Every year my kids look forward to our annual family vacation to Las Vegas. This year will be our seventh year. Many people disagree that Las Vegas is a good place for families with children, but we love it. My husband and I are not gamblers or drinkers and we really enjoy spending our free time with our two children.
Las Vegas has a lot to offer besides gambling and nightlife. Every year there are more things to see and experience.
We usually visit Las Vegas every September right after Labor Day weekend. The weather is great and we are looking forward to lounging by the pool sipping cold drinks. We always choose a hotel with the best pool that is family friendly and don’t look down on us when knocking our children down. Our family’s top 3 choices are The MGM Grand, The Monte Carlo, and The Mirage.
#1 The MGM Grand
The MGM Grand has an amazing pool complex. In my opinion, one of the best in Las Vegas. You feel like you have entered an exotic paradise with lots of lush greenery, beautiful flowers, fountains and a small island connected by bridges. This massive 6+ acre paradise offers 5 pools, 3 hot tubs, and a lazy river. The lazy river was a hit with my family. It floats under bridges, through waterfalls and ends in a small lagoon with a waterfall that is a perfect splashing area for babies and toddlers.
I must admit that this paradise has some drawbacks. One of the drawbacks is that you need to rent a tube or raft to truly experience the lazy river. I believe the rental is $15 per tube per day. The MGM Grand has been known to run special promotions where you can get the cheapest rent, free, or 2 for 1. Before you book your room, you should check the websites with coupons for MGM (just go to Google and type coupons MGM Las Vegas in search – Early Vegas is good). The second drawback is that the pool complex is located quite a distance from the guest elevators. You have to walk along the promenade with shops and restaurants to get to the pool, but the walk is worth it.
#2 The Monte Carlo
The Monte Carlo pool is much smaller compared to The Grand pool complex, but we enjoyed it regardless. They are kid friendly and that’s all that matters.
The Monte Carlo offers 3 swimming pools, a jacuzzi and a children’s pool. If you’re visiting Las Vegas with young children, you’ll love the enclosed children’s pool with children’s beach chairs. The wave pool with 3 foot waves was designed to simulate the ocean and is a blast for the whole family. If you want to swim, try the Lagoon pool. It’s a nice relaxing square pool with a waterfall. My favorite was the relaxing 400 foot Easy River Ride. There is also a tube rental but you can buy a tube inside their beach shop for around $12.00 and the rental shop will even blow it up for you. This is a real money saver for larger families or longer stays like us. After you’re done with him, why not pass the tube on to a new family?
#3 The Mirage
The Mirage pool is a series of pools connected by bridges and lagoons with waterfalls in a tropical setting. They used to have a water slide, but much to the disappointment of my kids, they closed it. They offer raft rentals to float, but we never needed one. You can request complimentary children’s life jackets. The pool is located near the guest elevators, on a small promenade with a few shops, cafe bistro, and ice cream parlor. If you decide to order a drink, take my advice and order a small size. If you don’t specify, they will bring you a huge drink with an even higher price.
Just a word of advice: most pools in Las Vegas say that you are not allowed to keep lounge chairs at the pool, but they all do. If you don’t, you won’t get a good spot because hundreds of people before you ignored the rule. Live and learn.
Enjoy Las Vegas with children.
Stay tuned for more articles on Las Vegas for families.
