New board member here

[DZbettin]

Hey guys, this is my first post on the board, have been reading for a couple of months.

I am a 26/m in Tennesee, and my first trip to Las Vegas will be in December. I am a regular at several casinos this side of the mississippi, but needless to say I am very excited about going to vegas.

I have a couple of questions, things I've saw on TV and thought maybe someone could help.

First of all, what is the opinion on the Lake Las Vegas Resort, and which of its hotels is the better stay. Of course, I want to stay on the strip my first time, but I will be making a return trip in June and thought that LLV looked interesting. Also, I saw somewhere that you could have dinner on a gondela ride there, is that true, and if so how pricely is it? waiting list?

Another ?, for the resteraunt in the effiel tower, is the waiting usually long, and if so how far in advance do you need to make reservations?

Lastly, is it better to book your reservations through the hotel, or through a discout broker i.e. travelocity, expedia etc.

Thanks for all your help

[SH0CK]

Welcome fellow Tennessean :wave:

I think I might be able to help with the last question. Sometimes you can get a good deal through Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, etc, but their are some problems when booking through them.
1. If you gamble enough to warrant it, the casino can't take the room charge off of your bill because you booked through a third party. Booking directly via the hotel website allows you this perk.
2. If you need to cancel or change the reservation, there is a penalty you must pay to do so. Sometimes it's anywhere from $25 up to $100 to make the change. Once again, you don't have this problem with the hotels directly (except the Riviera, who charges $15 to cancel or change for some odd reason.

If these 2 aren't a concern, by all means, find the lowest rate and go with it :thumbsup:

[pattiinontario]

:wave: Welcome :wave:

[DonD]

Welcome :cowboy:

[lionfan31]

Welcome to the board!


I don't know anything about LLV hotels, but I can tell you I've booked trips on Expedia, Travelocity and orbitz, and have never had a problem.

When in December will you be going? My wife and I will be there from Dec. 2-6.

[DBear]

Even on your 2nd trip to Vegas, you'll probably want to stay on the strip. I'd say after your Dec trip, judge if you've seen enough of the strip to warrant going elsewhere on your next trip. My guess would be no, and you'll book somewhere else on the strip. For me, it's fun trying different strip hotels but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else (yet anyways).

[sin]

Welcome DZ! I haven't stayed at LLV...and the only people I can think of that have are ken and vegasbound...you should post a thread here with those questions http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=25 you'll get more answers that way I think.

I know that you can get dinner in a gondola on the lake. The cost is listed as $295 per couple for the gourmet dinner cruise and $395 for the Exquisite dinner cruise. You'll probably need to make reservations WELL in advance (I'm talking at least a couple of months). Here is a link to the Gondola Adventures website: http://www.gondola.com/

As for the Eiffle Tower question, I can't answer you, but if post a thread here http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=18 you should get some answers to your questions.

Hope that helps!

[DZbettin]

Thanks guys for your help,

About the travel deal websites. I have been reading some reviews of hotels on tripadvisor.com and I've saw some stories about people not getting the rooms they requested, and the hotels saying they can't do anything about it because they were booked on travelocity, expedia etc. That's why I was asking. Has anyone else heard of this or had this problem, or is that exaggerated?

[DBear]

Sometimes, those kind of websites book up a bulk rate from the hotels and they're only good for a certain section/type of room. Unless the price savings is that much, I'd stick with booking directly with the hotels (either by phone or by website). You can usually cancel without penalty (given enough notice) and if the rates change, you should be able to cancel and rebook at the better price.

[FredGarvinMP]

Lastly, is it better to book your reservations through the hotel, or through a discout broker i.e. travelocity, expedia etc.
Thanks for all your help

If you go the direct route, you might want to check out cheapovegas.com

It has direct links to the hotels, as well as some fun and interesting reviews. If you go the broker route, use the links here on Vegas Message Board, and you'll be helping to support the site.