vegas casinos hotels?

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Hi, I'm going to Vegas last week of August. What's a good hotel to stay at? I wanted to stay at the Hard Rock, but its like $400/night for the days I'm there. Definitely I don't want to stay at a family-oriented place with little brats running around etc. OK! Thanks!

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 5 August 2005 21:17 (twenty years ago)

What do you want from your hotel? Do you want to be in the middle of things? Do you want good restaurants in your hotel? Do you want the place to look (a) fancy or (b) like an old casino?

I actually would suggest Paris, in that it is not too expensive compared to the other expensive ones, doesn't have a lot of kids around, and is in the middle of everything. Also, the gambling space has this really eerie outdoor ambiance that is really nice.

Caesar's has a nice old-Vegas vibe but is pretty expensive.

Mandalay Bay is great but way on the end of the strip.

Bellagio / Venetian / Wynn are the class of the strip, but are very, very expensive.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Friday, 5 August 2005 21:24 (twenty years ago)

well, i dont have to be in the middle of things. i can just take taxis, its ok. i'll look into mandalay bay. the caesar's palace is only $120!

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 5 August 2005 21:35 (twenty years ago)

Imperial Palace is pretty central and cheapish... and they have a car museum!

― andy --, Friday, 5 August 2005 21:41 (twenty years ago)

how is this place, the palms?

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 5 August 2005 23:01 (twenty years ago)

Stay downtown rather than on the strip. More old-school, less kid-friendly.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 5 August 2005 23:02 (twenty years ago)

also cheaper - http://www.fourqueens.com/
mid-week August, $34/night

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 5 August 2005 23:03 (twenty years ago)

i stayed at the bellagio for a bachelor party, but my friends are wealthy. it was nice. i didn't gamble and kind of hated vegas, though, so i'm not a good judge.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Friday, 5 August 2005 23:57 (twenty years ago)

Phil, Hard Rock is Tack City. I stayed across the street at a cheap-o affair--there's a ton of them there, more Leaving Las Vegas than Oceans 11/12.

The Strip is also sucky--like a Midwestern convention.

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 6 August 2005 01:31 (twenty years ago)

isn't vegas all Tack City?

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Saturday, 6 August 2005 01:40 (twenty years ago)

Well, there's the good, sleazy Louis Malle Atlantic City tacky, and there's the sanitized Disney style tack of a large part of Vegas that I am suggesting Phil might want to avoid.

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 6 August 2005 01:42 (twenty years ago)

i think it would be kinda funny though! isnt that the point of vegas? im going for a convention so company expense, woo

― phil-two (phil-two), Saturday, 6 August 2005 01:45 (twenty years ago)

I'd prefer the strip, but that's me. Stay to the south end of the strip, where the Bellagio (kid friendly? you have to be 18 or over to walk in), Caesar's, New York, New York, Paris, etc are. North Vegas is cheaper, but there are reasons why its cheaper. Its not a particularly great part of town. North Strip is also pretty seedy and full of rather mediocre hotels (Sahara's rooms are on par with a Motel 6, honestly. don't even think Lady Luck). If you need to go to the convention center, the Hilton and the Radisson Suites are probably already booked, but they're just off the strip, more towards the north end, but aren't garbage. Fremont Street isn't bad, but its a bitch to get back to the strip. If it really doesn't matter, stay at Sands, Palms, and Rio are all good hotels.

Matter of fact, this made me just look at the Strip for that week (22-26?) on Expedia, and Ballys, which is the old MGM Grand, but still a decent hotel in mid strip, is only $70 a night. Tropicana, which is also plenty nice, and one of the original "big" hotels on the strip, is a mere $45 a night, and right next to Excalibur, Luxor, etc. Sahara and Circus Circus on the North End of the strip are $39 and $42 respectively, and Sahara has as much old Vegas kitsch, albiet with fairly crappy rooms, as any dive hotel in Vegas will. Stratosphere, which is the end of the strip, and an adventurous walk to even get back to Sahara, is $34. You'll spend enough on cab fare from either Sahara or Stratosphere that you might as well spend the extra on Bally's (or just get the room at Tropicana, since its right there) or try to Priceline a 4 star on the strip for around $65-70. Use Biddingfortravel.com as a guide if you use Priceline. Priceline is ACE for hotels, and highly recommended as being worth a lowball try before you go to a Travelocity or Expedia.

Taxis will screw you unless you know the lay of the land. This is a guarantee. Staying in the south end of the strip is exceptionally nice because there's a free monorail, which can't exactly take you down backroads you're not familiar with to extract an extra $10 from you.

(stay away from the North Strip. its everything bad about Atlantic City with no boardwalk and no nice hotel/casinos. you can find enough "kitsch" on the strip to last you plenty before you delve into the part of the city that's been associated with burnouts, crime, and addicts practically since its inception.)

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Saturday, 6 August 2005 02:36 (twenty years ago)

well i can defitely afford to stay somewhere nicer. i'll prolly look into mandalay bay - they have some all suites boutique hotel attached to it that looks nice. and the palm. and paris. maybe bellagio too, but it may be too classy and frown upon drunk fashion show attendees stumbling around and having afterparties in their rooms until 7am.

