Hey all!! As some of you may already know I took my first trip to Las Vegas this past weekend on a business trip. I had the opportunity to stay at 2 of the world's most famous hotels located right on the strip!
The prestigious Waldorf Astoria and the widely acclaimed Nobu Hotel inside of Ceasars Palace.
*As a disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Hilton, Waldorf or Nobu. This review is strictly to provide insight and details regarding my personal experience*
Nestled inside Ceasars Palace on the Las Vegas strip, Nobu Hotel has been a long time goal of mine to stay at. Their name literally speaks for itself. I've seen unbelievable pictures and read outstanding reviews about this place and I just had to experience it for myself.
Nobu is a quaint, chill hotel within a hotel that offers luxury, sophisticated ambiance and Japanese infused designs throughout their 181 lavish hotel rooms.
I stayed on the 77th floor in a Queen bedroom with a view overlooking the beautiful backside of the Caesars Palace. Lol!! That's right.... I had no view. No sunset views, no strip views, no mountain views-- just a wonderful view of the other guestrooms and the back of the Caesars sign. Oh.... and the Eiffel Tower there in the background!
Although I was disappointed, I didn't let it ruin my stay. After all, I don't go to hotels to stay in the room and look out the window. Despite the fact that I was given a sub-par view, Nobu still had a lot to offer.
Aside from providing excellent customer service, their quality hotel rooms offered peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Being in the room made you forget that you were even on the Las Vegas strip.
H O W E V E R what I DIDN'T like-- was the casino attached to the property. I know.... I know.... it's Vegas and nearly all of the hotels have casinos inside of them, I get it 😅 But for my own taste-- I prefer hotels without casinos for a few different reasons....
1) I absolutely detest walking through a smoke filled casino. I can't stand the smell of cigarette or cigar smoke. And if I'm spending my hard earned money, it won't be at a place where I'm uncomfortable.
2) I hate having hundreds of eyes on me as I check into my hotel. The crowds, the unruly people, the constant micro-managing from suits walking around and the "uptight-ness" of it all is just not my thing. That's not why I go on vacation.
3) I really don't mean to sound prudish here but I also don't like the loitering in front of the hotels. I shouldn't have to shuffle my way through dozens of people just to get through the front door; and to make matters worse, once you do finally get inside- it's like a maze trying to find your way around. It's all just a bit too much for me.
Yes, I'm a little picky 🤏🏾 but because I know that about myself, I don't like putting myself in situations where I have to seem unreasonable or unrealistic. Hence why I've never traveled to Vegas 🤯
Another downside to my room at Nobu was that it didn't have a bathtub 😭 and if you know anything about me, you know that I am a huge bathtub person! I love taking baths, anytime, anywhere. So when they're not offered in luxury hotel rooms, I'm instantly turned off. I don't care how world renown the property is, I prefer a bathtub in my room.
Even though I probably could've requested a room with a bathtub and a view, I didn't want to go through the hassle of having to repack my belongings, get dressed, go down past the casino to the front desk and ask for another room. It was all just too much.
At least the mini bar assortment in my room was nice. And all the other little details that went into making my stay comfortable definitely deserve some credit! Nobu was a great hotel, I'm just the problem here 😅 it's one of those "it's not you, it's me" type of situations.
What can I say, we like what we like, right?
All in all I probably wouldn't stay at Nobu again. Not because I had a bad experience, but the casino aspect really turned me off. I'm not a gambler or a smoker and I rarely drink anything other than wine. I can do without a casino in my hotel.
Now.... The Waldorf Astoria on the other hand offered a much more tailored and personal experience that was more to my liking. Still located on the Las Vegas Strip, this property sits directly across from the shops at Crystals. A wonderous galleria mall full of high end retail stores like Prada, Louis Vuitton and Gucci along with a mix of fine dining restaurants.
The Waldorf was more exclusive, private and upscale. It had no casino, no shows and no attractions other than it's name that made people want to wander inside. Unless you had reservations or a reason to be there, there was no reason to be there. For ME- it made accessing the lobby and other hotel areas feel that much more safe and secure.
Y'all know I travel alone and staying safe is my number 1 priority. So things like that really matter to me.
Besides that my room came with an amazing view of the strip. And did I mention it had a bathtub the size of a small jacuzzi?! Yessss! It sat right in the middle of the bathroom floor allowing me to partake in unobstructed views of the strip while I soaked in the tub.
I mean.... what more could a girl ask for?
The one thing I did notice that stood out is that the Waldorf didn't offer a mini bar selection like Nobu did. Things like an ice bucket, wine glasses, snacks, in room beverages, etc. The small details that go into a room to make your stay a little more inviting were lacking.
It's little things like that, that really impress me. But hey, we can't win 'em all right? They did have some great toiletries and other small items that are easily forgotten at home though, so that helped!
Being at a less crowded, more exclusive hotel on the strip allowed me to freely visit the pool, the spa and seamlessly make dinner reservations without long wait times or lines.
Keeping in mind that Vegas is still only partially open due to the pandemic, being at a private property really made all the difference when it came to implementing proper social distancing and cleaning protocols.
During my 4 night stay at the hotel, I didn't experience any overcrowding, long lines or swarms of people coming and going; and because the Waldorf had a more intimate and inclusive set up, it was easy to visually see the safety measures put in place to take care of their guests.
Another win for the Waldorf is that they also offered private car service. They had several different luxury cars to choose from including Bentley trucks, Mercedes AMG's and Lamborghinis if you wanted to drive around the city without renting a car. They also offered chauffer services in an upscale, business car to drive you around. They truly know how to make you feel like VIP!
Lastly, on the day of check-out they stored my bags at no additional charge so that I wouldn't have to lug them around the city. They cleaned my room everyday I was there and had tea time in their open SkyBar. The views from the top were spectacular!!
I guess it's safe to say the Waldorf Astoria is my winner for this review. They exceeded my expectations and made me feel like an actual guest of their resort, instead of just another person checking into a hotel. It was personalized, it was personal, it was perfect.
I hope you enjoyed this review. What's your favorite Las Vegas Strip Resort to stay in when you visit?
I've definitely decided to put Vegas on my list of ultimate travel destinations. With so much to see and do, there is truly something for everyone.
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-XOXO
Ashawna Lane
Because Black women deserve luxurious lifestyles too 💅🏾