The Westin: A Lake Las Vegas Luxury Experience

The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa

Whether the kids have been running your life, work has been demanding or you just need a getaway The Westin at Lake Las Vegas will offer you a much needed luxurious break. Located about a half hour from the Las Vegas Strip it as an oasis in the desert that can offer you some much needed rest and relaxation. There is a lot to do in the summer (as I will discuss below); however, my husband and I did a romantic getaway in February so I won't be able to personally review the summer activities and experiences.

Let's talk atmosphere, I love the Moroccan inspired ambiance of The Westin. The colorful displays and the African inspired decor are pleasing to eye and really created a new sense of wanderlust in me. I like the layout of the resort and that everything is pretty easily accessible. There are 2 restaurants on property, a lounge and an express market that offers freshly crafted Starbucks drinks and healthy pre-made lunch options for on the go. The Westin is located right on Lake Las Vegas and is near The Village, an outdoor district which includes shopping and restaurants.

In this review:

¨     Hotel Features 

¨     Resort Fee Inclusions

¨     Evaluation of the Luxury King Suite

¨     Pros

¨     Cons

¨     My Verdict

Hotel Features

¨     2 resort pools

¨     Private beach

¨     Hot tub

¨     Outside lounging area with fire pits

¨     Reflection Bay Golf Club

¨     Multi-purpose sports court

¨     Fitness studio

¨     Spa Moulay

You can rent cabanas at the pool

The outdoor lounging area is beautiful

Resort Fee Inclusions

If you're paying for it, you should know what you get. At a whopping $29 per night for the resort fee here is what's included:

¨     Access to all resort pools, hot tub, beaches and outside lounging areas

¨     Access to the SouthShore Golf Course

¨     Concierge Service

¨     Wi-Fi

¨     The Family Fun Zone (a variety over sized game boards located outside)

¨     Shuttle service

¨     Pool towels

¨     A complimentary one hour kayak rental

¨     20% discount on paddle boards and paddle boat rentals

¨     Self parking

¨     Access to putting green and sports court

¨     Access to the onsite running track

Luxury King Suite

This 792 square foot room is spacious and an easy place to relax. It has 2 separate rooms, one a bedroom with a king bed and the other a living room with a sofa bed. Both rooms offer flat screen TVs, sliding doors with floor to ceiling views and a mini balcony. There is a wet bar, coffee maker with Starbucks coffee and teas and a mini refrigerator. The suite offers 1-1/2 bathrooms to accommodate a family if needed. The room, while spacious and with a great layout, seemed to need a little love. It appeared a bit rundown with some slight furniture damage and stained/torn up carpet. 

The living area of the Luxury King Suite

The view from our room

     

Pros

¨     Professional welcome folder explaining the property and activities close by. Everything I could ever want or need was beautifully presented in an easy to read format.

¨     Onsite restaurants for any budget.

¨     Private beach and lagoon area.

¨     Wonderful outdoor lounging areas with great views of the lake.

¨     A shuttle service.

¨     The Village is close by (during the warm seasons they have music fests, beer fests, art shows and more! Be sure to check the calendar of events here Lake Las Vegas Events and the calendar for concerts here Lake Las Vegas Concerts).

¨     Close to the Lake Las Vegas Marina (which offers Gondola cruises, boat rentals, pedal boats etc.).

¨     Great views of the lake.

¨     Outstanding customer service. Every employee I was in contact with was friendly, warm and welcoming.

¨     The atmosphere is classy and fun. I wanted to dwell in the lounge for a long time to relax and enjoy the Moroccan theme.

 

Cons

¨     The hotel in general needs a little bit of love. From crooked lights on walls to stained and torn carpets, small details make a big impression. Being a 4 star hotel is an honor and every detail should matter.

¨     The A/C unit and the plumbing in our room were very loud and kept waking me up through out the night.

¨     While watching TV some channels would fade in and out and some didn't come in clear at all.

¨     I was excited to see two floor to ceiling sliding glass doors over looking the lake; however, the lack of screens was disappointing. We couldn't open the doors and enjoy the lake's breeze without letting mosquitoes and other various bugs in.

My Verdict

¨     Location: 10/10 (I mean, come on it's right on a gorgeous lake!)

