your experiences with "wing it" hotel hopping

hi all.

wife and I are renting a car for a week stay in july.

we would like to try just staying wherever the mood strikes us and moving on in a day or 2.

living out of a suitcase doesn`t bother us but keeping room cost low is important. we also like to check out the off strip areas like boulder,primm and we haven`t been to lake las vegas and looks like some nice places there also.

we even checked out railroad pass casino on our way back from the dam last trip and would even crash for a night there.

 

going to vegas without reservations is the most expensive way to go.

You can still have fun and be spur of the moment with a cheaper reservation.

leave the gambling to the tables and machines.

 

I agree, you could get lucky though you never know. Mid-week or weekend? You might end up at a motel 6 way off the strip, not too fun. Would you go to the airport and "wing-it" trying to get a cheap flight?

 

If you have an ipod/ipad, try this app called "hotel tonight". I downloaded it but have not booked using it yet. After noon, it will give you prices for a room that night. It may not be the cheapest way for your trip, but it will work on this mission. Some of last night's (Saturday night) listings after noon were:

Hard rock $95
Caesars $160
tropicana $80
4 Queens $49

These were for the basic room. Not bad for walk in / no advanced reservation prices

 

My advise

Many years ago a friend told me that it is best to make reservations in advance because you will be wasting most of your time looking for a affordable hotel to stay at. You will be driving around just looking....

My advise is.... why waste your time looking for a hotel?

But if you see a nice hotel and you want to stay there and you don't care how much it costs then it will be okay if the hotel is not full.
Thats another problem of many hotels being booked up.

Plan B.... stay up all night and not get a room if you can't find one.

Or.... staying positive.... you could find hotel rooms with no problems.
What if the hotels have resorts fees and other hidden fees. Now I am
thinking negative.
GOOD LUCK AND HAVE LOTS OF FUN. Lucy

 

Hey, if you want to really wing it, why not?

Only thing I might suggest is checking rates at a number of hotels for your dates in advance. You will uncover any risky nights in advance. There are certain dates that room prices in Vegas for WAY UP. Big events, conventions, holidays, etc. Just check the monthly calendars to know in advance.

 

Last minute Hotel

If you check in advance..... and the hotel rates you see have a good rate deals but you wait until you get to the hotel.... the rate may go up because hotels are in the habit of having a certain amount of hotel rooms at a discount rate just to bring in the customers. That is what I heard from them.

Plus, they know that you may be desperate for a hotel room and they can charge you a higher rate.

One time I booked a hotel room in Palm Springs for Christmas Eve. We got a great deal of $55.00 per night. My friend and I were spliting the cost.
I had booked it through Orbitz and not through the hotel.

My friend and I were walking through the Lobby front desk when we overheard two gals wanting to book the hotel at the Orbitz rate they had seen on-line. The clerk said they should have bought it because their hotel rate went up because of last minute people booking rooms. The new rate was $85.00 per night. Boo...hoo....
I had never stayed at that hotel before and it was a last minute booking.
It was an old hotel and had lousy rooms with real old matresses but we were happy just to be right in town near the Spa Casino. We had a great time. Lucy

 

thanks for the input everyone.

got an awesome deal for Ip so we will just get around from there.