Been to the Aria’s pool 2-3 times and it has been pretty tame. Last time there was a younger woman that thought the pool was topless. No big deal, not sure anyone ever said anything.
Dan,
I think the Cosmo would be a bit much for 12/13 year olds. It’s definitely a super young, trendy crowd and they indeed have a casino, tons of bars etc. I think the Bellagio and Aria are much more family friendly. Or you can try the MGM Signature which doesn’t have it’s own casino but is connected to MGM.
Thanks everyone - very helpful. Last thing I need to do is encourage my 12/13 year old daughters in that direction…!
It’s not necessarily a bad thing to let them witness some bad behavior. My daughter still remembers the young lady from a wedding party we saw, bent over puking on the sidewalk outside 
Cosmo has a casino. Cosmo is one of my favorite places to stay because instead of going wide, they go vertical in the hotel. So you aren’t walking a ton to get to the strip. You walk out and you’re immediately on the strip. The hotel room elevators are close to either exit to the hotel.
The Cosmo pool is pretty tame. It’s the dayclub that’s party central, but you won’t even see it unless you specifically take an elevator and go past bouncers for it.
I think it’s the best hotel to stay on on the strip.
Thanks for clarifying, Charlie. Been a few years since she was there, either they’ve added the casino since then, or it was out of the way so you don’t have to go through it to get in and out of the hotel, as you say.
It was there from the beginning. You can’t miss the casino. lol. It takes up the whole first floor. All they have on the first floor is the casino and elevators to rooms.
OK, must be another hotel nearby. But then my wife is blonde, maybe she missed it.
If you want a hotel without a casino, the Mandarin Oriental is right down the strip from the Cosmopolitan and is a lovely hotel.
Vidara is next door. No casino. Same as mandarin oriental. All in the same “ring”.
Stayed at Vdara (no ‘i’) last year with my 12 year old twins…no smoking, no casino.
Perfect location.
Even has a bridge directly connecting to Bellagio.
Next to Cosmo for food.
Very good value.
I’ve stayed at all of those places multiple times. If I were taking my 12 & 13 y.o. kids with me I’d stay at the Bellagio long before I’d stay at the Cosmo. Hands down.
Having said that with kids I’d likely stay someplace like Mandalay Bay, MGM, Mirage, NY/NY. If you’re leaning towards Bellagio also consider the Venetian. Comparable.
Bank has a new restaurant called Lamali which is described as a modern take on Thai food. I’m sure the wine list will be good and reasonable based on his prior ventures. I will check it out next time I’m there.
Bank’s new place is Lamaii and he has a Facebook page with photos. Check out the magnums! He’s only been open for around ten days and has gotten some good reviews. He describes it as “modern Thai.” It is in Chinatown on Spring Mountain Road, pretty close to the old places.
Also…on the hotels, Bellagio just opened an exhibit in their conservatory which celebrates the “Year of the Pig.” Also getting good reviews.
We almost always stay at the Cosmo because we like the vibe there and the balconies. There isn’t anything inappropriate for kids there but the atmosphere is quite different. Darker, louder music, younger crowd. I’d think kids might prefer a different theme though if the trip is built for them. Bellagio, Caesar’s or NYNY ect would be more thrilling for them imo.
If you stay at Cosmo we always request the East tower (with strip views) which is right on the strip and has incredible night viewing. You do Need to be about 30 floors up to see the fountains if you want that.
FYI, I believe the Mandarin has been rebranded as a Waldorf. No idea if there are substantive changes. The Mandarin was nice.
If you do like to gamble, I highly recommend going Downtown and playing at a place like the El Cortez. It’s one of the original Vegas hotels (Siegel, Lansky, et al.), has low table limits, player-friendly rules, and actual character (and characters). There are also quite a few “real” bars and restaurants in that area that aren’t just the underwhelming NY or LA imports you find on the strip. Also some great Chinese and Japanese options off the Strip in Chinatown (don’t be scared off by strip mall addresses).
You probably don’t want to actually stay downtown, but the Spa Suites at the Golden Nugget are pretty incredible (think 80’s glitz/huge sweeping spiral staircases).
Enjoy!
Oh, and I will echo that the Cosmo is a nice and fun place to stay. Good casino vibe, varied and quite decent dining. We used to be Bellagio people, but it’s gotten a little long in the tooth. Now Cosmo or Wynn (which sort of feels like what Bellagio used to be) if staying on the Strip.
The NoMad hotel just opened, but I believe it’s connected to MGM, which makes me wary.
Lamaii is still in its soft opening period. I hosted a dinner for 30 people last night and the food was very good and fairly priced. I can’t wait to go back when it is up and fully open for business. Bank has modernized his menu and everything we ate (8 or 9 courses) was light and delicious. All of my group were very happy with the dinner.
Aria is a pretty great place to stay too.
Anyone been to Park MGM? Best deals around, looks new and pretty decent.