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Review of my stay at the Quad

Discussion in 'LV Strip Hotels' started by makikiboy, Mar 18, 2013.

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  1. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    Review of my Quad stay.

    Be forewarned, a lot of comments made on VMB about the quad are pretty spot on. The place isn't that great a place to stay (cleanest, etc.) but right now it's one of the cheapest places on the strip. The check in line at the quad was obscenely long most of the day. The line started forming on Friday before 3 pm and check in started at 4 pm. From 4 pm to 10 pm the line never went down, there were probably 50 - 100 people waiting in line at any given time and the line went toward the fat tuesday bar. It took me over an hour to go through the line and get my room key. Also beware, if you want some specifics such as non smoking or king bed it might be best to do it before you get there because it is a crap shoot if those things will be available when you check in. I still noticed 20+ people in line at midnight and 12:30 am. (see my notes below for faster check in). I am not sure if the long lines were because it was NASCAR weekend or if the Quad lines are always this long.

    I had reservations for the classic room but when I got to the counter there were limited rooms available, mostly smoking. the girl was nice to offer me an upgrade for $11 a night to a non smoking king bed suite, which I took since I did not want a smoking room. It was overlooking the pool area (luckily it was too cold to have anything out at the pool). I got in line about 5 pm and didn't get my room key until 6:15 pm.

    As others have previously mentioned, the place is a real maze of corridors. When you get to your room, walk around the hall to see if there are elevators closer to your room. I found a bank of elevators right around the corner of my room. It went down the back side and ended up on the second floor. from there I had to take an escalator down to the first floor but it was way faster than taking the main elevators which was usually busy. It was also closer going that way to get to the parking structure and the pool.

    The room was the standard type of room. there was a deadbolt on the door and also a security latch. Once on the latch could not be opened from the outside, if the door opens the hook moves down the latch and is impossible to open unless forced (no way could someone from the outside undo the latch as it wasn't the chain type). The only problems I could see with the door is if the occupant didn't use the deadbolt or latch the door properly (put the latch on all the way). I am not sure about other rooms but I had no security issues with my room and the entry door. The room was relatively clean, did notice a hair or two on the bathroom floor but otherwise had no issues with the room. There was a small balcony outside my room but no door to get to the balcony. Guess I could have climbed to get out to the baclony and I noticed a beer bottle and cig butts so guess someone either sat on the window sill or went out on the small balcony (about 1 1/2 feet wide). I locked my window since I noticed that someone could easily climb between balconies to get to another room. There was no safe or refrigerators in the room.

    The casino itself is undergoing renovations so isn't very nice or big. machines are still in the area by the check in counter but the tables are all around the corner on the south side of the casino. there is a lot of construction in the front of the hotel and along the sides near the carnival court as it by the south side of the entrance. I thought the prices of the buffets were high for a "lower quality" buffet, best to pay a few bucks more and visit the paris buffet IMHO.

    Notes to make your stay better:

    There are 2 basic check in lines at the Quad (in addition to the diamond club line). One is the standard line and the other is for people who have the Quad (CET I guess) players card. some people actually went to get a players card to get into the other line. The other line was a bit shorter, others who left my line probably were processed about 15 minutes sooner but since I was by myself I didn't want to take the chance as I heard that there was a line at the player's card booth.

    Parking. the Quad parking lot is a mess and difficult to navigate and when it rains the entry way gets swamped. you end up going around and around to find a parking space. in the later evenings there was no parking available yet everyone was going around and around looking for a stall. Here's a hint (you didn't hear it from me): park in harrahs' parking lot. the lot is easy to get in and out and easy to traverse. there is a walkway to the monorail station that is connected to both the quad and harrahs. You can park on another floor at harrahs and take their elevator to the floor with the monorail station. From there it was easy to get to the Quad and into the hotel. After the first time I always parked in Harrahs to avoid the Quad parking situation. It was also easy to roll my bags over to harrahs and I basically avoided the quad parking altogether.

    Overall my stay at the Quad was satisfactory except for check in. I would consider staying elsewhere to avoid the check in line but if the rates were low I would stay at the Quad again and endure the long wait at the checkin lines. I cannot see them raising their rates after their renovations unless they vastly improved their check in procedures or increased staff for check in. As everyone has mentioned, this place is on the low end of strip hotels in terms of hotel, rooms and service but I got what I paid for ($60 a night for a busy NASCAR weekend stay). I really cannot see them charging a lot more after they complete their renovations as the place won't go up much in star ratings even after the renovate the place IMHO.
     
