The LV thread
VTech
Posts: 4,736
OK, great subject.
Who has been to Vegas, where did you stop, good points, bad points, would you go back, do you want to go ?
Who has been to Vegas, where did you stop, good points, bad points, would you go back, do you want to go ?
Living MY dream.
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Been there in 2010 when prices were somewhat reasonable. Paid £680 for a 5 night stay at the MGM Grand in May 2010. This also included a return flight.
Absolutely loved every minute of it. Didn't really gamble, but there is so much else to keep occupied. The weather was fantastic, as were the ladies. I was in heaven for 5 days. Honestly though, would definitely return to Las Vegas again.
Food is generally expensive though, especially if bought within the strip. North end of the strip seems deprived of life somewhat, whereas the south to mid part of the strip is awesome.
Cesars palace pool and MGM river pool with a Tecate is also brilliant. Pool parties are great also. Soak up the sun, be a pervert, and drink alcohol.
Another minus was the fact that a double vodka redbull cost $20 in the MGM Grand...0 -
drinkswise its all about the comps. sit down at a small hand table game, triple vodka RB when she comes round. tip her a $5 chip, bargain! have a few of them and your sorted for the day, evening, morning!0
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If you are not going for a stag trip/gambling etc then a helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon is a very worthwhile trip.
Pay the extra to go at dawn or dusk. The mid day trips are cheaper but the sun washes out all the natural colours as I found to my cost. :oops:
I went in the early 90s when it was a place to go for ultra cheap first class service - if you didn't gamble, and I don't.
Sounds like it has changed.None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.0 -
I've done belagio, MGM, palazzo, Wynn, encore and vdara.
Belagio is by far the best and also an all suite hotel.
I've never paid much to stay as prices fell in 08 so suites set at $2500 can be had in 2013 for $110!!!!
I've eaten at Nobu through work which is expensive and eaten at Texas de brazil which is reasonable and I've found food awesome everywhere so tend to stay to reasonable as anything more is a waste.
Always get a limo too and from the airport as its only $50 and taxi is $20 !
I don't gamble much, usually have a limit to lose of $100 a day as I'd get p!ssed if I gambled my money on nothing.
If you know the right people you can get into shows as clubs for free so get to meet a rep who will sort out all of your entertainment. If there is 4 or more of you it's worth the $100 or so each to get this.
I try not to shop in the malls other than miracle mile in planet Hollywood, this is the best mall I've ever been too but just out of town and only a $15 can ride away is the outlets which I cheap shopping for branded items. I got a channel leather jacket for $190 in January which was a total bargain.
I took the kids in 2010 and they loved it. Also took the nan so me and the wife had a few nights on our own.
A special meal is top of the world at the revolving resteraunt 150 floors up. It's a Michelin resteraunt and the views are stunning. The hotel has seen better days but its a great night.
Get a helicopter to pick you up from the hotel roof and take you on a night flight, it's around $400 for 45 mind and worth every cent. You can also do a 15 min trip from McCarren for $79 each.
Vegas is a place where you can have whatever you want, whenever you want it and at any time.
Love it !!Living MY dream.0 -
Been twice, first was a work's incentive trip that i qualified for about 13 or 14 years ago and the second time was when i took my longtime girlfriend over in 2003. I'd arranged a surprise trip to Vegas and all she knew was that i was taking her away for 4 days. I'd arranged the helicopter trip into the Canyon and that's where i proposed to her. Sounds cheesy when typing it but it was fantastic. Both times i stayed in the Venetian. A great place and would love to visit again. 10 years on and we now live in Dubai with our little boy. (oh, she said 'yes' by the way!)0
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lone wheeler wrote:Been twice, first was a work's incentive trip that i qualified for about 13 or 14 years ago and the second time was when i took my longtime girlfriend over in 2003. I'd arranged a surprise trip to Vegas and all she knew was that i was taking her away for 4 days. I'd arranged the helicopter trip into the Canyon and that's where i proposed to her. Sounds cheesy when typing it but it was fantastic. Both times i stayed in the Venetian. A great place and would love to visit again. 10 years on and we now live in Dubai with our little boy. (oh, she said 'yes' by the way!)
That's not cheesy at all. Quite romantic and I'm sure most women would be blown away by that.
My colleague had his honeymoon at the Venetian. He raved about it and has been to many Vegas hotels.Living MY dream.0 -
I used to love LV.
Bit tacky as a cheap incentive.
