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Las Vegas

245

Comments

  • #32
    Reg'stoy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,626 ✭✭✭Reg'stoy


    Arcade I cant believe you didn't enjoy the rides, I did them all and you will not get a better buzz :eek:. The rollercoasters in some of the other hotels are a bit of craic too, new york new york is best.

    I agree with the other posters and stick to the smaller hotels for gambling, 1 deck for blackjack, smaller minimum bets etc, we even used $1 chips as in 10 $1 bets to make the minimum bet. It will scare you when you see the size of some of the bets people make.

    We stayed in the Golden Nugget, beautiful room, great service, we kept getting comped free food and drink and there is a huge one armed bandit which works, remember to get a picture :D. The Nugget gave free lessons on how to play blackjack, craps, poker etc in the mornings and then they give you free chips to play with. I think most hotels do this also.

    A bus runs from the old strip up to the new and onto a great outlet store, nice bargins, great thing about the bus is you pay one price and can hop on and off as long as you go in the one direction.

    Star Trek experience in the Hilton is a must, do both 'rides'. We spent a day in the grand canyon, flew out there which is a great flight includes spin over the dam then we got a Helicopter down into it and rode a donkey back up. As part of this package we got a night flight over Vegas. It was fairly pricey but well worth it, booked it online lots of different companies do it.

    The clubs and pubs are ok but the bigger ones are populated by 'Coke Cola' ad people, you know the type done up to the nines and want to teach the world to sing :mad:. Nine fine Irishmen in new york new york was one of the least plastic paddy bars I've tried on my travels and pretty good Guinness, barman did put on a hollywood 'orish' accent went he heard mine usual Irish drink for an Irish man sh*te, soon stopped when I handed him a 5 euro note Irish money for an Irish drink in an Irish bar for an Irish man as I said to him ;).

    Do take some time and visit the bigger hotels and go into their VIP sections, the slot machines only take credit cards as the minimun bet was $500 per pull, scary how much money people were losing.

    Heading back this summer for the Star Trek convention :o, I know geeky but from what I hear they are a once in a lifetime experience.


  • #33
    Simon201
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 869 ✭✭✭Simon201


    Was in Vegas in September, would advise anyone to try and get to see 'Love' in the Mirage. Oh jesus, I was blown away, like yeah I'd be a bit biased cos I like the Beatles and it's not cheap, but it's just a completely brilliant mixture of acrobatics, dancing and acting all incredibly enhanced (but not over the top) with the most amazing technical theatre gadgetry. And unlike when you go and see one of those Lloyd Weber/Rice shows where it's kind of enjoyable but you've never heard any of the music, there are so many familiar Beatles songs played (there are no live singers, it's all the original tracks) I can't see how anyone wouldn't enjoy this show.


  • #34
    abakan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 546 ✭✭✭abakan


    how much are the extras when you arrive at the hotel in vegas.

    booking the tropiciana tomorrow but i have just seen the "extra" taxes not included in the price but are on the terms and conditions

    I have to pay $6 per night for extras and another tax for clark county

    Anything else do ya know of.

    thanks a mil


  • #35
    rossie1977
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,498 ✭✭✭✭rossie1977


    room tax in clark county is 9% on top of the nightly rate

    some hotels have added extra taxes like electric usage and other bs like that in recent years :mad:

    if staying at the tropicana, take my advice and choose the island tower rooms, apart from that have a great trip and it looks like the weather is improving for next week but don't expect much over 11 degrees and try the $20 trick at checkin http://www.thetwentydollartrick.com/


  • #36
    cooperguy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,651 ✭✭✭cooperguy


    I was just on the MGM grand website. I was looking at booking 3 nights there in the middle of july next year. 3 nights starting from the 09/07/08 in a Grand Tower room was $272 for a room for 4 per night. That works out at $68 (€46) per person per night. That seems pretty reasonable. How does that compare to other hotels in the centre of the strip and is it worth it?


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  • #37
    rossie1977
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,498 ✭✭✭✭rossie1977


    the MGM grand is a great hotel, just south of centre strip in a fantastic location across the road from New York New York, Excalibur and Luxor

    its a massive hotel (the biggest in the world with over 6,000 rooms) and the rooms are easily what we would call 4 star here, the more expensive ones probably would equal irish 5 star. the grand has 5 pools and 3 food courts as well as about 20 restaurants, nightclubs, numerous bars and even a 18,000 seat arena for concerts and boxing etc.

