Vegas, Baby!

[bacchus]

My friends have finally convinced me to get my cherry busted and after 42 yrs of walking this planet, I'll be headed to Vegas from May 17-21.

I'm at a loss for flights and hotel deals....any insights?

hey are going to lead me around by the nose while there, but anybody have any personal favorites that can't be missed?

[cmh_sprint]

Enjoy! if you want to go on the cheap stay at Hotels off the strip or towards Fremont St. Other wise if you want to stay on the Strip I highly recommend the Paris. Flights are about the same, you can always look at flying out of Dayton or Cinci. Most flights either connect in Chicago or Denver.

[kawi kid]

I was just there for my first time also. My wife loves it there, but for me it was kinda blah. I gambled a bit and won a chunk called it quits and then realized everywhere I went they just wanted my money. Plus I'm not a fan of lots of people bumping into me walking down the street. But I for like hookers. Make sure you pick up some stacks of cards from the fellas on the corners. My favorite ones were the cards with happy hour specials. My wife wanted to kill me by the time we got ten minutes into a walk because my pockets were full lol

[redbarron77]

Go to the original Downtown. Cheaper casinos, and great people watching.

Hookers are cheaper down there too(or so I've heard).

[Cheech]

My friends have finally convinced me to get my cherry busted and after 42 yrs of walking this planet, I'll be headed to Vegas from May 17-21.

I'm at a loss for flights and hotel deals....any insights?

hey are going to lead me around by the nose while there, but anybody have any personal favorites that can't be missed?

Ah, this is just my game...

First off, you need to understand and prepare for the distinct possibility that you will want to use any and all means necessary get the fuck out of there that Sunday. Vegas is a sprint, not a marathon, and I've found that 3 days/3 nights is more than adequate. 4 days is spreading it REALLY thin.

Flights I really can't help you on short of pointing you to the usual suspects, Southwest, Kayak, so on. Hotels, unless you REALLY want to stay someplace swanky, feel free to cheap out on. Understand that you probably will be cabbing it damn near everywhere, so try to find something that's semi-central to the Strip without killing your bank account. I don't know what stuff your friends have planned, but I don't plan on spending a ton of time at the hotel room when I'm in Vegas.

Personal favorites: Get a cab and go to Ellis Island Casino. It's VERY off-strip, and smacks of old-school Vegas. You can sit down for 5 dollar blackjack anytime you want, snarf down cheap (and goddamn good) pizza or BBQ, and it's just an overall really chill environment. Try to time this around Saturday morning, when you're really starting to grow tired of spending all that cash.

Go to Fremont Street, the "Old Strip" where they have the LED lightshow. Go during the night so you can see the lights (but everyone else is there for the same thing and to gamble) and go again during the morning to get some cheap and decent breakfast buffets and some cheap tables.

Edited April 12, 2012 by Cheech

[cmh_sprint]

Ah, this is just my game...

First off, you need to understand and prepare for the distinct possibility that you will want to get the fuck out of there that Sunday. Vegas is a sprint, not a marathon, and I've found that 3 days/3 nights is more than adequate. 4 days is spreading it REALLY thin.

So true. I have been out there on 2 separate occasion for week long conferences. I believe it is the closest I have ever come to being hospitalized for exhaustion and alcohol related issues. thank good is was when I was about 10 years ago. The cap on the second occurrence was that United went on strike the day I was to fly home.My option was to sit in the LV airports for an unknown amount of time or take the long way home. I flew from LV to San Francisco, had a layover, then SF to Chicago, Chicago to Columbus. I landed in Columbus 24 hours after arriving at the LV airport. My wife looked at me, shook her head and asked how i was standing. Needless to say I slept for almost 18 hours after getting home.

[OsuMj]

I've stayed at the Riviera twice and it was the cheapest "on the strip" hotel. Its actually just a couple blocks north of the strip across from Circus Circus, close enough to walk. It also has free parking if you're renting a car.

[optimoprime]

i just went for my first time heres what i can say

1. downtown is your friend cheaper to do everything

2. make sure if you dont eat anywhere else got to the world buffet in the RIO its best buffet in town. over a 1/8th mile long and its curvy.

3. circus circus and hooters are both under 30 a night for a room

4. if your gonna so see shows go to the ticket company and get package deals on stuff its much more affordable then going here or there and buying on the spot.

[drew95gt]

I went last summer and stayed at the MGM Grand in one of their "Celebrity Suites". It was pretty sweet, really clean room and the bathroom was OMFG big with hot tub etc. Prepare to walk...A LOT. I recommend driving out to the Hoover Dam and checking it out, very cool!! I have friends that live there and work at Sushi Samba (@ Palazzo) and at Vanity (@ Hard Rock) so of course I recommend both of those places. The old downtown is cool and definitely worth checking out...gambling is a bit cheaper there too. As far as show tickets, look online for promo codes and order them that way or go to the 1/2 price ticket place on the strip (can't remember the name but it is by the big coke bottle..you can't miss it). I went to the Lion King @ Mandalay Bay and Criss Angel @ the Luxor and both were a good time. If you go to the Luxor for the Criss Angel show be sure to check out all of his motorcycles they have on display. They have the Beatles "Love" playing too and I heard it was pretty epic, ran out of time to see it though. If you go off of the strip you will find some pretty good mom and pop places to eat, had some great BBQ while there too in N. Vegas. If you plan it right you can get direct flights with Southwest which is what I did and I recommend that if at all possible.

