The Las Vegas Thread and MSE guide

sew109

November/December

Hi people just back from Vegas so thought that I would post a few of my thoughts before I write my full TR.

we got upgarded to business both ways on the Transatlantioc we had topay on the way out but it was free on the way back as the plane was full this made a huge difference and really increased teh enjoyment of our holiday.

First 6 nights at Venetian great room shoddy hotel will not stay there or Palazzo again as mentioned poor housekeeping and hotel full of !!!!!!. As if to add insult to injury I paid cash and luckily have a reciept but when I got home I have found that they have also charged my credit card for the stay really not good.

We were at Encore for the last 2 nights and were there for opening an this was amazing we have stayed at Wynn but Encore is a league above it, by far the nicest room I have ever stayed in, great staff and the opening was special free champagne all day and we were given gift packs of slippers and toiletry bags really nice touch.

Shows
We saw mesmirised at PH this was free and probably only worth that !
Barry Manilow, I got this for my wofes birthday we were seated near teh back but a nice lady had some spare tickets in the 4th row and gave them to us this made it very special I am not a great fan of Barry but he is an old school performer and the show was brilliant.
Steve Wyrick Real Magic at PH, we got tickets for this at the half price booths and then paid $10 to upgrade them when we got to the ticket office, in reality there was no need to pay to upgrade them as everyone got upgraded in the theatre but we got seats wheer we wanted them. We got these tickets as we returned the Criss Angel tickets after reading reviews and some friends that went and said it was the worst show that they have ever seen, well we were not disapointed Steve Wyrick was brilliant I am still trying to work out how he did some of the stuff.

Eating
We eat again at Peppermill which we love, Maggianos was brilliant and the Mirage and Wynn Buffets were very good. The queue for teh Wynn buffet was an hour and I would not do that again. oh had some very good cheap meals at IHOP

Shopping http://vegasuncovered.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/shopping-in-las-vegas-%E2%80%93-outlet-mall%E2%80%99s/
Wow we the coupons we downloaded from the outlet malls and the sales we saved a fortune I mean Timberland boots £30 jackets £40 RL Tshirts £8 and CK boxers £12.

We did a day trip to Laughlin as we love it there and took a helicopter trip over the hoover dam which was great fun

stoneman

May

sew109 wrote: »

Hi people just back from Vegas so thought that I would post a few of my thoughts before I write my full TR.

we got upgarded to business both ways on the Transatlantioc we had topay on the way out but it was free on the way back as the plane was full this made a huge difference and really increased teh enjoyment of our holiday.

Welcome back sew!!
Wow a free upgrade, I could only dream of that, which carrier was it with?

We were at Encore for the last 2 nights and were there for opening an this was amazing we have stayed at Wynn but Encore is a league above it, by far the nicest room I have ever stayed in

Isn't it fun, almost any new opening Vegas rooms seem to get better and better

We saw mesmirised at PH this was free and probably only worth that !

Is this a regular show or was it only a one off?

We got these tickets as we returned the Criss Angel tickets after reading reviews and some friends that went and said it was the worst show that they have ever seen

Can not understand Luxor and their shows, they seem to be throwing everything up and hoping something will stick. Since they lost blue man group everyone of the shows there have been a flop.

The queue for teh Wynn buffet was an hour and I would not do that again. oh had some very good cheap meals at IHOP

I don't rate Wynn buffet either, nice but I can get a really good meal made to my specifications at countless places for the same money.
IHOP is our tops for breakfast also.

We did a day trip to Laughlin as we love it there and took a helicopter trip over the hoover dam which was great fun

Tell me more about Laughlin, what is there to do there, might put it on the trip list.

travelturkey

I wonder if anyone could help me.
I have just booked a 10 night stay in Ballys Las Vegas through Travel Republic. It was showing up twice - 2 totally different prices, (one for over £1,000 and one for just over £400) The rooms where different - ie, deluxe and classic. But the descriptions of the hotels where the same- opposite caesars palace etc. BUT..... the cheaper of the 2 had the address of 'downtown' - but as i say the description stated on the strip. I phoned Travel Republic and the lady looked into it and said they use different agents and the hotel is the same and on the strip....but different prices with different agents. So i booked it,(the cheaper one) thinking even though the room may not be as good- the location is excellent.
Then after speaking to someone earlier today...they told me that there are 2 Ballys hotels and one is in downtown and very seedy!!!!
Does anyone know if there are 2 named the same??
Ive booked this for my mum and friend (who are in their seventies) and i dont want to send them in a dodgy place!!
Thanks

stoneman

May

travelturkey wrote: »

