TR -- Oct 6-10 -- Cosmo + TI

Just got back from LV this week. Did 2 nights @ Cosmo, and then met my wife at TI for 2 nights (she was in town for a convention @ Venetian).

Why Cosmo...
Booked this trip a few months ago, and tried to stay @ Vdara, the home of my last 3 Vegas vacations. The food+wine festival going on @ Aria last weekend apparently impacted pricing @ Vdara, so I wasn't able to get my usual "good deal" there. After doing a fair amount of soul searching (I take this trip planning thing seriously), I booked a room for $200/night @ Cosmo through Marriott. This included a package of $100 in resort credit, and $50 in gaming credit. As I was almost a Marriott Platinum member, I figured that the free room upgrade + free buffet would all add up to a decent deal.

Day 1...
Flew into LV on Sunday (10/6) using American points. Flight was early, but the airport was more crowded that I thought it would be.

A few days earlier I booked the Bell VIP limo service for transportation to and from the airport. I had considered getting a rental car, but figured I'd be drinking enough to where it wouldn't make sense to drive. The Bell limo worked out great. There was a bit of a wait at the airport, but I think I came out ahead compared time-wise to either a taxi or shuttle bus.

Arrived @ Cosmo at around 1:30ish. The place was hopping with both check outs and people watching football. Check in @ their platinum desk was a breeze, slightly marred by them giving me the wrong room number. After walking back down, I got the right number.

As anticipated, I was upgraded from my booked "City Room", to a 1 bedroom Terrace. While not having a strip view, it was pretty nice. I still prefer Vdara more, but overall I'd say the quality was comparable.

Got a burger @ Holsteins for a late lunch, and then headed to Book+Stage for video poker and catching the Denver/Dallas game. It was my 1st time to that bar, and I loved it. The bartenders were great, the drinks were free, and the crowd at the bar and in the bar area were fun to be around. Had a very nice conversation with a couple in town for their 70th birthday, as well as others with various football fans. I don't even remember if I won money or not, it was that much fun.

Wandered off to Bellagio to see that sports book, and then back to my room to relax for an hour or so. At around 7pm I cabbed over to Gold Coast to play some blackjack. Gambled @ GC for an hour or 2, then walked over to Palms for some video poker.

I liked the $5/double deck/3:2 BJ @ Gold Coast, but was just 'meh' about the property itself. If it wasn't a 5 min cab ride from the strip, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to go there. Palms was nicer, but pretty dead on Sunday night, both people-wise and cocktail waitress-wise. I won about $200 on the 50 play/9-6 JOB machine near the sports book however, so that was all good.

Back to Cosmo by around 10, and lights out at 10:30. All trip long I really didn't stay up too late, but felt like I got more than enough gambling in by the end of the day.

Day 2...
Up at around 7am as I was still mentally on Central time. Got dressed and went for a walk around the center Strip. I finally saw the flamingos @ Flamingo for the 1st time. It was a fun experience to see some wildlife in the middle of the strip, nicely punctuated by the various groups of people out for a smoke and a beer @ 8am. I walked further north through the Quad, then back to Cosmo.

I then headed to brunch @ Wicked Spoon shortly after it opened. I had been here for dinner a few times, but not brunch. Overall I was very impressed by both the breakfast and lunch items. I really think they've upped their game a bit on the desserts as well.

After brunch I went to the boulevard pool, and hung out there reading and enjoying the sights for a few hours. Nothing is better to convince my mind that I'm "on vacation!" than a few hours by the pool and scantly clad waitresses bringing me beer(s).

Headed back down to Book+Stage for an afternoon VP session. Hit a quad 4 with an Ace kicker pretty early in the session, so played with the house's money the rest of the afternoon. Also switched from beer to Cosmo's to drink.

After getting my $50 in gaming credit, I spent that through some random DDB machine, winning another $100 or so. Finally quit this afternoon session up around $150.

After wavering on various dinner choices, I decided to hit Wicked Spoon for dinner, as I really wanted a variety of things. Dinner did not disappoint, though I'll mix it up a bit more on my next trip.

