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Very long question

Discussion in 'LV Strip Hotels' started by spauls, Feb 25, 2013.

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  1. spauls

    spauls Tourist

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    Hi All,

    My wife and I are headed to Vegas the first week of June. By then it will have been 1.5 years since the last time we went… but before that we were going every 8 or 9 months. It seems some things have change and we are trying to figure out what we should do. We like to do Vegas “on the cheap”… sorry frugal, as it leaves more money for gambling. We always stayed at Bally’s, the $20 trick always got us a suite(lucky I guess), no resort fees and the room was free to $40 a night. Now the room is $60 a night + a resort fee? The main detraction from Bally’s is that Bills is closed… Bills is where we spent 50% of our time.

    I’m looking for some ideas on what to do, this being our 10th anniversary I would like to make it special… we can afford to be more extravagant, but we have more fun being frugal. Below is too much information about what we like.

    Our typical stay…
    4 days

    Shows…
    ~1 show each day
    1 “big” shows (Circq, Headliner, Phantom)
    1 – 2 comedy clubs
    1 burlesque type show

    Food…
    1 – 2 buffet
    1 steakhouse
    KGB once
    As cheap, sorry frugal as possible for other meals

    Gambling… (4 – 8+ hours a day) – Goal is to have as many free drinks as we can in this time.
    Low limit blackjack ($5 is preferred)
    Low limit craps ($5 is preferred)
    Low limit video poker ($.05 or $.25)

    Other
    We enjoy spending a few hours each trip walking around the Mall in Planet Hollywood or Venetian.
    My wife likes laying by the pool 1 day… until she gets too burnt, then swares off of the pool for the rest of the trip.

    Room…
    We have been upgraded to a South tower suite in Bally’s 4 of the last 5 times we went… clean, large room, but very dated (which is not a problem). This is going to be our 10th anniversary, and I was thinking about trying for something nicer this time.

    Our last trip we went downtown, and enjoyed the night… until things slowed down. For some reason we think we are teenagers when we are in Vegas and stay up until 4 to 6 AM, and my wife felt a bit nervous walking around downtown as we went to catch the bus back. Also with a number of the things we like to do on the strip I was thinking of staying there, but may be open to suggestions. (our love of low limit gambling screams downtown, our love of shows says strip).

    Two last bits of info…
    1. For some reason when in Vegas, we like lively crowds... people getting excited, joking, friendly. We found some Casinos to be very sedate… (El Cortez) which is not what we are looking for.
    2. We started playing MyVegas last week and hope to earn some comps with that… not sure if we should do room, food, shows. But 90% of it puts us on the south end of the strip, and in June… I don’t think we will want to do long walks.

    PS. We have talked about renewing our vows, would prefer cheesy (think hangover). Any suggestions here?

    Thank you so much for your help,
    spauls
     
  2. Busyman

    Busyman VIP Whale

    Joined:
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    First off, book your Bally's stay before March 1st to avoid the resort fees. It sounds like you know when you're going so bam, no resort fees.

    Second, get a Buffet of Buffets 24-hour pass to potentially get 4 meals for $50 at CET properties (except Bally's).

    If you want steak, try Pampas Grill inside PH Miracle Mile Shops. There you'll get unlimited filet mignon, prime rib, and other meats.

    If you've been to Cirque before, perhaps try Le Reve at the Wynn. It's cheaper and...different with center stage/arena style seating (no bad seats).

    Check:
    Travelzoo
    Groupon (go through VMB if possible)
    Living Social
    Galavantier

    ....for deals. Make your city Las Vegas. I found stuff to do on there. If you have a smartphone, put the respective apps on your phone and you can put the deals right there, even your prepaid stuff.

    For buses, get a 3-day RTC pass for $20. The Deuce runs 24-hours a day up and down the strip and you can use the pass on other RTC buses like the SDX, CX, etc. This is great when you don't feel like walking....at anytime of night (at least on the strip). I'm assuming you aren't getting a rental car.
     
  3. spauls

    spauls Tourist

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    Thats great! I'll talk to my wife and see if she wants to do that.

    I'm not a big fan of the Buffet of Buffet option, our odd hours really doesn't fit with the Buffet schedules. We have done it twice and have suggested it to others, but not for us. Thanks for the info though.

    Thanks, We were thinking more of craftsteak, cut or prime this time... though Tender might be an option if we get it comped from the game.

    I'll check it out, thanks!

    Agree

    Nope... too much drinking in Vegas for that.


    Busyman, thank you so much for your post... you have some great suggestions. I was more looking for optional places to stay now that Bill's is gone and (I thought) Bally's would have a resort fee.

    Cheers,
    spauls
     
  4. Busyman

    Busyman VIP Whale

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    Yeah NO CET property has a resort fee IF you book before March 1st.

