Vegas opinions

Having been there once, I can formulate the following opinions about it.

A)It's smaller than I expected. After seeing Vegas on TV and movies thousands of times, I expected the strip to be longer and wider. I didnt go to any off-strip casinos though.

B)Downtown area. I didnt care for it much. Yes, it got cleaned up, but still resembles out of the way areas of Atlantic City. I did not like the lazer show at all; it was noisy, boring, and pointless. The area seems to be preferred by bikers from all gangs, from Hell's Angels to Mongols, etc.
Hotel rates are lower than on strip, and I see why.

C)I stayed at The Excalibur 5 nights. The buffet was good, much better than Trop's, and drinks were free.
I got annoyed by the resort offers, and salesmen asking such as where you from , etc.
We got offered a good price on a tour of the Grand Canyon by a Mexican right outside. He took our room#. Someone called us in the morn, and said bus is driving by. Ok, so we checked it out, looked legit, we paid $89.
Got there ok. Tour was good.
There are less drunks and offers for girls at the end of strip, less crowds, more space on bus, so I would stay in that area again.

D)As for the casinos... or as some people like to refer to them, properties. I am from NYC, and was in Italy, so did not waste time on NYNY, nor Venetian, nor Paris or any fake architecture. I do not like fakery; I like the real thing.
The fountain show at the Bellagio did not impress me, but did the others. The Chihuly glass installations were good. The tree-man was fun.

I like A.C. in the Summer, as the breeze comes off the ocean, and you could swim, and get back to "gaming". I would stay away from Vegas June-Sept. Maybe, I'll check out the New Year's in Vegas.

I did not see any shows, but having seen Cirque de Soleil many times on TV wouldnt waste $100 on it. As for Copperfield or Dion, seen both too many times on TV, as well as Cher, so no go for me. Chris Angel just
bores me, and Penn&Teller are a cliche. If Santana playes there, maybe. In fact, tickets for anything are cheaper in AC and MSG.

Overall, if I have the time, and I get a good rate, and a good band is playing Vegas, and it's anywhere from 70-85F, I would go to Vegas.

 

Not even sure what to say. Thanks for sharing?

 

Well that sucks!! Guess Vegas just isn't the place for you.

 

Huh? OK?

 

Well, since you gave your opinon after one visit, good on you.
I don't look at Las Vegas the way you do but to each his/her own.

BTW...Santana has been playing on and off for a while at the House of Blues, Las Vegas and started his(?) residency on May 2.
You might want to check that out.

http://www.houseofblues.com/

 

You obviously missed Big Elvis.Bummer.

 

Glad I saw this in time to cancel my trip!

 

Funny, that pretty much sums up how I feel about NYC and Italy.

I can't even imagine getting in a bus recommended by someone on the street who called my room, wow. Glad you made it there and ... more importantly...back.

diane

 

hahahaha!

 

For someone who's last 17 posts only seem to correct other's I have to question your sanity or applaud your intestinal fortitude for posting this little gem.

 

Let's keep it polite and civil folks...

The original post is Gomar's view on his trip. Vegas isn't for everyone, but I appreciate him posting his opinions.

 

Yeah, some people fall in love with the place after one visit, others don't... hopefully you still had a good time overall though.

You didn't miss anything by not going to any off strip casinos. Most people that go to them do so for the cheaper gambling and sometimes better rules at games like video poker and less 6/5 blackjack. But most off strip casinos are just little boxes o' gambling.

Hmm... never really saw bikers down there myself.

Downtown is cheaper to stay at than on The Strip... but thats pretty much obvious if you compare a luxury resort to a smaller and older hotel.

I think I did like 7 trips in a row at that end of The Strip. The center of The Strip has a lot more of the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas, but I like the gaming options at the south end myself.

Those guys taking info for tours its generally OK to ask them to call you in the morning with the option but I'd never give them, some random guy on the sidewalk just standing there, any credit card info.

From reading your thoughts on Las Vegas I would strongly suggest against going for New Years Eve.

And yes pretty much from late June to late August Las Vegas heat can feel like a blast furnace blowing in your face...

There are a huge number of people that go to Las Vegas and never see the shows.

Yeah I would say it sounds like Las Vegas really isn't for you. But you are in NYC so Atlantic City isn't too far off.

 

It sounds like you have been to AC enough to take away the things I fell in love with the first time I went to Vegas. My only experiences with casinos were those on reservations around my home. It was a place where people went to smoke and spent $40 after a day of work.

My first impression was how massive each casino was. The only ones I had seen before then were 1 story and you could see all 4 walls in most places in the casino. The strip looked small and then felt massive when it took 10 minutes to walk across 2-3 casinos.


Downtown certainly isn't for everyone. The properties down there clearly cater to smaller gamblers. I have to assume there are budget properties in AC as well that you probably avoid. It is nice in Vegas that it is extremely easy to avoid it if you are not a fan.

 

Yeah, I thought the TR was kinda cool because it's so different.

Anyway, I totally understand why someone doesn't like Vegas. Its not for everyone.

 

While I kind of rolled my eyes at the "saw it on tv and didn't want to waste my money" attitude, I enjoyed this posting. This could have been posted by several of my friends and relatives. Vegas simply isn't for everyone and it is refreshing to read this point of view, instead of report after report of the same old trip.

I didn't quite get someone not liking Bellagio's fountains when I could watch them all night long. But then I thought about it. Yes, during the day, it's really no big deal. sometimes the song selection leaves something to be desired. So I guess if you catch it then it would appear to be kind of boring, especially when you have read so much about it. But having a glass of wine sitting on a patio overlooking the fountains, and the sun is going down, the strip lights are coming on, and then the fountains blast off, THAT is heaven.

Plus, in my humble opinion, anyone staying at the castle for their first trip would get bad mojo from the get go.

Thanks for posting OP.

 

Vegas isn't for everyone. In regards to the fountain show and the size of the strip...perhaps the OP did so much research that he expected more than what he experienced. I know for a fact that many things touted as "must sees" are in actuality things I think are lame...maybe a little too much research before the trip for the poster.

Upon arriving at Niagra Falls after an 8 hour drive we got to our view room and the first thing my husband said was..." yep, it's a hole with water". For some people things just don't live up to the hype.

Thanks for taking the time to write a report.

 

I thought the same thing about the Grand Canyon. Yes, it was pretty, but I walked away thinking...and saying, lol. "its a hole in the ground".

 

The beauty of the original post is that there are other vacation/gaming destinations for the poster to choose from.

Vegas isn't for everyone (thank goodness!).

 

Does CET have any properties that are oceanfront? I thought perhaps AC was, but after looking at pics yesterday, doesn't appear to be.

 

About the only thing I find troubling with the OP is the "fakery" comment. Having been to the Eiffel Tower a couple of times, seen the canals of Venice, and tossed a coin in Trevi Fountian, being in Vegas and seeing their version of them takes me back and adds to my immersion of being on vacation and adds to the illusion and Fantasy of it all. It isn't Vegas being "fake" about it, but more of an homage to the source material that helps the type of feeling that I described.

Of course all of that is simply my humble opinion.