This night's gambling took me first to Paris where I searched in vain for a $10 BJ table, and then to Bally's where I found one. I lost about $50 over 2 hours, but enjoyed talking with the dealer (Greg) and other people @ the table.

At around 7:45 I remembered that Bally's had an 8pm poker tournament, so I decided to play. I hadn't played poker in LV in about a year, and really hadn't planned to on this trip, but I'm glad I did. After about 2.5 of play, myself and the other remaining 2 players chopped and each took home around $300 in winnings, my first ever win in a tournament.

Walked back to Cosmo through PH, which was hopping with a live band and the regular nighttime crowd. I resolved to go back there later in the week for craps.

Day 3...
My wife was flying in at around noon, and I was to meet her @ TI. Woke up fairly early again, showered, and went to Cafe Bellagio for breakfast. Pancakes and berries were excellent, and my Mlife gold card got me ahead of most of the line. Got a wonderful pool view seat also, so +1 for Cafe Bellagio.

Made my way down to TI and met my wife. Shockingly she was able to check in right away with zero wait at around 1pm. At around 2 she sent me out to find a turkey sandwich to tide us over until dinner. This resulted in a minor odessey of TI >> Mirage >> Venetian food court >> TI. Figured I wouldn't have any trouble @ Mirage but their deli was closed for remodeling.

We headed out for an early dinner at around 5pm to Border Grill @ Mandalay. It was pretty crowded with convention attendees, but we got a seat right away on their deck/patio. Dinner was excellent, we both had their prix fixe menu, which included an appetizer sampler, entree, and dessert. Both of us had their Yucatan pork, which I highly recommend. This is our 4th trip to Border Grill in the past 3-4 years, and every time it's been excellent.

Cabbed back to TI, getting back at around 8pm. The wife had to be up early for work in the morning, so I headed downstairs to gamble a bit @ TI. Discovered spin poker for the 1st time, which was pretty awesome. Played some random slots also, and then called it a night.

Day 4...
Up again at around 8am. Had some leftover dessert from the previous night for breakfast, and then walked up to the PHo mall to get a shirt from Crazy Shirts for my dad. Arrived at the Bellagio buffet for lunch right at 11am. As always, lunch @ Bellagio buffet was excellent. They didn't have the mini burgers/sliders out though by the time I left at around 12:30pm.

Went back across the street to the bus stop outside of Paris, and took the SDX downtown for an afternoon of gambling. Played single deck BJ @ Fremont, video poker @ 4 queens, and finally ended up @ Main Street Station for a 2 hour-ish VP session @ the Boar's Head Bar. This place is every bit as awesome as everyone makes it out to be!

Got the SDX back to the strip, getting back to TI just in time to meet my wife and her coworker to go to dinner. He wanted to do a burger place, so we headed to Holsteins @ Cosmo. He had last been in Vegas about 9 years ago, so he was pretty enthused to see all of the sights. Dinner was great, afterward we went outside on the pedestrian bridge between Cosmo and PHo for him to take some pictures and see the sights. We walked slowly back north, getting to Bellagio in time to see the 7:30pm water show. It was very fun to play "tour guide", something I very much like doing in Vegas.

My wife and her coworker walked back to TI, and I went back to PHo for craps. Kudos to them for having a few $5 tables still running after 8pm, us low rollers appreciate it. The atmosphere @ PHo (to me) is a lot of fun, and while I lost about $150, hanging out there with a younger crowd and watching the spectacle of a drunk Canadian housewife being "taught" craps by the dealers made for a fun night.

Finally quit PHo at around 10pm. I can't do the marathon gambling sessions like other people, about 2 hours/per is the max for me. Made it back to TI, and decided to gamble a bit more downstairs. I needed another 250 points on their card to get some new member freeplay, which I got earned about an hour. I sat down next at a Hangover slot, and promptly won about $250 in a blizzard of bonus spins, etc. That machine is super fun if you like the movie.

To bed at around 11pm. Up early to head to the airport, the Bell limo was about 15 minutes early.

