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Flamingo Check In Stories

Discussion in 'LV Strip Hotels' started by vegas4pools, Jul 23, 2012.

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  1. vegas4pools

    vegas4pools Low-Roller

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    As far as checking in at the Flamingo... I've heard a lot about the horrific wait and lines. Sure you can use the self serve kiosk, but I'd like to try the 20 dollar trick to try to upgrade to view room also. So since check in is not til 4 pm, (unless you pay the early fee - which is just right dirty practice) what are the lines like between 4-6 pm on Sundays? Is it just better to wait til later? Or are the lines pretty much always bad? And if you wait later, do your odds of getting an upgrade, or even a more desired room (same category you booked) go down? Also... How parking on a Sunday afternoon? Thanks for any answers.
     
  2. JosieCat

    JosieCat VIP Whale

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    I was there in March, check in line was probably 20 minutes long at around 11:30 a.m. On a Sunday. I was able to get right into my room, no early charge.
     
  3. Wezvidz

    Wezvidz High-Roller

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    I was there in June. Checked in around ~1pm. Found the total rewards Gold line and nobody was in it, no wait at all. Used $20 trick to upgrade from comped Fab room to Go room for 4 nights. Very easy experience, one of the reasons I'll be staying there again in October.

    Oh and check in she mentioned "since you're a total rewards member we waive the early check in fee".
     
  4. nsideirish

    nsideirish Low-Roller

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    Just use the Total Rewards line and your wait will be less than 20 min. Just make sure you have a Total Rewards card beforehand.
     
  5. 4Hours2Vegas

    4Hours2Vegas Tourist

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    Here's my Flamingo check in story;

    My buddy is a captain in the army and had 2 weeks of leave to go home for 4th of July, so we decide to take a trip to Vegas the week before the 4th and both reserve Go rooms at the Flamingo.
    We arrive in Vegas around 3 or 4 and check in is a mad house, but nobody is in line for the gold line. I tell my buddy to walk over to the Total Rewards desk and sign up for a card since no one is in line. 2 minutes later he comes back with his TR card in his hand and we skip past the 60 some odd guests clamoring to check in and walk straight up to the counter. I check in first, and mention that my friend is behind me in line and ask if we could get rooms on the same floor, the desk agent says he thinks he can make that happen. I get my keys to my Go room on the 31st floor, and stay by the desk when my buddy goes to check in. When the desk agent asks for ID my buddy uses his active duty military ID. (the only ID he has on him) The desk agent notices the ID and upgrades my buddy to a neopolitan suite on the 31st floor with a view of the fountains at Bellagio.
    We leave for our rooms and the line for regular check in still hasn't moved.
     
  6. john39

    john39 Low-Roller

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    I thought the early check in fee only applies if you check in before noon anyway according to Flamingo's twitter page
     
  7. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    Day after day, this early checkin thing comes up.

    And, day after day, most people say they have had no problem checking in early. Just show up and ask.
     
  8. tapakip

    tapakip Low-Roller

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    I was there 1 week ago on a Monday, checking in at 630pm. Line was long, I used the self service kiosk, ended up in a handicap accessible room overlooking the Linq construction site. When to the front desk the next morning at 6am to complain, got a room change but couldn't actually change until 4pm (WTF). They wouldn't put me in a Go Room instead no matter how hard I bitched.

    Every time I was down in the lobby, which was often, the line looked long, and I saw roughly 0 people using the self service kiosk.

    3 days later I had a 1 night stay at the Aria. The check in wait was just as long, but the difference was night and day. Never again am I going to cheap out on my hotel room.....the ridiculously low price you can get on 5 star properties in Vegas compared to anywhere else in America makes it silly to stay anywhere else, and this is coming from a cheapskate. Just look for a good deal at a nice property (scored $99 for 1 night and got $100 resort credit, woot!) and enjoy yourself.

    Sorry to get carried away there. :)
     
  9. tapakip

    tapakip Low-Roller

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    Also, no one answered your parking question. Their garage is horrendous. I rent in Vegas a lot, so I know all the garages, and Flamingo might be the worst, based on the design. Blind dead ends, tons of opportunities for head on collisions, and the garage is not convenient to get to at all. The valet is only slightly more convenient, as you don't have to worry about parking the car yourself, but the walk is still there.

    Then again, it could be the walk from the Planet Hollywood garage instead, I guess. :wink2:
     
  10. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    I've checked in to the Flamingo mid morning with no early check-in charge.

    Flamingo is one of the few casinos which has a special shorter line for us ordinary Gold TR members. It's to the left of the main check-in line.
     
  11. hattrick225

    hattrick225 Low-Roller

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    I was there last week. Checked in around 2pm on a Saturday afternoon, using the TR line. Time from getting in line to having room key in hand was about 20-25 mins. No early check in in fee charged. This was my second visit in as many years to the Flamingo, and I've never had a problem with long waits or early check in fees (last year, checked in on a Sat also around the same time). Last year, was in and out in under 10 mins using the self check in. This year, I opted to wait in line to request my GO View room with the south view, as opposed to Caesar's view.

