Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2021

vegasvisitor

Totally hadn't realised I had to prebook - thanks. Have booked now for day before. 

stoneman

Looked on pop slots to redeem some golds for room stays. 

We used them for Mirage a couple years back and like their pool. 

Well we went for it again and availability is wide open for most months till end of August INCLUDING WEEKENDS. 

So we’ve booked 4 consecutive nights Fri,Sat,Sun,Mon. Saving over $900 and just paying $120 resort fees. Then got a good deal for 5 nights Signature 1 Bed suite balcony for $1,750. 

secretmachines

stoneman said:

Looked on pop slots to redeem some golds for room stays. 

We used them for Mirage a couple years back and like their pool. 

Well we went for it again and availability is wide open for most months till end of August INCLUDING WEEKENDS. 

So we’ve booked 4 consecutive nights Fri,Sat,Sun,Mon. Saving over $900 and just paying $120 resort fees. Then got a good deal for 5 nights Signature 1 Bed suite balcony for $750. 

Possibly because the Hard Rock building site could have started up by then? Rumours that the volcano will pack up by June, and rebranding ready for September...

vegasvisitor

stoneman said:

Looked on pop slots to redeem some golds for room stays. 

We used them for Mirage a couple years back and like their pool. 

Well we went for it again and availability is wide open for most months till end of August INCLUDING WEEKENDS. 

So we’ve booked 4 consecutive nights Fri,Sat,Sun,Mon. Saving over $900 and just paying $120 resort fees. Then got a good deal for 5 nights Signature 1 Bed suite balcony for $750. 

Nice one! Haven't stayed at the Mirage, but great to get it free! 

Also a good deal for Signature. The 1 bed suite there was probably one of our favourite hotel rooms. All that was missing was the washing machine haha

vegasvisitor

Well, we've arrived in Vegas after quite a journey and lots of worry. Another forum user suggested a trip report, like in the old days. I'll try to do a few days at a time when I have time. 

Did the Project Screen/Prenetics supervised lateral flow, and that went smoothly. Have to book a slot for the test at any point during the day before departure. Note that this is likely to stop you checking in online if you have the test within 24 hours (which I don't think you have to). 

Then we had to upload everything into VeriFly, the recommended app by BA. Issues there, wouldn't accept my vaccine cert, but eventually it accepted it on my husband's app as a travel companion. I guess a technical issue. But it still wouldn't allow us online check-in, saying we hadn't completed VeriFly, even though it showed on the app that we had. So lots of lost time the day before travel with worrying about all this, and trying to do various stages and didn't work. Our flights were also showing as disrupted on BA site. 

Got to Glasgow and there was a slow queue of angry people. Turns out the flight before us was cancelled and lots of people not getting away that day as our flight was also full. We seemed to be very lucky as eventually got checked in and no apparent issues with our flights. Lots of flights cancelled, so very lucky. Got to Heathrow, connected at T5 in just enough time (had 90 mins maybe), then flew to Seattle. Security lines long in Seattle, but got through in time to get a soft drink at Hudson news then board. Arrived on time in Vegas. 

Couldn't seem to get Lyft to work as I lost my wifi connection in Vegas Airport (was about to call it McCarran!), and just couldn't get it to work. So husband had to download etc and he was able to connect. First Lyft showed as cancelled and then eventually second one showed up after it said it was already there (but wasn't). We arrived into T3, which is probably domestic, and there was Wifi out at the Lyft pickup (over at V level in the car park opposite). Think it was about $22 to Hilton Resorts World where we are staying. 

Check-in line was shortish but very slow. Seemed to be people there a long time, or coming back with issues. We booked a King partial strip view, and they never had any, so said they'd upgrade us to a 2 queen partial strip view for free. So bit of work for the guy adjusting rates etc and gave us keys. Off we went. Elevator required key fob, which didn't seem to work but eventually another guest on our floor did it so we got up there. But then Privacy sign on door and keys didn't work. Headed back down, thinking maybe he wrote wrong room number down. Had to wait a bit again, told guy what happened. He passed to his manager in the back, who sorted us another room. They said they best check the room had been made up etc. Got into other room, which is a king, but appears to have a full strip view rather than partial and is on a high floor. The guy also said he'd add a $75 food/drink credit to our room. That makes me slightly nervous as we have no evidence of it and a review I read said something about a credit that they didn't give on check out. 

