We visited Las Vegas / Caesars for 4 nights at the end of November to celebrate my wife and our friends 40th birthdays.

Following the advice from previous tripadvisors we attempted to check in at the airport but were advised that the hotel check-in was in the other terminal, so proceeded to get a taxi to the hotel instead of using the shuttle bus service. No problem and 15 minutes later we were walking into Caesars.

We walked into the magnificent reception area and to our surprise were greeted by no queues and were attended to by a very polite and friendly receptionist, Stacey. Immediately we were offered an upgrade to the new Augustus Tower rooms at $120 per room per night, this was easily negotiated down to $70 with a guaranteed view of the strip and the Bellagio fountains.

It was well worth the money, the room was huge with a fabulous view as promised. The bed was probably the biggest I have ever slept in and the room also had a sofa, armchairs and a small dining area. It was spotlessly clean. The bathroom had a separate shower with an oversized Jacuzzi bath and LCD television. We were all suitably impressed.

Now some minus points, somewhat trivial, but not what you would expect from a brand new 5* hotel tower:-

There was no kettle or any provision to make tea or coffee in the room. We could have a television in the bathroom but no kettle or coffee maker! (We were subsequently advised that this is custom and practice in Vegas)

There were no light switches at either bedside.

The Jacuzzi was loud, you certainly couldn’t hear the television and was soon unbearable.

The pressure from the shower was not as good as my shower at home, good enough to get wet but again a let down in a such a great room.

But let’s be honest when you visit Las Vegas how long do you actually spend in your room !!

The hotel itself is massive; we spent almost the first 24 hrs getting our bearings. The forum shops are a day out in themselves, the casinos buzz 24 hours a day and there are too many restaurants and bars to choose from. We ate at the Emperors Court Chinese restaurant which was not cheap but very good, and had breakfast ¾ mornings in the Augustus snack bar, our final morning we ate at the Café Lago buffet. Food, service and courtesy were always very good, although the quality of the Café Lago buffet was OK at best.

As we are amateur gamblers our time at the tables was limited to a half hour flutter on the roulette tables on our way back to our rooms at night. Good fun, the croupiers certainly make a difference though and one in particular had recently enjoyed a personality transplant!
During our time at Las Vegas we visited quite a few of the hotels and were impressed by them all, New York New York apart, which we found to be dark and oppressive. Roller coaster ride is a must but not after dinner !!

The Venetian was magnificent with the square, canals and gondola rides.

We will visit Las Vegas again, maybe in a few years time where the rate of change will no doubt present a different city and experience. We would definitely recommend and stay at Caesars but will be very tempted to try the Venetian.

It’s a grown ups playground, everything is available 24 hrs, and I mean everything. We were surprised to see so much open advertising for girls, who will visit your room for $49, and to be offered call girl cards while we were walking down the street but it wasn’t an issue for us………..this was Las Vegas, and as one taxi driver said, “welcome to the jungle”.

Great time, great experience, great hotel, great memories.

Plusses: Very nice environment, hotel and casino very clean and well kept and pleasant. Everybody I encountered (casino staff, wait staff, cleaning staff, front desk, concierge) were friendly and efficient. Airport check in very convenient. I had to wait a few minutes for check in because of a computer glitch, and the very pleasant desk person upgraded my room at no charge because of the (minimal) wait. Great bathroom with jacuzzi tub and lovely toiletries.

Minuses: The buffet at Cafe Lago is just horrible. It's small and the choices are minimal, and very very mediocre. Avoid that and if you want buffet go down the street to the Mirage, it has a much better buffet for the money. I don't expect Caesars to be cheap, but I do expect value for my money. The breakfast buffet had smoked salmon, tomatos, capers, onions, cream cheese, lots of breakfast pastries but no bagels. When I asked where they were I was informed the server would bring me one. He certainly did bring me one, a nice toasted bagel: at an additional $3 upcharge I was not made aware of until the bill came. I think for 18 dollars, when the buffet contains bagel accoutrements, it should also include bagels.

The Cypress Street Marketplace is good for a quick and inexpensive (the term inexpensive being relative) bite to eat, although even here, which is basically a food court environment, the setup is such that a server brings you a napkin and your cutlery, so that you're forced into an additional tip in what should functionally be a fast food area. However, the made to order salad was fresh, tasty and huge for 8.95, and I also enjoyed a hot smoked turkey plate with mashed potatos and green beans for 8.95 as well. But by the time you add a $3 drink and another $2 tip, you're up to $15 in the blink of an eye.

The Augustus Cafe was also good for a quick bite, with good sized portions. Plan to spend a minimum of $20 here.

There is a good range of other restaurants, most requiring reservations, that had good menu choices but at high prices.

