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    Home » Travels » Las Vegas Vacation: MGM Grand, Bouchon, and More

    May 8, 2013 · Modified: Aug 13, 2020 by Sues · This post may contain affiliate links, uses cookies, and generates income via ads · View privacy policy + disclosure statement linked in footer · 13 Comments

    Las Vegas Vacation: MGM Grand, Bouchon, and More

    Hello, friends! I just returned from the best ever whirlwind vacation to Las Vegas! My first ever. But certainly not last. Because while I think three nights is probably enough for one visit, there are about a million more things I want to do (OK fine, places I want to eat) in the city, which means I'll obviously be back. I had a super difficult time trying to figure out how to organize my Vegas roundup posts, which might also have something to do with the fact that I'm seriously sleep-deprived after a 6-hour delay on our flight home on Sunday meant I got home from the airport at 5:30 a.m., took a shower, and went straight to work (and then had several ridiculously long and busy days at work). And because honestly, I didn't take a ton of photos other than food photos (surprised?). But I'm going to start with my general Vegas post and then to do one on my dining experience at é and L'Atelier de Jöel Robuchon. So, here we go.

    We left for Vegas after work on Thursday and obviously our flight was delayed then, too. Because every flight we ever take now is delayed. But I have to admit it was still nice to spend some downtime in the airport with Chris, just relaxing and relishing in the fact that we're on vacation!

    Waiting for Vegas.jpg

    Also our friends' flight was delayed, too, and this meant we were going to arrive pretty close to the same time as them. Matching delays are the best. Well, really no delays are the best, but you know what I mean. So, we met up with Kyle and Jeff, jumped up and down a few times over the fact that we were in Vegas together (!!!), and grabbed a cab.

    Welcome to Vegas2.jpg

    Turns out things are really just getting started in Vegas at 12:30 a.m. or so, considering our checkin line at the MGM Grand was crazy long. While we were in line to check in, we just couldn't get over the fact that we were in Vegas!!

    MGM Grand Lobby.jpg

    We had no idea that "the fight" was going to be at the MGM Grand while we were there. In retrospect, maybe not our best idea, but it didn't end up affecting us too much (aside from the mad rush of people when the fight got out on Saturday). And it was kind of cool to see all of the excitement surrounding it. Kyle and Jeff even "ran into" Evander Holyfield at one point.

    MGM Grand Lobby Boxing.jpg

    We stayed in the new rooms at the MGM Grand, known as Stay Well.

    MGM Grand Stay Well.jpg

    Now, maybe I'm crazy and totally buying into the gimmick, but I'm pretty sure this room is the best thing that could have happened to us. For as little sleep as we got and as much smoke (other people's!) that we inhaled, every time we stepped into our room, we felt immediately better. We also woke up every morning feeling totally relaxed. Basically, I'm crediting the hotel room and its amenities for my feeling good... especially considering the older I get, the crappier I generally feel when I have one little ounce of fun!

    MGM Grand Bed.jpg

    So, the Stay Well rooms were designed by Delos, the "wellness real estate pioneer" and they had tons of cool stuff in them.

    MGM Grand Stay Well Benefits.jpg

    The room had a super amazing air purification system, which is why I think we instantly felt so much better. We couldn't even smell smoke on our clothes and could just breathe easy.

    I'm obsessed with the dawn simulator alarm clock that basically mimics the sunlight and makes it easier to get up in the morning. I need one of these in my home.

    MGM Stay Well Light Alarm.jpg

    Um, I'm also pretty sure I now need a Vitamin C shower infusion at home, as well. Right?? I have no idea what this did or why, but I do know that I felt that much better taking a shower when I knew vitamin C was mixed in.

    MGM Grand Shower Vitamins.jpg

    Not to mention, the shower was a pretty one. I'm a sucker for a good shower in hotels… though I even more appreciate a jacuzzi if and when it's possible.

    MGM Grand Stay Well Bathroom.jpg

    There was also "Welness Lighting" in the bathroom, which is supposed to increase your energy. I'll take it.

    MGM Grand Wellness Lighting.jpg

    Even on a not exactly meant to be relaxing trip to Vegas, it's still important to unwind and chill out, so I appreciated that our room helped us do that.

    So did the pools at the MGM Grand. It didn't hurt that it was 90 degrees in Vegas (leaving behind Boston's 50s and 60s) and though we didn't spend a ton of time at the pools, we certainly tried to spend a little bit of downtime there. We even rented rafts and cruised down the lazy river.

    MGM Grand Pool.jpg

    Kyle and I also got massages at the spa at the MGM Grand on our first morning in Vegas. So relaxing and such the perfect way to kick off the trip!

