Las Vegas - Vegas is really hurting.

Found this link on fatwallet:

http://www.goldennugget.com/specials/eblasts/freeload.html

2 rooms, 2 nites, 4 breakfast buffets, 4 coctails, 4 spa passes, and 4 defending the caveman tickets for $199 (sun-thurs) is one heck of a deal!^

Indeed, it's just about everything bad happening at once -- even worse than 9/11. High fuel costs reduce discretionary income (i.e., bankrolls) for locals and visitors. This also led to cutbacks in air service and higher fares. Fears of a deep recession hit the convention business hard -- fewer people attending the pending events and fewer conventions planned for down the pike.

On top of that, the local housing market is about as hard hit as any in the nation. The locals are badly tapped out. While that might reduce labor costs a tiny bit, it also reduces local gambling and entertainment usage. Finally, more hotel, condo and housing capacity is still on the way, as these projects started before the trouble.

In short, and as the OP observes, Vegas is really hurting. There are probably some desperate deals to be had (like the one mentioned above) if you want to visit.

one heck of a deal!^

-1 (downtown vegas is meh.)

Just came back and it had to be one of the slowest weekends I've ever seen. You could actually cruise the strip in under 10 mins :eek:.

Agreed. Bellagio was empty on a recent Saturday night (except for the ladies of the evening looking for customers). This was BEFORE the recent market crash.

-1 (downtown vegas is meh.)

While I do agree that Downtown is not as plush as the strip properties the Golden Nugget is pretty swell

And I like playing dice and cards more downtown than on the strip.I like to stay at places that are above my gambling budget,but I like to play at places I probably would not like to stay at :D

While I do agree that Downtown is not as plush as the strip properties the Golden Nugget is pretty swell

And I like playing dice and cards more downtown than on the strip.I like to stay at places that are above my gambling budget,but I like to play at places I probably would not like to stay at :D

I rarely visit casinos, but when I do, I like the grubbier places. Cal-Neva in Reno was just fine by me. I prefer my vices unpretentious.

Not completely comparing apple to apples here but...
We were been able to get some incredible deals during our trips to Vegas the last two years. One was at the end of NFR and the other was about a week before Christmas.
This year, there's been some really cheap airfares to Vegas from Vancouver if you return by Dec 17. The hotel deals have been pretty good too. Unfortunately, we're trying to go between Christmas and New Years this year and obviously the prices are higher for this last week of December. We're probably going to hold out until late November to book to see if any big deals do pan out.

(except for the ladies of the evening looking for customers).

Wonder if they've started aggressively discounting to capture market share! :D

Wonder if they've started aggressively discounting to capture market share! :D

If there are really so many of them so close together I suppose you could attempt a bidding war, but my guess is that the negotiation process is usually more subtle for both reasons of etiquette and the law.

Remember, casinos may be offering more discounted and even comped rooms but when you get there you may find their slots are tight, their BJ is 6:5 and a hamburger still costs $14.95.

I was there the 3rd - 6th of October - we went to Mystere around 8 pm, driving from Excalibur on a Sunday night. Figured traffic would be bad - and we cruised down. Friday night from Excalibur --> Wynn wasn't any worse.

Tamest I've seen the strip in 7 years of going there.

Remember, casinos may be offering more discounted and even comped rooms but when you get there you may find their slots are tight, their BJ is 6:5 and a hamburger still costs $14.95.

Slot payouts are regulated, and there are plenty of 3:2 BJ tables. I cant help you with the burger.

Stayed at the Rio over the past weekend. With the Columbus Day holiday on Monday I thought it would be real crowded. It wasn't. Even the Diamond Lounge, which is usually packed and standing room only, had lots of seats open. The penny and nickel slots were still busy, but the high limit and dollar slot areas were mostly vacant.

Speaking with casino employees, without exception everyone told me that the slowdown is hurting everyone in town. Restaurant and housekeeping employees are afraid of impending layoffs.

i booked the palazzo for $119, $159, & $159 11/27-11/30 (thanksgiving) which includes:
Palazzo Luxury Suite; Invited Guest Check-In; (2) One day Canyon Ranch Spa Pass; Complimentary Internet Access daily; 20% off Food at Zine Noodles Dim Sum; $15 Gaming Slot Promo Credit or Table Game Match Play.

at venetian, they have same rates but a little better inclusions ($50 slot/game match per nite). i tried priceline as high as $125 (for several days now) but for $5 more than pl counter offer of $144/nite, i can cancel my reservation 72 hours.

anyway, i've been seeing many on the strip & downtown with really good rates & offers for a lot less than palazzo/venetian. i just wonder if palazzo/venetian will have anything better than what i have reserved so far, or should i replace luxury w/decent for a lot less? more money to eat & gamble i guess. :D

i stayed at bellagio 2 years ago. service sucked badly so i won't be back. venetian or palazzo will be a first so i'm really looking forward for my trip.

Evidently the Wynn is still doing ok (or trying to give that impression). They sent me an offer for 169/259 + standard upgrade prices. The only "nice" thing about it was including $100 in dining, entertainment, or slot credit. For as much as I've played at the Wynn, I can't get any decent offers from them. Glad I've kept enough play at Bally's/Paris to keep those coming.

Evidently the Wynn is still doing ok (or trying to give that impression). They sent me an offer for 169/259 + standard upgrade prices. The only "nice" thing about it was including $100 in dining, entertainment, or slot credit. For as much as I've played at the Wynn, I can't get any decent offers from them. Glad I've kept enough play at Bally's/Paris to keep those coming.

I got a Wynn offer yesterday $119/199 with $150 free slot play. My slot play is normally around $20 total.

This one is a bit better than the offers I've gotten from them during the last couple of years.

I got a Wynn offer yesterday $119/199 with $150 free slot play. My slot play is normally around $20 total.

This one is a bit better than the offers I've gotten from them during the last couple of years.

Didn't get that one yet. Yep, better than the offer I took advantage of last year... $139/?? with $35 free slot play.

I got a Wynn offer yesterday $119/199 with $150 free slot play. My slot play is normally around $20 total.

This one is a bit better than the offers I've gotten from them during the last couple of years.
any chance you have a promo code for that offer?

<snip>
at venetian, they have same rates but a little better inclusions ($50 slot/game match per nite). i tried priceline as high as $125 (for several days now) but for $5 more than pl counter offer of $144/nite, i can cancel my reservation 72 hours.
<snip>

We really like this $119/$159 with $50 gaming credit/night offer at the Venetian. I don't think it was initially being offered during our dates (Christmas to the 30'ish) but it looks like they've expanded it to include the full week ending Christmas.

Something to keep in mind:

Show tickets and rooms are use-it-or-lose-it things.

If they expect to have empty beds or seats it makes sense to sell them cheap. It doesn't take things all that bad to make big discounts make sense.

Show tickets especially: They don't like empty seats and will actually go to the effort of staffing phones and running a mail broadcaster in order to give them away to locals just to fill the seats. (So far no A-list shows have shown up in the e-mails.)

:cool: Got an offer for free room plus $50 dining at....<cough> Imperial Palace :eek:.

any chance you have a promo code for that offer?

It is a targeted offer based on previous play, so there is not a transferable promo code.

Got the wynn offer as well-might be wher I spend Christmas day at

Just got a really odd off from NYNY-not quite sure what I won but I won something :Dsome sort of video game with girls in a bowl

Show tickets especially: They don't like empty seats and will actually go to the effort of staffing phones and running a mail broadcaster in order to give them away to locals just to fill the seats. (So far no A-list shows have shown up in the e-mails.)
Danny Gans pops up from time to time on the stfl list. Other than that, its the Mentalist all the time as Gerry runs their program.

Danny Gans pops up from time to time on the stfl list. Other than that, its the Mentalist all the time as Gerry runs their program.

Yeah, I've seen him on there many times. We've been meaning to go back and compare his show to what it used to be but the timing has always been wrong.

I was there from Sept 29th to Oct 1st. Just as the market was tanking I was in the airport at SNA. Stayed at The Hotel @ Mandalay. Talked to several
Pit and Restaurant staff. They guessed business was off 30-35%.
Manager at the House of Blues mentioned he had not seen it this bad since 9/11. And that was a real low point for Vegas. You could not fly in at all.
Southwest is cutting some flights out of SNA as well. Ususlly when I fly in my USAir flight is packed on a Monday Morning. Plane was maybe 25% loaded.

Maybe for the first time ever. Vegas has reached that mythical point of "Saturation". It just cant use the added room capacity and it has finally outgrown itself. I fear it may take years for things to pick up again back to the heady days of 2002-2005. Going to go for the CES and Porn shows this year. If that week is still slow then Vegas is in for some layoffs for sure.

I got THEhotel on Priceline on a Saturday night a couple of weeks ago for $125. An absolute steal of a deal.

Looking at booking the November trip to LAS in a couple of days - it's for the weekend right before Thanksgiving, so I figure I have a couple of days...

I am hoping for some economy-induced discounts for my LAS visit in Feb - which is thankfully also during a non convention week. I feel badly for the hotel/casino employees that Vegas is on tough times, as they are not the ones who pushed the orgy of overbuilding. Nothing goes up forever, and economics are by their nature cyclical.

I was surprised when I logged into my Total Rewards account, after looking at the calendar for discounts there was a way to compare all the hotels in the group and see the offers for the entire months.
I was able to book 21-28 Nov at Bally's for a total of $160 plus tax. Breakdown was 4 nights free, 1 night at $40 and 2 at $60.
Imperial Palace was free the entire time, Harrahs was around $120.

Like the location of Ballys, I'm sure they will get their money from us with the slots!

:cool: Got an offer for free room plus $50 dining at....<cough> Imperial Palace :eek:.

A free room at IP? You're paying too much.

Mike

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Nevada's unemployment rate rose to 7.3 percent in September, its highest level in 23 years, as more than 102,000 Nevadans were out of work, according to a report released Monday.
http://www.sacbee.com/114/story/1328700.html

A free room at IP? You're paying too much.

Mike

OMGLMAO:D

A free room at IP? You're paying too much.

Mike

:D:D assuming I take them up on the offer! Wonder what I can get for the $50 in free food? :)

:D:D assuming I take them up on the offer! Wonder what I can get for the $50 in free food? :)

We actually got two free buffets there and, believe it or not, it wasn't too bad. Of course, we don't eat most of the stuff on it.

That funky smell in the casino, though, just kills me...

Mike

Agreed. Bellagio was empty on a recent Saturday night (except for the ladies of the evening looking for customers). This was BEFORE the recent market crash.

Wonder if they've started aggressively discounting to capture market share! :D

I'm all about discounts - but I just don't think going cut rate on the hookers is a wise idea - you've always gotta watch out for the hidden extras! ;) If you're gonna partake, at least go for the upgrade! (of course, this is one time where you don't want to try the 20.00 trick!) :D

:D:D assuming I take them up on the offer! Wonder what I can get for the $50 in free food? :)

Food Poisoning?:p

20.00 trick! :D

Did you mean trick or trick?:D

For $20 you can go round the world just south of Fremont.

Did you mean trick or trick?:D

For $20 you can go round the world just south of Fremont.

eww (but funny!)...

Mike

Got an offer from the Flamingo: Hotel room for 2 cents on a Tuesday when you book two additional nights at a regular rate. Came with an offer code to type in if anyone is interested.

Just came back and it had to be one of the slowest weekends I've ever seen. You could actually cruise the strip in under 10 mins :eek:.

Just showed up this evening. Sat at the traffic light in front of Bellagio, and the lane next to me remained empty through an entire light cycle at 8:30 pm. Never thought that was even possible.

I've been to LAS twice in the past two weeks for conferences (Sun-Wed and Sun-Thurs). 3 of 4 Ted / UA flights were packed, to/from ORD. 4th one was full in E-.

Stayed at Caesar's for the first one and the LV Hilton for the second one. Caesar's seemed to be bustling without a ton of convention traffic. The Hilton was pretty full, but there were two small to medium-sized conventions at the Convention center.

Walked through the MGM and it was busy inside. NYNY was pretty busy on a Wednesday night. Bally's, not so much. The Hilton's casino was very dead the whole time I was there (I noticed a number of dealers standing at empty tables for quite a while). Rio on Wednesday night was going pretty well.

Saw Ka on Tuesday (FANTASTIC show!) night (was able to buy good tickets walking up on Monday night, however). Theatre seemed fairly full. Saw Penn & Teller (pretty good show, but should have seen them before I went to Ka) on Wednesday night and the lower seating was full -- nothing sold above the cross aisle (but that may be normal).

The strip did seem quiet. On Monday night, watched several fountain shows at Bellagio and was able to find rail space with little difficulty.

My observation was that there was a preponderance of European tourists in town, with Asian tourists second, then Americans, then Middle Easterners. Americans tended to be demographically in the under 30 crowd or over 60 crowd. The scooter rentals are still doing well.

The past couple of times I've been there's been tons of Europeans there, and with the Euro coming back to earth a little bit, it doesn't shock me that there's a slowdown. Obviously there are other factors, but I haven't been to Europe in 4 years due to the exchange rate and it isn't a shocker that it would have the same effect here.

I'm really happy that I was able to book 2 rooms at Palazzo's for $119, $159, $159 for 11/27-30 with one of their promos a few weeks ago.

B4 that, I was trying PL for a 5* North Strip hotel. I rebid as high as $125 thinking that I will win the way Vegas is going right now, but PL counteroffer $144 each time. Of course, I didn't accept because of the nice rates I got at Palazzo. I preferred Wynn, Venetian or Palazzo, so I was afraid PL will give me Trump instead.

With the rates I've got for Palazzo w/72 hours cancellation, I believe that will be the lowest I will get.

