Las Vegas - 8 Dudes going to Las Vegas

Hey,

Thursday Dec. 8th-11th myself and 7 other guys (ages 25-26) are heading to Vegas. Many of us on our first trip. Most of us are planning on going to the Kanye/JayZ concert on Friday night at the MGM Grand.

We could stay at the MGM Grand, but I heard thats not the best hotel, but we would like to stay around there/near the strip.

We also heard it might be cheaper to get a suite somewhere where we could sleep 8.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Your guidance is much appreciated.

Welcome to FT! I suggest you check out the Las Vegas forum (a subforum of the West forum under Travel & Dining: Destination: United States) for answers to your questions, as lots of people have asked the same thing in the past. Also, a moderator might move this thread to that location so other experts on Vegas will see it and chime in.

I'm in the same boat.
Going with 9x more 24-26 year olds. We are staying at the Cosmopolitan. (Gold with them, hoping for an upgrade)
Not sure about the suite deal, as far as I know one of the Hiltons has 3br suites. It is a couple blocks from the strip.
As for a hotels...Palms, Cosmo, Venetian, Hollywood...(and maybe Palazzo and Wynn) are for party people. (i.e. ones that have day/night clubs with famous DJs and pool parties).

I've never stayed at the MGM so can't say much about it.
In May I stayed at the Palms resort with a few more party animals and we received all access passes. The hotel has some nice nightclubs/bars/lounges.

Hey,

Thursday Dec. 8th-11th myself and 7 other guys (ages 25-26) are heading to Vegas. Many of us on our first trip. Most of us are planning on going to the Kanye/JayZ concert on Friday night at the MGM Grand.

We could stay at the MGM Grand, but I heard thats not the best hotel, but we would like to stay around there/near the strip.

We also heard it might be cheaper to get a suite somewhere where we could sleep 8.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Your guidance is much appreciated.

MGM is the biggest casino hotel ;). I've stayed there 3 times before. It's closest to the airport. The hotel is fun for late night Poker and Black Jack. Also, if you want to just relax, grab a beer with the guys and go sit in the betting chairs. It'll be crowded though, but nonetheless enjoy!

Hey,

Thursday Dec. 8th-11th myself and 7 other guys (ages 25-26) are heading to Vegas. Many of us on our first trip. Most of us are planning on going to the Kanye/JayZ concert on Friday night at the MGM Grand.

We could stay at the MGM Grand, but I heard thats not the best hotel, but we would like to stay around there/near the strip.

We also heard it might be cheaper to get a suite somewhere where we could sleep 8.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Your guidance is much appreciated.

The MGM is a fine hotel casino. I'd say it's above average for hotel casinos on the strip. Got some great dining options, and the gambling is about what you'd expect everywhere else on the strip. It's a good location for a first-timer - very nearly center strip, and there's a monorail station as well as a bus stop for the Deuce nearby.

It's not the best, but you'll likely pay more for better. In the same class, I'd put Planet Hollywood, but with a better location. PH is across from Bellagio, Cosmo, and Aria. As mentioned previously, I think the vibe in the PH casino is a bit more exciting - younger, hipper.

It's rarely cheaper to get multi-room suites rather than individual rooms. It also depends on what you mean by "sleeps 8". If you mean lots of guys sprawled out on the floor, then that can be true. I did a bachelor party when I was younger like that - 8 guys sleeping on the floor of a tiny room at the TI. If you mean everybody gets a bed, then it's unlikely to be cheaper.

We also heard it might be cheaper to get a suite somewhere where we could sleep 8.


Cheap isn't a word you should be using when looking for a suite that sleeps eight guys separately.

We also heard it might be cheaper to get a suite somewhere where we could sleep 8.


Welcome to Flyer Talk

Be very careful when you hear of a place that "sleeps 8". Find out exactly what kind of bedding they are offering.

Do you really want to share a double-sized pull-out sofa bed with 300-pound 6'5" Bubba, who snores?

Hey,

Thursday Dec. 8th-11th myself and 7 other guys (ages 25-26) are heading to Vegas. Many of us on our first trip. Most of us are planning on going to the Kanye/JayZ concert on Friday night at the MGM Grand.

We could stay at the MGM Grand, but I heard thats not the best hotel, but we would like to stay around there/near the strip.

We also heard it might be cheaper to get a suite somewhere where we could sleep 8.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Your guidance is much appreciated.

You may consider renting a condo instead of a hotel room. That way you get a kitchen and the whole place can sleep 8 more easily. Hotwire and other booking services offer condo rentals, and some of the better ones are no more than a few steps from the strip. Besides, parking is much less of a haul from the garage, through the casino and up to the room.

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for the input. What do you think of the MGM Signature? Below is a link to some rooms being book by luxury suites international. I'll be honest I'm not quite sure what that company is, but you can get a pretty good price on these rooms with promo: luxury

https://www.luxurysuitesintl.com/signature-reservations/

Would getting 2 room at this place be worth it? Is it far from where we need to be at?

fjord - How is the cosmo have you been there?

