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First timer with friends.

Discussion in 'LV Strip Hotels' started by Jimbo Swisher, Aug 11, 2016.

?

Aria or Monte Carlo

  1. Aria

    85.3%
  2. Monte Carlo

    2.9%
  3. Other

    11.8%
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  1. Jimbo Swisher

    Jimbo Swisher Tourist

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    Hello all. Me and my friends are planning a trip to Las Vegas for April 2017. We're thinking about staying at either the Aria or the Monte Carlo. There are 8 of us so we would split the rooms 4 and 4. We like to gamble, hang poolside, and go clubbing. Was wondering if the Aria or the Monte Carlo would be ideal for that and if April is a nice time to go? Any recommendations will be welcomed. We are mid 20s and looking for the best possible Vegas experience. Also the room is kind of a big deal even though people are really never in the room at Vegas.

    Thanks!
     
  2. greekjim

    greekjim King Gyro

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    Aren't they rebranding the Monte Carlo soon?
     
  3. h0und10

    h0und10 VIP Whale

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    I would suggest Como. It is right next to Aria, and it has 2 awesome pools, a nice club, and a great younger vibe and party atmosphere. Monte Carlo is closing their pool for next season due to the re brand I believe. It should be close in price to Aria, but more expensive than Monte Carlo.
     
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  4. Jimbo Swisher

    Jimbo Swisher Tourist

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    Someone did tell me I should check out the Cosmo, I will start looking there. Do they use all the same reward cards around that area or is it different for each casino ?
     
  5. LV_Bound

    LV_Bound VIP Whale

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    Based on that statement it surely isn't Monte Carlo.
     
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  6. BarelyHangingOn

    BarelyHangingOn VIP Whale

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    The rewards cards for the MGM Resorts is called MLIFE. You can join online now and pick up the card when you get there. It is for Aria, Bellagio, Monte Carlo, Mirage, MGM, NYNY, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, Vdara. You can then use that card at all of those places when gambling or for charging meals to your room. So if you are staying at Aria and eating at the Mirage you can charge the meal to your room and you get some rewards credit for it.

    Cosmo is on their own.

    Caesars Properites has Total Rewards which you can sign up for now and pick up the card when you get there. You use it at The Cromwell, The LINQ, Bally's, Caesars Palace,
    Harrah's, Flamingo, Rio, Paris, Planet Hollywood.

    If you have 8 people going you should all join up and start playing MyVegas on your phones and tablets and Facebook. By April you should all be able to pick up some decent rewards at the MGM Resorts like Rooms during the week, Buffets, Shows, Freeplay, Drinks etc. You can each cash three rewards over a 30 day period. Some of the rewards will require a stay at an MGM place and some will not. There are restrictions on blackout dates. It's a no brainer. My wife and I have saved at least a few hundred bucks on each trip.

    I have stayed at Aria twice and three coming up. The basic rooms are nice. The bathroom is top notch large soaking tub and glass enclosed showers. The strip view isn't much of a strip view. You can see down to MGM Grand and up just past Planet Hollywood the other way. The food is good. The buffet is right up top three. Can't say about the club / bar scene. I go in December so the pool area is dead but they have a nice set up with large heated hot tub pools that are pretty big.

    If you guys are looking for pool action you will probably want to check out something like Wet Republic at MGM anyways.

    I would stay away from Monte Carlo. It's not a young mans place if you ask me. They are starting to go through a reno this fall so who knows what will be going on there in April.

    I can't comment much about the Cosmo. I have only stopped in for a few drinks and skating on their pool. It did look pretty young though and their balcony rooms facing the Bellagio look like they have kick ass views.
     
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  7. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    1 - If you check a few other threads, you will find that 90% (not everyone) advises against sharing rooms. Heck, even a married couple can have issues. With one room you all have to go to bed at the same time, get up at the same time. Share the same bathroom - even the middle of the night surprises. You mention the room is a big deal. If you are sharing, it could be a big deal alright.

    2 - Go with whichever place has the better rate. Aria is a great place, but if you are a Vegas noobie, just about any hotel will be great. The excitement is the strip. A few, or maybe even on will want to stay up half the night to enjoy it.

    3 - April is nice. Check the online weather apps to get an idea of temps. Not too cold. Not too hot.

    4 - Rates will vary WIDELY depending on events. Look at the monthly calendar for various hotels before picking dates.
     
  8. Jimbo Swisher

    Jimbo Swisher Tourist

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    Thanks for the input (especially Hanging)!! We are planning on staying for 5 nights even though some told me that is to long. How much do you think I will have to spend on food for the total trip? Is it expensive to eat there or is there a surplus of cheap buffets?
     
  9. Knucklehead69

    Knucklehead69 Low-Roller

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    You will definitely get a better rate at the MC. Aria is much newer and nicer in all ways but I stay at MC often and and have always had good experiences. The good thing is they are connected as almost one big hotel. You can stay at the MC and do everything else at Aria very easily.
     
  10. Backagain1

    Backagain1 High-Roller

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    I went with someone who liked the room hot and I liked it cold! It was crazy. We did another group vacation and one person snore so loud no one could sleep. Another trip one person did not want anyone talking in the morning! Of course there are times when the group did fine but if you are going to go as a group in a room be sure you all discuss your living preferences.
     
  11. h0und10

    h0und10 VIP Whale

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    Well I am 24 and when I go on a "guys" trip it is usually 3 to 4 days. We fly in early morning and leave late at night. seems to be about the right length for us. just enough to satisfy our itch. Just enough so at the end of the trip we are tired and ready to get back home. And just enough to keep us wanting to come back for more. As far as what you will spend on food.. I would budget 100 bucks a day. If you plan ahead, eat happy hours and food courts you can easily eat on 25 bucks a day if you wanted.. check out the "frugal" section of this forum and you will see lots of ideas for saving money on food.

