So went to Vegas for my birthday with my girlfriend and one other couple (girlfriends cousin and husband). Key note to this Trip Review. My girlfriend is growing tired of the nightlife scene and the other couple aren't that big on it either. Here's the breakdown:
Thursday - Land @ 3:15 pm. Head to Cosmopolitan. Do the sandwich ($40) with a fairly young clerk named Sarah. She puts the money on the counter and says "Let me see what I can do. I always aim to take care of my guests." She begins to make small talk while typing away and I inform her we're here for my birthday. "Are you afraid of heights?" No I'm not. Upgrade to a 1 bedroom terrace suite on the 65th floor overlooking Marquee Day Club. Originally had reserved a 2 queen standard city room with the LNF rate. SWEET indeed! @ 7:00 pm we head over to the Blvd Pool with a free open bar until 8 pm. Down 2 drinks while we're there. The line got too big by the time I went for the 3rd drink. @ 8:30 pm we head over to Comma Ca with a $50 groupon for 2 entrees and a bottle of Rose. Excellent meal, and one of my favorite restaurants in Vegas. @ 11 pm we head over to Planet Hollywood and Paris for a little gambling and end our night early in anticipation of a big Friday.
Friday - @ 9 am we have breakfast at The Henry. @ 10:30 am we make our way over to Tao Beach. Chris Traer hooked it up big time with a daybed of our choice and some early morning Mind Erasers. Nothing more to say to this. We had a blast and stayed until about 5 pm. If you want to hit up Tao Beach contact Chris. @ 5:30-9 pm is NAP TIME. @ 9:15 we head down to Jaleo. Normally I'm skeptical of Tapas, but this place was spot on. Definitely a bit expensive but I enjoyed our drinks and 6 dishes and didn't leave hungry. @ 10:30 pm we head to Marquee as hotel guests we get in free and fast. Get stamped and head back to room to pregame. @ 12 am we make our way back down to re-entry and get in with no wait. @12:50 the other couple is ready to head home. I convince them to stay 10 more minutes to at least see ARTY drop one song. They do, and then they are gone. My girl and I stay till 2:30 am. ARTY killed it. Glad we went went here over Aoki at Surrender (way too hot outside) and Tiesto at Xs (way too hot outside...more on this later) Would have stayed longer but my girl was starting too fade.
Saturday - My Birthday. The other couple decide to go dune buggy in the morning. We want no part of that. @ 9 am we head to Mon Ami Gabi for breakfast. This place is awesome! Wish I would have went here on all my previous trips. Either way it will now be a must in the future. Now here comes the some what disappointing part of the trip. Before we left for Vegas I decided I wanted to see Roger Sanchez who was playing at the Palms Pool. Tiesto was at Xs. Marquee Day Club had 3lau who I had never heard of. Wet was Wet. Tao Beach we had hit up on Friday and was basketball beach that day which I wanted to stay far away from. In my mind I wanted to be able to have a place to lay out during the day without breaking the bank. We had decided on breaking that rule to some extent and seeing Tiesto, but when the other couple decided on the dune buggy we said screw it. When I heard there were free lounge chairs on a first come first serve basis at Palms this made the decision all that much easier especially with Roger Sanchez being there. I will say that Janelle Banaga offered me a good deal on a bed prior to my decision being made but once Tiesto fell through and the other couple were out it just made sense to do chairs. @ 10:30 am we head over to Palms. Get there and nab the last 2 lounge chairs available! Great start. Lots of drinking and hitting up the pool, and I start noticing that while the pool starts to fill out slightly, it's not getting too crazy. Kind of felt like being at a regular hotel pool. Nothing close to the craziness that Ditch Fridays I experienced the year before. Hours and hours past by and still no Roger Sanchez. Finally @ 4 pm, he arrives. Frankly it could have been Joe Cup of Coffee DJing and the crowd wouldn't have cared. Everybody was just hanging in the pool carrying on conversations or lounging. I actually felt really bad for Roger Sanchez. He was playing some good stuff, it just seemed like