  2. JWVegas

    JWVegas Tourist

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    just curious......did you eat at the Quad buffet and if so, have they improved it with the renovations? We ate there several years ago and it was just average. We ate there 2 years ago and swore that was the last time....dry tasteless food. Any improvements??
     
  3. realjwstorm

    realjwstorm Tourist

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    I also stayed at the Quad from 2/24 to 3/4 .. Deluxe room .. asked for an upper strip view floor and got room 1579 (was right under the H in THE QUAD sign on the tower).

    Room was very clean, carpet wasn't stained, bed was nice n comfy, I was surprised .. I've heard A LOT of the rooms are very tired, but this wasn't at all ..

    I personally liked the look of the new casino, which opened halfway through our stay. Most however, have shit on it saying it's just plain and boring. I like the lighting and the simplicity of it. It's WAY better than the old casino.

    I didn't try the buffet at the Quad, opted for better places (Bacchanal at Ceasar's, Cravings at Mirage, Secret Pizza at Cosmo, etc, etc) ..

    We checked in on a Sunday, right after 4 PM, no line, flew through it like a breeze ..

    Oh and total cost of the stay $188 for 8 nights!
     
  4. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    Very nice report! Well done...
     
  5. lucky13

    lucky13 Low-Roller

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    ok ....stupid question , if parking was such a hassle , why not use the valet parking ?
    oh oh maybe they do not have valet parking !
    i will be there in 2 weeks , heres hoping check in doesnt take for ever .....god i kinda wished i had picked somewhere else
    i realize the quad is a low end place and my expectations are set accordinly , but i really want valet parking for the rental car and a reletivly quick check in ....we will see what happens
     
  6. Reston

    Reston VIP Whale

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    Another CET property, Flamingo, has for a long time specialized in ridiculously long and slow check-in lines at well. That was my go-to property many years ago, but I remember after two trips with lengthy, dysfunctional check-in I said adios and have never returned.

    This is a relatively easy issue for a hotel to solve, so the message I get is "we don't care."
     
  7. eksantirik

    eksantirik High-Roller

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    I totally understand someone who is paying for the room, staying at The Quad as it's dirt cheap and in the middle of the strip. On my first Vegas trip, I stayed at Hooter's due to a dirt cheap price. It sucked, but it was a great deal.

    But you mentioned about Diamond check-in line. Why would anyone who is a Diamond card holder stay at Quad? I mean these people can get whatever CET property as comped, right? It kinda seems ironic to me to have Diamond check-in line at this hotel, they should really love those low-key Diamonds, who are spending a fortune at the casino.
     
  8. sammasseur

    sammasseur VIP Whale

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    Try reading "HEADS IN BEDS", an expose of the hospitality industry, written by a former valet who worked his way up through the ranks. You'd never use valet again, either for your own car or a rental. Valets are generally very bored, looking for amusement, get resentful of poor tipping (they expect tips both at drop-off and pick-up), are undereducated and have little respect for the property of others, which temporarily becomes their toys. They commonly have drug and alcohol problems, which lead to financial problems, and cover up each others' misdeeds.

    :nono:
     
  9. Dewey089

    Dewey089 VIP Whale

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    So all the hype and all the fancy entrances and all the photos of the liquor store and they still have not solved the biggest problem, the long check in. Thanks for letting me know. I'm going to rethink if I want to stay there at all.
     
  10. Cowgo

    Cowgo Tourist

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    I'm about as low a roller as there is and never get comps, but I've gotten several offers from the Quad for 2 free nights and $50 in chips. I took them up on it for my April trip. Can't complain about free, but hope they resolve the check in process. Thanks for the tips on the players card and 2nd floor elevator.
     
  11. Wanger1969

    Wanger1969 Iowa Nice

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    Very nice report, thank you for sharing. I'm headed there in a little over two weeks and its nice to hear the updates. I've stayed there several times before, so I know 100% what to expect. I'm looking forward to seeing the casino renovations.

    AND....even I, who am a defender of the IP/Quad, will NOT eat at their buffet. For the price, there are so many options for just a few bucks more. And its hours are very odd. They should close it down and use the space for some other establishment.
     
  12. Username

    Username VIP Whale

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    I believe the OP checked in on a Friday during rush hour for checking in......this is why you and some others experienced a longer then usual wait at the QUAD/IP.....and this can be experienced at most any casino at 5pm on a FRIDAY/SATURDAY....check in on Sun/Mon and you will probably encounter no line at all.

    BTW does the QUAD have the Dealertainers that the IP had.....we had a BLAST with those dealers and they were always dealing at $5 BJ tables....hard to beat mid strip or for that matter ANYWHERE on the strip.
     