Anyway, so we got unpacked it was 130am and decided not to head out as check-in guy had gave us water so we had no real reason to get to a shop or anything, and was exhausted. Have woke at 6am which is a bit later than usual on our first day, but I'm normally sleeping before 2am! So think it will be a tiring day as usual, but weather to be nice and we'll go try the happy hours from around 4pm. Maybe go out a walk in an hour or so before going to the pool. 

pebblesmax

Thank you very much! I’m missing my Vegas fix. 

stoneman

secretmachines said:

stoneman said:

Looked on pop slots to redeem some golds for room stays. 

We used them for Mirage a couple years back and like their pool. 

Well we went for it again and availability is wide open for most months till end of August INCLUDING WEEKENDS. 

So we’ve booked 4 consecutive nights Fri,Sat,Sun,Mon. Saving over $900 and just paying $120 resort fees. Then got a good deal for 5 nights Signature 1 Bed suite balcony for $750. 

Possibly because the Hard Rock building site could have started up by then? Rumours that the volcano will pack up by June, and rebranding ready for September...

Sorry had to edit that. We paid $1,750 not $750 !!
anyway I acted before thinking it out properly. Got too excited and booked before thinking. So I contacted myVEGAS support and got them to cancel the previous bookings and move to the dates I now wanted. Bit worried because once you’ve made the booking it’s not movable. But the lady the other end, apart from telling me off, sorted it for us. 

Then cancels Signature because I could use my avios to book the same room and not cost me anything

vegasvisitor

Ok time for a little update on our trip so far. 

Weather has been good, but due to be cool next Tuesday so we're going to save our shopping till then. 

Wednesday we went for a walk from the hotel over to Maryland Parkway - Boulevard Mall was quite sedate and hardly any big name stores now. We continued down via Marshall's, Ross Dress for Less, Albertson's and Target. I always forget that some of the supermarkets are priced for club members - Albertson's being one of them. It's a bit annoying with everything seeming overpriced otherwise. So over to Target for quite piece of pound cake and an orange juice from Starbucks. Was a bit shocked at the price, was abouit $15 for one OJ and two slices of lemon pound cake. Got supplies in Target - water, soft drinks, crisps, bread and cheese (we have a fridge!) and took a Lyft back to hotel. About $12 for the Lyft. 

Out to the pool to catch some rays, then down to Maggiano's for happy hour. Shared a flatbread and they guy gave us 2 baskets of bread too, had a glass of wine and a beer. Bill was less than Starbucks earlier! Over to Canaletto for some wine/cocktails, shared a pizza. Then headed south for a walk. Went along Linq which looks much the same as before, then down to Cromwell but then crossed and headed back up the strip as we were starting to get tired. It felt a long walk, because we were so tired. Early night, so unfortunately woke at 2am!

Yesterday (Friday) we spent the morning at the pool. The pools here are lovely, but at least two of them are exclusive pay/guest list pools. So we've been unable to see the infinity pool. After pool we got ready and headed to Bellagio buffet. Lyft was about $12.  2/1 on MyVegas, so this was $49.99 plus tax $55 for both of us. This is only open till 3pm, so the price is much higher now considering this was within the old lunch window. But on a 2/1 this was ok. The drink package is $24.99 but we declined as it seems too early in the day to be drinking (would really have to enter at 1pm to get the 2 hours with it closing at 3pm). We then walked through Caesars shops and then to Trevi for a wine and cocktail at happy hour. We then started to walk back, into Segundo Sol for a couple of drinks at the tail end of happy hour, then into Fashion Show mall for a browse. Went into !!!!!!'s Sporting Goods and at 8pm the shutters to the mall went down. Seems much earlier than previous years? We've also noticed the outlets don't open till 11am, which is surely reduced hours. So we headed back at 8pm with a quick look in the Walgreens across the road. 

nvh

vegasvisitor said:

Ok time for a little update on our trip so far. 

Hey! Thanks for the updates Is it (realistically) Lyft to everywhere from Hilton Resorts World? - I can’t picture where it is? (Opposite Wynn?) Do you think it’s a hotel worth making the effort to visit (much there for non-residents?)

Also, I’m conscious I’ll see for myself in just over 24 hours, but how does Vegas seem post-Covid? You mentioned earlier closing, but has much changed from your perspective? Staff behaviour, distancing, or service degradation etc?

stoneman

Keep us updated on Lyft/Uber , been hearing some horrible stories of constant driver cancellations because now they can see where you’re going and don’t want the short trips. 

(We’re getting that where we live)