the people either didn't know who he was or didn't care. Poor turnout for him. I don't think the Palms is a good spot for a residency for him, or has he fallen off that far? I think I was like maybe one of 10 people who seemed really interested. Oh well. @ 5 pm we leave and head back for a napski for a few hours. @ 9pm the whole group head over to Gordon Ramsay Steak. Hands down best meal of the trip. This place is the real deal. If you want a real good steak, this is the place to go. @11:30 pm we head over to XS for Avicii. My girl and I had tickets from want tickets. The other couple did not. We walked right in through the back pool entrance, the other couple decided not to even try to get in once they saw the line. XS is packed! It's still about 90 something degrees out around midnight and the inside is cut off by security. Once Avicii hits @ 1 am you can't even get within 100 feet of the stage from the outside. By 2:15 am my girl has had all she can take, and frankly being in Jeans, button down, and shoes in no AC I had all I could take as well. All I could say is if you plan on doing XS during the summer and warmer months for a huge DJ make sure your either there when it first opens to be inside or do bottle service inside. The outside area is pretty bad.
Sunday - @ 9am we make our way to The Henry for breakfast. @ 1030 am we head over to Marquee Day Club and get stamped for Sander Van Doorn and go in for free as hotel guests. It's empty inside and no line to get in. We head back up to the room and pregame, all the while monitoring the pool situation. @ 12 pm we finished off a bottle of Goose and the pool was starting to gain some traction. We head on down and quickly make friends with a group that had a daybed and they invite us throughout the day to hangout by their bed. @ 2 pm Marquee is kicking. Place has a real a good crowd, not overly packed but far from empty. Just the perfect amount of people. It's uncomfortably hot outside. I think it 111 degrees on Sunday. We couldn't go more then 10 minutes outside the pool which made it perfect that it wasn't Avicii or Tiesto insane. @ 230pm Sander hits the stage. Crowd is into it and I can't even recall how many drinks I've downed. We're just having a blast! @ 6pm I'm done. We head upstairs, the pool is emptying. I pass out. @ 9 pm we head to Holsteins and I load up on burgers, fries, onion rings, and a shake. 11 pm we're all officially done. Time to pass out for good.
Monday - @ 9 am we checkout
Sad knowing we're going to miss Party Rock Monday or Alesso's 21st birthday at Xs. Last time I ever leave again on a Monday. @ 10 am we head to breakfast at Wicked Spoon. Still the only buffet I ever had in my life that I really enjoy and look forward to going to eat at. Can't get enough of the slab bacon and tri trip carving stations. Could just sit there all day and eat that. @ 12 pm we hit the Blvd Pool for a few hours just to lay out and relax and recover. @ 3 pm we head over to Hard Rock where we had bought a deal from Travel Zoo for the Spa $89 got me a pedicure, 50 minute Swedish Massage, and a glass of champagne. This is the life. @ 6:30 pm we head over to MGM for dinner at Wolfgang Puck. Pancetta wrapped Meatloaf and potato puree is a hell of a way to end the night. @ 8:45 pm it's back to the airport and home to NY.
A few things from this trip that just reconfirmed what I've thought from previous trips. Day life destroys nightlife. It's just a way better vibe and the less clothes the better especially during the Summer. Get naps in after partying all day at the pool if you plan on partying at night. It totally recharges your battery. Gordon Ramsay Steak, Mon Ami Gabi are now permanent fixtures in places I must eat at while in Vegas. Jaleo, Comma Ca, and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill are a pretty close 2nd. If you don't plan on doing bottle service, pre sales are 100% the best way to go. Quick and painless entry. I'd say just make sure you're at the doors by midnight the absolute latest. The Cosmo is my go to spot to stay from now on especially with free entry to Night Club and Day Club with the exception of Saturday, and with location, LNF rates, and no resort fees it just cannot be beat in my opinion. That's all folks!