I worked in an advertising agency in Soho Square at the time and even then you had to use 2 LV's to get one sandwich, those were the days
Are they still going, any one here have great memories of the once ubiquitous LV?my isetta is a 300cc bike0 -
'LV' always used to stand for 'Luncheon Vouchers'...0
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As I said on the other thread that spawned this one, I went in 1994 just for an overnight stay when on holiday in LA. My opinion is probably skewed as I was so skint by time I went but I absolutely hated it and wouldn't go back if someone paid for me to fly there First Class. I found it tacky, dirty and, to be honest, a bit boring really. Then again I suppose spending a load of time drinking and gambling isn't really my thing. I did manage to win $7.35 on a 5 cent slot machine though, it seemed like a huge jackpot when the coins were streaming out - if only it had been a dollar slot machine I might a better opinion of the place! I stayed at the Riviera and got to see Sharon Stone who was filming Casino there.0
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Imposter wrote:'LV' always used to stand for 'Luncheon Vouchers'...
Wasnt there a 'madam' who paid her girls in luncheon vouchers back in the 80s?
Anyway, back to Vegas. Been a couple of times now. First time drove across Death Valley to get there. Driving across the desert seeing Vagas at night on the horizon coming towards us was amazing. Stayed in the Luxor the first time. As it was quiet paid $35 a night for a room which the previous week had been $250 a night!
Second time took a helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon. It was the last trip of the day so as we flew back it was getting dark and Vegas looked amazing. Unfortunately during the day it can look a bit rough! A bit like that 'stunna' you pull after 10 pints!
Good points are cheap restaurants and plenty of choice. And free drinks whilst gambling, although nothing is free as I'm sure I put more money in the machines!
On the whole love the place but can't do more than 3 days at a time there 0 -
i have been twice, but then im still fairly young, so plenty more opportunities. Both times have been on 'lad's holidays, but it would be good to go on an ‘OH holiday too’ at some stage, shows, shopping,etc.
before i went i was sceptical that i would like and my very first impressions were bad, but once i was there i soon came to appreciate it, you have to adopt a certain frame of mind, and i now love it.
my first trip was 2 years ago, on the back of a 2 week driving tour of california (mixed between cars and a meet the fockers type ridiculous Rv (or bang bus as it became affectionately known... apparently there is also a dodgy website of the same name but i wouldnt know about that kind of thing...)
myself and 3 m8's were due to stay in the wynn for 3 nights, but we decided to blow san diego out and head to LV for an extra night, this involved booking into an RV park (which was fine in itself) opposite ‘Sams Town’ casino… we spent the night before in death valley too (that’s an experience everyone should try to get) and attempted to try arrive at night so we could see it from afar all lit up, but we ran out of things to kill time with in DV.
as such sams town was our first port of call, well to anyone who has been there they will probably know what I mean, but I was ready to fly home early after walking in there and thinking this is what Vegas is like. It was literally gods waiting room, lovely brown décor, and the oldsters were wearing dressing gowns and slippers and the stereotypical breathing apparatus in at least 2 cases, I t was like an old people home (and not a good one). However after that initial shock, we headed to old vegas and fremont street, which is full of trailer trash, but funny, and the golden nugget is a laugh. We were all BJ virgins when it came to the protocol so kept getting told off, but plenty of friendly people on the tables to show you what to do.
The wynn is a fantastic hotel, and suites are not expensive at all (they don’t make money on rooms, they just want you staying there so they have you captive) although the beds ant big enough. We went in a club in the wynn (the one harry went in the pool in) and it was really good, although we didn’t get a table, even though lots of people recommend it as the bouncers filter women (not all ‘brasses’) to tables. The restaurants, which I cannot recall the names off now that we ate in there, are also top notch, even the cheaper café style ones couldn’t be faulted.
The pool is ok, but not a patch on some of the others.
2nd time December last year, stayed in MGM, which I was a bit dubious about as hadn’t heard great things, cheap deal with virgin atlantic £550 apprx each for flights and 4 nights. MGM was fine, nothing special, we had tower rooms, but nothing wrong with it for our purposes, I hear the old ‘west wing’ part of it isn’t great though, and as it turned out it was lucky we were staying there. It was Pacquio marquez fight and also the rodeo when we were there, and as such mgm being host, as well as being a host hotel for the rodeo, it was heaving (which stopped us getting an upgrade as there were no suites/bungalows going), and we found the north/mid strip pretty dead in the evenings and in the day.
Unfortunately by December most hotels pools are closed so we didn’t get to sample it, and its meant to be excellent.
I can see benefits in going at different times of year, when the pools are open (for obvious reasons) and also I would recommend going at rodeo time, just to experience it, and staying in a ‘host’ hotel as even if you don’t go to the rodeo, the other stuff on in the hotels and rodeo themed nightlife is excellent. The cowboys are good banter on the tables and the cowboy women wandering around are amazing!
Still haven’t managed a h-copter trip yet, but plan to next time
I can see how its considered tacky and cheap and seedy, but you have to be in the right frame of mind and accept it for what it is.
love the banter on the tables, as the yanks love our accent (or at least the cut glass plummy accent...) and the food (I can see how come Americans are so large) the buffets at the ‘better’ hotels are a bargain, especially if they include alcohol, and your that way inclined, and laughing at the rich old boys with amazing women hanging off their arms and the audacity of the ‘brasses’ wandering up and down offering up there dubious ‘wears’. I like the forum shops, and the cheap out of town mall that isn’t far.
