The best way to find air travel on the cheap is to buy it as a package deal with hotel accommodations. You can easily save around 30 per cent of your total bill by booking your flight and hotel together. When you look for cheap air travel online, you will often be given the option of booking it with your choice of lodging establishment.

This is a great way to save money if you are going to spend money on lodging anyways. Airlines and hotels often partner with travel websites to offer these combo packages and while your choices are somewhat limited as compared to booking you hotel on your own, the savings offset that disadvantage. Plus, it’s a one-stop shopping trip so if you are one of those busy professionals who would rather spend more time enjoying the vacation then spend time booking one, this is the choice for you.

Loyalty Pays

Another good way to find cheap air travel and hotel is to start earning frequent flier miles. By patronizing one airline (and its partners) you can earn miles for free. Plus apply for a credit card that gives you miles and you are on your way to deeply discounted (and even free) air tickets, hotel accommodations, amusement park discounts, rental car concessions and much more. Some credit cards also give you a bonus of a few thousand miles just for making your first purchase and often run promotions for double or triple points for spending at partner stores or eating at affiliated restaurants. This is a sure fire way to score cheap air travel.

In addition to being loyal to an airline, you can also get a frequent customer card from a chain of hotels. This way every time you log in a night at one of their many hotels and motels across the country (or globe) you are one night closer to a free stay. Yes, it is not instant but if you travel anyways, it is a great way of getting something free after giving a particular hotel your vacation money several times.

Attend a Time Share Presentation

It may sound like the worst thing to do on a Saturday afternoon, but isn’t it worth spending 90 minutes of your time for free hotel accommodation for three nights in Mexico or Las Vegas? Yes, the salesperson is trained to convince and subtlety coerce you in to buying a timeshare, but if you have decided that you are not in the market for it, you are in no way obligated. The cheap air travel and/or free vacation getaway promised in their invitation is yours either way. So, the next time you get something like this in the mail, think of it as yours mall investment towards a good vacation.

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Sited on the shores of a 10-acre man-made lake, the hotel houses 20 restaurants and cafes, a 65,000 square foot spa and salon and a dozen other attractions.

The famed Bellagio Fountains are just outside. A thousand choreographed sprays blossom into the air in a water ballet that has to be seen and heard to be appreciated. The jets are timed to classical music and Las Vegas visitors will often stand in front of them day or night for an hour and watch the show.

The lobby alone is worth a visit. The ceiling displays 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers each hand-crafted to perfection. The Fiori di Como are multi-colored works of art that form only one astounding part of this city within a city.

Just off to the side are other fascinating things to see, such as the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Within its walls are exotic plants from all over the world. Those who have enjoyed the botanical gardens of London or New York won’t be disappointed.

The Fine Arts gallery is an option, even for those not staying at the hotel. With dozens of works by Picasso, Monet, van Gogh and other masters, it’s small but impressive. Easily the equal of many European art museums, art lovers will find many works to view and enjoy. An audio tour is available.

Unlike some of the hotels, the Bellagio is restricted to those over 18 unless they are guests of the hotel. One reason is the centrality of the large casino within the property. Visitors will pass through it on their way to almost any of the other attractions. Under these orange canopies you can find just about anything in the way of gambling, from $1 slot machines all the way up to $5,000 per hand poker tables.

Not inexpensive by Las Vegas standards, the Bellagio rooms can easily cost $250 a night, though discounts are a possibility during off-days or weeks. But you’ll definitely get your money’s worth. Whether it’s the luxurious Italian provincial-decorated rooms, or the high-end spa, you’ll find elegance and pampering are routine here. The spa architecture has an unusual feature to enhance the visitor’s experience: walls made of water. The music and general ambiance will melt your stress away.

Even with over 3,400 rooms they offer a high staff-to-guest ratio and your every whim will be catered to quickly. Come visit the Bellagio and find out for yourself.

Photo by Tracy Olson

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Everything from its 129,000 square foot casino space in three rooms to the Japanese cuisine at Hyakumi says ‘Vegas’. Guests can enjoy one of the regal rooms with their high ceilings and royal bathrooms made of marble with brass fixtures.

Centrally located along The Strip, it’s close to all the action that Vegas has to offer. But you don’t necessarily have to leave the hotel to be entertained.

