Mirage Resort in Las Vagas
Written: Nov 07 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: great pools, rooms, animal habitats, environment
Cons: smoke-filled casinos
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| dequebec's Full Review: The Mirage Hotel And Casino |
In planning our vacation to Las Vegas, my brother and I were primarily motivated by one factor: we wanted to stay at one of the 3 resorts (Mirage, Treasure Island, or Bellagio) that would allow us to purchase Cirque du Soleil tickets well in advance of the show. This, in itself, was a great perk for 2 "cirqueophiles", as priority ticket sales allowed us very nice seats for the Bellagio/Cirque du Soleil spectacle, "O". Between shows, casinos, buffets, and the like, we were able to catch some R&R in this enjoyable hotel!
DECOR and ENVIRONMENT
David (my brother) and I had spent close to an hour in our shuttle bus driving in from the airport. Though we were fatigued, our eyes lit up as we spied our resort! A fantastic volcano welcomes guests by exploding every hour (this is particularly beautiful at night). Walking through the front doors, one is instantly drawn to the "rain forest", which is the general theme for the resort. 50-foot palm trees 300 orchids make serene the foyer towered by a 100-foot dome. Cascading waterfalls enhance the atmosphere with the semi-turbulent sounds heard throughout the ground floor. Sometimes, the white tigers from Siegfried and Roy's production are on display in a windowed habitat in the main hotel building. Unfortunately, like most hotels in Las Vegas, one transverse the smoke-laden casino areas en route to their rooms or dining areas. These pathways are often on the crowded side.
RECREATION
The Mirage offers one of the nicest pool areas I have ever seen; these pools compare well with those of Disney World Resort pools. The pools are long and curvy, passing by waterfalls and slides. The water temperature is maintained at a comfortably warm level, and the water is shallow and appropriate for beginning-level swimmers. The pools also circle around lawns of deck chairs and a cafe beneath a canopy. There is enough pool and deck space;these areas never seems overcrowded.
Mirage also offers gender-separated spas. Spa access is $20/day. Access includes use of weights and cardio machines, indoor spa pools, juice bar, etc. Spa access fees are included in the price of select treatments, such as massage(Source: www.mirage.com).
ANIMAL HABITATS
The Mirage is home to marine research, particularly research involving dolphins. Several dolphins are housed in the dolphin habitat, featuring 4 connected pools with sandy bottoms. Guests on a guided tour can place themselves within a few feet of these "ham" dolphins, who love to swim to shallower areas of the pool for the entertainment of guests! One can also see the dolphins interact by watching through transparent underwater panels. Most interesting to me was the video of a dolphin being born at the Mirage habitat.
Adjacent to the dolphin habitat is the white tiger habitat. The featured stars of this attraction are also appearing in Siegfried and Roy's show. Also in the habitat are traditional tigers and lions, white lions, and other African animals. These are magnificent specimen, folks, very beautiful indeed.
One price (I believe in the vicinity of $12) buys admission to both habitats. Though it may seem pricey, it buys you a couple of hours of quality educational entertainment. Which, by Vegas standards, is a bargain.
ROOMS and RATES
Traditional rooms are fairly spacious and well-maintained. Noise level is kept at a minimum; rooms seem to be well-protected from Strip sounds. Yes, the view from many of the rooms is lousy, facing Vegas backlots and alleys...but you won't be spending much time peering our of windows anyway. Bathrooms are very clean and the bathrooms are large.
Rooms typically run in the low $100's...but check the website frequently. With specials, you can often get rates of less than $70, even on weekends. This is especially true during the hot Vegas summer.
Incidentally, I would like to mention that during our stays, check-in and check-out were hassle-free processes. Lines and waits were short, and staff were friendly and helpful. Acquiring extra room keys and storing our luggage on the ground floor while waiting for check in were not problematic.
Have a great time in Las Vegas, folks! And don't forget to buy those tickets to "O" and "Mystere" ahead of time.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dequebec
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Member: Jennifer
Location: los angeles, CA
Reviews written: 131
Trusted by: 118 members
About Me:
No longer an editor, thanks a bunch Nirav.
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