Welcome to the oasis amidst the desert hustle of Las Vegas – Tahiti Village Resort! Nestled at the end of the iconic Vegas Strip, Tahiti Village offers a tropical retreat which feels like you are worlds away from Las Vegas. Embarking on our family escapade to Tahiti Village Resort, we were drawn in by the promise of a tropical haven amidst the glitz of Las Vegas. However, as we delved into our experience, we encountered both delights and drawbacks worth sharing, perhjaps owed in large part to choosing the off season for our travel.
As we arrived at Tahiti Village Resort, we were instantly transported to a Polynesian paradise. We were greeted by lush greenery, welcoming staff, and the soothing sounds of island music. Checking in was a breeze, although we did have to wait a good chunk of time as the front desk was quite busy. Our room was located on the far end of the resort, a good walk from the front area. The resort itself is rather large with several buildings each housing rooms. We did get lost searching for the correct building as the signage was not immediately clear. Once we got to our room, we were able to settle in.
The room was nice, nothing exceptional. It was a suite which gave us room for the kids to sleep in one space and us in another, which we appreciate. The smaller rooms usually force us into the bathroom for an hour or two watching tiny screens while the kids go to bed earlier than us. There was a small “kitchenette” which included a toaster oven, microwave, and a small fridge. The bathroom was rather large, taking up a lot of unnecessary space that could have gone to the living area. With the couch pulled out, we were literally walking in tiny spaces around the living room and it could’ve used a size upgrade. The bedroom was decnt sized, clean, and allowed for more space to walk than te living room, so naturally, the kids brought all their toys and games into that space and spread out on the floor in front of the bed. It wasn’t ideal, but it was more functional than any other area in the suite. Overall, the suite was clean with minor defects (e.g, paint chips, broken handle). The space worked for our short trip and we were easily able to make do with just a few adjustments.
When booking this trip, I paid careful attention to finding a place which would work well for our family of four. Tahiti Village boasts some of the best family-friendly amenties in Las Vegas. My 8 year old son was overjoyed to sit in the resort’s massive lazy river winding its way through tropical landscaping. He spent an hour at a time floating along, soaking up the sun and admiring the serene surroundings. He looked like a Vegas pro floating around on that inflatable donut. My 4 year old daughter felt the lazy river was “too slow” for her liking and much prefered the sandy beach entrance of the main pool. This was a really cool feature which allowed kids to play as if they were on the sands of a small beach surrounded by tropics. My daughter spent quite some time making sand castles and playing in the mud before running headfirst into the attached pool. Thankfully, the water in that part of the pool was not too deep and she was able to navigate it independently. Even better was the shallow “kiddie” pool area, also attached to the main pool, where we could relax on a lounge chair while watching the kids in the pool. I loved having this feature and being able to enjoy te water without having to be submersed. One drawback, there were huge sections of the pool which were closed including the area with the volleyball net that was rather visually inviting. The resort staff indicated that it was off season, so they only allowed access to smaller sections of the pool and sadly, volleyball was not an option.
Another casualty of the off season: the poolside bars. There were multiple “shacks” located around the pool which were advertising delicious appetizers and cocktails, but not one was open. Not once during the entire trip was there an option for a cocktail by the pool unless I had made it myself and brought it. That was a bit dissapointing given the tropical vacation feel they were pushing.
Of course, any good resort will also have a hot tub to enjoy. Tahiti Village had a hot tub near the main pool as well as an adults-only hot tub located in another area of the resort. My only real complaint about these is that they were always crowded. Even in the off season, when the resort was nowhere near capacity, these hot tubs were in heavy use, making it hard to truly “relax” and enjoy the time. I did have an opportunity to meet some friends at the adult hot tub and catch up, which was a nice time away from the chaos of the kids, despite how many other groups were accessing the space. Either way, the hot and steamy water was much needed and well-appreciated.
Another commonly shared amenity that the resort boasts is the inclusion of activites for all ages. Perhaps we missed the announcement on these, but we found that they had very few activities planned for the duration of our trip. On a property tour, they shared their “activity center” which was locataed in our building on a lower floor. It looked nice from the window. Unfortunately it was not open for most of our trip. The sign in front said they had a craft activity scheduled at 2PM one of the days we were there, but we had chosen to spend the day off property that day, so we did not get to check that out. They did have live entertainment in the front lobby that we went to see on occasion. From polyesian dancers to island music, the kids in particular enjoyed dancing along. The front lobby seemed to be the most exciting place on site for any sort of activity outside of the pool.
While the onsite dining options offered a decent variety of tropical-inspired dishes, the quality and consistency left something to be desired. We frequented the market/deli on site, mostly for breakfast. We had a meal at the only sit-down restaurant on site which was akin to a sports bar, with the food being equally as exciting. And we also got pizza to go which the kids really enjoyed. While some meals were delicious, others fell short of expectations, leaving us wishing for more consistency and attention to detail.
Our experience at Tahiti Village Resort was a study in contrasts, with moments of delight tempered by frustrations and disappointments. While the resort certainly has its charms, there are areas in need of improvement to truly live up to its promise of providing a tropical paradise for families. With a bit of refinement and attention to detail, Tahiti Village has the potential to be a truly exceptional destination for family getaways in Las Vegas.
