Our Weekend In Vegas

I’ve been to Vegas about 12 times now and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. I’m not a gambler or a party girl but I do love shopping and eating & there’s lots of options for those in Las Vegas! I first stayed at the Vdara Hotel & Spa 4 years ago when I got married in Vegas. For this latest trip, I went with a friend of mine and I knew I wanted to stay in the Vdara again because of it’s great location, it’s a non-smoking, non-gaming hotel and the service there is fabulous. We stayed in a gorgeous Vdara Suite and it was perfect for our girls weekend getaway!

Vdara Suite:

As soon as you step into the Vdara, you’ll notice a huge difference from the typical Las Vegas hotel experience. Since it is a non-gaming and non-smoking hotel, you will notice the floral-scented air and quiet lobby right away. There are plenty of staff members available to help you from the moment you step out of the cab. You are truly treated like a VIP guest from the moment you walk in the door to the time you checkout.

In the lobby you’ll find a market with items such as snacks, desserts, meals, beverages, small toiletries and more. There is a Starbucks located in the lobby area as well so you can grab your morning coffee before heading out onto the Las Vegas strip.

The hotel is attached to the Bellagio so you can walk indoors from the Vdara into the Bellagio to access the strip, Bellagio shopping & restaurants, a tram to nearby hotels and more. When we were there, the weather was 100+F so being able to walk indoors through air conditioned pathways was a huge bonus for us.

We stayed in a luxurious Vdara Suite which had plenty of space for our girls weekend. With a full-sized fridge, washer & dryer, dishwasher, stove top, microwave, dining room table, large bedroom, living room, pullout sofa, two televisions, huge bathroom, additional half bathroom, storage closet, work desk and more – we were ready to move in! I honestly can’t think of anything else that this room would have needed.

We had a huge fridge that we could have stocked with groceries if we wanted to eat in the room but we were so excited for all the local restaurants that we didn’t use the fridge very much. If I was traveling with my son who has severe allergies, that fridge would have been loaded with food so we could skip the restaurants and make him safe food in the room. For our girls weekend, we used our fridge for cheesecake and Sprinkles cupcakes!

The room has a beautiful dining room table perfect for a family meal.

The living room area has several seating areas, a couch that folds out into a bed, a television and a work desk.

The bedroom was huge (perfect for accommodating all of my shopping bags!) and so comfortable. I usually end up getting a really sore back from hotel beds but this one was so comfortable and I slept like a baby every night.

Both my friend and I couldn’t believe how quiet the room was. We were never woken up by people in the hallways or nearby rooms. We also loved the room’s doorbell and light system for “Do Not Disturb” and “Housekeeping”. We were never woken up by someone looking to clean the room and our room was always clean when we returned mid-day to drop off our bags and get refreshed.

One of my friend’s favorite features was the automatic blinds. They really do block out the light! We actually thought it was cloudy the first morning because the room was still so dark but it was just the blinds doing a great job of keeping the sun out.

The bathroom was amazing – a huge tub, large shower, double sinks and more! With more than one female in a hotel room, you can quickly run out of bathroom space but not in this Vdara Suite. We both had plenty of room in the bathroom plus a second bathroom near the entrance to the room.

The second bathroom also has a large storage closet in it that’s perfect for storing luggage, shopping purchases and more.

For those of you planning an extended stay in the area, the room also has a washer and a dryer. This is so convenient when traveling with children.

Other hotel amenities include a large fitness room complete with televisions, bottled water and a juice bar.

A relaxing spa that I wish we would have had time to visit.

A large pool area with a lounge, cafe, plenty of lounge chairs (you can reserve your spot in advance), cabanas and more.

The Vdara Suite was perfect and I’d highly recommend it. No matter if you’re staying a couple of nights or a couple of weeks, the Vdara comforts really make you feel like you’re at home. The staff is very friendly and are all eager to make sure you get the most out of your stay.

Our Adventures In Las Vegas:

Our girls weekend consisted of lots of eating and loads of shopping. It truly was the ultimate girls weekend! We are both busy mothers so we welcomed the chance to spoil ourselves for a weekend.

We had a few favorites that we knew we wanted to get back to and a few new places we wanted to try. One of our ultimate favorites is The Cheesecake Factory. I’ve been there several times in several different cities and I’ve never been disappointed with a meal there. The portion sizes are large so you may have to take your cheesecake to-go. Thankfully we had the large fridge at the Vdara to store our cheesecakes for a midnight snack.

While in Vegas, a stop at Hash House A Go Go is a must! Don’t be intimidated by the long lineup of people waiting to get in. The staff is great at making sure they get you in & seated quickly. We were told that our wait was about 20 minutes but we were seated within 10. The portion sizes here are massive. Seriously, my Apple Cinnamon Flapjack was bigger than my head! It’s delicious but you’re sure to have leftovers so you may want to share a meal with a friend.

There is a lot of walking in Vegas so don’t feel guilty if you eat the entire meal – you’ll walk it off throughout the day. {wink}

Serendipity is known for their $1000 Sundae but they have so many more options for desserts and meals. Stop by the outdoor window for a famous Frozen Hot Chocolate, sit on the patio and watch the people go by (there’s always something to see on the Las Vegas strip!) or sit inside to enjoy a meal.

I love cupcakes so you can imagine my excitement when I heard that Las Vegas had a cupcake ATM. Yes, an ATM that dispenses cupcakes. How cool is that?! You’ll find Sprinkles in The Linq with a 24-hour cupcake ATM and a bakery inside loaded with delicious cupcake flavors. During our 3-night stay, we stopped by Sprinkles three times. I think it’s safe to say that we loved it!

Yes, I have a lot of pictures of food! We also had supper at Guy Fieri’s in The Quad and it was incredibly delicious! Someone recommended that we try it and I’m so glad that we did. It’s right beside the Carnaval Bar beside Harrah’s so you can listen to some great music if you sit outside on the patio.

We did plenty of walking to burn off all those cupcake & cheesecake calories. We spent an entire day at the south outlet mall (all indoors so we could escape the heat) and I could have spent even longer in there if I had someone to carry all my shopping bags. To say we found some good deals is an understatement – I needed a bigger suitcase to come home!

We had a fabulous weekend in Vegas and we’re still craving more Sprinkles cupcakes. Maybe again next year!

*Disclosure: Vdara compensated a portion of our accommodations; however, all opinions expressed here are my own.