Viva Las Vegas

Commonly known as Sin City, Las Vegas is a top destination for party animals with a desire to rage until the sun comes up, and possibly win some money along the way.

Carli and I have been to Vegas four times in the past year and a half, and it just keeps getting better. By now we have a solid opinion of our favorite hotels, restaurants, and clubs. If you’re ballin’ on a budget like us you’ll want to know where to find the best deals, so let’s break it down.

Hotels:

Being girly girls our favorite hotel in Vegas is the Cosmopolitan. We haven’t been lucky enough to stay here, but if you have a more impressive bank account then go for it! Or stay at another fancy shmancy hotel like the Wynn, the Encore, Caesar’s Palace, or the Bellagio. The list goes on and on. So far we have stayed at Mandalay Bay, New York New York, Treasure Island, the Hard Rock Hotel, The Palazzo,  and Marriott’s Grand Chateau.

If you’re looking to stay on the strip, but don’t have $300 a night to throw down, then we suggest New York, New York. It’s located towards the middle of the strip so it’s in a convenient location for hitting all the hot spots on your list. It’s not necessarily one of the nicest hotels, but if you’re like us you wont be in the room very much, so what’s the difference really. And there’s a Shake Shack there, so that should be reason enough.

Vegas.com always has the best deals on hotel rooms. If you are an M Life Member they will email you special rates for rooms. The program is free to sign up so it’s well worth the rewards. You can sign up online or at any participating properties.

If you have already done all the touristy things like us, then we would definitely recommend staying off the strip. The Hard Rock is really nice and clean, and the rooms are huge. Another plus: it has a ginormous pool, complete with sand and cabanas. We were given a coupon for a free daybed, so we had a place to relax between dips in the pool. A cab ride to the strip was roughly $10, so relatively cheap. Another great option is the Marriott Grand Chateau. It’s literally RIGHT off the strip and they have huge 2-bedroom suites if you are traveling with a large group.

 

Food:

We love to eat, & do so often. With that being said we usually bring bags of food with us to Vegas so we have plenty of snacks to keep us full and happy. But part of the fun of being on vacation is going out to eat, and trying new restaurants.

Happy Hour is your BFF

I would be willing to say Vegas has some of the most expensive restaurants in the country, so happy hour has become our best friend. We usually opt for Mexican food. Our favorite happy hours are Hussong’s in Mandalay Bay, and Pink Taco in the Hard Rock. Both have great prices on apps and margs (two of our favorite things). We suggest finding a happy hour in your hotel, or one close by. It’s a great way to save money and still enjoy delicious food. Check out Las Vegas Happy Hour for some great deals.

Secret Pizza

Our favorite place to eat at in Vegas is Secret Pizza at the Cosmopolitan. We were told about this eatery by a well-informed taxi driver who told us it was the best pizza he had ever had. Now, pizza is my favorite food, so I was thrilled to hear about a place that serves huge slices of New York style pizza (New York>Chicago style). It’s called Secret Pizza because it’s a hidden gem. Its located on the top floor across from a sitting area by the glass elevator. There is a long hallway that opens up to a small, grab-n-go type, pizza place. They have about 5-8 different pizza options to choose from.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack is an East Coast chain that has slowly but surely made it’s way to the West Coast. There is one location in Las Vegas, in New York, New York. It stands right outside on the corner, in true Shake Shack form.

Many people compare the burger chain to In-N-Out. Although we can always scarf down some In-N-Out, we think Shake Shack holds the prize for best burger (and fries and everything else).

Although the cheeseburgers are amazing, we HIGHLY recommend the ChickenShack. It’s truly life changing.

Nightlife:

Being a girl is Vegas is easy. Wayyy easy. You’ll be approached by promoters all day long inviting you to certain clubs. They will give you drink coupons and put you on a VIP list, which usually means no cover fee and no waiting in line. It’s wonderful really. Sometimes they do this for guys as well. But really the best way to save time and money is to get a STRONG pre game in before you hit the club. That way you’ll only need to buy a drink or two when you do go out.

Jack Colton has narrowed down all the clubs that are open on certain days of the week. If you go on the weekend they will all be open, but if you’re a week-goer like us this list is extremely helpful.

Our favorite clubs are XS, Hakkasan, and Omnia. What are your favorites?

 Packing: 

Like we mentioned earlier, we like to bring snacks and beverages with us to Vegas to save money. Here is a general grocery list of things you might want to bring with you:

• WATER- You’re going to want a lot of water. Vegas is hot and alcohol makes you dehydrated.
• Bananas- Bananas help with charlie horses, which happen when you get dehydrated
• Apples- they give you so much energy!
• Bread & Peanut Butter (easy sandwich)
• Mini Bagels-another breakfast option, aside from fruit
• Cereal & Almond Milk- because almond milk doesn’t need to be refrigerated
• KIND bars-our favorite granola bars
• Goldfish crackers-healthier than chips and they come in a huge carton
• Alcohol-  Our favorite is SKYY Pineapple Infusions Vodka (we also like the Watermelon variety)
• Mixers- We always opt for the Minute Maid Just 15 juices. They’re low cal and a better option than soda because soda makes you feel bloated. Which is definitely the last thing you want when you have to be in a swimsuit/tight dress
• Reusable Cups- Since Vegas lets your drink anywhere you might as well fill up a cup while you walk the strip. We always bring reusable cups with us. They’re better than the plastic red cups because they have a cap.
• Advil/Asprin/Tylenol- for obvious reasons