The slots are tight and the table stakes are high. Unless you are playing $5 slots or are playing very early in the morning or very late at night, you stand a better chance of seeing the Easter Bunny than you do a cocktail waitress.

The nightclubs are rowdy and raucous. Very few places to have a quiet drink with friends or colleagues.

As in most casinos, the sundries shops charge excessively for things like bottled soda or water, snack items, etc. I recommend keeping your water bottle, bringing some of those single serving drink flavorings and keeping yourself hydrated from the tap without spending nearly $3 every time you turn around.

The forum shops area is exquisitely decorated with blue sky rotundas and gorgeous fountains, and are fun to walk through but its doubtful that many of us just plan to run into Versace, Rolex or Gucci to pick up a little something. I can recommend Penhaligons for excellent English perfumes that can't be found often in the US, starting at $60. If you search really hard there is a Bath and Body Works and a Gap in the Forum Shops. What you won't find amongst the hundreds of stores is a bookstore: I guess Caesars doesn't want you spending your valuable casino time in reading :)

Generally speaking I found it a nice property if a bit overpriced to the point of annoyance.

Arrived in Vegas (first time there) Thanksgiving afternoon (after a 5 hr delay in Philly, but that is another story!) for a 20th anniversary celebration. Checked into Caesars at airport - very convenient! Received room keys, etc right there. I highly recommend this. Reservations clerk Janna was awesome - upgraded me from basic room to a new Augustus tower room with just a little bit of very gentle arm twisting. When we got to the hotel, the check-in area was very busy, but we just bypassed that right to our room. What a room! Bathrooms was larger than many of the hotel rooms I have stayed in! Jacuzzi tub, 17" flat screen TV on wall, glass enclosed shower, marble floors. Room was huge - King bed, sofa, chair w/ ottoman, and table and chairs. View was fabulous - looked out over lower buildings right onto the strip. Very clean, comfortable and spacious! Right next to elevator area, but never heard the elevators even once. Actually was very good since we didn't have to walk down a long corridor. 30" flat screen television has alot of hotel information, and you can see your bill and check out right from your room. All of the grounds, casinos, common areas, etc were very well maintained and spotless. Not a big gambler, but casino was very elegant. Location of Caesars is a big plus - right in the middle of everything. Short walk (once you get outside )to Bellagio, Harrahs, FLamingo, Mirage,etc. All the restaurants and shopping you could want - all located under one very large roof. Many casual dining options for those not into spending $$$ for every meal. Had one dinner at Neros Steak House - very good meal, not bad price, but did have to sit between the two kitchen doors - not the best seats in the house, but not unbearable. Great service.
Shows:
Saw Celine Dion - worth every penny. Zumanity (Cirque de Solei) at NY, NY was interesting - not for everyone, but still an outstanding and fun show. Jubille at Ballys - very good. Great costumes, music, etc. Dirk Arthur at Tropicana - very good if you like magicians.

One thing about Vegas - wear your walking shoes! Every hotel we visited, and we hit most of the newer ones, are so large that even though they are close together, you still had a major workout to get from one end to the other. Rode the Monorail a few times - not the most convenient because of its location behind the resorts - had to hike through a huge casino and usually the shopping areas to reach the station. By that time you could probably walked to your destination.
Would absolutly go back and stay at Caesars again.

Spent two nights in the Augustus Tower over Thanksgiving. The room was very well appointed, with a quality table, LCD television and comfortable bed with over-sized pillows and comforter, which is great because I am not a fan of bedspreads. We stayed at Wynn for two nights after this, and the two are very comparable. While Wynn probably wins out marginally based on details and quality of furnishings, you get a slightly larger and jetted tub at Caesars, and you can get a great view of the Bellagio water show. We also feel that Caesars' location is stronger than Wynn. You can go straight from check-in to your room; being able to avoid walking through the casino every time was a perk that we underestimated.

If you are looking for an all-in-one hotel and money is not an issue, I would give the nod to Wynn (or the Bellagio), as the quality of the bars and the restaurants is higher than Caesars. On the flip side, Caesars (with the Forum Shops) offers a wider range of food choices, from cheap (e.g., La Salsa) to expensive (e.g., Bradley Ogden). While Caesars' Forum Shops are a nice plus, the Fashion Show Mall is directly across the street from Wynn. Although the casino ambiance at Wynn is more upscale than Caesars, we enjoy the "Vegas" feeling at Caesars. Dealers at both casinos tended to be nice and helpful.

The on-line pictures of the hotels at both casinos are accurate representations of what you can expect to see.

I should note that when we checked into our room at Caesars, there was a bottle of champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries that were not intended for us. When we called down to inform them of their error, they told us that we could keep them. That was a nice gesture.