Caesars has a long-established reputation for booking top-notch talent, ever since Frank Sinatra performed there in the ’60s-’80s. Whether you enjoy Celine Dion or Elton John or any of a dozen other top-drawing acts, Caesars will host them sooner or later. Enjoy fine drinks in the 4,000 square foot Colosseum Theatre while you sit back and watch the show.

If you’re hungry there’s a lot more than Japanese food on the menu. Nero’s is one of the hottest spots in town. But if you want some more recent Italian fare, try Rao’s. Recently imported from East Harlem in New York, they’ve been serving authentic dishes for over 100 years.

Shopping at Caesars isn’t a matter of going to an upscale store or two, either. The hotel offers over 240,000 square feet of retail heaven for visitors with unlimited plastic. Over 100 top stores choose to offer their wares here and they do a thriving business. Whether you want a Cartier watch or a Gucci bag, you’ll find something to satisfy.

But if sports is more along your line, Caesars can even satisfy that desire. The Neil Leifer Gallery is famed for its collection of sports photographs. With free admission you’ll have money left over to buy one of the outstanding photos.

There’s a picture of Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston after the fight that made him famous and one of Secretariat winning the Kentucky Derby. There’s even one showing JFK with then Vice-President Lyndon Johnson tossing out the first ball of the 1961 baseball season. The photographer’s work has been featured on Time, Sports Illustrated and dozens of other well-known publications.

The pool area at Caesars is always one of the most popular gathering spots. With four separate pools the 4.5 acre Garden of the Gods Pool oasis is aptly named. Looking like an authentic Roman spa, there are Roman baths surrounded by columns.

The Qua Spa offers an Artic Ice room and an array of pampering skin treatments in a relaxing atmosphere. With 23,000 square feet of whirlpools, saunas, tanning booths and more, everyone will find something to make those cares melt away.

Come be treated like royalty at Caesars on the Strip.

Photo by Joakim Syversen

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Vegas still has many of the old-time icons to offer like the Sahara. But many new ones have sprouted up in just the past decade. Even those as old as 40 years have seen major renovations in the past few years, to compete and to keep that youthful spirit ever fresh.

MGM Grand

Come to Hollywood. The granddaddy of modern Vegas, the casino complex is built to resemble a huge movie set, sort of like James Bond on steroids. Even with the 16,000 seat auditorium and dozens of restaurants, there’s still plenty of room for gaming. Whether you’re an old-timer who still wants to play keno or you’re a young stud or studette with an itch for high stakes poker, you won’t walk away disappointed. Empty-pocketed, maybe.

Paris Las Vegas

For the real James Bond feel to your gaming fun, check out one of the newer kids in town. With re-creations of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre, the place is easy to spot. But save your eagle eye to spot that ace that just went to your left. Also be sure to save some money after all the Baccarat to spend on a lady at Le Cabaret where the Euro bands entertain.

Luxor

Luxor photo by Quentin Smith

After Paris, only Egypt will look exotic. The Luxor is a 360ft/110m high glass pyramid that shines in the desert sun like a mirage. Get yourself worked up for some hot action with the dice as you face off with the fez.

With an Olympic-sized pool to cool off in after a hot night’s gambling, you’ll find it has every kind of game imaginable. Apart from the thousands of slot machines, hundreds of poker tables, roulette wheels and the like, there’s a virtual gaming room. Unreal.

Mandalay Bay

From ancient Egypt, travel to the tropics and enjoy some of the jazz featured at Mandalay Bay. Between Broadway shows in the 12,000 seat theater, you can enjoy some fine roulette. Be sure to bet on black, since you want to avoid being in the red after a few hours at house odds. When you’re done you can drown your sorrows or celebrate your winnings with a cool drink at the bar near the sandy beach.

Caesars Palace

Caesars remains the Las Vegas king. Around for decades, it still offers some of the hottest tables, the coolest dealers and the sexiest waitresses in town. Get ready to roll the dice amid the splendor of the Imperial Roman decor, then relax in the spa and gloat. Go to Cleopatra’s later for some dancing or enjoy a show in the Omnimax Theater.
 
Whether you like Texas Hold ‘Em or European-style roulette, or just want to punch a dollar into a slot and watch the wheels spin, the casinos in Vegas have something for you. Be nice to the dealers, though. The hotels still hire large, serious looking gentlemen as managers to keep everyone polite.

