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Mirage & Wynn

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by Dean Martin, Jul 7, 2010.

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  1. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    My Trip Report

    We flew out last Tues for a 7 night Vegas trip and got home last night about 1am. To maximize free rooms, we moved mid trip. 3 nights at the Mirage on an offer I had in my Players Club on-line for 3 nights in a (Mirage) suite and 3 nights comp'd up front at Wynn, w/ the 4th at casino rate ($119). Our daughter who is 24, out of school and working came to join us for 5 nights and it was really fun to do a vacation w/ the 3 Muskateers again:beer: She loves Vegas and the pools like we do and now she is loving gambling too..:confused2:

    Flights - I still love SW as my preferred carrier. NS flights both ways out of Norfolk VA and great flight times. Plus, w/ their "no change fee" policy, we dicided at the last minute to come home Tues instead of our orig plan of Mon.

    Hotels - Mirage was nice. We were orig given a Mirage Suite on floor "A" that had not been remodeled. They're currently working all of the "Alpha" floors for renovation. There were so many things that did not work in the room, I can't list them all. I went down the first morning and started to tell them everything that was wrong and said (as nicely as I could in my pissed off state), "I want a new room, please". I told them that frankly, I was amazed they would even put anybody in that room. They apolagized and put us in a renovated Mirage Suite on the Tower Deluxe floors (24 & 25). The room was very nice, similar to the renovated rooms in decor but his/her bathrooms, nice living room area w/ a couch and a kick'n surround sound system you can plug your IPOD into if you have a cable w you. The Mirage pool is always crowded in the summer and to get a pool side chair, the line starts at 6am:rolleyes2: and the pool doesn't open till 8. If you don't mind sitting away from the pool, it's not too hard to get a seat if you're there when it opens. They have rental chairs ($25ea Mon-Thur and $50ea Fri-Sun) which seems to be the trend in Vegas these days (see my comments about Wynn below).

    The Wynn rooms and casino was top notch as usual. We got a suprise when we got to the Euro pool in the morning in that "all" poolside chairs at that pool are now rented in a pkg deal w/ the round beds for $500/day weekdays and $600 weekends....such a deal:confused2: Chairs were not hard to get out there, you just had to sit in the mid to back rows so it just depends what you like. I know the night clubs are a big revenue generator in Vegas but I'm more and more disappointed in the negative effect it has on the resort as a whole. I love to party too and was pretty wild when I was younger but some of these people take it to a new level. As in most cases in life, it's a small % overall that ruins things but that said, there are always some very rude and drunk and high :vomit:people at the hotel in the late evening and early mornings...I'll just leave it at that before I turn into a ****** myself:nono:. Oh yea, there were two seperate incidents just on our floor were some ****** bags destroyed the plants and the marble ash trays by the elevators. I don't care who you are or how old you are, that is bullshit.

    I love the Wynn & Encore other parts of the day but I'm thinking it's time for us to move to an off strip property that doesn't have a night club.

    Food - BLT Burger, CPK and Japonais at the Mirage....all excellent as usual. Stratta (sp?), Sinatra, Society Cafe (Encore) and the Wynn Cafe were all excellent too. Know that if you stay at either property, be prepared to spend lots of $$$$ for food anywhere other than Zoo-Za Crackers or the pool. We did have reservations for Barlotta (Encore) on the 4th and wanted to sit outside hoping to see some of the fireworks. We requested an outdoor seat when booking and they said it shouldn't be a problem. when we got there, they said the entire outdoor area was pre-booked by one party for a group. So...how is it you didn't know that about 12 hours earlier?:poke: The host guy was a bit of a prick about it so I was a prick too and told him we'll pass. Not that big of a deal in the scheme of life but I just didn't feel like paying their $200+ for dinner after his "I'm cool" atttitude:rolleyes2:

