The Guide to Family Friendly Las Vegas

For many people coming to Las Vegas, there is the additional headache of what to do with the kids when you are here. Around the world, this is known as an adult Disneyland, not the one that was made for families. And yet over the years Las Vegas has worked to broaden its appeal to a wider market that includes families with children of all ages.

Since the original boom times of the 50's and 60's, Las Vegas has always been a place where adults came to be adults. Much of that included leaving the kids back home, and having a little R and R that included gambling and drinking and maybe some smoking too.

Oh, who are we kidding??? Everybody smoked back then! But these days parents are looking for a different Las Vegas. One that is more suitable for the whole family. They can find it too!

Where to Look for Las Vegas For Kids?

By looking at sites like VegasVacationVillage.com, parents can now easily find the best options for lodging, entertainment and adventures in Las Vegas and know right away what to do with their families.

We established this great website a few years ago to make it easier for our customers to discover more about the kid side of Las Vegas. Now it is better than ever, with all new information and "Kid Ratings" too, so parents can see right away what is most suitable for their families.

VegasVacationVillage.com is a great website guide, showing all the latest kid shows, destinations, ratings and opinions on just about all the major attractions for children and kids in Las Vegas. It also sports information on some of the lessor known destinations in and near to Las Vegas that many visitors might otherwise have no idea at all about. Be sure to stop by and check out this great website before you make your next family vacation to Las Vegas.

As always, Happy Travels from Las Vegas Retreats!
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Vacation Rentals For WSOP 2012 World Series of Poker Are Booking Now

Reservations are now being accepted for WSOP 2012. When the World Series of Poker comes to Las Vegas again next summer, there is no doubt that homes will experience another total sellout for the tournament period. Many regular customers are already inquiring and making reservations for our most popular vacation home rentals.

Whether you are a regular renter for WSOP or new to the idea of vacation rental lodging, jf you're considering a vacation rental for the World Series of Poker keep in mind that you're booking a home for the six week period. Book your homes as soon as possible. It is likely that all vacation home rentals and condo rentals will be booked for the World Series of Poker well in advance.

One more thing to consider when you choose your vacation home is the location of the home. We make that easy on our site, because nearly every home is a good choice for WSOP housing. You wont find any homes on our site that will way out in the northwest Las Vegas.

Whatever you choose for your WSOP housing next year, be sure to check our list of available homes to make the choice as easy as possible. Here you will find a complete list of homes available for WSOP 2012. If you're playing in the tournament or sponsoring a player, good luck to you!

Happy Travels! Las Vegas Retreats.

Have You Heard What Wayne Newton Is Doing To His House?

Las Vegas is one of those places where stars do amazing things with their houses. It's been a tradition in the desert for the rich and famous to have extravagant tastes for homes here, ever since...well...ever. And certainly no star has done more with their Las Vegas property here than Wayne Newton. With everything from penguins to arabian houses, from the classic "Whitehouse" looking mansion to the on site private jet, Wayne has managed to capture the essense of what it means to be rich and famous in Las Vegas.

And now Mr Las Vegas (as the Wayne is known around here) has decided that all that amazing opulence is too much to keep to himself. He has decided to turn his entire estate into a Graceland style tour, complete with penguin petting zoo and a view of the private jet. Soon Las Vegas visitors will be able to see all of it for themselves, and catch a small glimpse of the star's somewhat private lifestyle.

Wayne Newton is a long time resident here, having moved to Las Vegas after his stardom boomed in the sixties. Modeling his act after the likes of Frank and Elvis, Wayne became a Las Vegas legend with his hard working life dedicated to performing on stage. His performances are not only the stuff legends are made of, but they also number in the thousands!

No doubt this will be interesting to watch. As the development continues and Wayne continues to be a powerful force in Las Vegas, he has been able to secure the approvals and right of way to do almost everything he has asked for. Even moving the private jet from McCarran airport to his own backyard and buying the property across the road for parking. This project IS happening. If that there is no doubt. We're hoping it will be a great success. Las Vegas could us one right about now.