    I was too starving and too impressed to snap many good pics, but the brunch buffet at the MGM Grand made me extremely happy. I'm not much of a buffet girl and though I heard they were awesome in Vegas, I just assumed that meant ridiculously huge. MGM Grand's was indeed ridiculously huge, but was also surprisingly really good. I mean there were tacos. And guacamole. And I obviously ate those right alongside my french toast and waffles. Because I have no self control and brunch is the best meal. But this isn't even the half of it; with everything from fried chicken and waffles to Chinese food to huge bowls of bacon, hash browns, potatoes, etc. I highly doubt you'd find anyone complaining about brunch at the hotel. Plenty of salad too, if you're into that kind of thing.

    MGM Grand Brunch Buffet.jpg

    We did a lot of sightseeing during the weekend, which is completely essential when you've never been to Vegas before.

    Vegas Strip.jpg

    In embarrassing admissions, I'm the hugest Donny Osmand fan ever (well, that's probably not true at all as I can imagine he has some pretty avid fans). My Vegas traveling companions don't share my love and so I didn't get to see Donny and Marie's show, but I obviously took this photo. I know they're totally cheesy, but I've loved this pair since I was a kid. I know. But still. Don't make fun of me.

    Donny and Marie Vegas.jpg

    Filed under "things you only see in Vegas" is a pop up wedding chapel with a corresponding hashtag. And yes, that is Elvis walking down the aisle. Obviously.

    IMG_1665.jpg

    We didn't get to visit Paris, but that's a definitely must-do and already on my list for our next visit.

    Vegas Paris.jpg

    We did walk through several of the hotels on the Strip so that we could at least experience them a bit. Absolutely loved the ceiling at the Venetian.

    Venetian Ceiling.jpg

    After walking through the Venetian, we stopped for a quick lunch at Zine in the Palazzo. According to Chinese Restaurant News, this is one of the top 10 Chinese restaurants in the U.S.

    Zine Menu.jpg

    I got a GIANT bowl of spicy pho with filet mignon and it totally hit the spot. We had dinner at L'Atelier planned for that evening, so I didn't want to overdo it… But as you can see from the photo, this soup was way more than a meal!

    Zine Pho.jpg

    We posed for a few photo opps outside of the Venetian. Did I mention that it was in the 80s and 90s for pretty much our whole stay? But that it was a totally comfortable heat? And basically the best thing ever?

    Venetian Susie and Chris.jpg

    So excited to travel with my college bestie and her husband. Both Kyle and Jeff have been to Vegas several times and they did a fabulous job of showing us around and making sure we go to see everything we absolutely should.

    Venetian Susie Kyle.jpg

    We also happened to be in Vegas during the Kentucky Derby, which was pretty cool. I'm not much of one for betting, but we all put some money down on a few horses and went to Caesar's Palace to watch the race with just about everyone else in Vegas 🙂 I was slightly disappointed they didn't have any mint juleps at the bar, but I sipped on a bloody mary while watching Orb win (nope, not one that we placed our bets on!).

    Vegas Kentucky Derby.jpg

    On Sunday, Kyle and Jeff had a super early flight, so we said goodbye to them on Saturday night. Chris and I weren't leaving until Sunday afternoon (or really late night by the time our flight actually took off!), so we decided to spend the morning walking around and enjoying one last fabulous meal. We weren't sure what the wait would be on a Sunday morning, but we headed back to the Venetian to hit up Thomas Keller's Bouchon!

    Bouchon Vegas.jpg

    The wait was only 15 minutes. What do you know; the perfect amount of time to sit at the bar and enjoy a champagne cocktail. I had the French.

    Bouchon Champagne Brunch.jpg

    Then we headed outside to the patio for brunch.. because did I mention the weather was absolutely perfection in Vegas?? Yup.

    Bouchon Patio.jpg

    Coffee and bread are my ideal way of starting any meal.

    Bouchon Bread.jpg

    Also, a entire bowl of bacon. Because this is what it should be like when you order a side order of bacon, right?

    Bouchon Bacon.jpg

    That went along with Chris's French Toast, bread pudding style. I'm not usually much of a "sweet for breakfast" type person, but oh my God this was good. I might actually order this if we were to make a return visit to Bouchon for brunch. I mean, it had custard and apples layered in it. I'd pay a lot of money to have this in front of me right now. Anyone?

    Chris was quite happy with it, too.

    Bouchon Chris.jpg

    I stuck with the Croque Madame. Because basically any time I see it on the menu, I have to order it. Most perfect egg yolk ever and I ate every single bite of it.

