Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2011

Traincrashing

November / December

That sounds so horrible! Poor you I hope that never ever happens to me. I cannot handle my own vomit, let alone anyone elses.

TangoBunny

May

How awful for you and Tracy...it's bad enough when someone you know is sick on you....no wonder she was hysterical......

photome

August

OMG thats soooo bad. I would have thrown up to with the smell etc.

Is that why you were both ill for rest of week

stoneman

October

Anyway, arrive ahead of schedule and soon out of the terminal and off to collect the car. We have booked Alamo via Europecar as they were the cheapest, £89 for 6 days hire of an economy car. I signed up online for their loyalty club which allows you to miss the line and go straight to the garage to collect your car. Unfortunately I have neglected to notice that by using Alamo their policy with Europcar is a pre-charge for fuel and bring back empty. As we are only there for a short time this costs me $40 to use half a tank of gas. I will make sure in future that I phone up after finding the best price and ascertain their fueling policy, as you do not get to see this yourself during the on line transaction until your voucher is issued. Anyway, take my voucher to the car collect and he justs points me to the cars and says pick anythin in that row. In we get but then think, hey, no one has swiped my card or issued me with any documents how are we going to get out? Well they have this covered, you drive up to the exit and they do it all while you sit in the car, cool or what!
We are staying again at the Platinum, here are some pics of the suite which is huge, complete with full kitchen bathroom as big as our kitchen with jet bath, separate shower and twin sinks, balcony and best of all (according to OH) a washing machine and dryer.





We get a great deal of $109 a night inc weekends, free internet and 2 bottles of wine thrown in as they know this is Tracy's birthday trip.
Arranged to meet ferf the next night but by this time Tracy has caught whatever ashen faced has had, and is too sick to come out. So I decide to walk to Planet Ho sports bar from Platinum and manage to do it in a very respectable 15 minutes. Meet up with the lovely ferf but she too is missing someone, seems as though her and hubby were a bit optimistic as to think they could arrive on that day and still be around at 9pm, so unfortunately we were left as a twosome. Had a nice chat but you could see she was really struggling and all too soon she succumbed as well and I had to let her go. Next time for sure though we will all get together.
By the next day OH has stopped vomiting and I take over. We struggle out that night but we are back in by 11 and I have had 1 beer. The rest of the trip goes along the same vein as by now as we are dehydrated with all of the fluid loss so all of our eating plans either go out of the window or we struggle on and end up leaving loads of food and wasting money.
A couple of places we did try though, we ventured over to the Cosmo to the Wicked Spoon buffet. You will need your walking shoes for this one, what a poor, poor place to put this. It is on the second floor right at the back of the building, I mean it must take a good 10 minutes to get to, and nothing to look at on the way (except for the giant shoes). Lunch is $21 and although it all looks nice and fancy with most of the food in little pans, we felt it lacked variety. The big selling point of it is the pudding stand, all very arty, but no big slices of cake or sloppy puds to get your teeth into. Felt it was over priced and disapointed in it a bit, but that could be because we were under the weather and also we are not buffet people. I could have gotten a stonking meal at Trevi in Forum shops with dessert for 2 for about the same price, and I know where I would rather eat my food, I just hate the troughing attitude of most people in buffets, and trying to watch Americans cut beef with the side of a fork insted of using a knife, well, I feel like going up to them and giving them a slap. lol
For Tracy's birthday meal she wants to go back to the Steakhouse at Circus Circus. Tracy has pulled out all the stops and is in her bestest outfit, so much sparkle she looks like a walking mirror ball. Unfortunatly to get to the restaurant you have to walk the length of the casino and most of the shops, she looks so overdressed and out of place we half think about turning around and leaving. Honest this place is the pits, kids everywhere. The restaurant is nice setting, like a gentlemens club, and always up there at the top of best steaks in Vegas. Again I have informed then this is a birthday and we get a very nice booth, I have a Caesar salad to start and T has french onion soup which is huge. All of the main courses come with Jacket potato and greens. I have the Ribeye on the bone ($48) and T has the chicken breasts. Now the problem with this place is that the steak is too big. By the time I am a quarter of a way this monster bull on a plate in front of me it has gone cold and the medium rare has turned into a sea of cold blood on my plate. Trying to convince the Americans that quality over quantity will never work though. We have no room for dessert so they give us $10 off of the food bill as a b/day present. Still $130 with tip though. We much prefer Austins I must say.

mattedgie

Flights to Vegas early July are depressing....£810 direct with Virgin Chances of flights coming down with Oil prices going up etc are pretty slim i imagine?

photome

August

stoneman wrote: »

, I just hate the troughing attitude of most people in buffets, and trying to watch Americans cut beef with the side of a fork insted of using a knife, well, I feel like going up to them and giving them a slap. lol

Why do they all do it ? and then shovel everything in with the said fork!!!

