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Livin' Large at Red Rock

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by gotavegasjones, Apr 23, 2013.

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  1. gotavegasjones

    gotavegasjones VIP Whale

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    My Trip Report

    We left the RGV at 9:35pm on Allegiant. Arrived 10:45 Vegas time. Easy exit from the plane (757) Baggage claim reqired an investment of 12 minutes. Short wait for the shuttle to Car Rental facility.

    Blue Chip Thrifty members can go directly to their cars. Thrifty gave me some kind of Mitsubeshi (sp). It sucked. I thought I'd reserved a full size. This car was mid-size at best. By the time I got to the check-out gate I asked the attendant about my reservation and expressed disgust with the car they had given me. She recognized that the car wasn't what I'd reserved. A few minutes later I leave the facility in a brand new (full size) Charger. Four days for $130 total - tax, title liscense. We had a 22 minute sprint out to Red Rock on the 215. The car was/is hight tech - no key, cool stuff to play with.

    The front desk was great at the hotel. Asked for a room with a spa tub. She hooked us up. Singnature Suite. We gave her a $40 gift. Four nights in a beautiful suite with a fine living room, large bedroom and awesome bathroom with a big spa tub. We're happy. First niight $59, three following nights comped. Resort Fee waived - except for a reduction from $27.99 to $12.50 for the first night. This trip is starting well.

    We had a light snack at The Grand Cafe. Great specials for Boarding Pass members from 12am - 6am. Played a little VP. Down $20 each. The bed was fabulous.

    This morning I went to the spa. Spent an hour in the whirlpool, sauna, cold tub. Awesome. Used their nice stuff to shave, shower and left smelling good.

    We're going to spend the am here at RR. After Lunch we are headed to WynnCore. Early evening its Downtown to Golden Nuggett. Gordie Brown and the Buffett. After that, who knows? More about our adventure will follow.

    later, GVJ
     
  2. RedRock702

    RedRock702 Low-Roller

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    This is an awesome post ^_^ Only 67 days left until I arrive at Red Rock. If you get a chance check out happy hour at T-Bones :)
     
  3. ant1433

    ant1433 Low-Roller

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    Good Luck. I have never been to RR. Any pics? Do they have a shuttle to the strip?
    Thanks
     
  4. Rumdranker

    Rumdranker Grateful Lurker

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    Congrats on the upgrade.:thumbsup: I'm thinking of spending some R & R time there in July. Living Social has a two night offer for $169 mid week and $209 weekend, I think.

    What are the table mins like?

    I've never been, but only heard good things about the place.

    I
     
  5. dunebug81

    dunebug81 VIP Whale

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    Table min are in the $10 range but $5 craps and blackjack usually can be found suing the day. High limit room bj/baccarat is $50+. They just started offering 10x odds on craps which is pretty awesome.

    I've stayed there once and there is nothing about that property I don't like. I even won $250 at bingo the last time I played there!

    I believe they offer a shuttle to the fashion show mall. I've always had a rental car and since there isn't much in the way of other tourist thing to do near by I'd say a rental car is a must.
     
  6. gotavegasjones

    gotavegasjones VIP Whale

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    Rumdranker - dunebug81 gives a good reply. It kis hard to find something to complain about here at Red Rock. The only downside for some is its distance from the strip. Lots of good Video Poker, decent BlackJack rules, an all the usual slots, saw a 'High Limit' room offering $25 mins. Yes they have shuttle to service to several spots arounf the Valley.

    ant1433 - Yes, we have some pics. I do not to techy stuff well. I may post them here or send you a link to the pics on fb.

    RedRock702 - We'll try to have a drink at T-Bones!

    later, GVJ
     
  7. LV_Bound

    LV_Bound VIP Whale

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    Need to gambling stories. :beer:
     
  8. gotavegasjones

    gotavegasjones VIP Whale

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    Yesterday afternoon we lounged snoozed and dreamed of the ‘big win.’ When the clock struck 3:30pm we were seen driving from Red Rock to Wynn. We took the Sumerlin Pkwy east from the 215. The Pkwy merged into Hwy 95 east and later let us merge onto I-15 South. Exiting on Spring Mountain we were soon parking in the Wynn garage (not Steve’s personal garage – the one for patrons of the resort).

    The Drugstore Café was our first destination to have a late lunch. We had plans for a late dinner. The Tomato Basil Soup and the Brie Mac and Cheese we shared were very fine. After each losing a C-note at VP/DDB we found a seat at a $25 Blackjack table. It only took two hours for me to lose my buy-in. My wife colored up soon after. She doubled her money. So, as a team we were even when the war with Wynn was over.

