Sorry for the late posting of this review! I have few other reviews from my 2 night June trip to Las Vegas which I'll combine into more of a trip report. :) I'm happy to report that I've gotten a few more Helpful votes on Trip Advisor and have more than a 2 to 1 ratio!
My Trip Advisor review of the Bellagio Las Vegas
This was my first time trying the Bellagio. I've enjoyed my visits there in the past strolling through the conservatory and I like the vibe of the casino plus - THE FOUNTAINS! - so I figured it was time to stay there and check it out. Staying at the Bellagio turned out ok but I don't know if I would go back.
Overall, my two days there seemed very crowded. Maybe it's just because it was a summer weekend - we arrived on a Sunday - or maybe because there was a convention happening. The check in line took us 45 minutes to go through to get up to the counter. Once we were at the counter, our check in person was pleasant and it was a quick 5 minutes to get our room assignment and keys.
I turned down a complimentary fountain view room upgrade because it was smoking optional with 2 queens and I needed 1 king, non smoking. We got a high floor pool view instead which was nice. The decor is pleasant but the room was smaller than what I prefer and the fixtures are showing their age. I accidentally pulled the towel off the towel bar too hard and one side popped off - oops. The decorative plate around the shower handle was loose. Housekeeping has been neglecting some of the dusting and the shower head and sink faucets need some deep cleaning to remove mineral buildup.
On a positive note, I enjoyed the curtains very much! There are sheers and blackout curtains which work Very Well at blocking out the sunlight. Each set are on motorized tracks which you can control separately via push buttons located on the right side of the bed or at the entrance hallway.
The bed comfort was ok. My favorite bed so far has been at Vdara. The Bellagio pillows were down filled and seemed ok. They were a huge step up in comfort from the pillows at Delano. We did discover after the 1st night, that the light weight feather comforter gets hot when sleeping so for the 2nd night we turned down the thermostat in the room a little bit more than daytime temps.
I think I've been spoiled by staying previously in Suite rooms at Vdara and THE hotel/Delano because I was missing the extra touches like dual vanity sinks, TV in the bathroom and extra wide and/or jetted bath tubs. Not to mention the obvious differences in square footage and having a separate living room area.
A tip about the in room convenience foods and mini-bar: many hotels have switched to this scale system now and some are familiar with this system. But in case you have not encountered this before, all of the food on the counter and drinks in the mini bar are sitting on weight sensitive bases. As soon as the weight is removed, you have a few seconds to replace or it will automatically get charged to your room. Unless you really want to buy a $6 tiny box of gummy bears, my suggestion is "look but don't touch".
Our one full day was spent sleeping in and relaxing by the pool. It was a hot and sunny day. I had read online previously that you need to get down to the pool early in order to grab a coveted umbrella spot. We also found that out the hard way when we arrived late around noon and wandered around the entire pool grounds looking for anything that was shady. We really lucked out when a couple was getting up to leave and they let us take over their loungers under an umbrella - Yay! (Thank you kind strangers!) Almost every pool lounger was occupied or being "saved" with personal effects so I'm not sure what we would have done if we hadn't inherited those loungers under the umbrella. We both managed to get just a teeny bit burned even under the umbrella shade. Some UV rays still penetrate through the cover and we forgot to reapply sunscreen.
There were many pool employees bustling about to keep up with the very crowded pool decks. Pool attendees were gathering used towels, straightening loungers and keeping things orderly and neat. Restaurant wait staff were taking to-go food orders and delivering them to your lounger. Cocktail staff were easy to spot in their bikini tops and skort bottoms and they dutifully made the rounds checking to see if anyone needed new drinks. There was even a member of the Spa staff who came around to solicit poolside massages.
Wi-Fi in the hotel was easy to connect to and the signal was strong. There are two separate networks for in-room versus the pool area which were the two places that we logged in to connect to the network. It was a little confusing having to re-connect out at the pool after we had already connected in the room but that was quickly figured out and it's not a big deal but would have been good to get an advance head's up.
Food and drinks, as to be expected, are pricey at the Bellagio. I paid $7 for a caramel latte, $2 for a banana, $5 for a blueberry muffin, $4 for a soda... Lunch bought from the Gelato shop and eaten at our pool loungers was surprisingly not too bad price wise. My husband had the Asian Tofu Salad $10.95 and I had the Mediterranean Cous Cous salad $6. We shared a fountain drink and I asked for ice in a separate cup. The Gelato gal was Very helpful and let me know that refills for the rest of the day are free - just bring the cup back. The same goes for coffee though coffee refills are just for regular coffee, not specialty types.