Negatives are the expensive drinks, pretty much everywhere on strip (this can be got round when gambling thru comps, but not when your in bar/club), the tiring nature of it.
I find it difficult, to be on it every night now im in my late 20’s, so 4 nights non stop was more than enough, especially with the pool being shut, as we couldn’t chill out and recuperate by it in the day as we did the first trip.
Ideally I think you want one day on one day off, when you go, what with getting used to the jet lag, likewise, I like American food, but it takes, my body at least, a few days to get used to it, so when I went last time I had planned to pig out, but simply couldn’t, as my body rejected the food. By the last day I was fine though, but it was too late to do it full justice then.0 -
Good review, so when you booking up for the next trip ?Living MY dream.0
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CambsNewbie wrote:Imposter wrote:'LV' always used to stand for 'Luncheon Vouchers'...
Wasnt there a 'madam' who paid her girls in luncheon vouchers back in the 80s?
Cynthia Payne..
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could never understand why people would prefer to visit a city when the US has such amazing natural sights, as some one once said "i'd rather live on the side of a mountain than wander through canyons of concrete and steel"All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....0
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F#ck LV, I've been to Barry Island!!0
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bianchimoon wrote:could never understand why people would prefer to visit a city when the US has such amazing natural sights, as some one once said "i'd rather live on the side of a mountain than wander through canyons of concrete and steel"
if life was all the same it would be pretty boring. we dont want to spend 100% of our time in the countryside do we, people venture up to the big smoke every so often when they want something the countryside cant offer.
dont get me wrong, i love the natural side of america (well california/nevada as thats all i have expereince of nature wise), yosemite, big sur, the monterey peninsula, the bay area, death valley. its all spectacular and lovely to be in, but a holiday isnt all about one thing, sometimes you want something different.
as i said to appreciate vegas, you have to adopt a certain frame of mind, drop any negative preconceptions you may have had, and just remember its meant to be extreme, over the top, tacky, seedy etc, but its a hell of an expereince none the less, and basically a temple to 'excess'. you need to appreciate it for what it is, and the fact you are in the middle of a barren desert and theres all this ridiculoulsness in the middle of it just adds to it. i was a sceptic initial, but have come to really like it.0 -
Ive come to the following conclusion.
no one does kids holidays like the spanish, always friendly and can take the kids anywhere.
no one does customer care like the americans, you can have extreme and pleasantly quaint holidays there.
there are also lots of other places i would love to visit and that I have visited, I like to go to different places myself but will certainly revisit San Fran, Napa and Vegas within my life (almost certainly before the end of 2013 to be fair but you get my meaning.Living MY dream.0 -
VTech wrote:Good review, so when you booking up for the next trip ?
not sure. want to go in summer one year when its absolutely baking (yes i know it can get to 40+ degrees but i still would like to expereince it, and you have the benefit of the pools being chocker), but doubt i will be going this summer. Might get over in november, as one of my m8s mooted the idea of having his 30th over there, but it really depends on if a good deal an be got and the whole group of friends are in a position to afford it. hopefully the economy will pick up in the US too and it will get busier over there, as the first time we went in sept/oct 11, it wasnt as busy as expected, and the cab drivers all said its the quietest they have known it (as yanks couldnt afford to go), and last year in dec, it was quiet apart from in the rodeo host hotels.
I would prefer to tie it in with a longer trip though, so depending on what our holiday plans are this year, i may be able to wangle a trip at the end of a 'normal holiday' over there.
next time if its a m8's holiday or OH holiday, i want to stay someone different, mgm is fine, wynn excellent, but want to sample some others. after coming back the first time, my m8s and i decided we wanted to stay in the cosmopolitan next, as we liked the vibe in there and its in a decent central location. as part of the deal we had with virgin the 2nd time, we could have had 3 nights there, but we decided 4 nights in mgm for the same price would be better (simply because of the extra night), and based on the dead nature of mid/north strip in december we made the right choice.
i would also like to stay in bellagio, aria, maybe vdara (not sure about the lack of internal casino though) encore (to see if the rooms themselves are any better than wynn), and caesars. i think you have to stay in caesars once at least (as thats what everyone thinks of as the archtypal vegas hotel, and im still thinking about the brunch buffet there!)
It will be interesting to see what the new developments on the north end are like, if they ever finish them.0 -
If you go in november, well week1 in november let me know and we can get you into plenty of parties and VIP areas (free food/drink fest) as this is the SEMA week which we visit yearly. It also happens to be the same week as the worlds biggest porno festival too.
