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Where to get really good Vegas deals?


BrianS81177

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So my girlfriend and I are thinking about a trip to Vegas (my 2nd time, her 5th). She wants to stay at Circus Circus because it's cheapest but I don't really want to stay there again (didn't like it last time). She won't budge on not paying more than the rate she found so unless I can find a really good rate I'm stuck staying at a hotel I hate again. I've checked travelocity, orbitz and priceline. Are there any other good sites to book through where I might be able to find a decent deal on New York New York, Luxor, etc?

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I'd be interested to know a good site for deals too, but as far as hotels go I would stay at The Quad. It's probably the cheapest rate you'll find after Circus Circus (but it's probably $20 more  a night) but it's right in the middle of the strip, right across the street from the Mirage and puts you in easy walking distance to almost anything on The Strip that you need to get to.

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You might consider checking out the Boyd properties downtown: The Fremont, California, or especially Main Street Station.

 

I've stayed at Main Street Station on my last two trips and really enjoyed the place. It's been years since I stayed at Circus Circus, but I am willing to bet the rooms at MSS are cleaner, bigger, and possibly cheaper considering you won't get dinged a "resort fee." The staff is also super engaged and nice, plus there are Hawaiian specialty food items available (which may or may not be a selling point, of course).

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So my girlfriend and I are thinking about a trip to Vegas (my 2nd time, her 5th). She wants to stay at Circus Circus because it's cheapest but I don't really want to stay there again (didn't like it last time). She won't budge on not paying more than the rate she found so unless I can find a really good rate I'm stuck staying at a hotel I hate again. I've checked travelocity, orbitz and priceline. Are there any other good sites to book through where I might be able to find a decent deal on New York New York, Luxor, etc?

DON'T STAY AT CIRCUS CIRCUS.

 

Do you like kids? Because that's how you get kids. I made the mistake of going there for the buffet and was treated to an in casino baseball game with the father of the kids serving as the umpire. The bathrooms look like the bathroom's at Chuck E Cheese as well. Come to think of it, it is the hotel version of Chuck E Cheese. It even gives out tickets on the games!

 

Don't stay at the Luxor either. It's too far down. It's great if you will only be at the MGM and NYNY but if you wanna go to Old Vegas, it would be an easy hour trip. We stayed for a week and I didn't even see the Luxor aside from the airport trip, which should tell you how far it is. It's honestly right next to the airport.

 

One good thing about NYNY is that it is near the In-N-Out burger and jack in the box. It is far down though.

 

I also don't recommend Treasure Island. I just stayed there last week and it wasn't good. Gummi bears all over the floor, even though I didn't eat any gummi bears, super loud speakers at the the tiny pool which go up to the 10th floor and careless receptionists. TI also has no desk or desk chairs and awful internet, so you might as well not even bother trying to do any work. No coffee pot either.

 

The Riviera is pretty cheap and may be an option. I saw some deals for $31 a night and it's across from Circus Circus. There are no kids there at all, but I don't know of the quality aside from the casino, which I enjoy. 1 cent slots and $1 blackjack? Sign me up.

 

How much are you guys planning to stay in the hotel? I can get away with issues because the majority of my time is spent outside of room.

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The best way to book directly through the hotel's website.  Most online booking sites are good for checking out prices but you can't change dates or cancel.  Brian, have either you or your GF signed up for player's cards when you were in Vegas before?  If so, you should be able to get some sort of free room offer from them.  I am a very low roller and both MGM and Harrah's regularly send me offers.

 

You can also try playing the MyVegas slot game on Facebook.  You can earn points for food, drinks, and free nights for MGM properties.   

 

Anyway, I'll join the consensus against Circus Circus.  Never stayed there, but it's the only place in Vegas I've been panhandled inside the casino.  The steakhouse in there is actually very good though.

 

Riviera is fine and you should be able to get rooms there just as cheap, if not cheaper, than Circus Circus.  Probably the best overall deal on the strip right now.

 

They are trying to revamp it so the rooms are getting redone and they are offering really good deals for low-mid range players.  Rooms are really nothing special, but they're clean and it doesn't take you 15 minutes to get putside compared to some other casinos.  It's usually not crowded, so the cocktail waitresses and bartenders will treat you very well if you tip.  Decent little food court and there is an ABC store where you can get beer, liquor, souveniers, snacks, etc relatively cheaply.  They also have a selection of oldschool arcade machines from the PInball Hall of Fame.

 

The big knock against the Riv is that the north strip is pretty dead.  A lot of people won't go past Wynn/Encore.  You can use the rear exit to get to the monorail stop at the Las Vegas Hotel, which will take you to mid and south strip, or else there is a Deuce bus stop in front that you can use to go south or north to the Stratosphere and Fremont Street/downtown.  You can also walk south a bit to get to the Peppermill, which is one of my favorite places on the strip, a cool lounge with a retro vibe.

 

 

Don't stay at the Luxor either. It's too far down. It's great if you will only be at the MGM and NYNY but if you wanna go to Old Vegas, it would be an easy hour trip. We stayed for a week and I didn't even see the Luxor aside from the airport trip, which should tell you how far it is. It's honestly right next to the airport.

 

If you take the Duece, yeah, it will take you forever to get to downtown.  There is an express bus skips most of the strip that you can get in that area (I think it stops in front of the Tropicana) that gets you there in about 30 minutes. 

 

I think the Luxor is okay.  I will probably stay there next trip, because between the email offers MGM sends and MyVegas, I can get a room there for free.  Mandalay Bay is one of my favorite strip casinos, so I would just be over there most of the time anyway, especially since they're connected.

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We don't go to gamble. I'll spend about 40 bucks or so gambling, she doesn't spend any so I doubt we would get anything from player's club cards. It sounds like she's got her mind made up on Circus Circus (her rationale being that we'll only be there for sleeping, the rest of the day we'll be out on the strip). 

