The wife and I are headed to Las Vegas during November 14th thru the 17th or 18th, to attend a wedding. I believe we are staying at Bally’s, along with the wedding couple. [Different rooms, wise guys]
Any hints, tips, tricks etc that we should know about?
I had heard ages ago that some hotels will check your available credit limit on your credit card, and that affects the kind of room you might get. Is that urban legend BS or based in some kind of fact?
I have been to Vegas once, maybe 15 years or so ago, for a conference. I am a very exciting fellow.
If you want to go to a show, go to the half-price ticket booths (there’s one on the Strip, on pretty much the same block as the Bally. Look for the Coke bottle).
The Fairmont Street Experience is worth a trip. If you don’t have a car, there’s a bus going up and down the Strip. Get a 24-hour ticket.
Don’t take the monorail. It’s expensive, inconvenient to get to, and doesn’t really go that far. Otherwise it’s nice. Take the bus that runs up and down the strip constantly if you want to go somewhere far away. Much cheaper. Bally’s is right on the main corner, in the middle of the strip. Bellagio is across the street, Paris is right next door, Planet Hollywood (which has the best buffet) is I think right next to Paris. Caesar’s Palace is across the street diagonally. You can walk through the Forum Shops practically forever. If you want to feel rich, the shops at The Wynn are very high end. (It’s a bit farther to walk to from Bally’s but doable.) Go to vegas.com and get a map of the strip so you have a general idea of where each casino is located.
If you are going to play the slots at all, go ahead and sign up for Player’s Cards at each casino you visit. You can get some matching money just for signing up. Plus you will get emails with special offers for a return trip. See if there are any shows you want to go to. There is tons and tons of stuff to do and see, and a lot of it is inexpensive.
You are going to have a great time!
Bally’s is more than decent…the location alone is ideal! You are practically staying at Paris Las Vegas (the two properties are joined together) and you will be across the street from Bellagio. Doesn’t get much better than that!
Bally’s has a spectacular Sunday Brunch buffet, and they also have the last of the great old time Vegas show reviews, Jubilee! With real showgirls (topless) and great variety acts and even a sinking Titanic on stage, it is worth seeing. For an extra few bucks on top of the ticket price, you get a tour of backstage. And be sure to hit the Paris buffet - one of the very best in town and worth every penny of its somewhat pricey entry fee.
Never heard of the credit card verification regarding rooms. However, be sure to get a players card at each casino where you might play a little. They track you and, even if you only play a bit, you will get some great offers in the mail to come back for reduced (or even free) room rates and special deals.
Check out my website and if you have any specific questions, feel free to email me!
Totally disagree with Hockey Monkey. The monorail is the only way to travel. Screw that stinking bus!
Lots of great shows around. Join every Player’s Club you can while you are there. They have some decent offers you can cash in at once, and you get mail deals for future trips.
The best Thai food is Lotus of Siam. The best Italian is the little hole-in-the-wall behind Flamingo, Battista’s.
Second Lotus of Siam, the best Thai food I’ve ever had, at a very reasonable price (don’t be scared away by the location and how the restaurant looks from the outside – it really is excellent). I go every time I’m in Vegas… and will again when I’m there next week!
I didn’t try the monorail, but wish I did. The bus can be very slow – it can take forever to get from one end of the strip to another. I had to leave a great party to go to a show by bus; I probably could have stayed another half hour if I planned to take the monorail.
But the bus goes further, so it is worth it. Also, be prepared to walk a lot. You don’t get any idea of the scale of things until you’re there.
If you want a break from gambling, check out the Atomic Testing Museum. They’ve even got a sensurround sound movie of one going off and when I was there last summer and a kid was running around yelling “I love atomic bombs!”
Correction: it’s the Fremont Street experience downtown. Worth seeing, but at this time of year it might be chilly (it’s outdoors) so bring a coat. (Same goes for the Grand Canyon if you drive).
If you don’t have a car, or don’t want to drive, you can take advantage of some free shuttles courtesy of Sam’s Town. Right across Flamingo you can catch a free shuttle at Bill’s Gambling Hall and Saloon (used to be Barbary Coast). This shuttle will go down the strip to the Tropicana (easy access to the MGM Grand, NYNY, Excalibur, Luxor, etc.).
The shuttle from the Tropicana will take you to Sam’s Town (way down on Boulder Hwy.). Sam’s Town is much lower key than the strip. They have an 18 theatre movie complex, so you can catch a show.
From Sam’s Town you can take a shuttle to downtown. But the kicker is that to get back to Bill’s, you need to go back to Sam’s Town first. So you need to watch your time/schedules.
Or from Sam’s Town you can go back to Bill’s.
The shuttles are nice, and run on schedule. It is a convenient way to get around for free.
I second the Forum Shops at Caeser’s (walking distance from Bally’s). Another nice diversion from gambling.
If you’re interested on seeing a show, do a search on “cirque du soliel” on this message board, and you’ll get lots of recommendations. (I’d recommend “O” at the Bellagio, or “Mystere” at Treasure Island).
They’re not. We go to Vegas annually for a convention and we always take the monorail. Houston could take lessons from it - we should have a monorail instead of the abortion that we have.
