Hotel Reviews
Flamingo Vegas Style
Countdown 2010Dawn Bonner
These thoughts keep going through my mind: What a blessed life. My God, what a view.
Each time when sitting on the light gold velvet covered chaise in front of the floor to ceiling windows in the chic Go Room of Flamingo Las Vegas these same thoughts run through my mind. You see, the room overlooks the Bellagio water gardens show.
It’s Magic Time at Flamingo Las Vegas
It is seven in the evening and the water show at Bellagio is going on every 15 minutes. The lights are off in the Go room, the room is quiet, and it is me, my laptop, the gold chaise, and the lights of the Vegas Strip. The sun is setting and there is a gorgeous scarlet orange streak in the purple and midnight blue sky. The Bellagio water ballet has light streaming through the playful spurts of water. The strip is bumper to bumper traffic and the golden lights coming from the headlights of the cars adds to the cacophony of beauty which makes for a magical evening.
Now, let’s hope we get a view of the fireworks on New Year’s Eve night. The new City Center is putting on a fireworks display and the view of it is fairly good from here, as well.
Now, the evening didn’t start out this way at all. Let me digress and start at the beginning.
Start at the Beginning
Harrah’s sent a great offer for club card rewards members. After looking at several different properties and rooms it seemed appropriate, since this was the beginning of a new year and a new decade, to stay at where Sin City began at Flamingo Las Vegas.
Fast forward to getting into the hotel via valet service. There was a sign saying Valet Full. Luckily, one of the valet people told us to pull in. It took about ten to fifteen minutes for a valet to attend to us.
One of the valets said there are 4,000 rooms at Flamingo and only 500 valet parking spots, so they were closing the service down to guests only. Was a bit surprised at how few valets there seemed to be on staff for a busy week like this. The people working were friendly and courteous. Helpful, too.
Hotel RueThere was a bit of a wait in line for check-in. About 40 minutes, which was pretty good considering the line. At the check-in counter is a sign saying ‘Ask about upgrades.’
Upon entrance to our room, we were greeted with a surprise, the maid was still cleaning it. We are not sure if our presence rushed her out and she forgot to leave some of the amenities or if the standard room only comes with one shampoo and one lotion.
The clerk who checked us in did a great job on the request for a room with a view. The room showcased a stunning view of Caesar’s Palace and The Mirage. This is the highlight of this room. There was an armchair stuffed awkwardly between the bed and the floor to ceiling window. The light gold armchair was reminiscent of The Velveteen Rabbit, in that the velvet was completely worn off the arms. Hopefully, it was well loved. The fabric underneath the velvet looked oily? or shiny. Whichever it was, gives one pause about using it. The armchair was facing a small desk with a lamp and a wood chair. The desk was tucked against the wall with the side of the desk butted up to the window.
Next, sits an armoire with an older model TV, perhaps a 27 inch. Then wall space and next a large closet. Impressively generous in size. The closet contains a safe and two luggage racks. Flamingo also stocks an iron and ironing board in their closets.
Now, back to the armchair. It seems reasonable in a room with two queen size beds there would be two armchairs for guests to sit in. And, one thing about Flamingo, the rooms are spacious. Here’s a hint Flamingo; if you move the desk to the other side of the armoire there is plenty of room to put two armchairs and a table in the space where the desk currently is placed.
This one thing would change the ambiance of the room quite a bit. It would be a lovely conversation area, a great place for guests to dine in their room, and a wonderful area to sit and enjoy the lovely view. And, another hint, make sure the arms still have hair on them, this would be a big plus.
The bathroom broke the camel’s back. The vanity had only one sink, very small counter space, and it was quite low. Yes, you’ve got that right, the sink was really low to the ground. We’re baby boomers, we don’t want to bend in half to wash our faces and brush our teeth. When my Daniel saw the small bathroom and the size of the TV, he got right on the phone to upgrade our room. About 40 minutes later and three transfers, someone finally talked to him.We finally got our room upgrade and were waiting on the bellman to move us, when someone walked in with a key. It was two other guests who had already been checked into our soon to be vacated room. They panicked a bit when they saw our luggage and people in their room. One thing, Flamingo may not be fast on picking up the phone, but they are fast in getting their rooms accommodated with guests.