    Gambling - We played a lot at both properties but only generated 7000 points between the two of us at Wynn. We mostly play VP (and a little PGP and Roulette) and these days it's $9 bet for 1 point (for VP at Wynn). The host told me it's about 2800 points for a free room so she did good by us to comp us 3 nights which by the book, should have been 8400 points. It was a good trip... I hit a RF prog at the Mirage for about $1,150 and one at Wynn for $2000. Mrs Dino hit a RF prog at Wynn for $1,400+/-. We took $6k to gamble with and came home w/ $7k so how do you beat that?:beer:

    Transportation - The Mirage host gave us a comp pick up and we used the Concierge at the Wynn for a trip back to the airport. That was $69 incl tip and the guy was great....beat some of the grumpy cab drivers. Case in point; when we took a cab (w/ our bags) from Mirage to Wynn the day of the move, the cabby was sighing and huffing the whole way because he wasn't getting a fare to the airport. I guess these guys don't get the "tip" thing?:rolleyes2: I usually tip very generously in Vegas... I rounded up a $8 fare to $10 and hoped he got the clue. I know a lot of people would have stiffed the dick (no pun intended:wink2:).

    We really had a good trip :thumbsup:and hope my TR didn't come across as complaining but some of it, as they say "is what it is".

    I'm thinking more and more that RR or more trips to the Beau Rivage may be more up our alley.:beer: - Dino
     
  2. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    Good stuff, Deano! :thumbsup:

    Shame about the first room at Mirage and the d-bags at Wynn. Sounds like a good trip though - can't ever complain about bringing back more than you brought!:thumbsup:
     
  3. CaptainJack

    CaptainJack Low-Roller

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    Good report. I've spent many nights in the unremodeled alpha floor suites at Mirage. It always feels like a trip back to 1992. I was just wondering, if you don't mind me asking, how many pts you put on for your stay at Mirage? I moved on to Bellagio and Aria in the past couple years, but have been thinking about trying Mirage again to see the renovations. I think your action for Wynn was fine for a room comp...those numbers that the host gave are "off the street" numbers, IMO. In other words, I stroll in and play all day and want a room comp for the night, the host wants to see 2800pts before comping. Meanwhile, someone with a play history and an upfront comp offer has a play history and they know it's more of a sure thing you'll play and spend at the hotel during the stay.
     
  4. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    Jack - I think your analysis is spot on.... that's why I usually call ahead and ask for an upfront comp. They'll fudge it a bit when they know you stay, play and eat there like we do.

    In regards to the Mirage, we usually (my wife and I have a linked account) usually gather about 2500-3000 pts/day. I think the Mirage is $5 bet/point where as the Wynn is $9.
     
  5. Blonde_4_ever

    Blonde_4_ever LasVegas4ever.com

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    I can't believe they are charging for poolside chairs!
    It is amazing the new ways they find to screw people!

    Enjoyed the report!
     
  6. Tubbs

    Tubbs High-Roller

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    Excellent report thanks. You seem to be treated well by Mirage for your VP play. 2500-3000 pts/day is only around $11000-$14000 coin-in ($4.50 coin-in for 1 point at VP AFAIK).
     
  7. MikeE

    MikeE The Shah's Slightly Hairy Cousin

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    Loved the report as always. Looks like our trips overlapped by a day and I missed you. Bummer!

    Just a little insider tip: Wynn was hosting the Sultan of Brunei, his sons, and all their (many) wives and daughters during your stay. Hence why Bartolotta was probably booked last minute.
     
  8. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    Mike.....sorry we missed you too! We were sitting in the Lobby Bar having drinks and some light snacks and telling our daughter about meeting you there and what a nice guy you are and all the cool rooms you get:nworthy: I'm guessing you're correct about Bartolotta..I assumed it had to be somebody that was a big spender.

    I know you love the clubs and hope you weren't offended by my comment. As I said, I like to party and get buzzed as much as anybody... I just don't get the extreme rudeness of a few and the destruction of resort property we saw.
     
  9. Jimbucc

    Jimbucc VIP Whale

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    Glad to hear you two hit for three Royals, and progressives to add a little icing on the cake. A winning gambling trip is always so much fun. On our last trip my wife put $20 in on our last night at IP right before we went to bed. She hit a Royal for $1,000 to put us up for the trip.