¨     Rooms: 7/10 (With a little love I would easily give 10/10 due to the great views and layout)

¨     Atmosphere: 9/10 (Love the concept of the hotel)

¨     Service: 10/10

¨     Overall: 8/10 

Check out this view of The Strip

The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa

101 MonteLago Boulevard, Henderson, NV, 89011, United States

(702) 567-6000

http://www.westinlakelasvegas.com/

3 Easy and Budget Friendly Weeknight Meals

3 Easy and Budget Friendly Weeknight Meals

Does it get any better than that? Busy parents on a budget need all the help we can get sometimes to find a good balance of keeping little ones happy with what we put on the table and staying within a grocery budget. These are three of our family's favorites wallet friendly meals.

1) Crock Pot BBQ Chicken with Corn and Potatoes

4 chicken breasts

1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

4 frozen corn on the cobs

8 medium sized red potatoes

canned or homemade gravy

Sour cream

Butter

Salt and Pepper

Put the entire bottle of BBQ sauce in the crock pot. Put 2 tbsp. of water into the empty bottle and shake it around to get all the BBQ sauce out. Pour in the crock pot. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and place them in the BBQ sauce, flip a couple of times to coat them well. Wrap each frozen corn on the cob in a piece of foil and place directly on top of the chicken. Cover; cook on low for at least 6 hours.

Clean the potatoes well (you can peel them if you like). About a half hour before the chicken is done, place the potatoes into a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Test them with a fork, if it pierces easily your potatoes are done. Drain them well and place into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add butter and sour cream and put your mixer on low until potatoes are smooth. If they don't have the desired texture add more butter or sour cream until desired consistency is reached. Salt & pepper to taste. Heat the gravy over a low-med heat for a couple of minutes.

Pull chicken out of crock pot and serve whole or shred with forks and serve between toasted bread for a pulled BBQ chicken sandwich. Unwrap the corn from the foil and add butter, salt and pepper if you would like and serve with mashed potatoes and gravy.

2) Broccoli, Rice & Chicken Bake

1 box broccoli and cheese flavored rice mix (I use Rice-A-Roni)

2 cups boiling water

2 cups shredded chicken (I like to put 2 chicken breasts in the crock pot in the morning with 2 cups water, 2 tbsp. salt and 1 tbsp. pepper and cook on low for 6 hours or you can buy Rotisserie chicken)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

(1) 12 oz bag of frozen broccoli

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup French's Fried Onions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and boil water.

In a 13x9 casserole dish combine rice & contents of seasoning packet; add boiling water to dish and mix well.

Add chicken, garlic powder and broccoli, stir to combine evenly; cover and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove casserole dish from oven, sprinkle the cheese over the top; cover and bake another 8 minutes.

Remove casserole dish from oven, add fried onions and bake for an additional 5 minutes uncovered.

I like to serve this dish with Pillsbury rolls and salad.

3) Spaghetti Arrabbiata (also known as Angry Spaghetti)

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3/4 lb. ground beef or turkey

1/4 cup chopped white onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp. red pepper flake (or 3 tsp. if you like a little extra spiciness)

(1) 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 box spaghetti noodles

Fill a large pot with water and place over med-high heat. Heavily salt the water and bring to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions.

While the water is coming to a boil, place a large pan over med-high heat. Add the olive oil and ground beef (or turkey). Once the meat is almost fully browned add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and continue cooking. When meat is fully cooked add the can of crushed tomatoes and drop down to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for about 8-10 minutes. Serve with garlic bread.

Traveling With Kids: Practical Tips

Tips for Family Travel

Traveling with kids can be very different than traveling as a couple or even solo. It takes a lot more planning, effort and patience. Here are some tips and tricks I've learned along the way:

1. Groupon

I think Groupon is one of the most under utilized travel tools of the 21st century (is that too dramatic?). Seriously though, not only does it save you money but it offers a free guide to local family friendly activities. Just type in your destination and click the "Things To Do" tab and head over to "Family Activities" to check out some family fun located at your destination.

2. Airplane Endurance Pack

Head to the dollar store before your vacation and grab some toys, books, coloring books and crayons. Buy some brown paper lunch sacks and pack one bag for each hour you will be on the plane with some of the fun stuff you bought. Each hour your flight is in the air give your little ones a new bag of fun treasures to play with. By time they start getting bored with one bag it'll almost be time for a new one!