I just hope that from now until I get out there to LV, there would be better offers with lower rates.:D

I'm all about discounts - but I just don't think going cut rate on the hookers is a wise idea - you've always gotta watch out for the hidden extras! ;) If you're gonna partake, at least go for the upgrade! (of course, this is one time where you don't want to try the 20.00 trick!) :D

I was in Vegas about 2 weeks ago and was walking early one morning about 7am by the Flamingo with a mate when he was accosted by a gorgeous young lady (of the night) and a few steps on I was also approached. The cost $150.00 so I started negotiating and saying it should not be any more than $75. Why was I asked because it is daytime. No I said because you are a midget!!!!!!!!!

MGM just came out with this:

https://reservations.mgmmirage.com/bookingengine.aspx?host=promo&pid=001&code=INB233

available practically the whole month of November & December with most nights for $59!

I'm really happy that I was able to book 2 rooms at Palazzo's for $119, $159, $159 for 11/27-30 with one of their promos a few weeks ago.

B4 that, I was trying PL for a 5* North Strip hotel. I rebid as high as $125 thinking that I will win the way Vegas is going right now, but PL counteroffer $144 each time. Of course, I didn't accept because of the nice rates I got at Palazzo. I preferred Wynn, Venetian or Palazzo, so I was afraid PL will give me Trump instead.

With the rates I've got for Palazzo w/72 hours cancellation, I believe that will be the lowest I will get.

I just hope that from now until I get out there to LV, there would be better offers with lower rates.:D

The lowest I received was $99 per night for the Palazzo for select dates in Oct-Dec----I booked 3 nights in Nov. It was also for the Venetian but the Palazzo rooms are newer and better kept. This was targeted to Club Grazie members as I received a postcard in the mail for it. BTW: I've only gambled a TOTAL of $20 at the Venetian/Palazzo for ALL of 2008. :)

MGM Mirage said it earned $61 million, or 22 cents a share, down from $184 million, or 62 cents a share, in the same period last year. The latest results included a write-down of 7 cents a share related to the Primm Valley Golf Club.
Revenue came in at $1.79 billion, down 6%.
The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had been for the company to earn 34 cents a share on revenue of $1.83 billion.
Still, some investors expected worse: Shares of MGM soared better than 22% out of the open, although at less than $13, they are still a fraction of the $100 level they cracked just one year ago.
Casino revenue fell 8% while room revenue fell 10%, with a 9% drop on the Las Vegas Strip. Average occupancy levels at its Strip resorts were 95%, down from 97%. Revenue per available room, a key industry metric, slipped to $128 from $143 on the Strip.
"While our margins have held up well in a difficult environment, we continue to make permanent improvements to our cost structure which will benefit us now and into the future," said Jim Murren, president and chief operating officer of MGM Mirage. "We believe we have plentiful opportunities to further reduce costs and we are dedicated to maximizing our cash flows."
The company also said it will postpone development at MGM Atlantic City, citing the weak economy and impact of the credit crunch.
"We continue to believe that Atlantic City represents an important market for further development," said Terry Lanni, chairman and chief executive. "We intend to resume development at such time as economic conditions and capital markets are sufficiently improved to enable us to go forward on a reasonable basis."
It has also halted design and pre-construction activities at its planned joint-venture resort complex on the southwest corner of the Las Vegas Strip and Sahara Avenue in Las Vegas.
In a note to investors, Oppenheimer's David Katz wrote that the Strip results were about as weak as expected but "on the positive side, management appears to be taking aggressive steps to offset the weakening demand trends, which should preserve some profitability."
MGM Mirage is far and away the biggest resort operator in Las Vegas, with a stable of properties including Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Luxor and MGM Grand. It also has casinos in Illinois and Mississippi, along with a half-stake in the Borgata in Atlantic City, which is run by Boyd Gaming
MGM Mirage also opened a casino in Macau late last year.

Article (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/MGM-Mirages-profit-slumps-some/story.aspx?guid={EFD3CDAC-F0C2-46BF-AE33-2C4346318518}&print=true&dist=printMidSection)

Portions of the post that previously appeared in this space have been deleted. I would provide you with a reason why, but doing so would likely be against the TOS.

A day or so ago, I heard a rumor in a Harrah's property "somewhere in Louisiana" that MGM is considering bankruptcy. I don't believe the rumor. I'm just spreading it because spreading rumors is fun. Many Harrah's properties are laying off employees. I hear that Harrah's New Orleans has to guarantee a fixed number of jobs and that's the only reason they haven't done more lay offs at that property. It ain't just Vegas. It's the whole industry. Gas and milk are still way too high. You have to leave the Kettles some lint in their pockets if you want them to sit down at the penny slots. I know for a fact that one MGM property in Mississippi is so desperate that they have even sent out free room offers to their 86'd players. And I don't mean in their "married" names. I mean in their 86'd names. Maybe bad action is better than no action at all.

Decent rates, perhaps, but the price of airfare has to come down too to make it worth a visit.

Then again, I'm not ever going back to LAS, so what do I really care?It's cheap for my dates of 11/27-30, right at Thanksgiving day thru Sunday. My hubby is flying out with a RR, we had to pay one way back which is $350ish. However, considering I'm flying with him for free on a companion pass, our air only cost us less than $400 RT for the both of us. So this is beginning to be a cheap trip for us for Thanksgiving.

Hubby want to save $150 by booking MGM but I want to experience the luxury of Palazzo. Still have a couple weeks to decide tho. :D

Hubby want to save $150 by booking MGM but I want to experience the luxury of Palazzo. Still have a couple weeks to decide tho. :D


Never in the history of any business has $150 been so worth it. For the love of all things holy, call Palazzo. It's not even debatable.

I've been watching to make sure Vegas was still there. 3rd visit this year.
May 59.00 night at MGM, Mar we stayed at MGM again 59.00 night, Rio was 79.00
Stand by tickets from Dallas to Vegas.
Thrifty car rental 9.50 a day. and Cheap rates from Hotels
This time 59.00 at Gold Coast on Saturday night 11/1 hope its nice
Mon and Tues at the Palazzo 119.00 with 100 credit per night
but Wens night Plaza , yes the plaza 17.00 night, last night to have fun , stay up late and gamble downtown.
Sema rates are thru the roof. so since im leaving 6am on thursday, im not spending $$ for a room.
Call me cheap, or stupid,or tight. I want the best for my money.So free is free, cheap is cheap. Glad to know that Vegas is stil alive and kicking, and affordable.
SEMA car show here we come.
Thanks for the EXTRA insite to vegas on a up to date scale.

Mon and Tues at the Palazzo 119.00 with 100 credit per night since i'm going to be there on 11/27-30, how's the room and service there at palazzo? did you try to get upgrades w/$20 trick at all?

Renovated rooms at the Gold Coast are nice-just don't accept a non renovated one as they are NOT.
Casino is OK just but with the Palms right opposite that's much nicer.
Again the food at the Plms was vastly superior too
All subjective of course-but recent-stayed at the Gold Coast in July

Never in the history of any business has $150 been so worth it. For the love of all things holy, call Palazzo. It's not even debatable.

+1..OMG....was in vegas columbus day weekend, had rooms at Palazzo and MGM, never stayed in MGM before, checked in to get $50 gaming chip and 2 buffets, checked out the room....hmmm went straight back to Palazzo lol

Never in the history of any business has $150 been so worth it. For the love of all things holy, call Palazzo. It's not even debatable.

:confused:

id have said that for the $280 (including $100 credit) wynn parlor suite deal.

I got a Wynn offer yesterday $119/199 with $150 free slot play. My slot play is normally around $20 total.

This one is a bit better than the offers I've gotten from them during the last couple of years.

I just got this one yesterday. Your normal slot play is about $20 higher than mine. Wow, this is getting to be fun.

Mike

Can anyone update me on the status of the price of shows? With room rates falling, rental cars going cheap and food coupons to be found have the price of shows also fallen?

I got a Wynn offer yesterday $119/199 with $150 free slot play. My slot play is normally around $20 total.

My wife just received this offer and her VP play was pretty low too during our trip last December. I fed a bunch of bills through the VP machines and haven't received any really great offers IMO. I wonder what the deal is with that?

Can anyone update me on the status of the price of shows? With room rates falling, rental cars going cheap and food coupons to be found have the price of shows also fallen?

Ka, Zumanity, Love, Mystiere all have some shows at 25% off right now.
See the appropriate casino websites.

Mama Mia is always on special via Goldstar.com.
Phantom is on special via travelzoo.

Thanks for the update on the show prices. I would have expected them to be cheaper

My wife just received this offer and her VP play was pretty low too during our trip last December. I fed a bunch of bills through the VP machines and haven't received any really great offers IMO. I wonder what the deal is with that?

Yeah I don't get it. I've logged plenty of hours and lost a few thousand at the Wynn...yet I get the same offer as somebody signed up for their regular promos with no play ever (169/259 w/ $230 extra for suite upgrade). I think they hate me.

As a Platinium Total Rewards member, I received something I've never received before - an offer for a "comp friend's room" at the Winterfest slot tourney.

BRING A FRIEND
Share this thrilling experience with a friend! They will also receive complimentary hotel accommodations and one free tournament entry. Simply make your reservations at the same time and have your friend sign-up for a Total Rewards® card upon their arrival!

Visiting 11/30 - 12/03.
2 nites in condo, booked spa suite 12/02 in Luxor and the price dropped $11 since I booked. $152 > $141
Looking for best hotel experience (first time in Vegas for wife) for the one night. (got Air/Car/Condo all on FF miles/points :D)
Can I get Luxor to throw some nice comps in (unrated player and don't gamble, but bought tickets to Believe) or wait for something amazing at Palazzo, Wynn, etc.?
I can get refund on Luxor til 30th.

Visiting 11/30 - 12/03.
2 nites in condo, booked spa suite 12/02 in Luxor and the price dropped $11 since I booked. $152 > $141
Looking for best hotel experience (first time in Vegas for wife) for the one night. (got Air/Car/Condo all on FF miles/points :D)
Can I get Luxor to throw some nice comps in (unrated player and don't gamble, but bought tickets to Believe) or wait for something amazing at Palazzo, Wynn, etc.?
I can get refund on Luxor til 30th.
If you aren't gambling...they aren't comping.

Visiting 11/30 - 12/03.
2 nites in condo, booked spa suite 12/02 in Luxor and the price dropped $11 since I booked. $152 > $141
Looking for best hotel experience (first time in Vegas for wife) for the one night. (got Air/Car/Condo all on FF miles/points :D)
Can I get Luxor to throw some nice comps in (unrated player and don't gamble, but bought tickets to Believe) or wait for something amazing at Palazzo, Wynn, etc.?
I can get refund on Luxor til 30th.you can book every nites 11/30 - 12/03 at palazzo for $119/nite here http://www.palazzolasvegas.com/PHOME.aspx.

btw, haven't you heard believe suck big time? read all about it here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=873392

Can I get Luxor to throw some nice comps in (unrated player and don't gamble, but bought tickets to Believe) or wait for something amazing at Palazzo, Wynn, etc.?

:confused:

If you aren't gambling...they aren't comping.

Yep, what mctrees02 said. :D

COMPS are meant to be a risk - reward type of scenario.

You risk your $$ over a period of time, and the casinos reward you with COMPS. If you remove the risk element (i.e. don't gamble) it's not particularly in the best interest of a casino to reward you. :D

As a Platinium Total Rewards member, I received something I've never received before - an offer for a "comp friend's room" at the Winterfest slot tourney.
Wow, another first in the mail today: 3 free nights for New Years at Harrahs - as a PLATINIUM!

Don't think I'll bite, particularly since I'll be going a couple of weeks earlier. I don't care for crowds, so I'd probably avoid New Years in Vegas anyways.

Wow, another first in the mail today: 3 free nights for New Years at Harrahs - as a PLATINIUM!

Don't think I'll bite, particularly since I'll be going a couple of weeks earlier. I don't care for crowds, so I'd probably avoid New Years in Vegas anyways.

MOST Awesome! ^ But, do remember, offers are generated based on your theoretical worth to Harrah's (otherwise known as your ADT or average daily theoretical). So, one who visits Harrah's just a few times, but has strong play those few times might qualify for Platinum status and actually have a higher ADT (theoretical) than someone who visits Harrah's twice a month (and is at Diamond level).

Of course, by virtue of providing more action (overall) most Diamonds will get better offers than Platinums. But, I've known a few Platinums with only a few visits get better offers (than a low Diamond) and/or LFB/RFB on future stays based on their higher theoretical.

MOST Awesome! ^ But, do remember, offers are generated based on your theoretical worth to Harrah's (otherwise known as your ADT or average daily theoretical). So, one who visits Harrah's just a few times, but has strong play those few times might qualify for Platinum status and actually have a higher ADT (theoretical) than someone who visits Harrah's twice a month (and is at Diamond level).

Of course, by virtue of providing more action (overall) most Diamonds will get better offers than Platinums. But, I've known a few Platinums with only a few visits get better offers (than a low Diamond) and/or LFB/RFB on future stays based on their higher theoretical.

Stupid change to DIAD rules. With the elimination of the $1 JoB machines and the increase in the point requirements, that one is out for me.

Mike

MOST Awesome! ^ But, do remember, offers are generated based on your theoretical worth to Harrah's (otherwise known as your ADT or average daily theoretical). So, one who visits Harrah's just a few times, but has strong play those few times might qualify for Platinum status and actually have a higher ADT (theoretical) than someone who visits Harrah's twice a month (and is at Diamond level).

Of course, by virtue of providing more action (overall) most Diamonds will get better offers than Platinums. But, I've known a few Platinums with only a few visits get better offers (than a low Diamond) and/or LFB/RFB on future stays based on their higher theoretical.
Great insight. FWIW - I've been Platinium since 2001, and my play/win/loss has been about the same each year...and the weekend offers (and now this NY offer) have far exceeded anything in years past.

