Las Vegas, NV

We spent a weekend in Las Vegas in December 2005. We knew that Vegas would be a place that we wouldn't want to go back to (simply not our scene) but we wanted to at least experience it once in our lifetime. We were right. It was fun but we had enough by the time we had to go home.

BELLAGIO: This hotel is HUGE. Be prepared for a lot of people milling around the lobby, the casino and the areas where the stores are located. It is OPULENT but still ELEGANT with absolutely nothing tacky about it. The fountain show is as spectacular as expected. Watch it at least once during the day and once at night. There's a botanical conservatory right next to the lobby. There are also plenty of high-end stores to satisfy your shopping needs: Prada, Chanel, Rolex, etc... We think the Bellagio is a beautiful hotel and would absolutely recommend it.

~~  ROOM: It was a standard one located on the 27th floor with a view of Caesars Palace. The size of the room and the bathroom were bigger than expected. It was non-smoking with a King bed (we got what we requested), a big armoire with closets on each side and drawers under the TV. There was a desk and a chair and a sitting area. A neat feature in the room was the keypad on the wall next to the bed with which you could open/close the curtains. The bathroom had a large tub, a big vanity with one sink and a glass-enclosed shower. We had one minor issue with our room safe. It was locked. We called the front desk. They told us we had to be in our room when someone came up and it would be about 20 minutes. An hour and a half later, no one had come. So we called the front desk back and it was another 30 minutes before someone came. That was a bit annoying. But overall, we were satisfied with our room. A nice hotel security feature is the guard at the lobby elevators checking for room keys.

~~ CASINO: It's located on the main floor to the right of the lobby. You have to go through it to get to your room, restaurants, etc... We're not gamblers (we only play $20 at the slot machines) so all we can say is that it's really big and every kind of gambling seems to be offered. And as the day turns to night, the casino gets crowded and the cigarette smoke becomes heavy. By the way, we walked into several hotels and the same casino scene repeats itself. You can't escape them.

~~ POOLS: They are located in a BEAUTIFUL courtyard-type setting. There are 2 big pools. One was closed for renovations, the other was open and heated. There were 2 smaller pools with fountains in the middle and 1 hot tub. There's a security guard at the entrance checking for room keys. 

 

RESTAURANTS: As the parents of a little one (he stayed back home with his grandparents), we very much wanted to take advantage of our "childless" stage to eat at some upscale restaurants.

~~ LE CIRQUE at the Bellagio: On our first night, we ate at this fairly small French restaurant (reservations are recommended). It is a bit on the "chichi-foufou" side. The decor has a circus theme (hence the name Le Cirque). But to me, "chichi-foufou" and circus decor do not compute. Just odd. Anyway, the walls are painted with circus scenes. The ceiling looks like a circus tent and the chairs are lined with red and white striped material. Even the plates have monkey designs. There was a "faux" monkey sitting on a Christmas wreath on the wall right next to our table. The monkey kept staring at us! Yikes! One wall of the restaurant has narrow windows with a view of the lake and the fountain show. That particular wall should have been all window just to take full advantage of the view. The menu includes choices of 5 hot appetizers, 5 cold appetizers, 5 fish dishes, 5 meat dishes and desserts. For an entree, we both had the poulet roti (the chicken) served with a mix of vegetables and mashed potatoes. It was VERY GOOD. We had passed on the appetizers because none of the ones listed appealed to us. But the waiter brought us appetizers anyway (on the house) so we wouldn't be twirling our thumbs waiting for our entrees. That was really nice. The appetizer was a lobster salad (mixture of lobster, green peas, avocado and green salad). This was very unique and, I think, something that not everyone would like. I liked it, my husband did not. For dessert, I had creme brulee, my husband had chocolate ice cream. It was all yummy. The wine list is extensive (some 1,000 wines offered). The presentation of the food and the service were impeccable. For the 2 entrees, 2 desserts, 1 glass of wine and 1 coke, the total cost of dinner came to $190 (including a 20% tip). We both agreed that the food was very good, but not worth the cost. You wouldn't go wrong eating there, but by no means is it a must-do restaurant in Las Vegas.

