This was to be a rare child-free holiday to celebrate our second anniversary, so it had to be Vegas and as I'm resolutely choosing to ignore the current economic apocalypse the media is hyping up...it had to be The Bellagio.

On previous Vegas visits I've coveted this place from afar...gazing over the lake at the pseudo-Italian Villas marquerading as shops and restaurants, hoping that one day I'd be lucky enough to stay within its hallowed walls...

Well that day arrived and it wasn't anything to do with luck or indeed hope, more to do with dollars...not as many as I'd feared, but admittedly more than you'd shell out on a more standard MGM Mirage offering.

So was I impressed? Or was it a case of 'Never meet your heroes?'

First off, the check-in process was first rate...okay the queing was a bit hit-or-miss, but the staff were friendly and above all personable...no mean feat in a 3000+ room hotel.

Then onto the room itself...nicely situated lakeside on the 21st floor...actually 'nicely' doesn't do it justice, the view itself was spectacular, with the breathtaking fountains nestling centre stage on a vista that included the Eiffel Tower, the largest Planet Hollywood sign known to man and only a 150ft poster of Donny & Marie Osmond to spoil the overall effect!

Everything was where it should be, including the ubiquitous digital mini-bar that would charge you for even thinking about removing one of the morsels on offer...word to the wise, if you really must have a Red Bull, best to grab one downstairs, unless your really do need wings, like in the event of a fire for example...

As a shower connoisseur I can't say I was overly impressed by the power on offer, but the marble clad bathroom more than made up for any grumblings over water pressure.

The bed was exactly as you'd expect from a 5 Star property...sumptuous, soft and difficult to extracate oneself from. Heavenly, especially when compounded by the fact that our temporary child-free status meant we didn't have to shuffle around in the dark at 5am, wondering why we hadn't used birth control 5 years previous...

So, for my wife and I, the room was perfect, the location on the strip was perfect....but, the hotel itself wasn't perfect...for us anyway.

To elaborate, The Bellagio is squarely aimed at the affluent traveller, who would think nothing of blowing $5k on a handbag or trinket and as such the restaurant and shopping experiences are tailored to suit...resulting in something of a stuffy atmosphere about the place and to be honest a lot of empty shops! We aren't paupers, I might add, but I'm just not a great fan of being seen in the latest offerings from Italian boutiques that scream 'Look at me!'

As for eating on the premises, Cafe Bellagio is worth a look for a late breakfast (Make it late if you want to avoid the long lines...)

Circo was a fitting destination for our Anniversary dinner and was topped off nicely with a complimentary Creme Brulee, complete with 'Happy Anniversary' icing...

Other than that we tended to migrate to Planet Hollywood or across to Caesars for drinking and eating....bit more of a buzz to those establishments for the under 80's...

Back to those fountains...they really are an amazing spectacle when seen from above and despite watching them far more times than could be considered healthy, they remained spectacular...despite the often dodgy musical scores they were coreographed to (Surely even American's are over Celine Dion's Titanic theme by now?!)

Anyway, highly recommended...if it's class you want, Vegas doesn't do it any better and yes, that includes Wynn.

We stayed at the Bellagio recently as part of our honeymoon. We had a fantastic time and really enjoyed the hotel, in particular the pools are amazing...and where else can you not feel guilty about drinking margaritas before 12 noon??? Our room was really spaceous and the service was excellent. The only negative was the large number of tourists in the lobby viewing the flowers on the ceiling. Another recommendation - the buffet at the Bellagio - it's fab!

Booked a two night stay with a fountain view and were given a room on the 24th floor so the view of the fountain show was just perfect. Nice clean room and large bathroom with bath and shower. Had breakfast (brunch in fact) at the Buffet and never saw so much food and different choices. Booked the Bellagio because we had tickets for the Cirque du Soleil 'O' show which was fabulous and a 'must see' in Vegas.

Just returned from a quick three night stay at the Bellagio; went mid-week until Saturday, so got to see the “downtime” as well as the ramp up to the weekend vibe at the place.

Booked under the American Express Platinum Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which meant that we were given a complimentary upgrade to a deluxe lakeview room upon check-in – as well as receiving a $100 spa credit and breakfast for two each morning at the hotel venue of our choice (you could pick among five or so restaurants). We also received an automatic late check-out of 4p, but left at noon (the regular check-out time) anyway because of our flight back to Colorado.

The hotel lobby is as beautiful as people claim with its glass ceiling , but the check-in process was a bit slow. Once we were at the head of the queue all of our Amex perks were in order and confirmed, and we were assigned a room with a fantastic view on the 24th floor (24004). This was just to the right of the “curve” that runs down the center of the hotel, directly looking over the lake and the fountains. This, unfortunately, was probably the best feature of the room – as the room itself was unremarkable. Smallish, the room had visible wear ‘n tear (nicked furniture, some stains on the ceiling, worn carpeting) – but not excessively so or to the point where we would have requested a different one. The bathroom was pleasant and functional, but nothing that would take your breath away. Toiletries were of a no-brand variety, but did the trick for their intended purposes.

