Regarding the agreed-upon ridiculous resort fee: Upon checkin, you should immediately discover that the in-room internet is slow and difficult to stay logged into. Report this to the front desk and ask for a rebate on the "resort fee."
Mirage is an overall good choice as a base for a first time Vegas stay. You're very centrally located and it's an easy walk to Bellagio, Paris, TI, Venetian/Palazzo and Wynn/Encore. City Center and Planet Hollywood are also pretty easy walking distance. Have fun!