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Talk me off the edge, please (long)

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by usmcbaby, Jan 20, 2014.

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  1. usmcbaby

    usmcbaby Tourist

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    I hate for a rant to be my first post on this site.

    background-been to Vegas 6 times. Last visit Sept. 09'. Stayed at Orleans (2), MGM, LVH, Luxor, Venetian. Usually stay 3 nights. Gamble about $1200. Go see one show. Eat at one high-end restaurant once.

    I've been put in charge of booking and planning our April trip w/wife and 8 others (4 couples). All in the 40's age range.

    I'm about to go crazy trying to book a hotel. I realize that more negative feedback gets written on sites and in reviews than positive feedback but damn the reviews regarding hotels in Vegas is ridiculously negative. It seems that every hotel has become a dump (rooms), overpriced (meals) and ridiculous (table minimums) along with terrible customer service.

    Paying $175 + a night for a room that's rundown, torn/stained carpet, paint peeling, restrooms not cleaned properly, stained sheets, and eating below quality expensive food on top of Sh*tty customer service is not my idea of a fun mini vacation. Oh and btw, I'm sick of hotel sites such as Orbitz, Expedia, etc. giving hotels like Luxor, Rio, TI, MC, Trop and many others a 4 star rating. Really! We stayed at the Westgate in San Diego last year and the year before that the Sofitel Chicago for under $200/night and those are true 4 star hotels. Granted they don't have a casino in the lobby.

    I once loved Vegas but now I'm so unsure about visiting again. I'm dreading making the decisions for my group in which I'm known as the ultimate planner that researches everything to a T and gets it right a majority of the time.

    Help!
     
  2. TheCanoe

    TheCanoe Low-Roller

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    Where are these hotels that are this run down? There are 5 hotels mid strip I could book that are nice and well located. Do you need a casino? If need, Vdara or Elara. Can you afford Aria or Cosmo? I think you're over thinking this big time
     
  3. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    People bitch and whine about everything and anything these days. Long lines? Worst trip ever! Edge of a dresser is nicked up? The furniture is worn and decrepit! Room not cleaned upon arrival? How could they do that to us!?

    Two examples from me; when I was researching my first solo trip to Vegas I had an offer from several CET hotels. They were all the mid-level places like Harrah's and Bally's and Paris. I logged onto may of the travel sites (Trip Advisor, yelp, etc) and saw many negative reviews for things that were menial at best. I booked Bally's and found it to be what I expected it to be. Nothing what I read came into play and would have caused me to leave a negative review.

    Once when my girlfriend and I went we were staying at The Mirage they gave us a room that had not been cleaned yet. Annoying? A bit. But did it ruin the trip and cause a negative review? No way. They rectified the problem immediately.

    I have found this site to offer up the best reviews of the Vegas hotels.

    I saw on some other sites where people moaned that The Venetian was becoming run down. Haha! Yeah, ok! Not even true.
     
  4. Bommen

    Bommen High-Roller

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    Let us know what dates you are going in april and what you would like to spend per night and this board will help you get the best bang for the buck.
     
  5. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    Once you have your choices narrowed down I would call the properties direct and talk to them about the size of your group and see if they offer any discounted group rates.

    I am staying at The Palazzo for the first time but have stayed at Venetian and I loved that room. You said you have stayed there too - so if you liked it that would be my first choice. Especially because it has the larger rooms
     
  6. Bommen

    Bommen High-Roller

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    Well people have different standards and looking for different things. I personally think Venetian was a little run down like 3 years ago and have not stayed there since but to each and its own. Therefore its good that the OP gives us information like this in his post so we could have a clue on what to recommend.
     
  7. sybgal

    sybgal VIP Whale

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    Somehow I've missed all the negativity....lol. I also take some comments with a grain of salt. When I've look on sites for comments and experiences, I've seen pans on hotels (not in LV) that I've had a good experience at.....so sometimes, it is just what you make it. We have stayed at Paris, Bally's, PH, Flamingo & LV Hilton throughout the years and only once was the room something that could possibly cause me from staying there again....and that was years ago at the Flamingo. They have since remodeled and that awful room is now probably a GO or Pink Room....lol. If the group put you in charge, they evidently trust you to know what they want & expect..... List your budget limitations (if any), type of room...high-end...middle of the road, etc and some of the great vets on here will be happy to give their opinions on what might work well for your group. Good luck!!
     
