First time to Sin City approaching

[kingcreole]

The Missus and I are planning a trip to Vegas in early June (no kids, just the two of us!). She's been there before and I haven't. But she didn't do much planning when she went eight years ago, so she's not much help in the planning process.

Here's what I know: We want to stay mid-to-South Strip. I have a few ideas of where to stay (Excalibur is one option), but my biggest question involves where to go for the best deals on plane tickets and hotel prices. Do we plan now or wait a bit? Do we book our hotel and plane at once at a place like Expedia or Orbitz, or are there better places and do I book them seperately?

And if there's any "must sees" on the strip, I'm all for ideas. And what about transportation? I really don't want to rent a car, and I've heard it's not really necessary since we're not going to leave the strip.

Any help or advice would be appreciated, mainly on the planning end since I'm sure many of us here have been to Sin City.

 

[HackyMcHack]

If you're not going to leave the strip, then skip the car. Plenty of shuttles/taxis to get you to your hotel.

For airfare, if you're in a Southwest market, then that route is probably best. You might even catch a Ding! fare. If not, then AirTran should be fairly reasonable if you live east of the Rockies. I don't know what US Airways/America West is doing these days in terms of airfare into LAS.

As far as rooms go, your best bet is to search Expedia or a catch-all site like Kayak, then go to the individual hotel's Web site and see if they can beat it.

As far as must-sees, there are so many. My advice: Just wing it.

 

[Matt1735]

Can't tell you much about booking plane and hotel together, but I've never been a believer that they can do it better than me.

What I can tell you is that if you are going to gamble, do most of it at one location or at one chain (Harrahs, etc.) and use the casino card to rack up points.... At the end of your stay, if you aren't on a package, you can go to the casino host and might get some of your bill comped based on your play and your losses.

As for a rental car, don't waste your money... You won't need one.

Hope this helps.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Don't we have one of these Vegas threads once every two or three months?

Don't worry about a car. Cab it to downtown or for long casino-to-casino trips. Remember, those big buildings are farther away than they look.

You must hit the Peppermill Fireside Lounge (across from where the dearly departed Stardust once stood). It's a combo IHop-style 24/7 diner and old Vegas cocktail lounge. It's awesome.

 

[fishwrapper]

Go see Mystere at Treasure Island.
Will be the best money you spend the entire trip.

 

[kingcreole]

I'm not really into gambling, but I definitely want to do some. Played some video poker at Casino Niagara and made a few bucks, but blew it all on the slots. I'd love to do a little blackjack, but I am far from a high roller. Do these casinos have cheap tables ($5 perhaps)?

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Do these casinos have cheap tables ($5 perhaps)?

The low end places like Slots-A-Fun, the downtown casinos and that place I can't remember the name of that's tucked in next to the Flamingo will have $5 blackjack tables. But they'll be elbow-to-elbow.

You can't find $5 tables at the big joints even during the week.

 

[Bill Brasky]

The downtown places have $5 tables. There are some decent places downtown, like the Golden Nugget and the Golden Gate (which has a 99 cent shrimp cocktail special).

 

[User 1019]

I didn't enjoy my trip there this summer.

My only advice: Don't walk from the strip to the Hard Rock. I learned that one the hard way.

 

[kingcreole]

is it better to stay in a hotel with a casino, or are the joints like Best Western fine too?

 

[lisa_simpson]

Do not, do not, DO NOT stay at the Excalibur unless you have a high tolerance for cheese. If you've thought about possibly booking through Priceline, check out this site: www.biddingfortravel.com. Actually, check it out anyway -- you'll get a lot of recent reviews, and the folks who post there generally don't pull punches about their experiences.

Definitely skip the rental car but remember to bring comfortable walking shoes and a light jacket for the evenings.

 

[Chef]

king; Lots to do in Vegas. You gotta go to the Stratosphere....You gotta take a boat ride at the Venitian......You gotta go see the fountains at the Bellagio......you gotta go see Bridgette behind the 7-Eleven just across the street from Circus Circus....tell her Chef sent you for the "Big Gulp"--wait.....mama king is going?......As I was saying.......lots of things to do out there......Can't wait to go back later on this year.