I wonder if anyone could help me.
I have just booked a 10 night stay in Ballys Las Vegas through Travel Republic. It was showing up twice - 2 totally different prices, (one for over £1,000 and one for just over £400) The rooms where different - ie, deluxe and classic. But the descriptions of the hotels where the same- opposite caesars palace etc. BUT..... the cheaper of the 2 had the address of 'downtown' - but as i say the description stated on the strip. I phoned Travel Republic and the lady looked into it and said they use different agents and the hotel is the same and on the strip....but different prices with different agents. So i booked it,(the cheaper one) thinking even though the room may not be as good- the location is excellent.
Then after speaking to someone earlier today...they told me that there are 2 Ballys hotels and one is in downtown and very seedy!!!!
Does anyone know if there are 2 named the same??
Ive booked this for my mum and friend (who are in their seventies) and i dont want to send them in a dodgy place!!
Thanks

Not aware of 2 Ballys myself. The only one I know is on the strip, and in fact a favourite staying place of ferf I think.
Just googled it and no mention of one downtown, don't think Harrahs would allow another hotel of the same name. I wouldn't worry, but get the address off of the booking confirmation.

pebblesmax

November/December

I only know of one Bally's too. There is definitely not a hotel of that name Downtown.

The difference in price may be for the South Tower (un-refurbished - Classic) and North Tower (refurbished - Deluxe) rooms. The North Tower is much nice. Don't worry though, as you may be able to get a North Tower room at checking with a $20 tip.

sew109

November/December

Hi Mate wish I could say that I was glad to b back but we all know that is a fib

stoneman wrote: »

Welcome back sew!!
Wow a free upgrade, I could only dream of that, which carrier was it with?

United I have a stack of miles and we were all ready in prem economy funny thing was I tried to buy an upgrade but they wanted way too much.

stoneman wrote: »

Isn't it fun, almost any new opening Vegas rooms seem to get better and better

It was fantatstic free champagne I got within about 20 feet of Steve Wynn and have a photo

stoneman wrote: »

Is this a regular show or was it only a one off?

Its regular and I got tickets from Goldstar, I have no doubt that the people were hypnotized and it was mildly amusing but it was just not good and they guy was a bit sleezy.

stoneman wrote: »

Can not understand Luxor and their shows, they seem to be throwing everything up and hoping something will stick. Since they lost blue man group everyone of the shows there have been a flop.

I would have been so cross if I had wasted a Saturday night on a terrible show

stoneman wrote: »

Tell me more about Laughlin, what is there to do there, might put it on the trip list.

OK we love Laughlin it’s a town on the Colorado on the way to the Grand Canyon (avoiding the Hoover dam route) it is just a gaming town with about 10 casinos more like downtown than the Strip, rooms are as cheap as chips I think we could have had choice fo the town for about $19 per night and some of the restaurants are good not Vegas standard but prices not either. There is a good shopping centre and there are various trips you can take down the river, in short though unless you are in to gaming and want to avoid a night or two when the Strip rates go crazy there may not be enough to do there for most folks.

Hi

United

dan28

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trets77

April

stoneman wrote: »

Not aware of 2 Ballys myself. The only one I know is on the strip, and in fact a favourite staying place of ferf I think.
Just googled it and no mention of one downtown, don't think Harrahs would allow another hotel of the same name. I wouldn't worry, but get the address off of the booking confirmation.

i,ve never heard of a Ballys downtown , and i don't think there is one in Reno that you could be confusing it with either .

best bet if your really concerned is to get the address off your agent then confirm the booking with Ballys reservations on the phone.

if you have booked the Ballys opposite Caesars then you have little to worry about regarding hotel quality.

ferf1223

March

travelturkey wrote: »

Then after speaking to someone earlier today...they told me that there are 2 Ballys hotels and one is in downtown and very seedy!!!!
Does anyone know if there are 2 named the same??
Ive booked this for my mum and friend (who are in their seventies) and i dont want to send them in a dodgy place!!

I agree with the others - there is not a Bally's downtown...there is one in Atlantic City...though that's a long way away to be confusing people. Maybe these people are thinking of Binion's?

The price difference between classic and deluxe is normally $30 per night, so that wouldn't explain such a big difference in prices at the hotel I don't think.

I would check the address on your reservation to make sure it matches Bally's address just to be sure, or call as has been suggested.

ferf1223

March

trets77 wrote: »

best bet if your really concerned is to get the address off your agent then confirm the booking with Ballys reservations on the phone.

Only thing about that is that 3rd parties don't necessarily give the guest details to the hotel until about a week out - that's how it used to be the last time we booked through a 3rd party (which admittedly was at least 5 years ago so could have changed)...gave me a heart attack when I called to confirm reservation and they had no record of us - wasn't until the guy asked if we booked through a 3rd party that he noted that that would explain why they had no record of us.