Travel Guide: A Weekend In Las Vegas, NV

Hi loves! I’m sharing my weekend in Las Vegas with all of you. The city everyone has to go during some point of their life. From the exquisite hotels, to the places to brunch, to all the attractions. There are so many things to do it can be very overwhelming so it is best to always have an itinerary. My time in Vegas was short we literally got on a flight Thursday night and flew out on a red-eye Saturday night. That doesn’t mean we didn’t have fun or time, because literally there is always something in the air in Vegas. You truly do not get tired or the need to really sleep.

Saving Money by Expedia

For booking our weekend in Las Vegas we use Expedia vacation and bundled the hotel and flight together. By doing this we actually saved over $200 dollars. We flew on Spirit, which was great because for the time we were spending there, none of us needed huge suitcases and stayed at the Aria Resort & Casino. Which was still the new hotel on the block, but it was everything you could want. Amazing pools, cafes, restaurants, casinos, even had play rooms for children.

When we arrived it was close to 10pm there and easy to take a taxi into the strip. We arrived and quickly changed to go out. Super easy to get a taxi outside the hotel or you could walk (TIP: If you’re in heels, don’t walk!) to your destination. A weekend in Las Vegas has to include a night of partying. We went to Hakkasan which is inside the MGM Grand.

Hakkasan is the best of the best, when you think of Vegas nightlife, here’s where that dream becomes a reality. Not only is it the home for many of the world’s best DJ’s, but the actual place is crazy itself. It’s huge and the dance floor and lights inside the club crazy. If you’re thinking of where to celebrate, Hakkasan better be on the top of the list.

Our next day, we decided to go explore the city. We decided to walk to the infamous Las Vegas sign and on the way visit the hotels. We would grab a drink and see the sights of the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, The Sphinx, the canals of Venice, Trevi Fountain, etc. All beautifully done. We also caught the fountains show at the Bellagio. They go on every 15-30 minutes depending on the time of season you go.

Catch me at the Chandelier

We had made reservations at one of the top restaurants to go to in Vegas: Rose. Rabbit. Lie. Which is located inside The Cosmopolitan, which was conveniently right next to our hotel. We came back from exploring the city, got ready and headed out. For your weekend in Las Vegas you must make a stop here: The Chandelier! It is a bar/lounge inside which holds of a drink that is said to make your taste buds lose their senses. The bar itself is beautifully designed looking like an actual chandelier and has different levels.

For this specific drink you must go to the level between the first and second level bars and ask for the Verbena drink. (If you ask for the flower drink, don’t worry the people around you might not know what you’re asking for, but your bartender will.) The award-winning bar is full of amazing drinks, but this particular one isn’t even on the menu, but trust me it’ll take your taste buds to a sensory explosion.

First, you must chew a flower and your senses become heighten, then as you drink away, the taste will differ from when you started to drink to when you end. And no, there are no drugs and the effects wear off about 10 minutes after you finish your drink. Every year many people come to the renowned bar to taste this drink. Definitely put it on the list of things to do while a weekend in Las Vegas.

Rose.Rabbit.Lie.

After that sensory explosion you just experienced, Rose. Rabbit. Lie. was perfect for us to go and continue celebrating my best friend’s 25^th! The restaurant has live music, entertainment, amazing food, and overall an incredible experience. The restaurant has a take on Alice in Wonderland and many cute touches along the walls and rooms. The staff was incredible, super pleasant, always attentive, and knew the food to make good recommendations.

I know there are other restaurants in Vegas with a bit more of a reputation, but honestly Rose. Rabbit. Lie. is right there with them. It is a bit on the pricey side with drinks and everything but some of the food is less expensive, but the overall experience and service makes this to me one of Vegas’s best restaurant. I would definitely come back here to celebrate a dinner and get a show while you’re at it. It’s perfect for a quick weekend in Las Vegas!

Also while you’re eating make sure you save room for dessert. The cookie jar is their best dessert option for a big party. It includes many different styles of cookies and even come in the cutest jar you had ever seen. As a HUGE cookie lover, this was the best dessert I had ever had!

When In Vegas

After dinner, we had bought tickets to go see Calvin Harris at another premier club, Omnia. The smart owners of Hakkasan made the right decision by bringing their unique style over to Omnia, and share many of the same premier DJ’s. (TIP: before you plan your weekend in Las Vegas, it is always good to see which DJ’s will be there because it is not that expensive to get tickets and you’ll be surprised by who has a residency in some of the top clubs.) Our tickets happened to be $75 to go see Calvin Harris. We quickly went to the hotel to freshen up a bit and then were surprised by the ride picking us up from our hotel.

One of our friends rented a party bus for the nine of us and the rentals aren’t expensive as you may think, depending on the bus and amount of people it can range from 85-200 an hour. Our party bus was approximately $135 for the hour. I would highly recommend this to the party goers out there because you’re actually savings tons of cash by drinking prior to arriving at the club and you can easily split the hourly rate with your friends. We bought all our alcohol on the bus, which is smart, because the most expensive thing in Vegas is the drinks.

Any drink inside the clubs can cost from 20-$$$ dollars, we figured we’d pregame with the bottles we bought and not spend all our money on alcohol. The bus drove us around the strip for an hour before dropping us off at Caesars Palace, where Omnia is located in. We could plug-in our phones, listen to the music and had so much room, plus the views of the strip at night were amazing to see.

If you’re celebrating a birthday for your weekend in Las Vegas, rent a party bus. Everything lit up and so full of life, you feel like you’re in a movie. Omnia just like Hakkasan is on another level of nightlife. Calvin Harris was amazing and in this club they even have a part outside where the view of the strip is definitely a unique one to see.

Wynn at Brunch

Our last day in Vegas was spent the best way anyone could. Brunch! And the best place to go to for brunch, you ask? The Wynn. Point blank. The food is amazing and served buffet-style so refill all you want. They’re two types of packages offered: only food and soda and another for unlimited drinks and foods including alcohol. The package for unlimited drinks and food was around 60-70 dollars.

We, of course, finishing out the quarter life century birthday celebration had to get unlimited drinks. The Mimosa’s amazing but the white sangria. Talk about flavor and dangerous! You don’t even taste the alcohol but boy it is in there. Just be safe and pace yourself.

The food was amazing and they have such a variety to choose from. They had a variety in breakfast choices, lunch plates, and even some dinner plates. The desserts was the best: macaroons, gelatos, cakes, chocolate, etc. and all at your disposal to have. It really is a foodie’s dream come true. Well worth the price we paid for.

Inside the Wynn there is art everywhere, we walked through the entrance and they had an amazing flower display. Everything was made of flowers. The smell so rich and fresh. The elegance of the hotel. The beauty of the outside. For brunch nothing is better than the Wynn, world renowned and elegant. For your weekend in Las Vegas make sure you plan to eat at the Wynn!

Viva Las Vegas

Overall, Las Vegas is the city that never lets you sleep. With so much to do, you’ll be wondering where to begin. Not to mention all the day trips you can take to the mountains, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and all the Las Vegas shows. Vegas has so much to offer and when planned properly, you’ll truly learn why what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas isn’t necessarily true.

Once you visit you’ll want to tell everyone about your weekend in Las Vegas and come back for more. A weekend in Las Vegas is easy to plan and you’ll feel like you’ve seen it all. Plus, if you’re celebrating a milestone party, there’s no other place to go besides Vegas. It is full of lights, life, and an experience like no other, maybe then the saying what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas is true, but then again some secrets are better left in Vegas.

XOXO,

Karen Giuliana