    The Grand Tower Rooms are the smallest in the hotel but the advantage is that they are located closest to the strip which means you wont have to walk the 1/3 mile distance from the back of the hotel to the front, which is tortuous a couple of times a day believe me :)

    looking at mgm website they are offering me rooms for $189 a night those dates, thing about vegas is the prices go up alot on friday and saturday nights so beware, try to plan to stay between sunday and thursday, also the weather in vegas in july can be hot (very hot, it hit 48C last July :eek:) so take that into account

    hotels in vegas often give out promo codes for deals on rooms, the longer you wait the better the deal may be http://www.smartervegas.com/promotionaldiscountscodes.aspx


  • #38
    abakan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 546 ✭✭✭abakan


    rossie1977 wrote: »
    if staying at the tropicana, take my advice and choose the island tower rooms, apart from that have a great trip and it looks like the weather is improving for next week but don't expect much over 11 degrees and try the $20 trick at checkin http://www.thetwentydollartrick.com/

    haha, i love it, deffo try that 1 and ill report back


  • #39
    Xavi6
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 41,112 ✭✭✭✭Xavi6


    I stayed in Excalibur. Right beside the Luxur, New York New York and The MGM Grand but nowhere near the price room wise. Fairly decent hotel and all you really need.

    Head to Spearmint Rhino. Best strip joint aver! The women are unbelievable and very friendly. Drinks are very pricy though.

    Best 5 days I've ever had. Can't wait to go back.


  • #40
    abakan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 546 ✭✭✭abakan


    yip the 20 dollars trick worked in the tropiciana. upgraded to the rooms overlooking the strip.

    cant wait to go back with money. the beatles Cirque Du Soleil show was brilliant. and just the greneral vegas was brill.

    needed alot of catch up sleep after it


  • #41
    Lump
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    Glad I came across this thread, heading to Vegas in Feb - Hopefully the weather will be lovely (20 degree's average is grand for me) and hopefully going to stay in the Bellagio - Looking forward to it :)


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  • #42
    Dodge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,019 ✭✭✭✭Dodge


    Nice thread. I'm heading there in may this year so wondering if there's any more to be added. Staying in Ceasars Palace. 4 nights as part of a 3 place holiday


  • #43
    Savman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,323 ✭✭✭Savman


    Just back from 6nts in Vegas so I have to LOL at a thread called "Things to do in Las Vegas"

    The answer is there are too many things to do and you won't get to do everything no matter how efficient you are with your time there. Crazy place.

    You need a day to take in the sheer size of it and to find your feet but it's a great place that you can't help liking in all it's tacky goodness :D

    Tip: get yourself a 24hr pass for "The Deuce" (bus that runs stip to downtown all day and all night). You meet some right lunatics on it too, for that real Vegas experience :eek:


  • #44
    rossie1977
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,498 ✭✭✭✭rossie1977


    Savman wrote: »
    Just back from 6nts in Vegas so I have to LOL at a thread called "Things to do in Las Vegas"

    The answer is there are too many things to do and you won't get to do everything no matter how efficient you are with your time there. Crazy place.

    You need a day to take in the sheer size of it and to find your feet but it's a great place that you can't help liking in all it's tacky goodness :D

    Tip: get yourself a 24hr pass for "The Deuce" (bus that runs stip to downtown all day and all night). You meet some right lunatics on it too, for that real Vegas experience :eek:

    exactly five trips down for me and the next time i go there will be 8 new hotels built come 2010 and loads more stuff to see.

    hope you have a good one over there Savman


  • #45
    Savman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,323 ✭✭✭Savman


    rossie1977 wrote: »
    exactly five trips down for me and the next time i go there will be 8 new hotels built come 2010 and loads more stuff to see.

    hope you have a good one over there Savman
    Had a frickin' ball. $0.25c wings in Hooters at 4am!


  • #46
    Preset No.3
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,385 ✭✭✭Preset No.3


    I was there at the start of Feb. Put $50 on the giants to win the superbowl, won $275. Thats the only gambling I did! Again had a ball! 3rd time there, would definatly go back!


  • #47
    Dodge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,019 ✭✭✭✭Dodge


    Back about a week or so. Thought I'd put my 2 cent in.

    Stayed in caesars. Fabulous hotel. Really top notch all round although I fel t like i didn't belong there. The Shadow Bar and Seashorse lounge are cool places to have a quick drink. Pussycat Dolls casino had outrageuos dealers. Ridiculously sexy. Head into the free Pussycat Dolls Lounge early enough and you can head into the cray Pure nightclub with no hassle. Caesars poker room was by far the best I witnessed (ended up down $70 there so its not my wallet talking)

    The theme hotels are ridiculously OTT (in a great way). If you want to watch the bellagio fountains, pay the 10 dollars to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower in paris and view it from there. Far better than on the sidewalk. If you want to have a little dinner while watching them, Olives is agreat spot.

