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Harrah's- or Bally's or Planet Hollywood?

Discussion in 'LV Strip Hotels' started by Earthman, Apr 5, 2015.

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  1. Earthman

    Earthman Tourist

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    Hello,
    I've recently booked a room at Harrah's for the first time, arriving on the second Monday in June and leaving on Thursday. I'm wondering if I've made the right choice. We've tried staying at the Flamingo, which was adequate but underwhelming; we loved the service when we stayed at Caesar's, but the table limits were high and there was too much hiking involved. I'm considering switching my reservation from Harrah's to either Bally's or Planet Hollywood. What can you tell me about these factors which will influence my decision? Specifically;


    1) Table limits - the only table game I'm looking for is $5 craps, and mostly on weekday mornings. Will I have any luck finding that at any of the CET properties, or should I just go downtown?

    2) Overall casino vibe - of the three I'm considering, I've only spent time in the casino at Harrah's, and it felt a bit cramped and crowded to me with the low ceilings and the high traffic. I've walked through Bally's once - seemed OK at first impression - and I don't think I've ever been in Planet Hollywood. How would you compare the three?

    3) We enjoyed the spa at Caesar's - does anyone have any experience with the spas at the other three?

    4) Noise - we would prefer to be as far away from the "oontz" as possible, so any advice as to which rooms would be quieter would be very welcome!

    5) Is there anything else you think I should know when making this decision?

    Thanks,
    Earthman
     
  2. wishman35

    wishman35 VIP Whale

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    If you are trying to avoid the oontz then I would say Planet Hollywood should be avoided. No clubs on property per say but the casino gets a little "bangin" towards night. It is definitely geared towards a younger clientele.

    I think both Ballys and PHo have Mandara spas so the experience is likely similar. I know PHo still has Aladdin decor in their spa so that should give you an idea that none of the three have the experience Caesars will offer.

    $5 minimum wise I would say Ballys is definitely the safest bet. Harrahs has them sometimes but Harrahs gets a lot traffic from people property hopping and the craps tables are always busy and regularly $10.

    Overall I would recommend Ballys based on your criteria. Get a Jubilee room and you will have a nice room.
     
  3. waverunner

    waverunner ------VEGA$------

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    I agree with wishman in your case. Bally's is quieter overall. I stayed at PHO twice in 2014, i'm older than the usual clientele but i always spend most of my time staying and playing at Paris/PHO/Bally's.
    I'll be staying at Bally's in June (Bally's is where i stay a lot), but i hardly gamble there, just personal preference. I also would suggest staying in a Jubilee room as well. You can also park at the Bally's/Paris lot.
    The pool, although nothing fancy, does has one of the deepest pools on the Strip.
    Bally's has a Food Court and Sports Book next to each other and on the way to pool.
    I love staying at Bally's, i have stayed in the North Towers and South, however, never stayed in Jubilee rooms, i will probably use the $20 trick to get one because of the Fridge.
    The 24 hour Java Coast coffee shop is nice to have around right above the Casino across from the check in desk and the TR rewards desk (if you have one), is conveniently next to Java Coast (although the hours vary).
    Also just outside is the Bazaar Mall. I may check out and see if Wahlburger's is open yet when i get there.
     
  4. vegasvic

    vegasvic VIP Whale

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    IMHO PH is the best of the 3. With Bally's next. Harrah's still feels like the Holiday Inn it once was.
     
  5. BCMike

    BCMike VIP Whale

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    Agree that PH is the best out of the 3 but not up his alley. It's got alot of oontz and I don't think I've ever seen $5 craps there.
     
  6. newmans

    newmans VIP Whale

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    I find Harrah's to be smoky with the low ceilings. You'll find $5 craps tables early morning at Bally's, Paris and PH during the week.
    The PH casino has a more lively vibe than Bally's.

    They play 70s music in PH in the morning (I think after 6am).
     
  7. gradytripp

    gradytripp High-Roller

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    I've stayed (and played) quite a bit at Bally's and PH.

    I agree with the previous poster; during the mornings I've seen $5 craps at Bally's for sure. Maybe even weekday afternoons, especially in the summer?