Happy Travels from Las Vegas Retreats!

Las Vegas Concierge Services

Today we travel in a fast paced and demanding world. In Las Vegas the requests for a concierge has become increasingly prevalent. Now by an exclusive arrangement, Las Vegas Retreats is providing concierge services to our customers through Las Vegas Concierges, the premier professional service in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Concierges has a variety of concierge services for vacation travelers and corporate travelers as well. Offering everything from ala carte requests to our premier membership programs.

No request is too big or too small! Whether you need show tickets, tours, limos, club access, and more! Tell us your wishes to us and let us go to work for you! We're looking forward to proving we are the best!

Introducing Castillo Hermoso

Castillo Hermoso is lovely and luxurious vacation home rental located in the western Las Vegas area, moments away from the famous Las Vegas Strip.

This is a large 5 bedroom 3 bathroom home that offers privacy and space for up to ten guests. Castillo Hermoso offers features and amenities normally found in more expensive vacation rentals at an affordable price.

This wonderful vacation home rental is great for families and friends who want something away from the Strip. You'll get a home with both living rooms and family rooms, as well as an upstairs game room with big screen TV and pool table.

The back yard at Castillo Hermoso offers a wonderful pool and spa with removal water volleyball net. The covered patio offers respite from the sun with a BBQ and plenty of comfortable seating. We are certain you will appreciate the value of this excellent home and the entertainment it offers.

Downstairs you will find a bedroom and adjoining bathroom with shower. Upstairs are three more full bedrooms sharing an additional bath, as well as the master bedroom suite. Every bedroom in Castillo Hermoso has its own television.

You will find shopping and dining options nearby. For adults and kids and alike, there are great choices only a few minutes away. Movies, golf, gambling, shopping and dining of almost any kind are just minutes from the home.

This is an excellent home for families and business guests alike. The home is only moments from Hwy 215 west, providing great access to the Las Vegas valley and the surrounding area.

Castillo Hermoso is an excellent home and a great alternative to high-priced hotel and casino lodging. Offering privacy and features that no hotel can offer at a price no hotel can match.

The Difference Between The Best Deal And The Best Value

Everyone wants to get the most bang for the buck. This is always the case. But this becomes especially true when times are tough. The incentive to squeeze the most value from every dollar becomes a first priority. But just as always, there is danger lurking amongst the various methods people use to find the best deals. When the priority shifts to "lowest price" then all the potential pitfalls rear their ugly heads and more often than not a good deal turns into a regrettable compromise.

Everyone is subject to overlooking the obvious once in a while. When we focus solely on lowest price then we become blind to other very important factors. For example, lets say you're comparing different five bedroom vacation rentals. One is listed at $399 per night plus a cleaning fee while another is listed at only $299 per night and the owner is waving the cleaning fee. That's a savings of over $300 or more for only a 3 night stay. So you opt for the lowest price, since the homes look similar anyway and start imagining the additional money you can throw away on slots.

When you arrive at the vacation rental, the first thing you notice is the Strip is not very close. The owner said it was "about 15 minutes away" but he neglected to mention that the the traffic is usually pretty bad in this direction, so that's actually closer to 25 minutes. Especially right when you want to go. And there are no taxis way out here.

As you look over the home, you begin to see why there was no cleaning fee. There was little or no cleaning done. It looks like the last guests did the dishes and washed the towels themselves, but there is still dust and the floor is dirty. The bathrooms need a scrubbing. Bad!

The backyard is a real adventure. It appears that lawn maintenance is done annually. The tall dead grass helps to hide some of the trash and cigarette butts, so that's good. The pool was cleaned fairly recently and the water is somewhat clear, but the barbecue looks like a science project. It is also quite apparent that pest control has been sacrificed to give you a good deal, as pigeon evidence is everywhere and the scampering red beetles on pool deck make this all too clear.

