Contemplating First Time Hotel Split

Historically, I have had no desire to move hotels during a Vegas trip. Didn't make sense to me to go through the motions and waste time. I guess I am still fighting that to a degree right now.

My wife and I typically stay at Flamingo and booked a room there for 6 nights in July. Usually our trips are 5 nights, but I wanted to push it to one more day this time as our vacations have dried up this past year with a 13 mos. old dictating our life at the moment. Grandparents to the rescue will be watching her, so pushing out one more day makes sense to make the most of time away.

So the split...how much time do you typically burn? A couple hours I imagine? Does it really dictate the "transition" day as to your activities?

Been thinking about a south strip location to balance out the trip...3 at Flamingo (Go) and then maybe 3 somewhere south strip. We'll visit DT one day/night, but that's it. No desire to stay there hotel-wise.

I floated the idea by the wife and she's wayyyyy too dollar value oriented (not cheap, but to her, anything above a decent place to sleep/shower/bowchickawow is overboard). Presented the spa suite at NYNY to her or the similar at MC, but she hemmed and hawed at it and didn't think the value was there for the dollar. Probably right compared to our current Go pricing. Still, the split seems like something I want to explore more.

She's not against a split at all, either. She's also very anti-MGM from a visitor POV. I thought it'd be a nice place to stay with the pools and decent rooms, but she'd freak if she had to find me playing VP or a cheap slot in the a.m. after she gets ready (while I drink my coffee, playing). It's just TOO big for her liking.

Any suggestions would be welcomed. Basically, no MGM, and probably no MB as its too far south for me personally.

 

We tried this last time for the first time and didn't really get on with it.

We wanted to stay downtown, so first 2 days were at the Golden Nugget, then the last 10 days at MGM Grand. GN was awesome, MGM was good.

We were renting a car so we could put the cases in the boot and leave it. otherwise it would have been a load of hassle as you check out by 11am I think and can't check in until 3.

So it took a while to pack up our stuff and so on, I'd say we spent 4 to 5 hours changing hotels.

The trouble we found was that we couldn't really unpack and it didn't really feel like the holiday had started until we arrived at MGM. But nevertheless we may try it again.

Cheers,

Justin

 

I never really unpack on a trip, ever, even when i am gone 10 days so not unpacking is a non issue for me. We have our trip split up 4 nights, 3 nights and 1 night. I plan on leaving my stuff at bell services after the 4 nights then when check in time comes i will go back to get it and go check in. Same thing when i am moving for the 1 night, i will go take my stuff to the new place and leave it will bell services then go get some groupon i got and go back and check in at check in time.

Some people find it a pain but it won't really bother me. I don't care if i have wasted an hour though so.........

 

Hey phade,

We tried the split trip thing a couple of years back, and for us its all good. We always stay 5-6 nights in the summer and always did so in the same strip hotel, until recently. I like the idea of trying different places, so switching mid-trip is the perfect way to get two experiences in one trip.

We see it as serving several other reasons too, like being able to spend half the trip "high-end", half on comp. or greatlly reduced rate somewhere else, e.g., we stayed 3 nights (mid-week) at Caesars, then 3 nights at MC with two nights comped. The total hotel cost for the week was about the same as staying at MC all week, and didn't want to spend what it would have cost to stay at Caesars for the week. So by switching, we got to experience Caesars within budget.

Earned both TR points and Mlife points on the same trip.

The next summer we stayed at MC for nearly nothing, then moved to the Palms for three nights for our first off-strip stay. This was done so that if the off strip experience did not work out, the whole summer trip would not be disappointing, we knew what to expect at the MC, only half was an unknown.
So for us, it just a chance at something new, without all our "eggs" in the same basket.

As for the actual move day, each time it went without a hitch. We always done it on a Weds., and spent no more then two hours, location to location, room to room. Others have spent more time trying to do it on a busy check-in day, closer to the weekend, avoid that if possible.

One last throught, I read somewhere, could have been on "Vegas Chatter", not sure, that most Vegas hotel don't want you there more then three days. Their business research shows them that they get most of you money in the first three days your there, after that your taking up space. Because of this, the article stated your likely to get better rates for a shorted stay. Don't know if any of this is true, but it is an interesting thought and if true, another reason to switch.

Hopes this helps, JW

 

Thanks for all of the helpful replies thus far. Good points to consider on both sides. My wife would have a bigger deal with the packing/unpacking and I would want to make sure we don't burn too much time splitting hotels.