    I attempted to have a conversation with a Pit Boss and a Dealer about the Wynn policy of Dealers having a portion of their tips used by the corporation to pay Floor Managers and Pit Bosses salaries. The just became very quiet. The female dealer didn’t look too happy. The Pit Boss moved on quickly. Later, the dealer said, “you keep up with Vegas, huh?” Of course, I am a member of Vegas Message Board!

    The car took us Downtown just before 6:00pm. Parking in the Golden Nugget garage was easy. The people at the ticket count for the Theater were efficient in redeeming my Travel Zoo voucher. For the voucher we received two tickets to the Gordie Brown Show and two entries to the Nugget Buffet.
    The Gordie Brown shows was a surprise. He exceeded my expectations by a long shot. Mr. Brown is funny, he sings pretty well, and does some great impressions. He has George W. Shrub and Billy Jeff Clinton down pat.

    After the show – started at 7:30pm and concluded around 9:00pm – we went to the buffet. Food was very well prepared. The space is nicely appointed. The room and the buffet are small in comparison to many others. I liked it and would do it again if the opportunity gets in my way.
    We made our way back to Red Rock. The plan was to hit the room, freshen-up, maybe change clothes and gamble the night away. We chilled for a bit and before you know it we were hunkered down for the night. Both of us sleep around midnight.

    This morning I walked into the Spa one minute after it opened at 6:00am. My time in the whirlpool, sauna, and cool pool was awesome.
    When I returned to the room the ‘beautiful one’ was up a raring to go. The Feast Buffet was great. The charge of $6.99 for breakfast is reasonable. We paid for our meals with points from my wife’s Boarding Pass account.

    Following breakfast we went to Red Rock Canyon. We did a brief hike on the Oak Creek Canyon trail. The Mojave Desert is way green this Spring. The temps this morning were in the 70’s with a cool breeze and bright sunshine. It was a great morning to take walk at the Red Rock Canyon National Conversation Area.

    We arrived back at the RR casino ‘bout lunch time. Our lunch was purchased from a fast food Italian joint in the Food Court. She ordered an Italian Chop Salad. I had some other type of rabbit food. We paid for this meal with points from my Boarding Pass account. We consumed this meal in our room at the dining table. This Signature Suite is nice.

    I’m writing this message now. She is in the casino. In a few minutes I’m gonna take a soak in the Jacuzzi tub. The plan for the evening is to make a journey to Mandalay Bay for gambling and some fine cuisine. Our reservation at Aureole is for 8:30pm. We’ve had meals there in the past. This Charlie Palmer joint has always been excellent. A Restaurant.com cert for $50 will take some of the sting away when the bill comes.

    More to come.

    Later, GVJ
     
  9. charliepeete

    charliepeete Low-Roller

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    who did you give the 40 to was it your host or the attendant at the counter??
     
  10. gotavegasjones

    gotavegasjones VIP Whale

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    charliepeete - The tip was given to the clerk at the front counter. She responded to my request without getting any hosts or managers involved. I always say to the clerk when checking into a Vegas hotel, "I'll be generous with you if you are generous with me. Can you put us in a room with a spa tub in the bathroom?" This request has been granted on all but two ocassions. Hope this is helpful.
    later, GVJ
     
  11. gotavegasjones

    gotavegasjones VIP Whale

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    We’ll we had a fine Wednesday evening at the Mandalay Bay Resort. The evening started with my first winning session of this trip at a Blackjack table. I managed to double my buy-in with about 2 hours play at a $25 minimum bet table. About halfway through the session there was a scary and exciting moment. I had about half my buy-in left in front of me. I had $50 on two spots. The dealer gives me Aces. She has a 5. I split. On the Split I get another Ace and a double down situation on the second hand I was playing. I double the one hand and split the aces again. Another Ace and another split. Yikes. I have 300 on the table. She starts turning over cards and finally stops after putting what seemed like eight cards on her side of the table. However many she flipped the end result – she had 22! After casino staff revived me with the paddles I had a really good time. Unfortunately, my beautiful wife had her first “bad” losing session at a Blackjack table. Her bad luck was on par with my good luck.

    After “coloring up” we took a stroll on the casino floor. It has undergone a major reshuffle. Staff said the reshuffle of pits and machines is in preparation for the opening of Cirque’s Michael Jackson show. The redesign will supposedly help with the flow of pedestrian traffic before and after shows.

