| Product: |
Las Vegas Flamingo Hilton |
| Date: |
30/10/06 (94 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Nice view over the Strip
Disadvantages: Perhaps a bit boring next to the other themed Hotels.
FLAMINGO HOTEL
Set on the famous four corners of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road, this hotel is right in the centre of the famous Strip, and all your famous hotels surround it. From the airport it is only about 8 miles, and the cost in a tax? Approximately, $15, but there are shuttle buses for around $6 pp, so it made sense to us to opt for the taxi as there was four of us sharing!
On arrival at the Flamingo I must say, I was impressed with the welcome and the bell boys were all ready to take your luggage from you. They were straight over to our taxi as quick as the taxi driver took to get out of his driving seat! One gave us a little ticket, and told us as soon as we book, in, phone reception with the room number and hey presto, they would come with your cases to your room! He also reminded us that it would not be him personally who would bring them so, cough cough, think he was telling us that we should tip him now! (You learn very quickly that in Las Vegas, you tip everyone!)
One thing that annoys me about all these big hotels in Las Vegas is you have to walk through hundreds of gaming machines before you even find the reception area, and the Flamingo was no different!
Ok, we follow signs for reception area, and I had read awful stories about some people having to stand in queues in this hotel to check in, but no, we must have been lucky that day! No queues, we perhaps waited 3 minutes for book in!
The receptionist was very pleasant and I had told her that we had requested a room overlooking the ‘Strip’ ok, not a problem, and she took our passports, and credit card details, and within about 5 minutes, we were trying to find our room!
We were on the 11th floor, and when we entered our room, well, I was pleasantly surprised! It was nothing luxurious compared to some Las Vegas hotels, but it was rather elegant without being OTT! It had 2 king size beds in it, very spacious, with TV, internet, phone, radio and safe. There was an iron which is handy after your clothes being crushed in our cases for hours on end (The way I pack, I mean ‘crushed’!). A dressing table stood in one corner and a couple of armchairs sat either side of the huge window. The television was housed in a large cabinet, and a centre bedside table sat between the two beds and there was ample room for everything!
A couple of things disappointed me though. No coffee making facilities and no fridge.
What topped it off to me was the view we had! Now, like in most Las Vegas hotels, they have huge windows floor to ceiling, and taking up one whole wall, so when we opened the curtains, I couldn’t believe the image we saw! We stood in amazement, looking directly across to Caesars Palace, overlooking their fine statues, and we looked to the left and saw the marvellous Bellagio with its fountains in full view! To How lucky were we?! I couldn’t believe we had our own panoramic view of the ‘Strip’ right here in our hotel room!
The bathroom was equipped with complimentary shampoo, conditioner, bath gels, tissues and hairdryer. There was a bath with shower over it, and in general, nice and clean, but perhaps a little basic, well, by Las Vegas standards anyway! One good thing was, a full length mirror was fixed to the wall, so you could admire yourself when you had your glad rags on!
I snooped about a bit more, and check sheets etc (this is a quirk of mine) then I check to make sure it’s all clean, then under the bed…….and oh! My first let down! I found a pair of shoes, obviously left by the previous guest. Now it’s not the pair of shoes that upset me, but the fact that the cleaners mustn’t have done their job properly or they would have seen these shoes! So, after making perhaps a too big a deal out of it with my other half, we phone reception to ask for our cases to be brought up, and we informed them of the shoes. Receptionist was so apologetic, which I accepted and promised myself I wouldn’t make a fuss, as they appeared genuinely sorry for this oversight.
Our porter arrived with our cases within 5 minutes and he was a very friendly chappie! He seemed only too keen to tell us about the weather and the best places to visit. He also told us about his own life and that he had worked at the Flamingo for 4 years. He let us into a secret and told us all the local cheaper establishments etc, so he was very informative to us, giving us some ideas as how to get off the beaten track a bit and eat cheaply! We thanked him, and after his lovely welcome, I humbly handed him the shoes, and asked him to take them from the room, and that it was no problem even when he insisted on apologising about 10 times for us being inconvenienced! He left grateful for the good tip we gave him (only because we never had time to change our $20 bills)!
RESTAURANTS:
MARGARITAVILLE
First thing we did was arrange to meet my daughters downstairs in Margaritaville, one of the many bars attached to the Flamingo. What they forgot to tell us that this restaurant/bar has 5 bars (indoor and out), two outdoor patios restaurants & gift shop and all very busy and large. It took us 5 mobile phone calls, and searching for one hour, before we found them in this huge Bar/Restaurant.