The good...
Here are some things that I really liked:

• A 4 night trip was definitely more fun and relaxing than a 3 night trip.
• Cosmo the hotel was pretty nice. I had forgotten how convenient it was to be centrally located on the strip, and having good food and VP choices in your hotel makes for a relaxing and fun time.
• Book +Stage was great fun. I know it has crappy VP paytables, but I'll take 1-2 hours of crappy pays + awesome bartenders + football any time.
• Wicked Spoon was wonderful.
• I was really impressed by everyone I met @ Bally's, and the casino itself seems a bit updated since I was last there. Looking forward to going back to gamble there next year.
• Pancakes @ Bellagio Cafe. Heck yes.
• Boar's Head Bar @ MSS. A must do.
• The music and atmosphere @ PHo at night made for a great time @ the craps table. Very fast drink service also.
• Bell VIP limo was exactly as advertised.

And the bad...

• $1 minimum VP bars @ Mirage and Venetian? No thanks.
• Speaking of Venetian, they need to turn down the lights a few notches. It's way too bright in there.
• They should also remove some machines, that place is super crowded, even at 3pm on a Tuesday.
• I had fun gambling downtown, but overall it was kind of depressing during the day. This isn't bad per se, more of an observation.
• The dude working the bell desk @ TI asking for a tip for putting a tag on my bag and writing my name on it. Seriously?

Thanks for reading. Also thanks to everyone that's posted their reports and info on this board over the past few years, I've learned a ton and gotten really good insights on fun things to do in LV.

 

Great report! Thanks for sharing!

 

Great report! Heading to Vegas on Wednesday and can't wait! Actually tossed around staying at ti. We stayed there once and I just didn't feel it. Our last trip, hubbie and I went to stop in there for an hour or so, and ended up staying for about four hours I think.

I keep hearing great things about Wicked Spoon, but I so dislike buffets. Especially when we are only there for theee nights, and they are so many nice restaurants i want to try. Did you get two free meals for WS by checking in as Marriott Platinum?

 

TI was perfectly fine, but nothing super special compared to other properties in LV. We stayed there to save my wife's company some $$$ compared to staying at Venetian. We had a petite suite @ TI, but on a lower floor so there was no view. I stayed there a few years ago in a regular room with a strip view, and thought it was pretty nice.

TI is in a pretty good location; I consider it a budget way to enjoy Venetian, Wynn, and Mirage, if you like that area of the strip. It's also a quick walk through the casino to your room, for people that don't like hiking through the giganto resorts.

I did get the brunch buffet for 2 @ Cosmo as a Platinum benefit. Give Wicked Spoon a try for dinner one night, I think you'd be impressed.

 

Nice read thanks.. I will be out in December with a couple of other dads taking our 21 year old sons to Vegas for the first time. Definitely want the young guys to check out Cosmo, Book +Stage sounds like a cool place to hang.

 

Tks for the TR, you're a true gambler doing poker, BJ,VP, and craps I think? I'm not familiar with this book and stage so I'm gonna look them up now....

 

Great report thanks for sharing it. Keep them coming.

 

GreaT write up thanks for the share.

 

Definitely check out the Chandelier Bar @ Cosmo, it's a pretty cool place to hang and people watch, especially later in the night when people start lining up to enter the Marquis nightclub.

Downtown (including the D, and Fremont East) I think is a must do for dads taking their 21 year old sons to LV

 

Thanks for the tips. My wife and I hung at the Chandelier Bar when we were out there earlier this year it is awesome....Haven't been to the D downtown since they took over we will definitely check it out...can't wait!

 

Thanks for the TR. I like the Cosmo, although I've never stayed there. Just interesting things to see as you walk around the property. I totally agree with you about the Wicked Spoon. It's a bit pricey, but the offerings are great. -- Lorna

 

I did the same thing over quite a few trips = visited the casino and restaurants before actually staying there. I had read a number of mixed reviews over the years, but my trip was great.

 

Did the Book+stage have every NFL game on or just a couple? I'm staying at Cosmo on a Sunday and kind of want to have a lot of games to choose from....That place sounds fun, regardless, I'll check it out.

 

I think they had just about every game on one tv or another. The main screen only showed one, and they had the audio portion for that game on the man speakers.