I haven’t been on a girls trip in years cos as I’m lot of you might experience took, being part of a huge group of girls, it can be hard to wrangle up the posse and decide on anything really. This year… was different! We were incredibly organized (well except for me that is). They booked their flights in Feburary & got a great value deal for. I on the other hand booked my flights 10 days previous!! Story of my life right there.
Getting there:
The Girls: they booked their package deal with Travel Republic for €690. It included flights, transfers and accommodation for 5 nights. The hotel was Planet Hollywood (not including breakfast) and flights with United airlines from Dublin with a stopover in New York on each leg. Pretty good value in my opinion.
Me: I booked my flight 10 days previous & flew with Virgin America out of JFK. Mc Careen Airport in Las Vegas is about a 5/10 minute drive from the strip so very convienent. Probably the closest airport ever to city center & it was clearly built to service visitors to the Las Vegas Strip.
Where we Stayed: we stayed in Planet Hollywood and was really pleased with the choice. It was good value, clean and right in the middle, so perfect location for rambling to other hotels. I really liked the Casino area as it had outfits and props from different Hollywood movies as an added novelty. It’s also inter-connected to the Mircle Mile shopping Centre so very handy if you need to nip to the pharmacy or pick up a last minute outfit. They have high street stores such as H&M and The famous DryBar if you fancy getting the hair blown out.
Where we ate:
Rose Rabbitte Lie: this restaurant is in the Cosmopolitan hotel and right across the strip from where we were staying so very convenient. The food was great and there is live music and singers so plenty of entertainment. It is a bit price punchy but we were celebrating one of the girls birthdays so definitely worth for the occasion.
Mon Ami: this is my favourite restaurant from the entire holiday. Located in the Paris Hotel and right on the Strip with the perfect view of the Bellini It’s designed exactly like a Parisian cafe so I adored the vibes. I ordered a freshly squeezed orange juice with a shot of VIt C and a goats cheese and spinach omelette that I’m legit still thinking about it.
Nightclubs:
Hakkasan: this is located in MGM Grand and the best night of the week to go is a Sunday. It could have possibly been the best nightclub I’ve ever been to. It was So. Much. Fun. They had a very good Norwegian DJ in that night called Mokoma and I just want to follow him around the world he was excellent!
Marquee: this is in the Cosmopolitan Hotel and again very good.
Omnia: located in Cesers Palace, Friday is the night here with Calvin Harris having a residency. The girls RAVED about this! I missed Friday night as flew in early Saturday morning and have massive FOMO now so I prefer not to talk about it!!
What to wear:
Go GLAM or go home!!!
Promoters:
These guys will find you, you don’t find them! They are usually on the strip or they go around to the hotel pools during the day promoting nightclubs. If you are with a group of all girls my tip would be to haggle with them a bit. Don’t settle for just guest list & play little hard to get as you will more than likely end up with a table & free bottle service too. Drinks in clubs can be expensive (€20-€40) so it’s worthwhile getting a good set up.
Things to do:
Pool Party: we went to the most famous one Wet Republic in MGM Grand on the Saturday (its only held on a Friday, Saturday & Sunday) and it was the best day there by far! I would book this in advance as the weekends can get sold out fast. We opted for a day bed which includes your food and drink for the day. Again this is pricey but have shade from the intense sun and base for your group & belongings so definitely worth the money.
My Top Tip would be is to arrive early at around 11.30. We came at 1.00pm and they had almost given our day bed away & was completely full. We got lucky but had to pay extra for it because of the demand.
Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour:
This was turkey epic. My university degree is in Geography so I was in my complete element here and was in complete awe that I finally got to tick this Natural 7 Wonder of the World off my bucket list. This is something you can book once you get there and they have kiosk in the Miracle Mile Shopping Centre. We went with a company called Maverick and I had heard from friends previously that these were the safest to fly with. Again with most things in Vegas, it ain’t cheap. Came to about $380 for the bus pickup/drop off from hotel, a small lunch and the helicopter ride itself. Bring motion sickness tablets if your prone to it & I would recommend going early in the morning to avoid the high heat & it take a total of 5 hours.
Bellagio Foundations: this is something you simply can’t miss if coming to Vegas. They start at 3pm and go on the half hour every day. The water features are incredibly impressive.
Zipling down Fremont street: this is located in Las Vegas Old town which is really interesting to check out as it’s a completely different vibe. You’ll find all the little white chapels in this area. Definitely something for the adrenaline junkies out there
Slot Machines: of course you can come to Vegas without putting a dollars in the slot machines. It’s not really for me but the girls loved it & were hooked once they won big!
The Las Vegas Sign: again this is something you gotta see for the cheesy novelty factor! We were there at peak season so there was a queue. Now being cheeky Clonmel lasses we ain’t queing in no 40 degree heat for no man so I recommend slipping around the side to get that shot. You might have a person or two in it but at least your face won’t fry off!
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Overall it was a jam packed trip with the girls and we had such a ball so I can’t recommend Las Vegas enough for a wild trip with friends and perfect for a big birthday or hen!
Aoife x
