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Author: busymom | Total views: 216 Comments: 0
Word Count: 1362 Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2009 7:31 PM

Las Vegas is Becoming Popular Vacation Destination for Families with Children

There is lots of contraversy about Las Vegas being family vacation spot as well as the gambling and partying mecca.

Personally, I love Las Vegas both ways. I visit it with my husband once in awhile for strictly adult trip. Also Las Vegas is a destination for our annual family Vegas vacation. I have two boys ages 6 and 12 and this year it will be our 7th year visiting family friendly Las Vegas.

Lots of people will argue that Vegas is not a good place for families with children, but I strongly disagree. My husband and I are not gamblers or drinkers ( we enjoy social gambling and drinking during our adult trip) and we truly enjoy spending time with our two boys.

These days Las Vegas has so much to offer for families with children of all ages. Every year there is more stuff to see and experience. Our boys love to combine new adventures and experiences with the ones they really enjoyed in the past.

There are few hotels on the Strip that I can recommend as family friendly. Our family favorite hotels that offer first class accommodation, service and kids friendly pools are The Mirage, The MGM Grand and the Monte Carlo.

#1 The MGM Grand hotel is kids friendly.

They don’t charge extra for kids staying in the room with parents and their food court offers a variety of budget friendly meal options like McDonald’s, Nathan’s, Starbucks, Studio Wok, Mamma Ilardo’s Pizza and more. My kids love to visit Rainforest Café inside the MGM as well. The food is excellent and it is worth trying it out.The rooms at the MGM Grand are very luxurious and you’ll feel like celebrity when you check in.

The pool complex is in my opinion one of the best in Vegas. You can choose from 5 pools, 3 whirlpools or lazy river. The lazy river was a hit with my family. It goes around a Lagoon with waterfall which is perfect for babies and little children. One of the drawbacks was that you need to rent a tube or a raft to truly experience it and it is quite pricey. I believe it was $15 per tube per day. The MGM Grand is sometimes running special promotions where you can get the rental cheaper, free or 2 for 1. Before you book your room you should check out www.earlyvegas.com and look under Coupons tab. The second drawback is that the pool is located quite far from the guest elevators. You need to walk through the promenade with stores and restaurants to get to the pool, but the walk is well worth it. Another great thing about the MGM Grand is the Lion Habitat.You can watch lions play, interact and sleep all day long.

The MGM Grand is located just a short walk over the connecting bridge from The New York New York hotel and The Showcase Mall with it’s main attractions The M&M’s World and The Coca Cola store, restaurants, shops and the multimillion-dollar video arcade GameWorks.

#2 The Monte Carlo hotel is another family friendly hotel.

It is not as luxurious as some of the other hotels, but the rooms are very nice and comfortable (little blend, but well priced). One of the features I really liked was the security at the guests elevators not letting anybody up to the rooms without a hotel key. The Monte Carlo hotel also offers a family food court with McDonald’s, Starbucks, Sbarro’s, Subway and more. The Buffet at Monte Carlo is one of the more affordable yet delicious buffets on the Strip.

The pool complex is much smaller then the one across the street at The MGM Grand , but we enjoyed it as well.
The babies and small children will truly enjoy the enclosed kiddie pool with kids size beach chairs. They also have a wave pool with 3ft waves , Lagoon pool with a waterfall. If you’re tired and just want to relax then you’ll enjoy the 400 feet of Easy River Ride. They offer tube rental as well, but you can purchase a tube inside their beach shop for around $12.00 and the rental shop will even blow it up for you. This is a real money saver for larger families or longer stay like us. After you done with it , why not pass the tube onto a new family.
Before or after dinner take a stroll down the Street of Dreams and do a little shopping in variety of little shops. Although they used to have more interesting shops few years ago you can still find good deals and interesting items.

There used to be a Tram connecting Monte Carlo hotel with hotel Belaggio , but it was closed down due to the construction of the City Centre. It is a shame since it was free and fast way to get to the centre of the strip.

#3 The Mirage hotel is personally one of my favorite hotels in Vegas.

It is little more expensive, but if you find a deal I highly recommend it. Right now is the time to take advantage of classy hotels like the Mirage. Yesterday I received an email offering me to stay at the Mirage for $59.00 a night (that's the lowest I ever seen).

The tropical theme of the Mirage is very inviting and makes you feel relaxed the moment you step in. The most amazing Coral Reef aquarium is located right behind the front desk and while you’re waiting in line your children can enjoy a spectacular view of this 20,000 gallon saltwater masterpiece which is home to many exotic fish and sea creatures. After you’ll make your way over the bridge surrounded with lush greenery, exotic flowers and waterfalls and find yourself in your room you’ll be transformed into the world of luxury. The rooms at the Mirage hotel are spectacular. Every detail is perfection. From imported fabric, heavenly beds, plush robes to 42” LCD Tvs.

The pool complex is one large pool interconnected with lagoons with cascading waterfalls and bridges in a mists of a tropical setting. They used to have a waterslide , but to a big disappointment of my children they closed it down. You can rent a raft to float around, but it is not necessary to enjoy yourself. They do offer complimentary life jackets for children.
Next door to the pool is Siegried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. My kids can spend all day watching the dolphins and all the animal.
The Mirage hotel is a home to one of the free popular Vegas attractions - the Volcano. The Mirage is also a home to the Cirque the Soleil production The Beatles/Love.
You won’t find a food court inside the Mirage hotel, but there are still some budget friendly choices like The Roasted Bean coffee bistro and Caribe Café. If you in a mood for an ice cream you must try Coconuts Ice Cream Shop located close to the pool.
The Mirage hotel is connected to the Treasure Island hotel via free tram which is somewhat convenient.

If you decide to make Las Vegas your family destination you will enjoy lots of free family attraction. I included my family top 10:

Conservatory at the Bellagio
Fountains at Bellagio
Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountain at Caesars Forum Shops
MGM Grand Lion Habitat
M&M’s World at the Showcase Mall
Mirage Volcano
Wildlife Habitat at the Flamingo
Streetmosphere at the Grand Canal Shops
Fremont Street Experience
Show in the Sky at the Rio

About the Author

Bibiana Bailey is a mother of two boys. She has a Hospitality , Travel and Tourism degree and she's an avid traveler. You can read more about Las Vegas and other family travels on her site http://www.freeguideforbusymoms.com.