Vegas

j2pac

j2pac

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Considering going to Vegas in late June. Having never been, if anyone could/would recommend places to stay/stay away from, do's, don'ts, etc, that would be great.
Things I'm looking into...
Hotel accommodations (preferably bedbug free).
Places to eat, shows, billiard locations, etc
My thanks to all in advance.
 
I tend to stay downtown anymore. Going to BCA coming up and was too late on the hotel again. I like the D downtown. I stayed in the original rooms at the El Cortez with my wife. Those were pretty cool. Haven’t stayed at their other rooms. I haven’t stayed at some others in a long time and/or ever. But I wouldn’t hesitate to stay at several of the downtown places. The strip has gotten crazy expensive. I think a market adjustment is about to hit, but the value for money isn’t what it used to be. Check out recent reviews of Caesars by way of example. Used to really like it. Anyway downtown isn’t for everybody and I drive down there, so my choices of where to stay don’t depend on proximity to certain things. I like old school Vegas stuff generally as well. I have stayed at locals type places many times that are further out - Santa Fe, Sun coast, Orleans, Sunset Station type places.

I’ve been to both cue club and griff’s. Like both in their way. I want to check out Walt’s, the new place.

So many restaurants as well, and many change, depends what you like and where you are. I haven’t kept up enough on the restaurants.
 
I guess I should add- if I were flying there for 3 days never having been there, I’d stay at a nice place on the Strip - prices probably not terrible at that point in June. Driving I’d probably never stay on the strip again.

My first time there I was a kid with my parents. Stayed at the Dunes. I’m old. That joint was cool and a great location. The Bellagio is nicer but the old Vegas that has been lost was something.
 
Virgin has great rooms(old hard rock) walking distance to the strip(Paris/Bellagio/Caesars/Cosmo) area) ~2 blocks.

Barbershop(speakeasy) at Cosmo is awesome(live music), there's a place next to the oyster bar outside NOBU(live music, same owners thats excellent) I prefer NOBU(food) at Caesars, there are 3 - Virgin, Paris and Cosmo, the one at Virgin has the best Seabass you'll ever have, they all have the yellow tail jalapeño(must have)
Javier's(Mexican/excellent) at Cosmo( when I say Cosmo, I mean city center, its my catch-all)

If you go to a Cirq show, pay the money for the good seats(it makes a difference)

The world series of poker will be going on at Paris and Horseshoe. Usually you can find a tournament $1,500 or under so you can say you played the WSOP, if poker is your thing, the Venetian also has a series running at the same time

Griffs is the place for pool, Ronnie Wiseman is there all the time and John Robert Belland(pool and poker) is there quite a bit.

I go the first 2 week of June every year(WSOP) it will be hotttt.

I havent been to Sphere yet, will probably go this time.

There's some good micro brews in town.

Hoover damn, etc if ya wanna see those things, helicopter tours.

Ole Red and Jason Allen's places are on the strip( if ya like country) and I believe Barbershop does a country night. Never know who is gonna show up to barbershop and play, literally could be any famous musician any day of the week
 
generally stay very close to where you want to hang out. as crowds and getting around is slow.

when checking out a casino make sure you know the resort fees and parking fees(even if you dont park) for your total costs to stay.
and when checking in always ask at the right time if a possible upgrade in room or location is possible. works some time.
even gotten a big suite using the 20 dollar trick but with a 50. placed on the counter discretely at the right time.

down town is cheaper and with lots to do; ive always stayed at the golden nugget there as its nice and has a good coffee shop for breakfast and you can get in without waiting in a long line. i think you can still get 100 dollar a night rooms on not so popular weekends.
plus if having a car which i always do you are right next to the freeway which runs parallel with the strip mostly and can easily get to any other casino. there is bus service up and down as well.
the fremont is across the street for cheaper and no resort type fees i think still. so you save.

june is very hot and walking around far only early and night is almost pleasant. do not talk to strangers outside.

oh and never take anything out of the mini bar in a room unless you want to die of a heart attack after seeing the bill.
 
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Get a little head on Freemont Street.