After unpacking we went to the pool area to check it out and to have our first “vacation drinks.” The bar area at the pool had a fun vibe (they played 80s music) and service was very friendly. The pool officially closes at 8p – and we had on our agenda the standard first-night-in-Vegas plan of running up and down the Strip –so didn’t actually use the pool areas (there are five pools) until the following morning.

The morning after our arrival we had the Bellagio buffet – which, again, was pleasant but nothing to write home about. The room itself is quite dreary … totally enclosed with no view or openness about it. Service was fine, but not stellar (ok, so it’s buffet –and I’ll admit that I had no real high expectation of service per se).

We hit the pool shortly after it opened at 8a and scoped out a spot. The pool area is immense and they line chair upon chair up in long lines and with nearly no space between them. Fortunately this was a Thursday morning, so the crowds were thin at that time and one could have the pick of their spot. This was definitely not the case the more the week wore on – so beware of heading to the pool at peak times. We found a “private corner” by the second fountain pool that that the unusual feature of having just two chairs set off from the long queues of the others, so we camped out there. Beware – this pool is cold (frigidly so) … and even in the 100 degree plus desert temperature it was unbearable (it was amusing to watch a newbie put their toes into this pool for the first time – the reactions were pretty universal that it was way too cold to be enjoyable). We had to walk to the large main pool to the side of this to find water that was more temperate – but a small price to pay for having our chairs in a prime location. Drink service ran the gamut from efficient and timely to non-existent, so for immediate service one should walk to the bar area and get their drinks from the nice bartenders who work that area. Towels and chairs were self-service … you picked up towels upon entering the pool area and then put them wherever you could find a spot to park. We did the pool nearly all day each day … and Friday was a real show: At one point in the afternoon there was not a spot to be had, and the service people didn’t monitor people who left and then removed their towels – so it was hard for people to know if a chair was occupied or not. I’m used to the pool service at places like a Four Seasons, where they have the “art” of pool service down cold – and comparatively the Bellagio was a little disorganized in this respect.

We ate at Yellowtail (the new sushi restaurant at the Bellagio) the second night we were there – and despite the mixed reviews (one coming from a hotel employee) – we found the food and the venue to be excellent. Yes, the portions are on the small side and it’s wildly expensive , but the quality was evident and the service great, and all-in-all it was an awesome place to have dinner. This was made especially so because we scored one of the few (there appeared to be nine or so) tables outside on the patio, right on the lake and had a front row seat for the water and light shows. A lot of fun to go with some great food.

After gambling a little bit we hit The Bank nightclub. I had been put on the guest list – so it was turnkey to get in (and with no cover charge). Being Thursday night, the place was pretty slow to heat up and like everywhere else in town it seems the only way to get a seat is to pay for bottle service. Since we only wanted to go for a couple of drinks, we stood along the bar rail on the upper levels and watched the scene unfold below us. Clubbers should be aware that the entire bar is one room (three levels) and it looks and feels small. The music wasn’t all to my taste (subjective I know) – so I wasn’t feeling the groove. By the time we left an hour later there were a lot more people – and only about half the bottle service reserved areas were occupied. Usual Vegas fare – bachelorette parties, or tables that were mostly men. The crowd here was pretty diverse in taste, temperament and style – but it’s a young crowd and the average age appeared to be about 25 years old. The next night (Friday) after coming back from a show at the Wynn there was a line behind the velvet rope of about 50 people looking pretty eager to get in –so it has appeal to some. I wouldn’t go back most likely as I think there are far more interesting and varied venues in Vegas. Even one of the bartenders at Caramel (one of the Bellagio’s lounges) said The Bank was neither worthy of a cover charge nor any sort of wait that one may have to endure – and I agree. But, again, the appeal of a club is subjective and some may find the place totally worthy of the hype. Just bring loads and loads of cash if this is your scene.

Not being a huge gambler (didn’t do a single table game on this visit) it’s hard for me to give any sort of comprehensive review of the casino. I fooled around with the slots a bit, but didn’t even do this seriously. The Bellagio is definitely one of the nicer places to bet on the Strip and people seemed to be having a good time. The ventilation is good for those who are averse to smoke, and drink service was hit or miss (this could be because I wasn’t doing anything more rich than the quarter slots and wasn’t certainly scoped out as a major contributor to the house’s coffers).

We went to see La Reve at the Wynn the last night of our stay and in returning to the Bellagio afterwards you could tell the difference in age and style between the two places (I didn’t see any of the rooms at the Wynn – so just basing the comparison on the public areas) – and it just felt that the Bellagio was getting a little long in the tooth.

Having been spoiled at a variety of five star resorts worldwide – I will say that the service at the Bellagio – while always pleasant – just didn’t have that over-the-top feeling that makes you feel as though you are staying at someplace really special. Because of this, and while I did enjoy my time here, I would definitely would look at another hotel/resort to try on the next trip to Vegas.

Hope this helps anyone trying to figure out what’s a good fit for their stay – enjoy your travels!