Someone should give them a slap

vegasvisitor

September

Traincrashing wrote: »

On the topic of buffets, what are they like for vegeterians? I'm one only because I really don't like the taste of any meat, so I'm not looking for any special dishes or anything, just wondering if there would be food I could eat that doen't have meat in it. I don't eat fish or chicken either, just incase anyone asks

We're vegetarian, and often do buffets in Vegas. We like quite a variety of levels of buffet. The Bellagio, Rio and Wynn are really nice, but Orleans, Gold Coast, Harrah's are better value for money and still really good. Not the same quality but still rather good. We had really nice brunches last year (champagne) at Wynn and Bellagio.

There are rarely chips (french fries) at the buffets. You may find baked potatoes at some, always lots of salad, pizza, usually a veggie pasta dish, mashed potatoes, maybe mac cheese, nachos/tacos/enchiladas. I've got quite a fixed routine - tends to be a plate of salad, then some pasta, pizza, mash, anything else I fancy, then a dessert. I always find something. Only time I didn't I had fortunately asked to have a look first, at Imperial Palace. We left and went elsewhere as it wasn't very veggie friendly.

Not sure how strict you are but might want to watch out for oyster sauce in the chow mein/lo mein, parmesan on pizza and in pasta, chicken stock in soups. There's usually chefs everywhere to ask.

cottyh24

September

Stoneman - as someone who has a really bad phobia of being sick, or other people being sick, your plane journey would be my idea of hell. I'd more than likely have killed the man. Can't have been much fun being ill on holiday either, especially not somewhere like Vegas where there's so much to see and do. Suppose it gives you a good excuse to go back though (if you need one!)

ses6jwg

I'm considering re-booking for Vegas this year as my trip planned for April last year, 9 nights at the Flamingo for £650 each including return direct flights. got cancelled.

I'm reading a few bad reports on the Flamingo so think I will avoid it.

What is the Tropicana and Excalibur like now as I hear they've been refurbed? Prices seem to have gone up considerably, just looking online for either May or September and 7 nights including direct flights coming in at about £750-850.

stoneman

October

OK last part.
Rest of trip is a bit of a let down as we are still sickly and not eating much. We finally pick up on the last night and enjoy a nice meal at MAG, pretty nice this time of year as the patio is fully heated so no need to wear any more than you do indoors. I have roast chicken and T has the lemon chicken, 2 glasses of wine and coffee after, $85 inc tip, that's more like it. We get to see 3 Bellagio shows, and right on cue as we are about to leave on comes "Time to say goodbye" We have never missed seeing that one in all the times we have eaten at MAG, brilliant.
Last day we have lunch at Trevi where they will serve you half portions, we get a late checkout from hotel and take the bags to the airport at 4pm then head back to the strip for the last couple of hours. Arrive at the airport and who does T spy but spewey guts from the outbound flight!! I have to really hold onto her to stop her going over to him and scream in his face. Really, she was having a fit and shouting at him from about 20 feet away and loads of people were looking at us. I just love her xxx. Flight home was good, we forked out the £100 for row 26 exit seats and bought our own salads before hand as we didn't want all the processed salt ridden airline offering. Leave bang on time and because of the tail wind are informed that the flight will be less than 9 hours and we will arrive 1/2 hour early. Fall asleep and am woken up by the hideous smell of the breakfast. It's all we can do to stop from throwing up again. Because we have arrived early we are put in a holding pattern for 15 minutes above London. When we land the pilot informs us that we are going to a remote stand and will be bussed into the terminal. Well 20 minutes later 1 bus shows up and it takes 4 trips to get us off of the plane. So the 30 minute early boast of BA actually became a delay of a hour. I will be persuing compo BAEC points for that one don't worry.
I must say that I really like the timing of the return, you leave Vegas at 8pm and by the time you are airborne, had drinks and the meal and watched a bit of telly you go to sleep at the right time. When you arrive home it is afternoon and have no trouble staying up till proper bed time this end. We feel much better today and very little jetlag as of yet.
Anyway, we are back in May for nine nights so will make up for this trip no doubt.