The Value (or not) of Hotel-Hopping

Do you hotel-hop/swap? Why does hotel-hopping hold value for you (or not)?

 

Absolutely. Now I generally stay at Aria or Bellagio for 2-3 nights and check in to Caesars Palace for 1 night. Sometimes I move my bags over and actually stay there, usually I don't. I do this because I actually want to STAY at what I consider the better property but I also want to redeem the aggressive free play offers sent by CP, and a hotel stay is required to do so. My play is enough to support comps at 2 hotels at once, and I often let someone else stay in the CP room, which is perfectly nice. I just like the atmosphere at the MGM props better.

 

Same answer here. Have I done it? Yes. Is it something I set out in advance to do? No. Would I prefer to stay put in a short-duration trip? Yes. Am I likely to stay put in that short-duration trip. Very likely.

We're experienced far more casino-hotels in Vegas than we've not. Far far more. And quality/aesthetics aside, they're all hotels with a casino (or one next door), when you get down to it. Put us at Vdara or the JW Marriott or M and we're happy to bunk for the duration.

 

Are you talking about during a single trip, or trying to stay at different hotels on different trips (or both)?

I find moving a huge pain in the ass. The last several years, my trips have been 10 -12 nights, and I usually stay at 2 hotels, mainly because 5 nights each is the most I can get comped upfront but also because it almost feels like 2 separate trips.

I've pretty much settled into Aria and Caesars as my normal places now, with MB and Palazzo as options. I tried MGM Grand last trip and didn't really love it, and from incessant planning and past stays at a few other places, I feel like I almost know what every other strip hotel is like, so I don't really have the urge to stay at a lot of other places just to cross them off the list.

I don't think I'd stay less than 4 nights at any one hotel. If I had to do a 7 night trip, I might bite the bullet and do 4-and-3, but I also might just do all 7 at one place.

 

I sometimes wonder if I'd do that through the myVegas game. Cash in three different rewards so I could have one weeknight (Thursday), followed by two weekend night at the "Bonus Rates" they sometimes have, so I could get comped for as few points as possible.

 

I'll stay in one hotel. But there have been several times now that after checkout, while sitting in the car with the key in the ignition, I'll call TR and get another night if comped. Sometimes that will be in the same hotel/casino we just checked out of, sometime not.

 

I usually like to limit myself to 1 move and only as a last resort.

That said, I'm making 2 moves on my upcoming April trip. Mainly because it's a 10 day trip and I'm invited to stay with an old high school buddy and his wife for 2 days. They've lived out there 15 years now and we're taking a day trip to Zion....a place I've never been to.

 

There was a time that I would never hotel hop because of the inconvenience. At that time, I:

a. traveled with others
b. traveled for 3-4 nights on average
c. traveled without comps/desire to use comps
d. traveled with "real" (and sometimes heavy) luggage
e. didn't know the city very much/still discovering the city
f. liked the comfort of a "home"
g.liked never having to deal with check-in folks again and new check-in processes (eg deposits, resort fees, upgrades, etc)

While I still dislike checking in, I hotel-hop for the following reasons:

a. I travel solo
b. wanted to explore new places/hotels in a short amount of time to quickly discover the city
c. I travel 10-15 nights on average (especially to make up for high airfare)
d. I desire to use comps up (because i am big on value)
e. I travel "light" with a well-packed backpack and purse
f. I enjoy the feeling of a "new trip" when I move to a new hotel
g. it saves money
h. important: it allows me to squeeze in nicer hotels in these long journeys with more frugal hotel options subsidizing that stay

Even the idea of staying at one hotel for 10-15 nights makes me snore-while-standing-up a bit. However, I still appreciate the idea of a "homebase" so I am sure I would adjust. But I would miss the excitement of switching things up. When I travel with heavy luggage, moving around is a nightmare. When I travel with others, my schedule is so different and I have to leave a lot of time for both of us to get ready in the morning. So getting ready, packing up and moving to another hotel with another person? HASSLE. Grade-A hassle. I am sure it would still be exciting with the ***right*** (key: right) person. Thankfully hopping around does save money.

But most importantly, there is value in being able to subsidize nicer hotels for what would be the average length of stay. By paying $7 for Quad for two nights in the past, I was able to stay at Wynn for $300 (both of which happen to be my two favorite properties ironically), which made the average for 4 nights about $78. This is worth it to me because I could have stayed at Monte Carlo or Flamingo for that average rate (which are cool properties but they aren't my favs). I get the best of both worlds.

