First trip to Vegas in 2014! I'll try to keep the jaunts to Sin City at a minimum. It's just too convenient to fly here.
My timeshare's studio lockoff in Interval International was going to expire soon, so I went and did an exchange online for a 2-bedroom at Marriott's Grand Chateau for President's Week...great find! I had planned to repeat the
foodie experience I did last February with my brother Ed and sis-in-law Angela and also include my parents as they hadn't gone to many eateries last time they were here, but Angela found she was expecting a child (woohoo!) and had to cancel. It ended up being just my parents and me since Kaleb was understandably Vegas'ed out. We flew for "free" using some of the Southwest Rapid Rewards points I got as sign-up bonuses for a couple of Southwest Airlines Visa cards through Chase. (
this Flyertalk.com thread keeps track of ongoing offers if you are interested) Since Kaleb wasn't going, I had to cancel the free companion ticket I had gotten for him through the
Companion Pass.
Originally, my flight to Vegas was to arrive later than my parents, so they'd have to wait 45 minutes. Then both our flights were delayed, but it all worked out such that we arrived pretty close to the same time. That day was Valentine's Day, so not sure if that contributed to the problem. Southwest was serving free cocktails on board to celebrate (a $5 value), but I didn't take advantage of the offer.
The taxi line was long but it moved fast, and the ride to the Marriott was uneventful until the final left turn into the property. A lost tourist stopped their car literally right in the middle of the intersection, and not due to traffic. Cars with the green light in opposing directions were honking and driving around it. Eventually it moved out of the way by the time it was our turn to go. Craziness in Vegas!
We've stayed at the Marriott in previous trips, but this time, they remodeled the interior with a bolder color palette. The lobby was also expanded with a larger Marketplace as well as a bar. The third tower exterior construction was complete, so it was much quieter compared to last year.
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| living room, with view of the airport |
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| the 2nd bedroom (studio lockoff) |
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| first time seeing disposable salt and pepper shakers |
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| welcome letter warning about the construction |
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| weekly resort activities page 1 |
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| weekly resort activities page 2 |
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| shuttle schedule and general hours |
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| resort amenities |
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| tips on sightseeing |
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| even a list of free shows! |
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| Marketplace with expanded offerings |
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| get a drink in the lobby bar |
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On Saturday, we headed over to the
Wicked Spoon buffet for brunch, located inside the Cosmopolitan hotel. I hadn't been there for brunch before...I think I prefer dinner more for the variety (I miss my bone marrow and macarons). I found out a little too late to take advantage, but on some United Airlines flights to Vegas, the flight attendants hand out Cosmopolitan coupon booklets which include a 2-for-1 buffet coupon to Wicked Spoon. This would have saved $25-$40 depending on meal time. People also sell them on eBay from time to time...the last completed auction on eBay as of this writing sold coupons expiring August 2014 so there may be opportunity to save some money.
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| brunch selections include duck wings in a chimichurri-like sauce |
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| salads were very fresh |
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| my favorite of these was the drumstick cone |
After brunch, we walked around Crystals and Aria. (I did not buy any purses! :) ) We also stopped by the Blue Man Group box office in the Monte Carlo as I had purchased tickets a week prior through a Travelzoo promotion. I had also attempted to purchase Zarkana tickets through an
M Life 2-for-1 promotion, but the online system didn't work (crashed repeatedly after I submitted credit card information) and when I called, no one knew what I was talking about and I kept being transferred between the Zarkana box office and the M Life promotion office. Eventually the best discount the box office could give me was a "Winter Offer" that was only 35% off. I gave up...if M Life is going to send out discounts to their members, they should make sure that they can actually book the promotion! I did also have to call to get the discounted Blue Man Group tickets as the Travelzoo link to the same online system didn't work either. I think MGM/M Life have some software issues to work out.
For dinner, I took my parents to
Michael Mina at the Bellagio to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Reservations were made on
OpenTable the week before. The Michelin-starred restaurant was located next to the conservatory, which was decorated in a "Year of the Horse" theme. There was even live Chinese traditional music.