~~ BELLAGIO BUFFET: We did it on the morning of our departure. What a disappointment. Both of our omelets were blah and although the fruits looked fresh, they didn't taste great (lacked sweetness). We should have listened to our sister and parents who raved about the Breakfast Buffet at the Paris Las Vegas hotel and gone there!

~~ COMMANDER'S PALACE in Desert Passage at Aladdin right across from the Bellagio. This restaurant serves Cajun/Creole food. We LOVED it and would highly recommend it. We went on a Saturday morning for the Jazz Brunch (offered Fridays through Sundays starting at 10:30am). You can do a la carte or do the brunch package which is $36/person. We chose the brunch package which was worth every penny! You must be a good eater because it's a lot of food. For the appetizer, my husband had the gumbo du jour and I had the breakfast parfait (it was yogurt with fresh and dried fruits, all in a tall glass). The gumbo was DELICIOUS (I tasted it and wished I had ordered that!). My breakfast parfait was just okay (the dried fruits didn't do it for me). For the entree, we both chose the gulf shrimp creole served with Louisiana popcorn rice. It was SOOOO GOOD! My mouth is watering just thinking about it again. For dessert, I had the bread pudding souffle and my husband had the beignets. All YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY! We had to be rolled out of the restaurant!! The presentation of the food was impeccable and the staff were also impeccable at this place. The restaurant features 2 lovely gentlemen who'll go room to room (it's a big place) and play a few songs (dixie-style jazz). One played the banjo, the other played the clarinet and the saxophone and also sang. We LOVED them! 

~~ ANDRE'S FRENCH RESTAURANT at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. We had dinner there on our 2nd night. It's a VERY SMALL restaurant where reservations are essential. The food was really good there. We both started with a caesar salad, then had the filet of beef in green-peppercorn and cognac cream. The meat was EXCELLENT. We shared a chocolate dessert: a hazelnut fondant with praline and vanilla bean ice cream, and it was DECADENT. This is another restaurant with an extensive wine list. The total cost of our dinner $190 (including a glass of red wine, a bottled water and a 20% tip). Our only complaint about this restaurant is that it gets really loud. It's in such a small place and it has wood paneling, so sound bounces off the walls. It didn't help that we were sitting next to a table of 8 very loud Brits. We would have enjoyed our dinner a lot more if it hadn't been so noisy. So if you want excellent French food, go there. If you want romance, intimacy and a quiet dinner, don't.

~~ MON AMI GABI at the Paris Las Vegas hotel. This French steakhouse was such a disappointment. We went there for an early lunch (we missed breakfast after waking up late). The restaurant itself is lovely. The location is right on the strip, across from the Bellagio's lake and the fountain show. The best place to sit is on the outside terrace where you can people watch and enjoy a beautiful sunny day. For an appetizer, I had the mussels (the BIGGEST mussels I had ever seen in my life - I had to ask them where they got them from - the West Coast apparently) and my husband had the baked cheese and tomato sauce with garlic toast. Mine was okay, my husband's was good. Afterward, I had the quiche lorraine with bacon and my husband had the croque monsieur with french fries. At first, we thought our food was just okay, but then the more we ate, the more heavy the food felt. It felt kinda gross after a while and half way through our food, we just stopped eating. Total cost of the lunch was $64 (including a juice, a coke and a 20% tip).