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The Tower, as it’s known locally, is 1,149 feet high. At the top is the famed revolving restaurant and entrances to the rides.

With both indoor and outdoor observation decks, the 100-story structure also offers a lounge, restaurants and, of course, a spectacular view. The windows come down to the floor at an angle so it’s possible to look straight down and see what’s below – nothing but air.

In 30 seconds the double-decker elevator will rush to the top at 1,800 feet per minute or three floors a second. Naturally, you’ll want to travel down a little more slowly.

Apart from the observation deck itself there are several thrill rides that are enormously popular. The Big Shot, X-Scream and Insanity are all aptly named. Any one of them is enough to exhaust your adrenalin long before you start gambling. But then, gambling that you’ll stay on is what these rides are all about.

The Big Shot is almost 1,100 feet high and qualifies as the highest thrill ride in the world. The Insanity is less high (900ft), but by spinning riders at 40 miles per hour, it earns its name anyway. X-Scream is a ‘mere’ 866 feet, but by dropping riders over the edge it too is aptly named.

For those who prefer to get married with a view, there’s The Chapel in the Clouds. A large number of people every year still come to Vegas to get married and this choice is definitely better than the standard cheesy chapel off The Strip.

But there are other forms of entertainment as well. The vampire-themed adult revue ‘The Bite’ could only have been conceived and executed in Las Vegas where the unusual is the norm. Then there’s the American Superstars show where the celebrity look-alikes get a chance at stardom while you laugh.

The hotel is located at the northern tip of the casino group on The Strip and is the only one actually located in the City of Las Vegas proper. The others are technically in the suburb of Paradise. With 2,444 rooms and an 80,000 square foot casino it’s by no means the largest, but it might very well be the most unusual.

Completed in 1996 it didn’t do box-office business at first, but its location eventually proved to be an advantage. It’s centrally located between The Strip and downtown, which is convenient for those who want to see it all, including Fremont Street. The rooms are inexpensive but adequate, and few go to Vegas to sleep anyway. On the other hand, there are plenty of games in the casino where you can spend a lot more money, so never fear. Save that for the rides.

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Inside the front entrance is a lush tropical rainforest housed under a 100-foot high dome, with 60-foot palm trees providing ’shade’. Not far away are the lagoons where visitors can swim or walk among palm trees. With two pools and a series of cliffs where water streams down into grottos, it’s a man-made paradise. Step along and step up to the Paradise Cafe or the Dolphin Bar and sip a cool drink on a hot Vegas day.

If you’re feeling especially hot, or want to get that way, try the Bare pool area. A clothing-free environment, you can lounge away and observe the local beauty while sipping a drink from the bar. You’ll enjoy the sunshine au naturel as the dolphins swim only a few feet away.

Connected to it is a Siegfried & Roy-sponsored animal attraction: the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. The area is a carefully reconstructed tropical paradise. Here, a dozen species fly, crawl or swim continuously. The 2.5 million gallon pool is home to several Atlantic bottleneck dolphins in a sandy-bottomed artificial coral reef system. With four connected pools, they enjoy plenty of variety and so will the visitor.

For a closer look at sea life, visit the Aquarium – a 20,000 gallon seawater enclosure that houses puffer fish, tangs and other interesting creatures. There are over 60 species represented among the 1,000 animals and all are easily visible within the 53-foot long, six-foot wide by 8-foot high, 4-inch thick acrylic walls.

Until a few years ago the hotel was the home of the Siegfried & Roy white tiger-themed show. But Roy was attacked by one of the animals and the show closed down. Fortunately, the tigers are still around in the White Tiger Habitat.

Visible daily, these rare beauties are on display 24 hours per day, 7 days per week in a carefully controlled environment. With a pool, fountains and simulated mountain terrain for the tigers to enjoy, it’s a treat for them as well as the viewer.

Outside is the Mirage volcano – an artificial Vesuvius that erupts periodically throughout the evening. At the top of each hour from 7 p.m. to midnight, flames shoot high into the night sky, spraying smoke and fire a hundred feet up.