  8. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    Completely agree. Just like how some people can stay in the rooms at The Quad and be totally ok with it. I wouldn't stay there for free.

    What I refer to in my post is some of the asinine things I read in reviews on TripAdvisor reviews when looking at Bally's stuff a couple years ago. I mean, I was worried that I'd get into the room and then spend hours trudging back and forth to the desk complaining and trying to get a new room.
     
  9. Jordan

    Jordan Caveman

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    WTF??? Baaaahahahahaha!
     
  10. usmcbaby

    usmcbaby Tourist

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    Thanks for the replies ladies and gents.

    @Rocky-We've stayed at the Venetian and it was by far the nicest but have friends along for the ride that will need something slightly less expensive.

    @SybGal-I completely understand taking reviews with a grain of salt

    @bommen-different strokes for different folks I agree 100%

    @thecanoe-You are probably 100% correct-i am over thinking it-thats what I do most of the time

    I suppose I'm over thinking this. We just haven't been there in over 4 years and was getting irritated at reading negative press.There will be 10 of us on this trip. Only one couple is a first timer and this will be the second time for another couple. The rest have visited multiple times.

    Will be in LV April 25-28. Was looking to spend $140-150 a night to help some out. Probably need inexpensive table minimums ($5-10). Since we have first and second timers we probably need something on the strip so they can fully enjoy without the hassle of taking a taxi/shuttle back and forth multiple times. Personally I could do $200-225/night but want to stay very near others. I also like to primarily gamble in the casino where we are staying especially late at night (don't care much for long walks or cab rides after several drinks and playing craps for 3-5 hours).
     
  11. Bommen

    Bommen High-Roller

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    I would look into Vdara if i were you. For 129/night during those dates you get a very nice room. You will be center strip and very easy access to Bellagio and Aria. You could also tram over to Monte Carlo(or walk thru aria) for cheaper table minimums.
     
  12. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    I too am an obsessive planner (part of the fun for me, honestly, is all the pre-trip digging around) so I feel your pain. You want to show them all a good time.

    May I suggest The Mirage? That should fall into your target price zone. I have stayed there several times and will be going back there in March.

    You're on the north side of the strip which has a ton of things close by. The table minimums fluctuate from $5 early morning/afternoon to $10-15 at night and even if they do jump higher you're close enough to TI, Harrah's, The Quad and Flamingo.
     
  13. JerryD

    JerryD Low-Roller

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    I enjoy all of the planning aspects myself too. Last year we stayed at The Flamingo, and if you look at the reviews, they are not exactly 5 star. But we were compted and barely spent any time in our room.

    Have you tried Southwestvacations.com? I did my search for my dates and I believe I got 57 results for hotels/resorts to choose from. And the prices are, IMO, can not be beat. And in my post, someone recommended going through a travel agent, which it will likely look into as well. My group consists of about the same size group as yours, we have 11 people. And we are planning our trip for April as well.

    Like stated above, there are some really helpful reviews (and people) on this site. And that shows by the replies that have been posted already. Don't give up, it's worth the trouble. I've been there and it always turns out for the better.
     
  14. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    I don't think it's anyone here's idea of a "fun mini vacation" either... I stay in a my fair share of hotels in any given year. I've stayed for a week at the Westgate in SD just a few years ago and have stayed at the Sofitel in Minneapolis about three years ago. Both were nice, but a bit "stuffy" IMHO... if that's what you're looking for then I think you better be looking at Wynn, Encore, Palazzo and the like. Vdara is also a great suggestion as well.

    I still maintain Las Vegas provides a fantastic value for room product, service and fun for the dollar. If you're looking for service-staff to follow you around with a warm cloth to freshen your brow, perhaps other venues will be more to your liking.
     
  15. Piggylane

    Piggylane Well-Known Member

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    Lots of choices! Yes, people are very opinionated when it comes to writing TripAdvisor reviews. I have 75 hotel reviews and nearly 400 total reviews myself as I travel almost every week.