~~ EIFFEL TOWER RESTAURANT in Paris Las Vegas hotel. The combination of the EXCELLENT food, the spectacular view and impeccable service makes this restaurant THE BEST on our list. You go up an elevator to the restaurant located about a third way up the Eiffel Tower replica. The elevators doors open onto the kitchen. Interesting, don't you think? I must say the kitchen looked very clean. The restaurant is very dark with mood lighting and big bay windows with fantastic views of Vegas. We were sitted at a table for 2 next to the bay windows with views of the Bellagio and its lake/fountain show. Simply lovely. The food was THE BEST we've had. No appetizers this time. I had the filet mignon in red wine sauce and potato gratin. Oh my goodness. It was DELICIEUX. My husband had the sauteed filet of salmon with mashed potatoes. Very good, he said. For dessert, I had creme brulee and my husband had the chocolate souffle. HEAVEN. This is another restaurant with an extensive wine list and impeccable food presentation and service. Total cost of dinner came up to $190 (including a glass of wine, a bottled water, a coke and a 20% tip).

~~ THINGS WE DID ~~

1. We saw Mystere by Cirque du Soleil at Treasure Island. The show was beautiful, jaw-dropping, funny and weird all at the same time. Beautiful because of the performers' grace and the haunting music, jaw-dropping because of the performers' agility and sheer strength, funny because of the comedic and interactive scenes and weird because of the costumes and the lack of story line (or maybe there was one and it just went right over our heads!). The performance lasted 1.5 hours and we truly enjoyed it.

2. We did the prerequisite walk around the Strip. This is a good way to see all the over-the-top hotels. We also took the Las Vegas Strip Trolley once. It'll take you up and/or down the strip for $2. For $5 you get an all-day pass. The strip is always very busy with foot traffic and there's a lot of vehicle traffic at night.

3. We did the cheesy but still enjoyable gondola ride at the Venetian. $25 for a 10-15 minute outdoor ride. You can do an indoor ride but I'm not sure where that would take you. Our gondolier was a lovely young woman with a lovely voice. She sang 2 romantic songs for us.

4. The most fun we had was at Madame Tussaud's Interactive Wax Museum, believe it or not. The cost is $22.95/person. We had soooo much fun as you can see by our silly picture.

Bonita Springs, FL

In September 2005, we  spent a week at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa. This hotel is just WONDERFUL. We were looking for a relaxing vacation with not much to do, and we were also looking for a hotel that would be fun for our "water-baby" (meaning great pools). The Hyatt certainly delivered.

HOTEL: The hotel itself is a tall, pale yellow structure. Nothing about it will make you say "wow" at first glance. Once inside, you'll find a huge, beautiful lobby with several sitting areas. Very classy and well decorated. The grounds are beautifully landscaped. 

ROOM: Standard Hyatt room. Nice, average size, clean of course. My husband thought the bed was too soft. I thought it was fine. The bathroom had 2 sinks. In-room safe. We had a balcony with 2 chairs and table, with a view of Estero Bay. Unfortunately, it was too hot during our stay to enjoy the balcony. Being with a little one, we really liked having an empty mini-fridge and a DVD player. The hotel also has a DVD library. We didn't check it out so we don't know what they offer (We actually travel with a portable DVD for our son and his favorite DVDs, but we obviously didn't have to use the player at all on this trip).

POOLS: There are several of them. Our favorite was the lagoon pool. It has a gradual beach-like entry on one side. There's a 140-foot winding slide. My husband and I tried it a few times. So much fun!! We weren't comfortable letting our son try it because it was a long, windy, fast ride down. The hotel won't allow tandem rides :-( .  There's also an adult lap pool and another pool with a waterfall feature. There are lots of pool chairs all around the pools, with some umbrellas here and there for shade. The GREAT thing about all these pools is that the varying depths are CLEARLY marked (from a few inches to 6 feet). 

 

THE OTHER POOLS: I'm talking about the ones at the Hyatt Coconut Plantation. This is the Hyatt Regency's sister property next door. People staying at either place can use the other place's facilities. The highlight of the Hyatt Coconut Plantation is its lazy river pool. It is FABULOUS and NOT TO BE MISSED. I'm serious. Don't miss it. Without actually timing it, I think it takes 8 to 10 minutes to do the entire river pool on a floaty ring. There are plenty of floaty rings for everyone's use at the entrance of the river pool (Please return the rings to the entrance when you're done using them instead of letting them float down the river! a little pet peeve of ours...).  The ride down the river pool is so relaxing and more than enjoyable. Jurassic park-like sounds and birds chirping are piped through speakers along the river pool (yes, kinda cheesy). The deepest depth is 3 feet. There's also an adult pool, as well as 2 other pools with waterfall features and a beach-like entry on one side. There's a great kiddie pool with spraying jets. Lots of pool chairs available and the varying depths are clearly marked in those pools too. There's also a nice little playground with a slide for the little ones. 

