“Great value, not far from The Strip.”
The inclusive breakfast was fantastic! Lots of options and all the food was good. The Manager's Happy Hour was very popular, especially on the weekend, so make sure you go early. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. They offer a complementary shuttle to the Fashion Mall which gets you over to The Strip quickly (it would take a while to walk it). If you choose to use the Monorail, the closest stop to The Embassy was the LV Convention Centre which was about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. We paid extra for the walk-out balcony but I wouldn't bother next time because it was only about 12 inches wide! (I had visions of sitting out there on a deck chair and enjoying the sunset). Our room had something sticky on the carpet when we checked in but we told them about it at the front desk right away and they had the carpets cleaned while we were out the next day. Embassy also doesn't charge a resort fee which saved us over $100 compared to the big hotels (ie. MGM, Bellagio, Treasure Island). Would highly recommend and we have become HHilton members as we would choose Embassy in other cities we visit too. BTW, regardless of how the Las Vegas tourism markets it, I wouldn't recommend it as a city for kids.
Area recommendations
The Strip is a great place to visit but I'm not disappointed in our decision to NOT stay there. If I ever go back to Las Vegas, I heard that Red Rock and Hoover Dam are great places to visit. I'm sorry I missed them this time around but there were so many other things to do and see!
When to go
We went mid/late September and the temperature hovered between 100-104 F each day with a little drizzle of rain. The evening temperatures were about 75 F - great for walking around. The sun was extremely hot so don't forget your sunscreen. Having said that, many of the hotels are attached so you can stay in the air conditioning quite a bit if you choose.
Getting there
We flew via United and found out when we got to the airport that there was a $25 fee for every piece of luggage you check in. I noticed when I was booking our trip that some of the airlines charged but I didn't remember until we got to the airport. Flying home from Denver to Toronto was with Air Canada which was nice because they had movies available at each seat - this helped to pass the time (3 1/2 hours).
Getting around
Our hotel was close to the Las Vegas Convention Centre which is a stop on the monorail. We purchased a 3-day pass for $26 which was well worth the money. Otherwise you will do a lot of walking, which is not a bad thing, but the amount of time you spend getting from point A to point B could hinder your sightseeing plans. You should note that the monorail doesn't travel north to Fremont Street (well worth the visit!) or south to the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign and outlet mall so the bus was our next best option. We purchased a 24-hour bus pass for $7 - compared to our taxi from the airport to the hotel (about 12 miles) which cost us $15. Good value but be prepared to stand - it's obviously a popular method of transportation.
What to pack
I wish I had taken more clothes! By the time we walked around all day in 104 F degree temperatures and came back to the hotel for Happy Hour at 5:30, we usually cooled off and changed into fresh clothes. If you plan on hitting any clubs, make sure you bring appropriate clothing - they won't let you in without it.
Dining
We visited Tix4Tonight to get show tickets and were pleasantly surprised to find out we could get restaurant tickets too. We enjoyed the buffet at Treasure Island for only $16 before visiting Cirque du Soleil Mystere at a discount too. We also enjoyed dinner at Dailies in Planet Hollywood where our entrees were half price. I was worried that we would end up eating in less than desireable restaurants but we had good experiences in both places.
Events and shows
Mystere by Cirque was great! Highly recommend (I don't think you can really go wrong with Cirque). We also went to V The Variety Show at Planet Hollywood which started off slow but the middle and ending acts more than made up for the less impressive beginning. For the price (at Tix4Tonight) this was worth it. We also saw Marc Bouchard, the hypnotist, which would have been more enjoyable had we known someone who went up on stage. As it was, some of the audience members who were choosen acted like idiots, and I couldn't tell if they were faking it or whether they really were hypnotized. I guess you have to like that kind of thing......
