Id be really grateful for some help trying to find the right hotel and not to pay ridiculous prices, to find a good spot on the strip that wont cost loads to go to other places etc.
HotelsIt depends on your definition of "ridiculous" when it comes to pricing. You can find the range from $30 a night up to $250...oh and let"s not forget the Resort Fee issue too.
Dave is right about location. As a "Vegas Virgin" your first stay
must be on the Strip, ideally as central as possible.
Quality and Price tend to go hand in hand when it comes to hotel rooms although that"s not to say that there aren"t some bargains to be had. It all depends on your comfort level and requirements.
I wouldn"t go further down the "quality scale" than Harrahs myself unless the Quad rooms are renovated and even then I would fight shy until the construction is over and done with.
Bally"s is a very good option. They are due to start (if they haven"t already) renovating the South Tower rooms which have, I understand, been needing it for some time. This, of course, can come at an additional cost but the North Tower is nice, I hear.
TI is good, not monstrously expensive and dead handy for the Venetian (see next bit).
PokerIf you"re planning on playing a reasonable amount of poker then, IMO, then Caesars and the Venetian poker rooms should probably be your preferred location. They are the ones most likely to have games running most hours of the day.
Second tier (still large but perhaps quieter), the Mirage and the MGM ( larger, usually busy but not central).
ShowsShows aren"t my thing but Cirque, they tell me, is a must and there are more than a couple to choose from..."O" in particular is supposed to be great.
BarsThere"s something for everyone...if there is anything Vegas isn"t short of it"s restaurants and drinking establishments.
Depending on what you like there"s enough of us here to weigh in with options.
TimeWhere and when to spend your time will depend on how long you will be in town.
With only a week (or 6 nights more likely) then Downtown is worth a day trip but no more. If you have longer then a couple of nights down there could be worth it..if you don"t mind switching hotels.
Vegas is supposed to be a 24/7 town but, in reality it isn"t. Yes, there will be places open but you"ll usually be pretty lonely at a coffee shop at 4am and the people around you might not be the happiest (or soberest) you"ve ever come across.
A certain amount of pre-planning is advisable but there is no need to be completely rigid about it. If you don"t want to do something don"t.
You"re on holiday, take the time to just sit down, grab a tall drink and watch the world walk by.
