I find Vegas to be the perfect weekend get-away if you are looking to have lots of fun and zero rest.
Being Monday morning now I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation...
Here is an overview of my trip and reviews:
Aria Review
While we are in Vegas Aria is our hotel of choice, mostly do to the fact that my boyfriend gets a really good rate. Aria is a beautifully designed hotel with many unique and architecturally stunning qualities. The service (in room dining/housekeeping) is good, nothing extraordinary but no complaints. The food is very good, even my pool side BLT sandwich was awesome. We had dinner Friday night at Union Restaurant and Lounge. Bf ordered the steak which he said was one of the best he has had in a long time and I ordered the Bolognese which was very tasty. Also, the gelato at Sweet Chill is to die for, definitely a must if you are staying at the hotel!
Aria has 4 different pools, one is more kid friendly, one is more relaxed and the third one is quite large and adult orientated. The fourth pool is located in the Liquid Lounge which we planned on attending but the line up + the heat = giving up and jumping into the nearest pool. The pools are well maintained with many loungers so that it is easy to find a spot to set up for the day. They have pool side waitresses (I suggest Aria invest in better "uniforms", not very flattering on the girls) to take your drink orders, along with a bar. I recommend the blended Mojito, it is so refreshing! I had to send back the Pina-Colada and Strawberry Daiquiri as they were both gross. The Aria concierges are very helpful and informative and helped us book our restaurants and shows quickly and easily. Aria is very centrally located on the strip so you are within a short walk or taxi ride to all the events and casinos. Overall I would say Aria is really good but not great. The incident at Haze sort of soured our experience there.
Haze Night Club at Aria
When we booked our reservations for Union Restaurant the concierge also suggested that we go to Haze that evening and so he put us on the guest list. After our wonderful dinner at Union we were not to sure what we wanted to do so we decided to check out Haze and see what it was all about. It was quite early still, I'd say maybe 10:30 pm, and we only had to wait in a short line, paid no cover and were greeted with free drinks for the ladies! So far so good... The music was starting to pick up and bf and I were dancing along to Taio Cruz when bf had to go to the washroom. I was waiting by the washroom when bf came out, grabbed my hand to come with him, as he was being ushered to an exit by a Security Guard who I believe was named Shawn. Bf was pulled outside and was clearly arguing with the Guard. I was still inside at this time but could see through the windows, I had no idea what was happening or what could of happened in the short time he was in the washroom. They finally motioned for me to come out and I could not believe what they were accusing bf of doing! Here this Guard was accusing him of puking all over the stall to the degree that it was flowing into the other stalls. No matter how much we argued back the Guard clearly had his mind made up solely because the bathroom attendant said it was bf. There was no evidence of it, we kept pointing out the fact that A: bf is completely sober, B: there is no sign of any puke on him, his dress shirt and attire is still as crisp as it was when he entered the club and C: he did not smell the slightest bit of someone who supposedly seconds before puked all over a bathroom stall!!! You would think the Guard would use his own judgement and see that the stall bf walked out of was spotless, he went to the sink to wash his hands NOT splash water on his face or swish with mouth wash and there was absolutely no evidence of anything happening. The fact that this guard was so dead set on it being him even though it was so blatently clear that it couldn't possibly be bf was utterly bewildering! It lead us to think this was a racially motivated accusation, because there was no reasoning with the Guard. It gets you to thinking how easily it is for some people to out right accuse you of something when it could not be any more clearer or obvious that it was not you! We left feeling totally dumb founded, kept saying "Did that really just happen!?!" The ironic part was that bf actually thought to himself how clean the washroom was while he was using it... Definitely will never go to Haze again. If an individual can be so narrow minded that they cannot even use their own judgement when it is so clear that a mistake has been made is absurd. All we can assume is that there was a greater reason for why we got kicked out. So as you can probably tell I will never be returning to this club again. Have you ever had a bad experience at Haze?