I got an offer for four free nights at the Hilton and tickets for their NYE event, and I've only played craps their twice for an hour or so each time, and I'm hardly a high-roller with my bets ($5 or $10 pass line w/odds and come bets w/odds). I would have taken it except it was blocked for 12/31 arrivals, I would have had to arrive on 12/30 and I didn't want to have to take two days off work.

I got an offer for four free nights at the Hilton and tickets for their NYE event, and I've only played craps their twice for an hour or so each time, and I'm hardly a high-roller with my bets ($5 or $10 pass line w/odds and come bets w/odds). I would have taken it except it was blocked for 12/31 arrivals, I would have had to arrive on 12/30 and I didn't want to have to take two days off work.

I can check you in on 12/30 or any other FTer who is listed as a secondary person on your reservation.

I can check you in on 12/30 or any other FTer who is listed as a secondary person on your reservation.

Casino COMP nights have to have the player (or person who received the offer) present at time of check-in. It wouldn't work the same way as a Hilton HHonors award (or revenue) stay (even though, this is at the Hilton) where you can add a companion to the reservation. This is due to the fact that they want the player on site @ the property to [potentially] gamble the extra day.

You would have to be a large player (or have an accommodating host) to be able to have a companion (friend) check in for you a day early on a casino COMP offer.

Thanks for the update on the show prices. I would have expected them to be cheaper

The shows are the one thing the casinos can count on right now to actually make them some money. All things considered ticket sales are still pretty strong. People are gambling less but still coming to the shows.

Has anyone seen any attractive offers for the Wynn over Xmas week? With Vegas hurting, I'm not seeing any really stellar offers from the higher end properties, except Bellagio (which isn't so stellar anymore).

Has anyone seen any attractive offers for the Wynn over Xmas week? With Vegas hurting, I'm not seeing any really stellar offers from the higher end properties, except Bellagio (which isn't so stellar anymore).

How about Palazzo? Rates as low as $119 and just a Sands Ave bridge walk away from Wynn.

How about Palazzo? Rates as low as $119 and just a Sands Ave bridge walk away from Wynn.

Yep, IMO, Venetian and Palazzo for $119 + $50/night of slot credits is pretty decent.
There's also been reports of Priceline Palazzo wins for $80-$89/night.

How about Palazzo? Rates as low as $119 and just a Sands Ave bridge walk away from Wynn.

The specials aren't available during my stay dates - 12/27-12/30.

The specials aren't available during my stay dates - 12/27-12/30.

that would make it weekend rates and Palazzo has it at $219 compared to Wynn at around $270. I think that is still pretty good for either of those properties. Encore is another $50-75 more per night. There are plenty of deals but for the high end properties those are the going rates for weekend. As someone just said, may want to consider Priceline.

Edit: BTW, had lunch at Wynn's buffet this past weekend, quite disappointing especially for $30 pp.

...Edit: BTW, had lunch at Wynn's buffet this past weekend, quite disappointing especially for $30 pp.

In what way? I've been salivating over those king crabs legs already with a month to go before arrival. I'd hate to see it go downhill - after the trainwreck that Bellagio is turning into (buffet wise), the Wynn was my last haven for the best crab.

I was in Las Vegas last week 11/19 & 20. I stayed at the Palazzo which was relatively busy for this time of the year. Casino was active but not packed (Wednesday night). Restaurants were busy but not crowded. Flights to/from PHX were oversold both ways but both HP and WN have cut several of their flights each day so that was not too surprising. I ate lunch at Smith & Wollensky on Wedneasday and there were two table between noon and 1pm. That was scary slow!

In what way? I've been salivating over those king crabs legs already with a month to go before arrival. I'd hate to see it go downhill - after the trainwreck that Bellagio is turning into (buffet wise), the Wynn was my last haven for the best crab.

Had a feeling you were going to ask me about the crab legs :). They don't serve that during lunch so can't offer recent experience. The lunch was just subpar given the price and all. There was prime rib but everything else was just average. I did have the dinner buffet about 5-6 weeks ago and the crab legs were fine then.

Also, Cravings buffet at Mirage now serves king crab legs though not as meaty as Wynn. Seems they migrated the crab legs over from Bellagio. However, it is a good deal at $28 pp at Mirage.

Getting back on topic ;), was at LAS on a Friday afternoon, 1430 hours and the baggage claim was literally empty. Never seen it that empty for a Friday.

I really think the Wynn is best at dinner and breakfast(but you have to be a breakfast person to get value out of this)lunch here has never thrilled me.

It is a little more money-but the variety is nicer-and they do put out some very expensive items(like those nice crab legs=as well as some really good fish)I also would avoid Sunday dinner which seems to exist to use up the bits left over from the weekend.

I also tell folks who do not like fish that this might not be the best choice for them.The prime rib is probably the best of any of the buffets-since they do not use the beef in a bag(loaded with salt water)that the other buffets use.And If you would consider what a decent prime rib dinner cost($40?)then it is ok.But you really need to be adventerous and like fish/seafood to get full value here.

I booked the wynn on the $119 a night offer with $150 in free slot play. I am in vegas for only two nights and the offer was black out on one of the nights. So i only booked one night. The CSR in marketing assured me that i will still get the $150 in free play by booking only one night. I called backed to talk to another CSR in marketing who also assured me that i will get the free play. The conditions of the promo clearly state that its a two night minimum though. Not sure if i should trust the CSR though. Any thought?

I booked the wynn on the $119 a night offer with $150 in free slot play. I am in vegas for only two nights and the offer was black out on one of the nights. So i only booked one night. The CSR in marketing assured me that i will still get the $150 in free play by booking only one night. I called backed to talk to another CSR in marketing who also assured me that i will get the free play. The conditions of the promo clearly state that its a two night minimum though. Not sure if i should trust the CSR though. Any thought?

My thoughts...how did you get this offer? :)

My thoughts...how did you get this offer? :)

I believe this offer is a common marketing offer this winter for most Wynn Red Card holders. After discussing with MikeEf, I think there might be some slight variations as my wife's offer didn't mention any 2 night minimum and I think our black out dates were different.

I booked the wynn on the $119 a night offer with $150 in free slot play. I am in vegas for only two nights and the offer was black out on one of the nights. So i only booked one night. The CSR in marketing assured me that i will still get the $150 in free play by booking only one night. I called backed to talk to another CSR in marketing who also assured me that i will get the free play. The conditions of the promo clearly state that its a two night minimum though. Not sure if i should trust the CSR though. Any thought?
As mentioned above,my wife's offer didn't have any notation about any minimum stay required for the $150 in slot play so I suspect they might be pretty loose about it (but who knows). We were going to book it also but the dates didn't really work out for us.

I believe this offer is a common marketing offer this winter for most Wynn Red Card holders. After discussing with MikeEf, I think there might be some slight variations as my wife's offer didn't mention any 2 night minimum and I think our black out dates were different.

Well, I got the offer (my first ever from Wynn) and I almost never play there, so it must be very common, LOL.

In terms of the T&Cs, there was a web address (http://www.visitwynn.com/terms/winter/escapetowynn/) on the back of my mailer with details, including the 2-night minimum language. Other offers may have a different address and different T&Cs, but I personally would go with that over anything a Wynn rep told me on the phone.

I'm in Vegas for a couple of days at the beginning of April 2009 with the wife and kids ( 12 and 10 ) just to show them the sights and take in a coupla show.
When should I be looking round for the best hotel deals and any suggestions as to what to do with the kids ? If the weather is okay the pool by day is ok - which hotel for great pool ?

Thanks.

I'm in Vegas for a couple of days at the beginning of April 2009 with the wife and kids ( 12 and 10 ) just to show them the sights and take in a coupla show.
When should I be looking round for the best hotel deals and any suggestions as to what to do with the kids ? If the weather is okay the pool by day is ok - which hotel for great pool ?

Thanks.

The begining of April can go either way weatherwise. I've been there when it is only 70 and windy, and other trips it's been 90, it all just depends on the luck of the draw. The pools will be open. The best pool scene for kids would be Mandalay Bay, MGM, or Flamingo. Check fatwallet for the best hotel deals, and start shopping in January for April deals. You always book a refundable rate as hotels may offer better rates or throw in more freebies as it gets closer to your trip and they want to fill up the house.

I'm in Vegas for a couple of days at the beginning of April 2009 with the wife and kids ( 12 and 10 ) just to show them the sights and take in a coupla show.
When should I be looking round for the best hotel deals and any suggestions as to what to do with the kids ? If the weather is okay the pool by day is ok - which hotel for great pool ?

Thanks.

The weather should be okay, although you could hit some bad luck. I think Mandalay Bay would be great. I'm less familiar with the Flamingo, although I seem to remember that they redid the pool a few years ago and that it looked pretty good. Both places should have good deals.

Mike

The begining of April can go either way weatherwise. I've been there when it is only 70 and windy, and other trips it's been 90, it all just depends on the luck of the draw. The pools will be open. The best pool scene for kids would be Mandalay Bay, MGM, or Flamingo. Check fatwallet for the best hotel deals, and start shopping in January for April deals. You always book a refundable rate as hotels may offer better rates or throw in more freebies as it gets closer to your trip and they want to fill up the house.

Thanks for that.
You'll understand that living here in Ireland a smile crossed my face when I read " it is only 70 " :D:D

We have had visitors from Ireland who used the(unheated) pool during their stay with us in SoCal-in December :D They loved it

I booked the wynn on the $119 a night offer with $150 in free slot play. I am in vegas for only two nights and the offer was black out on one of the nights. So i only booked one night. The CSR in marketing assured me that i will still get the $150 in free play by booking only one night. I called backed to talk to another CSR in marketing who also assured me that i will get the free play. The conditions of the promo clearly state that its a two night minimum though. Not sure if i should trust the CSR though. Any thought?

Just let you know that I got $150 free slot play with only one night at Wynn last Tuesday. I paid $119 for the resort room.

Saw a deal from MGM for $59/night plus $300 flyback credit, but over NYE their rates rocket closer to $200, so no go.

Would love to do NYE in Vegas but air and rooms are mega pricey, now. Or so it seems.

Saw a deal from MGM for $59/night plus $300 flyback credit, but over NYE their rates rocket closer to $200, so no go.

Would love to do NYE in Vegas but air and rooms are mega pricey, now. Or so it seems.

Airfare is mega-pricey. My solution was using a WN credit I acquired to fly out, then an award F trip on AA to come home on New Years Day; my return on the AA award is in March.

Hotels only seemed to be bad on New Years Eve (the last of my three days), and even then there were some decent deals if one had a cheap rental car. I won't have a car but was comped at a hotel for the first two nights, then used the Wyndham Hotel Group's best rate guarantee to get New Year's Eve free as well.

Saw a deal from MGM for $59/night plus $300 flyback credit, but over NYE their rates rocket closer to $200, so no go.

Would love to do NYE in Vegas but air and rooms are mega pricey, now. Or so it seems.

I've been going to Vegas for NYE a few years in a row now, and $200 a night for NYE at the MGM is not pricey compared to previous years. It's a bargain, in fact.

Airfare is mega-pricey. My solution was using a WN credit I acquired to fly out, then an award F trip on AA to come home on New Years Day; my return on the AA award is in March.

Hotels only seemed to be bad on New Years Eve (the last of my three days), and even then there were some decent deals if one had a cheap rental car. I won't have a car but was comped at a hotel for the first two nights, then used the Wyndham Hotel Group's best rate guarantee to get New Year's Eve free as well.

Remember that Las Vegas has a *LARGE* event for New Years on the strip.

Wait until the last minute and you should be able to Priceline NYE. After all is said and done, it's still just a weeknight.

Not sure where my earlier post went, but I found a plethora of deals listed at FatWallet, including Bellagio and Wynn.

I booked the Wynn (http://www.visitwynn.com/wynnwinter/index.cfm?firstname=&lastname=&card=111111141&code=39795321717AE630) with the $100 dining credit for $650 all in (3 nights). I could have booked the Bellagio for $550 all in, so the difference is purely in the dining (which we will use anyway).

I haven't stayed at either in ages - if you had to choose between the two, which hotel would get the nod in terms of room quality, service quality, etc.

Edit: I decided to split my reservation into two (4 nights total, one set of 2 nights for each of us), so we can earn either two $100 dining credits, or one dining and one slot credit.

Not sure where my earlier post went, but I found a plethora of deals listed at FatWallet, including Bellagio and Wynn.

I booked the Wynn (http://www.visitwynn.com/wynnwinter/index.cfm?firstname=&lastname=&card=111111141&code=39795321717AE630) with the $100 dining credit for $650 all in (3 nights). I could have booked the Bellagio for $550 all in, so the difference is purely in the dining (which we will use anyway).

I haven't stayed at either in ages - if you had to choose between the two, which hotel would get the nod in terms of room quality, service quality, etc.

Your other post is here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=890718&page=2).

Wynn is the best choice by far. I always get a nice elegant feel about the place unlike Bellagio.

...Wynn is the best choice by far. I always get a nice elegant feel about the place unlike Bellagio.

The Wynn it is! Thank you.

As a gambling man - would you take the dining credit (sure thing) or go for the slot play? :)

The Wynn it is! Thank you.

As a gambling man - would you take the dining credit (sure thing) or go for the slot play? :)

Hmmm, craps or crab? Decisions, decisions :p.

I would actually take the dining credit and try one of their nice restaurants unless you play enough to get comps.

Well I guess its more than a rumor now.

Las Vegas Strip Oct gambling revenue down 26 pct
Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:30pm

LOS ANGELES, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Las Vegas Strip casinos won $475 million from gamblers in October, a drop of 26 percent from a year earlier, the state's Gaming Control Board said on Wednesday.