While Daniel was waiting on hold, it availed a moment of serenity and beauty. The sun was setting and this room has a glorious view of the sunset. This sunset was particularly enchanting, as it was deep orange and pink with hues of deep blue surrounding the orange firy sapphire sky. The beautiful sunset and the overlook of the gorgeous hotels made this evening a wonderful experience.
And, this room would be perfect for viewing the New Years Eve fireworks display as Caesar’s Palace, The Venetian, and The Mirage are all doing fireworks off the tops of their buildings, so you would get a perfect birds eye view from the privacy of your room.
The Go Rooms are newly remodeled at Flamingo and they are chic, modern, and a throwback to sixties glam. Yes, in the early 60s there was glamour and sophistication–the Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke type glamour. The Go Room has white wallpapered walls in all the right spaces and striped wallpaper in strategically well-placed spots in the room. The wallpaper looks much like this>> and is so fitting for the decor.
The closet doors are frosted with large silver handles edged in white wood. There is a plasma TV above the marble topped four drawer dresser. And a serious stereo system atop the dresser. The marble topped desk has a small coffee pot, a lamp, the Internet connection if you don’t have wireless capabilities on your laptop, and an ice bucket and glasses in a matching brown leather tray.
The headboards are great. They are tall to the ceiling, overstuffed white patent button down and crown platform beds with very comfortable mattresses. There are no comforters, they use two sheets with a blanket sandwiched between them. Great for sanitary reasons because who knows what the last guests did on those comforters you sat on at the last hotel you spent the night at. With both white sheets being changed you know there are no unseen body fluids rubbing off on you.
The closets are a bit smaller in the Go rooms because the bathrooms are bigger. Don’t let that worry you, they are still spacious. The bathroom has a white ceramic sink, sitting on top of a white marble top with an open steel framed vanity. The large open area underneath the high sink is well used for towels, extra toilet paper, and a wonderful place to stash your personal grooming supplies. The door to the bathroom is lightly frosted glass that slides and is attached to the wall the way they do doors in Japan. It is very cool looking. The common wall for the bathroom and the entry way is also lightly frosted glass which is great because otherwise the entry would be claustrophobic. The bathtub is a regular sized tub flanked by a glass encased shower. The walls are bright flamingo pink where the large mirror is and the rest of the walls are white. It is a very striking combination. The mirror has a TV inside it. The ceramic tile in the tub and shower area is an attractive eggshell pattern which comes in oblong squares. And, there is one orange stripe going down the tile.There are touches of silver and stainless steel throughout the room. The bathroom door glides back and forth from a brushed stainless steel valance, there are four movable silver lamps attached to the wall on both sides of the bed, the TV and stereo system are in silver, and above the beds are silver square mirrored and silver boxes with nine studio light bulbs.
This room is a real hit. So much so, it is easy to imagine Bugsy himself would have decorated his beloved casino like this, too.
Another positive, the rooms are fairly sound proof. You hardly hear noise from the hallway or the other rooms. No plumbing noises either. Some hotels, every time someone takes a shower or flushes the toilet everyone in the hotel can hear it.
A Few Gripes
There was no information book about the hotel left in the room. No dirty laundry bag and no ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign in the room. Room service sent the book up fairly promptly when asked. The maid rounded up a sign for the room the next morning when asked about it, and finally one of the maids had a few Flamingo bags for soiled clothing. She said sometimes they had them, sometimes they didn’t.
Room Service at Flamingo can be a bit slow and they don’t have chocolate fudge sundays. What kind of a hotel doesn’t do that?! One time room service had a two-hour wait and another time it was whittled down to an hour and a half.
They keep saying it is because this week is extra busy being the week between Christmas and the New Year. So, will give them the benefit of a doubt. It is worth noting, when you do finally get your room service, it is delicious and they remember the thoughtful touches, suc as condiments, and glasses of ice water with your order, even when these things aren’t requested.
Words of Advice
For the most part, many of the people on staff at Flamingo are friendly and helpful. In our experience, you will find some clinkers. The Java Coffee Shop has some smart alek staff who think they are pretty funny insulting customers and the other staff was concerned, but the manager on duty was pretty non-challant about it.