Now you might be laughing at all this and think this is an unrealistic scenario. But these stories are based on actual complaints we hear from the public all the time. It is quite simple to understand actually. Vacation rentals cost money to operate and maintain. You cannot do it well or even correctly if you keep giving everything away. Homeowners who are in distress will bend their standards because they are in distress. You risk being a victim if you fall for the trap.

It is so easy to overlook the elements that make up a great vacation. Ideally you wont even have to think about them. But you will know for sure when they are missing, and the money you saved will come back to haunt in other ways. We recommend that you don't waste your money on unrealistic prices and deals that are too good to be true. Your vacation is not worth the risk of saving a few dollars for giving up the good time you really want. Be smart! Shop for a great Las Vegas vacation rental that offers great value and do not sacrifice for mere dollars! You will be glad you did.

Casa Picasso Is A Cozy Vacation Rental Close To The Strip

In the last couple of weeks we added a new vacation home to our site. Casa Picasso is a cozy three bedroom vacation rental located barely 5 minutes from Las Vegas Blvd. For the sake of convenient access to McCarran Airport and casinos on the south end of the Strip, this one cannot be beat. Casa Picasso offers a a cozy backyard pool and spa. This is a great home for anyone looking for value.

Casa Picasso can sleep up to six people in 3 queen sized beds. The home is located in a gated community and home provides excellent proximity to local shopping and attractions. Casa Picasso includes both a living room and family room, a full kitchen with dining area and formal dining room. Each secondary bedroom features a queen bed, flat screen television and direct access to jack-n-jill bathroom. The master bedroom features a queen size bed, sitting area with flat screen television and a large private bathroom.

The backyard at Casa Picasso features a sparkling pool and seperate spa. A gas BBQ, patio table with seating for 4 covered by a large retractable umbrella, and two loungers complete this relaxing area.

Be sure to check out more information about this great vacation home rental on our website.

Las Vegas Vacation Home Rentals Opens An All New Website!

We are happy to announce the purchase of LasVegasVacationHomeRentals.com and the opening of an all new website to showcase our homes.

We've known for a long time that people tend to shop by product name rather than vendor name, so this new domain gives us the chance to reach even more people than before.

Now anyone who might be searching will know exactly where to go to find the best vacation homes in Las Vegas and where they're located on the web.

Be sure to visit the new website when you have a chance and let us know what you think. We're always interested in your feedback!

Top Five Las Vegas Vacation Home Rentals Questions

Throughout the world you will find vacation rentals in almost any reasonably popular tourist destination. From London and Paris to Tahiti and Australia, vacation homes are available as an alternative to hotels. And for many people (and places too), the questions are the same. How much? How far? And of course, is it available? This is also true in Las Vegas. But in Las Vegas there are some unique questions that arise in addition to the typical ones.

Consider for example, the climate. What is the best time of year to visit Las Vegas? Did you know that Las Vegas is NOT always hot? In fact, during the winter months it can be downright cold. Snow is not uncommon, though it is not frequent either. The best times to visit, climate wise, are during spring and fall. Winter can be very cold and the summer heat here is legendary. But, the summer is also the best time for legendary Las Vegas fun. Sitting in the pool, enjoying some indoor fun during the midday, then out on the town for the hot Las Vegas night.

Are there any Las Vegas vacation home rentals that are close to the Strip so you can walk? Quite simply, no. There are none close enough that a person could reasonably walk there. There might be some very old homes bear the Strip, but they aren't vacation homes and you would not want to stay there. Plan your vacation home to be near the Strip and rent a car. A reasonable trip to almost anywhere you would want to be will be 5 to 15 minutes.

Can I stay in Elvis' house? First of all, Elvis did not live in a house in Las Vegas. He lived on the top floor of the Hilton Hotel for the entire time he performed in Las Vegas. The Hilton (then called The International) was built for his show, and the top floor of the hotel was built for Elvis. This is the place where he shot the television upon seeing The Beatles arrival in the U.S. By the way, the Hilton will soon be changing it's name. The company that runs the hotel has lost it's rights to use the Hilton name and will have to come up with something new.