― phil-two (phil-two), Saturday, 6 August 2005 02:43 (twenty years ago)

Flamingo Hilton:

oldest hotel in Vegas
centrally located
awesome pool
less of a themepark vegas experience

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 8 August 2005 22:53 (twenty years ago)

and probably much cheaper than a fancier place.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 8 August 2005 22:54 (twenty years ago)

I've stayed at "The Hotel" at Mandalay Bay and the suites are indeed very nice. I usually hate Vegas, but it was pleasant enough there. Haven't been to Wynn yet.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 8 August 2005 23:04 (twenty years ago)

phil, I just read you're on expense.

what's your lodging per diem? try these in order:

bellagio
the hotel at mandalay bay
palms
mirage
wynn
mandalay bay

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 8 August 2005 23:13 (twenty years ago)

I stayed at the H@mpt0n Inn off the strip last week, is that just not done? The days of cheap room rates for (decent) strip hotels is gone, I stayed at Harrahs two years ago for $60, now the "deals" start at about $230. Hampton was exceptionally clean, quiet, and a block away from the MGM/Excalibur/NYNY hub. They had a free shuttle to but not from a bunch of hotels and all for $90 or so. Not to be a commercial, I'm sure there's a bunch of affordable, clean hotels situated thusly. Unless you're starving for Vegas immersion or something I'd look for a reliable plainjane chain to sleep and have your fun elsewhere.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Monday, 8 August 2005 23:22 (twenty years ago)

that second Hampton should read H@mpt0n. Whew!

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Monday, 8 August 2005 23:25 (twenty years ago)

Ceasar's is in a pretty good location, if you're just looking for a place to sleep. You can walk to the rest of the new strip from there. Don't believe the old strip/new strip bullshit. It's all fun & it all sucks. There is no "old vegas" anymore.

― Draw Tipsy, ya hack. (dave225.3), Monday, 8 August 2005 23:31 (twenty years ago)

>I stayed at the H@mpt0n Inn off the strip last week, is that just not done? The days of cheap room rates for (decent) strip hotels is gone, I stayed at Harrahs two years ago for $60, now the "deals" start at about $230.<

When did you go, though? If you stayed Friday-Sunday night, that's part of the problem. Staying in mid-week is the only way to get a deal.

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Monday, 8 August 2005 23:51 (twenty years ago)

Or when there are no conventions or out of season.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 8 August 2005 23:57 (twenty years ago)

xpost I went Tuesday, checking out Wednesday. Granted this is peak tourist season(no way around it, my wife's visiting cousin wanted to go while she was in the states) and there's a slight premium for staying one night but it's pretty ridiculous across the board. I understand the casinos' cost model has changed to now discourage families with kids but for a cheapskate like myself who doesn't like Vegas much anyway it's pretty much a dealbreaker.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Tuesday, 9 August 2005 01:35 (twenty years ago)

phil, I just read you're on expense.

hm, just found out the less i spent on hotel, the more i can spend on fooooooooooooooood! so maybe i stay at golden nugget and then spend the rest of the expense account at disappointing celebrity chef restaurants. i hear theres an alain ducasse in las vegas now. and a nobu. anyone know how much of a cab ride it is from golden nugget to las vegas hilton/convention center?

anyone else going to be there aug29-sep1?

― phil-two (phil-two), Tuesday, 9 August 2005 06:08 (twenty years ago)

I'm sure you'll get some good poker tips from our friendly spambot

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 9 August 2005 06:09 (twenty years ago)

you pay for food in vegas? that doesnt sound right.

im with gygax! the flamingo rocks.

― sunny successor (he hates my guts, we had a fight) (katharine), Tuesday, 9 August 2005 14:55 (twenty years ago)

you pay for food in vegas? that doesnt sound right.

There is one place where paying for food not only makes sense but is your divine offering to the gods:

Lotus of Siam on Sahara Ave.

If you don't go there, Phil, I will kick your ass so goddamn hard.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 9 August 2005 15:15 (twenty years ago)

Paris was easily the nicest of the moderately-priced Strip hotels that Sarah and I visited, and would definitely be my choice if I went again (and went for the Strip, which I probably wouldn't).

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 9 August 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

There is one place where paying for food not only makes sense but is your divine offering to the gods:
Lotus of Siam on Sahara Ave.

looks yummy. have any recommendations in particular there?

we're staying at the Treasure Island!!! I'm so excited for the hourly Sirens of Treasure Island pirate-ho song and dance extravaganza!

is anyone going to be in vegas this coming week by any chance? if so, come to beauty bar on wednesday. i'll be dj'ing with some pals, and FREE VOX VODKA from 9-10.

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 26 August 2005 17:22 (twenty years ago)

I've stayed at Treasure Island. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Friday, 26 August 2005 17:24 (twenty years ago)

Phil, here's a pic for all that awaits you at the TI:

http://www.yelp.com/bphoto/WlogPCk9uuHZo7hkxNFwKA/l

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 26 August 2005 17:43 (twenty years ago)

OUCH! Where am I to fit that thing???

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 26 August 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

To get to that Thai place, Phil, just take the Vegas monorail all the way to the north, exit north (where you have to take an elevator UP, then DOWN the stairs -- great planning, Vegas Monorail people!). Then you have to walk about half a mile on the complete complement of the Vegas strip on Sahara Blvd, going east... you'll see the most spreadout saddest looking decrepid strip mall on the planet (albeit with a HUGE store called "GAY FORTRESS" or something, "KARAOKE", and then this place called "THAI FOOD" aka Lotus of Siam. Definitely one of the best Thai places in the country. You might want to call ahead and reserve but their phone is flaky, but at least it's a city secret and zilch visitors know about this place (but us, for now.)

I still can remember the mango sticky rice. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

― donut gon' nut (donut), Friday, 26 August 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

ah, thanks for the directions. now i guess i have no excuse not to try it, since i can combine it with a trip to gay fortress.

― phil-two (phil-two), Saturday, 27 August 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

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