I saw this street artist one December night a few years ago and it was super cold outside so I stopped in the ABC store nearby and bought a Beanie cap to keep my head from freezing and went back and started watching him again.

Next thing you know I wound up with a little head.

That is my avatar.

 
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I am not an expert, but went to Vegas for BCA and VNEA tourneys from 1994 to 2000 at the Riviera and it was fun and affordable. Now not so much, everything is very expensive with resort fees, high food and drink prices. Last time I went was August 2014, stayed off strip at a Marriott property because I had points, spent most of my time playing poker at Green Valley Ranch, daily tournament and low cash games. No more reasonable buffets or free valet parking. I won't ever go back, the thrill is gone.
 
its a resort area now not a place to gamble for the general public. expect ultra high prices on every thing even a snack on the strip or in casinos.
it is a regular city once you venture away from the lights.
 
j2pac said:
Considering going to Vegas in late June. Having never been, if anyone could/would recommend places to stay/stay away from, do's, don'ts, etc, that would be great.
Things I'm looking into...
Hotel accommodations (preferably bedbug free).
Places to eat, shows, billiard locations, etc
My thanks to all in advance.
Click to expand...
For pool, go to Griff's. There is also the Cue Club, which seems to have some action, but it has been a little sketchy/dirty. Bangin Ballz is a new room with Rasson tables, south of the Strip. Walter's Billiards is also new, and has been discussed here. There are several other rooms, maybe including a mostly carom room.

I've heard recommendations for the Mob Museum.

Nature stuff to see in the area: Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam (you walk inside and can look out from half way down the face), Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire State Park. For cacti and chocolate together, Ethel M's in Henderson makes fancy chocolates (w/tour) and has a large succulent garden. The M is for Mars.

For accommodation, I was thinking of staying at the (new) Sahara. Their rates looked pretty good, the resort fee is low, and they are at the north end of the monorail. When something was happening at The Rio, I stayed next door at the Gold Coast, where the rates, people and food were much, much better.

I have also stayed at a condo complex in a 3-bedroom suite, a mile or two off the Strip, for about $100/night. Hilton is trying to sell them as time shares or something, but you don't have to attend the "please give us your money" talk. Booking.com lists places like that. I think that will only work if you have a car.

About the strip, it's hard to not feel ripped off at the big casinos, partly due to the fact that there are only three brands. What you can expect:

A "resort fee" of $30 to $50 per day suddenly appears on your room rate when you check in. That's because you might use the wi-fi and towels. The reservation sites sometimes don't happen to tell you about this.

There is no coffee maker in the room. The limited-service Starbucks downstairs will sell you a cup for $5. Or maybe $6 now.

There are no water fountains in the casinos, even though you are in a desert. Bally's is willing to sell you a 10-ounce bottle of water for $8. Really. My briefcase was inspected for water smuggling.

Parking used to be free. Some casinos now charge $20-$25. For a while, you could get free parking at The Tropicana, but they solved that by tearing it down.

The buffets used to be great and not too expensive. I last tried one when I was staying at the Luxor (= Mandalay Bay poor relation) and for $33, there was almost nothing I wanted to eat. In general the casino restaurants will not post the menu outside -- sticker shock problem -- but you can ask to see one.

Once you are on a casino/hotel property, they make it really hard to go elsewhere. You have to walk a long, long way.

I first went to Las Vegas in 1969. Through about 2005 you could get reasonable deals, and then the corporations pushed out the mob (or something like that). These days, they get most of their money from "hospitality" and not innumerate gamblers, so your vacation is not financed by someone else.

One example of how the value has gone away: I complained to Mark Griffin about the costs/values at the Rio, especially for food. $4 for a small, unripe banana at the CSI/BCAPL/USAPL tourney snack area seemed high. He said he had talked to someone in food service there. They were not allowed to spend more than 10% for the ingredients for a meal. The restaurant industry standard has been 30% for ingredients. And that 10-ounce bottle of water mentioned above cost Bally's less than 20 cents.

Be careful in any cash transaction. Sometimes the change may not be quite right. And if you take an actual taxi, know what the charge and route should be or compare to Uber/Lyft.