Thursday - Land @ 3:15 pm. Head to Cosmopolitan. Do the sandwich ($40) with a fairly young clerk named Sarah. She puts the money on the counter and says "Let me see what I can do. I always aim to take care of my guests." She begins to make small talk while typing away and I inform her we're here for my birthday. "Are you afraid of heights?" No I'm not. Upgrade to a 1 bedroom terrace suite on the 65th floor overlooking Marquee Day Club. Originally had reserved a 2 queen standard city room with the LNF rate. SWEET indeed! @ 7:00 pm we head over to the Blvd Pool with a free open bar until 8 pm. Down 2 drinks while we're there. The line got too big by the time I went for the 3rd drink. @ 8:30 pm we head over to Comma Ca with a $50 groupon for 2 entrees and a bottle of Rose. Excellent meal, and one of my favorite restaurants in Vegas. @ 11 pm we head over to Planet Hollywood and Paris for a little gambling and end our night early in anticipation of a big Friday.
Friday - @ 9 am we have breakfast at The Henry. @ 10:30 am we make our way over to Tao Beach. Chris Traer hooked it up big time with a daybed of our choice and some early morning Mind Erasers. Nothing more to say to this. We had a blast and stayed until about 5 pm. If you want to hit up Tao Beach contact Chris. @ 5:30-9 pm is NAP TIME. @ 9:15 we head down to Jaleo. Normally I'm skeptical of Tapas, but this place was spot on. Definitely a bit expensive but I enjoyed our drinks and 6 dishes and didn't leave hungry. @ 10:30 pm we head to Marquee as hotel guests we get in free and fast. Get stamped and head back to room to pregame. @ 12 am we make our way back down to re-entry and get in with no wait. @12:50 the other couple is ready to head home. I convince them to stay 10 more minutes to at least see ARTY drop one song. They do, and then they are gone. My girl and I stay till 2:30 am. ARTY killed it. Glad we went went here over Aoki at Surrender (way too hot outside) and Tiesto at Xs (way too hot outside...more on this later) Would have stayed longer but my girl was starting too fade.
Saturday - My Birthday. The other couple decide to go dune buggy in the morning. We want no part of that. @ 9 am we head to Mon Ami Gabi for breakfast. This place is awesome! Wish I would have went here on all my previous trips. Either way it will now be a must in the future. Now here comes the some what disappointing part of the trip. Before we left for Vegas I decided I wanted to see Roger Sanchez who was playing at the Palms Pool. Tiesto was at Xs. Marquee Day Club had 3lau who I had never heard of. Wet was Wet. Tao Beach we had hit up on Friday and was basketball beach that day which I wanted to stay far away from. In my mind I wanted to be able to have a place to lay out during the day without breaking the bank. We had decided on breaking that rule to some extent and seeing Tiesto, but when the other couple decided on the dune buggy we said screw it. When I heard there were free lounge chairs on a first come first serve basis at Palms this made the decision all that much easier especially with Roger Sanchez being there. I will say that Janelle Banaga offered me a good deal on a bed prior to my decision being made but once Tiesto fell through and the other couple were out it just made sense to do chairs. @ 10:30 am we head over to Palms. Get there and nab the last 2 lounge chairs available! Great start. Lots of drinking and hitting up the pool, and I start noticing that while the pool starts to fill out slightly, it's not getting too crazy. Kind of felt like being at a regular hotel pool. Nothing close to the craziness that Ditch Fridays I experienced the year before. Hours and hours past by and still no Roger Sanchez. Finally @ 4 pm, he arrives. Frankly it could have been Joe Cup of Coffee DJing and the crowd wouldn't have cared. Everybody was just hanging in the pool carrying on conversations or lounging. I actually felt really bad for Roger Sanchez. He was playing some good stuff, it just seemed like the people either didn't know who he was or didn't care. Poor turnout for him. I don't think the Palms is a good spot for a residency for him, or has he fallen off that far? I think I was like maybe one of 10 people who seemed really interested. Oh well. @ 5 pm we leave and head back for a napski for a few hours. @ 9pm the whole group head over to Gordon Ramsay Steak. Hands down best meal of the trip. This place is the real deal. If you want a real good steak, this is the place to go. @11:30 pm we head over to XS for Avicii. My girl and I had tickets from want tickets. The other couple did not. We walked right in through the back pool entrance, the other couple decided not to even try to get in once they saw the line. XS is packed! It's still about 90 something degrees out around midnight and the inside is cut off by security. Once Avicii hits @ 1 am you can't even get within 100 feet of the stage from the outside. By 2:15 am my girl has had all she can take, and frankly being in Jeans, button down, and shoes in no AC I had all I could take as well. All I could say is if you plan on doing XS during the summer and warmer months for a huge DJ make sure your either there when it first opens to be inside or do bottle service inside. The outside area is pretty bad.
