I'd like to just say I love Vegas! I've been there probably 10 times now and I'm 23 with the last 2 trips being in August 08.' With every trip I have gone I subsequently have learned more of what to do and not to do. But more on that later. This is about the Bellagio. What I loved about it was it's name. It just sounds expensive. It's where the Ocean's 11 cast stayed I will break down the most important aspects of the hotel which I believe to be important and will compare them to many other hotels I have stayed in.

Style, Theme: 9/10
Bellatio is inspired by Lake Como in Italy. It's known for its elegance and right when you get in you can just admire all the details including the garden which is situated aft of the check in area. It's all painstakingly groomed and beautiful to look at. In January 07 the garden had a chinese theme complete with a giant budha and dragon statues which looked pretty cheesy but I'm sure chinese guests appreciated the sentiment. Everything from pillars to the tables itself give an expensive feel. The flooring, ceilings, and crownmolding look fabolous and right when you get in....you can smell a sweetness in the air. I think all hotels do this but Bellagio is a little bit more pronounced.

Food: 8/10
I can't comment on all of their restaraunts but I can say the food is bar none one of the best. I have eaten at the Bellagio cafe 3 times for breakfast, and 2 extremely late dinners. They are open 24 hours and offer an array of meat, salads, burgers, pastas and drinks. The food is a little bit more pricey with something like a turkey burger being $15, but what you get is a good portion of quality, good taste, nice atmosphere and a quick reminder where you are....vegas. Other entees like steak can run about $20 and it is extremely tasty! I honestly was expecting to pay more.
Let's talk about Buffets now. Most buffets people are used to happen to be at Sizzler's, Fresh Choice, or Hometown Buffet, but in the desert Buffets are nothing near the crap those restaraunts offer. The Buffet at the Bellagio I have eaten now 3 times. It's very good for what it is but if you're planning to just stuff yourself and make the most out of your dollar I recommend you go to Mirage or Rio because it's not the cheapest. I believe it was $28 to eat before dinner. There really isn't anything out of the ordinary at this Buffet but the turkey and prime rib were very good, along with some of the entrees like salmon or pasta. The sushi was a dissappointment however having mostly cucumber sushi or crab roles made with imitation crab. The dessert bar was another disappointment with cakes and pastry tasting more like Grocery Store take outs.


Attractions:
The fountains at the Bellagio located outside of the hotel play to the music of whatever it is they have playing. Including classical music at night, and country during the day. The fountains can shoot as high as 250ft in the air and there are 1200 of them. It's spread across 9 acres of water and best of all....it's free to watch.

Bellagio is also home to the famous Cirque du soleil show "O". It's basically acrobatic stunts taken to the next level with a water theme and completely worth it's $150 price as this show will amaze you! Keep in mind Cirque du soleil has I think 4 different shows which range from Chris Angel, "O," and 2 others I can't think of, each having a different theme.

Rooms: 9/10
All the rooms have a safe and descently sized tv, no plasma however. The bathroom is big with a tub to lay in and a seperate shower. The cabinetry are all wood and there are little things like power curtains to make your stay feel more fancy. There is also 2 turndown services a day! Sometimes I don't even want them to come in at all but I guess that's great service. What more can I say in that the rooms are elegant and it's a pretty good feeling knowing your staying at Bellagio. Oh, be warned not to go near the snack bar area as it is stocked with little treats and has a sensor so if you take an item out it will be deducted automatically to your bill.....I got a $245 fee! But had it fixed.

Club:
It's called the Bank but sadly I did not go there but as soon as I do I'll write about it.

Some things I learned:
Well I'll start when I just turned 18 I came out here with 2 friends and it was my birthday. My parents got us our own room at Excalibur one night and another night in Luxor, while they stayed somewhere else for 2 days to watch my sister play Volleyball. I quickly learned that having no money in Vegas sucks. We were eating McDonalds and other fastfood joints, but ate buffets at night with my parents. Even so we didn't have enough money for cabs, so we took the bus, but it still sucks. Also it sucks being at the end of the strip which is why Bellagio is great....it's right in the middle! Another thing I learned was, if you're underage and want to gamble....you go downtown. They don't check ID (as much). A friend of mine gambled, not me. So we're in Vegas too young to drink, gamble, or go to a strip joint (my friends were still 17). What can you do then?? I guess we just made trips walking around everywhere, going to the pool, and trying to sneak into the museum shop...oh and running across an expressway because there's no other way of getting to In&Out. My friend also got a tattoo.

For this Bellagio trip I had some more money. It was to be a prequel to my birthday coming up Sept 19, 2008. I got 2 rooms for 2 nights, invited 10 people, got an H2 Limo, and had a private table over at Club Prive. So what did I learn.....

1. Don't invite more than 3 people if you're hosting. It's much too hard to organize everyone's wants and needs. Some people are hungry, or want to go gamble, or feel like going to the pool, or seeing a show. Basically I had at one point, people in 4 different places.

2. Go with your guy friends if you're a guy or your girlfriends if you're a girl. It's way too much drama trying to meet people and hang out with the opposite sex if your with another girl. Oh your friends girlfriend wants to go to? Lose her, she'll just slow you down with heels.

3. Get a descent carry on. I have gotten my bags lost twice in the past checking it in and have just learned to survive with my carry on duffel bag. It's too small though, uncomfortable for long periods to hold, and generally just not effecient when having to take my dress shoes and dress pants. There's no way of keeping it wrinkle free. Lots of places like TUMI offer better solutions

4. VIP tables are great but segregate you from the dance floor. Yea you can go out to mingle but at $1800 for drinks and personal service...I'm gonna just drink. H2 on the other hand was completely worth it!

Conclusion
Bellagio is great but pricey with good food and good service. I say stay there once, and even though it's not the best deal on the strip it really isn't marketed as any sort of best bang for buck hotel. Look you get a great name, lavish decor, and good service. Everyone knows Bellagio and may just tell you it's over priced but....that's because they're on a budget. I have stayed there once and will probaby not stay there again....this was just a special occasion.

Coming later:
Reviews on Luxor, Venetian, Paris, and on Sept 19th my birthday Wynn, the best hotel bar none!!!

Updates:
So on sept 19th I ran out of funds and at the same time, I had a lot of debts. I thought it wise to not put it all on red and just make money the old fashion way....with time. So Wynn never happened. I will go there though...mark my words!!

Recommended: No