When coming to Flamingo, don’t expect first-class service. You may get it from some, but not from others. Consistency is that service is inconsistent. One of the bellmen (who was very helpful and informative) pretty much summed it up.
He said, “This isn’t the Bellagio.”
And, that it seems, is the consensus here from management on down. To their credit, kudos to many of the employees who rise above the management mentality and do pride themselves on great service.
A Few Tips
- · Upgrade at the hotel if you like, it is a better run for your money than doing it online or telephone.
- · Arrive by eary afternoon to take advantage of valet service during the busy season.
- · If ordering room service for dinner or late night treats, order early as they will tell you the wait time is 1.5 to 2 hours.
· If you don’t have something in your room, do call and order it, they are good about getting it right up to you.
- · Upon check-in be sure to request a strip view and as high up as you can, the views at Flamingo are some of the best we’ve seen.
- · If you do upgrade: Go Rooms are an added $30 a night above what you paid for your original reservations. This will get you a view of the Flamingo Gardens. For $40 per night you can get a view of The Strip.
- · If you don’t have one, get a players club card and play as much as you can at the Harrah’s properties to gain club card rewards and receive offers for discounted and free stays: Harrah’s, Paris, Flamingo, Rio, Bally’s, Harvey’s, Caesar’s, Imperial Palace, Roadhouse, Tunica Biloxi, Horseshoe, and Showboat.
- · The hotel is really spendy. Translation in facts:
To get Internet service you will be billed $13.99 per day, PER computer. We didn’t realize this and turned a second computer on for about ten minutes to check out a couple of things, Flamingo billed $13.99 for the second computer. To be fair, they took it off with a phone call to the front desk. They were, however, surprised that check-in didn’t provide us with that information.
If you use the Internet kiosks around the hotel it is 35 cents a minute and it looks like there is a minimum fee of $5.
If you use the health club, it is $10 per day, per guest. And, if you would like to use the showers, steam room or jacuzzi after the work out add an additional $10 per guest, per day.
Summing It All Up
Location, location, location: it is great. Located on the Strip between Bally’s and Harrah’s. Across the street from Bellagio and Caesar’s Palace. Near Paris and nine tenths of a mile from Planet Hollywood and the new City Center. A stones throw from some of the most exquisite shopping in the world.
Food: From room service, to coffee shops, to restaurants all of the food is delicious and fairly well priced. Look forward to restaurant reviews shortly.
Go Room: Is beautiful and lovely. If the whole hotel operated like the care and thought that went into the planning of this room, the hotel would provide a first-class experience.
Standard Room: If you gamble, party, and do not spend a lot of time in your room, this is a good room to enjoy a few hours rest and if you are on a budget, there are some great deals for this room. If you enjoy a luxury room, this room is not for you.
Coolness: To think of the past and this hotel being the start of it all is really something. There are some reminders of Bugsy with the Bugsy Cabaret and Bugsy Lounge, but can’t help thinking it would be great for some nostalgic photos and reminders through-out the hotel of their long, glorious history.
Service: Could use a B-12 injection for consistency and preparation.
Flamingo Gardens: Exquisite. Especially in the summer, the pools are large and the birds, foliage, and private areas are really special. Even if you aren’t staying here, it is worth it to take some time and walk through the gardens; you will find a bit of paradise and solitude in the middle of Sin City.
Would We Stay at Flamingo Las Vegas Again?
And, finally, to answer the big question. Would we stay here again? Probably not, unless we can’t get those views out of our minds AND we get a deal we can’t say no to. We have stayed at Treasure Island for less money and were not charged fees to use their first-class health club.
But, after tonight we may change our minds, that is if we get a great view of the fireworks! Of course, now that we are in the room we love, we are on the wrong side of the building for the primo view! Will keep you posted, plus be sure to check this article again, got some great photos of the view and the water ballet and will be doing a slide show for you to enjoy.
That being said, am glad for the experience and will forever be grateful for the luxurious moments spent on the soft gold chaise in front of the floor to ceiling windows watching the Bellagio water shows. Incredible.
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