Sounds like it is feasible if done correctly/well-thought out. Been intrigued by MC for some time now, which is funny because it's the only hotel/casino I haven't been into on the strip.

Interesting read on the point about casinos pulling money the first three days. I have a literal brain trust at my disposal as I work amongst an industry leading analytics team. I suspect they will confirm that type of information is likely to be known by the casino analytics groups. Makes sense.

 

Have you thought about the Tropicana; it's smaller size may appeal to your wife and the pool is very nice. It's an excellent value and the Paradise Tower elevators are steps from the strip.

 

We've done it once in the past - 2 nights at Mirage and 1 at Aria. It was ok but just made us want to stay longer at Aria! Having to get a cab and all of that was kind of a pain. We don't go to the desk to check out - we review the bill the night before and just do it via phone in the am since those lines can get crazy. You save time there. Have the next hotel hold your bags until check in time and go enjoy the day!

We are splitting this time because of MyVegas - 1 night MGM and 2 at NYNY. Since they are only a skybridge away from each other, it should be a breeze. We just won't unpack much the first night. We'll be up late gambling and stalking the Lion's Share machine anyway!

 

The thing that makes the mid-trip move bearable is the fact that you don't really have to pack the way you do at home when you're starting a trip.

You already know you have all your shit; you just stuff it your luggage any which way and go.

Out of the 11 times I've done a mid-trip move with a standard room reserved, I've only had to wait until 3:00pm to check in once. All the other times, I was able to check in as soon as I got there, between 11:00 and 11:30-ish.

 

We've split a couple of times over the years and enjoy staying at different places during one trip. Usually takes us a max of an hour to move between properties since we really don't unpack at all and have never had to wait to check in early or been charged a fee to do so.

We're doing a 3 way split in April due to great offers/comps.

Arriving Thursday for 1 night free MGM through myVegas

Move to Venetian for Fri/Sat for
Amazon deal with 2 tickets to Soul2Soul and $100 dining credit.

Move to aria for comp through mlife for 1 night with some FB credit.

With round trip flight and rental we only are spending $500 total. Just extending at Venetian would have cost an additional $400

 

Let me chime in again about this mid-trip hotel switch.

Like I said in my first post, it was no trouble to relocate. Each time, the check-out clerk asked if we were headed home and did we need boarding pass, etc. you know that type of conversation. We told her we were heading over to (next hotel) for a couple of days and it was no big thing, told us to have a nice time etc. She then arranged for the bellmen came to our room and took the bags on a cart out to the taxi stand and each time, they waved for the next "van" style cab to come up out of line so that there would be enough room for us and the bags. He told the driver where we were going and we were off on our next adventure. No attitude, no problem.

As for the bags, two adults for a week in Vegas, with nightlife and pooltime, easily fills two suitcases, if not more. Knowing that we have a switched planned, we sort of pack in two segments. Bag one for the first part of the week, bag two for the second half. Now granted, it not 100%, there are some items that are needed from both bags on day one, but you get the idea. Bag one gets unpacked while bag two stays 70% intact till the second half of the week. By the time mid week rolls around, bag 1 is fill of used clothes ready for the trip home while we work bag 2 at hotel #2.

I worried a little the first time we planned a "switch trip", but after doing it the past couple of summers, it is the only way to spend a six night trip in Vegas, there is just to many "flavors" in Vegas to chose from to only pick one.

 

3 and 3 shouldn't be so bad! I don't know what to suggest if you don't want MB or MGM, cause those would be my suggestions haha.

 

Our upcoming trip will be our 4th time splitting hotels. Doing 4 nights Monte Carlo and 3 nights South Point. We do rent a car so moving isn't that bad. We have been lucky at SP and have gotten our room right away, we usually drive down there around noon. Last Halloween my MIL and I went and did 2 nights MGM and 2 nights SP with no rental. We were lucky I guess, checked out of MGM cabbed to SP, let the bell desk take our bags, checked in right away and off to the room...total from room to room was an hour. Even on a 7 night trip we are just careful about the unpacking. We leave all the bathroom stuff together at all times, I only take out enough clothing for that hotel and hang it up...leave the rest of the clothes right in the suitcase. One reason we don't "spred" our stuff around in the hotel room is that in the past we did forget something in the room...now, we are neat and organized. I find it feels like 2 different vacations...the dh feels that it makes the week go by too quickly...Our normal routine in Vegas is to go for a ride in the middle of the day, on that day, changing hotels is our ride.

