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If you decide to
take a cab to your Strip hotel, be sure
to tell the driver "don't take the
freeway." Some less-than-honest cab
drivers will take a round-about freeway
route which will raise your fare from
less than $15 to over $20. |
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Remote Check-In
If you're staying at
Ballys,
Caesars Palace,
Flamingo, the
Hilton,
MGM Grand,
New York New York, or
Paris
you can check into your hotel at the airport while you
are waiting for your bags in the baggage claim area of
Terminal 1.
There
are two offices with registration desks just off the
"Carousels 1-8" area. One handles check-ins for MGM
Grand and New York New York (9 am to 11 pm), while the
other handles check-ins for the Park Place properties
(all the others mentioned above - 9 am to 1 am). You
register and get your room key there and when you arrive
at your hotel you can go straight to your room.
The location of these remote hotel
registration desks are shown on the ground
transportation diagram on the
Maps
page.
Late Check-Out
Check-out time at most hotels is
noon. However, most offer a "late check-out" option for
a price. If your flight doesn't leave until the evening,
using this late check-out option can give you another
all-nighter at the tables or another day of sunning out
by the pool. Simply ask a front desk clerk for check-out
times and costs.
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If you have a
players card for the hotel because you
were getting your play rated, ask about
getting this late check-out as a comp.
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Good Hotels for....
Vegas hotel room prices can fluctuate
wildly. Prices depend on how many conventions are in
town and how big they are. The big computer convention,
Comdex, hits town close to Thanksgiving and it's almost
impossible to get a room while it's there. Weekends with
big sporting events like the
Super Bowl (January) and college basketball's "Final
4" (March) will also see a shortage of rooms. If you
check room prices and they're high, check the prices for
the following week or weekend. They very well could be
lower. Rooms are also always higher on Friday and
Saturday nights. Monday through Wednesday nights are
typically the lowest (again, providing there's not a big
convention in town). However, most limited engagement
performers only have shows on Friday and Saturday night.
In
addition to the normal "rack rate", most places also
have a reduced "casino rate" for those who patronize
their slot machines and tables. You may even be able to
get your room for free. See the Getting "Rated" section
on the Gaming page for information on how to take
advantage of that.
If you want to splurge on this trip and pamper yourself,
get a room in the Palace Tower at Caesars Palace. Most
of these rooms have two bathrooms, each having both
jacuzzi tubs and showers. If the Palace Tower rooms at
Caesars are all booked, try the all suites
Venetian with their sunken living room areas.
If you're on a budget, the
Imperial Palace is your best bet. It's not the
fanciest place in town but its' mid-Strip location,
reasonable room rates, and low table minimums make it a
great value. I really like the fact that they have
walk-out balconies. Nothing like sliding open that
balcony door and enjoying your morning coffee with a
warm desert breeze blowing in. (The dinner buffets
aren't all that great but the dealers are very friendly
and helpful.)
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 If
you decide to take a cab to your Strip
hotel, be sure to tell the driver "don't
take the freeway." Some less-than-honest
cab drivers will take a round-about
freeway route which will raise your fare
from less than $15 to over $20. |
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If
you don't want to splurge but you're not on a budget
either, there are numerous options available to you.
Bally's, Mirage, Monte Carlo, and Paris, are just a few.
Your choice could depend on price, location, or
amenities. If you're trying to decide on one of several
candidates, you may want to check out the comments from
past visitors on the Las Vegas On-Line Website. (There's
a link to it on the Websites page.)
If you're taking kids along, check
out Circus Circus, Excalibur, and Treasure Island. If
you're taking kids along and you're on a budget, Circus
Circus usually has the lowest rates of the three.