I just remembered a good deal I encountered at Mandalay Bay at a pool tournament (of course). The beer was cheaper than the bottled water. Water -- $6 for a bottle, Michelob -- $5. 2019? US Open? I try to keep my wits about me when I'm around pool players, but I went for the beer.
 
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Bob Jewett said:
For pool, go to Griff's. There is also the Cue Club, which seems to have some action, but it has been a little sketchy/dirty. Bangin Ballz is a new room with Rasson tables, south of the Strip. Walter's Billiards is also new, and has been discussed here. There are several other rooms, maybe including a mostly carom room.

I've heard recommendations for the Mob Museum.

Nature stuff to see in the area: Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam (you walk inside and can look out from half way down the face), Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire State Park. For cacti and chocolate together, Ethel M's in Henderson makes fancy chocolates (w/tour) and has a large succulent garden. The M is for Mars.

For accommodation, I was thinking of staying at the (new) Sahara. Their rates looked pretty good, the resort fee is low, and they are at the north end of the monorail. When something was happening at The Rio, I stayed next door at the Gold Coast, where the rates, people and food were much, much better.

I have also stayed at a condo complex in a 3-bedroom suite, a mile or two off the Strip, for about $100/night. Hilton is trying to sell them as time shares or something, but you don't have to attend the "please give us your money" talk. Booking.com lists places like that. I think that will only work if you have a car.

About the strip, it's hard to not feel ripped off at the big casinos, partly due to the fact that there are only three brands. What you can expect:

A "resort fee" of $30 to $50 per day suddenly appears on your room rate when you check in. That's because you might use the wi-fi and towels. The reservation sites sometimes don't happen to tell you about this.

There is no coffee maker in the room. The limited-service Starbucks downstairs will sell you a cup for $5. Or maybe $6 now.

There are no water fountains in the casinos, even though you are in a desert. Bally's is willing to sell you a 10-ounce bottle of water for $8. Really. My briefcase was inspected for water smuggling.

Parking used to be free. Some casinos now charge $20-$25. For a while, you could get free parking at The Tropicana, but they solved that by tearing it down.

The buffets used to be great and not too expensive. I last tried one at the Luxor (= Mandalay Bay poor relation) and for $33, there was almost nothing I wanted to eat. In general the casino restaurants will not post the menu outside -- sticker shock problem -- but you can ask to see one.

Once you are on a casino/hotel property, they make it really hard to go elsewhere. You have to walk a long, long way.

I first went to Las Vegas in 1969. Through about 2005 you could get reasonable deals, and then the corporations pushed out the mob (or something like that). These days, they get most of their money from "hospitality" and not innumerate gamblers, so your vacation is not financed by someone else.

One example of how the value has gone away: I complained to Mark Griffin about the costs/values at the Rio, especially for food. $4 for a small, unripe banana at the CSI/BCAPL/USAPL tourney snack area seemed high. He said he had talked to someone in food service there. They were not allowed to spend more than 10% for the ingredients for a meal. The restaurant industry standard has been 30% for ingredients. And that 10-ounce bottle of water mentioned above cost Bally's less than 20 cents.

Be careful in any cash transaction. Sometimes the change may not be quite right. And if you take an actual taxi, know what the charge and route should be or compare to Uber/Lyft.
Click to expand...
Great write up Bob. The "mostly Carom room" may have been the Gorilla Cafe.
SJM and I went there in 2013, 2015 and 2017. It was a smaller room that had maybe 4 9ft Diamonds and probably 6 Carom tables with a 10' Brunswick Gold Crown Snooker table.

When you walked in the door EVERY employee would yell "HI". They were truly glad to see you.
Sadly it looks like it has shut its doors for good. If I remember correctly it was very close to Rum Runners.
 
Bob Jewett said:
For pool, go to Griff's. There is also the Cue Club, which seems to have some action, but it has been a little sketchy/dirty. Bangin Ballz is a new room with Rasson tables, south of the Strip. Walter's Billiards is also new, and has been discussed here. There are several other rooms, maybe including a mostly carom room.

I've heard recommendations for the Mob Museum.

Nature stuff to see in the area: Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam (you walk inside and can look out from half way down the face), Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire State Park. For cacti and chocolate together, Ethel M's in Henderson makes fancy chocolates (w/tour) and has a large succulent garden. The M is for Mars.

