Flamingo Dec. 22 - 26

My apologies in advance for lack of creativity in my writing and boring recap.


We arrived past midnight on Sunday, 12-22, or rather early morning of Monday, 12-23, due to one hour delay on take off, blamed on auto pilot discrepancy. McCarran was empty, slow, and quiet. The tone for our stay was set, or so we thought.

Flamingo staff was terrific. The $20 tip upgraded us to a Go Room With a View, 21st floor, 2 queen beds, directly across from Caesars with view of Bellagio fountains. Room amenities included coffee pot, fridge and built in t.v. in bathroom mirror. The mattresses
and pillows were very comfortable and the shower was fantastic. Loved the water pressure and massage. Best shower ever had in Vegas for sure!

We picked up our Total Rewards Cards and set out to do a bit of playing on Keno machines. More about this in a bit.

Got two for one coupon for Jubilee’s Mon. 12-23, 10 p.m. performance. Third time we see it. Previously saw it once in the 80’s and once in the 90’s. It is still a classy and beautifully choreographed and staged show. A true Vegas must see.

Christmas Eve afternoon, played Keno at Caesars (and lost) visited Mirage and took Tram to Treasure Island. Played a bit of Keno (and lost) and walked over to the mall. All the stores were closed so we went to Wynn through the strip crossover. It is a beautiful casino. We had never been there. Got their Red Card and played some Keno (and lost).

Took a cab from Wynn and visited the Bellagio Conservatory. Their holiday display was outstanding. The 45 ft. decorated tree was breathtaking. The crowd was huge, barely able to walk around without bumping into someone. It was here that we realized how many families were hauling their children around. I mean it was Christmas Eve and the strip and casinos were full of children, walking, in strollers, in their parent’s arms. I know the kids are off school but to Vegas? Seriously? Shouldn’t they be placing cookies and milk and waiting for Santa’s arrival and opening presents in the morning? So sorry, don’t mean to judge, this is solely my point of view.

Walked over to The Quad and ate at the upstairs Quesadilla restaurant. It was reasonable and delicious but not the same quesadillas as the previous restaurant. We played Keno and I won $200. The Quad is a bit of a maze. Nothing too extraordinary. Lacking “wow” factor. Went back to Flamingo and won $100 twice on Keno. The hubby still not winning anything. We played single card, 4 card, 2-4-6 way, 3-6-9 way, caveman, you name it, tried them all. Nothing paid like they used to.

Christmas day was the hubby’s birthday and he wanted to visit Circus Circus for old time’s sake. Oh boy, it was one giant daycare. Wall to wall children, barely able to walk. Played some Keno (and lost). Searched for the old Pink Pony restaurant only to find out that it has been replaced by an upscale steak place charging $45 & $65 for prime rib. Seriously? Those prices in a place catering to children?

Took a cab to Paris and ate a burger at the Brasserie, which was very good. Went to see Jersey Boys. Oh my…..what a fabulous show. Worth every penny. Played Keno afterwards (and lost). Walked over to Ballys, played Keno (and lost). Went back to The Quad. My Total Rewards Card was not working so I got it fixed. Played more Keno (and lost).

On Thurs. 12-26, we checked out of room and hung around at the Flamingo and played our final rounds of Keno before heading out to the airport. We still lost. Went to check on our points accrued and discovered that the hubby had about $5 worth and mine did not even register because the clerk at the Quad erased them the night before when I had my card fixed. I had no idea this was going to happen. Got a $5 keychain for my hubby’s points and took off to the airport.

Overall –
Pros: Hotel service, quality of shows, easy access and maneuverability in airport, Vegas is still charming and will return time and again.

Cons: Too many retail stores in casinos. Walkways make you go through plenty of these before you actually hit the casino. Overpriced food. Too many fancy named chef restaurants. I miss $5 steak and eggs after midnight. LOL! The tightest machines ever!
Played other slots in different denominations, not only Keno, and nothing paid. The penny slots are entertaining for a while then they turn on you and suck you dry. Greedy corporations have taken over casinos. I’ve never been a huge fan of players cards like my husband. This time I decided to go along with him and mostly play at Total Rewards casinos. Between the two of us, we lost close to $3,000 and racked up $5 worth of points. What a joke! I won’t be part of this scheme in the future. No more cards in the slots. I’m done.

 

Something went wrong i get a lot more than that for much smaller loses

 

Future room comps and discounts will come your way.

 

I agree. Seems like something is wrong. You should look into this. You should be getting more than what you have now.

 

I'm with you on the kid thing. I don't think Vegas is the place for kids any time of the year. If you intend to gamble leave the kids at home. And think about the other visitors in Vegas. They came here to escape for some adult entertainment. Not to listen to kids.

 

Thanks, everyone, for your input. Perhaps there was indeed some glitch with our cards. My husband insisted that something was definitely wrong but I kept telling him that players cards are a con. LOL!

Next time, we'll definitely pay close attention to the points accrued as we play. I remember the old days when Caesars had The Emperors Club and at the end of our trip we'ld bring home caps, tote bags, embroidered sweatshirts, t-shirts and lots of other logo trinkets. We really got a bang for our buck back then.

Heck, even Bill's, up to about a year ago, would give us free reign of the gift shop when redeeming our points.

 

I would assume there was some sort of card glitch. No way you run ~40% return on keno unless you were betting ridiculous amounts per round. Hopefully mailers aren't affected However, video keno is about as bad as slots at CET and earns half the points!!

Sorry you didnt hit anything worth mentioning!