NYBanker

I'm considering a 2-day stopover in Las Vegas next week. I'll be travelling with wife and 18 month old.

I'm debating between the FS (which is on the upper floors of the Mandalay, at the end of the strip, but in a segregated hotel) or the RC, which is 15 miles off the strip. Both are non-gaming environments (which is important to me for the hotel where we stay).

Has anyone been to either of these properties - with small children?

The FS has a blurb about being kid-friendly (and my experience is all FS are reasonably kid friendly) - the RC says nothing about kids.

Assuming my wife and I would want to go out for dinner each night (and arrange a sitter through the hotel), I think I'm leaning towards the FS due to the convenience factor of being in the middle (or end of) the action.

Or - am I simply nuts to go anywhere near this town with an 18 month old?

Appreciate any thoughts.

amazing nj

Having stayed at the FS twice with young children I can assure you that it is kid friendly. I'm sure the Ritz is good too, but at the Four Seasons you also have use of Mandalays river & beach wave pool (which has a min height requirment). I posted a very detailed and long trip report which is now in archives. I've never quite learned how to post links here, but you can find it under my username. I think its part 3 or 4 from that trip report. I can't wait to return to the FS.

suzy1K

I stayed at the FS in Vegas. It was great. Memories of the buffet breakfast still makes my mouth water (or was it the breakfast I had this morning at the FS Chicago?). I digress ... A great thing about the FS LV is that it's a manageable size: the pool isn't a mile from the room (a la Mandalay Bay) so when you're schlepping the baby's items around you'll be much happier. My little tip: Make sure you get a room sort of near the elevator.No more than 1/2 way down the hallway. If you're at the end of the hall and have to go back to the room a lot (as I did during a convention) you will go batty.

My brother & his wife are sold on FS for being child-friendly after an amazing stay at FS in Maui.

I also tried out the Hyatt Lake Las Vegas next to the Ritz Carlton. The location is fine if you are just going to hang out there & not go into Sin City. It's halfway to Lake Mead on a man-made lake formerly a big swath of desert (I saw the area pre-lake). Otherwise, your wife will pummel you. Would she rather be at the hotel 10 minutes after walking out of McCarren or over 45 minutes later (esp if the baby is cranky after flying)? A quick cab ride/FS airport pickup or dealing with a rental car & getting bogged down in traffic going East? Yeah, I thought that would be your answer. Please book the FS. You won't be sorry. Small other wife-pleasing item: lots of shopping in Vegas. (Or you could treat her to some time at the FS Spa). NOTHING by Lake Las Vegas except maybe a Tiger Mart.

HAPPY MOTHER = HAPPY BABY = HAPPY MOTHER = you are

NYBanker

Thanks for the posts.... Due to the last minute nature of my booking, my wife and son decided to stay home, instead.

I can report that the FS LV was a fine hotel - not over the top as a few FS properties are, but a fine hotel.

While you were in the FS property, you did not feel like you were in LV at all - which was just what I was looking for. (The one exception is that I had a strip-view room - which was a lovely view, but almost seemed incongruous with the rest of my hotel experience!)

Room service was prompt. No waits to get into the restaurant. No waits to get your car brought out. Private (available to FS guests, only) pool area was very nice (though I suspect if the Mandalay's wave pool was open, you'd hear a lot of folks from the other side of the wall). All the stuff you want from a FS hotel - that no other purported 5-star hotel in LV can deliver.

Plus, just press "C" in the elevator, go through a small foyer, and you're directly in the Mandalay's casino.

Only negatives I really saw were with the Amex FH&R program. They were tight with the FH&R upgrade - saying they would only give a one category upgrade, which wasn't available, and although a two category upgrade was available, they couldn't give it to me. Most hotels will give you the bump, as long as it's not to the Presidential suite, or the like.

Also, I got a note in my room saying the hotel could not offer late checkout due to the heavy volume of checkins the next day. I ended up leaving early anyway, so I didn't push the issue - but that's certainly outside the definition of "guaranteed late checkout" that Amex advertises. This might get a letter.

This will be my hotel of choice in LAS going forward.

Blumie

Was the letter specifically addressed to you or to FHR guests? I have seen letters like this many times, which some hotels will place in every room if they anticipate being very full the following day. Had you requested the FHR guaranteed late check out, I suspect they would have honored it (even if reluctantly).

NYBanker

You're probably right. It did seem more akin to a form letter....but I requested late checkout when I checked in - perhaps they should have excluded me and other FH+R guests from their distribution.

I would have called down to the desk the night before my checkout to advise them that I ultimately didn't need late checkout - but with their note to me, I didn't make the call.