot machines lining the halls and huge screens everywhere in the massive baggage claim area. We opted to take a cab to our hotel because the airport cab rates are price controlled and the taxi stand is right outside of baggage claim. Ride share pick-up is also available but is located in the parking garage so you have to venture further. The airport itself is conveniently located very close to The Strip so we were in a cab immediately after exiting the airport and at our hotel by 11:00am.
We stayed at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino and when we arrived there was a long line at check-in, which is typical of Las Vegas. The wait turned out to only be 10 minutes and we were offered the option to get into our room early for a $60 fee. Check-in was supposed to be 4:00pm and, since it was only 11:00am, we decided to pay for early check-in. Alternatively we had the option to check our bags with the hotel for free and then return for our room at 4:00pm.
Flamingo Hotel & Casino
I’ll give you my overall review of the Flamingo here.
For further details and to get a better view of the hotel please watch my YouTube video linked below. (Coming Soon)
The Flamingo Hotel & Casino, a Caesar’s property, is located right in the center of The Strip. It’s the oldest hotel on The Strip with a long Las Vegas history including mob ties. While it is by no means a small property, I found the size much more manageable than some of its’ mega resort neighbors.
Being right in the center means a lot of the sites are easily walkable, plus it has its’ own monorail station making the entire Strip accessible. The LINQ Promenade is right next door which offers tons of dining and the High Roller observation wheel.
The Flamingo recently completed a room refurbishment and is currently upgrading several common areas. All the upgrades looked great and the ongoing work is needed, in my opinion, as some areas looked a bit aged. I expect this hotel to only improve when the work is completed and did not find the ongoing construction disturbing to my stay in any way.
There are Vegas vibes galore here! This hotel gives off vintage Vegas in its design and photos from the Flamingo’s past are mixed throughout the decor with tons of flamingo designs and pink decor. The theming here is not nearly as elaborate as hotels like Caesar’s Palace or New York New York but it lives up to its’ name faithfully. I really enjoyed the nods to old Vegas and all the pink!
As far as amenities, the Flamingo, of course, has a casino with both machines and gaming tables. There is a spa and fitness center which was on the smaller side but had all your standard offerings. There are a handful of shops but nothing in the way of high-end shopping you’ll find elsewhere on The Strip. There is a sizable pool complex with an adults-only section. The hotel is centered around an outdoor courtyard with water features and actual flamingos! There is also a wedding chapel and several lawns where you can get some sunshine.
There are a handful of entertainment options at the Flamingo including the main theatre which rotates shows of Piff The Magic Dragon, Wayne Newton, and RuPaul Drag Race Live. They additionally have a burlesque show in its’ own theater.
At present, the dining located within the Flamingo is a bit lacking but you are a quick walk to a ton of great dining options. You also have two new additions coming soon, a Van Der Pump bar and Gordon Ramsay burger restaurant. The current dining options include a small food court with fast food chains, a Starbucks, and a generic coffee shop that offers pre-made sandwiches and hand-scooped ice cream. A few of the shops also have packaged foods and beverages. There are several bars throughout the property. For sit-down dining you have a Mexican bar and grill which is open air and a Margaritaville restaurant. For fine dining there is the very cute and recently re-done Bugsy & Myers steakhouse which even has a hidden speakeasy inside it. Very “old Vegas” vibes here.
A big draw to the Flamingo for us was the pricing. This hotel has a more budget friendly price point when compared to its neighbors. However, you get what you pay for as this is a budget experience. The accommodations are comfortable and clean but not luxurious. Not necessarily a con depending on your priorities but something to know going into a stay here.
We stayed in a One King Flamingo Room, which is one of the lower-end room categories offered. The room was clean and comfortable and I especially enjoyed the pink and flamingo touches throughout particularly the mural in the bathroom. There were plenty of seating and lounging spaces. I appreciated the presence of a mini-fridge though there was no coffee maker.
Since no one has coffee makers in their room, the lines at both Starbucks and the other coffee shop were very, very long from around 7:30am-10:00am. I resorted to canned cold brew from the gift shop one morning as waiting a hour for coffee was not on my to do list. However, Scott was able to get coffee at 6:00am with no line so it pays to be early. (The Starbucks was open 24/7.) Most hotels on The Strip do not have coffee makers in the room because they want you to be out and about spending money in the hotel so this is something to plan ahead for if coffee is important for you.
Back to the room!