Statewide, Nevada casinos' take from gamblers fell 22 percent to $905 million for the month as the U.S. economic recession continued to cut into consumer spending.

The revenue decline suggests that the Las Vegas gambling market will weaken further in the fourth quarter as airline flight capacity is reduced, consumer spending worsens and housing prices/unemployment continue their negative trends, Morgan Stanley analyst Celeste Mellet Brown said in a research note.

Wow, only half a billion dollars last month.

Just got an offer from Wynn. 3 Free nights at Encore and $150 dining credit in January.

By far the best offer I've ever gotten from them.

Just got an offer from Wynn. 3 Free nights at Encore and $150 dining credit in January.

By far the best offer I've ever gotten from them.Was yours good for any night, or only Sunday - Wednesday? I got an offer for 3 free nights + the $150 casual dining credit, but the free nights are Sunday - Wednesday. I stayed there for one night on a cheap AMEX FHR rate before and spent at most an hour at the $15 craps table betting minimum (pass line + come bets) and maybe another hour playing video poker.

Was yours good for any night, or only Sunday - Wednesday? I got an offer for 3 free nights + the $150 casual dining credit, but the free nights are Sunday - Wednesday. I stayed there for one night on a cheap AMEX FHR rate before and spent at most an hour at the $15 craps table betting minimum (pass line + come bets) and maybe another hour playing video poker.

Same one, only Sun-Wed, with discounted weekend rates. I think you still need to be a bit of a high roller to get free weekend nights.

i spent thanksgiving (thurs-sat) at palazzo for the first time. signed up for their club card. i gambled a bit while i was there. last weekend, club grazie sent me a wheel of fortune tournament invitation for $79/nite (sat. 1/3 - tues. 1/6). i think i got this invitation is because i spent a lot of hours at the wheel at palazzo.:D

anyway, kingalien said i probably could get my stay comped for the tournament. it's too soon for me to return so i'll wait for next offer.;)

i spent thanksgiving (thurs-sat) at palazzo for the first time. signed up for their club card. i gambled a bit while i was there. last weekend, club grazie sent me a wheel of fortune tournament invitation for $79/nite (sat. 1/3 - tues. 1/6). i think i got this invitation is because i spent a lot of hours at the wheel at palazzo.:D

anyway, kingalien said i probably could get my stay comped for the tournament. it's too soon for me to return so i'll wait for next offer.;)

This tournament is 1/13-1/16. Most of these special rates are valid only Sun-Thurs, which means I cannot go and I deem them useless :D But I have gotten comped rooms before at the Palazzo and and while I do not play too much at other properties, have gotten offers from MGM/Mirage/TI/MB for free rooms.

This tournament is 1/13-1/16. nope, mine is def. January 3-6, 2009 not 1/13 - 1/16. they offered me an option to have sat. 1/3 at the same rate of $79 too. but like i said, it is too soon for me to return to vegas. maybe in march or so.

invitation:

This is your exclusive invitation to attend the Wheel of Fortune® Slot Tournament and Sweepstakes, January 3-6, 2009. A special guest appearance by Vanna White at the Awards Reception on January 6 is just one exciting event we have in store for you!

Join us for two days of spinning reels and wheels, and a three-night stay in a Luxury Suite at The Venetian or The Palazzo for a special rate of $79 per night, where you'll find a fortune in comfort and amenities. Come early and be our guest for a fourth night on Saturday, January 3, 2009. Simply request it upon booking your reservation. Then take your place at a tournament playing Wheel of Fortune® games that will reward the luckiest player with a $20,000 grand prize and a Ticketless Sweepstakes where an impressive $100,000 purse is up for grabs! For every 100 points you earn between 3 p.m. on January 3 and 5 p.m. on January 6, you'll receive one entry into the Sweepstakes.

a $100,000 purse? hell, i want cash! :D

nope, mine is def. 1/3 - 1/6, not 1/13 - 1/16. they offered me an option to have sat. 1/3 at the same rate of $79 too. but like i said, it is too soon for me to return to vegas. maybe in march or so.


Oh nice congrats :) oh Wheel for Fortune, I never play that :D

it's too soon for me to return so i'll wait for next offer.;)

Establish an online account with your Club Grazie number and you'll get offers through the account. Usually 6 - 8 weeks in advance. However, offers that are not fully comped usually comes through mail.

Establish an online account with your Club Grazie number and you'll get offers through the account. Usually 6 - 8 weeks in advance. However, offers that are not fully comped usually comes through mail.yeah i got this invitation thru email. thanks!

I know that this is traditionally the slowest time of the year in Las Vegas but this week was ridiculous.

The Wynn Casino had only about 50 people in total on Tuesday night at 10pm. Even the hookers looked depressed. I ate at Carne Vino in Palazzo Wednesday night and at 8pm there were only 5 tables occupied!

I know that this is traditionally the slowest time of the year in Las Vegas but this week was ridiculous.

The Wynn Casino had only about 50 people in total on Tuesday night at 10pm. Even the hookers looked depressed. I ate at Carne Vino in Palazzo Wednesday night and at 8pm there were only 5 tables occupied!

Yes it's always slow but perhaps the weather has reduced the tourism also?

I was at Wynn on Thursday 12/11 around 8 pm=it was depressingly slow :(-
No line at the buffet ^ which was excellent

I was at Wynn on Thursday 12/11 around 8 pm=it was depressingly slow :(-
No line at the buffet ^ which was excellent

I'm checking in 12/26 - I wonder if the 20 trick will yield me a larger suite, or if the staff will be too depressed to care :(

I know that this is traditionally the slowest time of the year in Las Vegas but this week was ridiculous.

Curiously, I've recently read on some blogs (about a week ago) that the strip has been somewhat more busy (relatively speaking) with the theory behind it being that low gas prices and cheap hotel rates are luring a small resurgence of visitors from California (they noticed a lot of California plates.) But, I wouldn't doubt that the snow may have helped stem that tide, at least this past week.

We're flying next week on Christmas. While I'm selfishly hoping for it to be quiet, I'm kind of expecting that weekend to be pretty busy.

I'm checking in 12/26 - I wonder if the 20 trick will yield me a larger suite, or if the staff will be too depressed to care :(

Might need more than a 20 at Wynn. Palazzo offered me an upgrade for $125 per night to one of their larger suites. I countered with $125 for the whole weekend. I got my original room.

Vegas hurting? Delighted to hear it!

Do I sympathize with the union workers and small businesses? Yes, of course. The thousands who service casinos work mostly for low wages and tips, and many of course then gamble some of it away. Not to mention they have taken a pounding by the real estate market.

That being said, I am delighted to see the gaming stocks plummet which can directly be attributed to the casino greed which knows no end. Okay, the economy played a part too. But consider-

As little as 20 years ago you could find weekend rooms at casinos for $99/night. Cheap steak dinners and 99 cent shrimp cocktails. Waitresses plying free drinks at every table. Generous comp programs for people who gambled as little as $25 per hand. The casinos used to make plenty of money on gaming alone. But Steve Wynn changed all that.

Even 5 years ago Harrah's sent out free room offers at the Rio and elsewhere like clockwork.

But those days are gone. Buffets are now $25, drinks are $10 (Except at the tables), clubs require purchase of a $300 vodka bottle to get a seat, shows are $99-149 (more than London) and average strip hotel rooms run $250-450 per night on the weekends. In short, Vegas killed the golden goose. And now that the economy is in the toilet, the casinos have discovered that there is no one left to pay these absurd rates.

Personally I'm hoping that management will get smart and run some promos with deep discounts, just to fill the rooms and keep people employed. But more likely I think we'll just see some casino bankruptcies, shutdowns and lot of service workers being furloughed. Pity.

I'm checking in 12/26 - I wonder if the 20 trick will yield me a larger suite, or if the staff will be too depressed to care :(
You can't tip your way into a suite at the Wynn. The regular (resort) reservations desk only has access to the resort rooms. A $20 tip gets you into the panoramic room (same as resort but on the Top 10 floors). Your best bet is to call the Tower Suites lobby (or just stop by) and tell the ladies you'd like to move over there. They'll typically offer you an upgrade for $50 per night or $200-$300 for a suite...which is roughly half off what you'd pay to book the room up front. Tipping for upgrades @ Tower Reservations will get you nowhere.

You can't tip your way into a suite at the Wynn. The regular (resort) reservations desk only has access to the resort rooms. A $20 tip gets you into the panoramic room (same as resort but on the Top 10 floors). Your best bet is to call the Tower Suites lobby (or just stop by) and tell the ladies you'd like to move over there. They'll typically offer you an upgrade for $50 per night or $200-$300 for a suite...which is roughly half off what you'd pay to book the room up front. Tipping for upgrades @ Tower Reservations will get you nowhere.

Ahhh...thanks for the "tip" :)

Are the suites worth it? We're not really spending much time in the room - more for sleeping and such.

Mrs. PTravel and I just booked the Venetian on January 2nd and 3rd (immediately following New Years) for $159/night. This is roughly equal to the best rates we've gotten mid-week in the middle of the summer.

Mrs. PTravel and I just booked the Venetian on January 2nd and 3rd (immediately following New Years) for $159/night. This is roughly equal to the best rates we've gotten mid-week in the middle of the summer.

Hi,

That is a very good rate for the Venetian.^

I am planning on being in Las Vegas for 5 nights ( 2nd to 7th Jan) and trying to choose my hotels.

I like the Mandalay Bay ( $130 for those nights then falling to $100) but I'm tempted by the Encore (c$200) but I'm slightly worried that as it has just opened things might not be perfect

(Also hurts that the £:$ rate has worsend to c £1:$1.50 ( it was £1:$2 just 3-4 months ago)
Regards

TBS

I like the Mandalay Bay ( $130 for those nights then falling to $100) but I'm tempted by the Encore (c$200) but I'm slightly worried that as it has just opened things might not be perfect

TBS

I have a better brand association with Wynn than MGMMirage, but I would say it really comes down to whether you want to be on the North end of the Strip or the South end of the Strip, and if you'll be dining, which one has restaurants you prefer.

Hi,

That is a very good rate for the Venetian.^

I am planning on being in Las Vegas for 5 nights ( 2nd to 7th Jan) and trying to choose my hotels.

I like the Mandalay Bay ( $130 for those nights then falling to $100) but I'm tempted by the Encore (c$200) but I'm slightly worried that as it has just opened things might not be perfect

(Also hurts that the £:$ rate has worsend to c £1:$1.50 ( it was £1:$2 just 3-4 months ago)
Regards

TBSThose are amazing rates! I prefer the Venetian (actually the Palazzo) because of its central location. Mandalay Bay is also popular with the kiddie set and the House of Blues crowd. With your handle, I hesitate to ask: do you gamble? ;)

Those are amazing rates! I prefer the Venetian (actually the Palazzo) because of its central location. Mandalay Bay is also popular with the kiddie set and the House of Blues crowd. With your handle, I hesitate to ask: do you gamble? ;)

Hi,

I only spend a little while on the 5 cent machines ( and occasionally the 25Cents and $1 machines)- last time i was in las Vegas there was even a Frequent Flyer slot machine !:D in the Mandalay Bay, I do not go no the tables but I love the atomsphere and the different casino layouts in las vegas.
I generally have a little flutter after breakfst ($10-$20) then after lunch and if I'm exploring the strip then I will play a little while in a few of the casinos and then a little while after dinner but nothing major.
I do like the layout of the Mandalay Bay and the very good buffet. The pool in summer is excellent ( 1 pool in January I think )but the only problem is that it is at the south end of the strip. If the hotel was further up it would be perfect.
I have also stayed at the LV Hilton, Mirage, Flamingo, Luxor and THE Hotel but generally I have found the M Bay to be very good value for money.
Regards

TBS

Hi,

I only spend a little while on the 5 cent machines ( and occasionally the 25Cents and $1 machines)- last time i was in las Vegas there was even a Frequent Flyer slot machine !:D in the Mandalay Bay, I do not go no the tables but I love the atomsphere and the different casino layouts in las vegas.
I generally have a little flutter after breakfst ($10-$20) then after lunch and if I'm exploring the strip then I will play a little while in a few of the casinos and then a little while after dinner but nothing major.
I do like the layout of the Mandalay Bay and the very good buffet. The pool in summer is excellent ( 1 pool in January I think )but the only problem is that it is at the south end of the strip. If the hotel was further up it would be perfect.
I have also stayed at the LV Hilton, Mirage, Flamingo, Luxor and THE Hotel but generally I have found the M Bay to be very good value for money.
Regards

TBSMy gambling is at the same level as yours, though Mrs. PTravel doesn't gamble at all -- she thinks its a pointless way to hand more money to the casino. Some women seem to be incapable of understanding the allure of betting. :)

We'll have to try Mandalay Bay sometime when we can't get a good rate at the Venetian. We've stayed at the Mirage, Caesar's, the Bellagio, LV Hilton, the Flamingo, Treasure Island and the Luxor. We still prefer the Venetian hands down, but always are willing to try something new.

I love staying somewhere in the middle of the strip if I have no car with us because of the ease of moving from casino to casino. That said, my friend wants to go over for a couple days and since she has 2 kids, wants to stay at Circus Circus :eek: I'd rather not go at all then stay at that zoo. I'm a blackjack player and guess I could stomach it by sitting at the tables for 18 hours straight.

...wants to stay at Circus Circus :eek: I'd rather not go at all...

I wouldn't go either :).

I love staying somewhere in the middle of the strip if I have no car with us because of the ease of moving from casino to casino. That said, my friend wants to go over for a couple days and since she has 2 kids, wants to stay at Circus Circus :eek: I'd rather not go at all then stay at that zoo. I'm a blackjack player and guess I could stomach it by sitting at the tables for 18 hours straight.

