Every year my boys can’t wait for our annual family Vegas vacation. This year it will be our 7th year. Lots of people disagree that Vegas is a good place for families with children, but we love it. My husband and I are not gamblers or drinkers and we truly enjoy spending our free time with our two boys.
Las Vegas has so much to offer beside the gambling and the nightlife. Every year there is more stuff to see and experience.
We usually visit Las Vegas every September right after Labor Day weekend. The weather is great and we can’t wait to lounge by the pool sipping cold drinks. We always pick a hotel with the best pool that is family friendly and we won’t get dirty looks by bringing our boys down. The top 3 picks of our family 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 Vegas. You feel like you entered an exotic paradise with lots of lush greenery, beautiful flowers, fountains and little island connected with bridges. This massive over 6 acre paradise offers 5 swimming pools, 3 whirlpools and lazy river. The lazy river was a hit with my family. It floats under bridges, through waterfalls and ends in a little Lagoon with waterfall which is perfect wading pool for babies and little ones.
I must admit this paradise has a few drawbacks. One of the drawbacks is that you need to rent a tube or a raft to truly experience the lazy river . I believe the rental is $15 per tube per day. The MGM Grand is known to run special promotions where you can get the rental cheaper, free or 2 for 1. Before you book your room you should check out websites with coupons for MGM (just go to Google and type coupons MGM Las Vegas in to the search – early vegas is a good one). The second drawback is that the pool complex is located quite far from the guest elevators. You need to walk through the promenade with stores and restaurants to get to the pool, but the walk is well worth it.
#2 The Monte Carlo
The Monte Carlo pool is much smaller in comparison to the pool complex at The Grand , but we enjoyed it regardless. They are kids friendly and that’s all that matters.
The Monte Carlo offers 3 swimming pools, whirlpool and kids pool. If you are visiting Las Vegas with little kids you will love the enclosed kiddie pool with kids size beach chairs. The wave pool with 3ft waves was designed to simulate the ocean and is a blast for the whole family. If you want to have a swim then try the Lagoon pool. It is a nice and relaxing square pool with a waterfall. My favorite was the relaxing 400 feet of Easy River Ride. There is a tube rental as well, but you can purchase 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 stay like us. After you done with it , why not pass the tube onto a new family.
#3 The Mirage
The pool at the Mirage is a series of pools connected by bridges and lagoons with cascading waterfalls in tropical setting. They used to have a waterslide , but to a big disappointment of my children they closed it down. They offer raft rental to float around, but we never needed one. You can ask for complimentary life jackets for children. The pool is located close to the guest elevators just down a little promenade with few stores, coffee bistro and ice cream shop. If you will decide to order a drink take my advice and order small size. If you don’t specify they will bring you a huge drink with even bigger price tag.
Just a tip: Most of the pools in Vegas say that you are not allowed to save lounge chairs at the pool, but everybody does it. 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 Kids.
Stay tuned for more articles about family friendly Las Vegas.