1 more thing. Is anyone a member of the mlife club? Apparently if you are and have played in one of the casinos in the last 18 months you can purchase Kanye West/Jay-Z tickets still even though they are sold out.

Do you think we have a better chance of getting tickets for an MGM event if we stay at an MGM casino?

robtobular, welcome to FlyerTalk! Please follow the thread as it moves to the Travel->Las Vegas forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

Hi Everyone - Thanks for the replies!

Does anyone know anything about the MGM signature? We are trying to attend the Jay-Z/Kanye West concert on 12/9/11.

What do you think about this deal below? With the promo luxury it drops the prices significantly, but it is booked by something called Luxury Suites International? Does anyone have any experience with a situation like this?

https://www.luxurysuitesintl.com/signature-reservations/

One of the 2 bedroom suites claims to sleep 8 and for three nights is 1225... 160ish per person for the whole weekend isn't bad I dont think. Or is this not a "party" hotel?

Why don't you check out vrbo.com (vacation rentals by owner). We had great success getting a large house in Rehoboth Beach, DE, so I'm sure you could find a large condo in LV on/near the strip.

Go for PH Towers. phtowers.com. They have a 2 bedroom suite (connecting room) which has full kitchen and pull out couch in living. There is couch space for the other two friends as well. Very nice rooms. The window shade that goes down turns into a 10' projection TV. Plus there are like 4 plasmas and a full kitchen.

The Signature at MGM Grand is a three-tower condo development that is adjacent to (and connected to) the MGM Grand Hotel Casino. This photo gives an idea of the physical layout (MGM Grand is the green structure):

http://i1.bookcdn.com/data/Photos/LargePhoto2/74/7474/7474630/The-Signature-At-Mgm-Grand-photos-Hotel.JPEG

There is a series of passageway (part of which use moving sidewalks, IIRC) that connects the two entities. Interestingly and conveniently, the MGM Garden Arena (where concerts and boxing matches are held) is located right along one section of the walkways).

One can book suites at the The Sig directly from MGM, or one can book from a company like Luxury Suites, which books on behalf of people who own units in the Sig (the owners put the suites into a rental pool when they are not in Vegas, and LSI handles all of the booking, financial aspects, etc).

I know that if you book through MGM you have charging privileges at the main hotel 's restaurants and bars - I don't know if that also holds for suites booked via the third party. I'm also not sure how mLife comes into play when booking through a third party - you'd need to check this directly with mLife.

Based on everything you've said, I would still be looking at standard rooms at MGM, Planet Hollywood, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Cosmopolitan, Aria, etc. Getting a suite (or even a furnished condo) big enough for 8 dudes is gonna be expensive.

Just for fun, you should price out some of the south strip hotels on Priceline and/or Hotwire, and compare it to whatever else you come up with. You can use this site (http://www.mycheapvegas.com/hotwire_hotel_identifier/) to identify exactly which hotel you are bidding for on Hotwire.

Of course if your goal is the dirt-cheapest rooms, you might want to look elsewhere like the Orleans or Fremont street instead of the strip.

If you are going with a group of guys, you don't want to stay at the Signature. It is not on the strip, and I believe it doesn't even have a casino. If it were me, I would use Priceline and bid on a 5-star hotel in the Strip North bidding zone. Right now the Venetian is going for around $100/night (varies by date) based on a forum post on HotelDealsRevealed. http://www.hoteldealsrevealed.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&p=3970

Just my opinion but I'd avoid those off-strip timeshare hotels that are off the strip and without a casino.

If you are going with a group of guys, you don't want to stay at the Signature. It is not on the strip, and I believe it doesn't even have a casino. If it were me, I would use Priceline and bid on a 5-star hotel in the Strip North bidding zone. Right now the Venetian is going for around $100/night (varies by date) based on a forum post on HotelDealsRevealed. http://www.hoteldealsrevealed.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&p=3970

Just my opinion but I'd avoid those off-strip timeshare hotels that are off the strip and without a casino.

Can't you get stuck with the Trump with that bid? Kind of defeats your rationale.

Oh Man, guy trip to Vegas ... how I wish to be younger !!!! :D

how I wish to be younger !!!! :D

I'm glad I was "younger" when the prevalent STDs couldn't kill you.

What is up with the PH towers? Are they nice? Nicer than MGM?

We still are working on concert tickets. I talked to them at the MGM hotel and they have some reserved for those who are apart of mlive, but you have to have played in the last 18 months. Do you think if we booked 4 rooms there they would let us get access to buy them? Maybe I should just call?

Anyone ever stayed in the MGM and at PH Towers?

I've stayed at MGM and Planet Hollywood, and both of those would be good for you. I used to recommend Mandalay Bay for your demographic but that place seems to be fading a bit from the hip scene. At least that was my impression in March and July. You might consider Aria too.

