Vegas Hotel Reviews: Bellagio

This uber-luxury hotel redefined the Strip when it opened, and is still the King of Vegas. Completely over the top, the lobby alone is enough to blow you away: thousands of individual flowers, ranging from only a few inches to several feet wide...all made from hand-blown glass, and assembled in a 20 foot long, 10 feet wide sculpture, suspended upside-down over your head, as you wait to check in. You know this is a very different hotel.

The Bellagio is all about luxury. The decor is impeccable. The music is constant, mingling with the slot machines. The garden area is bigger than most cities' museums. And, oh yes, there is one of those here, as well. Ocean's 11 was all about Bellagio, and they got almost all of the details right.

Truly, to experience the new attempt of class in Las Vegas, mixed with it's complete "theme park for adults feel," Bellagio reigns supreme.

Hotel: Reputedly, one of the best rooms in Las Vegas. Luxury, tasteful, elegant. Never stayed.

Casino: Surprisingly large! They do an excellent job of making even slot machines feel luxurious. And the tables are a featured attraction.

Pools: No idea.

Dining: Some of the best from around the world. Olive's, from my old home of Boston (well, Olive's was in Charlestown, but who cares?), along with some of the best cutting edge haute cuisine to be had.

Entertainment: Sure, there are great shows, but Bellagio has the best free attraction in Las Vegas: the Bellagio Fountains. Amy calls them "aquatic fireworks," and it's the best description I've ever heard. Hundreds of swaying, pulsing, and spraying fountains, set to music and light, perform dozens of different explosive performances to the likes of opera, Elvis Presley, and more, in 5-10 minute shows, every hour. These pictures hardly do it justice (taken from my cameraphone, after all), and it's worth multiple trips just to gather, with childlike glee, along with hundreds of other people, to be amazed by these liquid fantasies.

Overall: A. None better.

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