Creepy Men
Obviously being in Vegas the chances of guys trying to hit on you are pretty high, but I have to say this was the most "interesting" way somebody has tried to hit on me in a long time.
So there I was standing in the line up at the pool side bar waiting to order, and to my left sitting is a group of guys. About half way through my wait one of the guys walks up to me holding up his camera and says, "You totally look like the girl in this picture!" As I turn to look at his camera I realize that the girl in the picture is me, and while I was standing there, he was at the table taking pictures of me in my bikini. I told him that he was a creep and he better delete it, which he did... I hope... He continued to talk to me and eventually tried to get my name which I refused to give him.
Advice: Do not take pictures of a random girl and then go show her! It comes across so very creepy.
Zumanity Reveiw
On Saturday night my bf and I decided to take in some shows, the first one we went to see was Zumanity which is suppose to be a sexy show. We got one of the 'love seats' at the very front which I recommend if you want to be a part of the show, if not, then sit in the farther rows. During one of the acts I got pulled up onto the stage which ended with me straddling a man on a bed and descending underneath the stage. Obviously it was all done in good fun but I can only imagine how many shades of red my face turned. My bf could not stop exclaiming on how cute I was up on the stage attempting to 'dance'. Definitely a Vegas experience I will never forget!
We both enjoyed the show very much, it was funny, entertaining and quite cheeky. If you would like to see an adult show with a little bit of raunchy humour then you will definitely enjoy the sensual side of Cirque Du Soleil, Zumanity.
Jabbawockeez Review
After seeing Zumanity we raced over to Monte Carlo and settled into our upper balcony seats to see Jabbawockeez. I wasn't sure what to expect but from what I remembered from their debut on America's Got Talent I would not be disappointed.
The show was not what I expected, it was entertaining, but they added more theatrics rather then just straight dancing. As described in a press release the Jabbawockeez are trying to tell a story: "the audio-visual story of inspiration brought to life through the harmonization of sound and movement." The Jabbawockeez did make their way into the crowd a few times, there were big stage props and a few interesting details spread throughout the show. Unfortunately, for the people seated in the front row (on the left side) the smoke machines kept blowing the smoke right into their faces so I can only imagine they had trouble seeing the performance. Since this was a kid friendly show there were many screaming children in the audience... I don't mean crying babies, I mean kids screaming at the top of their lungs at particular moments during the performance. The young girl sitting behind me literally lost her voice, so as you can only imagine the piercing screams spread throughout the show were met with glaring stares from me to her mother. I am all for kids being excited but there comes a point where your child needs to be respectful of the other couple hundred people who paid to enjoy the show as well. Overall, it was a good performance but more then likely would not recommend it to my friends.... unless they have children....
Craps
Bf and I tried Craps for the very first time while in Vegas. It was very enjoyable! We had so much fun at the table that we ended up staying there for close to 3 hours (did not seem that long at all). I would definitely recommend giving Craps a try the next time you are at the Casino!
Advice: Unless you know how to play, watch the table for a while before you start to get an idea of the flow of the game.
Swim Suit No-Nos
Just because its Vegas doesn't mean you should wear it. As per any beach or pool side visit you are bound to see girls prancing around in a swim suit that is less than flattering on them, but then there are the times when you see a girl wearing a swim suit that leaves you thinking, "What in the world was she thinking?" or "Why in the world did her friends let her leave the room in that?"
(The following examples I wish I could of taken pictures of but wouldn't want to come across as a creeper...)
Example 1: Standing in line at pool side bar and there is a young woman in front of me who has decided to sport a thong. Not a string like the picture above, but the only fabric on her back side was a 1"x 1" patch of material on the top of her butt crack. Now you definitely have to be brave to go in public in anything that revealing, and if the young woman would have been a V.S. model then, yes, we would possibly all be envious.... but at 5' 5", 10-15 pounds over weight (the weight being in her lower half) and from what I could tell some type of skin rash on her butt cheeks, deciding to sport a thong is probably not the wisest choice. You could not help but stare and wonder what possessed her to go down to the public pool wearing a teeny weeny non-existent baby pink bikini.