This was my first time trying the Bellagio. I've enjoyed my visits there in the past strolling through the conservatory and I like the vibe of the casino plus - THE FOUNTAINS! - so I figured it was time to stay there and check it out. Staying at the Bellagio turned out ok but I don't know if I would go back.
Overall, my two days there seemed very crowded. Maybe it's just because it was a summer weekend - we arrived on a Sunday - or maybe because there was a convention happening. The check in line took us 45 minutes to go through to get up to the counter. Once we were at the counter, our check in person was pleasant and it was a quick 5 minutes to get our room assignment and keys.
I turned down a complimentary fountain view room upgrade because it was smoking optional with 2 queens and I needed 1 king, non smoking. We got a high floor pool view instead which was nice. The decor is pleasant but the room was smaller than what I prefer and the fixtures are showing their age. I accidentally pulled the towel off the towel bar too hard and one side popped off - oops. The decorative plate around the shower handle was loose. Housekeeping has been neglecting some of the dusting and the shower head and sink faucets need some deep cleaning to remove mineral buildup.
On a positive note, I enjoyed the curtains very much! There are sheers and blackout curtains which work Very Well at blocking out the sunlight. Each set are on motorized tracks which you can control separately via push buttons located on the right side of the bed or at the entrance hallway.
The bed comfort was ok. My favorite bed so far has been at Vdara. The Bellagio pillows were down filled and seemed ok. They were a huge step up in comfort from the pillows at Delano. We did discover after the 1st night, that the light weight feather comforter gets hot when sleeping so for the 2nd night we turned down the thermostat in the room a little bit more than daytime temps.
I think I've been spoiled by staying previously in Suite rooms at Vdara and THE hotel/Delano because I was missing the extra touches like dual vanity sinks, TV in the bathroom and extra wide and/or jetted bath tubs. Not to mention the obvious differences in square footage and having a separate living room area.
A tip about the in room convenience foods and mini-bar: many hotels have switched to this scale system now and some are familiar with this system. But in case you have not encountered this before, all of the food on the counter and drinks in the mini bar are sitting on weight sensitive bases. As soon as the weight is removed, you have a few seconds to replace or it will automatically get charged to your room. Unless you really want to buy a $6 tiny box of gummy bears, my suggestion is "look but don't touch".
Our one full day was spent sleeping in and relaxing by the pool. It was a hot and sunny day. I had read online previously that you need to get down to the pool early in order to grab a coveted umbrella spot. We also found that out the hard way when we arrived late around noon and wandered around the entire pool grounds looking for anything that was shady. We really lucked out when a couple was getting up to leave and they let us take over their loungers under an umbrella - Yay! (Thank you kind strangers!) Almost every pool lounger was occupied or being "saved" with personal effects so I'm not sure what we would have done if we hadn't inherited those loungers under the umbrella. We both managed to get just a teeny bit burned even under the umbrella shade. Some UV rays still penetrate through the cover and we forgot to reapply sunscreen.
There were many pool employees bustling about to keep up with the very crowded pool decks. Pool attendees were gathering used towels, straightening loungers and keeping things orderly and neat. Restaurant wait staff were taking to-go food orders and delivering them to your lounger. Cocktail staff were easy to spot in their bikini tops and skort bottoms and they dutifully made the rounds checking to see if anyone needed new drinks. There was even a member of the Spa staff who came around to solicit poolside massages.
Wi-Fi in the hotel was easy to connect to and the signal was strong. There are two separate networks for in-room versus the pool area which were the two places that we logged in to connect to the network. It was a little confusing having to re-connect out at the pool after we had already connected in the room but that was quickly figured out and it's not a big deal but would have been good to get an advance head's up.
Food and drinks, as to be expected, are pricey at the Bellagio. I paid $7 for a caramel latte, $2 for a banana, $5 for a blueberry muffin, $4 for a soda... Lunch bought from the Gelato shop and eaten at our pool loungers was surprisingly not too bad price wise. My husband had the Asian Tofu Salad $10.95 and I had the Mediterranean Cous Cous salad $6. We shared a fountain drink and I asked for ice in a separate cup. The Gelato gal was Very helpful and let me know that refills for the rest of the day are free - just bring the cup back. The same goes for coffee though coffee refills are just for regular coffee, not specialty types.
After we returned back from the pool, we had discovered a box of complimentary chocolates had been delivered and placed in our room! There was a handwritten note thanking us for choosing to stay at the Bellagio. I think it was sent because I had mentioned during check in that we were celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary. It was a thoughtful touch and I appreciated that extra level of customer service. A business card from the Assistant Front Desk manager was included so I made sure to send an email to thank him for the chocolates. :)
