It’s important to start a review of Vegas with a couple of caveats.  First, Vegas is such an amazing place – there’s truly something there for everyone.  Knowing that, the reverse is also true – not everything there appeals to everyone.  So even though it often goes without saying that each of our reviews reflects only our own opinions, it feels like this one needs an extra emphasis on that.

Second, believe or not, we’re actually not much for gambling.  So if you’re planning a trip based on how we’ve done things, keep in mind that our trip didn’t reserve any time for a couple of hours at the tables or the slots.  Most people would consider those essentials (and more power to you if you do as well), but you won’t find advice about the loosest slots in town coming from us!

Now, on to the good stuff!

Where to Stay: The Cosmopolitan

The Cosmo isn’t the cheapest in town, and that actually applies from a couple of perspectives: (a) the rates generally are some of the highest, and (b) it’s not part of either of the typical Vegas rewards programs (MLife – MGM Rewards or Caesars Entertainment).  The latter is actually a perk for us, though – the Cosmo is actually a part of Marriott’s Bonvoy rewards program, which extends significantly further than a typical casino rewards program.  Despite the price, though, we found that it was hands-down worth it.

The food throughout the Cosmopolitan is truly amazing – most of the restaurants we tried were within the hotel (more on that later.) Although it was difficult to narrow down a favorite, there were definitely some highlights:

There are so many things about this hotel that we loved – it’s luxurious, but accessible; the food selection is extensive, varied, and delicious across the board, and most appealing to us, a lot of the rooms have arguably the best view in Vegas. The cover photo of this post is the view from our balcony. Are you kidding me?!? Amazing!

What to Do: Visit the Neon Museum

Vegas is a city that is always changing with the times, offering new and exciting experiences every day. One constant though, albeit a small one, is the neon – the lights in Vegas may be different each time you visit, but there are always lights nevertheless. Because of this, when the Neon Museum opened, not only was it a great way to showcase the art form, but also Vegas’ history overall.

The Neon Museum is a great way to either remember or learn that history. With their truly astonishing collection of signage, the guided tour through their “boneyard” is like being able to literally walk through the history of Las Vegas. The tour guides in particular have a noticeable passion for the city and its history, so their stories are the perfect complement to the neon signs.

Although the tour is must-do, we have a hard time choosing our favorite part of the museum because their projection show, Brilliant!, is truly amazing. The museum is very upfront about how the show came about: they simply have too many signs, and not all of them have yet been restored. Therefore, to make use of the signage that hasn’t yet ben restored, they commissioned a projection show that makes it appear as though the signage is lit; however, they also project video clips in various portions, and the whole thing is set to some of the most classic Vegas songs of all-time. Similarly to the tour, the show tells the history of Vegas, and it is truly a wonder. Both aspects of the museum truly give you an appreciation of the city that you can’t get anywhere else.

What Else to Do: Go see Absinthe

You’re probably thinking: “Wait a second, guys, this is supposed to ‘Where to Eat’!”

Our response would be this: first of all, thanks for being such a loyal follower of this blog! Second? Rules are made to be broken. The truth of the matter is, there are countless great places to eat in Vegas. So much so, we had a difficult time choosing between the places we ate. We loved the selection at the Cosmopolitan and found ourselves trying several of their restaurants, but we also realize that every essentially every hotel has multiple amazing restaurant. This also disregards the numerous hidden gems throughout the city that locals swear by. So instead of choosing just one, there was a single show that stood out to us more than anything: Absinthe at Caesars Palace.

Vegas is known for the acrobatics and circus-style entertainment that Cirque du Soleil has brought in with their several shows on the Strip, and for good reason – they are awe-inspiring and creative in a way that is difficult to replicate. Absinthe, on the other hand, takes Cirque’s formula and flips it on its head a bit: instead of a huge theatre, it is presented in a more intimate circus tent.

The humor is more modern (and undoubtedly more adult), but more personalized as well – the artists interact with the audience significantly several times throughout the show. Each of the acts carried a similar sort of “risqué” nature to them which fit well with the humor of the show, and overall we just had a ton of fun.

We’ve seen several shows in Vegas, and we’ve yet to see a show that we thought was bad, but Absinthe stood out above the rest – enough so that it’s worth recommending here!

Overall, one of the best things about Las Vegas is that there is so much to do. Regardless of what your interests are, Vegas has something for everyone – and hopefully these tips give you a good place to start when planning a trip!