For accommodation, I was thinking of staying at the (new) Sahara. Their rates looked pretty good, the resort fee is low, and they are at the north end of the monorail. When something was happening at The Rio, I stayed next door at the Gold Coast, where the rates, people and food were much, much better.

I have also stayed at a condo complex in a 3-bedroom suite, a mile or two off the Strip, for about $100/night. Hilton is trying to sell them as time shares or something, but you don't have to attend the "please give us your money" talk. Booking.com lists places like that. I think that will only work if you have a car.

About the strip, it's hard to not feel ripped off at the big casinos, partly due to the fact that there are only three brands. What you can expect:

A "resort fee" of $30 to $50 per day suddenly appears on your room rate when you check in. That's because you might use the wi-fi and towels. The reservation sites sometimes don't happen to tell you about this.

There is no coffee maker in the room. The limited-service Starbucks downstairs will sell you a cup for $5. Or maybe $6 now.

There are no water fountains in the casinos, even though you are in a desert. Bally's is willing to sell you a 10-ounce bottle of water for $8. Really. My briefcase was inspected for water smuggling.

Parking used to be free. Some casinos now charge $20-$25. For a while, you could get free parking at The Tropicana, but they solved that by tearing it down.

The buffets used to be great and not too expensive. I last tried one when I was staying at the Luxor (= Mandalay Bay poor relation) and for $33, there was almost nothing I wanted to eat. In general the casino restaurants will not post the menu outside -- sticker shock problem -- but you can ask to see one.

Once you are on a casino/hotel property, they make it really hard to go elsewhere. You have to walk a long, long way.

I first went to Las Vegas in 1969. Through about 2005 you could get reasonable deals, and then the corporations pushed out the mob (or something like that). These days, they get most of their money from "hospitality" and not innumerate gamblers, so your vacation is not financed by someone else.

One example of how the value has gone away: I complained to Mark Griffin about the costs/values at the Rio, especially for food. $4 for a small, unripe banana at the CSI/BCAPL/USAPL tourney snack area seemed high. He said he had talked to someone in food service there. They were not allowed to spend more than 10% for the ingredients for a meal. The restaurant industry standard has been 30% for ingredients. And that 10-ounce bottle of water mentioned above cost Bally's less than 20 cents.

Be careful in any cash transaction. Sometimes the change may not be quite right. And if you take an actual taxi, know what the charge and route should be or compare to Uber/Lyft.

I just remembered a good deal I encountered at Mandalay Bay at a pool tournament (of course). The beer was cheaper than the bottled water. Water -- $6 for a bottle, Michelob -- $5. 2019? US Open? I try to keep my wits about me when I'm around pool players, but I went for the beer.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the information Bob.
 
Bob Jewett said:
... For cacti and chocolate together, Ethel M's in Henderson makes fancy chocolates (w/tour) and has a large succulent garden. The M is for Mars. ...
Click to expand...
And over on the YouTube, I just got the first Ethel M ad I've ever seen there. BTW, the prices at the factory are the same as at the Las Vegas airport.
 
I have been so many times now it's hard to even estimate but I think it will be quite awhile before I go back honestly.

Only thing I miss is about a dozen restaurants and some pretty solid golf courses...
Bavette's @ParkMGM Steaks are great of course but the low key best thing on the menu is the chicken
Bouchon @Venetian French Bistro Get the Chicken and hopefully a deliciously(subtle) rude waiter!
Javier's @Aria shockingly great filet and everything else is great too. My personal fav.
Sinatra @Wynn Just a solid spot with a good vibe
Carbone @Aria was my fav for a long time but they killed the vibe for me and it's been hard to go back, still worth it if you haven't been.
Komodo @Fontainbleu fantastic Asian fusion with some of the best small plates you'll ever have.

Griff's is a nice place in its own way but incredibly pricey if you just wanna practice.

Absinthe is the only show I can confidently suggest to anyone. Any seat in the house will do, there isn't a single bad one. Have taken 2 dozen people to it over the years and every single one of them had a blast.
 
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