Review: The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa
My parents hadn’t yet been to Las Vegas before and therefore I decided to take them on a weekend adventure a few weeks ago. All in all, we had an amazing and awesome time and I definitely will be taking them on more trips in the future since we made some unforgettable memories and we had a ton of fun.
I redeemed a total of 45k British Airways Avios for the three of us to fly from Seattle to Las Vegas to Seattle on Alaska Airlines, with the taxes and fees being just $11.20 per person.. and revenue tickets to Las Vegas during the weekends are crazy expensive upwards of $250… so it was a great deal.
First and foremost, I knew we didn’t want to stay on the strip. We’d all much rather stay away from the noise in a relaxing environment and atmosphere and therefore I was super happy when I found rates at The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa for only about $140 + tax per night… that’s awesome!
The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa is a beautiful resort located about thirty minutes away from the strip. Naturally to get there we had to rent a car (which was cheap at about $50 for two days)… and we also wanted to visit the Hoover Dam (which was absolutely gorgeous).
We arrived at the gorgeous resort about an hour after landing in Las Vegas and were instantly presented with the grand entrance. Thankfully, self-parking is free and therefore we didn’t have to pay for parking (it is sort of free – included in the mandatory resort fee). Once inside, we were quickly checked in and upgraded to an enhanced room with a beautiful view of Lake Las Vegas.
The resort fee includes the following:
- High Speed Internet Access in Guestrooms and in the Lobby and Pool Areas
- Waived Access Fee on Toll-free Calls
- Self-Parking
- Daily Newspaper
- Complimentary In-room Bottled Water
- Unlimited use of Westin Workout and Spa Moulay (treatments are additional)
- Intra-Resort Transportation including Scheduled Las Vegas Strip Shuttle
- Concierge Assisted Boarding Passes
- Scheduled Recreation and Pool Activities
- 1-hour of Complimentary Kayak Rental and Discounted Rates on Paddle Boards and Paddle Boat Rental, Discounts on Green Fees, and Secure Golf Bag Storage
The hotel has an Arabic style, which I found stunning. We all loved the overall design of the hotel and it sort of reminded me a bit of the Middle East. Some of the food at the lounges, bars, and restaurants was from the Middle East, which I just love.
The resort is huge and features numerous restaurants, two pools, a beach, spa, fitness centre, etc. The service was simply excellent and all of the staff were very friendly and helpful. I particularly enjoyed sampling different food items at the various restaurants and lounges located throughout the hotel.
Our double bed room was very spacious and located on the 9th floor (the SPG floor) with a gorgeous view of Lake Las Vegas. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed by the cleanliness of the room (more on that later). The design of the room wasn’t the most modern and based on other areas of the hotel, I was expecting a bit more. However, the beds were super comfortable and we had no issues sleeping.
The bathroom was mostly clean and featured the standard amenities. The room also had a coffee maker and two bottles of water.
I think the single best aspect of the entire resort was the stunning and gorgeous view from virtually every corner of the resort. I mean waking up to this is just breathtaking! It was nice to be by the lake because it didn’t feel too hot (even though in reality it was).
We were lucky in that the weekend we were there, there were virtually no other guests. I don’t know if it is normal to see this resort empty like this, but it was silent throughout the day… our kind of relaxation. Rates on other weekends were going for over $200 per night, so I assume we were lucky that we selected that specific weekend when it was so empty. We did visit the strip and not surprisingly, it was crowded, loud, and a bit unbearable… as is the norm for a Saturday night.
One of the many courtyards was being prepared for a wedding, however even with the wedding guests, it was still super peaceful and quiet throughout the resort. The resort was just gorgeous with all of the scenery and various plants and flowers which spread throughout the hotel.
A golf course was located right next to the hotel, however I don’t think we saw anyone actually playing.
The beach was my favourite part of the hotel. Even though the lake was too cold to go swimming, we spent a majority of our time relaxing by the beach instead of the pool. Some activities we enjoyed included stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and water biking. My mum enjoyed the paddle board lessons while I enjoyed water biking. The real sand made us feel like if we were at an actual beach and the fact that it was so quiet was an added plus.
The resort features two pools, the lower pool and the upper pool. The lower pool features water activities (such as a waterslide) and the upper pool features private cabanas and relaxing areas. A hot tub is also located by the upper pool. I would say the only downside about the pool was the somewhat cold water… I thought I would be able to swim for a while, but the water wasn’t too warm.
While we mainly relaxed by the beach, we also spent some time relaxing by the lower pool on the very comfortable pool lounge chairs.
The upper pool features private cabanas.. which cost more than $200 per day!!! That’s insane.. but I guess prices at this resort are normally much more than what we paid and therefore I shouldn’t be too surprised. The upper pool provides a more quiet and peaceful atmosphere as there are no recreational activities at the upper pool. The water is equal in both pools. Towel rentals are complimentary.
While we enjoyed all of the resort aspects the hotel featured, our room initially wasn’t the best. We were presented with several cleanliness issues such as those shown in the pictures below. The pillows were dirty, hair was found on the bathrobe, and there was dust all over the floor and in other places. I sent SPG these pictures on Twitter and within a few minutes, I had the manager of housekeeping in the room inspecting the situation and apologising.
We headed out for the day to see the Hoover Dam, and when we got back, the room was super clean and we were also presented with an apology gift of wine and appetisers. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of this situation and I initially wasn’t going to until we found the dirt on the pillows – that just went a bit over what is acceptable. I’m glad they were able to quickly resolve the issue and even went further with a small gift.
All in all, cleanliness issues aside, we had an absolute joy and a wonderful weekend overall. I need to plan more trips with my parents for the future because travelling with them is awesome and I love sharing my benefits, both in the air and on the ground, with them.
We spent about three hours on the strip in Las Vegas and had enough and went back to our peaceful resort to relax a bit more. The Westin Lake Las Vegas is a gorgeous resort with many amenities and luxury, the service is excellent and the staff are very friendly. The food is delicious and the hotel’s many amenities provide for a relaxing few days. Our issues with the room were resolved quickly and efficiently and we were even presented a delicious gift as an apology… that’s great service.
If you enjoy a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, then I would definitely recommend staying outside of Las Vegas.. because you can always go into the city if needed – therefore you have the best of both. We were lucky to have found a cheap rate at this wonderful resort, because it was definitely worth it.
Visiting the surrounding areas such as the Hoover Dam was spectacular and we enjoyed our family weekend. We headed back to Seattle on Sunday night, but before spent some time at the AMEX Centurion Lounge relaxing before the flight and reflecting on our awesome weekend. If you have the opportunity to travel with your family, I would highly recommend it as you can truly have a wonderful time together.. and it doesn’t have to be travelling to places far away. Weekend getaways are great, too!
