Property
Imagine walking the halls of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, with flickering lights, oil paintings and stylized Italian ceilings and walls, and you have the Venetian. This all-suite hotel has lovely and spacious rooms (starting at 650 sf), with 130 sf bathrooms. The 4-diamond AAA rated hotel would be great for an adult-only weekend escape too, if you can get Grandma to take the kids.

Location
The hotel leads into the Grand Canal Shoppes, complete with indoor/outdoor gondola rides, cloud-painted ceilings, human statues and $14 bowling ball size candy apples. Across the street is Treasure Island’s free “The Sirens of TI” outdoor pirate show.

Sleeps
In rooms with two double beds and a pull-out couch, you can sleep six.

Highlights
Every elevator ride was a trip to Phantom of the Opera, with the show (based at the Venetian) tunes piped in. I embarrassed my companions more than once (okay, more than twice), breaking into song while other hotel guests were hostage in the elevator. Also, the bathroom was larger than both kids’ rooms put together. With both a Roman tub and glassed-in shower (two decadent shower heads from above, and two from the side), I felt guilty pleasure wasting the desert water. Plus two sinks, a vanity and a water closet.

Good to know
If you have sensory issues, the stench of perfume throughout the hotel hallways might send you over the edge. Book a suite in the newer Venetia tower to avoid walking through the casino to get to your room. There’s a separate registration area (if you can find it in the maze that is the Venetian). The main lobby registration has cordoned lines resembling the airport security line.

Contact
http://www.venetian.com/

Written by Debbie Abrams Kaplan

Property
Platinum Hotel, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love your huge suite-style rooms with full kitchens, flat screen TVs, comfy beds, and plenty of room for a family to spread out. I love that your property is non-smoking so I can breathe after a day of walking through those smoky casinos. I love your indoor/outdoor pool which is perfect for those hot Vegas summers. I love that you have a spa on site so I can get a massage after a day of chasing the kids around. And I love your commitment to being eco-friendly.

Location
Located about a block and a half from the center of the strip. It’s only a 5-minute walk to Paris, Ballys, Flamingo, Caesars and the monorail. Truly the perfect off-strip location.

Sleeps
Suites are 1 or 2-bedroom with 2 queens or one king in each room. Every suite also has a pull out couch in the living area. There is plenty of room for the whole family.

Highlights
Every room is equipped with 42 inch plasma TVs, climate control, double vanities and a whirlpool tub for two.  They also have pillow-top mattresses, balconies, and full kitchens with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. Some rooms have washer/dryers (a lifesaver on our trip), fireplaces, and amazing views of the strip. The hotel has an indoor/outdoor heated pool which makes it possible to take the kids swimming no matter the weather. There is a restaurant, a bar and lounge, and a full spa on site. The strip is just a stone’s throw away which means you are close to the action but the off-strip location makes life easier when trying to get your family to wind down at the end of the day.

Good to Know
The staff is incredibly helpful and attentive which comes in handy when you are looking for the closest pharmacy because you child has a fever. Portable cribs are available so no there is no need to haul yours on the plane. The entire property is non-smoking.

Contact
http://www.theplatinumhotel.com/

Written by Sharlene Earnshaw

Property
You don’t have to walk through the casino to get to the lobby, elevators, and your room. Amen! Families can choose from 550 square-foot Deluxe doubles (as big as my first apartment) all the way up to 1,500 square-foot XBs (which stands for extra bedroom). Rooms are recently renovated, with all the modern conveniences. Kids will love the property’s four pools, the Shark Reef aquarium, and the House of Blues restaurant. For those who find Mandalay’s location a little isolating, a monorail linking the hotel with Luxor and Excalibur will get you into the heart of the strip in no time.

Location
The south end of the strip in Las Vegas.

Sleeps
2-6.

Highlights
No question, families come here for the aquatic scene. In June of 2007 Mandalay Bay completed a 30-million-dollar expansion of its 11-acre beach area (doubling poolside and beachside seating) which includes a wave pool, a lazy river (floats can be rented), a bona fide white sand beach, and an adults-only pool for those with the luck and foresight to drop the kids at Grandma’s on the way to the airport.

Good to know
Children under 14 free in parents room. Concierge can help arrange babysitting.

Contact
www.mandalaybay.com

Written by Jamie Pearson