Reservations

Check the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Convention Calendar.

All it takes is one big convention in town while you're here. Hotels fill up. Lines get really long. Streets turn into parking lots. Prices go up and up and up some more. Pick another time to visit.

Book reservations as soon as you decide to visit. Several options for getting the best prices...

• Check the rates available at your favorite online travel reservations services.
• Go to the resort's home page to find a link to Special Promotions and another link to Packages (or similar wording). They run these almost all the time.
• Rather than call a toll-free number to a centralized reservation system for several properties, call the hotel directly on its local number and try negotiating a better rate.
• Consider booking one of the air-hotel Packages. Sometimes you can get a great price booking both together.
• Locals can often get reduced rates with a Nevada picture ID. If you know someone who lives in the valley, see if they can help you.

Evaluate the benefits of a suites hotel.

If you'll be in town for four nights or more, a weekly rate at a suites hotel might save money. Plus, the kitchen area lets you to grocery shop at specialty stores like Whole Foods Market or Trader Joes. This gives you more control over the types of food -- organic, green salads, whole grain cereals, fresh fruit and vegetable juices -- available to you throughout your stay.

Make your reservations in this order.

As a rule of thumb, make sure you can get a place to stay first. Then make sure you can get there (airline). If you can't get the flight you want, it's usually easier to change (or worst case, cancel) a hotel reservation than an airline reservation. Do the car rental last.

Ask about shuttle service.

For flyers, ask the hotel whether they have a free shuttle service between the airport and the hotel. Find out about scheduling, pick-up locations, phone number(s), travel times and possible fees.

Confirm your reservations a few days before departure.

Things can change without you knowing it. Call the hotel, airline and car rental a couple days before you leave to verify that everything is okay. Remember to go over the details again for accuracy.

Bookmark the appropriate Las Vegas maps on your phone.

Know in advance where the airport, car rental, hotel and restaurant locations are relative to each other. You'll have an advantage, when it's time to drive or take a taxi, shuttle or tram.

Provide someone you trust with a copy of your itinerary.

Make sure someone knows the who, what, when, where and why of your trip, so they can track you down if you disappear.

When you arrive at the hotel, walk around and orient yourself.

In 5-10 minutes you can know all about the hotel restaurants, elevators, stairs, exits, security, business center, health club, and other services and amenities. Being informed means that you're better prepared, and leads to being more comfortable and confident in your new surroundings.