Category: Family Friendly

7 Items You Should Always Pack for Your Family Vacation in Vegas

Blog,  Events and Activities,  Family FriendlyPosted on

Ready for your summer family vacation? The budget is set, the itinerary scheduled, all that’s left to do is pack your bags. While it may seem like you can throw a few days’ worth of clothes in the suitcase and call it good, when you’re traveling with your family, you know you’re always one meltdown away from a forgotten item.

To avoid such mishap, make sure you have your family vacation packing list ready to go a few days in advance, so you don’t forget a thing in your rush to officially begin your vacation. While the below items may not represent the complete list, here are essentials to pack on your family vacation to Las Vegas, where the temps are skyrocketing and the pools are calling your name.

  1. Bathing Suit

Nothing’s worse than getting ready to cannonball into the pool or float lazily in the shallow end and realizing you’ve forgotten your bathing suit. Yes, Vegas has stores, but who wants to spend time shopping for a swimming suit when on vacation and settling on one that doesn’t quite fit right and is probably far more expensive than the one you have forgotten at home? Pack your suit; better yet, pack two.

  1. Hand Sanitizer

Keep a travel-size bottle in your carry-on bag for the flight. Sickness is easily passed via plane passengers since everyone is cooped up in one space. This makes hand sanitizer necessary for those tight spaces. If you’re road tripping to Las Vegas, it also comes in handy when you take a rest stop break and don’t trust the cleanliness of door handles or other surfaces that don’t seem up to your sanitary standards. Stash some in every bag you carry to ensure you have it when on the go.

  1. Cash

Some travelers like to set aside a certain amount of cash per day as part of their vacation budget. For Vegas, it’s particularly smart to set aside any cash you plan to spend on gambling, tipping, and valet. That way you always have dollars readily available for those who don’t take debit or credit cards; plus, you don’t go overboard on your game playing budget when the cash runs dry. Money tip: Also, make sure to alert your bank of your travels, so they don’t put a hold on your card for what look like fraudulent charges to them. If this happens to you and you’re out of cash, it may be one uncomfortable vacation.

  1. ID

When packing, it’s common to shift wallets to other bags, meaning that certain things like IDs can be left behind without realizing it. It doesn’t hurt to double check your packed bags before you walk out the door to make sure you have the proper identification. Otherwise, your vacation may end before it can even begin.

  1. Entertainment

IPads, headphones, books, toys – whatever your family needs to help make the time pass as you travel to Vegas will make it a lot easier on everyone. Being in a cramped space during travels can make everyone a little grouchy and bored. While you don’t want to go overboard with how much entertainment you pack, the essentials like movies downloaded on your mobile device, a good book, or a favorite toy will help make the travel part of your vacation go more smoothly.

  1. Sun Protection

You’re headed to Vegas in summer, which means you’ll be directly in the sun every day for several hours a day. Make sure you have what you need to keep your family properly covered when out and about. Travel-size sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, and possibly light scarves should all make the packing list. While you can buy these items once you get to your destination, it’ll be cheaper to use what you already have, since these high-demand items most likely will be marked up for tourists who forgot theirs at home. Plus, they barely take up any space, so it won’t compromise the rest of your packing list.

  1. Sense of Adventure

Yes, this last one may seem corny, but it’s true. The great thing about Las Vegas is there is no shortage of family fun activities. Whether that’s attending an authentic, Tahitian-style luau, hitting up the nearest water park, or marveling at the natural wonders Vegas has to offer, your family should be ready to dive right in.

Of course, there are other essentials that should be on every family vacation packing list, but this will get you started when going over everything that needs to make it in the suitcase. Planning will help you feel like you have what you need to make your family’s Vegas vacation one they’re not soon to forget.

Goodbye. Adios. Au Revoir. Auf Wiedersehen. Heippa. We bid a fond farewell to Mike Rounds, our multilingual (English, Spanish, French, German, Finnish) general manager.

Blog,  Family Friendly,  General,  MiscellaneousPosted on

Mike Rounds’ tenure as general manager of Tahiti Village encompasses virtually the entire existence of the resort. He arrived in August 2006, six months after the grand opening, and has played a vital role in its greatest growth.

He was here for the lazy river. He was here when Tower 5 went up. He was here for the parking garage. He was here for the opening of the Island Courtyard, of the adult hot tub, of Manihi Isle. And most recently he was here for the multimillion-dollar guest unit renovation of 2016.

When he leaves tonight he’ll take the same route home he always has, out his sixth floor office, down the Tower 5 elevator, and up to the fifth floor of the parking garage where a jet black Acura in space 566 awaits his return.