    As for parking, I didn't have a problem finding a spot all week. I used self park, so I can't comment on valet. The garage was fuller on weekends than during the week, which is to be expected. But I was always able to find a spot to park with no problem.

    Side comment on the self-check kiosks. I used them last year for both check in and check out. Used them for check out this year. The thing I noticed this year, while standing in the TR line, probably only saw two people using it in the 20 mins I was watching. Hotel employees were trying to divert people from the main check in line to the self check, but very few people were using them.
     
    Vegas Vacation 2024
  12. vegas4pools

    vegas4pools Low-Roller

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    Considering moving reservation to Ballys. Looks like Flamingo has too many complaints about the Flamingo experience itself, (construction noise, pool parties, music, service attitude). The only real complaint about Ballys is the age, wear on the hotel/rooms. Which we don't mind. We are really looking to relax. No pool parties and no early rude awakenings from construction.
     
  13. vegas4pools

    vegas4pools Low-Roller

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    So how is the parking at Ballys compared to the registration/elevators?
     
  14. jgates8

    jgates8 VIP Whale

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    Ballys parking is halfway between Paris & Ballys (shared). You come in near 'Shooz' store & a time share kiosk (watch out!). I valet at both Paris & Ballys - I am not comfy watching out into a garage on my own in the evening, so I use valet.

    I have not had any service issues at Flamingo. As far as pool noise, I used the 'family' pool. The kids are more polite than the drunks LOL!!! And you really shouldn't have wear on the rooms (hall carpets need replacing unless they have those done now). The FAB rooms were only 'refreshed' but still a decent room & I have never had a GO room that was worn (several different ones).

    Ballys is a good hotel though - they have a decent pool area with a deep end. LOTS easier to get chairs, etc. Both towers have big rooms - North are newer remodel but still several years old. But good. South are pretty dated but some people prefer to stay there anyway if they can get a fountain view. It's a good hotel.

    Ballys does not have a cardmember check-in line so you will be waiting. If the line is too long, then check bags at bell services & go play a bit. Come back later. You can see the check-in line from some of the casino areas to monitor flow.
     
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  15. Aero

    Aero Low-Roller

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    I would say my longest wait was 10 minutes. Never a big issue.
     
  16. heatherlovesvegas

    heatherlovesvegas VIP Whale

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    It's been a while, but I had no issues, we arrived in the early afternoon.

    I feel like every hotel in Vegas has check in issues, because they are pretty strict on check in time, and everyone just piles in at the same time.
     
  17. shaggyboiler

    shaggyboiler Low-Roller

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    I'm heading out there Friday. I didn't know Flamingo had this check in. Hope to use it! I've stayed there many times and never did pay attention. Could be the adult beverages on the plane that has my sight a little cloudy.
     
  18. floridavegas

    floridavegas Low-Roller

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    I'd love to know how it goes at Flamingo this weekend.. We have a "Go - Luxury, View" booked for Aug 29th, and am a little nervous about it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated - just interested to hear how it goes...
    Have a wonderful trip! :beer:
     
  19. denluvslv

    denluvslv Low-Roller

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    We checked into the Flamingo last Sunday around 12:30-1:00. We spent the previous night elsewhere. We got into the long Gold line, stood for maybe two minutes, when a gentleman asked us if we were Gold members. We showed him my card. He said follow me and he took us into the D/P check-in area behind the closed doors. All I can say is "Wow." It was quiet and no line. We upgraded to a Go Luxury fountain view (Rm. 28048). This was the best and quickest check-in I have ever had.
     
  20. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    Do you have another plan? Like, if everybody is saying "the lines are really bad at that time" are you going to tell your cabbie to drop you off somewhere else and you'll work your way back to Flamingo at a later time?

    If not then when you get there you might as well go check in.

    Here is the thing: if you get there and there is a long line so you take your luggage and go in to the casino (or drop it off at the bell desk) you are going to get to your room later than you would if you stood in line.

    But if you stand in line you don't know if its going to go fast or not.

    And its always worth a check: in the past when we stayed at Flamingo we got there and there was only 2 people ahead of us in line. By the time we were next in line (about 2 mins later) the line behind us was about 25 people long.

    And thats pretty much how it'll be: sometimes the line will be long, sometimes it won't. Sometimes it will move fast, sometimes it won't.

    But if you don't have some alternative plan then worrying about is pretty useless because waiting until 7 or 8PM doesn't mean the line up is going to be any shorter (or any longer) - thats because its Las Vegas: a 24 hour city where even late in the day or the wee hours of the morning there can still be a pretty long line to check in.
     
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