Even Sahara would be better than Circus Circus.

I daresay even Imperial Palace would be better than Circus Circus.

The wife just got a crazy red card promo. It had a bunch of discounted nights in Jan BUT also showed two sets of three nights where the rooms were comped for a resort room at the Encore plus $150 in credits. Wow, they're going to pay us to stay at the Encore. :) We've played a bit (enough to get a number of buffets) but not what I would consider very much by any means. I suspect they're trying hard to get any visitor that showed any penchant for gambling to help fill their rooms during the post Christmas dead season.
Looks like we're off to Vegas in Jan again if we can get the time off.

Even Sahara would be better than Circus Circus.

I daresay even Imperial Palace would be better than Circus Circus.

Haha yes it is. Drove over once with no res anywhere and after looking ended up at IP and I have to say the stay wasn't half bad and I won a ton at their tables. Food wasn't horrible either but it was comp'd.

The wife just got a crazy red card promo. It had a bunch of discounted nights in Jan BUT also showed two sets of three nights where the rooms were comped for a resort room at the Encore plus $150 in credits. Wow, they're going to pay us to stay at the Encore. :) We've played a bit (enough to get a number of buffets) but not what I would consider very much by any means. I suspect they're trying hard to get any visitor that showed any penchant for gambling to help fill their rooms during the post Christmas dead season.
Looks like we're off to Vegas in Jan again if we can get the time off.

I got that one (Post #106), it sounds like they sent out that promo out to a lot of people, basically anyone was was rated. I would be interested to hear how easy it is to actually book.

I got that one (Post #106), it sounds like they sent out that promo out to a lot of people, basically anyone was was rated. I would be interested to hear how easy it is to actually book.

Whoops, I think I recall reading your post but it slipped my mind.
While my wife received the promo, I didn't receive it. And personally, I think I played way more than my wife.
We actually called up and booked with no problems. Weekday nights only of course. Sounds like we may still be on the hook for the room tax (??) though. 48hr cancellation if we can't get the time off.

Stayed at both the Palazzo and the Venetian recently. The rooms are huge and the service was great. The Palazzo being the newer property was my favorite. The casino seemed smaller which was a major plus for me.

I like vegas a lot but they don't keep all those lights on without capturing quite a few of our dollars off the tables.

Funny thing... If you poll 10 people at LAS as they are leaving town. Seven will say they broke even and three will say they won. All ten will not be telling the truth.

Funny thing... If you poll 10 people at LAS as they are leaving town. Seven will say they broke even and three will say they won. All ten will not be telling the truth.So what? I usually lie when anyone asks me about how "I did" gambling because quite frankly it's none of their *%#$#$ business. Actually, I don't lie about whether I won or lost, just about how much, I will usually say "I lost a little" when I lose (regardless of how much I really lost), "I broke even" if it's close or "I won a little" if we actually won (regardless of how much I really won).

I just go with "I made some change."

Stayed at both the Palazzo and the Venetian recently. The rooms are huge and the service was great. The Palazzo being the newer property was my favorite. The casino seemed smaller which was a major plus for me.
...
Funny thing... If you poll 10 people at LAS as they are leaving town. Seven will say they broke even and three will say they won. All ten will not be telling the truth.

Agree about Palazzo. ^ But imagine you're kidding about that last part implying everyone is a loser. :confused: No doubt there's plenty of losers... but, trust me, there's winners too. I see them every time I'm in town. You can spot them this way: they're the few who are cheerful on the flight home. :D

You can spot them this way: they're the few who are cheeful on the flight home. :D

Or too inebriated to realize otherwise :D.

I just go with "I made some change."

It is against my religion to leave LAS without a profit except year 2004

I just realized how much Vegas must be hurting. I joined the PH A+ Club some time ago. Stayed there but didn't gamble very much there. So as one would expect, I haven't heard word one from these folks since my last trip. Not even a flyer that Tony Orlando and Dawn are going to be in town and I should come out and pay for an overpriced PH hotel room to see them.

This morning I got a flyer from them offering a room for $59, which is a good deal less than I would pay on the PH website. Its not free, but the mere fact that they are scraping the bottom of the barrel and offering me anything is a strong sign that they are desperate.

Was at Bellagio , Paris, Bally's and the Planet Hollywood today(showing a friend around)and all were very busy-lots and lots of Asians and Armenians-buffet lines were huge-we ended up having a light lunch at th excellent coffee shop in the PH-Planet Daily's.
So what ever promotion these places ran worked pretty well :D

I just realized how much Vegas must be hurting. I joined the PH A+ Club some time ago. Stayed there but didn't gamble very much there. So as one would expect, I haven't heard word one from these folks since my last trip. Not even a flyer that Tony Orlando and Dawn are going to be in town and I should come out and pay for an overpriced PH hotel room to see them.

This morning I got a flyer from them offering a room for $59, which is a good deal less than I would pay on the PH website. Its not free, but the mere fact that they are scraping the bottom of the barrel and offering me anything is a strong sign that they are desperate.

I got $49! ^

Just got back today after arriving in LV Sunday. In the beginning it was slower than... well... Christmas! Everyone I talked to in and around the casinos from dealers to our limo driver were crying the blues. Of course, it picked up as the week went along, but I think they're preparing themselves for the worst after new years.

All of the fancy stores the high end hotels have attached to their casinos are hurting badly and are offering incrdible prices right now.
We shoped at the forum shops.the Venitian/pallazo shops and the Wynn promanade.Almost all of the stores are running 50%-75% off sales right now.We got some great deals on Caroline Herera,Zegna,Thomas Pink,Armani,and Etro.I think the prices will drop even lower.

Of course this is mostly on "old"stock-the new spring lines are not discounted---yet :D

But not with gamblers!The non gambling tourist were everywhere-but not spending any real money!

Sure the lines for the Buffets were huge(I have never seen the line for the Wynn Buffet so long)but we walked right into the coffee shop-no line at all and the place was 1/4th full.
Tons of peope in the fancy malls-but very few people actually in the stores.
The casinos were packed-with people NOT gambling

A couple of highlights from this Christmas in Las Vegas.
The new Steve Wynn hotel ENCORE is just gorgeous.Mr. Wynn has set an impossible bar for other las vegas hotels to jump over.The details and artwork in this hotel are top notch and the staff is the absolute best in Las Vegas bar none.

Le Reve at the Wynn-what an incredible show I liked it much better tha "O" and the tickets are cheaper!Outstanding performances and incredible stagecraft-I leapt to my feet and cheered at the end of the show!

I spent a few hours at the Premium Outlets (near Downtown) yesterday and it was quite busy; they were controlling entrance to the Burburry store and there was a long queue to get in. I found some very nice 50%-70% sales as well. I played downtown and it wasn't too busy. There sure were a lot of extra cars on the 15 driving to/from SoCal.

All of the fancy stores the high end hotels have attached to their casinos are hurting badly and are offering incrdible prices right now.
We shoped at the forum shops.the Venitian/pallazo shops and the Wynn promanade.Almost all of the stores are running 50%-75% off sales right now.We got some great deals on Caroline Herera,Zegna,Thomas Pink,Armani,and Etro.I think the prices will drop even lower.

Of course this is mostly on "old"stock-the new spring lines are not discounted---yet :D

Is that enough of a discount to make them reasonably priced??

Is that enough of a discount to make them reasonably priced??

That's what I'm always thinking when I see some of these stores offering even 75% discounts. A friend of mine who knew I was looking for a new computer bag told me to go to the Tumi store because they had "huge discounts" and of course when I get to Fashion Show all they're doing is $50 off every $250 purchased. A maximum of 20% off is still a ripoff for stuff that's marked up several hundred percent...

Is that enough of a discount to make them reasonably priced??

wellllll I guess that would depend on what you consider "reasonable"
My friend bought a casmere coat at Zegna,normally $2.500 marked down to $685.A sports coat at Caroline Herrera normally priced at $550 for $160.I bought a few Brioni ties normaly $195 for $40.
Sure you can find Chinese made goods for less.But I doubt will not find quality goods at a lower price.So yes-for quality(and we are talking classic men's clothing here-nothing that will go out of style)that is a great price without a doubt.

My last stay there I shopped at Ralph Lauren at Palazzo and bought a shirt that I thought was 50% off. Turned out it was 75% off so I went back and got more.

buffet lines were hugeI know last time we were at Paris I noticed that they had sections of the buffet seating completely closed despite the line to get in, so the length of the line is not necessarilly a good indication of how busy it is since it is artifically controlled. This goes for a lot of things really, unless every table game was open, does it matter that the games that were open were "busy".

Trust me on this-all three of the buffets we passed(Paris,Bellagio,Wynn)were packed inside and the lines were the longest I have ever seen.
These folks were determined to get what they thought was the biggest bang for their buck.For me if the wait is more than 20 min's I am not interested.These folks must have been waiting 2 hours to get inside :eek:
And the perfectly nice coffee shops(The Wynn coffee shop is great) were almost empty :confused:

For me if the wait is more than 20 min's I am not interested.These folks must have been waiting 2 hours to get inside :eek:
And the perfectly nice coffee shops(The Wynn coffee shop is great) were almost empty :confused:

Hi,

That is my polciy too!:D.

I will be at the Wynn for 5 nights from Friday and will try the buffet ( last time I was at the Wynn a couple of years ago the line was very long so we went to the cafe instead).

Will also try the Mandalay Buffet one night ( I like the ambience and it is good value for money)

Regards

TBS

Hi,

That is my polciy too!:D.

I will be at the Wynn for 5 nights from Friday and will try the buffet ( last time I was at the Wynn a couple of years ago the line was very long so we went to the cafe instead).

Will also try the Mandalay Buffet one night ( I like the ambience and it is good value for money)

Regards

TBS

I would go on a weekday at dinner time-and I usually go at a weirdly early hour(4-5 pm)as I feel the wynn buffet is best at dinner.I would skip sunday altogether because I am not a brunch fan and the dinner on sunday night seems less wonderful than the other nights.
Also-I hope you like seafood and fish=that is where I see real value.
I do enjoy the crab legs and the jumbo peeled prawns-but also the ceviches and the hot fish.
The Prime rib is realllly good as is the rack of lamb.
Hey-isn't there a whole thread on this somewhere :D
Mod's please feel free to move this.

Will also try the Mandalay Buffet one night ( I like the ambience and it is good value for money)


Been a while since I've been to the MB buffet but it was good at that time and one of the few buffets that had large grilled scallops, yum.

Hey-isn't there a whole thread on this somewhere :D


:D, yes there is so in keeping it on topic ;), I feel some of the buffets (TI, Monte Carlo, and Harrahs come to mind) have lowered their food quality due to Vegas hurting.

We be hurtin'...Southwest 2 day sale, 50% off RT fares, book by 12/31/08.

http://www.southwest.com/landing/vegas_50off.html?src=e123008

Might need more than a 20 at Wynn. Palazzo offered me an upgrade for $125 per night to one of their larger suites. I countered with $125 for the whole weekend. I got my original room.

$20 got me a panoramic view room on the 54 (or 56?) floor last year.

I would go on a weekday at dinner time-and I usually go at a weirdly early hour(4-5 pm)as I feel the wynn buffet is best at dinner.I would skip sunday altogether because I am not a brunch fan and the dinner on sunday night seems less wonderful than the other nights.
Also-I hope you like seafood and fish=that is where I see real value.
I do enjoy the crab legs and the jumbo peeled prawns-but also the ceviches and the hot fish.
The Prime rib is realllly good as is the rack of lamb.
Hey-isn't there a whole thread on this somewhere :D
Mod's please feel free to move this.

Hi,

Many thanks for the tips bigguyinpasadena!^

Have a Happy New Year!

Regards

TBS

My friend bought a cashmere coat at Zegna, normally $2,500 marked down to $685. A sports coat at Carolina Herrera normally priced at $550 for $160. I bought a few Brioni ties normally $195 for $40.

Way to score on the Brioni bginp. Can't wait to get there in Feb., assuming anything is left on clearance. Those are unusually deep markdowns on those brands. I'm at Palazzo in Feb., for a change, which should be nice. Looking forward to trying Encore next summer too, as I am more of a Wynn franchise regular.

But not with gamblers!The non gambling tourist were everywhere-but not spending any real money!

Sure the lines for the Buffets were huge(I have never seen the line for the Wynn Buffet so long)but we walked right into the coffee shop-no line at all and the place was 1/4th full.
Tons of peope in the fancy malls-but very few people actually in the stores.
The casinos were packed-with people NOT gambling

A couple of highlights from this Christmas in Las Vegas.
The new Steve Wynn hotel ENCORE is just gorgeous.Mr. Wynn has set an impossible bar for other las vegas hotels to jump over.The details and artwork in this hotel are top notch and the staff is the absolute best in Las Vegas bar none.

Le Reve at the Wynn-what an incredible show I liked it much better tha "O" and the tickets are cheaper!Outstanding performances and incredible stagecraft-I leapt to my feet and cheered at the end of the show!

I had the same feeling walking around Vegas - Wynn was packed, Bellagio was packed, the streets were packed, traffic was chaotic, and this was all before 12/31. I guess the overly aggressive discounting worked. While checking in at the Wynn, I overheard the people checking in at the next position were there on a Hotwire promo! I thought 5* Hotwire and Priceline were reserved for Trump's failing property up the road.

1) The Buffet line - what, none of these people will ever eat again??? They were lining up even after being told they would have 10-15 mins to eat by the time they were seated. All buffet promo comps were locked out for the holidays (except the Hertz deal, which we got), and no lines passes were available, except for serious high rollers. We waited far longer than we should have, then ate far too many crabs legs - which appeared to be Queen Crab legs, not the King I thought I remembered. Overall quality was way down from my previous visits, as was the lack of dish diversity. Unlike other buffets, a 'comp' here means a free buffet - it doesn't mean any line or seating priority.