    Ballys
    Caesars
    Flamingo
    Paris
    Harrahs
    The Quad (NOOOO)
    Planet Hollywood
    Rio

    I personally like the Planet Hollywood/Cosmo area since it's...."busy" and full of bridges everywhere. Imo, it's the center of the strip....for now.

    I was just there 2 weeks ago.
     
  5. numeno

    numeno VIP Whale

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    Have you ever gambled at Casino Royal? To me it had a very similar feel as Bills. I don't play all that much at either just due to them not being in any major comp program. I've heard they have decent VP as well.

    Excal/Quad are the only other 2 places later at night that even have a chance at lower limits.


    If Casino Royal was an ok option, then you have Mirage/Venetian very close by. I know you wanted a frugal hotel but then you also said you might want something special. Is it worth an extra $200-$300 to stay in a nicer place?

    If you went with something down near Excalibur, MGM might be a decent option. I've never stayed at anything but regular rooms though on that side of the strip. The benefit here is that you have Excal/Luxor/NYNY all close which to me are more of the party atmosphere which you seem to want. Even PH/Cosmo aren't far from MGM.

    A lot of it really depends on your gambling requirements and how critical those low limits are to you(especially at night). $5 tables are just tough to find on the strip nowadays. Downtown has a lot more options for lower limits. I haven't been in there for a long time but I've heard Hooters(down the road after MGM/Trop on Tropicana) has lower limits.



    As far as eating. There is a food court right between Casino Royal and Harrah's, and Casino Royal has some options too(Subway, ect..). Down by MGM you have a food court in Excalibur and a few cheaper options in NYNY.
     
  6. spauls

    spauls Tourist

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    Thanks for the suggestions and feedback. For now I reserved a Spa Suite at NYNY... Any feedback / info on these rooms would be great.

    Things like quality of room, are they typically on the upper floors?

    Thanks,
    spauls
     
  7. DebsterBrisbane

    DebsterBrisbane Newbie

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    Saw an idea earlier in the week for a cheesy wedding. The Kiss themed Monster Mini Golf does them. I'm not a Kiss fan at all, but if you were, or if you could tolerate them, it sounds like a lot of fun.

    http://www.monsterminigolf.com/kiss/chapel9.php
     
  8. reen1962

    reen1962 Low-Roller

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    Sounds like you are going to mourn the loss of Bill's. We do too!!! The previous posted options are very viable. Love the fish place in NYNY - huge portions. Look for coupons for Gallaghers Steakhouse at NYNY for a nice meal. Another website to check out is smartervegas.com - some nice deals there. Have a great time!
     
    It's Been Too Long 'Ol Friend! :-)
  9. Wanger1969

    Wanger1969 Iowa Nice

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    The Quad is always good for cheap gambling ($5 tables) at any time of the day. I found the Craps tables there to be lively and a lot of fun on our last visit. I do hope the remodel didn't ruin the mojo! As always, you can ALWAYS gamble cheap downtown. I've found Fremont to be one of the livelier casinos at all hours of the day. I also hear that The D is quite the fun place. I too love lively crowds!

    As far as cheap food on the strip, a good option is Ellis Island. (behind Ballys) There are also lots of chain places in food courts that will work in a pinch. I've been known to eat a hot dog or two from the Hawaiian Marketplace. Cheap and do-able. I've also heard of a taco place in Bally's. Never been, but I'll be hitting it up.

    Entertainment wise, I tend to be on the cheaper side. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about Carrot Top, and the tickets are only around $50 when purchased in advance. I am planning that on my next trip. Additionally, the piano bars are great for a fun evening. We've done Harrah's with the twin blondes. Had a blast. (I'm sure the $120 bar tab didn't affect that in any way)

    As far as a REALLY nice Steakhouse, I've heard Craftsteak is right up there. I'm a foodie who is fascinated by the high end celebrity chef restaurants. I've been to Delmonico and loved it, now want to try Craftsteak as well.

    Hope you have a GREAT trip!
     
  10. Tammy58

    Tammy58 Frugal Slot Jockey

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    youtube is great for room videos. Most of the hotels and different suites/rooms are up there.
     
  11. captainron62

    captainron62 VIP Whale

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    If you wanted to keep it cheap, sticking with Bally's and walking to Ellis Island would have been right up your alley. Cannot beat Ellis for value both with food and gaming.
     
  12. spauls

    spauls Tourist

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    Thank you! We were going to skip the renewing of vows... but looks like it might be back on!
     
  13. spauls

    spauls Tourist

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    Yea, my wife and I are really going to miss Bill's. After this trip, we might start doing downtown... and switch to only one day on the strip. I got a great deal on a Spa Suite in NYNY and I think we are going to stay there. I'll check out Gallaghers while there.
     
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