 

I have done it 4 times now and it doesn't bother me one bit.

First time I stayed at Days Inn at Wild Wild West cuz a comped room wasn't until the next day and Days Inn was cheap.

Second time my fiancé and I stayed at Ballys until their weekend rates kicked in so we moved to El Cortez Cabana Suites and stayed for $58 for 2 nights after taxes. One night at Ballys was $78 or more so it just made sense

Third Time I stayed at South Point first night then onto a comped room at Hard Rock. Just wanted to try the place out, and I liked it

Fourth time stayed at Cabana Suites again and next day comped room at Hard Rock. That trip I was solo until the next day and wanted to stay downtown and drink and gamble and not have to drive drunk.

 

I'm going to be splitting for the first time too, care of MyVegas. We're doing strip north (Harrah's) to south (MGM) and then NYNY. MGM to NYNY will be easy, but we're planning on taking the monorail (again, free MyVegas and it doesn't count as an extra reward) directly from Harrah's to MGM. Hopefully it won't be TOO big a deal to lug our luggage (we just will have carry on sized rollers) in the casino between the front desk and the monorail stations...

 

It isn't for everybody. We do it because we find the center strip area different from the south strip area and we like to experience both without having to commute back and forth, IE: spend 3 nights at Monte Carlo or Aria and then spend 3 nights at Harrah's.

But if its not your thing and you don't need to "shake up" your trips then I wouldn't bother and just stay at the one hotel: that has some advantages in its own with it being like a home base, you don't have to worry about cleanup/packup in the middle of a trip, you don't have to think about being out of there by whatever time for checkout, etc... sometimes, even on vacation, its nice to settle in to a routine.

The transition time has never been an issue for us:
If we know the hotel we are switching to will let us check in early then we might move over there as early as 8-9AM, which is when we'll be up and at 'em anyways for breakfast so its a lot like just going somewhere else for breakfast.

If we aren't sure the hotel we are switching to will let us check in early, or we want to still do some morning gambling at our first hotel, then we just request a late check out at the first hotel, which is usually going to be 1-2PM. Then by the time we check out, get everything together, wheel luggage down to taxi line, get up to new hotel, etc its getting pretty close to normal check in time already.


When we are splitting our stays up what we do is bring along two bags with us, one for the stay at the first hotel and one for the stay at the second hotel and then we have a small bag that goes in the first bag that holds stuff (like toiletries) that we will need at both properties.

So when we get to the first hotel the first bag gets unpacked and the bag itself becomes the dirty laundry bag so as clothes are worn and such we just stuff them in the first bag at the end of the day as we would have anyways and then when its time to go to the second hotel just zip up the first bag and stuff the toiletries bag in to a carry on or the second bag. If we actually just had one bag and had to unpack everything and then in the middle of the trip pack everything up again, fold up what we didn't use, etc... that would make the whole experience a bit of a pain in the butt.

 

Auggie, you sound like us lol....first bag turns into the dirty laundry bag. With 2 suitcases this is easily accomplished.

 

We have split hotels several times. We also do the two suitcase thing. Pack for the first couple days in one then turn it into a dirty laundry bag. Pack for the rest of the trip in the second bag.

We have come in on the weekend and stayed downtown then moved to the Strip. Mostly because Fremont is cheaper on Fri/Sat nights and we like to spend some time downtown anyway.

Consider splitting with off-Strip like the Rio. It's not an MGM property, has a nice pool, and provides a bit of a different experience than on the Strip. Or even Gold Coast, Sam's Town, etc.

 

We go for a minimum 14 nights and usually do 4 hotels in that time. With 15 trips under our belt we have a lot of experience of hotel hopping.

Don't do it for less than 3 nights, it's not worth packing and repacking. Packing takes 20 minutes as you are taking everything in the room with you, not like packing at home at all.

Leave the better hotel for last, don't downgrade.

Ask for a late check out at the first hotel as you usually get an hour FOC which hopefully means more rooms ready at the second hotel.

The quickest we have done it is 20 minutes room to room from the Carriage House to Paris. The worst was trying to check into Harrah's at 12.30 and the room not being ready till after 4pm. In hindsight we should have cleared off rather than hang around checking if the room was ready.