2) "Mandatory" players club signup - when you check-in, they take your DL and enter a plethora of personal information, essentially signing you up for a temporary Red Card, allowing you to use your room card in the slots and at the tables for rating - but - they should ask your permission first. Entering this personal information into the computer without the customer's permission is an invasion of privacy.

3) $100 Dining Credit - the 'small print', not included in the online version of the offer, or at least not readily available to read, indicated the dining credit was only for use at the Buffet, Terrace Point Cafe, one Italian place and Sugar and Ice. If you thought you could chop $100 off your nice meal at Alex, Wing Lei or another top restaurant, surprise - no credit for you.

4) I tried the $20 trick, but it only got me a higher floor view room, no suite upgrade. However, my $20 also bought my an assignment to a room already occupied by other guests :rolleyes: Luckily the room occupants were out when I strolled in. I had to call the front desk for re-assignment to another room, but at least they took care of it over the phone. During our 4 day stay, my room keys were changed by either the front desk or one of the Red Card desks a total of 3 times, with each exchange accompanied by an apology and comment the 'previous' person made a mistake. Apparently my 'drafting' into membership status at check-in somehow messed up my account when I signed up for the actual membership to receive my Hertz buffet, free spin with 30pts (I got $10 in free slot play, woopee), and two free buffets with my 150pts - which I can't use until my next visit.

5) Security - what is it with Wynn and security? I appreciate a safe place, but come on - the NSA building outside DC has less security than this hotel.

6) Service - Wynn is always a winner with service, regardless of which property he was running, something MGM-Mirage should have paid more attention to when they bought Mirage, Bellagio and Treasure Island. No matter where we went, everyone was helpful, friendly and definitely service oriented, except for the poor buffet line matron who was two sheets from a nervous breakdown from a night of managing total chaos.

7) Rooms - sheer luxury on a grand scale. I plan on ordering a set of pillows (apparently they sell about $1M of the pillows each year) for my own home. The sheets were pure heaven, especially for 300 count, but they still can't top my own 400 count bamboo sheets for softness. The entire hotel, especially the rooms, appeared as if the place just opened last week. Totally immaculate. I can contrast that with my experience at the Venetian a couple years back where I found the room worn out, with scrapes, chips and scars all over the walls and baseboards. One annoyance - the shower water was too hot. Not warm, not hot, but 'dip a tea bag and make tea' hot. You almost had to dial back the value to full 'blue' before the water lost the pain factor.

8) Gaming - the place was packed, but the casino was not getting much of a workout, and we noticed the same at both Bellagio and Ballys. Table limits were low, except for Baccarat, which they kept very high, save for some new-fangled mini game, which had suspicious looking odds and rules. I've always lived by the superstition - don't play where you stay, it's bad luck. Sure enough, instead of using the Encore casino, I gamed at the Wynn and had some of my worse blackjack sessions ever :td: At least the slots were kinder, and we scored 150pts with only about $60 total coin-in from our pockets.

9) Staying elsewhere - now the letdown. After 4 nights at the Wynn, I've checked into my favorite Sheraton in Cerritos, CA, upgraded to a suite to boot, but compared to my stay at the Wynn, it feels like we just checked into a Travelodge :(

>>>>>>>While checking in at the Wynn, I overheard the people checking in at the next position were there on a Hotwire promo! I thought 5* Hotwire and Priceline were reserved for Trump's failing property up the road.

I will be there on a $109 rate Friday and Saturday and $84 Sunday rate thanks to Hotwire. I can't wait to experience the luxury you describe! :cool:

I think I 'll try the $50 trick in this property, $20 will not go that far....I am too cheap to do the $100 trick:D

Table limits were low, except for Baccarat, which they kept very high, save for some new-fangled mini game, which had suspicious looking odds and rules.

Mini baccarat has been around for close to 20 years (maybe longer). ;);)

No "new-fangled" mini-games, unless it was a "commission free" game (which is a few years old, but very unpopular), which I am pretty certain Wynn does not have, and has rule modifications anyway to equalize the banker and player odds, all baccarat games (mini-midi-big) have the same fundamental rules and odds.

There "might" be a dragon bonus side bet (or some other side bet derivative), but you can basically ignore this bet (as well as the tie bet), and just concentrate on betting the banker and player (which have a house edge of 1.06% and 1.24% respectively).

My impression, of recent, has been that Wynn has actually lowered their table limits @ baccarat (depending on day and time); and that there are actually more of the lower limit $100 big/midi baccarat tables; where there were only $200++ tables in the past.

So baccarat_king the rules/odds/commision is the same for mini baccarat as the regular tables?If so that is good to know.

Also do some of the places still offer 4% commision rather than 5% on banker bets?

So baccarat_king the rules/odds/commision is the same for mini baccarat as the regular tables?If so that is good to know.

Also do some of the places still offer 4% commision rather than 5% on banker bets?

Yes, exactly the same. With the exception of "commission free" EZBaccarat games, which have equivalent odds by modifying the rules to deal with not having to keep track of commission (and, as I mentioned, this is not a very common or popular baccarat variation).

There are a few side bets floating around (dragon-bonus is pretty popular now), but you can just ignore the side bets.

Haven't seen or heard of any recent 4% commission promos. That was a thing for a time at Binions, and Sahara (in the day when they had baccarat) also had some of those promotions. Since the house edge is pretty much wiped out with a 4% commission game, there is little incentive to offer one to the "regular folks."

Big players, get negotiated discounts on their loses, as semi-common (but, not documented....) practice (but, we're talking BIG PLAYERS....).

But, remember that a mini baccarat game is MUCH MUCH faster than a big or midi game (where cards are dealt/faced and faced by the players).

So, theoretically, a $50 mini baccarat table, could easily be more action [for a player] than a $100 big table, especially if you are waging on a significant number of hands.

I'm sorry we missed you when we were there last week!

I had the same feeling walking around Vegas - Wynn was packed, Bellagio was packed, the streets were packed, traffic was chaotic, and this was all before 12/31. I guess the overly aggressive discounting worked. While checking in at the Wynn, I overheard the people checking in at the next position were there on a Hotwire promo! I thought 5* Hotwire and Priceline were reserved for Trump's failing property up the road.

1) The Buffet line - what, none of these people will ever eat again??? They were lining up even after being told they would have 10-15 mins to eat by the time they were seated. All buffet promo comps were locked out for the holidays (except the Hertz deal, which we got), and no lines passes were available, except for serious high rollers. We waited far longer than we should have, then ate far too many crabs legs - which appeared to be Queen Crab legs, not the King I thought I remembered. Overall quality was way down from my previous visits, as was the lack of dish diversity. Unlike other buffets, a 'comp' here means a free buffet - it doesn't mean any line or seating priority.

We had two free buffets and showed up at 9:30 on a Saturday morning. There was almost no line. When we left at 10:30, the line was almost two hours long.

2) "Mandatory" players club signup - when you check-in, they take your DL and enter a plethora of personal information, essentially signing you up for a temporary Red Card, allowing you to use your room card in the slots and at the tables for rating - but - they should ask your permission first. Entering this personal information into the computer without the customer's permission is an invasion of privacy.

This is really annoying, since they never seem to track my cards from stay to stay, meaning I always end up with several different accounts.

6) Service - Wynn is always a winner with service, regardless of which property he was running, something MGM-Mirage should have paid more attention to when they bought Mirage, Bellagio and Treasure Island. No matter where we went, everyone was helpful, friendly and definitely service oriented, except for the poor buffet line matron who was two sheets from a nervous breakdown from a night of managing total chaos.

We had major service issues with the Red Card desk. The lines were very long, and I had to wait there to get my $150 slot credit. When I went back to use it the next day, the person hadn't done it properly, so I had to wait a half hour the next day, as well. At first, they asked me if I had used it the night before. Um, no, I didn't gamble the night before. Then, they told me my promo wasn't eligible. Finally, they realized that someone had input it the wrong way. I played the $150 through a 9/6 VP machine once and walked off with $154.


7) Rooms - sheer luxury on a grand scale. I plan on ordering a set of pillows (apparently they sell about $1M of the pillows each year) for my own home. The sheets were pure heaven, especially for 300 count, but they still can't top my own 400 count bamboo sheets for softness.

We bought a set of the pillows and sheets. Can't wait until they arrive.

9) Staying elsewhere - now the letdown. After 4 nights at the Wynn, I've checked into my favorite Sheraton in Cerritos, CA, upgraded to a suite to boot, but compared to my stay at the Wynn, it feels like we just checked into a Travelodge :(

We spent two nights at the Wynn on the $120/night promo, and then moved to the LV Hilton for a night (free) and Terrible's for a night (free). Terrible's was worth what we paid for it, and we overpaid at the LV Hilton.

Overall, we were quite pleased with our stay at Wynn.

Mike

We spent two nights at the Wynn on the $120/night promo, and then moved to the LV Hilton for a night (free) and Terrible's for a night (free). Terrible's was worth what we paid for it, and we overpaid at the LV Hilton.

Overall, we were quite pleased with our stay at Wynn.

Mike

You dined at Lutece followed by IHOP and Wendy's without cleansing your palate between visits. :D

Thanks for the quicky reviews!

We spent two nights at the Wynn on the $120/night promo, and then moved to the LV Hilton for a night (free) and Terrible's for a night (free). Terrible's was worth what we paid for it, and we overpaid at the LV Hilton.

Hehehe, talk about winding down your trip...from Wynn to Hilton to Terribles. Should have done it in reverse :).

Mini baccarat has been around for close to 20 years (maybe longer). ;);)

No "new-fangled" mini-games, unless it was a "commission free" game (which is a few years old, but very unpopular), which I am pretty certain Wynn does not have, and has rule modifications anyway to equalize the banker and player odds, all baccarat games (mini-midi-big) have the same fundamental rules and odds.

There "might" be a dragon bonus side bet (or some other side bet derivative), but you can basically ignore this bet (as well as the tie bet), and just concentrate on betting the banker and player (which have a house edge of 1.06% and 1.24% respectively).

My impression, of recent, has been that Wynn has actually lowered their table limits @ baccarat (depending on day and time); and that there are actually more of the lower limit $100 big/midi baccarat tables; where there were only $200++ tables in the past.

Yes - that's the one - commission free with the dragon bet. The limit was $10, but almost no one was playing and the setup looked a bit suspicious to me with regards to the house edge.

Their mini limits were $100, which was too rich for me - I would have tried a $25 or 50 game to get my feet wet, but their game screens showed a lot of chopping and few trends.

Yes - that's the one - commission free with the dragon bet. The limit was $10, but almost no one was playing and the setup looked a bit suspicious to me with regards to the house edge.

Nothing to suspicious, of course, even though the odds (for banker and player bets) are about the same as a traditional commission mini game, the game will run faster, since their are no commission calculations by the dealers (so, in a sense, you "might" run through more $$$ and hands in a shorter period of time).

per Wizard of Odds (http://wizardofodds.com/puntobanco#ezbaccarat),

On July 3, 2004, at the Plaza in Las Vegas I observed a no commission baccarat game called EZ Baccarat. In April, 2008, I saw it at the Paris casino in Las Vegas. In November, 2008, I saw it at the Barona casino in California. The rules followed standard baccarat except on the banker bet: (1) all wins pay even money, and (2) if the banker wins with a 3-card total of 7 then the banker bet will push. In addition, there is a "Dragon Bet" on a three card winning banker hand of 7 points that paid 40 to 1.

The lower right cell shows a house edge of 1.02%

With a probability of winning of 2.2535%, the house edge on the Dragon Bet is 7.61%.

But, we all know to stay away from prop bets like the tie bet, and dragon bonus.

Of course, every once in a while, one does feel a skip-tie (http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p11/baccarat_king/skiptie.jpg). ;);)

Their mini limits were $100, which was too rich for me - I would have tried a $25 or 50 game to get my feet wet, but their game screens showed a lot of chopping and few trends.

Between Christmas and New Year's is a very popular time of year for Asians (who, tend to play Asian games such as baccarat) in Vegas (and at all casino destinations).

Just a few weeks ago, I noticed a big baccarat game @ Wynn for $100 (on a Thursday night).

It's often tough to correlate limits to games, as some prefer the faster no crap style of mini-baccarat, and thus, casinos will sometimes have high limit mini games and/or the same limits on their bigger games.

One of the best places in Vegas for tons of low limit ($10'ish) mini tables is Gold Coast, though I'm sure there are many other examples.

This is really annoying, since they never seem to track my cards from stay to stay, meaning I always end up with several different accounts.
Mike
I would think they'd want to keep the same account to track your play. Doesn't your name and license info bring up your previously entered account?

There is an ULTRA cheap mini baccarat game at the El Cortez-$5 on most days and non-weekend nights.
Not as glamerous as the Wynn baccarat parlour( :D )but a good way to get the feel of the game.
And of course comps are abundant!

You dined at Lutece followed by IHOP and Wendy's without cleansing your palate between visits. :D

Thanks for the quicky reviews!

Hehehe, talk about winding down your trip...from Wynn to Hilton to Terribles. Should have done it in reverse :).

On the plus side, our very last night was at the Doubletree, so we started working our way back up!

I would think they'd want to keep the same account to track your play. Doesn't your name and license info bring up your previously entered account?

I'm not sure why it never works out that way. I finally got the bright idea to have them merge all my accounts and wrote myself a note on the card that is accruing points.

There is an ULTRA cheap mini baccarat game at the El Cortez-$5 on most days and non-weekend nights.
Not as glamerous as the Wynn baccarat parlour( :D )but a good way to get the feel of the game.
And of course comps are abundant!