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| the golden horse rotated slowly |
13-second video of Chinese music:
There were a-la-carte and tasting menu choices, and we ended up going with the "Signature Tasting Menu".
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| caviar parfait - very good |
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| bread with honey butter |
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| fresh ahi tartare |
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| Chilean sea bass |
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| lobster pot pie (before it was cut open by the waiter) |
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| very rich insides |
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| wagyu ribeye |
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| fancy candy bar and root beer float with cookie |
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| sipping through the chocolate straw |
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| happy anniversary! |
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I really enjoyed the caviar parfait because the bottom flaky crust was
piping hot yet the ingredients on top stayed chilled...nice attention to detail. The caviar wasn't too salty either. I was surprised to receive the root beer float as part of dessert since it wasn't mentioned on the menu. That dessert duo was delicious! At the end, my parents were both served complimentary ice cream with the words "Happy Anniversary" written on the serving plates; the restaurant did read the comments I had written on the online reservation.
In summary, the meal at Michael Mina was hearty for the price. In fact, I thought it was too rich and protein-heavy. I think next time I eat here, I would order a-la-carte or go with the pre-theater menu.
The next day, we hit the Sunday brunch at Mozen Bistro. It never disappoints!
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| requisite elevator bench shot |
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| and the wall shot |
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| the usual tasty selections |
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| love the fresh fruit choices |
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| perfectly cooked huge scallops |
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| the cake pop was the best |
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Afterwards, we went to Aria to gamble. My parents got hooked on playing Deuces Wild after trying it in Palm Springs. My mom ended up hitting 4 deuces! (of course playing just a quarter a hand)
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| woohoo! |
That evening, since we had so much food the past few meals, we settled on a "light" McDonalds dinner at the Monte Carlo food court before the Blue Man Group show.
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| guess what this is? |
The Blue Man Group show was all right since I didn't pay full price. Bits and pieces were entertaining, but the best part was at the end when the audience got to participate in the craziness.
15-second audience participation clip:
On Monday, we had lunch at
Earl of Sandwich inside the Planet Hollywood casino. I had passed by this establishment many times but never went in, but my friend Karen had eaten there multiple times on her recent trip to Vegas so I had to try it. The bread and warm filling was really good. The line never got short from the time we waited to order until finishing our lunch, so popular!
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| the "Full Montagu" |
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| deeee-licious! |
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We tried our luck again at video poker. This time, my dad was
dealt 4 deuces! (but he accidentally had the denomination at 5 cents so it wasn't as big a payout) It felt strange to hold the 4 deuces when you usually need to draw. I've read stories of people being dealt royal flushes...can't wait until that happens to me! Though I did have an occasion where a straight flush was dealt to me 9-10-J-Q-K of clubs and I threw out the 9 to go for the royal flush...and I got the A of clubs! My first and only royal flush so far. Why would I throw away the 9? I learned Deuces Wild game strategy a long time ago from playing
software offered by
Bob Dancer, a video poker legend. The payout for a royal flush is magnitudes better than a straight flush and if you have 4 cards already, it's worth it to try for the royal if you are playing to win. Worst case is a card that doesn't pay out, but you could get the card you need for a royal flush, even a deuce or several other cards that do create a paying hand.
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| lucky day! |
We ended our trip with dinner at
Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace. I've blogged about dinner before (
here and
here) so just a couple of pictures to show. There was no wait at 5pm on a Monday. The only thing I didn't enjoy this time was that we were seated in the far back of the dining room where it was dimly lit. I prefer the tables that are closer to the buffet stations since there is more light to see what I am eating.
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| random savory selections |
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| washed down with dessert |
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Tuseday morning, we caught a taxi to the airport and headed our separate ways. I went straight into work when I landed. Play hard, work hard!
Next trip is an epic one...a one month jaunt to New Zealand, Singapore, the Maldives, and Seoul. Stay tuned!
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