Las Vegas Trip

[bewitch]

My birthday is coming 10/21 and I want to go to Las Vegas for a weekend gateway. And I need suggestion here.

I need a nice but not fancy hotel (near downtown). My budget is $1000 on hotel (one person, 1 Saturday night, I planned arrive on early Saturday morning and leave on Sunday afternoon) and the entertainemtns money (for the casino and I usually only bet $10 per hand on BJ games). My flight is free anyway.

Any suggestion on which Hotel, what dates ( not holiday weekend)? Anyone want to join me ?

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[Brackis]

The Stratusphere tower (big needle thing) has very low rates and is right on the strip.

 

[bethug]

bewitch, i might down there, my mom birthday is on the 22

I would stay in the paris or new york newyork. The Stratusphere rooms have a bad smell.

 

[padanian]

Well Bewitch, there's not really a "near downtown" location... The Stratosphere is not so far, and maybe also the Hilton could be a nice option.
Talking about downtown the Golden Nugget remains the best choice, otherwise I usually spend a couple of nights at the Fitzgeralds (rooms not too bad and very cheap also at weekends, not-too-strong Irish atmosphere). Have fun!

 

[Casinomeister]

My birthday is coming 10/21 and I want to go to Las Vegas for a weekend gateway. And I need suggestion here.

I need a nice but not fancy hotel (near downtown). My budget is $1000 on hotel (one person, 1 Saturday night, I planned arrive on early Saturday morning and leave on Sunday afternoon) and the entertainemtns money (for the casino and I usually only bet $10 per hand on BJ games). My flight is free anyway.

Any suggestion on which Hotel, what dates ( not holiday weekend)? Anyone want to join me ?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Hi Bewitch!

Hey - we're born on the same day (21 Oct)!!! How about that!

Do you mean you want to be on the strip? I would recommend the Aladin - it's reasonable and central (close to the Paris, Bealgio, and other "nice to look at" hotels. NY NY is good - I've stayed there. I've also stayed at the Luxor a number of times, but that may be too far from the center of the action.

Check out Expedia.com for any hotels you might be interested in, and then search for their websites to see if they offer better rates. I'm sure you'll get more input here as well.

 

[spearmaster]

Bewitch -

The only decent hotel downtown is the Golden Nugget but it's a bit pricey by comparison. The rest of the hotels downtown are ok if you're not planning to spend more than a few hours in the room LOL, but don't expect to rest and relax there! Website is

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.

The next nearest is the Stratosphere, quite cheap but I haven't stayed there in some time - perhaps bethug is right but it wasn't so bad when I was there last about five years ago. The website is Old / Expired Link, and rooms start at $34.95.

Then comes the Sahara, about a five-minute walk from the Stratosphere - rooms are acceptable and not too expensive. But don't bother to try the buffet - it's probably the cheapest AND the worst in town. Website is

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- rooms start at $39.95.

The Hilton is 10 minutes from the Sahara walking... and unfortunately, not near to anything but the convention center. However, they sometimes have some really good deals, try the website -

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, right now there's a two-night deal for $57!

The Aladdin is mid-Strip, but can be a bit pricey - but the rooms are quite nice and so is the casino. That is where I will be staying though as I had my room comped. Website is Link Removed ( Old/Invalid) - prices generally over $100 per night. But you're only staying one night... might as well splurge a bit!

Many of us will be there October 2-8 - if you can take an early trip we can meet up with you

 

[bewitch]

Thank you, guys. Lots of information here. I tried the hotels Spear suggested (Thank you for the link!) and Golden Nuggest had the best deal, but Hilton sounds good, too. I enjoy waliking and watching people on the street.

Spear, I tried to book 10/2, 10/3 or 10/8 and no room available unless I want to pay higher price. Is there any LADY here are willing to share the room and split the bill ?