    Having stayed at virtually every place on the strip I can honestly say that the best combination of room quality/value/tables is Monte Carlo. Now I know there will be others with strong opinions otherwise and no I don't work for MGM.

    Several decent restaurants there - Brand steakhouse is great as is d.Vino - but the cafe sucks. Table minimums are $5 frequently during the week and often this place is empty. If you are a slot or videopoker player, go elsewhere.

    I spent 14 nights there in December, return for another 14 nights starting 2 March and will be there May, July, September, November and December again. I don't have a host, don't want one, don't accept free play or free room offers (come one folks, free isn't free!) but book at the mLife Platinum rate to save my company a few $$$.

    As someone suggested, call them. Tell them you want to book a group of rooms. If you have status at MGM or CET, let them know. I've found them to be flexible when booking rooms for friends.

    Enjoy your trip!
     
  16. usmcbaby

    usmcbaby Tourist

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    @RockB-the Mirage is on my radar....thnx

    @Piggy-thnx for the MC info

    @JerryD-We are using Southwest for our flights as we use the SW Visa card year-round to accumulate points. Others in our party don't

    @Smartone-thanks for your feedback. The reason I mentioned the other hotels in those other cities was to give an example of the cleanliness and service I expect. I have worked in management within the service industry for the past 12 years and have high expectations when it comes to cleanliness of any facility and customer service I receive. I suppose the negative feedback discussions I have fallen for have clouded my judgement regarding which hotel to stay at.

    I have informed my party that we should lock everything in by Feb 1. So I have another week and a half to drive myself insane with decision making.
     
  17. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    Another tip on The Mirage...the tower deluxe rooms (24th and 25th floor) have their own elevators and also bigger bathrooms.

    They look similar to the basic room but the bathroom being bigger is a big deal to me because I like the single shower and not knocking myself out with the bathroom door when ya try to close it.

    Good luck on your searching!
     
  18. bjpcyclone

    bjpcyclone High-Roller

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    The last 5 or 6 trips, we've stayed at the Monte Carlo and once at NYNY. The rooms won't blow you away but the rest of the place is clean and is a really good value in my opinion. The pools are really fun. We went with a large group of 20 in August and a few first timers were getting casino rates around $80 per night by signing up for a MLife card online. They also have a tram to Bellagio, Aria is right next door, MGM is across the street, NYNY is right there, so the location is what does it for us.

    We don't require fancy rooms, just something clean to sleep in as we spend most of our time out and about.

    I can see why some people don't like it but it certainly fits our needs.

    Your budget is similar to mine and I haven't paid for a room at MC or NYNY in several years so you get good comp value on both places as well.
     
  19. RiddickBull

    RiddickBull VIP Whale

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    The dates listed are over the weekend in which the price of hotels will likely increase. I would try MGM for less than 150 per night. You may be able to get Vdara, not sure though. MB is nice hotel for the price, but the location is terrible. You will have to taxi/tram to the center of the strip unless you are a power walker.
     
  20. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    If you must stay on the strip, and you also want really nice rooms as well as $5 & $10 minimums, and want to stay over a weekend and pay less than $200/night per room - you really may be out of luck.

    If I were booking this for 4 couples, given the restrictions, I'd look at the Mirage. Decent rooms for mid-strip, but they certainly won't blow you away.
    You won't find much in terms of $5 minimums there, but there's a free shuttle to the Rio that leaves from Harrah's & Bally's - and Gold Coast is right next door to rio. Great casino for $5 min DD blackjack with DAS.
    Gold Coast has their own shuttle as well - runs about every 30 minutes until 12:30AM. (picks up at Las Vegas Blvd & Flamingo Rd).

    If the only issue was room quality on the strip, I'd suggest Palazzo.
    If the only issue was low-limits, I'd suggest Golden Nugget downtown.
    If low-limits on the strip trumps strip room quality, I'd go with TI.
    If strip room quality under $200/night trumps low limits on the strip, I'd go with Mirage or perhaps Bellagio or Paris.
    Good luck!
    Hope it works out great for your group.
    :beer:
     
    Annual Spring Trip!
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