Should I worry about safety? I hear Las Vegas is a dangerous city. No, you should not worry. And yes, Las Vegas has crime. In that way it is not unlike any major city. However, most of the vacation homes you find for rent in Las Vegas are not actually located in Las Vegas. They are located in one of the many suburbs and not close to the city itself. The better homes are also located inside gated or guard gated communities.

Is there anything but the Strip to do in Las Vegas? You bet there is! Las Vegas is located perfectly for an entire adventure of the Southwest. Only 15 miles to the west is Red Rock canyon, a wonderful places for the family and outdoor hiking adventures. To the southeast is Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. All within easy driving distance! In fact, now there is a freeway nearly the entire way to any of those destinations. You can also head up north for barely more than an hour to St. George Utah, the gateway to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon.

We hope these tips will help you enjoy your next Vegas adventure. Please be sure to let us know of your own discoveries!

Unique Things To Do And See In Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Strip offers a million things to entertain you. And beyond the lure of blinking slots and scantily clad blackjack dealers are hundreds of stores, shops and restaurants for almost every taste. Las Vegas seems to be a place where everything is available 24 hours a day. And of course, all of this is cheaper on Mondays.

Las Vegas is also a town with a deep historic character. Not only a gambling town, also an old west and a pioneer town. In the days of the old west, Las Vegas was a prime destination on the Mormon trail and a watering hole for many a cowboy in wild west times.

Las Vegas is also a place with character away from all this. Visitors who are willing to venture away from the Strip will discover a myriad of different and amazing things. For example, only a few miles to the west there is Red Rock Canyon, a perfect destinations for family outings and some amazing natural history. To the east of Vegas there is Lake Mead and historic Boulder Dam. One considered one of the seven wonders of the world, both the dam lake are great ideas for the whole family.

For those visitors with some time on their hands, Las Vegas also serves as a great starting point for adventures to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park. All of which are only a few hours away by car, with excellent highway access in every direction. With the opening of the Bounder Dam Bypass, northern Arizona is now closer to Las Vegas than ever. This is perfect timing for visitors wanting to see the Grand Canyon Overlook and heading into destinations such as Flagstaff, Jerome and Sedona Arizona.

Even without leaving town there is much adventure to be had in Las Vegas. Perhaps you might want to pay a visit to Las Vegas Gold and Silver, setting for the infamous Pawn Stars television series. Not too far away you will find “The Springs Preserve” an excellent place to take the kids and get an education of the natural desert environment that was Las Vegas long ago.

These activities are a great addition to any Las Vegas adventure. For visitors staying in Las Vegas vacation home rentals, they are a great way to have fun and avoid the traffic and noise (and cost!) of the Strip. These destinations are perfect for family outings. Most of them can be accomplished in a couple hours and make an nice addition to a day spent in your vacation rental. Whatever you choose, have a great time in Las Vegas!

Las Vegas Vacation Rentals With Hotel Services

Most of the time, choosing to stay in vacation home rentals means giving up the features and amenities that one might enjoy from a typical hotel. Simple conveniences are sacrificed for the privacy afforded by the vacation rental.

This might not be a big deal in places like Lake Tahoe or Park City Utah, where the main draw is skiing. But in Las Vegas, giving up the hotel means giving up a lot more than just the restaurants. It also means giving up easy access to shows and tours and information about where to go and what to do in Las Vegas. It means giving up easy access to that all important concierge. The one you can call to get you setup with just about anything you want to do.

After hearing that feedback from our customers, Las Vegas Retreats is now offering the same access to all those things with our excellent Las Vegas vacation home rentals. With the establishment of our new “Services” department, we are providing our customers with the same excellent concierge services one might expect from any of the better Strip hotel casinos.

We can arrange everything from weddings to a romantic flying tours of Las Vegas and Hoover Dam. If you want to race a Ferrari or Lamborghini or even maybe take a shot at some high-flying aerial dog-fighting, they have adventures for almost every budget. You might even discover a side of Las Vegas you never knew existed!

