I just came back from a week-long trip from Las Vegas. It was a conference that I attneded for work.
The hotel I stayed in, JW Marriot was a bit far from the Vegas strip, about 15 miles one way. It’s a rather nice hotel, with a big jacuzzi style tub, a large bathroom, two twin size beds and a nicely landscaped courtyard.
But as most of you know, when you are in Vegas, the strip is where the action is.
I spent the last couple of nights on the town with my colleagues from the conference.
We went to a show called Splash at the Riviera. It was a variety show, with juggling, motorcross, ice skating and skits. It was very very entertaining. We were told that the whole show is performed topless by the female performers on week nights at 9:30pm and weekends. I don’t think I’ll enjoy the show that much more though. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to be entertained. You can find a review of the show here
One thing about the shows is that you should not pay full price. You can find discount tickets at multiple places. I liked Ticket 4 Less at the first floor of the Fashion Show Mall. There is another company at the food court in the same mall., althought their selection is more limited and price higher.
I also got a chance to sample the finest food Vegas has to offer, well almost, the finest buffets that Vegas has to offer.
The first one was located at Wynn Las Vegas. It’s a magnificant hotel, the attention to detail was amazing. The selection of food was huge, very high class and exotic food. Instead of chicken, they have free-range cornish game hen, along with more than 10 different types of fish. I’m a seafood person, and I was delighted by the selection. My colleagued sampled their ice-cream, and told me it tasted like it was hand-spun, and he got a second helping. They are a bit more expensive then most other buffets, although I think it’s a steal at $35.
The second buffet we went to was at Paris. They offer food from five French regions. The food selection is a bit more limited, however, the quality is quite good as well. They make ordinary ingredients taste good. I especially enjoyed their salmon, mussels and beef stew. They also have a big selection of desserts, although I’m not a dessert person, I still enjoyed their banana in syrup. It was very good at $27.
Of course, since I stayed at JW Marriot, I went to their Rampart Buffet as well. The food is nothing to write home about, but it’s plenty and tasted ok for the price.
The weather in Vegas is surprisingly temperate. In fact, it’s very similar to the bay area. We even got a rain shower on Thursday, which was surprising.
Overall, the conference was great, the entertainment was ok, and home is definitely where I want to be.