Sunday - @ 9am we make our way to The Henry for breakfast. @ 1030 am we head over to Marquee Day Club and get stamped for Sander Van Doorn and go in for free as hotel guests. It's empty inside and no line to get in. We head back up to the room and pregame, all the while monitoring the pool situation. @ 12 pm we finished off a bottle of Goose and the pool was starting to gain some traction. We head on down and quickly make friends with a group that had a daybed and they invite us throughout the day to hangout by their bed. @ 2 pm Marquee is kicking. Place has a real a good crowd, not overly packed but far from empty. Just the perfect amount of people. It's uncomfortably hot outside. I think it 111 degrees on Sunday. We couldn't go more then 10 minutes outside the pool which made it perfect that it wasn't Avicii or Tiesto insane. @ 230pm Sander hits the stage. Crowd is into it and I can't even recall how many drinks I've downed. We're just having a blast! @ 6pm I'm done. We head upstairs, the pool is emptying. I pass out. @ 9 pm we head to Holsteins and I load up on burgers, fries, onion rings, and a shake. 11 pm we're all officially done. Time to pass out for good.
Monday - @ 9 am we checkout
Sad knowing we're going to miss Party Rock Monday or Alesso's 21st birthday at Xs. Last time I ever leave again on a Monday. @ 10 am we head to breakfast at Wicked Spoon. Still the only buffet I ever had in my life that I really enjoy and look forward to going to eat at. Can't get enough of the slab bacon and tri trip carving stations. Could just sit there all day and eat that. @ 12 pm we hit the Blvd Pool for a few hours just to lay out and relax and recover. @ 3 pm we head over to Hard Rock where we had bought a deal from Travel Zoo for the Spa $89 got me a pedicure, 50 minute Swedish Massage, and a glass of champagne. This is the life. @ 6:30 pm we head over to MGM for dinner at Wolfgang Puck. Pancetta wrapped Meatloaf and potato puree is a hell of a way to end the night. @ 8:45 pm it's back to the airport and home to NY.A few things from this trip that just reconfirmed what I've thought from previous trips. Day life destroys nightlife. It's just a way better vibe and the less clothes the better especially during the Summer. Get naps in after partying all day at the pool if you plan on partying at night. It totally recharges your battery. Gordon Ramsay Steak, Mon Ami Gabi are now permanent fixtures in places I must eat at while in Vegas. Jaleo, Comma Ca, and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill are a pretty close 2nd. If you don't plan on doing bottle service, pre sales are 100% the best way to go. Quick and painless entry. I'd say just make sure you're at the doors by midnight the absolute latest. The Cosmo is my go to spot to stay from now on especially with free entry to Night Club and Day Club with the exception of Saturday, and with location, LNF rates, and no resort fees it just cannot be beat in my opinion. That's all folks!
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