In early September, I boarded a flight with seven twenty somethings to head to Vegas for my future daughter-in-law's bachelorette party! Luckily, her mother and her aunt were also along for the ride; and boy was it a fun ride!
First, I will say, my husband was also on the bachelor party, in Austin, that weekend with our son. A lot of parents thought it was "not typical" that my husband, myself and the bride's mother would be included in the bachelor/ bachelorette weekends. I am not sure if that is the norm, but for all of us, it is completely on brand and absolutely a welcomed invitation to be included in any celebratory and debaucherous behavior!
Now, let's get into the meat of the itinerary (which was created by the bride-to-be and her lovely maid of honor). I was simply along for the ride!
We stayed at CAESARS Thursday thru Sunday and, for the most part, it was a pleasant experience. Is it the "bachelorette" feel everyone is looking for? Maybe not, but we appreciated the deal we received on the room rates and our bartender, Michael, at the wine bar was our super star throughout the weekend, so it was great!
Our first stop was brunch at HASH A GO GO in the LINQ HOTEL - The portions are massive and the drinks are super expensive, but equally as massive. Here's a traveler’s tip – split something. You will be hard-pressed to find someone that can finish a full plate at this place and with the prices being a bit on the higher side, split a meal and save your money for the drinks!
Our next stop was OLD RED for some cocktails and live music. This place was actually really cool with great energy and some great music. We didn't eat there, but the food looked awesome!
Back to the hotel once the rooms were ready and the girls took some time to decorate the bride's suite so she and I went down to the wine bar with her aunt and had some espresso martinis. This is where we met Michael, our bartender who would end up becoming a recurring friend of the weekend!
After a quick change and a room reveal of the bridal suite, we were off to TAO inside of THE VENETIAN. Always a consistent favorite, Tao did not disappoint. This time I indulged in the sushi options and it was fantastic. We headed back to the wine bar for some wine and gossip before bed and that ended our very long first day!
Friday began with brunch at ALEXXAS inside the PARIS CASINO. You can access the restaurant on the street level right on the strip, or you can enter via the casino as well. The restaurant has a sweet brunch vibe perfect for bachelorette parties or a gals getaway. Again, the portions are very big and the disco ball cocktail is yummy... but not as Instagram-worthy as you would think. But delicious!
Our next stop was the THE CHANDELIER BAR in THE COSMOPOLITAN. This place is absolutely gorgeous and my friends and I would have parked it here and drank martinis until someone carried us out. But I never suggest doing what we do so, we digress. The Verbena is a signature/ secret cocktail of theirs that is garnished with an edible flower that makes your mouth water giving a numbing sensation. It was a bit of a wild feelings, but ended up being pretty good. Try it, just to say you did!
We headed back to Caesar's and lucked out and were able to walk right up and get a table at VANDERPUMP GARDEN. Obviously, the cocktails were a bit expensive, but not any worse than the other trendy stops so it was not too bad. The space is beautiful, of course, but it is a bit smaller than I expected. Still a "must see" if you are a Bravo fan, which I am!
Another change (pink night was upon us), then we headed to ROSA MEXICANO in PLANET HOLLYWOOD. The restaurant, no matter the location, is always an Instagram favorite for photos and it matched our Pink night perfectly.
Moving right along, we headed over to EXCALIBUR for THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER. Do not be scared by the hotel. It has a bit of age on it, but that is okay. We will call it vintage but the show is actually really fun. You cannot have cell phones out, so be aware of that.
There is one part of the show where they let you bring out your phones out, basically to give them a good review. This is when they will have the guys come dance with the brides or birthday girls, basically the VIPs of the night. Keep your phone out for that part so you can film your friend with the dancers (or do not if it is that kind of night). Anyway, they will tell you when you have to put your phone away again. Overall, I thought this was a great time without being too seedy. Here is a tip for the ladies: DO NOT BE DESPERATE. It is a light-hearted fun show, not a speed dating event.
The night continued back at Caesar's at OMNIA. The girls were in touch with a promoter that hooked us up with a VIP section and I am so thankful for that. As the night went on, the place was PACKED and I would have died if we would not have had that coveted section! Overall, it was a great experience. We grabbed some food and headed back to the room!
Our last day was the day I was looking the least forward to; the pool party at TAO WET REPUBLIC at MGM. Again, the VIP section saved my life and, honestly, this was my favorite day! Like everything else in Vegas, things started off crowded, but manageable, then the DJ started and people came out of nowhere. We danced, we drank, we had the best time. Here's another tip - I went to the bar for my drinks rather than ordered from our server or participating in bottle service (because I am not allowed to have Vodka). I made friends with a bartender who had my beer waiting every time I made my way back to the bar no matter how long the line was. It worked out well!
We headed back to the hotel to change and met up that evening for dinner at STANTON SOCIAL PRIME. It is a beautiful restaurant with absolutely delicious food. If I lived in Vegas, my husband and I would be having date nights at this restaurant for sure!
A small group headed over to FONTAINEBLEAU to see JAMES KENNEDY at LIV NIGHTCLUB. DO NOT sleep on this casino. It was actually beautiful and had some great bars!
Unfortunately, this old lady had to call it a night at midnight in order to catch our Uber to the airport at 5:30am, so I missed him! I think he was actually joined by DJ Pauly D that very night, so the Lord knew that the two of them on a stage together would have thrown me into some sort of manic state so... It was for the best!
Overall, the trip was a blast and I was so happy to be included.
Some tips for those going to Vegas that have either, never been, or have not been in a while:
There are Uber pick up spots and drop off spots so prepare to walk. We all know that the casinos are huge, but the days of being dropped off on the side of the casino that is closest to the spot that you are going to (I.E. a specific restaurant) are over. They will drop you at the same spot no matter what and it could be a bit of a hike to get through the casino to get to where you are going.
The Ubers are a bit more expensive when going from Casino to Casino so you might want to grab a cab. I think we paid $7 in a cab from one of the Casinos back to Caesars and the group that took an Uber paid about $15.
Work with a promoter! They may not come through for you until the last minute, but they typically will come through for you!
As always, follow us here and on INSTAGRAM (where you can watch my REEL recapping the entire weekend) for more travel itineraries, tips, and stories as well as Wedding chat and whatever else is on my mind at the time!
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