First time to Vegas. Green Ranch Resort or the Palazzo?

[blessedmommi]

Hello,



New to the boards. And completely new to Las Vegas. My husband and Iare planning a trip for this summer for 4 nights and I'm so excited, but rather torn on where to stay.



My main priority is getting as much pampering as possible! I don't mind staying somewhere off of the strip as long as it has a spa/fitness center, a couple of restaruants, nice rooms andsurroundings.Planning on going to The Phantom show, and a nice dinner,and checking out all the sights, and a couple of the casinos. The Palazzo looks rathernice and comfy with alot of things do to near by and just even in the hotel.(was planning on getting the resort package to get access to the spa/fitness center, etc.)The Green Ranch resort looked so quiet and relaxing, but not surehow the rooms and restaurants rate and if we would have enough to do there. We could get the shuttle to the strip, but wouldn't want to have to use it too much. The two places seem almost opposites of each other. Tempted to add another night to our trip andso we can try out both!



I was also wonderingabout the helicopter tour of the grand canyon. Anyone know where I can find any info on that?



Any comments or suggestions are welcome..



Thanks

[funtimes]

Hello! LL has an in with the Venetian - mid strip... Very nice.My suggestion would be The Golden Nugget Hotel. The Golden Nugget is in the old part of Vegas.It is a beautiful, old world feel hotel with lots of marble, sumptuous baths and bath products etc The spa is wonderful. The new thing at The Golden Nugget is the shark tank in the middle of the swimming pool - a bit kitschy Vegas like for the luxurious Golden Nugget but That's Las Vegas for you! The older part of Vegas has several huge neon signs that you will recognize from Hollywood movies ie the tall cowboy and showgirl kicking up her heels.

The outdoor area on one side is free from car traffic and has an overhead light show every few hours at night. It is enjoyable to walk around without cars, sightsee, peoplewatch and gamble. Hope you like Vegas - I've always felt like I was at a halloween party in which I did not belong there. It has a certain appeal though There is no denying people seem to love or hate Vegas. You can get off the beaten path at the Hoover Dam too good Luck & welcome to the LL community...Funtimes

[maylinglai1]

I'll have to check out the Golden Nugget Spa. Great to hear feedback on off strip places. The idea of trying both seems really a good one, though. I would take the last night at the Green Ranch. If it is your first time to Vegas, you have to experience being on the Strip. You get the full crazy experience of what Vegas is, i.e. the noise, the lights, the crowds and the energy.

[lhbrown]

Hi blessedmomi,
Welcome to the Community Board. If you like pampering, stay at the Bellagio Hotel in town. We stayed there a while ago and it was outstanding. Also, we did a late afternoon helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon with a champagne break at the Canyon rim. Coming back after sunset, the sigth of Las Vegas all lit up was spectacular. I can highly recommend the helicopter flight and it wasn't even too expensive.

[shygirl724]

Blessedmommi,



I agree with lhbrown. The Bellagio is a wonderful place to stay and is on the strip. They are advertising on LL at the moment, although I have not seen a LL package for them yet - maybe one is coming. Even if not, the prices right now, due to the economy, have never been lower. Your gain! When booking your trip, make sure to check prices with airfare and hotel packaged together. I have a couple of trips coming up in a few months that I was able to book the hotel and air cheaper than the airfare price alone. Priceline.com is giving the best prices when I checked and I did not have to use their "bidding" system to get them - just selected the flights / hotel I wanted.

[LL_Travelfan]

Hi Shygirl,

Your Priceline.com observation is an interesting one. I have used priceline.com mostly for car reservations, especially the Name your own price feature. I was always under the impression that the priceline.com hotel selections are a notch below Luxury Link offers? Have you found 4 and 5 star properties at reasonable prices there, especially when combined with air, and what about European offers with that combination? Could you expande or be more specific on your experience with priceline.com

[shygirl724]

LL_TRAVELFAN,



To answer your question - yes, they do carry 4 and 5 star properties and you can save for both domestic and international travel. First, check directly withthe property you are interested in to make sure rooms are available in the category and for the dates you want. If they aren't, then the hotel selection will just not show on the priceline list (making you think they just don't carry the property - which is not true). Then do a little comparison shopping. Smaller airports seem to give the best savings with hotel combinations domestically. (I booked a trip for a friend coming out of Bismarck ND with the hotel for $30 less that I could find the airfare alone). Make sure to check LL to see if they have a package available where you want to go, since that may be the greater savings.



I did a test ofan international trip, using high season. Comparing Seattle to Paris, last week of August 2009, staying at the LL property of Trianon Palace at Versailles (no current LL offer for 6 nights at this property in August). I saved $500 through priceline booking the air and hotel together, over any discount airfare price and hotel price I could find booking separately (except maybe the 33 hour itinerary - which I would never use! - and even then I could still save at least $400).
Message Edited by shygirl724 on 03-15-2009 01:31 PM
Message Edited by shygirl724 on 03-15-2009 01:43 PM

[LL_Travelfan]

Hi shygirl724,



Thanks for your information. I will certainly check this one out next time we travel in Europe, and of course, I will do the LL check. The LL add ons certainly can make a difference in the bottom line. Also, being a member of the 5C Club of the Relais & Chateaux group or a member of the Leaders Club at the Leading Hotels of the World helps with great prices, room upgrades, champagne, chocolates and flowers in the room.

One question I have on your Paris trip. Have you booked at the Triano Palace in Versailles for your Paris stay? It is a beautiful hotel, wonderful pool and spa area, great food, and lovely setting, etc. I can highly recommend the Triano Palace in Versailles for a few nights while visiting the Chateau of Versailles and Versailles itself which is worth a visit. The only problem is that it is a 40 to 50 minute train ride from Paris and you have to be watchful of the train schedule when wanting to visit Paris. I assume you will book or have booked a hotel in Paris proper for an additional few nights, at least I hope so.

[shygirl724]

I would love to stay at that hotel and it was my original first choice. So beautiful and just my style. My reservation has been the train ride. We are only in Paris for 4 nights, before moving on to Amsterdam. We will be coming in to Paris on day 1 from an overnight flight so I know we will be tired. I was concerned about schlepping between hotels mid stay. If we stayed in Versailles, then the train would have to be taken into the city each day. A coworker warned me against this option. So I still have not made a decision. I am hoping for a view of the Eiffel Tower from our room if possible - although any beautiful view would be great. My hubby's hobby is photography, so he has decided he needs a new camera for this trip.......that is what he is shopping for at the moment. I have warned him that I am not going to be a "camera widow" this trip. But this explains a little my wanting the tower view - especially at night. He would have fun takingtake great pics. I appreciate all the tips and information you have posted. It has been wonderful! We are newbies to Europe.....the planning is becoming part of the fun!

[LL_Travelfan]

Hi shygirl,



Lets move the Paris hotel question over to the proper thread under Europe/France. I have some suggestions for you there.