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14 People - could use some input/help

Discussion in 'LV Strip Hotels' started by Sidekicknicholas, Aug 9, 2012.

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  1. Sidekicknicholas

    Sidekicknicholas Tourist

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    So my fiance' and I are planning a joint bachelor / bachelorette party in Vegas, most all of our friends (hers and mine) are also friends so it only made sense to turn it into one big party.

    We're looking for something that will allow us all to party together in a room before we go out or do this-or-that... Everyone staying/sleeping in the same room would be great too but I'm coming to terms with there having to be multiple rooms... here is what I've come up with for options.... please chime in with other options and/or suggestions on my ideas.

    Trip doesn't have exact dates but it will NOT be a holiday and will be Thursday - Monday and in a perfect world the 4 night stay would cost somewhere in the $3000 +/-

    1. 3 Bedroom / 3 Bath unit at the Jockey Club - ~$2800
    Pros: Location, view, 6 queen beds + 2 queen sofa sleepers + 2 other couches = should sleep us all
    Cons: Small "living area" in this room

    2. 4 Bedroom unit at Elara - ~$3000 from timeshare if dates work (which seems unlikely) / ~$6000 from Hilton (over what we want to spend)
    Pros: Huge living area, location, lots of rooms, 4 bathrooms
    Cons: Price if we have to go through hilton, slightly longer walk

    3. Skyloft + MGM Signature room ~$5000 (over what we want to spend)
    Pros: Skyloft is awesome, huge party area, did I mention it is a skyloft
    cons: price, location, not a ton of sleeping space in a skyloft

    4. Grand Chateau 3 Bedroom unit - ~$1500 (could get two 3 bedroom units for $3000)
    Pros: PRICE!, bedrooms/sleeping space,
    Cons: slightly off the strip (like Elara), living area looks like it could be small

    5. 3 Palazzo Bella Suite(s) - ~$1000 each ($3000 total)


    Other options?
     
  2. JillyFromPhilly

    JillyFromPhilly Tourist

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    I think your best bet would be getting something along the size of an Aria/Bellagio/Mirage Penthouse suite or a Wynn/Encore salon suite as your gathering place, and then just book as many additional regular rooms as you need for everyone to sleep in. Given the prices you've quoted, you'd probably be able to do this for the same money - and a Bellagio Penthouse or Encore Salon suite should be more than enough room for 14 people to gather. Most of those penthouses also come in 2-bedroom versions, and I believe at Bellagio you can even get with a 3-bedroom configuration I believe [2-bedrooms + connector].

    Considering a 1-bedroom penthouse at those places usually average anywhere from $750-$1000/night [I know the last two times I stayed in an Aria 1-bedroom penthouse it billed out at around $900/night, assume Bellagio is comparable, Wynncore probably the same or slightly more, and actually probably far cheaper for a tower or penthouse suite at Mirage ] except on really busy weekend or holiday nights, even with several extra standard rooms it will likely come out equal or less than everything else you quoted.

    Edit: Just realized the prices you quoted were for 4 nights, not per night - so maybe my idea won't be as comparable in price as I initially thought when I posted this, sorry
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2012
  3. heatherlovesvegas

    heatherlovesvegas VIP Whale

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    I would get 1 "big" suite for you and your fiance, then 3 or 4 regular rooms for your guests. Won't you have more fun going out anyways?

    Or get 1 fancy suite and make everyone else stay at like Luxor haha.

    How about Vdara? Their regular 1 bedroom suites (City Corner suite or Vdara suite) are quite large 811 sqft. You could do one of those for under a $1000 for entertaining.. then have everyone else get regular rooms. It's a good location too.

    I would say the same thing about Trump. The 1 bedroom suite there is over 1000 sqft with 2 full bathrooms with 2 showers and a sofa bed. Or they have a 2 bedroom penthouse 1600 sqft, but that would cost you more than buying like 3, 1 bedroom suites.

    Both those hotels a 1 bedroom suite, on a good weekend is only about $120-$175 a night

    Elara isn't really off the strip, it's connected to Planet Hollywood.