Backed by design expertise that helped create the Bellagio Fountains, it’s a not-to-miss attraction. Over 50 feet high, situated on three water-covered acres, it’s been amazing viewers for almost 20 years. It even smells interesting. To mask the scent of the gas used to power the volcano, the structure emits Piña Colada vapor.

Come smell the breeze at The Mirage.

Photo by Joakim Syversen

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Its massive walls enclose over 4,000 suites and a 120,000 square foot casino. But the hotel offers much more than mere size as its claim to fame.

Not two years after it opened, an art museum was added – the Guggenheim Hermitage, featuring pieces from Impressionist masters. Less than a year later another stellar collection was unveiled – Art Through the Ages: Masterpieces of Painting from Titian to Picasso.

Not satisfied, the ever inventive hoteliers added yet a third two years later, containing pieces from Renoir, Gauguin, Matisse and many others. Between the three, visitors have access to works that rival those found in any of the great museums in New York or elsewhere.

But for those who like a more lively form of entertainment, The Venetian has many from which to choose. The quirky ensemble the Blue Man Group performs there in the Blue Man Theatre. Displaying some of the most astounding physical feats seen anywhere, the show has to be seen to be believed. And even then you’ll wonder.

The Phantom of the Opera musical gave birth to a variant that is performed at The Venetian, an extravaganza that those who enjoyed the original will be sure to want to see.

Along with the entertainment there is shopping, dining, gambling and a dozen other things to see and do. You can visit the food court in the Grand Canal Shoppes and find some genuine cuisine from Venice. Or hit the 10,000 square-foot Tao Nightclub and find out what dancing is all about. The next day you can have lunch at the Aquanox where the seafood rivals that of the famed Emeril.

You don’t have to go all the way to London to see Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, either. There’s one inside the hotel that is nearly its equal. Chock full of celebrity figures that are as life-like as the real thing, it will amuse visitors young and old.

Then relax at the five-acre Pool Deck where you can enjoy any of three pools or spend time in the hot tub. Sited above the fourth level of the Venetian Tower, you’ll have a great view while you soak away your cares. Then dry off and take a gondola ride along the canals and experience Venice in Las Vegas.

Photo by Joakim Syversen

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Searching for flights online is a great way to save money. With the click of your mouse, all of the potential flight options are placed up on your screen for you to choose from. By altering your choices for dates of flights, times of flights and departure and arrival cities, you will cause the prices to fluctuate. With a little work, you can finagle the technology to show a price you are happy to pay. Don’t stop with the flights though.

Online travel sites are able to consolidate trips into one price. By combining flights, cars and hotels, you can pay fewer dollars per travel necessity. Hotels can be especially difficult to find good rates for when shopping for them independently. It can be done of course, with the right tools and enough persistence. A better way to search for great prices on rooms though, is to allow an online consolidator do it for you. After you have entered the required information, the choice is still yours at the end. Choose from the different hotel chains available as well as from the various prices offered.

The steps are simple, but can be accomplished in more than one way. You may shop for your flight first in order to make sure you have the dates and times scheduled to your greatest convenience. After you have chosen a flight, most travel sites will give you the option to add a hotel to make a package for a new low price. The hotel room will be automatically reserved for you for the correct dates and number of days, based on your flight schedule.

Another way to get a package deal is to start out looking for packages with your travel site search engine. The site will show you, based on dates you choose, packages already consolidated for you. Again, you will be given several options to choose from so that you will be sure to be satisfied with the hotel you stay in and the timing of your flight.

Online consolidators exist for the purpose of getting information to you about how to save money on your travel overall. By combining your flight with your hotel, you will save money on both. If you need more than just a flight and a hotel, you can search for bigger packages as well. You may choose options for all-inclusive resorts in order to have your food and beverages taken care of in advance. You may also decide to add a rental car on to your package so that you won’t have to find one after you have arrived at your destination.

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1. How much will the room cost you?

2. Is the hotel conveniently located in the heart of the action you are seeking?

3. Are the amenities of the facility to your liking?

After all, everyone has different needs with respect to accommodations, and it is important that the hotel you pick will meet your needs and exceed your expectations, yet without breaking the bank. Add to this the fact that some hotels are more old school than others, and it is not surprising that visitors often scratch their heads. To make sure that your next trip to Sin City is enjoyable, here are some helpful tips on choosing the right Vegas hotel for your taste.

