alanw

Hi gang,

I know this is a pretty vague question. Hopefully one of the FT LAS experts can point me in the right direction.

I've spent about an hour searching and browsing the LAS forum and I think I'm more confused than when I started.

Two of us are going to be joining a friend who is in town for Comdex from Fri-Sun. None of us know too much about Vegas, having only been there once or twice for conferences.

We'll be three single guys who like to drink but aren't into the "beautiful people" scene, looking to mostly relax, get some sun, gamble a little, maybe see a show.

Where should we stay that is on the strip, has a great pool, and can put three of us in a room or suite with no snuggling required?

One person suggested the Hard Rock because it has a great pool, or Treasure Island because it's interesting. We want a nice place, but don't want to pony up $500+/night for a suite.

Any suggestions are appreciated, along with other must-see/must-do/must-eats.

Thanks.

-alan in seattle

UALOneKPlus

I find Mirage often has the best rates, location, and views. See if you can get a double bed room, along with a portable bed ordered from the front desk.

A must see - the Red Rock Canyon, which is 15 miles from the strip. Vegas is more than just the strip...

[This message has been edited by UALOneKPlus (edited 10-21-2002).]

ExpoTrac

If you're going during Comdex week, it may be harder to find hotels on the strip with decent prices. If cost is a concern, you usually can get better prices from the older hotels: Stardust, Riviera, Flamingo Hilton - but with older comes the signs of age! If you are already a member of one (or more) of the casino clubs, this can also help you with better prices.
As far as Vegas itself goes, I like the fountain show at Bellagio...and the buffet there is well worth the $$$. The pirate show at Treasure Island is also fun. The Fremont Street Experience is also worth going downtown for 1 night. If you're into roller coasters, there is one at the top of the Stratosphere, and one in NYNY that both look like fun - but don't ask me, I won't try them!
I would also agree that it is fun to get out of the city...Red Rock Canyon is great (if you like nature), and the Hoover Dam was worth the trip (if they still let you take the trip through the dam to the bottom).
There are some casinos that have bands playing in areas right in the casinos so there is no cover charge...and some are pretty good. Mandalay Bay and Ceasers both have one, and I'm sure some others do to. Watch out for the trendy night clubs, the cover for guys is usually $15 +.

francophile

I checked rates on travelocity for Nov 15-17.

I surprised that the rates are not skyrocketing because of Comdex.

New York New York $120
Bellagio $330
Treasure Island $160
Caesers Palace $210
Venetian $320
Mirage $220
MGM $170
Paris $310

These rates are for Saturday evening. The rate for Friday evening for some hotels will be lower.

If you call the hotel directly, you might get a lower rate. I don't like booking rooms through travelocity because often for popular hotels they will only list a special "lowest rate guaranteed" rate that incurs a penalty if you cancel. Also, these "special" rates are often not the lowest, especially if you call the hotel directly. I just use travelocity just to get an idea of how much rooms will cost.

alanw

Thanks everyone for the advice. I have looked on most of the booking sites and found what I think are some pretty good prices. The issue is whether or not we can easily accomodate three of us. Ideally, this would be a suite with 2 double beds and a pullout.

None of the sites are very descriptive about how the "sleeps 4" are distributed.

Anyone have specific experience with this type of room?

-alan in seattle

businesstraveler

Do comparitive pricing on a variety of sights. I have found major differences this way and saved good money. Some sites to try:

quikbook.com
lodging.com
expedia.com
orbitz.com
hotel.com

as well as the hotel own sites and the hotels via phone.

------------------
Michael Steinberg
Editor
BizTrip
http://www.biztrip.com

skofarrell

Most (if not all) rooms in the Venetian have sofabeds (I think the 1br Piazza suites do not).

Ask for an upgrade from a standard room to a Rialto suite. It's a little bigger and comes 2 queens and the sofabed. Make the guy who's won the least on the first night take the hideabed



[This message has been edited by skofarrell (edited 10-21-2002).]

we2sparks

Once you decide which hotel you want, you might want to check AA Vacations. I booked a hotel only package at Bellagio and got it for $134 a night which is a lot less than anywhere else I could find.

Also, if you also might want to check with the vacation package division of whichever airline you are flying..Alaska, AmericaWest and Southwest all offer vacation packages.

I have a bunch of miscellaneous Vegas coupons from my last trip. Let me know if you want me to send some your way.

Michelle

alanw

Great advice everyone, thanks!

I'll check with AS and see if they have any vacation deals since I haven't booked the flight yet. The Rialto suite at the Venetian sounds like the plan. Now, if I can just find it at a decent price. I doubt they'll upgrade me based on my *wood or NW Gold status

we2sparks, thanks for that offer! That would be much appreciated. Since your're local-ish I should probably buy you a beer while we're at it (that doesn't violate the no-selling-coupons rule, does it?).

-alan in seattle

prncess674

You can book a suite at Bally's there suites have a murphy bed in the "living room" which is much more comfortable than a sofa bed.

When a hotel states it sleeps 4 they usually mean two double or queen beds (ie. two people per bed)

skofarrell

Another option is to book a regular suite at the Venetian, and bribe the check-in clerk $20-50 for the Rialto. It has worked for me on more than one occasion.

alanw

skofarrell,

That sounds like a great idea. Best price I can come up with booking one directly is about $300/night, which is doable but we aren't crazy about it.

This might actually be a good topic for another thread, but for now I'll leave it here: How does one go about "bribing the check-in clerk" without coming off like an ...? I just don't seem to have whatever gene it is that makes one able to do that. Anyone see the Friends episode where Chandler keeps trying to get a better table at a restaurant and can't manage to get the money into the guy's hand? That's me, pretty much.

-alan in seattle

skofarrell

Alan,

Are you going the weekend of the 15th or the 22nd? Travelaxe ( http://www.travelaxe.net ) has the Venetian for $149, $249, $249 (plus tax) starting Nov 14th, and $169, $249, $249 (plus tax) starting Nov 21st. Considering that it's so close to Comdex, these rates aren't that bad.

For the $20 trick, see this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/000071.html

FWIW, I've found that male checkin clerks are the easiest to "grease". For an upscale place like the Venetian, I'd probably try $50. Make sure you ask for a "Rialto" suite, if your clerk gets carried away the larger suites only have king beds. If he says "sorry" then take that $50, put it in your pocket, and use it for the slots...

Sean


[This message has been edited by skofarrell (edited 10-23-2002).]

j379pa

I've had luck with rates at www.travelworm.com . You might consider staying off the strip that weekend, and renting a car. A Homestead Suites could meet your needs.

Worth a visit is the voodoo lounge on top of the Rio. Great views of the strip, great music. I think the cover is $10.

JP

francophile

Maybe you can just ask the check-in representative for an upgrade. I do it all the time. It has worked at the Hilton, the Hyatt, the Four Seasons, the Westin, the Ritz-Carlton. More often than not, the upgrade is free. If they say the rate would go up if I upgrade, then I ask if I can get a complimentary one. At this point, sometimes they will acquiesce.

If you are looking for three beds, have you considered getting a room with two doubles, then after checking-in, call housekeeping and ask them to send up a rollaway. A rollaway is a possibility, especially in hotels where the rooms are large, like the Bellagio, Venetian, and Mandalay Bay.