Tipping
Customer service positions are
historically low-paying jobs and Las Vegas is no
exception. The people you interact with count on tips
for a decent living so don't forget them while you're on
your trip. They often get stiffed or are treated rudely
when people take their lousy luck out on them. I
generally tip as follows:
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At the Craps table: When
the shooter's point is a six or eight I'll
occasionally throw a dollar chip down on the layout
and say "Hard six for the boys" or "Hard eight for
the boys". It's a dollar bet that pays $10 if the
next six or eight is thrown "the hard ways" (as
doubles) and it's a way to not only tip the dealers
but get them into the action. (Note that if the
number your hard bet is on is shot easy, i.e. not as
doubles, the dealers don't get the dollar, the house
does, but the dealers still appreciate your getting
them in the action.) Another way to get the dealers
in on the action is to place a chip next to your
chip(s) on the Pass Line. This is a Pass Line bet
for the dealers. When you do this, the stickman will
often say "Dealers on the line". (I usually do this
when it's my turn to shoot the dice.) Another
alternative is to simply throw about 5% to 10% of
any winnings down on the layout "for the boys" as an
out-right tip when you're ending your session.
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At the Blackjack table: I
tip the dealer a buck or two out-right (when playing
$5 or $10 hands) if they deal me a "natural" (ace
and a ten-value card). If the dealer has been
dealing me a good percentage of winning hands I'll
occasionally place a $5 chip on the layout between
my bet and the dealer. This is a bet for the dealer
getting them into the action. You can also do the
"end of session" 5% to 10% thing mentioned above.
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If you like playing the slots,
ask the slot attendants (located in the center of a
large carousel of machines) or roving change
attendants which machines are "loose". They're
around those machines all day and have no problem
helping you get some of the boss' money. But be sure
to tip them if you walk away a winner.
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Cocktail Waitresses:
Drinks are free while you're gambling. I usually
give the cocktail waitress a $1 chip or $1 slot coin
each time she brings me a drink.
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Shuttle bus drivers: The
standard for airport shuttle bus drivers is $1 or $2
a bag.
Tipping drivers of the free shuttles which run
between hotels is at your discretion. They often
have a cup near the front of the bus for the tips
but I usually hand $1 to them directly.
The shuttle bus drivers for the various off-Strip
activities will often return you directly to your
hotel rather than to the central pick-up point so
tipping them for this time-saving service would be
appropriate also.
-
Bellman: $1 to $2 a bag is
the norm.
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Maid: I leave a $5 tip
each day, mainly because I shower each day and that
involves extra effort on the maid's part. Some
guides say to leave one large tip at the end of your
stay but I feel this is unfair. You may have several
different maids during your stay due to their work
schedules and assignments, and your tip could go to
someone who didn't touch your room while you were
there. Plus doesn't it make more sense to reap any
benefits of your generosity (such as extra towels,
etc.) while you're still there ?
-
Room Service: $3 to $5
depending on how fast I get my order. Either write
"Tip=$5." on the room check or they'll gladly take a
chip from the hotel's casino.
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Buffet waiters/waitresses:
The buffets usually have waiters or waitresses bring
you your drinks, and refills are no problem. I tip
$2 to $5 depending on how attentive they are.
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Don't try and hail a cab in front
of a hotel/casino. The cabbies will only respond to
doormen. Get your cab through them and tip them a
buck or two (more for more people.
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Cabbies: 15% is the normal
rate but you may want to add a couple bucks if you
ask for advice on a good place to play or eat.
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If you're driving, valet parking
attendants usually get $1 to $3 depending on how
fast they are.
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If you're taking a commercial
(non-charter) flight and things are so busy at the
ticket counter that a sky-cap takes care of checking
your bags at the curb, tip them a couple bucks per
bag for speeding you to your gate.
Free Guide
What's On is a free magazine that
lists (in most cases including times and cost) all of
the shows, buffets, restaurants, shopping malls,
recreation areas, etc. as well as contains plenty of ads
for all of the helicopter and ground tours, sky-diving,
glider rides, and oodles of other activities available
in and around Las Vegas.
Hoover Dam,
Red
Rock Canyon, the
Grand Canyon, and Death Valley are popular tours as
well as local tours. It also contains numerous coupons
for shows, restaurants, and other activities that can
add up to quite a savings.