Our room was a good size for two people and it had plenty of storage options. We even had a view of the High Roller which I was not expecting. Overall, I was happy with the room’s set-up.
Unfortunately, we had a series of maintenance issues that really impacted our stay. The service we received from the staff in addressing them was adequate but it seemed to be one thing after another. Our room’s wifi didn’t work and was not able to be fixed for us by either hotel staff or the Caesar’s technical call center we were directed to. The room phone did not work and the bathroom toiletry dispensers were either broken or not full so we were given bags of tiny bottles instead which was a fine solution but seemed odd.
The biggest issue we had was that our shower was leaking making it hard to sleep the first night listening to it drip. It took a series of visits and a lot of back and forth with maintenance for the problem to be resolved the next day. We had issues getting housekeeping to remove all the soaking wet towels we had because of the leak and the general design of the shower was functionally terrible, leaking or not, resulting in water all over the floor each time it was used.
Unfortunately, at no point were we offered any kind of compensation, a different room, or any perks due to the many maintenance issues. I would have thought at least a small resort credit would have been in order.
Would I stay here again? Probably not. After all the maintenance issues I would likely opt to stay somewhere higher-end than the Flamingo on my next visit to Las Vegas which would mean allowing for a larger budget or staying further away from The Strip and renting a car, or utilizing more cabs and ride share. That a being said, I wouldn’t be upset if I needed to stay at the Flamingo again in the future. The hotel’s location worked very well for our purposes for this trip and maintenance issues can be hit or miss by the room.
I think this resort is a good fit for travelers who are prioritizing budget and location and are not concerned with amenities and luxury accommodations. If you are the traveler that “just wants somewhere to sleep” that is going to be clean, convenient, and budget friendly then this is a good option for you. I’m thinking of young adult groups specifically. I do love all the pink for a bachelorette party of which we saw many during our stay.
Every hotel has pros and cons and is a good fit for some guests and not for others. That’s why you should always work with a travel professional like myself when planning your vacations.
Alright! That wraps up the hotel review. On with the show!
Friday In Las Vegas
Once we were checked into our room and I filmed my room tour to share with you all the first order of business was lunch. We walked over to the LINQ Promenade adjacent to the Flamingo and sat down for lunch at Yard House. I have several food intolerances so choosing restaurants can be a challenge and I always have to plan ahead to make life easier while I’m traveling. Yard House had a full allergy dining guide available so that was excellent. Scott had a cobb salad with chicken and I had chicken breast with a cauliflower, quinoa, and corn base. We both really enjoyed our meals here!
After lunch we explored the hotel, said “hi” to the actual flamingos and finished filming my resort tour. Then it was time to unpack and rest before dinner.
For an early dinner, it was back over to the LINQ Promenade and Off The Strip, an American bistro and sports bar. We both ordered the salmon and brown rice bowl and really enjoyed them. The menu listed what was gluten free and the server was easily able to check with the kitchen for me about any other allergy concerns and offered to make substitutions where needed. This restaurant was another hit for us.
After dinner we had about an hour before we needed to arrive for our evening plans so we stopped at the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace. It’s a mall full of high-end shopping but it is so well themed and beautiful that it’s an event just to walk around. There is even a fountain light show here but we didn’t catch it. This kind of crazy over-the-top theming is the part of Vegas that I really love.
Our entertainment for the night was The Beatles Love a Cirque Du Soleil show. This was our very first time seeing Cirque Du Soleil which has become synonymous with Las Vegas and, though I had some doubts if I would like this style of entertainment, I wanted to give it a chance. After all that’s why we travel right? To try new things. Love has been running at the Mirage since 2006 and is just one of many Cirque shows across Las Vegas. I chose Love because Scott is a huge Beatles fan plus having familiar music made the production more accessible to us as newcomers.
I thought the show was a true spectacle! The aerialists are very impressive! The production values were high and they created so many stunning visuals. The Beatles music is of course fabulous. The show does not tell a specific story but rather takes inspiration from the lyrics to depict characters from the songs like Lady Madonna and Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds while running through the Beatles catalogue generally in chronological order.
I’d say this show is a must-see for big Beatles fans. I’d recommend it as a great introduction to Cirque Du Soleil as well. I really enjoyed it and I’d be happy to try another Cirque production in the future!
After the show it was time to call it a night.
