When I was younger, turning half a century old seemed a long way away, but that milestone arrived quicker than anticipated. Time does fly when you're having fun...why not have more of it in Las Vegas! The first two nights in Sin City would be spent with Kaleb, then the last two nights with the girls.
FLIGHTS
My airfare was covered with Southwest Rapid Rewards points - Kaleb's ticket (on the same flight) was free using my Companion Pass. Kaleb redeemed American Airlines miles to fly onward to Phoenix to hang out with friends while I was with the girls. Both of us used Southwest points to fly home.
LODGING AND MISC
Our first and second nights would be at the NoMad Las Vegas and Delano (now the W) hotels respectively, mostly paid for using two AMEX Platinum Card $200 Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR) credits. FHR benefits include an upgraded room upon availability, complimentary breakfast, and $100 property credit. The property credit could be used at many outlets in the MGM portfolio.
For the girls' trip, I redeemed 125,000 American Express Membership Rewards points for 2 rooms for 2 nights at the Bellagio, also through the FHR program.
I used a corporate rate for a mid-sized Hertz car rental.
I got 75% off Texas de Brazil gift cards through a warehouse club promotion combined with a credit card offer.
The girls and I bought SpaFinder gift cards at a discount from Costco during a Mother's Day promotion, preparing for spa day at Qua.
Having MGM Gold status (thanks to a status match to Celebrity Cruises) provided a discount for Thunder from Down Under at the Excalibur. I had heard of this show before but never been, so I was finally going to see what it was all about.
I got a 50% off deal on Groupon for the Number 1 Escape Room in Las Vegas and had no issues redeeming the promo code on certain themed rooms on the merchant's website.
On with our trip...
At the airport, Kaleb and I visited the Escape Lounge, with admission (member plus two guests) provided by the AMEX Platinum Card. The complimentary food and beverage selection was decent, including a full bar.
After an uneventful flight, we picked up the rental car and checked into the NoMad. It occupied a few floors of the Park MGM hotel, so the layout of the room was similar but with different decor, including a clawfoot tub in the bedroom instead of inside the bathroom.
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We went downstairs to Eataly and got a charcuterie board for lunch, covered by the FHR $100 property credit.
We spent the rest of the credit on pastries to take over to my cousin Gwen's house. She and her husband Clark recently moved to Vegas, along with the arrival of daughter Rinoa so it was a perfect time to visit.
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Afterwards, Kaleb and I headed to dinner at Amalfi by Bobby Flay, with reservations made via OpenTable. We both had a $100 credit to spend at participating Caesars dining outlets, thanks to our Caesars Diamond status, obtained from the Wyndham/Caesars status match merry-go-round (no longer available).
It happened to be Restaurant Week, so a special menu was offered at $80 per person, which included appetizer, main, side and dessert. The food and the service were excellent. Our server presented my chocolate budino with a candle to celebrate my birthday. The bill including drinks totaled exactly $200, so our dining credits covered the entire meal.
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The next morning, we had breakfast at Primrose, complimentary with our FHR stay. The portions were huge! Reservations are highly recommended, especially on weekends, and can be made 60 days in advance on their website.
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Kaleb and I checked out of NoMad, then checked into the Delano (now the W). Booking through the FHR program provided a 12pm check-in benefit (if room is available), so we could get settled in right away. Nothing had changed since the last time we stayed here.
We were plenty full from breakfast at Primrose, so we spent the afternoon walking around the Strip and playing video games at New York New York.
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| happy birthday to me! |
The next morning, we enjoyed complimentary breakfast at Della's Kitchen (no longer in operation).
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| smoked salmon toast |
Then it was time to head to the airport to drop off Kaleb and pick up the girls. We didn't check out of the Delano just yet - the FHR program guaranteed a 4pm check out. Why not? None of the FHR $100 property credit had been redeemed yet! Since the money could be used at any participating MGM outlet, I planned to spend the money at Bellagio, then check out of the Delano through the MGM app.
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| Kaleb enjoying himself at the airport Centurion Lounge |
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| the girls arrive at the airport |
Our two rooms at the Bellagio were well appointed. One was upgraded to a Salone Suite - though Dana and I had to share a king bed, we enjoyed having the extra space.
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The girls and I used the $100 Delano property credit on a late lunch of sweet and savory crepes paired with Fiji water at Bellagio Patisserie (the former Jean-Philippe Patisserie).
The Bellagio conservatory had a jungle theme on display. I always enjoy strolling around this area, despite the crowds.
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We did a little window shopping, then watched the fountain show in front of the hotel.
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| SJP shoe store (no longer open) |
Tonight's dinner was at Texas de Brazil. It was hard not to overeat at the salad bar, with a large variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and some hot items on display. We enjoyed the grilled meats that the servers brought to the table, especially the picanha (sirloin cap).
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| the birthday celebration continues (courtesy of Karen) |
The following morning, the four of us enjoyed complimentary breakfast (FHR benefit) at Sadelle's, located next to the Bellagio Conservatory. I was glad to have made advanced reservations through the restaurant website, as the line for walk-ins was very long. The food was tasty with plentiful portions.
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| smoked salmon benedict |
Then it was off to the spa at Qua, located in Caesars Palace. It was convenient to be able to walk there from the hotel. We were armed with SpaFinder gift cards, but they stopped accepting them, even though the SpaFinder website said otherwise. Despite the hiccup, we all enjoyed our treatments and use of the spa facilities there.
Tonight's dinner would be at Lago, located next to the fountains at Bellagio. If you were lucky, you could get a table next to the windows to watch the fountain show, or even al-fresco on the patio (but would be a bit hot in summer). The food was delicious! We split the check between the two rooms so we could use the $100 property credit on each.
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Then it was off to Excalibur for the Thunder from Down Under show. The audience was only allowed to record a tame portion of the show.
44-second clip of dancing:
The rest of the show was entertaining. Sure, there were cheesy parts to it, but we were having a good time. There were several bachelorette groups in attendance. Our seats were off to the side so we only got a little bit of attention, which was exactly what we wanted.
The next morning, the three of us had breakfast at Sadelle's again. I say three because Karen had to fly back early due to a last-minute errand that needed to be taken care of.
I forgot to take a picture, but I really enjoyed the house salmon fish tower (bagel with all the fixings), which was way better than the smoked salmon benedict and enormous for the price. Many pictures of the tower are on the Yelp review site.
Before our flight home, our last activity was the "Suzy's Cell" escape room over at Number 1 Escape Room. The theme was very well done. Of course, I couldn't take any pictures of the experience, but the puzzles were cleverly designed. We didn't escape in time but we had fun. I look forward to doing another one of their rooms in the future.
We come to the end of my half-century birthday trip...Vegas is a great place to celebrate!
What's next? We're embarking on a Caribbean cruise with my mom, dad, and brother's families...stay tuned!
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Getting excited reading about these trips and want to go? Contact me at kat (at) yellowdogtravel (d0t) com with your ideas and I can help you plan it! Or if you've already put a deposit on a cruise through the cruise line, contact me to get more information on transferring the reservation to me to get bonuses like extra onboard credit or gifts. I have lots of happy repeat clients - references always available.
Another disclaimer: The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
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