Anyway, if you do go you can couple it with a trip to San Fran and Napa which is very contrasting from Vegas but ohh soo good.
Ive not actually stopped at caesars yet although have been to a private gig there in the gossy room (franks old room) and the wife went shopping in the internal mall, not good !Living MY dream.0 -
Each to their own but I hated it.
2 years ago the missus and I were touring and went to Vegas as a 'must see'. Bitterly disappointed. 'Tacky' doesn't do it justice. Walking down the street to be confronted by Hispanic gangs, including kids, thrusting flyers into everyone's hand, advertising 'Girls to your room within 10 mins'
The noise from the slots is incessant and to see people in dressing gowns playing the machines is sad beyond belief.
On the plus side, the rooms in the hotels over value beyond belief.0 -
Did you go into ballys ?
That's where the porno festivals are held for the annual academy awards for porn.Living MY dream.0 -
bianchimoon wrote:could never understand why people would prefer to visit a city when the US has such amazing natural sights, as some one once said "i'd rather live on the side of a mountain than wander through canyons of concrete and steel"
Best of both worlds .. I did Route 66 .. Started Chicago and flew back from L.A
Three weeks in all, spending two days in Las Vegas. Flew over the Grand Canyon, day in San Fran and saw plenty of small town America also.
Great way to see the U.S.
P.S. My partner quite likes their handbags Still thinking of something clever to say!0 -
Philly8mt wrote:bianchimoon wrote:could never understand why people would prefer to visit a city when the US has such amazing natural sights, as some one once said "i'd rather live on the side of a mountain than wander through canyons of concrete and steel"
Best of both worlds .. I did Route 66 .. Started Chicago and flew back from L.A
Three weeks in all, spending two days in Las Vegas. Flew over the Grand Canyon, day in San Fran and saw plenty of small town America also.
Great way to see the U.S.
P.S. My partner quite likes their handbags
I would love to do that.
When asked about the est adventure he has ever had, Chris Evans said it was doing the USA coast to coast.Living MY dream.0 -
VTech wrote:Did you go into ballys ?
That's where the porno festivals are held for the annual academy awards for porn.
Should have done. Could have met my idols. 0 -
Ballysmate wrote:VTech wrote:Did you go into ballys ?
That's where the porno festivals are held for the annual academy awards for porn.
Should have done. Could have met my idols.
Living MY dream.0 -
VTech wrote:If you go in november, well week1 in november let me know and we can get you into plenty of parties and VIP areas (free food/drink fest) as this is the SEMA week which we visit yearly. It also happens to be the same week as the worlds biggest porno festival too.
reckon would be late nov, but see how the year pans out, will keep your genrous offer in mind if we do decide to go though! whats SEMA week?Anyway, if you do go you can couple it with a trip to San Fran and Napa which is very contrasting from Vegas but ohh soo good.
love san fran, only spent 2 nights there but loved it, great place, food, people, nightlife, sights, daytime stuff all sorts. ate the best burger ive ever had in some bar there. and the seafood is immense. cisco is defo somewhere i want to revisit, cycling would be interesting too!. i havent done further north than cisco, but would recommend the whole of cali down from there to anyone as a tour/roadtrip destination. pacific coast highway (route 1)Ive not actually stopped at caesars yet although have been to a private gig there in the gossy room (franks old room) and the wife went shopping in the internal mall, not good
frank?
do you mean stayed there/gambled there/ate there? ive found it a nice casino to gamble in, and the restaurants are good. the forum shops are good if expensive and they houses my fave american chain restaurant, the cheesecake factory too which is maybe why im biased. (im getting hungry now!) before i went in there the first time, i was under the impression it was a shabby, old casino for somereason. sure its old, but it seems to be quite high end in LV hotel terms.0 -
Philly8mt wrote:bianchimoon wrote:could never understand why people would prefer to visit a city when the US has such amazing natural sights, as some one once said "i'd rather live on the side of a mountain than wander through canyons of concrete and steel"
Best of both worlds .. I did Route 66 .. Started Chicago and flew back from L.A
Three weeks in all, spending two days in Las Vegas. Flew over the Grand Canyon, day in San Fran and saw plenty of small town America also.
Great way to see the U.S.
P.S. My partner quite likes their handbags
sounds a great trip. small town america, where english people are a novelty is great fun! was that trip in car or rv?0 -
Ballysmate wrote:Each to their own but I hated it.
2 years ago the missus and I were touring and went to Vegas as a 'must see'. Bitterly disappointed. 'Tacky' doesn't do it justice. Walking down the street to be confronted by Hispanic gangs, including kids, thrusting flyers into everyone's hand, advertising 'Girls to your room within 10 mins'
The noise from the slots is incessant and to see people in dressing gowns playing the machines is sad beyond belief.
On the plus side, the rooms in the hotels over value beyond belief.
i agree that side is not nice, (unless thats what your after!)0
