Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2012

photome

VALUE FOR MONEY

funkeii wrote: »

Hi Guys, first time poster here! (been lurking for years!) :T

None of us have been before, so we are trying to decide where to stay what to do etc! Hoped you guys could help:

1. Is it best to book together (both couples), as me and my GF are only doing 4 nts in LV and my brother and his wife are doing 7 nts? - surely it would be best for my bro and missus to get return flights and me and my GF do a multi city flight plan as we are doing 4 nts LV and then 10 nts along West Coast?

2. Is it best to wait to book accommodation for 1st week in Sept? Any tips on where to stay for a short vacation like ours?


Cheers,

Kath

Have you read the first few posts about everything Vegas?

All the tips on there about where to book etc

I would agree a return to Vegas for brother and london (i assume) to Vegas and then return from LA or San Fran for yourself.

If you find a good flight price book it and wait till later to book accomodation.

Where you want to stay will depend on how much you want to pay

Froggitt

glenbois wrote: »

1. Is there a hotel booking site that I can use specifically for suites?
2. if not, what type of "room types" should I be looking for on the 3rd party websites? which include two bedrooms but with living space etc...
3. what are your opinions of suites vs two seperate rooms?
4. is it a false economy looking for suites rather than seperate rooms?

Thanks

Geoff.

3rd party sites usually only quote the entry level rooms reliably....some are better than others.

I would start with MGM and Caesars sites, which is three quarters of the strip hotels, put in your dates, and see what is returned for standard rooms and for 2 bed rooms.

Signature gives best of both.....the two bed suite is just a one bed room and a studio room with a pair of outer doors enclosing them both. Most good hotels have 2 bed suites eg MB, Caesars, Venetian.

crow99

photome wrote: »

Maybe I should add this info on the the first post ?

Although I think there is prib enough info on there to digest already

I did post the same thing in last years thread when I found I had some comp nights at Ballys etc.

There is quite a lot and this is more for 'returnees' I've just noticed that CET seem to give comp rooms easily for low play!

One of the reasons I keep going back, you cant beat a free room in the sun!

crow99

Funkeii - I did a similar trip a few years ago!

I flew into Las Vegas for 4 nights then over to San Fran for a few.
Its then well worth hiring a convertiable and driving down route 1. There are a number of parks and sights to see.
Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Big Sur all spring to mind.

When I got to LA I did the Hollywood thing and then went to Disneyland! One of the best trips of my life!

bubble113

CASINOS

crow99 wrote: »

One of the things I dont see mentioned here as much.
If you sign up for a Total rewards card and a repeat visitor to Vegas, alway log in to http://www.totalrewards.com and then use the calender --> View All Las Vegas Casino's---> Month view from the dates you want.

You then get to see upto three months of discounted rates for your rooms. I dont gamble huge amounts and yet normally have 'COMP' room rates for most properties (Bally's Flamingo, Harrah's, IP) and cheaper rates at others, particuarly for Sunday-Thursday.

Example on my next trip I'm doing Bally's for two nights and a FAB deluxe at the Flamingo 5 nights for free!

Thanks for this I didn't know how to do this! When i've logged on previously if I didn't have an "offer" I thought that was it no freebies. I've done as you suggested and have comped nights at Bally's,IP and Harrahs. Would only stay at Ballys out of those but still pleased.

Is it possible to do something similar with all reward cards? Thinking particularly of Southpoint as have done a fair bit of gambling on my card there. I've never had comped rooms don't really understand how it works, you would think after 10+ visits I would have sussed it out....not very MSE of me:(

Thanks again for posting!

Any other pointers as to comps would be greatly appreciated!:)

Froggitt

crow99 wrote: »

One of the things I dont see mentioned here as much.
If you sign up for a Total rewards card and a repeat visitor to Vegas, alway log in to http://www.totalrewards.com and then use the calender --> View All Las Vegas Casino's---> Month view from the dates you want.

You then get to see upto three months of discounted rates for your rooms. I dont gamble huge amounts and yet normally have 'COMP' room rates for most properties (Bally's Flamingo, Harrah's, IP) and cheaper rates at others, particuarly for Sunday-Thursday.

Example on my next trip I'm doing Bally's for two nights and a FAB deluxe at the Flamingo 5 nights for free!

Great tip. Just logged in and comps showing at all hotels except Caesars and PH.

Froggitt

Can stay most of November at Rio for about a tenner!!!!

ferf1223

VALUE FOR MONEY

crow99 wrote: »

There is quite a lot and this is more for 'returnees' I've just noticed that CET seem to give comp rooms easily for low play!

CET is kind to slot players...that's why we normally stay at their hotels too...would love to check out more MGM properties, but they don't seem to be as kind to slot players and/or their programme is much more complicated...with CET we can see ourselves exactly what we can get comped and book direct...with MGM it would be more of a book and hope we get some comps at the end of our stay...we'll always book free up front vs. maybe free or maybe some discount at the end.

We've said before too - if there are two of you with TR cards staying in the same room - worth checking all options - with companion and their TR number on the same reservation or separate...sometimes rates for my hubby + me are MORE than for hubby + 1 without my TR number...sometimes rates are better with the 2 of us with him as lead and me as companion.

Oh, and we almost never have offers, but can almost always get comped rooms logging in and going to reservations.

glenbois

Indirect flights:

How big a risk is the loss of luggage? If I understand it right, you don't see your luggage at the stopover and just hope that it is there at Vegas airport? If you have different carriers is it the same?

Is two hours enough time for entering the USA and then getting the internal flight or is more time needed? What happens if you miss the connecting flight?

ferf1223

VALUE FOR MONEY

glenbois wrote: »

Indirect flights:

How big a risk is the loss of luggage? If I understand it right, you don't see your luggage at the stopover and just hope that it is there at Vegas airport? If you have different carriers is it the same?

Is two hours enough time for entering the USA and then getting the internal flight or is more time needed? What happens if you miss the connecting flight?

You have to collect your bag at your first point of entry in the US, and take it to the recheck area (usually very close by)...then it goes from there to your connecting flight.

As for timing, it depends on a lot of factors - how many other international flights are landing, what airport, do you change terminals, etc.

We normally go for 3 hours...though next month we have 2.5 to make a connection at LAX...not thrilled but should be OK.

http://apps.cbp.gov/awt/

That is somewhat helpful, but by no means a guarantee of wait times...but it gives you an idea by airport/terminal/day of the week in any particular month.

If you have booked a through-ticket and you miss your connection as the first flight is late arriving then the airline will have to get you to your destination. If you book separately, there's no obligation on either airline to sort it out for you.