    Bouchon Croque Madam.jpg

    And was clearly in my "happy place" zone. How could I not be??

    Bouchon Susie.jpg

    I must have had some kind of weird intuition that things would get rough later that day due to our 6-hour flight delay. So, I made sure to order a pain au chocolat to go. I couldn't be at Bouchon and not get a croissant.

    Bouchon Bakery Vegas.jpg

    And this flakey goodness totally made my airport wait all the better. Even if I did end up with crumbs all over everything. 100% worth it.

    Bouchon Pain de Chocolat.jpg

    After brunch, we headed to Caesar's Palace where we wandered around and did a little high-end window shopping. So. Much. Swoon. Worthy. Shopping. Also? Only in Vegas do they serve you margaritas while you're shopping in retail stores. Don't mind if I do. It was Cinco de Mayo, after all.

    Cinco de Mayo Margarita Caesars.jpg

    When I was in the airport waiting for our flight for a bazillion hours and wishing I had 100 more chocolate croissants from Bouchon, I came across this ad for Vegas Uncork'd. Which just happens to be this coming weekend. Which means I obviously need to go back to Las Vegas ASAP please.

    Vegas Uncorkd.jpg

    We had such a blast on our trip and still can't believe it's over. But I still have to share the best parts with you... Dinners at é and L'Atelier! Stay tuned because those will be up soon 🙂

    Also, note I was going to call this post "Las Vegas Vacation: Everything But the Food," but then realized most of it was about food anyway. Not really sure what that says about me, but food-filled vacations are the only kind I really want to have anymore. And I'm so glad Kyle and Jeff completely agree with this sentiment.

    Have you been to Vegas? What was your favorite part?

    [Sues]

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. lynn @ the actor's diet says

      May 09, 2013 at 12:16 am

      I went to my first Bouchon in Vegas - now I'm lucky enough to have one in LA! This is definitely making me wanna go back and explore other places...

    2. Odetta says

      May 09, 2013 at 8:36 am

      What a great vaca! The hotel room look so amazing and now I can't wait to read about more food!!

    3. Melissa says

      May 09, 2013 at 9:39 am

      I love Vegas so much!! I think I told you before that I'd go every year if there weren't a million other places to go! I've been three times and I still haven't seen everything there. Your weather timing was perfect too! I've been at the end of August when it's 110 degrees - not so pleasant! I can't wait to read about your other meals!

    4. Leah | So, How's It Taste? says

      May 09, 2013 at 10:36 am

      I have never been to Vegas, so I really enjoyed this post...especially the food! Sounds like you all had a ton of fun! I can't wait to go myself some day.

    5. Lexi says

      May 09, 2013 at 10:57 am

      This reminds me that I still have not written a post about my Vegas trip in March! I was there for a wedding (my first visit too!), and had so much fun. We were at the New York New York, which was wonderful! We did a double decker bus tour of the strip and the old strip too, and then Elvis came to the wedding we attended!

    6. Ashley Bee (Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine) says

      May 09, 2013 at 12:27 pm

      I loved Vegas! My bf at the time won back the cost of the trip the first night 🙂 It was awesome.

    7. Megan says

      May 09, 2013 at 12:49 pm

      Food-filled vacations are the best! Love this recap. I've never been to Vegas and hope to go someday soon! Can't wait for your review of Robuchon's restaurant. We're going to Paris soon and might go when we're there.

    8. Gia Grossman says

      May 09, 2013 at 2:18 pm

      Can I go next time?? I just want to be in the sun with a cocktail. Or a Bouchon brunch. Or that shower!

    9. Emily says

      May 10, 2013 at 8:45 pm

      Ooo this looks delicious and so fun. I've never been to Vegas but neeeed to get there. I dream of weekend getaways once I don't travel for work so much.

    10. ashley - baker by nature says

      May 10, 2013 at 9:44 pm

      I've never been to Vegas, but this post has me ready to search for flights! Looks like you guys had an amazing trip!!!

    11. hakkasan las vegas tickets says

      May 13, 2013 at 5:00 am

      Vegas is a great location for partying! If you haven't heard, Hakkasan at MGM is opening! It is the biggest nightclub at the MGM GRAND. complex also has a restaurant. Check it out!!

    12. Reeni says

      May 19, 2013 at 9:47 pm

      I've been once and it was soooo fun! It was a long time ago and I still remember the food! I can't wait to back and this post just reinforced that it needs to be soon.

    13. The Light Vegas says

      May 23, 2013 at 1:59 am

      Las Vegas is a good place for partying! If you haven't heard, Light is opening. It is the biggest nightclub inside the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Light also has a exquisite restaurant. Check it out!!

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