My new favorite thing about Las Vegas is Vegas outdoors. Old Vegas was about spending all your time inside a casino. You could gamble, until breakfast, have breakfast, then continue gambling, …. all in the same casino.

New Vegas is all about being outside the casinos. For example, the LINQ Promenade is an open-air shopping, dining and entertainment district, with great food, fun bars, and the High Roller observation wheel. My favorite local “California” restaurant, The Yard House, is now at the LINQ.

On my most recent trip, I wanted to review a few mid to low end hotels, on the Vegas strip. You pay for what you get has now taken on a whole new meaning. Bally’s Hotel, along with its cheap weekday rate, $25.00 (plus the resort fee and taxes), center strip location, and old Vegas charm, was an absolute nightmare. It had the worst customer service I’ve ever had, in Vegas.

The only saving grace was the walkway between Bally’s and the Paris Hotel. In mere minutes, I was taken away from a food court with Subway, Sbarro, and Johnny Rockets, to the Mon Ami Gabi, La Creperie, and Café Belle Madeleine. It was the best of both world.

I’m not a gambler. My first time in Las Vegas was to see the Osmond Brothers at the Tropicana Hotel. I was too young to gamble, so it never really took hold. On the other hand … I LOVE the Sex and the City slot machine. There’s something about trying to get to Big that just works for me.

Excalibur Hotel was my final stop. The great check-in, with a helpful woman at the desk, had me upgrading. For a small price, the Stay Well rooms offer the latest wellness technologies from Delos, (the Cleveland Clinic), and Dr. Deepak Chopra. My room included: Air Purifier, Aromatherapy, Non-Toxic cleaning products (with UV lighting to reduce bacteria, viruses and other microbes), a Vitamin C Shower Infuser, and complimentary access to Cleveland Clinic’s online programs for sleep, stress and nutrition.

Honorable Mention:

Avoid the Mac and Cheese, I’m just saying! And, yes, …. I know those are fighting words. —GGT