Casinomeister. YES, we have the same birthday and I am 10 years behind you here You are right about the strip. I really know nothing about Las Vegas (and there is no downtown?). I will porbably spend half of my time walking around like a tourist (with my head up, eyes & mouth wide open... LOL~), then maybe see a show and do some gambling (of course). I will also probably spend a lot of time walking around casino and watch people playing. It's fun! Aladdin looks very nice but a little bite expensive on Oct. I use skyauctions, expedia and travelocity website a lot and usually find a good deal. Thank you!

Bethug, are you going to bring your Mom to Vegas to celebrate her birthday? That's very nice. Will you invite your sister, too? Maybe I can watch you play?

I am still doing bidding on Skyauction and look for more deal. Hopelly I can find a deal on 10/2 and meet you guys. I feel a little bit funny here. I never meet anyone who I met on internet before. It's kind like blind dating here. LOL~

Thanks a lot again. Enjoy the beautiful Autumn ~ Let me know if anyone of you coming visit New England or the CT casino this Fall.....

 

[bewitch]

I got a deal for "Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino" for 10/1-10/3 (2 nights) at $198. I also get 4 show tickets and $500 Royale casino credit (?) and 2 free buffet. I am not sure how the "free stuffs" work. They should call me in 2 days and I will ask.

There are also other hotels available from $199 up, such as Golden Nuggest, Sahara, Broadwalk..... How's this "Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino" ?

 

[bethug]

good pick, bewitch, i won big there and they floor person got mad when i left, that was over a year ago, my sister like it there , she kind of cheap. Yes it best to stay in the middle of the strip.

 

[Lunkhead]

Monorail

I've always stayed at off-strip (or close to strip) casinos. Stratosphere is ridiculously cheap, but I honestly don't consider it a strip casino. Good gaming rules, though.

Of the list given earlier, for cheap, but good strip casinos, the LV Hilton is probably the best bet. The big new plus is that the new Monorail goes by them. If you were at the Stratosphere, you'd have to walk a few blocks to get to the Sahara monorail station.

The monorail is the best thing to happen to Vegas in a long time as those that have driven the Strip on Friday night can tell you. Try taking a bus from Strat to MGM. You can WALK faster!

 

[GrandMaster]

I got a deal for "Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino" for 10/1-10/3 (2 nights) at $198. I also get 4 show tickets and $500 Royale casino credit (?) and 2 free buffet. I am not sure how the "free stuffs" work. They should call me in 2 days and I will ask.

There are also other hotels available from $199 up, such as Golden Nuggest, Sahara, Broadwalk..... How's this "Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino" ?

Friday and Saturday nights are expensive in Vegas, you pay 2 or 3 times as much for a hotel room as you would during the week, and the whole place is noticeably busier.

The IP is pretty much at the middle of the strip. If you are there, make sure you visit the car collection. You should be able to get a free ticket. The IP has dealers dressed as country music singers, cowboys, etc, but I don't remember their blackjack rules.

The best blackjack is in downtown, there are still genuine single deck games there. In general, fancier casinos tend to have worse rules and tighter slots. On the Strip it is difficult to find even S17 shoe games. Whatever you do, avoid 6:5 BJ, and fake single or double deck games, where they shuffle several decks and cut off 1 or 2. The best craps, with 100x odds is at the Casino Royale, next door to the IP. There is very little good video poker on the Strip. According to the Wizard's study,

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, the IP has has some of the loosest slots, or at least it did in 2001.

One more Vegas tip: if you want to go to the top of the Stratosphere tower, go early and you can get in for free 8-11 a.m.

 

[spearmaster]

Some great tips in here guys I haven't been to Vegas since the monorail opened so that will be a new experience for me!

IP - can't say I've stayed there, but judging by the experience I've had in their Biloxi casino, and also based on what I've heard from others - IP is awfully cheap and not that great, but how bad can a Strip hotel be? LOL...

Free buffet - just take the voucher to the restaurant and give it to them - everyone else will be shelling out cash But don't expect too much from the IP buffet - it is probably the second cheapest and worst after Sahara!

 

[bewitch]

LOL ~ The free buffer is Sahara. I might just pass them out to people waiting in line.