Copies of What's On are sometimes
hard to find. Ask your hotel's concierge or front desk
for a copy. There are racks with copies in different
areas. On my last trip, racks were located in the
Excalibur tram station and in the Desert Passage inside
the Aladdin.
Hoover Dam Tour
If you are planning on visiting
Hoover Dam, do not take a car. Take one of the tour
buses as efforts are made to get them in and out faster
and traffic near the dam tends to be very heavy. Early
morning is the best time to go to try and beat some of
the rush. Also, for security reasons no purses, camera
bags, pouches, backpacks, or any other bags are allowed
on the tour so leave those in your hotel room.
Shoes & Water
By far, the single best piece of
advice I can give you about visiting Las Vegas is this:
Bring along soft, comfortable shoes !
You'll
be glad you did. The resorts are huge and there is so
much to see and do. Even with all of the trams, shuttle
buses, limos, and taxis, you will do a lot of walking
and nothing will dampen a good time faster than sore,
blistered feet. Plan ahead. If you don't have a decent
pair of soft, comfortable shoes and you need to buy a
pair, do so several weeks before your trip and wear them
frequently so they get "broken in". If you're not used
to doing a lot of walking, you may also want to bring
along some foot powder to help keep your feet dry and
reduce chafing. (Information on free trams, shuttles,
and buses is given on the Shuttles page.)
With even moderate walking you lose
more fluid than you think due to the dry air (which
makes your perspiration evaporate fast). Your next best
friend to soft, comfortable shoes is water. Drink plenty
of it. If you start to feel "not quite right" after a
couple days you could be getting dehydrated. If so, buy
a couple bottles of water (not juice or soda), drink
them both down, and then lay down for an hour or two to
let your body re-hydrate.
How
To Be Safe
The Las Vegas Strip is one of the
safest places in the country. I have routinely walked
the Strip at 3 or 4 in the morning without so much as a
panhandler approaching me. However, every city has it's
criminal element and you should take steps to protect
yourself from it. In addition, due to attraction of the
large volume of tourists, the thieves can just as easily
have come in from out of town on a "business trip",
staying at a hotel, as local residents. This doesn't
mean you should be afraid or limit your activities. Just
follow the same simple common-sense steps you'd use when
visiting any large city.
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A
large crowd of tourists, money in their pockets,
jammed together focused on the
Bellagio Fountain Show or one of the other
attractions, is enough to make a pick-pocket drool.
ALWAYS be mindful of your purse or wallet. Keep your
valuables well covered and don't drop your guard
while checking out the attractions, gambling,
shopping, at a buffet, at the pool, or even walking
down the sidewalk. Shopping bags are nice but
they're usually wide open at the top. You're better
off with bags that you can fold the top over.
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Always use the additional
dead-bolt lock when you're in your room. As fast as
new key-cards and electronic locks are developed the
thieves find a way to thwart them. Don't leave large
amounts of cash or valuables in your room. The
hotels will keep them in their safe as a free
service. Moderate amounts of cash should be locked
in your suitcase. The vast majority of maids and
maintenance workers are honest, hard-working people
trying to make a living. However, the only way the
occasional "bad apple" can come to the hotel's
attention is after guests have been victimized.
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When in a hotel/casino lobby or
at the airport, always keep a hand on your luggage
or set it in front of you. It only takes a second
for a suitcase or bag to disappear. Thieves like
busy places where people are rushing around. Hotel
lobbies, casinos, and especially McCarran Airport,
all fit this profile.
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Whatever you do, don't try to
walk from the
Strip
to
Fremont Street (or visa-versa). I can tell you
from personal experience that it's no "leisurely
stroll", and you pass through areas where there are
not a lot of people, even during daylight hours.
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When
you are walking, use the crosswalks. Jay-walking in
Vegas carries a $95 fine. And when you're at the
crosswalks, wait for the "Walk" light and don't step
too far off the curb while you wait. The locals
really fly down Sands, Flamingo, and the other
streets that cross the Strip and the traffic lanes
are close to the curbs. (The pedestrian bridges at
Flamingo and Tropicana are helpful in this respect.)
