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I am thinking of changing our hotel reservation -- again.

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by vwhiten, Mar 31, 2016.

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  1. Valgal

    Valgal VIP Whale

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    Staying April 24th-27th -- originally we were going to go to lovely Thackerville, OK to Winstar. I was pretty much resolved to NEVER set foot in Oklahoma again -- nothing personal to the Okies -- my ex-daughter-in-law and her folks are in Owasso -- crazy a$$ people- I could go on. I will have to start another thread on how her crazy ass mother got us on national TV for wedding bloopers and blunders it was on TLC and the Discovery Channel several years ago -- I think I got about $200 for agreeing to sign off on the tapes.

    But then I got an offer for 2 free nights at MGM and I booked that instead. Got my husband's SW airfare round trip from Austin for $40 -- and mine was $179.00. Then I checked my mlife again and I had an offer from Bellagio. $79 a night - no free nights. But we really wanted to stay either mid or north strip this time. It was only around $140 more total than MGM -- so I of course think why not. I will also be able to use a $100 gift card to offset hotel bill.

    Now TI offered us a $55 a night with no resort fee. Which would really save some $$$. I could still use my $100 card to eat over at the Mirage. I am seriously considering this. #1 I am not against the resort fees. However they just keep on going up and up. It is just over $32 a night at Bellagio. #2 We have stayed at TI twice before and really enjoyed it, and stayed at Bellagio before and enjoyed it too. - Drawback about the Bellagio --- it was the worst cocktail service we ever had. The food selections are not great at TI but really neither is Bellagio. I actually prefer casual dining or just going to a food court and bringing it back the room to relax. #3 I would like this trip to be a little more relaxing and less trouncing up and down the strip. Having a CVS right at TI would also be a plus -- getting liquor and snacks. Oh decisions decisions. -- I am not usually this bad when it comes to selecting a hotel. --

    Clothes shopping - I will change my mind multiple times. Grab a blouse - walk around with it -- look at it and decide I really don't want it put it back, grab another on - same thing and then leave the store with nothing. I've been married to the same man for 35 years. Why can't I commit on a hotel?
     
  2. VegasGroove

    VegasGroove VIP Whale

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    I hear ya, Val! I think Vegas offers are feast or famine.

    If I were in your situation, I would go with the property I've never stayed at mainly because of curiosity. And if I never stayed at either, I would pick the nicer property - Bellagio. Food and drink service, I can ignore. Besides, it's a special occasion trip - treat yourself and hubby!

    Oh, and you gotta tell the wedding story! LOL!!!
     
  3. BayouBengal

    BayouBengal VIP Whale

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    $79 is an excellent rate for the Bellagio regardless of resort fees. I personally would go with the B as it's the superior property in almost every aspect but you bring up valid points. You place less value on having access to finer dining and atmosphere. So in your instance TI may be the better choice. It's all about your own personal priorities.
     
  4. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    Val - when we first started going to Vegas about 25 yrs ago, I used to make it a ritual to change hotels at least 2 or 3 times before deciding. It was part of the trip planning fun, so enjoy it as long as it's fun. Those days, the Mirage was our favorite and even though I'd change during the planning period, I usually came back to the Mirage by the time we flew out. These days we've settled in to where we want to be at Encore. Once you find a home, you'll know it. I even changed it up a few trips back just to see if we should do something different and stayed at Bellagio instead of Encore. It was somewhat disappointing as most of the time, we wished we were back at the Wynn complex...plus we never seem to win at Bellagio. Part of this is I used to think about going to where the best deal was but then I determined for me, staying and playing where I felt the most comfortable was more important.
     
  5. Valgal

    Valgal VIP Whale

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    I'm still kicking it around. Leaning more towards Bellagio. We have been using MGM as a base for a while. I like MGM but I've grown tired of that end of the strip and with the new stadium/venue opening soon it will be even more congested. I started recalling more of what we didn't like about TI -- they have the worst Bell desk set up -- never be in a hurry to drop your bags off or pick them up. We are taking a late flight out of Vegas and opted for the 3 pm check out at Bellagio. So we will need to drop our bags off for a couple of hours. The bell desk at TI is outside and always a huge line at peak times. TI is kind of isolated. Plus compared to Bellagio the smoke can be more irritating. You never know when the tram to Mirage will be working.

    The service at Bellagio is wonderful. We can always hop the tram to Aria and Monte Carlo for other food options It took me a little while on our last stay to discover the people mover over to the strip at Planet Hollywood and bypass the long walk around the fountains. The standard room at Bellagio is about 200 sq ft bigger. So more than likely we will stay at Bellagio and splurge. We played at the Wynn last time and chased their free play offer -- was hoping to get a teaser offer but they have not sent anything.
     