3. See Your Doctor

If you plan to travel abroad make an appointment with your pediatrician about 2 months prior to leaving. Inform your doctor of where you're going and make sure your kids are current on all shots and vaccinations. If your child has a pre-existing medical condition ask for help in finding a doctor located at your destination should you need one.

4. Make Sure To Pack A Health Bag

Always expect the unexpected while traveling with the family. I always pack a kit with the following in it: baby wipes, hand sanitizer, tissues, chap stick, sunscreen, band-aids, Tylenol (children's & adults), Benadryl (this came in handy for us once in Denver when my son had a unknown allergic reaction to something), thermometer and sting treatment.

5. Check Hotel Specials

Before I book with any hotel, I always call to ask what type of family specials they have. Sometimes we get a free kid's breakfast with purchase of adult breakfast, sometimes we can get discounted tickets for local attractions if we buy them through the hotel and you can even receive a free upgraded room for more space and comfort. While in London our hotel had a special concierge just for the kids. The concierge sat down with our son and asked him his likes and dislikes and helped us make an itinerary of fun things to do based on our son's answers. They also provided him a children's kit with coloring books, crayons and other activities.

6. Break Throughout The Day

Although your little ones have energy for days they can't always keep up with a demanding travel schedule. Make sure you take time to slow down and let them unwind and relax too. Ask your hotel's staff if there is a park located nearby and pack a lunch to have a picnic and let your kids play. Rent an in room movie at the hotel and indulge in a little room service. Find an ice cream shop in the area and spend quality time with them talking about your vacation so far and what their favorite part has been.

7. Let Them Be Creative

Buy your child a disposable camera and let them take pictures of things unique and interesting to them.

8. Unique Experiences

Seek out experiences exclusive to the location you're traveling to. Once in Paris I found a bungee trampoline (one like you could find at any carnival here in the states) under the Eiffel Tower. Sure, it was over priced and not totally unique to Paris BUT the experience of jumping under one of the world's most famous structures? That's something my son still talks about to this day. It was worth every penny.

9. Use Public Transportation

Kids love the novelty of traveling by unconventional modes of transportation. Trains, boats, subways etc. is an entirely new adventure for them. It might be faster to take a cab somewhere but the experience of traveling down a river on a boat to get to where you're going will excite kids beyond belief.   

10. Pack Your Own Snacks

Eating out while on vacation gets expensive. To minimize unnecessary spending pack your purse (or stroller) with snacks and water. This not only saves money but helps to quickly satisfy a hangry child.

11. Don't forget the FREE stuff

Get creative with your itinerary! Sometimes when we road trip to San Diego we will take our bicycles. We go to the beach and ride on the pier and up and down the beach until our hearts content...and it doesn't cost us a thing. Check online for any upcoming festivals or street parades. Don't be afraid to type in Free things to do (enter your destination here) in the search engine and see what pops up.

12. Above all ENJOY it

Don't let the stresses of parenthood rob you of these fleeting moments. Take the time to talk to your child about what you're doing, where you're going and any other little special moments throughout the journey. Realize the things they're experiencing on this new adventure - remember, you were once a kid too and the world was a magical place. Revisit that stimulating world of discovery with them and make memories that will last a lifetime. 

What tips can you share? Happy traveling! 

Free Family-Friendly Things To Do In Vegas!

 Free Family-Friendly Things To Do In Vegas!

We all know that traveling as a family isn't exactly cheap. So why not try to save money where you can? I've put together a list of free family friendly activities in Las Vegas that'll keep you entertained on a budget!

Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden

This 14,000 square foot floral wonderland has an ever changing scene of fun, beauty and creativity. With each season new flowers and designs are brought in with breathtaking displays. Fun tip, if you get there early enough (before 7:00 a.m.) you can see the horticulturalists changing out the dying flowers for fresh, vibrant new ones throughout the display.

Circus Acts at Circus Circus

As a local, I have so many fond memories of my dad taking me to see the circus acts at Circus Circus. Little did I know that it was my dad's way of entertaining me for free. With world class acts that include jugglers, trapeze artists and more you'll be entertained for hours. For a list of performing acts click here: https://www.circuscircus.com/en/entertainment/circus-acts.html

The Aquarium & Mermaids at the Silverton

Talk about an oasis filled with mystique and beauty in the middle of the desert. This 117,000 gallon aquarium has a variety of tropical fish, sharks and other sea life. Thursday-Sundays you will also be able see live mermaids take to the water to interact with spectators.