    Bally's is pretty low-key (some would say dull, I wouldn't). I always just feel very comfortable there (I'm a teacher, in my mid-40s). PH is redder, hipper but not as hip as Cosmo. I've played blackjack with 20-year old college students and 85-year-old Canadians.

    My wife liked the spa at PH (the only one we have direct experience of). One nice thing there is you can take the elevator from your room's floor to the spa floor, and not have to go through the casino. On the other hand, if you stay at the Jubilee tower at Bally's, you'll have to walk through the casino and then quite a bit further to get to the Bally's spa.

    I've only stayed in the Indigo tower at Bally's--no noise issues. At PH, we had a strip-facing Hollywood Hip room, and sometimes could hear music from the Cosmo pool at night. Nothing major.

    I'm a big fan of both Bally's and PH. Bally's is my go-to spot for guys' trips; my wife and I had a good time at PH. I'd classify them as both pretty middle-of-the-road, definitely a notch above Harrah's (although I've not stayed at Harrah's). You might have more $5 crap games in the Bally's area than PH. With the closing of Tequila Bar at Bally's, though, I'd say I like the food options at PH better (GR BurGR, Earl of Sandwich, Pin-Up Pizza, Lobster Me in the Miracle Mile mall). You might ask yourself what kind of vibe you want, walking out of the elevator into the casino: relaxed and casual (Bally's) or a bit hipper and redder (PH).
     
  8. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    As others have said,PH is the best of the three.
    If you mean noise in your room from the clubs,PH is also the best.
    Although Ballys does not have the club vibe,the rooms on the North side will hear street noise and oontz from Drais at the Cromwell.
     
  9. Darreningreenwood

    Darreningreenwood Low-Roller

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    I'll go with everyone above; PH is a little bit above the other two on the CET scale, but the rooms at Bally's are nice, and good sized. Harrah's used to be an old Holiday Inn, with the rooms to match. I like the casino better at Bally's than Harrah's for the reasons mentioned above, and I've always had the opinion that the casino floor at PH seems a bit tight. Everything feels like it's been crammed into PH, and machines put into spaces where it seems like they had a little bit of space to do nothing else with.

    Of course, I'm staying at PH in a few weeks, but that's mainly to help satisfy my goal of staying at every hotel on the strip. :thumbsup:

    Edit: I'll also mention that I've found a lot of $5 craps at Bally's my last few trips, even in the 8pm-1am time range. They have more craps tables than Harrah's; at least it seemed that way my last trip.
     
  10. wishman35

    wishman35 VIP Whale

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    Planet Hollywood is definitely the "best" because I think it has the 'pow' right in your face Vegas energy some crave compared to Ballys & Harrahs - but in the grand scheme of things they all have detractors. All 3 have mediocre pools, all 3 are not known for good views (Harrahs awkward building, PHo small windows, and Ballys tower locations), all 3 are not exactly dining destinations (outside of Burgr). Harrah's rooms might have the Holiday Inn feel but their Premium/upgraded rooms are actually pretty damn nice with the TV in the bathroom. Planet Hollywood rooms are known to be a bit dark and leave some to be desired.

    If I was a fan of Carnival Court and the area surrounding Harrah's - I would go that route. If you like to be on the Bally's side of the strip - go that route. If you want that POW - lets hit the party pit, grab an Earl of Sandwich - do PHo :)
     
  11. Earthman

    Earthman Tourist

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    Wow - so many well-informed opinions! I love this place! Many thanks to everyone for their kind replies. It seems evident to me that Bally's is the best choice for us this trip - now I just need to convince Earthgirl.

    wishman35, I've only been to the spa at Caesar's (and only once so far), so I had to google "Mandara spa". Neither the Wikipedia entry nor the company's own website were particularly helpful. Can you tell me anything about it, or maybe point me somewhere? Thanks!

    gradytripp, I'm also a teacher in my mid-40s (which is pretty much why I try to stick to the $5 craps), and I consider a trip to Vegas during the week after we get out to be a form of therapy. Having a light at the end of the tunnel helps me keep my cool with the little darlings as summer approaches. I always seem to meet other teachers there doing the same thing - I wonder why no casino has tried to market this? Maybe we need to organize somehow...