We're Putting Relaxation Back Into Vacations

Remember when going on vacation meant taking a little time off for rest and relaxation? It seems something has happened to change the meaning of the word vacation. These days we end up coming back to work needing a rest from the vacation we just had. We spend so much time going and doing and not enough time just kicking back and enjoying what is already in front of us.

Now Las Vegas is not the kind of place that helps with this problem. The casino hotels along the Strip have done everything they can to get you back out of your room. And the reasons are obvious. If you are in your hotel room, then you are probably not spending money. The hotel needs a constant stream of customers in the restaurants, gamblers at the slot machines, and people out at the pool renting cabanas and buying drinks. They cannot survive with it, so they concentrate everything towards getting it to happen.

Now contrast that with a stay in a Las Vegas vacation home rental. Las Vegas Retreats homes are intended to give you a home-like environment away from home. Our goal is to enable you to enjoy yourself at the home and to go out end enjoy the best of Las Vegas as well. There is no sacrificing with our homes, because you will be able to enjoy your own pool and spa, your own food and drink, and your own entertainment right at the house. Then later on when everybody is ready for an outing, you have the best of the Las Vegas Stip only moments away.

We've said it many times, and it is still true to this day. Most of our customers prefer a Las Vegas Retreats vacation rental home to a hotel room stay any time. Once customers have tried staying in our vacation home rentals in Las Vegas they seldom want to return to a hotel room. There is just no comparison!

Las Vegas Retreats Gets An "A" Upgrade From The Better Business Bureau

It's taken five years now, but the BBB has finally removed that pesky "A-" from our profile and gave us the full-fledged "A" rating. Now, at first that might not seem like a big deal. But the truth is that in order to get an A rating with the BBB, you must maintain a perfect record for at least 5 years. That means that we have successfully maintained a perfect record since the day we first signed up.

We take pride in the accomplishment. To us the rating means customers agree that we provide excellent customer service. Although it may not be known to the greater public, Las Vegas Retreats has watched many "competitors" come and go in the last five years. They hide behind new identities in order to mask a history of poor customer service. In the mean time, we have spent our time growing into a mature company, with the same name and owners, that values its customers and does what it takes to have and keep a good reputation.

Since we opened our office on the Strip last year, some competitors have chosen to open P.O. boxes across the street from us. They list these mail drops as their "office" in order to appear like Las Vegas Retreats. They don't realize that the reason we open an office was for our customers. It is located so that visitors can come and see us in person, and have a real crew of people accountable to them.

We don't blame them really. We're a tough act to follow. We wouldn't want to have to compete with us either! But we're not in this for the short term gain. We love what we do and plan to keep doing it for the long term. We want you to know that we appreciate your business. It means everything to us that our customers get at least what you have paid for. We will continue to work hard to gain and keep your trust, and to provide you with the best vacation rental experience possible in Las Vegas.

Vacation Home Rentals Are Not Traditional Home Rentals

It seems obvious, and yet many people don't really consider all the differences when renting a vacation property versus a traditional home rental. This is true of the home itself and of the entire process as well. The nature of the vacation rental process is entirely different all the way through.

First of all, a vacation home in Las Vegas has to be near the Strip. As the main draw in Vegas, the Strip is the place most people want to visit when they come here. So whereas a traditional renter might be fine with being 20 minutes from the Bellagio, a vacation renter wants to be as close as reasonably possible. They are planning on making several trips to miracle mile during their stay, so they do not want to drive too far.

Additionally, the home most provide as "hotel like" readiness. This means that all the lights and power are on as well as the cable TV and Internet access. The home must have a private pool and preferably a spa, as well as a room that can be called a "game room". Ideal homes have bathrooms connected to every bedroom, and also give the guest feeling of privacy and exclusivity.

None of these things are important to a traditional renter. Even if they are looking for a furnished home, they are likely showing up with more than a suitcase full of clothes and ready to sign on for all the utilities. This is not at all the same customer and not at all the same market. Traditional renters are not travelers. Plain and simple.