Now that I'll have to try. The El Cortez is a total dump, which will make it that much more fun. :)

Mike

just received a large gold envelope from palazzo comping me 2 to 4 nights (based on availability) w/$50 slot/table match play thru 3/31/09. also, a suite for friends or family for $99/nite if i want. ;)

how desperate are they to get people to vegas? was just there on thanksgiving.

loved the palazzo and def. will take advantage of this offer.:D

I am looking for a room Feb 20-23.

The rates at the Wynn are $275+.

Will they get lower as the dates get close if occupancy remains low and what are the chances I can get a low rate by calling their reservation line?

just received a large gold envelope from palazzo comping me 2 to 4 nights (based on availability) w/$50 slot/table match play thru 3/31/09. also, a suite for friends or family for $99/nite if i want. ;)

how desperate are they to get people to vegas? was just there on thanksgiving.

loved the palazzo and def. will take advantage of this offer.:D


Yes-they are very desperate.
If you do not mind--how much did you play on your last visit to the Venetian/pallazzo?

Yes-they are very desperate.
If you do not mind--how much did you play on your last visit to the Venetian/pallazzo?i spent most of my time (3-4hours) at the big wheel and about 2 hours at $25 bj table. lost about $300 playing both and that was it.

Yes-they are very desperate.
If you do not mind--how much did you play on your last visit to the Venetian/pallazzo?

A friend of mine got the same offer and says he's about a $50 avg at BJ.

A friend of mine got the same offer and says he's about a $50 avg at BJ.

Got the same offer as well, but it is not the Palazzo. Oh well, will try Venetian for the first time :)

I am looking for a room Feb 20-23.

The rates at the Wynn are $275+.

Will they get lower as the dates get close if occupancy remains low and what are the chances I can get a low rate by calling their reservation line?

Posts on more than one thread in this forum have noted success with Hotwire. An unnamed 5* on the Strip was going for just over $100.00 per night, with the posters learning that 5* hotel casino was the Wynn. Based onthose earlier posts, my wife and I decided to try Hotwire. We wound up with a room at Wynn for $116.00 per night from January 16-January 19, 2009. Seems to me that Hotwire is the way to go to get a low rate at Wynn.

Now I wonder what kind of upgrade we could get with a $50 bill between my drivers license and credit card.

. Based onthose earlier posts, my wife and I decided to try Hotwire. We wound up with a room at Wynn for $116.00 per night from January 16-January 19, 2009. Seems to me that Hotwire is the way to go to get a low rate at Wynn.


Do you remember what the amenities for your selection were? I'm checking on hotwire for my upcoming trip, and I'm seeing a 5* in Central Strip, but I can't figure out which hotel it is. It doesnt seem to match up with any of the lists out there...

Do you remember what the amenities for your selection were? I'm checking on hotwire for my upcoming trip, and I'm seeing a 5* in Central Strip, but I can't figure out which hotel it is. It doesnt seem to match up with any of the lists out there...

This website should help you.

http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=2982&

click on the price and then scroll down to check out the trip advisor ratings - compare the two and it's quite easy to work out. Also got the Wynn - $102 per night, for 7 nights in March.:) I think the Wynn has 1460 (ish) reviews, Venetion more, most of the others less. (BUT please check before you book as I am remembering this from a few days ago)

Thanks for the terrific intel!!!!! I just booked The Wynn on Hotwire for $113 a night for 5 nights in mid-April. I had already reserved a room directly with the hotel at $239 for two nights and $339 for three nights. I've just saved a ton! Thank You!!!! Any chance that I'd be successful in requesting an upgrade when I check in? Probably not, but I'll welcome any suggestions! ;)

Any chance that I'd be successful in requesting an upgrade when I check in? Probably not, but I'll welcome any suggestions! ;)

Well, if you look at how much you were going to spend before for the same room, and how much your final cost was, you saved
(239*2 + 3*339) - (5*113) = $930...

I don't think the "$20 trick" will get you an upgrade, but you can ask for a legitimate paid upgrade and probably negotiate a nice upgrade for less than the $1k you saved by using hotwire.

That is just my gut instinct. Hopefully somebody more knowledgeable about Wynn booking procedure can give you actual info.

By the way, welcome to FlyerTalk!!

Thanks for the welcome.

I just canceled my original Wynn reservation and was reminded that I was paying $239 for the first two nights and $399 for the remaining three nights. My savings thanks to all of you and this site is $1,110! Thank you!!!! I think I'll be trying at least a $50 with my credit card and license.

I've read that others have been successful being upgraded to the Tower Suites from a regular resort room, even though the Tower has it's own check-in. I hope that's possible. If not, I'm sure we'll be very happy to be staying in a high floor panoramic view room. ;)

Do you remember what the amenities for your selection were? I'm checking on hotwire for my upcoming trip, and I'm seeing a 5* in Central Strip, but I can't figure out which hotel it is. It doesnt seem to match up with any of the lists out there...

IIRC, to me the decisive amenity icon was the one for golf. I do not know whether the icon means that the property has an agreement allowing access to a golf course or that the property has a golf course on site. If the latter, then the property can only be Wynn.

IMO, even if the 5* Central Strip is not Wynn, you will get a very nice hotel, possibly Caesar's Palace, Bellagio, or Palazzo.

IMO, even if the 5* Central Strip is not Wynn, you will get a very nice hotel, possibly Caesar's Palace, Bellagio, or Palazzo.
wynn/encore, palazzo/venetian (right next to wynn/encore) and trump are 5* north strip. 5* central only has the bellagio. south strip 5* would be the hotel @ mandalay bay and that's about it for the 5* hotels currently.

ceasar would be a 4* now.

wynn/encore, palazzo/venetian (right next to wynn/encore) and trump are 5* north strip. 5* central only has the bellagio. south strip 5* would be the hotel @ mandalay bay and that's about it for the 5* hotels currently.

ceasar would be a 4* now.

I don't think Trump warrants a 5* rating. It's not a real hotel (more like transient rental condos or something like that), is way off the strip and outdoes the PH in the nickel/dime category by requiring mandatory valet parking.

I don't think Trump warrants a 5* rating. It's not a real hotel (more like transient rental condos or something like that), is way off the strip and outdoes the PH in the nickel/dime category by requiring mandatory valet parking.

It does not. One way to distinguish the Trump from other hotel is the "No-Smoking" amenities that appear in Hotwire. If that shows, then you can guarantee that it is the Trump

It does not. One way to distinguish the Trump from other hotel is the "No-Smoking" amenities that appear in Hotwire. If that shows, then you can guarantee that it is the Trump

And no Casino icon for Trump.

Does Wynn show the High Speed Internet Icon? I'm wondering if there is a difference between Wynn and Venetian.

according to biddingfortravel.com, they listed trump as one of the 5* hotels. also, several people posted that they bid thru priceline for 5* north, they got trump.

back in october last year, i was going to bid thru pl hoping for palazzo/venetian, or wynn for the north strip, but then, i didn't like the chance of landing trump (because no casinos is the main reason), so i never bid.

I don't think Trump warrants a 5* rating. It's not a real hotel (more like transient rental condos or something like that), is way off the strip and outdoes the PH in the nickel/dime category by requiring mandatory valet parking.

have you stayed there? The rooms are better than the Venetian and a lot better than the rooms at the supposedly "four star" hotwire/priceline choices like the Monte Carlo or MGM grand.

The Trump hotel is home to one of just a handful of michelin starred restaurants in Las Vegas.

Smoke free and no casino is a plus for some people.

have you stayed there? The rooms are better than the Venetian and a lot better than the rooms at the supposedly "four star" hotwire/priceline choices like the Monte Carlo or MGM grand.

The Trump hotel is home to one of just a handful of michelin starred restaurants in Las Vegas.

Smoke free and no casino is a plus for some people.

True, some people prefer a non-smoking and non-casino environment, but the reviews I've read on this property were not kind. Sure, people wrote the rooms look nice, but the way-off-strip location, transient nature of the place, mandatory valet and other factors took a lot of wind out of Trump's sails. Given it's a Trump property with all the bellicose and huffing/puffing that comes out of The Donald about being the best in the world, he is not even close to being the best in Vegas, let alone the world.

For a true 5* experience without smoke or casino, the Four Seasons offers a close-to-strip location, superior service, nice rooms - and for some reason, they don't feel the need to dump room inventory out to Priceline or Hotwire.

My room at the Wynn was on a non-smoking floor, so the only smoke we encountered was the brief dash through the casino to get to the car or entrance.

The Trump hotel is home to one of just a handful of michelin starred restaurants in Las Vegas.

Oh please, "one of just a handful"? There are 17 of them with a total of 22*. I've never been to Trump and don't plan to so will not bother passing judgment, but having a single Michelin restaurant (and a single * at that) hardly makes a Las Vegas property special.

Oh please, "one of just a handful"? There are 17 of them with a total of 22*. I've never been to Trump and don't plan to so will not bother passing judgment, but having a single Michelin restaurant (and a single * at that) hardly makes a Las Vegas property special.

:rolleyes:

what percentage of Vegas restaurants are rated? Only 13 have one * out of what, 10,000?

True, some people prefer a non-smoking and non-casino environment, but the reviews I've read on this property were not kind. Sure, people wrote the rooms look nice, but the way-off-strip location, transient nature of the place, mandatory valet and other factors took a lot of wind out of Trump's sails. Given it's a Trump property with all the bellicose and huffing/puffing that comes out of The Donald about being the best in the world, he is not even close to being the best in Vegas, let alone the world.

For a true 5* experience without smoke or casino, the Four Seasons offers a close-to-strip location, superior service, nice rooms - and for some reason, they don't feel the need to dump room inventory out to Priceline or Hotwire.

My room at the Wynn was on a non-smoking floor, so the only smoke we encountered was the brief dash through the casino to get to the car or entrance.

The FS is not exactly the center of the strip. But I would not say the TT is the same class as the FS. But then the Vegas FS is not in the same class as the FS Chiang Mai.

AFAIK no FS EVER discounts via priceline or hotwire. Even Wynn is now using hotwire to increase business. I did not think I'd ever see that; but it does make business sense at times.

Many of the negative reviews on trip adviser about TT sound like people were upset they could not gamble or that they could not squeeze 15 people into the room with cots.

I wanted (and expected) to NOT like the TT because of the nature of its namesake and other factors. But for a local like me the nature of the property is a nice change; I also like the proximity to the Fashion Show mall.

:rolleyes:
if you are going to be so flippant you should at least do some research:


There was definitely some "flippant" attitude, but the math works out.
(13*1)+(3*2)+(1*3) = (13 + 6 + 3) = 22 total stars.
13 + 3 + 1 = 17 restaurants.

There was definitely some "flippant" attitude, but the math works out.
(13*1)+(3*2)+(1*3) = (13 + 6 + 3) = 22 total stars.
13 + 3 + 1 = 17 restaurants.

yes I realized my mistake :). I've edited my post. I do agree with the poster that having a rated restaurant is not the end all/be all, but I was just throwing it out there as one factor that might make some people think the place is not as bad as some who seem to write it off glibly.

:rolleyes:

what percentage of Vegas restaurants are rated? Only 13 have one * out of what, 10,000?

Give me a break - that has nothing to do with the previous posts. Of all four 5* properties noted by the post your quoted post responded to, all have at least one Michelin-starred restaurant, so what was your point again? :rolleyes: I'll let the ludicrous flippant comment slide since you came to your senses enough to edit it out, but it seemed like you were doing some serious reaching for straws to try to defend Trump. I'm glad you had a good experience there, but the fact that a property happens to have a Michelin-starred restaurant simply does not distinguish it in the class of properties previously mentioned.

One thing to note about the Trump Tower's one star restaurant DJT is that the chef who "earned" that star is no longer there and according to a Trump spokesdroid "Based on guest feedback, we have decided to modify the DJT experience to become more approachable and casual."

http://thestrippodcast.blogspot.com/2008/10/palazzo-saves-lvs-from-michelin-wipeout.html

Just got the Wynn on Hotwire from March 19th - 22nd for $125 a night. That's the first weekend of March Madness. Crazy.

Thinking of booking the Travelzoo offer of two nights ( Sunday,Monday ) at Mandalay Bay in middle April for a total of $175. The room states two adults in two Queen beds.As we've also got two kids under 14 with us would they be included in that deal and is it a good one for that price ?
Forgive my ignorance but I'm not a regular visitor to LAS.
Thanks.

Thinking of booking the Travelzoo offer of two nights ( Sunday,Monday ) at Mandalay Bay in middle April for a total of $175. The room states two adults in two Queen beds.As we've also got two kids under 14 with us would they be included in that deal and is it a good one for that price ?
Forgive my ignorance but I'm not a regular visitor to LAS.
Thanks.

Yes, Vegas allows up to four in a room but you can usually squeeze more if you need to ;).

We're staying at Bellagio on the 19th of March for 5 nights. I've booked a lake view room and have paid close to $400 PN. I booked this on the Bellagio website.

Looking at the posts above it looks like we've been ripped off.

Can anyone advise on how to rectify this situation whilst retaining the same type of room?

Thanks

We're staying at Bellagio on the 19th of March for 5 nights. I've booked a lake view room and have paid close to $400 PN. I booked this on the Bellagio website.

Looking at the posts above it looks like we've been ripped off.

Can anyone advise on how to rectify this situation whilst retaining the same type of room?

Thanks

Shouldn't be a problem to cancel. Deposits are usually refundable until a certain time period prior to scheduled check-in - may be as little as 48hrs notice...

We're staying at Bellagio on the 19th of March for 5 nights. I've booked a lake view room and have paid close to $400 PN. I booked this on the Bellagio website.

Looking at the posts above it looks like we've been ripped off.

Can anyone advise on how to rectify this situation whilst retaining the same type of room?