Saturday
The next day was Scott’s actual birthday and we had big plans for the day! First up was a birthday brunch at The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar’s Palace. After a 10-minute walk over we checked in with our reservation and it was time to eat!
The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar’s Palace, is NEXT LEVEL! Simply put, this is the most impressive collection of foods I have ever seen. The culinary team here is not messing around. I can’t count the number of people I heard say things like “I don’t even know where to start” or “Wow! They have it all”. They had grab-and-go items, carving stations, made-to-order items like omelets, and bananas foster. There were sections for seafood, pancakes and waffles, Asian, Mexican, smoothies, soups, roasted meats, pizza, and a huge dessert area including a dozen or more gelato flavors.
I was very impressed with the wide variety and quality of food. The overall experience was pleasant and the restaurant was bright and lovely. The carving meats and acai bowls were particular highlights for me. I highly recommend Bacchanal Buffett! Not only is it delicious but it was an experience. Come hungry and plan for this to cover you for two meals. I think a brunch or a late lunch/early dinner is the ticket here. You will leave full!!
Beverages were available, including coffee, provided by your server. Alcoholic options can be ordered at an additional cost and they even had specialty juices out on the buffet.
There is an enforced ninety-minute time limit on your dining experience which, at first, I thought oh that’s plenty of time but we were right around ninety minutes when we left. No one said anything to us but our arrival time was posted at our table and I had read previously that they will ask you to wrap things up if you overstay your limit.
For my allergy friends, all of the items on the buffet were labeled and had allergen information as well as vegan/vegetarian listings. This is huge for me and anyone with food sensitivities or special dietary needs. That being said this is a buffet so if you have cross-contamination concerns this is probably not for you. I wouldn’t say that they were catering to allergies or dietary needs with the food selections but they seemed to have something for everyone.
I would absolutely dine here again and highly recommend it.
After brunch we walked around and explored Caesar’s Place as well as some of the nearby hotels including the Bellagio and Paris.
The highlight was the Conservatory at the Bellagio which is one of my favorite free activities on The Strip. The design changes seasonally and during our visit it was decorated for Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dragon. It was so pretty! Plus, it’s right off the hotel’s lobby so you can check out the fabulous Chihuly ceiling art there as well.
While being able to walk to so many places on The Strip is fabulous, it does seem that walking anywhere takes longer that you think. You can almost never just walk in a direct path as there always seems to be an escalator, bridge, or divergent path you have to take. The interiors of the hotels are basically mazes designed to keep you inside so it can make finding your way around difficult. It helps to allow plenty of time to get from one destination to another.
We eventually made our way back to the LINQ Promenade where we stopped in at the Ice Bar. As advertised, it was VERY cold inside! Your admission fee provides you the use of a coat and gloves during your visit and I recommend taking advantage of them. Everything is made of ice including the glasses, tables, seats, and many ice sculptures. We’d never been to an ice bar before and it was a fun out-of-the-ordinary experience but it’s not a must-do. After the ice bar, we took a break back at the hotel before heading out for the night.
Saturday night was the main event, the U2 concert at The Sphere. The Sphere is part of the Venetian hotel complex so we had dinner plans there before the show. We arrived early to explore the mall portion of the Venetian where you can take a gondola ride and do some high end shopping amid Italian ambiance.
We had dinner reservations at TAO Asian Bistro which came highly recommended from my research before the trip. I will start by saying that the food here was very good. I had sea bass and Scott has a chicken stir-fry and soup. All of it was delicious, however, the experience was not for us. I have no better way to describe it than to say that this restaurant was just too cool for us. I should have been tipped-off by the fact that there is a separate nightclub attached the the restaurant. It was very dark, very loud, and very crowded with tables extremely close together. The waiter was very polite and attentive but constantly trying to upsell us and his answers to my allergy questions were lacking. While I can see some people loving the trendy atmosphere here, the vibes were not for us and I was pretty uncomfortable the entire time. But at least the food was good!
After dinner, it was time to head to The Sphere. There is a completely interior pathway from the Venetian into the Sphere which is well-labeled and they, also, had staff directing guests. Alternatively, you can enter and exit from the “street” which we did on our way out and walked back to the Flamingo on surface roads. They had plenty of staff directing both traffic and pedestrians on that end of things as well. You get a much better view of the outside of The Sphere by using the street entrance/exit.
From the time you walk into the lobby, The Sphere feels unique and futuristic. It’s immediately impressive. Just like any arena, there were bars, food counters, and concert merchandise stations as well as grab and go beverage and snack shops. If you want something quick and convenient you can easily have dinner at the venue.