    Fremont Street experience is great and the whole area had a great buzz. in saying that we only stayed about 90 minutes before heading back to the strip. Of the other freeshows I though the Sirens of TI to have the best production values. What it lacks in subtlety it makes up for in tight clothes and fireworks.

    You could spend days just wandering through the hotels and casinos but the casino i enjoyed most was the non themed planet hollywood. Just had a cool vibe about the place.

    The only show we paid for was the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur. brilliant mindless fun with a dinner thrown in too.

    Overall a top place, and somewhere you could visit time and time again and not get bored IMO


  • #48
    Lump
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    If you go to Vegas - GO TO THE GRAND CANYON! I loved it, although saying that, I went in Feb. Very quiet so we got a little more from it. The flight was a little longer in the aircraft, the Pilot was chatting away and gave us some tips. When we landed at the Canyon we had a Helicopter ride down into the canyon - Me and my friends had the copter to ourselves. Then we went on a boat ride for about 20 minutes up the river. As it was so quiet we were on the boat alone and the guy driving took photo's of us and was really good banter.

    If you do go, it's pointless going on the sky walk, you've to pay, and you can't bring your camera onto it. Just get the bus to the next stop and sit on the edge of the canyon with no safety ropes - It's amazing. Costs £200-ish for the trip I went on, a lot of money but well worth it :)


  • #49
    Lump
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    Oh, I stayed at the MGM grand - It was quiet, but still busy in the hotel. We had an entire pool to ourselves which was nice - We could have gone to the main pool but enjoyed having banter at our "Private" pool. We upgraded to a suite which was pretty pointless - The rooms are massive any way :) Head to New York New York for the coaster. We went up the stratosphere, but I bricked it when I saw the rides, so didn't go on any of them. There's a great Icecream place in the Bellagio - and I think the view of the fountains is fine from the path - It's good to go to the proper showing at night 8pm I think. (It's on a cycle during the day).


  • #50
    iPoker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 72 ✭✭iPoker


    Smellyirishman wrote: »
    Rossie has it pretty much all covered.

    I'd just throw in some more reccomendations for;
    The Gun Store.
    Cirque Du Soleil; Personally I went to see Ka and was completly in awe, astonishing.
    Grand Canyon day trip at least.
    Rides atop the Strat are great fun alright, although wouldn't say they are the scariest or most exhilarating I've done.

    Ditto with KA - especially if your well on. Any views on O? Wasn't amazed with Mystere.


  • #51
    kippy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,585 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    Great thread people.
    Looking to spend a week there this time next year on a leg of a honeymoon.
    Havent been there but Fiancee has. Really looking forward to it after reading this.
    Kippy


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  • #52
    LoanShark
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 949 ✭✭✭LoanShark


    GO to Dicks Bar (The Shame Of The Strip!) prepare yourself to have abuse thrown at you from the bar staff...And Be Given Hats with really Funny Stuff wrote on it..Take a helicopter Flight into the Grand Canyon.. Do the Stratisphere Rides. Have a cocktail in Wynns,See The Water Show in The Bellagio.. I wanna go back Now! ;)


  • #53
    citytillidie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,020 ✭✭✭✭citytillidie


    All info great countdown is 13 days for me to make my 1st visit there

    ******



  • #54
    tolosenc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,889 ✭✭✭tolosenc


    Is there much to do there for those of us less 21 than others?


  • #55
    rossie1977
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,498 ✭✭✭✭rossie1977


    obl wrote: »
    Is there much to do there for those of us less 21 than others?

    las vegas is certainly not the family friendly destination it was in the 1990s but there are still numerous things to see and do for those under 21

    there is the rides on top of stratosphere http://www.stratospherehotel.com/thrills/

    circus circus has free circus acts every 30 minutes and there is a small indoor theme park at the back of the hotel http://www.circuscircus.com/las_vegas_entertainment/adventuredome.aspx

    the pools at most of the strip hotels are amazing, alot of hotels have slides, lazy rivers etc e.g. mandalay bay, hours of fun http://www.mandalaybay.com/thingstodo/Beach.aspx
    or mgm grand http://www.mgmgrand.com/amenities/grand-pool-complex.aspx

    other hotels like sahara and new york new york have rollercoasters, while some have large gaming areas with computer games and other "carnival" type attractions

    the showcase mall contains loads of stuff for people under 21 like m+m world, gamesworks etc, its right in the middle of the strip too http://www.vegas.com/shopping/showcase.html

    flamingo hotel has a huge garden behind the hotel with animals, mirage hotel has a small zoo in the back where you can watch dolphins and other animals http://www.siegfriedandroy.com/animals/garden.php mandalay bay has a huge aquarium called shark reef http://www.mandalaybay.com/entertainment/sharkreef.aspx

    mac king at harrahs is the best show in vegas imo (easily the best value for money anyway) http://www.harrahs.com/EventsDetail.do?locationCode=LAS&detailName=the-mac-king-comedy-magic-show-detail&eventTitle=The%20Mac%20King%20Comedy%20Magic%20Show

    las vegas mini grand prix http://www.lvmgp.com/

    indoor skydiving http://www.vegasindoorskydiving.com/

    star trek the experience at the hilton is a great laugh but it closes on september 1st :(

    there is lots of other stuff outside the city like boating on lake mead about 20 miles away or going to the chocolate factory in henderson which is about 8 miles from the strip