    Thanks again,
    Earthman
     
  12. newmans

    newmans VIP Whale

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    The spas at both Paris and PH are operated by Mandara (a seperate company). I don't think the Bally's spa is Mandara. The Caesars Qua spa is far superior to the spas at any of the other Vegas CET properties.
     
  13. LV_Bound

    LV_Bound VIP Whale

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    You should have 3 options. Ballys, Paris and/or PH.

    1) Table limits - the only table game I'm looking for is $5 craps, and mostly on weekday mornings. Will I have any luck finding that at any of the CET properties, or should I just go downtown?

    All 3 usually will have $5 tables. More often though Ballys will have $5 table.

    2) Overall casino vibe - of the three I'm considering, I've only spent time in the casino at Harrah's, and it felt a bit cramped and crowded to me with the low ceilings and the high traffic. I've walked through Bally's once - seemed OK at first impression - and I don't think I've ever been in Planet Hollywood. How would you compare the three?

    PH has the better vibe.


    3) We enjoyed the spa at Caesar's - does anyone have any experience with the spas at the other three?

    Nope.

    4) Noise - we would prefer to be as far away from the "oontz" as possible, so any advice as to which rooms would be quieter would be very welcome!

    PH definitely the loudest.

    5) Is there anything else you think I should know when making this decision?

    We tend to stay at PH and bounce between PH, Paris and Bally. Between the 3 you have plenty of options in terms of vibe, gambling and food.
     
  14. IanP22

    IanP22 Tourist

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    I've stayed at all 3, and did not have issues with any of them, with each of them having their positives and negatives. Based upon your criteria, I think Ballys might be the best choice for you. I think they are the most likely to have $5 craps, and I like that they are connected to Paris (another casino my friends and I enjoy playing in).

    I enjoy the vibe of the PH casino, but it has been difficult to get drinks in a timely manner in my experience (not a problem that I have had at either Harrahs or Ballys) and I find the table limits a bit high for my liking (agree with others that it will be difficult if not impossible to find a $5 craps table there).
     
  15. Dr Nostron

    Dr Nostron VIP Whale

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    Strip house at PH one of most underrated steakhouses on strip
     
  16. Earthman

    Earthman Tourist

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    Thanks everyone - I just switched my reservation to a Jubilee tower room at Bally's. I really appreciate all of the advice! If you have any more advice, including anything about shows or restaurants, I would be very interested.

    Thank you,
    Earthman
     
  17. jrinct1

    jrinct1 VIP Whale

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    I am not a big fan of Ballys.. but that would get my call based on what your criteria is.
     
  18. GoGrizz

    GoGrizz Tourist

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    IMOP, PH is the best of the three. The "Miracle Mile" is decent for shopping and has a variety of places to eat at. Speaking of places to eat, you can't go wrong with the Earl of Sandwich.
     
  19. jgates8

    jgates8 VIP Whale

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    Just stayed at Ballys Jubilee a few months ago. I really enjoyed it. (Course I didn't have a problem in the North Tower either). In a Jubilee room, the refrigerator is hidden in the dresser behind a door. The safe I believe was in the nightstand drawer (bad when I didn't win enough to worry about using it). I had to actually send pics to BFF because she couldn't find the fridge.

    The casino in Ballys to me is a bit more open & normally quieter than PH in the evenings. That being said, a couple of the nights I was there the pit area in front of the cage & high limit area was LOUD. So loud I actually went over to Paris instead. They have a party area there now also. At PH I always carry earplugs in the evening as I like to play there, however I get screaming headaches from the noise.

    At either PH or Ballys you are only a 10 minute walk from the other - with Paris in between. It's a simple stroll to reach the other one. (For me more like 15 since I'm so short lol).

    As of a few weeks ago, all the CET props had free public wi-fi in the lobby areas. Guess it started about 6 weeks ago? Still a charge in the rooms, however at least in some of the Flamingo rooms if you connected in the lobby you could still pick that up when in the room.
     
  20. aznbobbo00

    aznbobbo00 Newbie

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    I've stayed at all 3. Harrahs was a total dump. Ballys is ok bc its at the four corners of the middle of the strip and price is inexpensive, but I'd say PHo without a doubt. The vibe is young, great selections of restaurants, yet still close enough to either side of the strip (south and north).
     
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