    We arrived at Aureole a little early for our 8:30pm reservation. No problem. They seated us in a flash. We had the Pairing menu. This was the third time we chose this menu. The items on the menu change seasonally. We had a fabulous meal for $85 per person. We chose not to do the ‘wine pairing’ ($55 per person) on this evening ‘cause I didn’t want to mess with my Maker’s Mark buzz.

    The dessert pairing was just short of orgasmic. After tasting the chocolate tart thingy we both fell out of our chairs and lay on the floor trembling. After a few minutes we asked the waiter for a cigarette.

    Following dinner we decided to make the trek back to Red Rock. And, following a short VP/DBB session, for the second night in a row we were sacked out before 12:00am. It was a good sleep.

    I hit the Spa again this morning at 6:20am. I’ve become a good friend of the attendant in the men’s section. Although, he’s rooting for the Lakers, this Spurs fan can tolerate his misguidedness ‘cause we’re gonna win the World Title. Place your bets.

    She and I played some VP/DDB after breakfast. I broke even after giving a $ machine a whole lot of action. She had a couple of quads and cashed out several hundred ahead. For the trip I’m down and she’s about even.

    We are going to head over to Mr. Lucky’s at the Hard Rock Casino for a late lunch. A cert from Restaurants.com will help pay for lunch. Then we’re off to mid-strip to play a little at Bellagio & Aria. It is possible that we’ll cross the street to hang at Paris and Planet Hollywood.

    For dinner we are going to give P. J. Clarke’s a try. Hope we are hungry at 9:30pm.

    More to follow.
    Later, GVJ
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2013
  12. JDinTN

    JDinTN MIA

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    Thanks for posting this my wife and I have been thinking about making a trip to Red Rock soon. So far we've never stayed at any off-strip hotel. How is the crowd at Red Rock? Is it locals or seniors or younger people?
     
  13. gotavegasjones

    gotavegasjones VIP Whale

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    JDinTN - The crowd here ranges from well healed locals from Sumerlin to older folks from the Del Webb Sun City which is not far away. And lots of midddle aged folks from around the country - many from CA - who like the amenities of this joint and don't mind driving or taking a shuttle to the strip. Weekends there are lots of younger SoCal hipsters. I'd encourage a couple of nights to see if you miss being on the strip. Give 'em some play here and you'll receive offers with good rates or comped nights. If you're paying for your room - not comped - there is a $27.99 resort fee. If you are here on a comp the fee is removed from your daily charges. I do not mind the fee because I take advantage of the free entry to the Spa every morning and the internet is free. The Spa here is great. The rooms are really fine. Helpful?

    later, GVJ
     
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2013
  14. JDinTN

    JDinTN MIA

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    That was very helpful, thanks. If we decide to stay off strip Red Rock is the only place we are considering so I love to read about it.
     
  15. gotavegasjones

    gotavegasjones VIP Whale

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    Spending Thursday afternoon and evening at Bellagio was financially rewarding. She and I both had some nice wins playing VP/DDB. Our first stop after arriving was a trip through the Conservatory. The Springtime theme is enhanced with hundreds of butterflies contained in a Butterfly Greenhouse. Seasonal flowers are used to make decorative butterflies and lady bugs. A windmill was also included in the design. In the midst of one arrangement was a gentleman playing a harp. We enjoyed our stroll through the Conservatory.

    We then sought out a Blackjack table. I counted 12 (before I quit counting) tables with $10 minimum bets. I’ve never seen so many $10 tables in the afternoon or evening at Bellagio. They had fairly good rules; DAS, RSA, Surr, but “Dealer Must Hit Soft 17” was written on the felt. We played one of the $10 tables. Happily the dealer hitting 17 didn’t cost me anything. The long succession of hands beginning with 12, 13, and 14 did make for an ugly session. In about 45 minutes at the table I lost my $200 buy-in. My wife lasted a little bit longer, but eventually lost her $100 buy-in.