    Also youtube the suites! always someone giving a tour :)
     
  4. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    I would also be suggesting the idea of one nice suite for the meeting place and then getting additional regular rooms for the others.

    The whole idea of 14 people, all who are friends and know eachother, might sound like a great idea to have one big slumber party... but when you really start looking at things like:

    - having 14 people and only 3 bathrooms
    - some get beds, some don't
    - not everybody has the same sleep schedule
    - some might want to go out or come back in the middle of the night while everybody else is sleeping
    - little quirks and annoyances that people have you can usually just ignore and not even realize they are there when you are in a small group or only interact with them once in a while - you put a lot of people together in a room for a couple of days and those quirks and annoyances usually stop being so easy to ignore
    - If you think about it seems like it should be no big deal to give up personal space and privacy for a couple of days... in theory, it does. In practice all it'll take is two or three people having a bad reaction to the group sharing accommodations like that to escalate the situation
    - if you stay at a place that charges for extra people in a room the fees are usually $30-40 per person per night and that can add up quickly and 14 people isn't like trying to sneak an extra one or two in a room when you have to ask the front desk for a spare dozen keys or call down to housekeeping and ask them to bring up a bale of towels, a case of toilet paper and a bundle of blankets
     
  5. jimboguy

    jimboguy MIA

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    Do you have to stay in a hotel? What about renting a vacation home? They are spacious, and many will fit your budget.

    Here is just one example: http://www.vrbo.com/387695

    I have used vrbo before and never had any issues. It's a trustworthy rental site.
    Me and eight of my friends got a beach house in San Diego for my 30th birthday 18 months ago. I used vrbo to find the beach house.
     
  6. numeno

    numeno VIP Whale

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    I agree with every item here. :)


    Having someplace as a meeting place or just some place to gather for a few hours each night seems ok, but having everyone actually stay in the same 2000 sqft I think would just end up being a nightmare.


    I did have a relative that wanted to do something similar. It was a smaller group though(10-11 I think). In the end he actually decided against getting the room just because it didn't end up really saving any money. The initial idea was we could do that to save on some money buying the bottles of liquor vs $7-$10 drinks at a bar. I don't remember the exact cost, but it was high enough that most of the people in the group would be better off just paying for $10 drinks and come out ahead. Of course there will always be some in a group where they can down 8 captain and cokes in 75 minutes.


    There may be other reasons for you to get a room like this. His initial plan was really just to use it for ~2-3 hours each night just as a gathering spot and then head out afterwards. There was nothing planned that required a room(aka, it is hard to play games in a sportsbook or a lounge).



    In the end he just decided to pick a random bar for each of the times and whoever wanted to show up did. Clearly some bars do not work well for this, and none of the times were past 9pm. All the times choosen where early enough that in no way were the bars going to be packed.


    I still love the idea of renting just a common room to meet in, it just doesn't seem to make financial sense in the cases that I've been involved in. When all I need is a decent size room with some couches and a bathroom, it sucks paying for all the other stuff that won't get used.
     
  7. mossman

    mossman Low-Roller

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    Not judging, and I should say I am not married, but I thought the idea of a bachelor or bachelorette party was to have fun with friends BEFORE spending the rest of your lives together. How can you have a true bachelor party when your soon to be spouse is right there with you every night. I am not saying you need to be alone so you can do things behind your spouses back, but I would think time apart with your friends before the big day can be very beneficial. I don't understand why society says married people are now supposed to be together 99.9% of their time. If they don't it's considered to be dishonest, or a shaky marriage. Rather funny given the high divorce rate.

    I would think two big rooms (one for bachelor party, and one for bachelorette party). Each room can have a big meeting place. That's my two cents anyway. :cheers:

    Where is the best man? I wouldn't be very happy if this was the party setup being dictated to me.

    Anyway, if I wasn't on the strip I wouldn't even bother being in Vegas, but that's just me.
     
