Las Vegas - January 2018

2018 and our first big trip! This year marks our 16-year wedding anniversary and hubs received a special room rate at the Palazzo. I'll be honest, Vegas isn't my 1st choice to spend such a momentous occasion because it's so tiring and busy for me but I could see the twinkle in his eyes upon receiving that little treat in the mail.

So, we booked our tickets and we were on our way to the city of sin.

We flew in the evening and had the WORST turbulence ever - we legit thought the face masks would fall right in front of us because a few people gasped out loud (me included) - but before we knew it, we made it!

Palazzo

I googled the rooms at Palazzo and I admit I was pleased. They looked bright and spacious and had good views. I agreed to the thought of spending our time in Vegas but only if we got to see a show and eat really good food.  HA!  Somehow I have a feeling he knew I'd give in because I'm a sucker for nice digs!

View of our hotel/casino

Upon check-in, Palazzo's manager left us a nice welcome note, thanking us for choosing Palazzo for our anniversary stay.  

Welcome letter...THANK YOU PALAZZO!

'Course I had to get some shots of the interior details!  Every inch was beautifully styled in a grand yet feminine way.  Flowers and curves were seen everywhere...in the decor and details.

My husband asked about an upgrade and the only one available for the evening was a room at the Venetian with a superb view.  I was hesitant because the rooms at the Palazzo enticed me to head to Vegas in the 1st place.  When we walked to the upgraded room, we ended up getting lost about 3 times because there are different towers - a nice group of guys tried helping us but they couldn't figure it out either.  Once we got closer to our room, we started to see that the decor was becoming more ornate.  My husband looked at me and KNEW.  

I believe there are different decor styles to choose from at the Venetian and the room we were assigned creeped me out, quite honestly.  The decor reminded me of my house as a kid as it always seemed haunted.  Now, normally, I would just bite the bullet and deal because I HATE to complain or seem high maintenance but knowing I'd be left alone in there periodically didn't quite sit well with me.  I'd be looking over my shoulder constantly!  HAHA!  So, my husband asked the front desk if we could switch back to the Palazzo and they were happy to accommodate us.  BLESS HIS HEART (and bless the front desk's heart for that matter).   

I wrote a review on our room at Palazzo so click on the link to our suite here: palazzo.html

Canyon Ranch Spa

Located on the 3rd floor of the Palazzo, this place was convenient for me to get to (had we stayed at our upgraded suite at the Venetian, it would’ve taken a LOT longer).

I booked their Canyon Ranch signature full-body massage and scalp treatment. Hubs knows massages are one of my guilty pleasures and I’d never pass up an opportunity to get one.  NOTE: at check-in, ask whether there's a special of the day.  I got $50 off my service, which, helped out a LOT!  YEAH! 

I hung out for a couple hours after my treatment and utilized their co-ed areas - SO KEEP YOUR ROBES ON...I read a magazine in their simulated evening outdoor ranch conservation room; relaxed in their wave room (this has waves of water projected onto the ceiling with sounds of nature playing in the background); and salt room (good for opening the sinuses). 

On the women's side, you'll find a hot tub, steam room, igloo, herbal room, sauna, and experiential rain showers.  I'm usually okay being alone but I felt like visiting all these specialized rooms would've been better had I brought along a friend or one of my sister-in-laws!

For information, visit www.canyonranch.com/las-vegas/

Cirque du Soleil Beatles LOVE show

This show was probably one of the more colorful ones we’ve been to. Many of the songs were familiar to me (Hey Jude), some I didn’t know they sang (Revolution)...I think you’d have to be a true fan to know. My husband, on the other hand, didn’t know most of the songs.

We actually wanted to see Britney, Boyz II Men or Michael Jackson’s show but they were either not playing for our time there or booked solid. Still, we weren’t disappointed.  Like all the other Cirque shows, this one had acrobatics, aerialists, and performers interacting with the audience. I wasn’t able to take many photos because any type of flash photography is strongly discouraged as it could distract the performers while doing their stunts. Plus, I’m not too keen on the idea of getting my phone confiscated.

For more info on this show, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/beatles-love

Walking the Strip

We walked the strip a few times to work off all the food we'd been eating.   Our 2nd day, we had a craving to eat at Serendipity but, sadly, it's NO LONGER THERE.  However, we did find Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen restaurant!  The good news is they take walk-ins - depending on how busy it is (and it was busy as heck); the bad news is it would be a 2-HOUR wait.  We arrived around 11:30 a.m. and the next available table would be around 1:45 p.m.  Needless to say we didn't eat there but it's definitely at the top of our list when we go back.  If I could have taken photos of the beautiful dining space, I would show you in a heartbeat but I'll save it for next time.  We ended up finding another restaurant (which, of course, I'll write about here a few days after I publish this entry). 

​We walked back to Treasure Island since it was directly across from our hotel and hubs could play some video poker (CHA CHING!!!) ;-D

Here's a link to Hell's Kitchen in case you visit: www.caesars.com/caesars-palace/restaurants/hells-kitchen?utm_campaign=Yext&utm_source=yext&utm_medium=local&utm_term=CaesarsPalace&utm_content=Restaurant#.WnOPP6inE2w

You can find info on Treasure Island here: www.treasureisland.com/

Lights everywhere - even more vibrant in person.

Our last day, I ended up getting sick so my husband was rushing to the nearest Walgreens to get me medicine.  We'd also heard that there was rain and gray skies to come home to. 

Our daughter was itching for our return and, although, I was ready to go back, hubby didn't quite feel the same way since he had to immediately go back to work.  LOL - back to rainy Seattle we went. 

Despite all the rainy days we have, looking down from above, we sometimes take for granted how beautiful the Pacific Northwest really is.  Would you agree?  

~ XOXO, Mari