I headed back out to Vegas in March of 2018 for another work conference… but this time I brought my cousin! We went out a weekend early so we could really get into the Vegas spirit, if you know what I mean. We stayed up til 3am or so every night, lost some money, explored the city, and had a great time. For our girls weekend, we stayed in the Cosmo (a Marriott property, go figure) which was an awesome casino/hotel. It’s fun for a couple days to stay in a glitzy property with all sorts of late night food options and entertainment… but for the conference I relocated to the Springhill Suites by the convention center. This is a great hotel for when you’re attending a conference. It’s walking distance, so you don’t have to wait in the long taxi line at the end of the day, clean, has a rooftop pool, and doesn’t require walking a mile through the hotel to reach your room. That’s all I want at the end of an exhibit day!
Anyways, back to the fun stuff: Suzy and I arrived in Vegas around 1pm on Friday and checked in at the Cosmo. Key tip: if you are a Gold+ member, there is a separate room for check in. This is also where you can get free water bottles (ask) and free coffee (machine). It is located immediately to the left when you walk in the front doors.
Having just traveled several hours and knowing we were going to stay up late, we ate at the hotel and took a quick nap. Then it was time to get glammed up! I don’t know about you, but I never wear as much makeup as I do when I’m in Vegas. For our first stop of the evening, we went downstairs in our hotel to Holsteins for a quick bite to eat before starting the night. When I saw their Bamboozled Shakes (+alcohol) I couldn’t resist! This was an EPIC shake, but I did regret it a little later… I’m not sure alcohol and dairy are such a great combo.
We then took an Uber to the Foundation Room in the Mandalay Bay. Remember last time I was there, the outdoor area was closed due to the horrific shooting. This time it was open, and WOW the view! We had a great time enjoying a cocktail or two and overlooking the city. If you want to go up here (especially at night) make sure you are dressed up… we saw some people get turned away at the door. It also helps if you at least have a girl in your group J
Before going to Vegas, I wasn’t really sure how to go about getting in various clubs, etc. I purchased a “Nightlife pass” from LV Tours on Groupon for about $30. Through this Groupon, I got the number for a promoter who got us on “the list” for most of the places we went throughout the weekend. This was definitely worth the $30 as we knew we were going to get in everywhere and even had people meet us out front to bring us in different clubs around town.
After the Foundation Room, we went downstairs to the Light, also in Mandalay Bay. After taking a quick boomerang video (which they email you), we got a drink and realized the club was pretty dead. We could have been too early, or maybe it’s just not a good spot. Regardless, we proceeded on to 1OAK where we stayed for several hours until we couldn’t stand in heels anymore and they wouldn’t let us sit on the backs of the booths… lame! I’m sure we got late night pizza somewhere before we went to the hotel, but your guess is as good as mine 🙂
The following day we walked most of the city. We explored the Venetian and Caesars’s palace and ended up taking an Uber down to Fremont St and went into the Plaza Hotel, to Brightside Breakfast for a late brunch of chicken and waffles. OMG it was so good!
We spent a little time at the BlackJack tables there as they were CHEAP and Blackjack is our favorite game next to Craps. After winning a little money, we walked down the rest of Fremont St before getting an Uber to the Stratosphere. Fremont would be neat to see at night… guess I will have to do that the next time! After riding the Big Shot at the top of the Stratosphere, we took a moment to take in the view. It was a clear day and you could see the whole strip, all the way to the airport. This is from the opposite end as the Mandalay Bay.
For our second evening we dressed a little more for comfort so we could stay out longer as one of Suzy’s favorite DJ’s was playing at XS. We made sure to catch a fountain show at the Bellagio before heading over to the Wynn hotel to enjoy the decorations, eat, and play a little Blackjack before the show.
We got to XS pretty early (maybe around 11pm? Maybe it was even 10? Whenever the doors open) so we could get a good spot. After walking to the back of the line of people waiting for doors to open, someone came through asking for parties of girls only, score! We were probably in the first 50 non-VIP people allowed in and we managed to nab a great spot. The VIP tables have rather large platforms behind them which were great for sitting and dancing on J We were able to put our drinks and purses down, dance, sit, and have fun ALL night. The people at the table in front of us were also very nice offering us drinks throughout the evening (though we didn’t take any). At the end of the show (3am?) we were just about deaf and decided to head back to the hotel. Great night!
Sunday was spent recovering and playing some more casino games. Have a set limit for how much you’re willing to pay the house! Also remember drinks are free when you’re playing, so that allows your budget to be a tad higher, but don’t pull out more money when you’re done!! On Monday we relocated to the Springhill Suites for the conference and Suzy left. My BF came into town (he conveniently networks at the same conferences) but we kept things pretty low-key the rest of the week. The best meal (rated on food quality and experience) I had all week was on Wednesday at Capo’s. This is a speak-easy-type Italian place off the strip, but definitely worth the visit!! It was so much fun and I went with my coworker, BF and a couple of his friends. Go there!
Vegas was quite a whirlwind this time around but so much fun! I can’t wait to go back.
Keep Adventuring,
PG