    We continued our gambling at some new VP/DDB machines around the corner from the cage. These Game King machines are very new. Sitting in front of one the machine feels BIG. It has a big digital video screen. The panel with the buttons to play is big. The buttons are lighted up differently. For me, it was weird learning to play these machines. We played here for about 2 and ½ hours. Over the course of this gambling session we cycled a bunch of money through the machines. Our initial investment of $200 was profitable. We (mostly she) cashed 1 ticket for $500, 2 tickets for $250 and several for $100. Good session at Bellagio. Quads were our friends that evening. Two of my wife’s wins were truly odd. She hit a 4OAK and the payout was much larger than it should be. She thought she was playing quarters only to realize she was paid out for playing .50 cents. Explanation - The new machines have the option to choose .25, .50, $1, or $5. When the machine is idle, the indicator on the screen floats over each of these amounts. When the player puts the money in and selects the game the machine starts your wager where it was when you pushed the Max Bet button. On her $500 win she again thought she was playing .25 when in fact playing $2. I think it must be better to be lucky than smart. With these wins she is way ahead for the trip. I'm way down.

    We walked over to Caesars. The dinner reservation at P.J. Clarke’s was for 9:30pm. Finding the P.J’s joint took us at least twenty minutes. It is deep in the belly of the Forum Shoppes at the bottom of the spiral escalators.

    P.J. Clarke’s has a “$99 for 2” special. I read about it after seeing a post here on VMB in the “Restaurants and Buffets” section. This is a great food deal. I recommend everyone who eats beef or likes lobster or likes Maryland Crab Cakes or enjoys a fine dessert with a good bottle of wine to take advantage of this deal. We selected a bottle of Merlot. The wine was produced by 14 Hands, a vintner from the Columbia Valley in Washington. It was a very good 2010 Merlot. The meal is served in the three courses. For the first course each person choses between New England Clam Chowder or Field Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. The second course is shared. The choices for the second course are; Broiled Aged Delmonico Steak (18oz) paired with Jumbo Lump Maryland Crab Cakes or a Colossal Sliced Prime Aged 40oz Porterhouse. The waiter informed us that we could choose two lobster tails, rather than the Crab Cakes, for an additional $10. We did the upgrade. The third course was, wait for it, dessert! Each person had a choice of Warm Granny Smith Apple Cobbler or NY Style Cheesecake with Warm Berry Compote. The meal was truly fine. The wine was good. Our waiter was fantastic. We spent $117.90 (before the tip) on this meal. On several occasions I’ve spent more than $200 for meals in Vegas. This experience far surpassed those. P.J. Clarke’s, while located in the Forum Shoppes, is very casual and in no way pretentious. This offer is good through December 31, 2013. If you go to Vegas during the remainder of 2013 you really ought to try P.J. Clarke’s “$99 for 2” deal. We arrived at the restaurant at 9:30pm and strolled out around 11:15pm.

    Following our great meal we played some bucks through a couple of VP/DDB machines at Caesars. We lost a few bucks. We were sleepy. The trip to the Bellagio valet was quick and after a 20 minute drive west on Hwy 215 we were back at Red Rock before 1:00am. We spent some time getting most of our stuff packed before we sacked out.

    Friday morning was like every other morning during our stay at Red Rock. I was in the Spa soon after 6:00am. As always, I relished my time there that morning.

    One of the perks the Front Desk clerk granted me with my ‘upgrade request’ was that she registered us with VIP status. We could use the VIP room for coffee in the morning, water and fruit during the day. So, every morning I’d stop in the VIP room before my spa visit for a cup of coffee to go. After my time in the spa I’d stop back and fix a cup for my wife and another for me before going back to the room. It was a nice little perk. And, the coffee was good. This little perk probably saved me 40 bucks I'd have spent at Starbuck's.

    My wife awoke and enjoyed her coffee. A plan was formulated. We’d finish packing. We’d eat some breakfast at the Feast Buffett. We’d play VP/DDB at a full play (10/6) bank of machines where we’d had some luck previously. We’d win enough money that session to cover the cost of travel for the next trip to Vegas. Well maybe we didn’t exactly plan it that way, but that is the way it worked out.

    My wife, in a little over 45 minutes play on a $ machine, hit two sets of quads ($250 each) and then 4 Aces w/ a 3. The $2,000 win provided her with her first ever W-2G. While she got the paperwork done I got us checked out.

    I checked out in the VIP room. The woman stafing the VIP place was way good looking and just as pleasant. She offered to check with a host to see if we could have any of our charges removed from the bill. We reserved for one night at $59 and three nights comped. We had a few food charges. She made a brief call and informed me that all of our charges and the $59 were comped. I like Red Rock.