    With 8 people going, I would highly suggest you all start playing "myvegas" each person can redeem 3 rewards thus making you guys have 24 for your group. each of you can redeem a fee night, so potentially you could have free rooms for your entire stay if you got lucky and everything lined up correctly.
     
  12. smerrian

    smerrian View from Bally's

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    $100/day on food for a newbie mid-20's guy traveling with his friends and staying on the Strip is about right. Clubbing will be another $100-200 if you plan on standing all evening. If you want a seat, expect about $200-300/person for your group. Once you learn how to cut corners you will find that you can do the trip much cheaper. Oh, buffets on the Strip run about $40/dinner, $25/breakfast. And, yes, you will spend a lot on tips.
     
  13. ebonecapone

    ebonecapone Low-Roller

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    If money is no issue, Aria or Cosmo for sure. If money is an issue, i would stay at Monte Carlo, MGM, or NYNY. Sharing a room with 3 others is hard, so make sure you have stayed with them for sure, know who the late gambler is, etc etc. I try to spend $10 on breakfast, $25 lunch, and $50-75 on dinner for myself(this is not drinks). Drinks usually about $50/day, either by tipping while gambling or buying drinks. I dont do the club scene, but for a table with 8 people ( hopefully you have atleast a 50/50 split with guys and girls). Having hot girls will help get a table cheaper. Some only require a one bottle min, so $300 split 8 ways isn't bad, then you buy individual drinks as you want ($15 beers). If you are gamblers, try to stick with MGM properties, CET, or Cosmo so your next trip you can get free rooms. I dont gamble much, but give all my action to CET so i can get free rooms whenever i want.
     
  14. Jimbo Swisher

    Jimbo Swisher Tourist

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    Do you use your rewards card when you book a hotel or it strictly for gambling purposes. I saw that you can charge food to your room for points, not sure about the booking of the hotel. Could be the difference between the aria and cosmo...
     
  15. JoastTheMost

    JoastTheMost Low-Roller

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    As a fellow mid-20s, PLEASE stay at the Cosmo. Well worth the extra cash. Please... I'm begging you.
     
  16. h0und10

    h0und10 VIP Whale

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    You use it to charge things to your room from sister properties (you can also just pay regularly), and also to earn points while you gamble. also some restaurants will give you discounts.. If any of your group is a big gambler (it doesn't sound like it) but they can "comp" off charges at the end of your stay.
    Since you are sharing the room it would probably be easier to not charge things to your room since you would have to figure out the billing at the end of the stay..
     
  17. woodsie

    woodsie VIP Whale

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    The days of cheap buffets on the strip are long gone. You are usually talking $20 and up depend on the time of day with some of fancier dinners climbing to $40 and beyond. I've tried a few (MGM, Mirage, Wynn, Bellagio, Excalibur) and honestly I just don't see the point unless you are going to eat yourself silly. Vegas Strip buffets these days just mean paying the same money as a regular sit down restaurant with slightly worse food, moderately worse service, and the privilege of waiting in line for it. I haven't done a buffet in the past few trips and I don't expect to do one ever again. Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

    For breakfast, check out the poolside cafes. They almost always serve really good breakfast food and in my experience, there is almost never a wait for a table even when the line for the buffet inside is snaking out into the casino.

    If you are budget minded then any of the food courts on the strip will be relatively cheap or you can go downtown and really get a great bang for your buck.
     
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  18. BarelyHangingOn

    BarelyHangingOn VIP Whale

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    I agree with woodsie totally. I had two misconceptions my first trip. One that food is cheap and that booze is cheap in Vegas. I was pretty wrong but they can be cheap if you do it right.

    We ate breakfast at the PBR Rock bar and got stung for $40 for eggs, tater tots, a tea and Bloody Mary, Ouch. We basically try to find a cheap breakfast, hit a buffet either late afternoon and get a lite snack in the evening or vise versa. We will hit the Aria breakfast buffet at least once and the Mirage.

    Like I said if you guys do the My Vegas you can collect a bunch of either free or 2-1 buffets for your trip and save some good cash and eat decently. The Mirage buffet includes free beer even for breakfast. I love nailing down a few Goose Islands or Bud Lights to start the day out.

    Booze wise try not to buy any at the casino or stores in the casinos if you can. There are tons of Walgreens around the strip where you can buy cheap booze for the room. I always bring a sleeve of big red cups for travelers.

    You should also check out Fremont St while you are there for cheaper eats and booze. They have free live music, interesting pan handlers that really don't bother you and cheap gambling. It's the best part of Vegas. You can get decently priced drinks at the outdoor bar with the go go dancers.
     
  19. the nuts

    the nuts VIP Whale

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    I voted other: Cosmopolitan 100%!
    If your clubbing and hanging by the pool then you're young enough to share a room up to 5 people. You wont need to worry about your room mates sleeping habits or room temps or where you sleep. You will most likely be out having fun anyways!
    April is a nice time to visit for sure!
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2016
  20. reen1962

    reen1962 Low-Roller

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    If you are looking for a fun spot and cheap eats, try to hit the Yardhouse in the Linq promenade at happy hour - 3-6pm on weekdays. It has over 150 beers on tap and their happy hour food is really plentiful. Have a great time!
     
    It's Been Too Long 'Ol Friend! :-)
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