Ok, this was a lively bar, and its main doors are situated on the ‘Strip’, and looks very inviting I must admit. At night, they have different themes, but basically it is set on a tropical theme with parrots and palm trees everywhere.
We decided to eat here, after sneaking a look at other orders that were being dished up to other people, and it looked so appetizing we grabbed the menu to sift through it. This place does everything from steaks, pastas, burgers, fahitas to fish dishes.
Once there was a seat available, we ordered a bucket of beer! Yes, you can order 5 bottles (your choice of beer) placed in a bucket of ice. I had the Chicken & Broccoli Pasta, which was delicious, my two daughters had Cheeseburgers, which they said were the best burgers they had tasted, and my partner had the Barbeque Ribs, which he enjoyed, but such a huge portion, he was struggling to finish it! With the 5 beers, one bottle of water, and the main meals, the bill came to around $85 for the 4 of us. Good value, good food, and the atmosphere was good.
The Flamingo has another 7 restaurants, being The Beach Club, Hamada of Japan, Java Coast, Paradise Garden Buffet and Conrads, but we never ate in them all, as there are many places on the Strip that you can eat, but I will comment on the ones we did try out. They all vary in price depending whether you want a light bite or more of an intimate setting.
BEACH CLUB
I was dying to try out this place!
First thing that puts me off was the usual queue to get a seat, it being perhaps one of the most popular places because of its location, right off the main lobby and overlooking the upper pool with its delightful Flamingos and waterfalls.
When we were eventually seated, after 30 minutes wait, we ordered two chicken salad sandwiches, and two coffees ($19).
We waited a further 25 minutes before it arrived. Never mind, I was looking forward to it! Oh, and was I disappointed! The sandwiches were huge but so bland!
So, lovely to sit and watch the beautiful view from this place, but that was about it! The coffees were good though, and they topped you up frequently!
Outside here, they have tables littered round the Flamingo pool, but again you have to wait an eternity to get a seat!
CONRADS STEAK HOUSE
We decided we would spoil ourselves one night and chose to eat at Conrads. Now as you enter here, right away you can tell it’s going to be expensive! Conrad's Steak House reminds you of an English country Manor with its dark wall panelling, murals and indeed the staff come over as very British stiff upper class too (only with foreign accents!)!
This establishment obviously, going by its name, specializes in steaks, but it also does seafood (lobster, salmon etc). We both had a beautiful bone in rib eye steak which came with side orders (some at extra charge). I can only say that this must have been the best steak I have had in years!! It makes my mouth water, even now when I think of it. We polished off a bottle of wine, to wash down this succulent meal (I mean you mustn’t let the side down!) and all in all the main meal was absolutely 5 star!
Now for the dessert! I had a banana dish with a syrup poured over it, and it was so delicious, I grudged giving my partner a tiny bit, just for him to try. as he is not really a dessert person. When he had tried it of course he wanted more, but no way was I sharing any more of this delight!
I was absolutely over the moon with this restaurant (as a treat) but not somewhere you could afford to eat every night, or your Las Vegas pocket money would soon vanish if you ate at these standards nightly, but it was a lovely experience! The bill ? Hmmm…for two main meals (with some extra side dishes) 1 dessert, 2 beers and a bottle of wine……$230! Oh, and I forgot about the table water and salad!
So in all we ate in three of its restaurants, all varying in price and cuisine, but as I mentioned before, there are so many restaurants outside this hotel, that you don’t really need to stay in the Flamingo!
GAMBLING
77000 square feet of slot machines, gaming tables take over this hotel, but since I am not really a gambler cannot comment on all the different types of gambling, or how it works, but I do know these include Blackjack, Roullette, Craps & Poker.
With a choice of over 2,100 slot machines I enjoyed putting in my measly $10 now and then, and perhaps winning enough to put it all back in again! Once again, if you are gambling, you are served free drinks, so even if you are just putting in ‘pennies’ you can indulge in a few vodkas or whatever takes your fancy, while you pretend to be a ‘seasoned gambler’!!
The constant ringing and ‘blurp’ noises from these machines, leave you with a ringing in your ears for perhaps a week after returning home to the UK! There again, why go to Las Vegas if you can’t stand the heat!
I found the Flamingo to be less intimidating than some of the other Casinos though, as it still kept a friendly feeling throughout this jungle of gaming tables and slot machines, and the waitresses were very attentive in the Casino, making sure your glasses were replenished when needed.