Advice: Unless you are at a nude beach (where anything goes) or have been blessed with the body of a super model, PLEASE PLEASE do your body justice and wear a bathing suit bottom that is appropriate for your shape and size.
Example 2: While frolicking around in the pool a late 20's woman and her girlfriends came down to soak up some sun. The woman was wearing a simple black bikini which attempted to hold her naturally large breasts. The bikini wasn't to risque or revealing, my only suggestion would probably of been to find a more 'structured' top, BUT it is what she did with her bikini top that made it a definite DON'T. After laying in the sun for a bit she decided to un-tie the halter straps that went around her neck and re-tie them around her back. She went from having a full bosom, to having 2 flap-jacks hanging off of her chest. From the back you could see these 2 bulges protruding from her sides. It looked like at any moment the bikini top would give way and her breasts would fall to her stomach... All this time her friends are sitting there saying nothing...
Advice: If you are naturally large chested and you want to prevent bikini strap lines then please invest in a quality, structured bandeau top. If bandeau is not your style then a structured 'bra' bikini top would be more appropriate, that way while sunbathing you can pop the straps off and everything, for the most part, will stay in place.
Example 3: Everybody loves polka-dots and as a swim suit pattern it can be quite cute, BUT wearing a very large polka-dot print boy short on a larger bottom makes everything look VERY LARGE. This young woman was all curves and curves can be very sexy if dressed properly. Wearing a boy short cut in a large polka-dot print just added that much more to the woman's bottom and not in a good way. She could have looked pretty darn cute if she would have worn a bikini cut bottom with a small polka-dot print. That way her curves would have been accentuated in a very flattering way.
Advice: Bigger is not always better when it comes to pattern. If you are planning on sporting a bold print such as polka-dots stick to a smaller print or a more muted color tone.
I love Vegas and look forward to many more visits there!
~ April
Being Monday morning now I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation...
Here is an overview of my trip and reviews:
Aria Review
While we are in Vegas Aria is our hotel of choice, mostly do to the fact that my boyfriend gets a really good rate. Aria is a beautifully designed hotel with many unique and architecturally stunning qualities. The service (in room dining/housekeeping) is good, nothing extraordinary but no complaints. The food is very good, even my pool side BLT sandwich was awesome. We had dinner Friday night at Union Restaurant and Lounge. Bf ordered the steak which he said was one of the best he has had in a long time and I ordered the Bolognese which was very tasty. Also, the gelato at Sweet Chill is to die for, definitely a must if you are staying at the hotel!
Aria has 4 different pools, one is more kid friendly, one is more relaxed and the third one is quite large and adult orientated. The fourth pool is located in the Liquid Lounge which we planned on attending but the line up + the heat = giving up and jumping into the nearest pool. The pools are well maintained with many loungers so that it is easy to find a spot to set up for the day. They have pool side waitresses (I suggest Aria invest in better "uniforms", not very flattering on the girls) to take your drink orders, along with a bar. I recommend the blended Mojito, it is so refreshing! I had to send back the Pina-Colada and Strawberry Daiquiri as they were both gross. The Aria concierges are very helpful and informative and helped us book our restaurants and shows quickly and easily. Aria is very centrally located on the strip so you are within a short walk or taxi ride to all the events and casinos. Overall I would say Aria is really good but not great. The incident at Haze sort of soured our experience there.