  8. mardaho

    mardaho Low-Roller

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    try Harrahs

    One trip we were upgraded to a 2 room suite and it wasn't even the biggest one
    and this one had a very nice bedroom with a bath plus another room with a wet bar and another bathroom. The extra room probably wasn't big enough for 14 people(for gathering) but maybe a larger suite would be. Other rooms at Harrahs would probably be a little cheaper too (than Cosmo, Bellagio, Aria etc....)
    For gathering places you would have Carnival Court, Toby Keiths and the Piano Bar plus an easy walk to many other casinos .
    Check out their website there are pictures on it. :beer:
     
  9. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    Whichever person has the suite may not be so happy with all those people there all the time. Yes, it is party time, but there is still sleep and private time somewhere in the mix.

    I am all for separate bedrooms. If you do get one suite, make sure it is one with a SEPARATE bedroom. Vegas has lots of suites that are just one big room.
     
  10. Sidekicknicholas

    Sidekicknicholas Tourist

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    Thanks for all the input.... I'll try and address all the concerns people are having to help direct the search

    The best man is just boring.... don't get me wrong I love the like crazy and have been friends for yeaaaaaars, but having him plan this would be a total disaster, I would much rather do it myself and have it done right. There is a chance he won't be able to make it due to owning his own business and the trip/wedding falling into his busy time... which is okay with both of us, since again, he is boring (in Vegas terms).

    - I guess by "off-strip" I mean Elara, MGM Sig, Grand Chateau "off-strip" .... so basically as far offset as Ballys with a few things in front of them... still only a ~10 min walk to the main drag.... again this would all hinge on having a big room that meets our needs.

    The plan was to do two separate parties but our friend circles are so close that it just makes sense to have everyone together... some of my best friends are her bridesmaids and vice-versa with my groomsmen. We certainly don't plan on spending all day/night together.... just everyone being out there at the same time will make it much more fun for everyone.; also it makes financial sense when dividing a large room (if we can find one) and having a pile of girls we know makes getting in to clubs/pools much easier for the guys on nights we wouldn't be doing bottle service.

    - having 14 people and only 3 bathrooms This is honestly the biggest concern.... Girls getting ready need their space. Elara is front runner since it does have 4 bathrooms and/or possibly getting two 3 bedroom Grand Chateau units so we could have 6 bathrooms then.

    - some get beds, some don't We spoke to the group about this and it sounds most likely 3-4 people would either have to be on couches/pullouts and all of which replied with "I don't plan on sleeping, and if I do... it won't be here" .... so for my single guy friends coming, they've made peace with this.... and plan to make peace each and every night.

    - not everybody has the same sleep schedule
    - some might want to go out or come back in the middle of the night while everybody else is sleeping

    There are 4 potential "boring" people (two couples) that would be placed in a bedroom that could/would be closed off from the rest of the unit... if/when they go to bed earlier (or at all) they would have some level of quiet/privacy.... in all honesty they'll hear everything the rest of us are doing in the living areas but if they came to Vegas to sleep that is just too darn bad.

    - some might want to go out or come back in the middle of the night while everybody else is sleeping

    - little quirks and annoyances that people have you can usually just ignore and not even realize they are there when you are in a small group or only interact with them once in a while - you put a lot of people together in a room for a couple of days and those quirks and annoyances usually stop being so easy to ignore
    Honestly all 14 people know each quite well and all but two of us have made Vegas trips together before in some combination.... albeit never in this big of a group... I think the only time we'll really spend all together here would be passed-out or from the time pool parties have ended before we head out for the rest of the night.

    - if you stay at a place that charges for extra people in a room the fees are usually $30-40 per person per night and that can add up quickly and 14 people isn't like trying to sneak an extra one or two in a room when you have to ask the front desk for a spare dozen keys or call down to housekeeping and ask them to bring up a bale of towels, a case of toilet paper and a bundle of blankets
    Everything I've looked at is rated for this number give/take
    Elara 4 bed says "sleeps 14 comfortably"
    JC 3 bedroom says it sleeps 15
    GC 3 bedrooms says it sleeps 10 (but we would have two of these rooms -- so 20 people)
    Bella Suite says it will sleep 6 but if we have 3 of these we would be just fine.
    ..... we don't plan on "over packing" these rooms by any means, the only one that might do that is if we had a skyloft and many people came over after to party and passed out for a night. Otherwise we would fall within the recommended number of guests.