 

[kingcreole]

king; Lots to do in Vegas. You gotta go to the Stratosphere....You gotta take a boat ride at the Venitian......You gotta go see the fountains at the Bellagio......you gotta go see Bridgette behind the 7-Eleven just across the street from Circus Circus....tell her Chef sent you for the "Big Gulp"--wait.....mama king is going?......As I was saying.......lots of things to do out there......Can't wait to go back later on this year.

When you going Chef? Yeah, I thought the Stratosphere looked pretty cool.

 

[Gutter]

Tropicana on the south end of the Strip has some $5 Blackjack tables, and probably a few of the other lower-end casinos will as well ... most likely if it's daytime and mid-week.

Not sure what you are looking for price-wise for hotels, but I love The Hotel at Mandalay Bay ... it's an all-suite hotel separate from the regular Mandalay Bay hotel. At either hotel you'll have access to the great pools (one of which is a wave pool) and lazy river. Since you'll be there in early June, you'll want a way to cool down ... plus you don't want to be inside a casino all day.

For eats, again inside the Mandalay Bay complex, a great place is the China Grill ... plates come family style, but easily enough for two people and delicious. Another one in that complex is the Burger Bar.

And if you and queencreole are looking for some more, um, "exotic" entertainment, a great place to go is the Spearmint Rhino.

Or so I've heard.

 

[Gutter]

I second checking out downtown ... for the Fremont Street Experience and the gambling. Definitely more laid back and minus the chach-balls and attitudes on the Strip.

 

[2underpar]

definitely do fremont st., it's about a $12-15 cab ride from the strip.
downtown gambling can be a better experience in my estimation because it's not as crowded and you can still find lower minimums at the tables, even at night.
We got lucky last time we were there and caught a jonny lang show at house of blues for like $30 bucks, and there are some other good shows that don't cost a fortune.
early june should be a good time to go as far as the weather.
We've stayed at harrahs (not bad), Excalibur (not bad, lots of kids), Imperial Palace (cheap but not real good, but great location across from caesar's) and the MGM (lots of kids). I've usually done Ok on travelocity getting plane and room. i'd suggest staying at a property with a casino, but remember, you usually get what you pay for.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

king; Lots to do in Vegas. You gotta go to the Stratosphere....You gotta take a boat ride at the Venitian......You gotta go see the fountains at the Bellagio......you gotta go see Bridgette behind the 7-Eleven just across the street from Circus Circus....tell her Chef sent you for the "Big Gulp"--wait.....mama king is going?......As I was saying.......lots of things to do out there......Can't wait to go back later on this year.

When you going Chef? Yeah, I thought the Stratosphere looked pretty cool.

Take a cab to the Strat. It's a long (and somewhat dangerous) walk from the Strip.

Gutter, how much are rooms at The Hotel at MB?

I'm a fan of The Steakhouse at Circus Circus and that basement steakhouse in the Four Queens. Both are top-notch.

And avoid Scores Las Vegas if you're hitting "exotic" entertainment spots. It's more over-rated than Hawaii's football team.

 

[buckweaver]

My buddy sent me this list before my first trip to Vegas (a.k.a. the SJ gathering ) last March. Here are his suggestions:

Even without the gambling, Las Vegas (specifically The Strip) is the greatest city in the world. Here are five things you don't want to miss.


5. The Conservatory at the Bellagio -- sort of a slower-paced, let's just take pictures deal, but it's amazing in that they completely change the whole room every month or so to fit the season -- and they NEVER repeat. Also, right around the corner from the Conservatory is a unique chocolate fountain that starts from the ceiling and winds down to the floor (it's outside the candy shop).

4. The Venetian -- if you have time, take a stroll through the Venetian. The shops are built around a grand canal, just like in Venice -- the courtyard with the clear blue sky (inside) is the perfect example of what Vegas can do.

3. The pirate battle outside TI (Treasure Island) -- go to TI to check for showtimes, but it's outside on the lagoon. Lingerie-clad female sirens in skimpy little outfits try to woo some treasure-hungry pirates...but they end up having an all-out war. You get to be in the middle of it. Keep an eye on the male pirates' ship at the end of the show! Free.

