Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Child-Friendly Hotels
Here's the big quandary for parents: Should you book your family into a
Strip resort, knowing you'll have to pay an additional amount for each
child, though the resort may have more kid-thrills on site, such as elabo-
rate pools and game rooms? Or should you choose off-Strip properties, as
the kids will be able to stay free—a big issue, especially for larger fami-
lies, as Strip properties charge between $10 and $20 a night for each extra
person over the age of two? I don't think there's an easy answer, and other
factors come into play as well:
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Will the children have to walk through the casino to get to their
hotel rooms?
Adults act in raunchy, sometimes depressing ways in
casinos. Do you really want your 8-year-old seeing drunk 60-year-
olds, crying and yelling at slot machines; or working girls trolling for
customers? In even the fanciest casinos, you'll see these sad scenarios
and others playing out.
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Will the staff make you feel comfortable with junior in tow?
Bellagio and Wynn Las Vegas have made it abundantly clear they
don't want little dears about by requiring the presentation of room
keys or theater tickets for admission in the former, and banning
strollers in the latter. And they aren't the only hotels that extend a
less than warm welcome to kids, though others are a bit more subtle
with their sneers (never mind the annoyed reception they'll get from
other guests).
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Mile long hikes:
Maybe my 3-year-old's a wuss, but she really hated
all the walking she had to do in the larger casinos. Getting from the
car to the restaurant was cause for a meltdown; trudging from the
restaurant to the pool brought on the sniffles. Off-Strip properties
tend to be smaller, and thus more friendly to little feet.
I have strong opinions on whether you should bring your kids to Vegas
at all (which you can read on p. 316), but for those planning to bring 'em,
here's a list of reasonably kid-tolerant places:
Alexis Resort:
Offers room for families to spread out and a big fridge to
hold their stuff. Very low-key, it doesn't have much of that Vegas vibe at
all, which might be good for more protective parents. See p. 57.
Circus Circus:
Low prices, free circus acts, nice and roomy rooms, and an
on-site amusement park—need I say more? It may not be all that classy,
Mirage, and when you walk out of the hotel, you'll probably be confronted by
someone urgently wanting to inscribe your name on a grain of rice (or sell you a
personalized T-shirt, or some other such Fremont Street antic). But if you want
deluxe accommodations for less, this is not a bad choice.