ENTERTAINMENT
When we were there, Toni Braxton was the resident celebrity performing in the Flamingo Showroom. I never booked for this show, but my Sister who is a fan of hers, went, and was full of praise for this female singer and classed the show as being one of the best she had booked in Las Vegas!
George Wallace, a comedian, who apparently is ‘big’ in the U.S. performs, and The Second City, another comedy show are also resident entertainers in the Flamingo.
I can’t comment on any of these shows as none of them really appealed to me, but I believe they are good shows in their own right, as other people in our company had booked these shows and all said they had enjoyed them.
Spa & Fitness Center
One morning, I decided to go down on my own to the Spa! This was really a great way to get away from the hectic routine of Las Vegas!
They have numerous exercise machines there, but I was not here for fitness, I was here to get pampered!
There were several whirlpool tubs, saunas (wet and dry), and the eucalyptus steam rooms managed to clear my air waves, and I felt so relaxed down there, soaking up this indulgence, and being treated like a celebrity, the staff constantly fussing around you offering more clean towels, robes, and any refreshments that you would desire!
My family eventually had to come hunting for me! I could have sat there all day just pampering myself! Oh heaven!
I came out fully refreshed and wishing I had not told anyone where I was going, as they literally had to haul me away from my morning of luxury!
SHOPPING
The gift and convenience stores at the Flamingo sells gifts, souvenirs, snacks, toiletries, and whatever you may need whether it be shampoo, snacks, milk, sugar, anything you may want for a quick ‘tide me over’.
The souvenirs are basically souvenirs of the Flamingo Hotel itself, and the usual tacky ashtrays with Flamingo written all over it, or mugs with the Flamingo logo splashed on its sides. Unsurprisingly they also sell ornaments in the shape of a Flamingo too!
Other shops include clothes shop, and a handbag shop, and it was this handbag shop I spent nearly an hour in! I found that every single bag they had in the store was $10! So, needless to say I came home with 5 handbags all in various sizes and colours!
Nice array of little shops but again, just go outside the Flamingos doors and you will get the same souvenirs, at a fraction of the price you pay inside the hotels!
THE GARDENS & POOLS
The pool area is one of the largest in Vegas and has water slides, waterfalls, Jacuzzis, poolside bars & children's pool, but the one thing that stands out and always will is the tropical gardens, with waterfalls, Flamingos, little bridges, and just a haven of brightly coloured flowers! You could really forget you were actually in the middle of Las Vegas! We sat and had a drink at one of their outside bars and just relaxed in this lovely atmosphere, admiring their taste, as this looked classy, well done, and not at all tacky opposed to some of the other Las Vegas Hotels, who perhaps go OTT on their themed pool areas and grounds.
All of a sudden we saw a wedding about to take place, so we, along with other tourists crowded round awaiting the bride and groom! Well, everything I had said about nothing being tacky in this tropical paradise went out of the window! The groom wore a shocking pink satin suit, with an emerald green satin tie, and a hairstyle Elvis would have died for! Well, just had to hang around for the bride now! If this was the groom, oh what on earth would the bride be like? So, out she came after a few minutes…..ha….I have never seen anything like it in my life, and really thought this must be a joke of some kind!
The bride wore a lime green dress with pink flowers going down the front, pink shoes, and her hair was set in a style reminiscent of the early sixties, and to top it off, it was bright red!
Her makeup was a shocking pink lipstick that must have taken 20 coats to get it that thick and pouting, her eye shadow was bright green, going right up to her brows, and the thick black eye liner must have taken half a bag of coal to give it that effect!
This shattered all the tranquillity of an otherwise lovely setting! It brought me down to earth a little, and just reminded me, yes, well, this is Las Vegas after all!!!!
Trying desperately to forget these shattering scenes, we walked further into the grounds and here at the back of the hotel was a plaque to Bugsy Seigal, the mobster who took the credit for the Flamingo being one of the first Hotel Casinos on the Strip in 1946 (if you read the history into this, the truth is another story)!
Also running along the back of the hotel is the monorail
The grounds really are lush, and very tropical looking and, if you can forget the wedding scene, this was a little paradise!
SUMMARY
The Flamingo is between a 3 and 4 star hotel (travel agents rate it differently) but in my opinion I would say, the Flamingo comes into being a more sensible Hotel, in comparison to your other large themed resorts. I would certainly go back there, if I was ever to return to Las Vegas, as it is in a prime location, with lovely grounds, and nice rooms.
I enjoyed our stay!
Summary: Good value, clean, less tacky than other Hotels, and of course, friendly staff!
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