2. The water fountains outside the Bellagio -- once again, better at night but also cool during the day. I don't believe they repeat the same song all day, or maybe even every couple days. It's worth seeing twice. The massive fountains are coordinated to music and shoot about 20 stories in the air (as seen in Ocean's 11). The shows are every hour during the day starting around 2 or 3 I think, then increase to every half hour or maybe even every 15 minutes at night until about 1 a.m. (once again, I think). Free.

1. The "Big Shot" at the top of the Stratosphere -- go at night. you're already waaay above the Strip with what has to be one of the most spectacular views in the country -- looking down at the lights of Las Vegas. Buy a ticket to the "Big Shot" ride (the other rides up there sorta suck) -- you won't be sorry -- what a thrill, what a rush. About $30-$35 (tower admission plus ride).

OVERRATED: The volcano at the Mirage (it's not terrible, it's a free show, but it's just not spectacular);; the Eiffel Tower at Paris (waaay too much money -- might as well just go up the stratosphere for a better view anyway);; the roller coaster at New York-New York (it's just a roller coaster);; all the virtual reality rides at the Luxor (waste of time)

UNDERRATED: The aquarium at Mandalay Bay (only if you haven't seen one of those shark experiences before);; the Hoover *** (if you have a car and you have a free day, it's pretty spectacular);; the "Hypnosis Gone Wild" show (one of the cheapest shows in Vegas, but absolutely hilarious).

GREAT (but not ridiculously-priced) EATS: La Creperie at Paris (tucked in the back...great crepes...I've probably gone there at least one time each of the last 10 times I've been to Vegas -- not exaggerating);; Dishes at TI (Vegas is famous for its buffets, and Dishes is probably my favorite one);; Paris buffet, Aladdin buffets are also good.

PARTY SPOTS THAT ARE APPARENTLY AWESOME (but never been): Ghost Bar at your hotel, The Palms (where MTV's "The Real World" cast worked during the show);; that one club at Caesar's near the sports book;; that one club at the Mirage (sorry I can't remember the names).

THE NEW THING TO DO: Near the sports book at Caesar's is where they have that *****cat Dolls blackjack table thingy. Girls are dancing in cages behind the dealers, and the dealers themselves are *****cat Dolls, apparently.

NOT BAD, BUT NOT GREAT: Stop in to see the lions at the MGM Grand. You can basically walk in a glass hallway, and sometimes the lions are sitting on top of the glass -- about a foot above you.

LOOKING FOR CHEAP BLACKJACK? You'll find it anywhere in downtown Vegas (not the Strip), which also has looser slots. But I've only been there one time, believe it or not. On the Strip, you can find cheap blackjack at O'Shea's ($5 tables even at night, I think) and usually the Sahara (I think I remember a $3 table there once).

Good luck, have fun -- there's no open container laws and there's nothing like looking right down the middle of the Strip at night (bridge crossings between NY-NY and MGM, or Bellagio and Bally's).

My thoughts on same:

I can vouch for La Creperie at Paris (absolutely delicious), and the gambling on Fremont Street (if you'll recall, Joe and I won $1,500 downtown last spring! ;D). Drinks are also much cheaper downtown, so if you want to get sloshed one night ... do it in Old Vegas, not on the Strip. O'Shea's is a nice little place, with cheap gambling and cheaper drinks, right across from Caesar's.

I wasn't impressed with the Strat (and didn't want to pay that much for the Big Shot), but definitely hit the bridge crossings near NY-NY and Bellagio/Caesar's for great views of the Strip. And sportschick and Cadet will vouch for this: Queen Creole will be in heaven, shopping at the Venetian.

As for hotels, try your luck on Kayak.com and don't be afraid to stay off the Strip for a cheaper rate. Cabs are plentiful, and cheap (most we ever paid was a $25 ride from Fremont St. back to the Palms, where we stayed).

 

[friend of a friend]

$225 sounds a bit steep, buckdubs (damnit, did you just edit that or am I on crack?)

I'll be there in June, as well, kingcreole.

We can make it an SportsJournalists.com mini-gathering.

 

[friend of a friend]

Maybe I got some of that weed from your tiger friend.