When you enter the concert hall it feels towering and almost looks as if there are dozens of museum quality IMAX screens stacked on top of one another. Be ready to climb some steep steps to your seats! (FYI your seats will vibrate like a 4-D movie seat. U2 used this effect sparingly, which I was thankful for, but who knows how other bands will utilize it.) The opening act was a DJ who played for about an hour before the show began.
As soon as the concert started, it was clear that this was going to be unlike anything we’d seen before. The production value and the technology is insane! You’re inside a dome and screens surround your field of vision and then some. You are fully immersed. They used all sorts of different visual tools and styles to create a unique experience for each song and at times it was almost overwhelming. I do think those who suffer from motion sickness or vertigo could have issues seeing a show in The Sphere. I had to close my eyes, to collect myself, a few times and I don’t suffer from any motion sensitivity in general. I appreciated a long stretch in the middle of the show when the effects were used sparingly giving the audience a break. A wise decision by the creative team, in my opinion.
This concert was one of the most stunning visual performances I’ve ever seen. To quote Scott: “It was absolutely worth the trip to Las Vegas just to see the show”. I highly recommend seeing a show at The Sphere because it’s such an amazing and unique experience.
In addition to concerts they also show a movie during the day for a much more economical price and a shorter time commitment. A great option if you want to see inside and experience some of the technology.
Sunday In Old Vegas
We had a slow start the next morning before hopping into a cab to “old Vegas” and the Fremont Street Experience. This area of town is adjacent to municipal downtown Las Vegas and is where the original Vegas hotels and casinos were. Eventually, as the mega resorts of The Strip were built, the heart of Las Vegas tourism moved from Fremont Street to The Strip.
Fremont Street is still home to hotels and casinos, many of which have a more classic Vegas vibe. A portion of the street is covered with a domed ceiling that is actually a video screen on a constant loop. There’s a zip-line across the area, and several live performance stages. We saw a country music band performing and a belly dancer. The area is lined with bars and surrounded by the hotel casinos, it’s an absolute party atmosphere. At night a rotation of shows synced with music are projected on the screened ceiling. This is also a great place to see some classic neon signs which are Las Vegas icons.
We enjoyed walking through the classic Golden Nugget hotel and the new Circa which has an 18 and over hotel casino with an emphasis on sports’ betting. Circa is also the home of the classic Vegas Vickie neon sign. I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit this area again but I’m glad I saw it.
Just a few blocks away from the Fremont Street Experience is the Mob Museum aka the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement. Housed in a historic post office and court house building, the Mob Museum tells the story of organized crime in America with a focus on Las Vegas and the law enforcement authorities who fought against them. I found the museum well put together and interesting and we even stumbled upon a live author talk being given by a former mafia member. On the downside, the museum was very crowded and I think it would have been helpful to have a crowd control system such as timed entry.
The basement of the museum was a speakeasy and moonshine distillery. Tours of the distillery were available at an extra cost. We stopped in the speakeasy and Scott enjoyed a moonshine flight. They also had coffees and light bites available. The atmosphere here was very nice and we enjoyed our time.
We had a good time at the museum and I’d recommend a visit for history and museum fans. If you are going to visit the museum, be sure to make time for the speakeasy as well.
For dinner we grabbed an Uber and headed away from the central tourist areas to Weera Thai, a restaurant we’d read some great reviews of. There are several locations and we visited the West Sahara Ave one. I highly recommend reservations as we saw several guests turned away for hour long waits. The restaurant was small and cute and located in a basic strip mall. The menu was huge, with an extensive list of options! The server helped me navigate options that would work for my food needs. I ended up with a chicken pad thai, which was very good, and Scott had a peanut and chicken wok dish that was excellent. Weera Thai was a hit for us and is well worth the trip off The Strip. Also, the pricing was very reasonable which is not often the case on The Strip. After dinner we grabbed another Uber back to the Flamingo and called it a night.
The next morning we were up and out the door by 6:30am to catch our flight and found getting a cab at our hotel very simple. The airport experience was very straight forward and we were home by the late afternoon on Monday because of the time change.
That was our Las Vegas trip! I hope you found this interesting and informative. Considering a trip to Las Vegas? I’m a travel advisor and would love to work with you! Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!
Katie Vassalotti - Travel Advisor - Travel Blog 