PH ($85 more for 3 nites) or Excalibur contemporary?

Back in January I booked May 10-15. The first two nights (Fri & Sat) we're staying downtown.

I was able to book Planet Hollywood for the Sun, Mon & Tues for only $76.00 a night or $255.00 w/tax. I'm trusting that they won't now add the resort fee. We like the location of PH and thought we'd enjoy the atmosphere. However, lately I've been reading lots of reports of smoky (in the n/s rooms), dirty, rundown rooms.

I now see I can book the Excalibur contemporary for those same three nights for $170.00 including tax and resort fee, so $85.00 less than PH. It's not as centrally located but, on the other hand, on last year's trip we never made it any farther south than PH so this would give us an opportunity to visit other nearby hotels on foot.

Which would you choose?

 

I like the location and the rooms and would personally keep the PHo deal for less than $30 / night in cost.

However, two alternatives provide a chance to explore the South Strip:

1. Hotels.com: 4 Star Hotels @ $75/night including tax & resort fee.

Luxor: $227 w/ tax and resort fee. Comes with $30 food/beverage room credit which if used makes the room $10 / night more than Excalibur.

2. Gamble before you go - Hotwire Bid. Hotwire - Click South Strip only box: Based on the better bidding site, you can score the following hotels:

Splurge 4 1/2 Star South Strip: The Hotel @ Mandalay Bay - $365 w/ tax & resort fee.

4 Star South Strip - Luxor, Monte Carlo, NYNY, Paris, Planet Hollywood, or Tropicana : $208 including Tax and Resort Fee ($20/night), or $47 cheaper than the current PHo option.

Be sure to click Strip - South to avoid off strip properties (like South Point, Tahiti Village, etc.). The bid map shows the area which the property you are bidding on is located.

 

Because you are in Vegas for a shorter period of time, go for what will give you the most amount of fun. The location of Excalibur sucks if the area that you like is near PH. Personally, I would not mind it but that's because I take longer trips and can move around more leisurely.

Besides, PH vibe inside and outside far surpasses Excalibur. I am not sure how dirty PH is but people complain about dirt in Excalibur far more I believe.

When I stayed at Wynn, the bathroom was not as clean as it should be. When I went to the Marriott in Florida, the room was not as clean as it should be. When I went to the Quad, the bathroom was not as clean as it should be (although this time it was simply horrendous).

I do not think anyone should be lax about cleanliness but you can encounter lack of cleanliness anywhere. Not all of the maids are tied up into the reputation of the company. I would say go for PH and get an extra special cleaning if need be!

But anyway, on the other hand, I love Excalibur contemporary room.

 

Viva Las Vegas,

Thank you for the information. Bidding on a hotel won't work for us. We're a mother and son so we need to pre-select two beds.

 

That said, I'd go (all prices include room, tax & resort fee).

1. PHo $255 (Existing reservation)
2. Luxor $207 (via Hotel.com + $30 food/beverage credit or $177 net))
3. Bally's $196 (via Hotel.com)
4. Excalibur $170 (Existing quote)

I think you'll enjoy the rooms more in PHo or Luxor. The pools for all four are OK.

 

Thank you.

Is the Luxor the Pyramid room? Some people say they're pretty shabby now, too.

Does Bally's include the resort fee?

 

All prices include the resort fee (hotels.com quotes the room price and you must add the resort fee disclosed near the bottom of the page). The Tower rooms were quoted at $20 more per night.

Luxor and Bally's (quoted South Tower) rooms are older but should be clean. I stayed in a Luxor pyramid spa room two years ago. The furniture was a little banged up, but the room was still decent. I could have stayed in the Tower (originally booked), but switched to the pyramid because you generally do not have an opportunity to stay in a pyramid. Not sure if the "Spa" room was in better shape beyond having a jet tub overlooking the Strip than a standard. I've read nothing but good reviews here for the Tower rooms, so that may be an option (around $240 + $30 food credit or $210 net).

If you ask for a North Tower room at Bally's, they may give you one for asking (worked for me and also for my brother - he actually scored a suite on the diamond floor).

PHo has the nicest rooms among the four. I stayed in a standard room in November. They have a nice soaking tub. The rooms are not very well lit, but they were clean. Outside of non Roman Tower CP rooms, these are the nicest Standard rooms among CET Vegas hotels (I also like Bally's North Tower - never stayed in the South Tower).

Treasure Island also had a good hotel.com rate but may or may not charge the resort fee (they didn't on my Hotwire reservation - they said they could add it if I wished). I got rooms for my mom and I last year at TI during a busy fight weekend (wanted Bellagio but rooms were over $1,500 each for the four nights). They remodeled their rooms and my mom enjoyed her room. They didn't charge us the resort fee, which would have been over $220 for 2 rooms/ 4 nights, but I'm not sure everyone has that option.

On hotels.com, you can cancel up to 1-3 days (it's clearly marked) before your trip. They will charge the entire stay on your card, but you will get a refund in about a week if you cancel and book another room.

Being that your three days are weekdays and during a somewhat slower post Mother's Day weekend, you may find a good sale over the next few weeks. Search on Tuesdays or Wednesdays - days when hotels and airlines typically roll out sales.

I hope you enjoy your Mother's Day weekend in Vegas!

 

I appreciate all the info.