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TR: Info that may help you

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by Tahoejoe2, Sep 27, 2015.

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  1. Tahoejoe2

    Tahoejoe2 VIP Whale

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    My Trip Report

    Sept 20 – 23. The great wife took me for my birthday. My birthday is in November.  Close enough.

    I just want to give you some short stories and info that might help you on your next trip. When I go with the wife there is less gambling and more enjoying the great city of LV.
    Sunday: Normal flight and on time arrival.

    Advantage car rental. A lot of people bash this company. My experience on this trip was excellent. I guess it just depends if you are lucky or not. In LV it is good to be lucky. This was a lucky trip. Only one person ahead of us at the Advantage counter. 3 days at $22/day. Total $93. Nice mid-size Toyota Camry. Usual bs about insurance. “No thank you”. Great (customer wise) car inspection procedure for damage: They give you a paper with an image of the car. You go alone to the car and mark all the dents and damages. No employee following you. I marked the whole car with dents. LOL. Took it back to the attendant and off I went. When I brought the car back they didn’t even inspect the car. Very nice. I will use them again because of their cheap rates.

    So why rent a car. Think about it. Cab fare:
    1. $20 each way airport to hotel = $40
    2. $25 each way Downtown = $50
    3. $20 each way to off strip restaurant.=$40
    4. $10 each way going from one strip hotel to another, say Bally’s to MB =$20
    5. Red Rock, Hoover Dam, St Charleston, etc. = $Too much.

    Bally’s check-in at 10:30 am. I don’t care what people say, get the TR Visa card and be platinum forever without gambling. It is a no annual fee card. The regular check-in line (gold) has over 50 people in line. Platinum line had one person ahead of me. Maybe I’m lucky, but every time I check in at Bally’s, my regular hotel, my room is ready. No early check in fee. Jubilee room with view comped. Jubilee are the newer remodeled rooms. Refrigerator, coffee pot, safe, etc. View: Paris swimming pool, Eiffel Tower and Bellagio fountains. Beds are very comfortable, still new. Monday, while in Flamingo, same sceen. Regular line 50 people, Diamond/Platinum check-in room empty.

    Lunch at Paris buffet. Again, regular line had 30 people waiting. Diamond/Platinum entrance empty.

    Dinner at Lotus of Siam. You must get there when it opens (5:30 pm) or you might have a long wait. Reservations would help. Food was OK. Didn’t care for their famous “Garlic Shrimp”. Wife and I really don’t care for deep fried items, but we heard so much about them we had to try. They are deep fried with shell on and you eat them shell and all. Not bad. Neighborhood is a little heavy. Sign on door says to not leave valuables in car.

    Evening Downtown. We are people watchers and DT is the best. All the typical characters were out. Canopy show was excellent. Charter House bar area with their fish tank. Free Binions picture with million dollars.

    Monday

    Always have breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi. It is so LV to us. Opens at 7 am. If you don’t want to wait for a patio table you must arrive between 7 – 8 am. Food and service are the best. Eggs Benedict to die for. Cool morning watching the “people show”. At this time of day you have the following people walking the strip. Joggers, Club partiers walking back to their hotel with their fancy outfits and the ladies carrying the shoes. Some still drunk, but most a little ragged. And last but not least, the hookers ending their hopefully profitable night.
    On a side note. We ate breakfast the next morning at Hexx. Hexx is the old Sugar factory. Both Mon Ami Gabi and Hexx are part of Paris and have great patio seating. If the wait is too long at Mon Ami Gabi you can go to Hexx. Prices are about the same, strip view is great at both, but the breakfast seemed a lot better at Mon Ami Gabi. Service was excellent at both. We are both coffee lovers and the coffee at Mon Ami Gabi is the best in LV (very strong). Hexx uses Peete’s coffee which is OK.

    Lunch was NYNY Pizza. We are both born on the East Coast (Philly). Living in California for the past 30 years we can’t get good pizza. NYNY reminds us of East coast pizza and the people watching is good. Remember, you fold the pizza to eat it.

    Dinner: Ocean One Bar and Grille in the Miracle Mile. Reasonably priced. Drink specials, 3 wines for $10. 2 beers for $7. Patio seating available inside shopping area. Ahi Tuna was good.

    Show time: Groupon tickets to “Raiding the Rock Vault” at the Tropicana. My 4th time seeing the show. If you are a product of the 60’s you will love the show. I actually went to Woodstock. This is NOT a tribute band. These are former band members’ of 60/70/80 rock bands. Paul Shortino: Lead Vocals Quiet Riot, Howard Leese: Guitar (Heart, Bad Company), Jay Schellen: Drums (Hurricane, Asia, Badfinger) and many others. Groupon, $44. Get cheapest seats. All seats are good. You will be rocking the night away.