  6. Valgal

    Valgal VIP Whale

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    So last night I discussed our options with my husband. I'm am so sure he is going to chose Bellagio -- Nope. He wants to stay at TI -- the kicker in the deal is the on site CVS pharmacy. He won't have far to walk for booze and snacks. -- Go figure. Plus we will be close to the Wynn and he enjoyed playing there last time. He enjoyed it because he found a Flinstone slot machine that was a little ATM for him.
     
  7. Valgal

    Valgal VIP Whale

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    I called the VIP number for TI on the email and gave them the players card #. The agent quoted me the offer but said the resort fees were mandatory. I told her that it says the resort fees were optional. She had me read the entire email and wanted to know where exactly in the email it said this. I told her it said it in bright purple color right on top of the calendar with the dates and prices. She asked me to hold while she checked to see if she could honor it. She got back and said yes they could. Sunday was $59 and Monday and Tuesday were $52. I asked if I could upgrade to a strip view or a Petite Suite - the suite was ridiculously priced. She also told me that the strip views were given upon availability at check in time and there was no extra charge. I also asked about a late check out fee. She said to inquire when we check in and if our play was good enough there would be no charge. The 3 days comes out to almost $200 less than staying at Bellagio. So I am happy with that. Plus the rooms at TI have a fridge with no minibar - so another plus there.
     
  8. Tammy58

    Tammy58 Frugal Slot Jockey

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    I might run into you on the elevator ;) I had 3 reservations for our upcoming trip....Excalibur, Paris and TI. We have settled on TI. I got a great price on a Tower Suite...they still allow smoking ;) plus it has 2 bathrooms, which my husband loves. I finally cancelled Excalibur and Paris this past week. We will be there Mon-Fri before moving down to our home away from home South Point.
     
  9. Kobra2848

    Kobra2848 VIP Whale

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    If it helps we were at Bellagio last week and the cocktail service still sucks. My wife loves their Pina Colada's and she got served once in almost two hours.

    Mark
     
  10. Valgal

    Valgal VIP Whale

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    Tammy -- on the website of TI they have a special listed. You prepay a dining credit -- $80 for $100 worth of food. Then charge it to your room. So you save $20 if you use the restaurants and bars at TI. It is not good for Senor Frogs or the retail shops but it is good every where else. You can buy it up until check in. It says you cannot purchase it after check in.
     
  11. Tammy58

    Tammy58 Frugal Slot Jockey

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    I saw that. Mentioned it to the husband but he really isn't into it. TI restaurants seem to be overpriced and lousy food from all the menus and reviews I have read. We have so many plans for dining at Venetian, Mirage and off strip that it won't really matter to us this trip. ;) Our plans include Rollin Smoke BBQ, 2/1 Mirage buffets, CPK, Maggianos, Strip Burger plus all the places at the V. We only eat 1 big meal a day so we really only need 4 major meals plus light break or light lunch. Can't wait! Have a great time Val.
     
  12. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    Great point and one that is not conveyed often enough on this board.
    How often do you see the question "Should I stay at hotel X for free or hotel Y for $49/night??"
    A lot of responses are free is free so stay there!!
    If you go to Las Vegas once or twice a year you should stay where you really want to stay.
    Chasing the best deal may not give you the best vacation experience.
     
  13. Geogran

    Geogran VIP Whale

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    I agree with both Dean and Nittany's comments - after trying Bellagio, MB/TheHotel, Mirage, V/P, and Wynn/Encore over a 3 or 4 year period on various comp offers, we settled in at Mirage because we not only got great comps, but we felt at home there, we won there more often than any other place, and we love our host there. We usually stay 2-3 nights at one other property after our stay at Mirage to keep other property offers current and do enjoy Wynn a lot (but can't win there). Skip to present, and for the first time in many, many years - no Mirage stay - will be staying 1st time at Aria and 2nd time at Cosmopolitan end of April into May - we both have heartburn as we still like Mirage and our host there. But we are traveling with dear longtime friends from home who happen to also be our best Vegas buddies and they asked if we would do an Aria/Cosmo trip - and since we had offers both places here we go! I will say we loved our first stay at Cosmo, and my husband is ready to make the switch, with Mirage becoming our secondary place - me? Verdict is still out cause I'm loyal to mlife...to a point.

    So to Val - I love your question "why can't I commit to a hotel" - because Vegas makes it so difficult!! I know it's hard leaving your comfort zone and there are so many factors to consider in choosing where to stay on any given trip - but you and your husband will have a wonderful birthday trip wherever you stay - and hope y'all have a truly wonderful time without the crazy event you witnessed last trip.
    BTW - not too distant neighbor here - NW Austin:wave:
     
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