Grandmaster, thank you for the information. You gentlemen sure know a lot about Las Vegas.

I am working on my airfare now. I am trying to book a free trip with my United awards. However, 10/1-10/3 didn't look too good. I might try 10/8 or 10/15...

 

[hip_hop]

Vegas tips

You might want to try a hotel search tool called Travelaxe. It searches a bunch of travel sites and lets you compare prices. www.travelaxe.com .

For your air fare have a look at Southwest airlines. You might not find them on the regular engines as they are not part of Sabre. They often have good rates to Las Vegas from many US cities. www.southwest.com

For your first visit I would stay away from Imperial Palace. It's OK but won't knock your socks off the first time. I remember feeling a little let down when looking at all the glitter that surrounds the IP. But, as others have pointed out it is centrally located and very cheap. All of the big casinos are going to be nice but expensive, Caesars, Bellagio, Mirage...etc. Some of the mid-range resorts might be a good idea for a first timer on a budget. Although many others don't, I like the Luxor.

You say that you are 10 years younger than Bryan, that makes you about 19 right? Well, if you are single and young you might like the pools at the Hard Rock or the Palms. Lot's of young flesh bouncing about looking to party hard.

As for downtown, this is where you are going to find the better games and the better deals and much much better comps (for the low roller). The regulars don't have nearly as many teeth as they do on the strip though, be forwarned. The Nugget is the cream of the downtown casinos, as nice as the better strip hotels, good deals too. I often stay at the Las Vegas Club these days. They have good blackjack, a nice selection of VP, a couple of nice restaurants. Free meals are easy to come by for even a $5 bettor. $25 a hand gets you into their fancy restaurant and a free room. All you have to do is ask. On weekends I've found that they often play Rock music and seem to be attracting a younger crowd than many of the downtown casinos. I'm not saying it's the Hard Rock 'cause it ain't, but the grandma ratio seems a bit lower.

Hope this helps and enjoy your trip,

Hip Hop

 

[bewitch]

You say that you are 10 years younger than Bryan, that makes you about 19 right? Well, if you are single and young you might like the pools at the Hard Rock or the Palms. Lot's of young flesh bouncing about looking to party hard.

As for downtown, this is where you are going to find the better games and the better deals and much much better comps (for the low roller). The regulars don't have nearly as many teeth as they do on the strip though, be forwarned. The Nugget is the cream of the downtown casinos, as nice as the better strip hotels, good deals too. I often stay at the Las Vegas Club these days. They have good blackjack, a nice selection of VP, a couple of nice restaurants. Free meals are easy to come by for even a $5 bettor. $25 a hand gets you into their fancy restaurant and a free room. All you have to do is ask. On weekends I've found that they often play Rock music and seem to be attracting a younger crowd than many of the downtown casinos. I'm not saying it's the Hard Rock 'cause it ain't, but the grandma ratio seems a bit lower.

Hope this helps and enjoy your trip,

Hip Hop

You are soooo sweet about my age. I do love to dance and party. I think I will go for Golden Nuggest. Well, I have a lot of mileage on United, but I will give Southwest a try. Thanks a lot, Hip_Hop.

 

[spearmaster]

Actually, staying at the Sahara might not be a bad idea, especially if only for one night.

Contact Bill Bailey, who is a slots manager there - and tell him Ted from Bangkok sent you and asked him to take care of you. And if he asks where I've been, tell him I won't be back until the pitbosses learn how to comp players who play games at table limit (specifically, Deuces Wild Hold 'Em Fold 'Em) with more than 7% house edge instead of treating them like blackjack players. But let him know I'm thinking of him

Actually, while that really is the truth, one of the other reasons I no longer stay at the Sahara is because I've graduated to better places like the Aladdin, and free room at the Aladdin is a lot more valuable than free room at the Sahara.

If you're lucky, he might be able to swing a special rate, maybe a show or dinner anywhere but the buffet The Sahara Steakhouse is one of the best in town.