    Didn't come off like you were complaining. Everyone needs to vent a little. I miss the old Vegas and even the Vegas from 10 years ago. The clubs are taking over and good gambling is harder to find.

    The siren still keeps calling me back, however. Thanks for the report.
     
  10. rlhendrix

    rlhendrix Low-Roller

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    You didn't miss much at Barolotta. We ate there a couple of years ago and the food was nothing spectacular (if that makes you feel better). I'm staying at the Mirage in November. You have me worried.
     
  11. Beach Crazy

    Beach Crazy Hostess With the Mostess

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    Nice tr Dino. Sorry to hear about your negative incidents, but it still sounds like you had an awesome trip. I'm really disappointed to here about the pools charging for chairs but I did figure it was just a matter of time. I use to tip the pool attendants and they would have a chair reserved for me but not $25 a day. When I was at Mandalay last month I noticed they were charging for chairs so I imagine most places are using the same practice. :cry: I'll be staying at Mirage in September and will make sure to ask for a remodeled suite, thanks for the tip!
     
  12. uconncraig

    uconncraig Low-Roller

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    Dean,
    Glad to hear that you had a winning trip. Was the remodeled suite the hideous (IMHO) lime green color depicted on the Mirage web site or was it a different and hopefully more subdued color scheme? How was the remodeled bathroom? The bar area?
     
  13. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    Beach - it really was a great trip. I don't dwell on the negative things or let them ruin a trip... there's always going to be a few glitches. It was more an observation and probably the beginning of a property change for my future trips.

    The big laggoon pool area is still all free but as you know, if you want a "good" chair, you need to get in line and do the "Mirage Race" when they open the gates at 8am:poke: I will say that if you're there on a weekday (when the chairs are $25 versus $50) we really found it worth the money. Some people will think I'm nuts for saying that but.... we really love our pool time and these chairs are nicely spaced apart unlike the usual "nuts to butts" arrangement at the rest of the pool. Plus the chairs have these really nice pads and covers on them. They also bring you free bottled water all day and the drink service is very personalized and frequent. In the scheme of the whole "Vegas" thing, $25 for 5 or so hours at the pool probably saves $500 from not being in the casino:drunk:

    You should be fine in Sept... they told me "all" suite floors are scheduled to be complete sometime in Sept. From the pool you could see almost all the suite floor rooms had the matresses up against the window and the curtains tied back or removed.

    Craig - The room we were in was much cooler than those (I totally agree btw) hideous green photos we've all seen. Our room was a much more subdued green and brown color mixture and the furniture was brown (couch) and green (chairs). The bathrooms were nice...they left the same shower and tile floors but re-caulked and in general cleaned them up to look like new and all of the sinks and counters were new. The one thing my wife didn't like was they took out the vanity area that was in the old design... she really liked that spot to sit and put on make up before going out. The wet bar area was what you'd expect, staying in line w/ the rest of the new decor they're using at the Mirage. I really liked the old design but it was so old and worn, they needed to do something. I'm just not a fan in general of most of the room and casino changes MGM has made since they bought the property.

    A few other notes I forgot:

    We went to see LOVE again because my daughter had not seen it and loved it as much as the 1st time...if you like the Beatles, a person could probably see that show numerous times and not get tired of it.:beer: If you're a hotel guest, you get 25% off for the 7pm show and 35% off for the later show (can't recall...it's 9 or 9:30).

    I wanted to check out City Center since there have been so many photos and reviews. It was uglier and colder than I had even thought. The whole place was just wierd and absolutely had NO Vegas vibe. My wife and 24 yr old daughter thought the same thing. We spent about 20 minutes there and was starting to get the heebie jeebies:confused2:so we headed to the walk way (thru Vadera) to get to the Bellagio and back to some real Vegas decor.:nworthy: We were going to have a drink at the outside Fontana Bar and watch the fountains for a while but they were using that inside area where they used to have bands set up, for a poker tournament and the outside bar area was closed:rolleyes2:

    There was a noticable difference in the casino at Encore versus Wynn....even on the 4th of July weekend. Encore was quiet and laid back and Wynn was much more hopping. Both nice in their own ways....just depends on your mood. I really like how Wynn set that up so you really have two different casinos and vibes to play in w/o going out for one of those Vegas 20 minute walks to get to the casino "next door"...:evillaugh
     
  14. uconncraig

    uconncraig Low-Roller

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    Thanks for the info Dean. I am glad that there are other color schemes.My wife will also miss the vanity seat. You are right, the old decor was great, but very very worn. Thanks again.
     