The difference is, on Monday morning, he won’t follow the same route back. Today is Mike’s last at Tahiti Village, to the detriment of the many friends he has made these past 11 years – coworkers, owners and visitors who will miss his engaging personality, disarming demeanor, and amusing analogies that cannot be shared in a family blog. Just know that his face turns red with laughter at their telling, like mercury racing up a thermometer.

“I’ve really enjoyed being a part of a great team, and helping Tahiti Village become what it is today,” he said on July 31, the first day of his last week on the job. “What I’ve been able to accomplish is because I had the support of everyone in the company.”

Walking the property with him in search of a suitable portrait location was to witness Mike in microcosm: Warmly greeting guests, picking up discarded trash, and presenting an image of pure professionalism that has done our resort proud.

“I know this may sound cheesy, but I when I walk through the lobby, around the pool area, and down the hallways, I get a great deal of personal satisfaction knowing that we are providing a great family vacation experience for people,” Mike said. “We’re bringing people closer together. That’s what I will miss the most.”

His acceptance of the general manager position at another Las Vegas resort effectively brings to a close his career at Soleil Management, which began in 2001 as resort manager for Club de Soleil. He remained there for two years before taking the general manager’s job at Tahiti Resort in 2003.

We wish him all the best in his new job. It won’t be the same around Tahiti Village without him.

Vegas Through a Child’s Eye

Blog,  Family Friendly,  Las Vegas Activities,  Las Vegas EventsPosted on

Las Vegas offers a dizzying array of attractions and entertainment options for both kids and adults, alike – here’s what to consider when planning the ultimate family vacation.

When most people think of Las Vegas, the image that immediately comes to mind is one of noisy casinos, alcohol-fueled escapades, and adults-only venues. This doesn’t exactly make it a place worthwhile to your children who’d rather swim, play, and explore when on vacation. However, Vegas is certainly still a world-class playground for the 21-and-over crowd, it is also the ultimate place to take a family vacation. As the Entertainment Capital of the World, it truly has something for everyone.

 

Accommodations Fit for All Ages

Vegas has strict rules about kids being out on the gaming floor, so a traditional casino on the Las Vegas Strip may not be the ideal lodging spot for you and your family. If you are firmly committed to staying on the Strip, a kid-themed hotel/casino like Excalibur or Circus Circus may be better suited to keeping kids happy more than others.

But if you’re looking for the ultimate stay with accommodations fit for the whole family, step away from the chaos of the Strip and check out a resort like Tahiti Village. Here you’ll receive a relaxing, islands-themed atmosphere, with stunning pools, traditional summer luaus, and plenty of food and drink options to keep kids and adults happy. Regardless of where you stay, make sure you have plenty of room for everyone – and a kitchenette for in-room cooking, which helps if you don’t want to eat out every night.

Enjoy family style fun in Vegas with everything from water parks to interactive museums to day-trip escapades, there is plenty to keep the kids happy when vacationing in the desert. It’s a way to see Sin City through a different, yet still exciting, lens.

All Day Waterparks

If you’re looking for an exhilarating day outside with the kiddos, consider visiting one of the two big waterparks in the area. On the west side of town is Wet ‘n Wild Las Vegas, and on the east side is the ever-popular Cowabunga Bay. They are both highly-rated, quite affordable, and a great outing to cool off during the peak of the summer heat for your Vegas family vacation.

Engaging and Educational Museums

You can also beat the heat by visiting kid-friendly places indoors. Some of the best museums for kids in Vegas include the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, the Discovery Children’s Museum, the Pinball Hall of Fame, and the Springs Preserve. The Ethel M Chocolate Factory Tour and Cactus Garden is a perennial favorite, as is Hershey’s Chocolate World and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.

Enjoying the Great Outdoors

Getting outdoors is not only a possibility in Las Vegas, it should be considered a must-do. Some of the family-friendly outdoor recreation areas within driving distance of Las Vegas include: Lake Mead National Recreation Area (rent boats or personal watercraft, go fishing, etc.), the Grand Canyon (a bucket list item for every traveler’s list) and Red Rock Canyon. The surrounding natural areas adjacent to Las Vegas are perfectly suited to families looking to explore on foot, via jeep, on an ATV, personal watercraft, or even helicopter.

There are so many things to do in Las Vegas that will be entertaining for your child, so start planning your trip now. For more information about where to stay in Las Vegas with a family, what to do in the area, and how to create the ultimate Vegas family vacation getaway, contact Tahiti Village today.