§ Do you have a taste for the exquisite and a budget to back it up? If this is you, then your choices are quite easy: you may consider The Venetian, the Bellagio or the Mandalay Bay. Of these three venues the Mandalay Bay is probably the least “snooty” and the most down to earth. All three feature wonderful amenities, such as first class dining, exciting attractions, and much sought after shows. Generally speaking, you will be able to get the best deals on rooms during the week and off season. If you want to stay during a weekend, be prepared to pay more than twice what the room normally goes for.

§ Do you have a taste for hotels that are off the Strip and therefore off the beaten path? If so, there are some wonderful venues that are waiting for you! Consider the Boulder Station which is a smaller hotel with only 300 rooms but which offers a lot of famous live acts and entertainment, the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel with its famous Fender Room and special events, or the Orleans Hotel and Casino with its NASCAR packages. Being off the Strip does not mean that there is a lack of wonderful live acts or attractions!

§ Do you have a taste for a wonderful spa experience that will leave you relaxed, refreshed, and ready to take the city by storm? If so, then you will want to consider Caesar’s Palace with its opulent spa, the usually not crowded facilities at the Las Vegas Hilton Spa, or the Grand Spa at the MGM Grand where everything is just a little bit bigger, better, and more luxurious.

§ Are you planning on bringing the family? If so, then you will want to avoid some of the more adult venues that feature topless shows, adult dancers, and the outside barkers who persist in pressing nude pictures of “escorts” into the palms of unsuspecting passers by. Instead, choose to Monte Carlo for its proximity to the New York New York with its arcades, the Excalibur with its games and family friendly spots, or the tried and true Circus Circus with its Adventuredome, which promise hours of fun to traveling families.

So go ahead and take a virtual tour of some of the hotels and be amazed at the lap of luxury you will be able to find. Make a budget for your accommodation and some incidentals – who will be able to pass by that boutique and not purchase something special – and then enjoy your stay!

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The Mandalay Bay resort offers potential guests three hotel options. The Four Seasons is the first option, which occupies the main towers and upper floors of the resort. The second option the all suites hotel, which is located in a tower of its own. The hotel options are managed separately and have their own entrances and lobbies. The Four Seasons hotel is more affordable than the other options, but it is one of the least luxurious lodging components of the Mandalay Bay resort. Although, the hotel is more affordable, it is still seen as expensive, and by the rooms are still luxurious. The bathrooms offer stone floors, and counters, and separate showers. The living and sleeping areas also feature his and hers closets, and large beds with plush linens. This decor is often seen as classy without being over bearing.

The Mandalay Bay hotel features 3,309 luxury rooms that all display the elegance that the hotel is known for. The hotel is also known to cater to many celebrities. Rooms at the Mandalay Bay hotel are full with many different amenities to provide the optimum comfort to guests. Each of the hotel rooms feature standard air conditioning, alarm clocks, remote controlled cable TV, desks, electronic door locks, irons and ironing boards, hair dryers, pay per view movies, and radios and telephones. However, guests may also have rooms catered to their own needs, and the hotel features many suites that offer an even wider array of amenities.

The casino is also a huge part of the Mandalay Bay hotel. The casino covers 135,000 square feet of floor space. Visitors will find a wide array of casino games, from card games to slot machines. The Mandalay Bay casino is one of the rare Las Vegas casinos that feature an abundance of nickel, and quarter slot machines. The Shark Reef is also seen as a star attraction at Mandalay Bay. Shark Reef is an aquarium that contains more than one million gallons of salt water, and has more than 100 different species of exotic plant life and animals. The aquarium holds five of the twelve remaining golden saltwater crocodiles. The Shark Reef aquarium may be a great place for guests who are looking for a relaxed environment. Guests may also find relaxation while sitting among the rock waterfalls, and the lily pond of the Coral Reef Lounge.

The resort also has many other attractions that will help guests relax, and get the best from the hotel casino that is classified as world class. The hotel features its own spa, like many other hotels in Las Vegas. The Mandalay Bay spa is seen as one of the most elegant spas on the Vegas Strip, and guests can find even more relaxation by taking a day to visit the spa. Mandalay also features a wedding chapel. The wedding chapel has a tropical look and theme, which makes it one of the most popular places to get married in Vegas.

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