HYATT STAFF: Everyone was great, starting with the bellhop who was so nice to our son. He had him hop on the luggage cart, press the elevator button and wheeled him up to our room along with our luggage. Our son thoroughly enjoyed that. 

HYATT SPA: It is BEAUTIFUL. I did do the 50-minute stillwater relaxation massage therapy for $100. Very nice.  Anything under $100 will only buy you a 25-minute service. Most everything else costs between $100-$215.

FOOD/PRICES: The food was pricey. It was a good thing we rented a car for our entire stay. We got some groceries and ate at nearby restaurants (unfortunately not near enough to walk). There's free parking at the hotel. Overall, we thought the hotel food was good. Depending on what we had, we thought some foods were better than others. Nothing was awful but nothing was exceptional either. We never ate breakfast at the hotel. There's an IHOP nearby which we went to several times. We did the math. Our total IHOP breakfast cost us $24 (including taxes). Having the same breakfast at the Hyatt would have cost us $49 (not including taxes). Room service was always fast. Less than 30 minutes. There was barely anyone at the resort during our entire stay so that was probably why the service was so amazingly fast. There's a $3 delivery charge, an 18% service charge, plus taxes.

FINAL THOUGHTS: We had no interest in going to the hotel's beach, Big Hickory Island Beach, so we didn't. Regarding the timeshare folks, we were asked a couple of times (nicely) and we declined (nicely). No big deal. In conclusion, this is a great hotel that we'd recommend. 

Cozumel & Cancun, Mexico

In June 2005, we made our 2nd trip to Mexico. This time, we stayed in Cozumel (5 nights), Cancun (4 nights) and spent a night at the Hacienda Chichen Resort near the Chichen Itza Ruins.

~~ COZUMEL ~~

HOTEL: We stayed at the Presidente InterContinental.

~~ BEACH: Small but AMAZING snorkeling right off of it. Truly AMAZING. Clear, calm, beautiful water.

~~ POOL: Average. No real shallow areas for little ones who don't know how to swim yet.

~~ STAFF: Great, very friendly.

~~ RESTAURANTS: There are 2.

The main and casual one is open-air, housed under an enormous palapas with view of the water. Breakfast is a buffet affair. We thought it was very good. Fruits are fresh and the cook made great eggs. Lunch food was average. We had dinner there only once. We chose the buffet and it was very good. The BIG problem with this open-air restaurant were the FLIES. They got progressively worse each day. Who enjoys eating with one hand and swatting flies with the other? 

The other restaurant (Alfredo's) is Italian and indoor. We dined there one night. My husband had the lasagna and I had the beef tenderloin. Our food was excellent. Alfredo's has big windows with views of the beach/water. There was a guitar player who played songs from Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" to Latin Music. That was very nice.

THE ISLAND: We rented a car for a couple of days. We went into and walked around San Miguel, saw the San Gervasio Ruins (it was okay, does not begin to compare to Tulum, Coba, Chichen Itza) and drove to the southern and eastern coasts. On the southern tip, there's a Rasta Shanty Town. We thought it was funny to find that in Cozumel of all places (loved it!). The town is really just a place to stop over, sit down for a drink and watch the waves crash onto the shore. The drive was great and we would recommend that to anyone.