[OsuMj]

I stayed in the MGM Grand for a few nights too and was not that impressed. There was an empty room with a blaring alarm clock that I had to call to have someone turn it off 2 or 3 times and they put me in a room close to a room they were doing construction on so I had the pleasure of hearing their hammers and drills going all day. It was waaaay over priced for what it was too - but don't get me wrong, it was pretty nice, and I saw Manny Pacquio and Ryan Stiles in the lobby.

[2talltim]

Personal favorites: Get a cab and go to Ellis Island Casino. It's VERY off-strip, and smacks of old-school Vegas. You can sit down for 5 dollar blackjack anytime you want, snarf down cheap (and goddamn good) pizza or BBQ, and it's just an overall really chill environment. Try to time this around Saturday morning, when you're really starting to grow tired of spending all that cash.

.

This^^^ plus hit the restaurant there and ask for the steak special(its not on the menu but its a steak, potato, green beans and salad and beer for $9.99), and if you like beer ask for "the house lite" while gameing, because ellis island is also a micro brewery and it is the best.

Plus Mr. Lucky 23/7 in the hardrock also has a $7.77 steak special(ask for the gamblers special)

HERE ARE MORE FOOD DEALS http://www.vegas.com/restaurant/specials.html

for flights southwest out of c-bus i usually the way togo

if you want cheap room on the strip check out Bill's Gamblin Hall, The monte carlo or the excalibur

[chevysoldier]

My advice: When you want to go gamble, take the amount of cash you are willing to lose and no more. When (no, not if ) you lose it all, leave. Hell, leave your ATM/credit card at the hotel that way your not tempted. It's too easy to say "Just $50 more..."

I recommend Toby Keith's Bar and Grill. I'm not one to go crazy partying, that place is a bit classy, laid back and a friendly atmosphere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI7CIONQJMA

[scottb]

If you just need room for a decent place to sleep and shower, stay on the strip at either Paris or Imerial Palace. This as about the middle of the strip. Plan to either pay alot for taxi's, or plan to walk alot. When you look at a map of the strip, each casino / hotel looks very close, but the scale of how large each property is isn't as accurate as it appears.

Toby Keith's bar is nice. If you drink, there is a cheap place on the strip called Casino Royal. They have some beer bottled beer for a $1 all day long. So each time you pass that casino, stop in a grab a beer.

Spend some time checking out the fancier places like the Wynn ( at the end of the strip) and Belliagio. Super classy.

The "old downtown" is Fremont street street. Try to check that out at night. Great light show set to music.

There will be people passing out the cards for the "escorts". Last time when i was there, I collected every card I was handed. Now, I have enough cards to play "hooker-Go-Fish". ( you pass out the cards, as the other players if they have a girl with certain name, is not - go fish)

On the 3rd floor of the Cosmo, there is a pizza place at the end of a hallway which is lined with record albums. This pizza place is not on any sign, but a cool place to stop in when you have the late night munchies. People watching at night, once the clubs open, is a great time to see the "beautiful people"

[Coyote]

"The Deuce" bus isn't a bad transportation option for getting up and down the strip. 24-hour passes, I believe, are $7. Goes as far north as Fremont Street.

Also, if you stay off of the strip, your hotel likely has a shuttle that'll run back and forth to the strip...probably hourly.

[ohdaho]

How many guys are going?

The Marriott Chateau is great if you get one of the 2 bdrm suites, kitchen and several sofa pullouts as well for about $250 a night. Its not the most contemporary, but youre 42 so Im not sure youre looking for that.

Theres a lot of renovation occuring on the southside of the strip...meaning newer hotels esp around the city center area. MGM Grand was great...7 yrs ago. They are also in the process of renovating.

Avoid IP, circus circus, riviera, and all the older casinos. Those folks havent pumped a nickel into their accomadations in the past couple of decades if not more.

The Palms and Hard Rock are both slightly off the strip, and tend to have great specials to offset that. Honestly, youll most likely be cabbing it most places anyways. If you do want to go balls out with a nice suite, theres the palms place that has some decent deals on suites with great views.

I was stationed 3.5 hrs from vegas for 3 years. We used to frequent that wonderful town every two weeks or so. If you can, avoid flying out of McCarran on Sunday..everyone and the moms are trying to high tail it out of town that day.

[Cheech]

Avoid IP, circus circus, riviera, and all the older casinos. Those folks havent pumped a nickel into their accomadations in the past couple of decades if not more.

If you can, avoid flying out of McCarran on Sunday..everyone and the moms are trying to high tail it out of town that day.

These are spot on, I can't vouch for any of the other stuff. A lot of these older place skimp on hotel accommodations as the casino makes them more money than the hotel ever would. However, if you aren't planning on spending a lot of time there anyway, then it might not necessarily matter.

McCarran is a madhouse on Sunday. All of my flights out have been 6-6:30AM, and they've been very good in dealing with a zombified Cheech trying to go through security and getting to the flight. Also kinda funny (and somewhat maddening) trying to get to the airport just as the majority of the danceclubs are emptying out.