This is why Las Vegas Retreats specializes in servicing the vacation rental and corporate housing markets. The customers who come to us want to know that our homes are ready to use, have all the features to make for a great vacation, and are located close to almost everything they want to see and do in Las Vegas. That's exactly what we provide, and that is exactly what our customers get.

There are plenty of good real estate companies in Las Vegas who represent excellent rental homes of almost every type and price. And none of them provides 24 hour customer service. None of them has a cleaning crew to perform a top to bottom cleaning between every guest. None of them acclimatizes homes or heats the pool for incoming guests, or makes sure that everything is working the way it is supposed to.

Of course we are biased. But it's mostly from operating the business for so long and discovering all the differences for ourselves. When you are looking for a great vacation home rental that actually is one, call Las Vegas Retreats. It is our business!

Something A Little Different

You've seen them out your window of your strip hotel room. Those helicopters buzzing up and down Las Vegas Blvd, carrying visitors from all around the world on an aerial adventure above this city of lights. Now, as a customer of Las Vegas Retreats, you have front row access to adventures like this one and many more. By an exclusive relationship with some of the best tour operators in town (like Maverick Helicopters and ACA), Las Vegas Retreats can arrange any tour you like and have your pickup right at the front door of your vacation home rental. Whether you want to take a night time flight to see the Strip or take a more adventurous helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon, our friends have some of the most exciting options available.  

Call us today to book your adventure! 888 887-0951

Last Chance for WSOP Housing And World Series of Poker Rentals

If you are one of the many participants scheduled to appear at the upcoming World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, now is your last chance to book WSOP housing for the tournament. In the next few days, any remaining homes will be opened up to a waiting public for booking as regular vacation rentals.

Pent up demand is tremendous, as most owners and companies have been holding their homes open, hoping to book for the entire six week period. Now with the competition getting close, many of the homes that haven't rented will be made available to non-tournament customers as well.

The truth is that vacation rental customers will actually spend even more than WSOP players, it's just that they do it one or two weeks at a time instead of two months. Players who are still looking for discounts are going to be sorely disappointed. We've heard many stories about how "all the foreclosed homes will make rents cheap in Vegas". This ridiculous logic leaves out one critical point, that banks don't rent homes.

Additionally, it's invalid logic because owners who are in distress cannot also afford to furnish a home and set it up as a vacation rental in the first place. See the Fountainbleu Hotel? See how its 4000 rooms stand empty? It doesn't matter. Rooms at the Wynn and Bellagio are still $550 a night and more.See what we mean?

Consider this fair warning. We love you guys and want you to get a fair deal and a nice home to stay in. Call us in the next few days and get a great deal on a great home and be happy you did!

Call (888) 887-0951 To Reserve Homes For WSOP!

Palacio Del Valle - Five Bedrooms of Luxury With Features Galore

Here is the latest addition to our luxury vacation rental home collection, Palacio Del Valle.  This is is one of those rare homes you really hope to find in your search.

This luxurious five bedroom vacation home rental is located in the hills above Green Valley. Offering not only the privacy and seclusion you're looking for, but without sacrificing location to the prime attractions in Las Vegas. Even the most popular areas of the Strip are moments away.

This extra large five bedroom five and 1/2 bath vacation home rental offers not only privacy and the seclusion of a gated neighborhood, it offers more living space than almost any rental we have. There is plenty of room for families and friends to spread out and really enjoy the experience.

Basketball and Sport Court
Like most of our homes, Palacio Del Valle offers a luxurious pool and spa. However, unlike most of our homes, it also offers an exceptional half-court basketball setup as well as an in-ground trampoline.

This house is going to be something the family (and your friends) wont soon forget. The pool is adorned nicely with the Las Vegas red rock look, and also offers a water slide and small grotto to hide away from the afternoon sun. We're certain that you will enjoy the features offered by this amazing property.

Palacio Del Valle is an excellent home and a great alternative to high-priced hotel and casino lodging. Offering privacy and features that no hotel can offer at a price no hotel can match. For more information or to book this amazing home for your next visit Click Here or call us today!