Vegas and concert ticket access are all about the big gamblers; generally getting a block of rooms won't get you much. You should rely on the box office or standard resale outlets unless you guys have big gambling budgets.

I used to recommend Mandalay Bay for your demographic but that place seems to be fading a bit from the hip scene. At least that was my impression in March and July.

I agree. MB has really gone down hill over the past few years. Spent my annual fall football weekend w/ college buddies there recently and was really disappointed. The place looked run-down, the staff was rude and the prices were higher than ever. Next time i'm staying at Cosmo or Encore. Very cool places.

MGM is the biggest casino hotel ;). I've stayed there 3 times before. It's closest to the airport. The hotel is fun for late night Poker and Black Jack. Also, if you want to just relax, grab a beer with the guys and go sit in the betting chairs. It'll be crowded though, but nonetheless enjoy!

Actually, MGM is no longer the biggest. The Venetian complex is larger, by far, and has been since Palazzo opened. Just an FYI :)



BN

Actually, MGM is no longer the biggest. The Venetian complex is larger, by far, and has been since Palazzo opened. Just an FYI :)



BN

Yes the Venetian is larger, but not by much. If you include the Signature and SkyLoft in the MGM complex, than it's only a few hundred rooms less than the Venetian/Palazzo.

Can't resist putting in my $0.02, which is frequently different from other people's take on Vegas, so keep that in mind when making your decision.

Hooters. 4 rooms, 2 beds in each, $85 each after $50 Entertainment rebate.

1) Across the street from MGM.

2) Everybody in their own bed.

3) Just off the strip (walk).

4) Save your money for spending.

5) Hooters is perfect for 25 year olds.

6) You can afford a fifth room. Call it the Privacy Salon.

If you really like the idea of cheap (I do -- I don't go first class in Vegas -- like I said, I'm different) all of these are cheaper because of location:
up strip -- Circus Circus, Stratosphere
off strip -- Mardis Gras (very big rooms), Continental Suites (no casino, free wifi)
downtown -- Plaza, El Cortez

Finally, check rates repeatedly. They change all the time through the week! Frequently outstanding deals will be found during off hours Mon-Wed. I think they do this to get you intrigued, but you delay the decision, then when the prices go up you buy high because you are afraid to lose the deal.

But in truth, with Vegas, I book then check again and again. I have seen $60 rooms come down to $20 for short periods of time. So I always book refundable rooms, then snatch them up when the price drops.

http://entertainment.com/hotels12 is where you will find the info for the rebate program; must book through this engine.

Oh, and there is Imperial Palace (some call it a dump) and South Point (very nice, but way south of Strip) both for about $50 per night and NO RESORT FEE.

I hate resort fees.

I would definitely recommend Cosmopolitan, party hotel #1 by a margin.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/las-vegas/800144-two-bedroom-suites-las-vegas-merged-threads.html

Can't resist putting in my $0.02, which is frequently different from other people's take on Vegas, so keep that in mind when making your decision.

Hooters. 4 rooms, 2 beds in each, $85 each after $50 Entertainment rebate.

1) Across the street from MGM.

2) Everybody in their own bed.

3) Just off the strip (walk).

4) Save your money for spending.

5) Hooters is perfect for 25 year olds.

6) You can afford a fifth room. Call it the Privacy Salon.


I know guys who swears by Hooters - they literally use it to sleep/shower and that's it. I've been to their rooms and you can't really beat it for the cost of the rooms.

Saw a deal on Travelzoo that a friend passed on to me, pretty good deal IMO.

http://www.travelzoo.com/hotels/las-vegas/-20-Las-Vegas-Hotel-near-The-Strip-w-Steak-Dinner-for-2-1132870/

For only $20 per night, live it up at a Las Vegas hotel close to The Strip. This deal not only slashes as much as 60% off regular rates, it includes $50 in extras (per stay):

Pool or Strip view room upgrade
Two steak dinners
Coffee mug with refills
$10 in bonus play when playing $30

Travel Sundays-Thursdays, Nov. 14 - Jan. 31. Regular-priced Fridays and Saturdays from $33 per night are also available with all the extras. Combine weekdays and weekends for a stay full of savings.

The hotel is across the street from MGM Grand near the Las Vegas Monorail, allowing easy travel to major attractions.

Not available on: Nov. 24; Dec. 1, 4-5, 7-8, 25-29; Jan. 1-5, 8-12, 15, 22-26, 29 (These dates may be available at higher rates.)

Note: A $7.50 daily resort fee applies.
Book by Nov. 18. Top 20 deal – sells out quickly.

Hey guys, and if one would want to dish up a little more (needless to say, as little as possible) for "a suite that sleeps 8"? Does anyone have any good ideas/experience?

edit: no need for answering. found everything in the link Rut Dog provided.

Hey, where did you guys end up? Trip report!! :D

How much trouble did you get into?