Haze Night Club at Aria
When we booked our reservations for Union Restaurant the concierge also suggested that we go to Haze that evening and so he put us on the guest list. After our wonderful dinner at Union we were not to sure what we wanted to do so we decided to check out Haze and see what it was all about. It was quite early still, I'd say maybe 10:30 pm, and we only had to wait in a short line, paid no cover and were greeted with free drinks for the ladies! So far so good... The music was starting to pick up and bf and I were dancing along to Taio Cruz when bf had to go to the washroom. I was waiting by the washroom when bf came out, grabbed my hand to come with him, as he was being ushered to an exit by a Security Guard who I believe was named Shawn. Bf was pulled outside and was clearly arguing with the Guard. I was still inside at this time but could see through the windows, I had no idea what was happening or what could of happened in the short time he was in the washroom. They finally motioned for me to come out and I could not believe what they were accusing bf of doing! Here this Guard was accusing him of puking all over the stall to the degree that it was flowing into the other stalls. No matter how much we argued back the Guard clearly had his mind made up solely because the bathroom attendant said it was bf. There was no evidence of it, we kept pointing out the fact that A: bf is completely sober, B: there is no sign of any puke on him, his dress shirt and attire is still as crisp as it was when he entered the club and C: he did not smell the slightest bit of someone who supposedly seconds before puked all over a bathroom stall!!! You would think the Guard would use his own judgement and see that the stall bf walked out of was spotless, he went to the sink to wash his hands NOT splash water on his face or swish with mouth wash and there was absolutely no evidence of anything happening. The fact that this guard was so dead set on it being him even though it was so blatently clear that it couldn't possibly be bf was utterly bewildering! It lead us to think this was a racially motivated accusation, because there was no reasoning with the Guard. It gets you to thinking how easily it is for some people to out right accuse you of something when it could not be any more clearer or obvious that it was not you! We left feeling totally dumb founded, kept saying "Did that really just happen!?!" The ironic part was that bf actually thought to himself how clean the washroom was while he was using it... Definitely will never go to Haze again. If an individual can be so narrow minded that they cannot even use their own judgement when it is so clear that a mistake has been made is absurd. All we can assume is that there was a greater reason for why we got kicked out. So as you can probably tell I will never be returning to this club again. Have you ever had a bad experience at Haze?
Creepy Men
Obviously being in Vegas the chances of guys trying to hit on you are pretty high, but I have to say this was the most "interesting" way somebody has tried to hit on me in a long time.
So there I was standing in the line up at the pool side bar waiting to order, and to my left sitting is a group of guys. About half way through my wait one of the guys walks up to me holding up his camera and says, "You totally look like the girl in this picture!" As I turn to look at his camera I realize that the girl in the picture is me, and while I was standing there, he was at the table taking pictures of me in my bikini. I told him that he was a creep and he better delete it, which he did... I hope... He continued to talk to me and eventually tried to get my name which I refused to give him.
Advice: Do not take pictures of a random girl and then go show her! It comes across so very creepy.
Zumanity Reveiw
On Saturday night my bf and I decided to take in some shows, the first one we went to see was Zumanity which is suppose to be a sexy show. We got one of the 'love seats' at the very front which I recommend if you want to be a part of the show, if not, then sit in the farther rows. During one of the acts I got pulled up onto the stage which ended with me straddling a man on a bed and descending underneath the stage. Obviously it was all done in good fun but I can only imagine how many shades of red my face turned. My bf could not stop exclaiming on how cute I was up on the stage attempting to 'dance'. Definitely a Vegas experience I will never forget!
We both enjoyed the show very much, it was funny, entertaining and quite cheeky. If you would like to see an adult show with a little bit of raunchy humour then you will definitely enjoy the sensual side of Cirque Du Soleil, Zumanity.
Jabbawockeez Review
After seeing Zumanity we raced over to Monte Carlo and settled into our upper balcony seats to see Jabbawockeez. I wasn't sure what to expect but from what I remembered from their debut on America's Got Talent I would not be disappointed.