ThanksPhone the Bellagio, tell them you've been offered rooms at Wynn for USD 129 PN, and see if they will match. They will (in a heartbeat). Steve Wynn has said that he dropped prices at Wynn and Encore in order to get occupancy to 90% because even if losing money on the room they make lots on the restaurant and casino. The only reason to keep rates up was to get richer guests who then spend more for non-room things. By booking at $400 Bellagio knows you will spend, and you can use that to your advantage. At a minimum you can get a big suite upgrade for that $400 rate.

I just noticed you are from the UK. Email might work. See http://www.bellagio.com/contact/contact-us.aspx

Shouldn't be a problem to cancel. Deposits are usually refundable until a certain time period prior to scheduled check-in - may be as little as 48hrs notice...Yes, contact them and state that you'd like to cancel and rebook your stay under rate code DPRV20 - I plugged your dates and that code into the Bellagio website and got a rate of USD 255.00 per night for your five-night stay (for a Deluxe Lakeview Room).

Thinking of booking the Travelzoo offer of two nights ( Sunday,Monday ) at Mandalay Bay in middle April for a total of $175. The room states two adults in two Queen beds.As we've also got two kids under 14 with us would they be included in that deal and is it a good one for that price ?
Forgive my ignorance but I'm not a regular visitor to LAS.
Thanks.

Personally, considering all of the deals, I'd look for something with a little more footprint, for a family of 4. IMO, a "regular" room is too small for a family of 4, especially considering this is one time period where there are tons of super deals for Vegas rooms. Scoring 2 rooms, and then connecting them (using any of the multitude of $59 to $79 deals) would probably be more comfortable (and would give you two baths). I wouldn't worry to much about getting connecting rooms, as Vegas hotels are very large - and there are often many connecting options (usually a king to a dbl/dbl or queen/queen). Another option, is a one room suite at a property such as Venetian/Palazzo (which has had some very good aggressive discounting), which would have 2 beds and a pull out sofa (and a decent bit more square footage than a standard room).

Personally, considering all of the deals, I'd look for something with a little more footprint, for a family of 4. IMO, a "regular" room is too small for a family of 4, especially considering this is one time period where there are tons of super deals for Vegas rooms. Scoring 2 rooms, and then connecting them (using any of the multitude of $59 to $79 deals) would probably be more comfortable (and would give you two baths). I wouldn't worry to much about getting connecting rooms, as Vegas hotels are very large - and there are often many connecting options (usually a king to a dbl/dbl or queen/queen). Another option, is a one room suite at a property such as Venetian/Palazzo (which has had some very good aggressive discounting), which would have 2 beds and a pull out sofa (and a decent bit more square footage than a standard room).

+1

I would also look at THEHotel. They have been running some $99 deals on their (IMO, very elegant) suites.

look at renting a timeshare - 2 bedrooms,bath, living room, dining full kitchen, look for a balcony also

No need to go to timeshare presentation if you just rent. LOTS of rentals online now and maybe cheaper than 2 hotel rooms and MUCH more comfortable for a family

LOTS of rentals online now and maybe cheaper than 2 hotel rooms and MUCH more comfortable for a family

also MUCH more messy ;) as you often forgo daily housekeeping services at a timeshare rental (unless, you wish to pay an additional (sometimes hefty) fee). [my main pet peeve about timeshares, since when I'm on vacation with my family, I do NOT desire to be picking up after the room --- or tidying the bathroom on a daily basis] As well as the fact that you lose the Vegas "strip" experience at most vegas timeshare locations. ;);)

i thought they would give me 4 nites comp on the weekday only, but i was able to get 4 nites thurs 3/26 - 3/30 comped. they must be really desperate in vegas.

of course, i only stayed at the palazzo once during thanksgiving and can't believe that they comped me already. must be that i'm such a high roller (total loss $300) :p.

wished i had invitation comp from encor/wynn tho.

I know nothing of Buffalo Bill's but I wonder how they can afford to sell rooms at
£3 per night ?

http://www.hotels.co.uk/pageDetails.do?jsDetect&viewTab=photos&destinationId=BFC5EA51-7569-42C1-879C-7AC2DF185CB8&hotelId=195040&arrivalDate=15/02/2009&departureDate=17/02/2009&numberOfRooms=1&adultsPerRoom=2&childrenPerRoom=

I know nothing of Buffalo Bill's but I wonder how they can afford to sell rooms at
£3 per night ?

http://www.hotels.co.uk/pageDetails.do?jsDetect&viewTab=photos&destinationId=BFC5EA51-7569-42C1-879C-7AC2DF185CB8&hotelId=195040&arrivalDate=15/02/2009&departureDate=17/02/2009&numberOfRooms=1&adultsPerRoom=2&childrenPerRoom=Because they're in Primm, 35 miles south of Las Vegas, and they're desperate to get anybody to at least gamble a bit in the casino.

I am thinking of going to Vegas this month, or early in March, but it seems all the prices are on the rise again! Did I miss something? Is the 'economic crisis' over for Vegas?!! I would be grateful if anyone knows any current special offers in Vegas please post a link here, or give us the details.

Many thanks

Three years ago, Terribles(three blocks from the strip on Flamingo) had rooms (weekends included) for $9/night, for the period after Thanksgiving and before Xmas (a very slow period in LAS), but well before the financial crisis.

it seems all the prices are on the rise again!

What sites are using for this nugget?

+1

I would also look at THEHotel. They have been running some $99 deals on their (IMO, very elegant) suites.

They're actually very nice and probably excellent for a family, but I wouldn't go so far as to call the property "family-friendly."

They're actually very nice and probably excellent for a family, but I wouldn't go so far as to call the property "family-friendly."

None of the casino-hotels are particularly "family friendly" except for the Excalibur, NY NY and perhaps Circus-Circus (is that still around??)

The best places for families are the suburban resorts like the JW Marriott. But hardcore gamblers won't be happy having to schlep to the strip. :D

I am thinking of going to Vegas this month, or early in March, but it seems all the prices are on the rise again! Did I miss something? Is the 'economic crisis' over for Vegas?!! I would be grateful if anyone knows any current special offers in Vegas please post a link here, or give us the details.

Many thanks

Well, I think it's all relative. I suspect you'd see cheaper prices in Dec and Jan (barring Christmas week and major conventions like CES) than say moving on into the year.

The websites I typically check for deals are:
- Travel Zoo (http://hotels.travelzoo.com/las-vegas-hotels/)
- Fat Wallet's Travel Deals forum that has a specific thread for LV deals (http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/travel-deals/704925/) and
- SmarterVegas.com (http://www.smartervegas.com/)

Well, I think it's all relative. I suspect you'd see cheaper prices in Dec and Jan (barring Christmas week and major conventions like CES) than say moving on into the year.

The websites I typically check for deals are:
- Travel Zoo (http://hotels.travelzoo.com/las-vegas-hotels/)
- Fat Wallet's Travel Deals forum that has a specific thread for LV deals (http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/travel-deals/704925/) and
- SmarterVegas.com (http://www.smartervegas.com/)

Jay 71,

Many thanks for that, will follow it up.

Best wishes

Just curious if you stayed at the Excalibur and how it was? Have a possible trip planned and so far they have the best deal. Tks

Just curious if you stayed at the Excalibur and how it was? Have a possible trip planned and so far they have the best deal. Tks
Unless you're taking your family or are into a medieval theme...I wouldn't waste my time.

Unless you're taking your family or are into a medieval theme...I wouldn't waste my time.

Seconded. "Cheapest" doesn't necessarily mean "best deal."

The Excalibur is ugly, cheesy, cheap and crowded. And the most negatively "touristy" place in America's most touristy city. Avoid like the plague.

Right now you can get fantastic deals at the Mandalay Bay (and even cheaper than that at, say, NYNY or the MGM), for what you would've paid at the Excalibur 6 months ago.

Vegas may be hurting, but Vegas on Wall St is *really* hurting.

A Citi analyst just set a price target of $2.5 for MGM, saying they may need to sell off top-tier properties like Bellagio or MandalayBay to preserve their debt covenant for CityCenter.
LVS is back sub-$4, and Wynn is below $30/share and dropping....

So much for my Vegas stocks helping offset my gambling losses on my upcoming trip :td:

A Citi analyst

1 more reason for you not to worry :D

The websites I typically check for deals are:
- Travel Zoo (http://hotels.travelzoo.com/las-vegas-hotels/)
- Fat Wallet's Travel Deals forum that has a specific thread for LV deals (http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/travel-deals/704925/) and
- SmarterVegas.com (http://www.smartervegas.com/)I look at these, and also Earlyvegas.com (http://www.earlyvegas.com) - they recently had an MGM Grand offer that the others did not have at the time I was looking.

Less than $100 a night with an advance purchase that forfeits only one day of the stay if you have to cancel.

Promo code: DIRECTTI

For the Friday-Tuesday of Memorial Day it priced out at about $104 per night all in. That's pretty good and the rooms are in very nice shape after the remodel.

Edited to add: Monte Carlo's even cheaper and has a 48-hour full cancel policy! Promo Code: XMCTIER

The Excalibur is ugly, cheesy, cheap and crowded. And the most negatively "touristy" place in America's most touristy city. Avoid like the plague.

On the plus side it did have the softest poker game in town!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123371136824046167.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

This is good news to the tax payer. We should not have to pay for these guys to party.

Vegas may be hurting, but Vegas on Wall St is *really* hurting.

yeah, today is so bad for all banks, especially BAC. i wonder if vegas is gonna further reduce their rates just to have someone there? especially encor that just opened at the wrong time.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123371136824046167.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

This is good news to the tax payer. We should not have to pay for these guys to party.

Agreed, but as usual, the media doesn't give the full story.

In this case Wells Fargo did not want any government money, they are well managed and didn't do subprime loans. Wells was basically forced to take a $25B investment by the US government so that the other banks would not look "tainted". Paulson literally would not let the CEOs out of the room until they all agreed. Fast forward a few months, Wells now wants to do its annual sales kickoff in Vegas to reward the guys who weren't making bad loans. Oops, can't do that now because you took government money. That's a bit different than Citi begging for billions and then buying a learjet.

The moral of the story is that US government should not be running banks, the bad ones should be allowed to go bust and their assets sold.

I heard their profits are down 15% from 2007;)

Agreed, but as usual, the media doesn't give the full story.

In this case Wells Fargo did not want any government money, they are well managed and didn't do subprime loans. Wells was basically forced to take a $25B investment by the US government so that the other banks would not look "tainted". Paulson literally would not let the CEOs out of the room until they all agreed. Fast forward a few months, Wells now wants to do its annual sales kickoff in Vegas to reward the guys who weren't making bad loans. Oops, can't do that now because you took government money. That's a bit different than Citi begging for billions and then buying a learjet.

The moral of the story is that US government should not be running banks, the bad ones should be allowed to go bust and their assets sold.

I'd argue with you but this is way OT for this forum - post this over in OMNI P/R and we'll have fun. :D :D :D

Meanwhile, it does appear that many, many center strip properties are going sub-$100 on weekends all the way from now through the summer.

On a lighter note, I just got an email upgrade on my comped Flamingo deluxe room to a Go room for $20/night...I've been upgraded before upon checkin but this is the first time they sent me an email offer to upgrade ahead of time.
So Vegas is hurting, but my girlfriend will be happy (and thus I won't be hurting) in our Go room over valentine's day weekend.

Feb. 11, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

LAS VEGAS TOURISM: Drop in visitors accelerated toward end of 2008

4.4 percent decline fueled by December dip

By BENJAMIN SPILLMAN
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
The number of people who visited Las Vegas fell 4.4 percent to 37.5 million in 2008.

And now for the bad news.

The decline accelerated toward the end of the year, paced by a 14.2 percent dip in December to 2.7 million.

Ten of 12 months in 2008 showed declines.

People who track the numbers say falling home prices and rising fuel costs contributed to the declines early in the year.

More recently, massive layoffs and other frightening economic news cut further into the number of people willing to pay up for a trip to Las Vegas.

"It has been decades since we've seen all these things happening at once," research director Kevin Bagger told the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board of directors on Tuesday when he presented the numbers. "They all reflect the impact of the economy. We saw challenges in every sector."

In addition to the drop in visitor volume, the average daily room rate fell 9.8 percent to $119 for the year.

In December, the average rate fell to $96. It is the first time the rate has fallen below $100 since December 2005.

Convention attendance fell 5 percent to 5.9 million for the year.

Bagger thinks the declines will continue in 2009.

He projected visitation will fall another 4 percent to 5 percent this year and occupancy will hover around 81 percent to 83 percent.

The impact of falling room prices is hurting stock values of major resort companies and also local governments.

Brenda Siddall, the authority's vice president of finance, said room tax revenue was down 11.5 percent for the year. In December, it was down 25 percent.

"Lower revenues are going to impact subsequent fiscal years also," she said.

The authority has already implemented a hiring freeze and cut back on travel expenses.

Outside Las Vegas, other Clark County destinations faced hard times in 2008.

Visitation to Laughlin fell 7.6 percent to 2.9 million. Visitation to Mesquite was down 10.5 percent to 1.5 million people.

Room rates in Laughlin were up 2.7 percent to $43.04. In Mesquite, rates fell 33 percent to $53.19.

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.

http://www.lvrj.com/business/39420857.html

Vegas may be hurting, but Vegas on Wall St is *really* hurting.

A Citi analyst just set a price target of $2.5 for MGM, saying they may need to sell off top-tier properties like Bellagio or MandalayBay to preserve their debt covenant for CityCenter.
LVS is back sub-$4, and Wynn is below $30/share and dropping....

So much for my Vegas stocks helping offset my gambling losses on my upcoming trip :td:


Didn't they just sell off Treasure Island for $775 million?

Yes but $775 million does little for their debt or to help finish building City Center. And they still own the Circus Circus albatross.