  15. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    No problem Craig....I should have taken photos but you know how it is when you're in town...:drunk: I actually liked it more than I thought I would...better than the renovated Tower Deluxe room decore if you've seen those.
     
  16. queentata

    queentata VIP Whale

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    Thanks for the report. Glad to hear you had a winning trip! I'm ready for one of those again!:) I agree with the DB's and the club scenes. I just wish they were more respectful. I would have loved to have the money to go to Vegas when I was younger, but I was raised to act better!

    I also think $25 would be worth it for a good chair, water and good service by the pool. We hope to be going back for New Year's Eve, and then again for Spring Break, as I'm in education. Love the pool time, but want to see what NYE is all about.
     
  17. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    Queentata - I agree on the chairs although some would say that is crazy:poke: For me, I'm pissing money away when in Vegas anyway so anythnig that makes my vacation more fun and easier ends up on my "to do list"..:beer:

    RLHendrix - I wouldn't be concerned about staying at the Mirage at all...regardelss of what kind of room you get, they will all be renovated by then. Plus it's still a very nice casino and probably one of the best hotels (IMO) for choices of reasonably priced food and location. The only negative (for me) is it's lost some of it's tropical ambiance w/ all the changes.
     
  18. Jinx

    Jinx VIP Whale

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    Dean, great report, and congrats on a winning trip. I have to agree with your comments on the pool scenes, I don't mind the party scene, but it only takes a couple to make it uncomfortable for the majority and they have to do a better job of managing this. I tend to agree with you, $25 for a chair isn't the worst thing in the world for a weekday, whille it seems silly to charge for a place to sit, it's not a blatant rip off, more for peace of mind, Luxor had some similar offerings (the complimentary water doesn't hurt either), I didn't take advantage of it, but came close on the second trip to the pool as it took me a while to find a lounger that wasn't filled (midday).
     
  19. vegasdrea

    vegasdrea Buckle Bunny

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    Great report Dino! I'm glad you had a nice time with the wifey and daughter :) I miss my dad :(



    FYI to all other board members about "renting" pool chairs. MOST of the properties that charge you for the chair charge X amount of dollars for the chair, BUT it's a MINIMUM to spend. So if they charge $50 for the chair you just have to basically spend $50 on food and beverage; you don't spend $50 bucks for the chair and pay extra for drinks or food. I've done it at numerous pools, it's actually not that bad if you are planning on staying at the pool the whole day to drink and eat.

    I think the biggest misconception people have is that they are going to get charged for the chair AND then have to pay for their booze. I would still check with the pools as some of them *might* charge for chair usage AND for booze. (which is stoooopid!) I prefer free chairs myself, but sometimes me and my girls will rent one chair just so we have a place to put our bags, etc. 'cause we're certainly going to spend the minimum requirement with more than 2 people.

    Hope that makes sense, my brain is like mud right now. :)
     
  20. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    Drea - that is interesting and makes more sense to me. The Mirage (so far) charges you for the chair and the food & drink. In fact, you buy the chairs thru the concierge the day before and they give you tickets to hand to the person at the gate area to get in the pool. they looked just like show tickets.

    Who'd have ever thought we'd be buying tickets to a damn pool chair?? Only in Vegas but I still love the place!!:drunk:

    Sorry your Dad is gone....I hope you have good memories:licklips: I love spending time w/ my daughter, she's a lot of fun and a great kid (a kid at 24?:confused2:). It was great to make her day and say "why don't you come out w/ us, good old dad will pick up your tab....except for gambling of course":evillaugh
     
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