GETTING TO COZUMEL/ADVICE: We flew non-stop from the Northeast to Cancun. Caught a van ride to the ferry terminal (at least a 30-minute drive). We were actually dropped off 2-3 blocks away from the ferry terminal (there are no streets for cars to drive right up to the terminal). Walked those blocks in the hot sun with our luggage. Waited an hour for the ferry. Took the 30-minute ferry ride to Cozumel. Grabbed a taxi to the hotel (short ride). My advice: If you're traveling with a small child like we were, I'd advise against doing that. It was a long day and a hassle. Just fly straight into Cozumel. That has got to be easier to do with a child. And after this long travel day, it was just lovely to be asked to listen to the timeshare sales pitch while checking in. Not.

FINAL THOUGHTS: We loved Cozumel. We were a bit disappointed in the hotel (we had high expectations after reading rave reviews after rave reviews). We had several problems (all minor) but they all added up. We had to keep the air conditioner on high at all time in our room or condensation would appear on the walls as well as water on the floor (I'm talking about real puddles and drops of water falling from the ceiling). Patrick slipped a couple of times. No iron/ironing board in room. No in-room safe. There are safety boxes at the front desk, but that was inconvenient. We had to keep going back and forth with our son's portable DVD player. The drain cover in the shower (no bath tub by the way) was broken exposing a big enough drain hole for my son's foot to get stuck in it (that didn't actually happen). They came to repair it right away but it involved drilling. We expected better of an InterContinental.

~~ CANCUN ~~

Let me say right away that Cancun is not our scene. We knew that before even going. We chose to stay there because we wanted a base to go to Chichen Itza and we wanted to at least experience it so we could say with actual knowledge "It's not our scene". Am I making sense? :-)) Anyway, we were right. Too many hotels, too many tourists, just too busy for us.

HOTEL: We stayed at the Omni Cancun. We actually were pleasantly surprised with the hotel (that's what happens when you have low expectations I guess!). We had a room with a GREAT view.

~~ BEACH: Beautiful blue clear water. We had no idea the water in Cancun was this beautiful. A bit wavy. Patrick got tossed around. He loved it though.

~~ POOLS: There are 4 big ones, including one with a swim-up bar and a kiddie pool. None have deep ends. Deepest depth was a little over 3 feet.

~~ FOOD: It was okay. No complaints.


FINAL THOUGHTS: The Omni is a family hotel. Do not stay there if you're looking for romance, quiet, etc..., you'll be disappointed. We also noticed quite a few college kids staying there (all behaving), but I think this is probably a hotel to avoid like the plague during spring break if that's not your scene.

~~ OUR SPECIAL PLACE ~~

HACIENDA CHICHEN RESORT: Wow. The HIGHLIGHT of our trip. It EXCEEDED our expectations. This is one the LOVELIEST places we've ever stayed at. It's intimate, quiet, laid back with beautifully landscaped grounds and a good-sized rectangular pool.

We stayed in a cottage/suite named Erosa Peniche. The inside of the suite was beautifully decorated and spotless. We were impressed that there was not one bug in the room even though we were staying in such a tropical setting. The suite was spacious with a King bed, a sitting area, a mini-fridge, an air-conditioner and a ceiling fan. We had to turn off the air-conditioner during the night because it was loud (the one negative to our suite). The ceiling fan kept us sufficiently cool. No phone and no TV.

 

The resort's restaurant is in the main building. We had breakfast and dinner on the terrace overlooking the grounds and the fountain. Ahhhhhh. It would have been lovelier if it weren't for all the flies...oh well. We thought the food was average.


The resort is a 5-minute leisurely walk to the Chichen Itza ruins. We'd recommend this place for a 1-night to 2-night stay if you're visiting the ruins.


GETTING TO THE RUINS: We rented a car and drove from Cancun (about a 3-hour drive). Easy drive. Good roads. There's an $18 toll for crossing into the state of Yucatan from the state of Quintana Roo. Same on the way back. And there's a $4 toll to get onto the road to Chichen Itza and on the way back as well. You can pay those tolls in U.S. dollars if you want.


CHICHEN ITZA RUINS: Wow. Breathtaking. Brian climbed all the way to the top of El Castillo.