  13. lucky13

    lucky13 Low-Roller

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    you have stayed there several times....is there a "best" time to check in ?
    i will be arriving about 4 pm , should i check in asap or wait a few hrs?
    i have stayed there twice last time back in 2009
    wasnt too bad , got a room above the carnival court this was the only bad thing , moved to another room the next day
    all i want is a quiet room close to elevators .....
     
  14. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    after having bad experiences with valets before (scratched once and damaged my rental car another time, bad service, broke the key! etc.) and being a cheap SOB (lol), I hardly use the valet anymore. I'm in relatively good shape so I just hoof it by myself. To tell you the truth I didn't want to enter via lvb, such a mess and came from the back side.


    I walked to the quad buffet and saw the price. After reading prior reviews I didn't think it was worth spending that much money and thought that it would have been worth spending a few more bucks to instead eat at the paris village buffet.


    actually the rooms did look better than the last time I was there. carpets looked new and had no stains, walls and furnishings looked in good shape and didn't look like they needed any painting or changing. I can't say if they were recently renovated but to me they looked in good shape. You also have to understand that I paid a little more for a suite (didn't want a smoking room which were the only standard classic rooms available so I paid for the $11 a night upgrade) so I think those rooms were in better shape than the standard rooms. I can't say about the standard classic rooms, hopefully someone else will stay in those rooms and give us a review. But just hearing "classic" rooms makes me think of old and worn and tired rooms that haven't been renovated but since I didn't see the rooms I can't comment on the condition of those rooms.

    lucky, I'm not sure if there is a "good" time to check in but you have to understand that the specific rooms (such as non smoking, king bed, good view, etc.) could be taken early or were being saved for the "tippers". You could play it by ear, go at 4 (when check in starts) and if there is a long line come back later but there is no guarantee that the line will be shorter. IMHO, probably best to get it over with, maybe go at 5 and hope that the initial crowd thins out by then.
     
  15. ItsJustMe

    ItsJustMe Low-Roller

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    Thank you for your detailed review.:peace:
     
  16. skybank

    skybank High-Roller

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    Thanks for the update.

    How do you get to the new valet of the Quad? From Koval?
     
  17. chef

    chef Resident Buffetologist

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    I stayed there from Feb 24-28.
    With my player's card (lowest level), my nightly rate was $12. That was deciding factor in staying there, along with location.
    I arrived at close to midnight and was fortunate to check in within minutes. However, about 30 seconds after I got in line, a group of 30 people suddenly showed up behind me. The Quad seemingingly is always busy at check-in time. It goes with the territory, so to speak.
    Had a deluxe (basically the same thing as a classic) king bed room facing the construction of ferris wheel. Bed was adequate, which is biggest concern for me. Room was quiet, as I requested to be away from Carnaval Court.
    Bathroom was Super-8 quality. I even used the tub three times and it felt great. Each time, I had been out running 10-12 miles in somewhat chilly weather and the hot water was exactly what I needed.
    At the time, I thought, 'can't believe I'm laying in an IP tub, but does it ever feel good'.
    Instead of main elevator, found a back elevator by room that worked better.
    Agree about the maze of hotel hallways and stairways and parking garage, though I didn't have car this time.
    For what I paid and the convenience to the rest of the center Strip, I was pleased with my stay. Another thing that helped was not having any expectations. This was my third or fourth time here and knew upfront what I was getting into. Actually, my expectations were surpassed.
     
  18. Pilotlg

    Pilotlg Tourist

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    Does anyone have an updated floor plan with the renovations? I'd be interested in seeing how the flow changed
     
  19. wndrwmn71

    wndrwmn71 Low-Roller

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    I'm sorry, nothing will convince me to stay at the Quad. I would never consider staying at the IP & wont change my mind just because the name did. I am a LOW roller, but will gladly pay $100/night for a room, and adjust my budget accordingly.

    Being in the military, I've adapted to a lot of austere and downright terrible living situations, but I'll be damned if I do that on VACATION.

    For a cheap room, I'll stay at the Gold Coast or Rio, GN, Harrah's, Flamingo, Bally's, etc. not the Quad. Probably never.
     
  20. runningonthehub

    runningonthehub VIP Whale

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    I ate there a few weeks ago and it is still a below average buffet. Breakfast and brunch are basic meals. There is nothing outstanding about the limited menu. I also think it is overpriced for what is offered. You can do better by going elsewhere.

    Since they only serve two meals a day and don't draw many diners at either meal, they should just close the buffet and begin the re-model. They have nothing to lose.
     
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