  • #56
    spear thrower
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78 ✭✭spear thrower


    Hey Rossie you pointers have been brilliant so far.. i just have a couple of questions..

    Does Vegas go quiet in September(I am going 11th sep- 20th sep)??? Its just we are stayin in the MGM Grand and the lazy pool is closed during the week starting in Sep and now you are saying the Star Trek show isnt on..

    Also i will be renting a mustang and was thinking of driving to the hoover Dam.. Is it worth the drive and is it convient/possible to drive to it..

    I am really lookin forward to it but i just hope it doesnt fizzle away after August..

    Cheers in advance..


  • #57
    rossie1977
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,498 ✭✭✭✭rossie1977


    september ain't as busy as august but you can still expect to see huge crowds on the strip day and night despite the US recession, last year las vegas welcomed 3.27 million visitors in september. Friday and Saturday nights will be crazy busy on the strip

    not sure what the story with the mgm lazy pool (perhaps they are fixing it or something), it is normally opened during the winter months.

    as far as the star trek thing goes that closes its doors for the last time on september 1st after a 12 year run in the hilton so you just missed it :(

    yeah i would totally recommend hoover dam and a cruise on lake mead for a few hours http://www.lakemeadcruises.com/ there ain't many places you can cross two time zones in one step like on hoover dam. Its very convient to drive to, just follow the signs south-east of the strip for 20 miles to Boulder city. its a motorway as far as boulder then you start climbing the few miles or so from boulder to the dam

    while you have a car in vegas i recommend you see as much of the surrounding area as possible, here is just a few other things you might want to see http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=56062793&postcount=44


  • #58
    Bally8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    Hi guys, Im getting married in Las Vegas in April 2010. Really looking forward to it but havent been there before. My daughter will be 10 at the time of the wedding. Am I mad to be bringing her? Will she be allowed in the bar at the hotel the night of the wedding? What can we do with her in the evenings? I dont want to leave her at home (it is my wedding after all) but Im starting to worry that she is waayyy too young for this city.


  • #59
    mcgrate
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 131 ✭✭mcgrate


    Hey Bally, congrats first of all :-D
    I guess it depends what you plan on doing while you're there. If its a holiday to gamble and party, then yeah, wouldnt go with the 10 yr old. But there is sooooo much to do in the area of vegas, that I think your 10 yr old would love it. Do some searches for Vegas with kids, i read a good lot of things on tripadvisor. There's a list of 100 free things to do with kids.
    Plus, you dont want him/her to miss your wedding! Just plan your itinery appropriately.


  • #60
    Dodge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,019 ✭✭✭✭Dodge


    Bally8 wrote: »
    Hi guys, Im getting married in Las Vegas in April 2010. Really looking forward to it but havent been there before. My daughter will be 10 at the time of the wedding. Am I mad to be bringing her? Will she be allowed in the bar at the hotel the night of the wedding? What can we do with her in the evenings? I dont want to leave her at home (it is my wedding after all) but Im starting to worry that she is waayyy too young for this city.

    While vegas is definitely adult orientated, in the evening time you'll see loads and laods of families just walking up and down the strip just taking pictures of themselves in front of the hotels.

    Check out the Excalibur hotel. Its a fair bit less fancy than some but its aimed more at the family market. The Tournament of Kings I mentioned above is perfect for a ten year old. There are also plenty of magic shows etc, which aren't aimed at adults.

    As far as the bar is concerned, it depends which type of bar it is? I'd definitely contact the hotel before going just to make. Weddings happen every day in vegas so it won't be a new query for them


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  • #61
    Bally8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    Thanks a million guys for the responses and advice. I am much more confident now that she will be ok. I'm glad to hear that there are family orientated hotels and there will be things for us to do in the evenings.

    We're not interested in gambling so that wont be a problem and we are not big drinkers either (although I would like to be able to have a few to celebrate). We are lucky as there a a nice few of us going (even granny) so there will be no problem with baby sitters. Still I dont want her to be sitting in the hotel room each night.

    Im sooo excited even though its a long way off. I'll be keeping an eye on this site for tips.


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