    This was the initial thought but unless we were all still "close" I feel it would really breakup the whole "together" vibe...
    .... Last year we did 7 people in a Jockey Club 2 bedroom unit and it was great to roll out of bed hungover and destroyed... stroll to the living room and see everyone from the night before in the same shape, have some breakfast and recap the chaos of the night before.... with everyone being apart and having to "travel" to that main room I feel just sort of kills the together vibe. Again, we're all really really good friends, over the past years have become one big family (sounds cheesy) but it is sort of how it is.


    I'm also considering Palms Place....the two bedroom units with the private pool/hot tub that overlooks the city... vrbo has them for ~$1000 night for our dates... but I have never been that far off the strip, is it a pretty big pain in the ass being that removed?
     
  11. Sidekicknicholas

    Sidekicknicholas Tourist

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    JC
    GC
    Elara
    all have doors that separate the living/kitchen/dining rooms from the bedrooms.
     
  12. numeno

    numeno VIP Whale

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    I just find it annoying at a place like that when you basically are required to take a cab to the strip each night and then back. That is all doable, there is just something nice about being able to stumble back to your hotel room. :)
     
  13. vegas_or_bust

    vegas_or_bust High-Roller

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    First off--it's not the best man's bachelor party. It's the OP's bachelor party! The party should be what the groom wants, not the bachelor. I am married, and I have planned bachelor parties for my two brothers. Each bachelor party was tailored to what the groom wants.

    To the topic at hand: I strongly recommend a Hospitality Suite at the Mirage. The suite is huge, it has 2 queen beds and a king bed (and two couches). It has a nice bar area, and a large common area to hang out in and party.

    We did this for my brother's bachelor party and then just reserved three or four regular rooms for everyone else to sleep in. We congregated in the suite every night before we went out, and also when we returned from the club. It worked very well, and I highly recommend it.
     
  14. Sidekicknicholas

    Sidekicknicholas Tourist

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    Sounds like a great option....I'm adding that to the list, Thank you!
     
  15. MiDenny

    MiDenny Low-Roller

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    Not sure if you're considering the Rio or not, but a quick check of prices for a Masquerade Suite plus 6 standard suites seems to fit your $3,000 target. Maybe they could keep the rooms close?? The Masquerade suite is 1,600 sq. feet and has a pretty big gathering area (living room/dining room). Still off strip, but thought it worth mentioning....good luck.
     
  16. paramont

    paramont Tourist

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    If you could make a deal for a P suite at Paris for the main meeting room, with a view overlooking the Bellagio fountains, that could be amazing. The decor is very French Provincial ( maybe not for you if you prefer modern decor) - we loved it. Center strip - you'd all save a lot on cab fare.
     
  17. Carole

    Carole Low-Roller

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    Each year we take a very large group of family to vegas for Jimmy Buffet concert. Last year my son got a suite at Bally's. It was 2 story, and the downstairs had a large wet bar with bar stools, couch, love seat, chairs and was very comfortable. We (14-16) of us would meet there each evening for drinks and snacks before heading out. It was very comfortable. As far as the rest of us we all had rooms side by side on a lower floor. (north tower) Bally's was very accomodating to our needs.
     
  18. Sidekicknicholas

    Sidekicknicholas Tourist

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    I did some digging and was able to negotiate a pretty good deal at Elara.
    Check in on a Thursday, check out on a Monday....
    We'll have the 4 bedroom - 4 bath unit (4 king beds, 4 pullout couches + 2 non-pullout couches)... which should sleep everyone just fine

    I'm excited, I've never stayed at this property and it looks like the rooms are pretty nice.

    Thanks for all the help and input everyone!
     
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