    After checkout we drove to Mandalay Bay. We played a Benjamin through a Megabucks machine. Bye Ben. We each then lost another Benjamin playing VP/DBB at a 9/5 Game King machine. We decided to play a Benjamin on a silly huge Wheel of Fortune machine. After a few plays we get a spin on the big wheel. The wheel stops on 10,000. The payout was X 5. So we won 50,000 pennies or $500. She cashes the ticket and we find a $10 Blackjack table. And, we each promptly lose a $100 buy-in.

    Soon after the BJ losses we were driving to the Rental Car Return facility. The process went quickly. The shuttle to the airport was uneventful. Checking in with Allegiant at the curb went smoothly. Going through security was a mess. Many, many times we’ve gone through security at McCarran when it was way crowded and the lines moved fairly quickly. Yesterday, the crowd wasn’t all that – and it took a lot longer. ARRGGHHH.

    We quickly grabbed some grub from a Baja Fresh Express fast food joint. We took the tacos and a burrito to the plane. There were no other passengers in the gate area. The plane was loaded when we arrived. Soon after, the last straggler arrived, the door was closed and we taxied to the runway. 2 hours 20 minutes later the plane landed at MFE. A friend met us out front and ten minutes later we were home. And, I was just a little sad with the realization that the next morning I wouldn’t be hanging out in the Red Rock spa.

    This was the third time in 18 trips to Vegas where my wife had some BIG wins on the last day. On each occasion it became the cash which would pay for the next trip. My wife rocks. We are going to be back in Vegas the 1st week of September. I’ll start serious preparations tomorrow.

    Another fine Vegas Adventure in the books.

    Later, GVJ
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2013
  16. agirl

    agirl Low-Roller

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    From what you have said in your trip report, you hardly played at all at Red Rock. Yet you say they showered you with love and affection. Something doesn't add up here. I've been going to Stations for years and if anything their comps are getting tighter than ever. They don't like you very much if you only come to stay and not play. So you must be leaving out a lot of gambling that you did at Red Rock or I have to tell you I am having a difficult time believing your story. Sorry.....
     
  17. ACMike

    ACMike High-Roller

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    You mean you don't believe that they not only let him re-split Aces, but also let him DOUBLE DOWN on the Aces after the split?? :rolleyes:
     
  18. gotavegasjones

    gotavegasjones VIP Whale

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    agirl - sorry to read that Stations doesn't treat you well. Stations has always been good to us. We had not stayed there for 3 years. From the time Red Rock opened we received offers from the marketing department for comped nights (usually 2) or low rates. I think we got RR offers when it opened because we had stayed at GVR in the past. Several years ago the offers jumped to $79 a night. Prior to that we'd split our time between Harrah's properties on the Strip and a couple of nights at GVR or RR. The past several years most of our stays have been at CET Properties(Total Rewards) or MGM-Mirage (mlife) joints. Then, last week out of nowhere, my wife got an emailfrom RR with a calendar which had free nights for three of the nights we wanted and $59 for the other. We booked. After reading your post I pulled out my bill. The VIP attendant at RR called a Host when we checked out and $60 was removed from our bill. I was mistaken. I assumed the bill was fully covered. Actually, with the $60 comp we still owed $46.20. I had not paid attention. Sorry, didn't mean to mislead. So, for $46.20 we had 4 great nights, lots of spa time and several good meals at the Red rock Casino - Resort - Spa. Like I wrote, "Stations has always been good to us."

    We gambled every morning, several afternoons and one evening at RR. Mostly played VP/DDB at the $1 level. Also had several sessions of Blackjack at $25 minimum bet tables and one at a $10 minimum bet table. I typically don't write every detail about the gambling. It is boring to read. I try to include the highlights and lowlights; and, refrain from reporting the grinding sessions where it is pretty much break even.

    Thanks for reading my report. I hope I have the pleasure of reading a Trip Report of your's sometime.

    ACMkike - you are right in your disbelief. I was not allowed to double on a split of aces. I did split aces 3 times on that hand. The doubles came on the second bet I had on the table. Playing two spots. Sorry for not being clear. Though, wouldn't it be nice to double after splitting aces? Thanks for reading the TR. Hope to read one of your's one day.

    later, GVJ
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2013
  19. agirl

    agirl Low-Roller

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    Great, thanks! That helps explain it. We are lower level players, quarter not dollar, and $10 blackjack. I knew there had to be something missing!

    I will try to write a report after our next upcoming trip. I really enjoy reading everyone else's.
     
  20. ACMike

    ACMike High-Roller

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    Ahh, I see, thanks for clarifying
     
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