The show was not what I expected, it was entertaining, but they added more theatrics rather then just straight dancing. As described in a press release the Jabbawockeez are trying to tell a story: "the audio-visual story of inspiration brought to life through the harmonization of sound and movement." The Jabbawockeez did make their way into the crowd a few times, there were big stage props and a few interesting details spread throughout the show. Unfortunately, for the people seated in the front row (on the left side) the smoke machines kept blowing the smoke right into their faces so I can only imagine they had trouble seeing the performance. Since this was a kid friendly show there were many screaming children in the audience... I don't mean crying babies, I mean kids screaming at the top of their lungs at particular moments during the performance. The young girl sitting behind me literally lost her voice, so as you can only imagine the piercing screams spread throughout the show were met with glaring stares from me to her mother. I am all for kids being excited but there comes a point where your child needs to be respectful of the other couple hundred people who paid to enjoy the show as well. Overall, it was a good performance but more then likely would not recommend it to my friends.... unless they have children....
Craps
Bf and I tried Craps for the very first time while in Vegas. It was very enjoyable! We had so much fun at the table that we ended up staying there for close to 3 hours (did not seem that long at all). I would definitely recommend giving Craps a try the next time you are at the Casino!
Advice: Unless you know how to play, watch the table for a while before you start to get an idea of the flow of the game.
Swim Suit No-Nos
Just because its Vegas doesn't mean you should wear it. As per any beach or pool side visit you are bound to see girls prancing around in a swim suit that is less than flattering on them, but then there are the times when you see a girl wearing a swim suit that leaves you thinking, "What in the world was she thinking?" or "Why in the world did her friends let her leave the room in that?"
(The following examples I wish I could of taken pictures of but wouldn't want to come across as a creeper...)
Example 1: Standing in line at pool side bar and there is a young woman in front of me who has decided to sport a thong. Not a string like the picture above, but the only fabric on her back side was a 1"x 1" patch of material on the top of her butt crack. Now you definitely have to be brave to go in public in anything that revealing, and if the young woman would have been a V.S. model then, yes, we would possibly all be envious.... but at 5' 5", 10-15 pounds over weight (the weight being in her lower half) and from what I could tell some type of skin rash on her butt cheeks, deciding to sport a thong is probably not the wisest choice. You could not help but stare and wonder what possessed her to go down to the public pool wearing a teeny weeny non-existent baby pink bikini.
Advice: Unless you are at a nude beach (where anything goes) or have been blessed with the body of a super model, PLEASE PLEASE do your body justice and wear a bathing suit bottom that is appropriate for your shape and size.
Example 2: While frolicking around in the pool a late 20's woman and her girlfriends came down to soak up some sun. The woman was wearing a simple black bikini which attempted to hold her naturally large breasts. The bikini wasn't to risque or revealing, my only suggestion would probably of been to find a more 'structured' top, BUT it is what she did with her bikini top that made it a definite DON'T. After laying in the sun for a bit she decided to un-tie the halter straps that went around her neck and re-tie them around her back. She went from having a full bosom, to having 2 flap-jacks hanging off of her chest. From the back you could see these 2 bulges protruding from her sides. It looked like at any moment the bikini top would give way and her breasts would fall to her stomach... All this time her friends are sitting there saying nothing...
Advice: If you are naturally large chested and you want to prevent bikini strap lines then please invest in a quality, structured bandeau top. If bandeau is not your style then a structured 'bra' bikini top would be more appropriate, that way while sunbathing you can pop the straps off and everything, for the most part, will stay in place.
Example 3: Everybody loves polka-dots and as a swim suit pattern it can be quite cute, BUT wearing a very large polka-dot print boy short on a larger bottom makes everything look VERY LARGE. This young woman was all curves and curves can be very sexy if dressed properly. Wearing a boy short cut in a large polka-dot print just added that much more to the woman's bottom and not in a good way. She could have looked pretty darn cute if she would have worn a bikini cut bottom with a small polka-dot print. That way her curves would have been accentuated in a very flattering way.
Advice: Bigger is not always better when it comes to pattern. If you are planning on sporting a bold print such as polka-dots stick to a smaller print or a more muted color tone.
I love Vegas and look forward to many more visits there!
~ April