Ethel M Chocolate Factory

If you're anything like me then you might be obsessed with chocolate. Ethel M Chocolate Factory is one of my favorite places to visit. When at the factory you can walk down a viewing aisle and overlook as chocolatiers create gourmet chocolate right in front of you. At the end of the self guided tour you can take a walk around the chocolate shop that's filled with gourmet chocolates and brittles. Don't forget to grab your free sample!  

Fall of Atlantis at Caesar's Palace

Located in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace this animatronics show is entertaining and educational. This intense display of fire and water tells the mythological story of the city of Atlantis as two 9 foot tall sibling statues battle for control. This show runs at the top of every hour starting at 11:00 a.m. daily.

Fountains of Bellagio

See water like you've never seen before, dancing and lit up to a variety of music from Broadway hits to pop music. Located in front of the Bellagio, this 8.5 acre lake has 1,214 jets that shoot water over 450 feet into the air all choreographed to music. It's classy entertainment on a budget. 

Fremont Street Experience

I think Fremont Street is one of the most underrated places in Vegas. There are shops, street entertainers and food galore (deep fried Oreos anyone?). There is live entertainment every night (for a calendar click here http://vegasexperience.com/calendar/) and the famous Viva Visions show which playfully display amazing light shows on a 1,500 foot long video screen overhead to the likes of Bon Jovi, The Doors and more (for a schedule click here http://vegasexperience.com/calendar/).

M&M's World

Do you want to go to heaven? How about a 4 story chocolate heaven? M&M's World will offer an unforgettable experience for both you and the kids. On the first floor you'll find souvenirs & memorabilia galore - from key chains to coffee mugs they have everything M&M you could ever want. The second floor is a feast for the eyes with a rainbow wall full of 22 different M&M colors, every color from pink to grey.  The third floor is every kid's favorite with a free interactive movie " I left my M in Vegas". A funny short film (10 minutes) about how Red gambled his "M" away and now him and Yellow are on a mission to get it back! The fourth floor has a NASCAR theme with the M&M's sponsored Toyota Camry parked in the middle of the floor and a cache of NASCAR merchandise surrounding it.

The Container Park

This one-of-a-kind play area that was opened in December of 2013 was constructed of 43 re-purposed shipping containers and 41 locally manufactured Xtreme cubes and includes a tree house with a 33 foot tall slide! The play area features a NEOS play system to get your kids moving and to have fun doing it! While the kiddos are having a blast in the gated playground, mom & dad can go to all the boutique shops for a little shopping and grab a meal at one of the many dining options. Throughout the year they have live entertainment (Click here for current events http://downtowncontainerpark.com/events/month/). 

Streetmosphere at The Venetian

How about a quick trip to Italy? Head over to St. Mark's Square at the Venetian and you can come pretty close. With an all day line up of opera singers, jugglers, "living statues" and more you will be entertained and transported to the Italian Renaissance. Grab some gelato or coffee from the nearby cafes and relax while being entertained. 

The Volcano at the Mirage

For almost 30 years this Volcano has been lighting up the Vegas strip with an intense fire show orchestrated to music. From the same creators as the Bellagio Fountains, this show includes 12 foot flames that shoot into the air, coordinated fire spouts, water and smoke effects. 

The Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum

Located in McCarran International Airport, this museum will walk you through Vegas' local history of aviation. You'll learn the history of McCarran airport (originally known as Anderson field), the first flights into Vegas and how the airport has evolved since the 1920s.

First Fridays (Located Downtown)

If you are lucky enough to be in Vegas the first Friday of the month you can head over to the downtown area for a night of art, entertainment and food trucks. This foundation brings local artists from all over the city together for a night of creativity, community & fun.

Shelby American World Headquarters

Just south of the Strip is the Shelby American World Headquarters. They have a free car museum that takes you from the first Shelby ever created to the most current model and creation. Their guide, Jim, knew Carroll Shelby personally and tells you story after story of one of the most iconic figures in automotive history. You can also walk up to the glass walls in the Heritage center that overlook the shop where you can watch the technicians build custom Shelby's. Don't forget to sign your name on the wall with a Sharpie to let the world know you were there!

The 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' Sign  

Visiting this famous sign is now safer than ever thanks to the latest addition of a small parking lot right in front of it. Come by, park and get your picture taken with one of the most iconic signs in the world.

 What fun & hidden free treasures have you found in Las Vegas?