 

Damn, S-girl, the Allies put less time in planning the Normandy invasion!!!

 

We kinda like having a home base, but even so I get tired of seeing the same room and property after about four days. If we have a comp, or a MyVegas room, we'll split it up and do three days at the GN, and the remainder someplace else. I hate unpacking/packing/packing/unpacking but we've gotten pretty good at isolating the stuff we need for the second stay, throwing that in a smaller bag and not moving the whole caravan of luggage to the second room.

On a side note, I can remember my single days when I could do a four-day trip with just a backpack and shaving kit. My wife changed all that and it seems like as she gets older, she has to drag more and more paraphernalia along with her. I figure by the time we hit retirement age, I'm gonna need to hire a staff just to haul all her steamer trunks when we travel. She's still totally worth it, though.

 

Operation SCOverlord!

 

Oh, well played, chap, well played, indeed!!

 

We stay at 2 hotels every trip. We love the better gambling off strip...but we don't feel like we are in Vegas without being able to walk out the door and be right there in the middle of it all. We have done this the past 4 trips. Since we usually only get out there once a year we want the best of both worlds. So 3/4/5 nights on the strip followed by 2/3 nights at South Point. South Point is the only hotel/casino that thinks we warrant a host and gives us a nice suite. We always rent a car and it is convenient to the airport at the end of our trip. By the last few nights we are tired of all the walking and ready to stay put. I would think for many people splitting their stay would be economical due to the high rates on the strip Fri/Sat. My husband hates changing hotels and feels it makes the vacation seem shorter...I on the other hand feel like I am getting 2 different vacations for the price of 1.

 

5 nighter

We usually split our stay for a 5 night trip in order to take advantage of comp offers. Lately it's been South Point and Flamingo but right now for May we are at South Point and Rio.

 

I absolutely appreciate why the average Vegas visitors "hops"... but, it's not a good idea for me. 5 years ago, after years of being just another "Joe" at almost every joint in town for my monthly 2-3 day visits, primarily for business. I elected to concentrate my stay/play at one place... Hard Rock. Couldda been Golden Nugget or Wynn/Encore (both places I frequented then). My reasons for choosing Hard Rock aside... maximizing my visits to one-(1) place have allowed me to feel like a high-roller in someways. I'm greeted by name in valet and at VIP reception. I always get the room I want and the bartenders have my drink at "my" machine when they see me comin' from the elevator. I'm not a big-spender, but I tip well and sincerely appreciate the "extra" hospitality that's extended to me, due to my frequent visits. I know the executives on property, as well as many of the maids. They all make me feel like a "baller" and I'm really not.

Though I don't sleep elsewhere, I still make it a priority to get to most of the other places regularly, cause they're just too cool in their own ways and I love to check out what new, what old and re-done and just stay in touch with the town.

 

We used to back when we had the stamina to last a full week in LV. Usually it would be using a 2-3 day offer at one of the CET properties followed by a couple of days at Bellagio and finishing up with another 2-3 day offer at a different CET property. Now our trips are four, maybe five days and we tend to stay put because of the hassle of packing up and moving.

 

I always stay two nights downtown and three nights on the strip. Like both worlds

 

We did this for the first time last summer during a long trip over 8 nights I think. We split it over 2 hotels, 4 nights each at PH and MGM. It turned out to be the perfect decision.

I think I would have gotten tired of staying at either property for the full 8 nights. But as Chuck said it really did feel like a brand new vacation when we switched hotels. We had a car that trip which helped, we didn't need to repack too meticulously. Just enough so the bellhops could move everything. Then we used the time in between to do some shopping. By the time we got to the MGM I felt the same excitement as I do at the start of any trip.

I would only do it though if I could stay at least 3 nights per hotel....maybe 2 nights if I'm alone.

 

We are only there for 3 nights so we stay in one place.
With the amount of time it takes my wife to pack and unpack that alone would be half a day. For us I don't see how it would be worthwhile.

 

If I stay longer than 3 days I always switch hotels. I like a couple days downtown and a couple days in the boondocks. I keep meaning to try a couple days on the strip but I never get around to it.