 

So, since I am stuck at the hotel I hate I'm hoping I can spin it into getting my way about a show and/or restaurant. Last time we went we ate at Isla and Noodles; and saw Ka and Penn & Teller. Any suggestions for this time around? I should point out she hates seafood so she won't want to go anywhere that has a primarily seafood menu.

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You don't have to gamble to get points on the club cards. Food, drinks, even stuff you buy at the gift shop in the casino will usually give points. One good thing about staying at Circus Circus is that you probably wouldn't have to spend much there or at other MGM properties to get at least some of your stay comped.

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Shows in Vegas -

 

Not into the whole Cirque thing, saw a couple of them and was bored.

 

Comedians: I liked Carrot Top at Luxor and Vinnie Favorito at Flamingo.  Andrew Dice Clay was good when I saw him at the Riviera but I don't think he is there anymore.  Saw Brad Garrett at MGM and he was horrible.  Looked and sounded like he was hungover and didn't care.  George Wallace was boring but TBH I was incredibly hungover when I saw him and just wanted to go take a nap.

 

Price is Right at Bally's was fun, when I saw it Jerry Springer was the host. 

 

Tournament of Kings was actually a good time and the food was surprisingly good.

 

Peepshow was okay, really cheesy but some of the dancers are gorgeous.  I would have probably rather spent the money at a real strip club though.

 

Nathan Burton is a decent magician.  You can find tickets for free tickets (just have to buy a drink) in the in-room magazines.

 

There is Evil Dead the Musical at Planet Hollywood that I want to check out.

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Yeah I'm curious about the Evil Dead Musical. We meant to go to Price is Right last time but couldn't squeeze it in, so hopefully we'll do it this time. Tournament of Kings is basically like going to Midevil Times right? 

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Cross your fingers for me guys. There is a chance I MAY have her talked into staying at The Excalibur instead. Gotta play this one just right though.

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A lot of people will crap on Excalibur (still tons of kids running around the place) but it's in a much better location than CC.  It's connected by walkway and tram to Luxor and Mandalay Bay and by bridge to NYNY.  If you do stay there, I recommend Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay.  It's run by Hubert Keller who is one of the owrld's best chefs.  The burgers are pheonemal, as are the fries, which are cooked in duck fat.  I go there at least once every Vegas trip.  Nine Fine Irishmen and Gallagher's at NYNY are also very good.  Excalibur has a food court with stuff like McDonald's that is good for cheap food.  Stay away from their buffet though, it's terrible.

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We found a similar rate to CC at The Quad, but she ruled that out right away. She found some promo thing where you can eat twice a day at the buffets at Luxor and Excalibur, so I'm trying to convince her that the $ we would save doing that would make it enough to spend a few bucks more on a room. We're also taking her parents with us as a surprise gift so she doesn't want to spend too much on rooms, since we're paying for their room too.

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If you liked Ka, and you have the dough, consider getting tickets to 'O' at the Bellagio. My wife and I have been twice and both think 'O' is amazing. 'Love,' the Beatles inspired show at The Mirage, is also really good - but of course you need to like the Beatles.

 

Excalibur, for all its faults, is a much better location. I second the avoid the Excalibur buffet advice. It's better than Circus Circus, but that is damning with faint praise. If you do end up at the Excalibur you've also got MGM Grand two bridges away, so you are really spoiled for choice as far as restaurant options go. Some of the high end places like Emeril's at the MGM will do pretty reasonable fixed price menus from time to time, and it's a great way to hit above your weight (and add to your weight,as far as that goes) if you are on a budget.

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That's a good point about the prix fixe (fixed price) menus.  Also if you go during lunch or happy hour you can find good specials. 

 

Also, again, if you play the MyVegas Facebook game you can earn points for free food, drinks, shows, etc at MGM resorts, which includes Luxor and Excalibur.

 

The magazine you get in the room will usually have coupons/tickets, or else you can try GroupOn.

 

I stayed at Imperial Palace (now The Quad) a few times.  It got shit on all the time by snobby people, but it wasn't bad at all for basically free ($20/night, no resort fee) rooms.  The location was awesome, basically dead center of the strip, and it was easy to get to other areas using the monorail or just walking.  The cocktail waitresses were some of the quickest on the strip, and the "dealtainers" were fun  I don't know what has changed with The Quad though.

 

I will say that Hash House A Go Go is still worth checking out if you like semi-fancy diner style food (if that makes sense).  They are known for HUGE portions, so you and your GF could just spilt an entree and maybe still have food left over.  I don't know if it is still there, but Ginseng was one of the best Asian resturants in Vegas that I've been to.  Good food and very reasonably priced.

 

If you do stay at The Quad, the Stage Door (a little ways down from it, basically across the street from Bally's) is one of my favorite bars in Vegas.  It's a little divey, but perfectly safe.  It's mostly locals who work in the nearby casinos and there is a refreshing lack of the hipster/douche vibe you can find in many strip places (ie, don't start Instagramming everything or they will probably ask you to leave).  They make one of the best bloody marys I've ever had.  There is also a little liquor store attached so you can stock up for your room.

 

A little further down is Ellis Island which has one of the best deals in Vegas, a $7.99 steak dinner that comes with a beer.  They brew their own and its' pretty good.  You have to ask for it since the special isn't on the menu, but it's one of the worst kept "secrets" in Vegas.  The casino is pretty chill too, again mostly locals and oldtimers. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

WIll second O and Love.  For the money they are the best shows on the strip.

 

I have yet to see the Michael Jackson show house show but saw the touring show when it opened in Montreal.  Despite his problems you come away with a great appreciation for the music he created over his life.

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