    Hexx candy and ice cream store. Right next to Hexx breakfast place. After the show we got ice cream. Patio raised about 5 ft. above the strip. Great place to watch the people go by while eating your ice cream. Great ice cream.

    Tuesday

    Breakfast at Hexx. Eating on the patio and watching people go by. Thoughts about people watching: where are they from, what a weird outfit, man are they drunk, what do they do for a living, why wear heals and carry them in your hands? LOL

    Bally’s pool: Very nice. Plenty of shade for you, if desired. Pool has 12 ft deep section. Fast cocktail service. Definitely pool weather.

    Dinner: Canaletto, Italian, Grand Canal @ Venetian. Good Italian food, great atmosphere. Always get a patio table. There is always a 2-3 piece group playing in the center court. I go every visit. Haven’t had a bad meal.

    That is about it. Great, relaxing trip. The little gambling we did was profitable. I always say “If you come back with more money then you brought, you are a winner”. Even if it is $1 more.
    I’d also like to say that the people and employees we were in contact with were the nicest people. Service everywhere was nice and friendly, more so this trip then others.

    Next Trip. Guys trip for Superbowl weekend.:peace:
     
  2. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    Excellent one post TR. :thumbsup:

    I don't care what anybody says, I am not eating shrimp shells, I don't care how they are prepared.

    But thanks for posting.
     
  3. DaiLun

    DaiLun R.C., L.C., and A.A.N.G.

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    A great TR! Will definitely make reservations for Lotus of Siam.
     
  4. Tahoejoe2

    Tahoejoe2 VIP Whale

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    Agree, they weren't very good.
     
  5. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    Long night clubbing or trying to pick up someone wearing shoes that provide terrible comfort... What women will go through trying to impress men (or getting men to pay them). Cosmo at 3 or 4am on Sat. night...half of the women are barefoot. :confused2:

    Nice report!
     
  6. bshowell

    bshowell VIP Whale

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    This...

    Thanks for posting. I don't think I've ever eaten a meal in the Miracle Mile. But the wine special at Ocean One sounds promising
     
  7. Kimsa70

    Kimsa70 High-Roller

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    Great report!

    I actually like eating the shell. [emoji12]
     
  8. NY lady- MidWest Cowboy

    NY lady- MidWest Cowboy Low-Roller

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    We were also at Bally's last week from the 21st to the 25th. Our room # was 6219 in the Jubilee Tower. They had a room ready for us but it faced the Cromwell. I chose to wait for the room that overlooked the Eiffel Tower and Paris pool. I love that view! It was hotter than I thought it would be and while we went to both Bally's Pool and Paris pool we had to stay in the shade. My BBF and I had a great trip. We live thousands of miles apart and don't celebrate holidays or birthdays together instead we celebrate our lifelong friendship in Las Vegas once a year.
     
  9. Richard Alpert

    Richard Alpert LOST

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    Thanks for your report! I will take your recommendation and try to get some tix for RtRV! Sounds like a rockin' show!
    -Richard
     
  10. Tahoejoe2

    Tahoejoe2 VIP Whale

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    Love Ballys. Thank god they had some nice shade areas at Ballys
     
  11. M0rtyC

    M0rtyC TBD

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    Thanks for a great report. I like the one post reports as well.
     
  12. queentata

    queentata VIP Whale

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    Really nice TR, Thanks for the info. Bally's was the first place we ever stayed in Vegas. Still love it. Lovelovelove MAG. Cannot beat that view. I love their corned beef hash. And they have this amazing thick bacon that is out of this world. Thick almost like ham. A little sweet. I agree with RRV. Amazing show. Can't wait to see it again in December.
     
  13. judy

    judy High-Roller

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    this TR is making me hungry!!! inspired to try Mon ami Gabi! thank you for a great report with helpful tips!!! I want to see the rock show now!! :headbang::headbang:
     
    2024’s Second Trip
  14. breanna61

    breanna61 Super Moderator

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    Hexx is on my list of places to try in December. I'd be scared to try the wine priced at 3 for $10 at Ocean One; did you order it?

    The whole carrying shoes and walking barefoot thing disgusts me. Hate to imagine the filth and germs. I wear heels in Vegas but they stay on my feet.

    I love RTRV; I could honestly see it every trip.
     
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