I've seen numerous posts in Las Vegas newsgroups
which said that car/pedestrian accidents around the
Strip happen a lot more often than the Convention
and Visitors Bureau would like to admit. And often
the people driving the car are themselves visitors
with a rental who are sight-seeing while driving.
Whether walking or driving, be extra careful around
the Strip.
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You should always bring along a
photo ID with your current address and something
with your name and social security number on it. The
IRS requires the casinos to get this information if
you hit a jackpot at a machine or do extremely well
at the tables. However, don't carry the document
bearing your social security number around with you.
If your name, address, and SSN fall into the wrong
hands you could become the victim of "credit
identity theft". (You shouldn't carry your Social
Security card in your wallet or purse at all anymore
because this applies everywhere, not just Las Vegas.
Also check any health insurance cards or school IDs
you may have in your wallet. They also often have
your SSN on it.) Leave your SSN document in your
room, locked in your suitcase. If you do hit it big,
the casino will be glad to hold onto your winnings
while you go back to your room to get the document.
Pack & Ship
With all of the stores and souvenir
shops it's easy to end up with more items that can fit
in your suitcase. Or you may see a larger item that
you'd like to buy but don't want to have to lug it back
on the airplane with you.
Luckily there's a UPS Store in the
back of the Flamingo right next to the escalators going
to the monorail station. They can box up and ship just
about anything.
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They're open until
7 pm weekdays and 5 pm weekends but if
you want your package to go out the same
day on weekdays be sure to get there
before 5:00. They also offer fax and
copy services. |
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Getting There
Vacation charter packages (air+hotel)
are typically your best bet for your best price for a
Vegas vacation. Whether going with a charter package or
booking a flight on a commercial airline, keep in mind
that much of the cost depends on your point of origin,
and driving to a larger airport an hour or two away
could save you a lot on the price of a package or
airline ticket.
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If your looking
for a package for a "long weekend",
choosing a package with a Saturday
departure and Monday return will often
be cheaper (sometimes significantly
cheaper) than a package with the more
traditional Friday departure and Sunday
return. For longer stays, choosing
packages that don't include the
higher-priced Friday and Saturday night
hotel stays may also lower your package
cost. |
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The Mark Travel Corporation operates
vacation charters under a lot of different names all
over the country. Visit their Web site and click on the
"Vacation Brands" button to see if one of their units
rings a bell. They typically put ads in the Travel
section of your Sunday paper. Most of these units have
their own Web site as well.
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My area is served
by the "Funjet Vacations" unit and
Funjet's Web site has a "Hot Deals" page
with some really great travel bargains
that gets updated every Friday morning.
Check for a Web site for the unit
operating in your area and see if they
have page similar to Funjet's Hot Deals
page. You can see if Funjet also serves
your area by going to their Hot Deals
page and clicking on the "Select Your
Origin" drop-down list in the middle
column of the page to see if a city near
you is listed. |
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Smut Peddlers
At various places on the sidewalks
along the Strip you will encounter people working for an
advertising service trying to hand you brochures and
cards which advertise escort services, "massage" parlors,
and other sexually-oriented services. The owners of
these adverstising services have defeated every legal
attempt by the city of Las Vegas to stop or restrict the
handing out of this material arguing that it is
conducted on city-owned (public) sidewalks.
Simply IGNORE the people handing out
brochures and cards. Don't take anything from them and
especially don't talk to them to voice your opinion of
their activity. The advertising service owners hire the
cheapest labor they can find to hand these things out
which, in many cases, means the people trying to hand
you these things don't speak English.
The rules of business dictate that if
enough people ignore the advertising it no longer
becomes cost-effective and it will go away on its' own.
"Casino" Movie Trivia
OK, so this may not be of any real
value to you on your trip, but I thought it was an
interesting piece of Vegas trivia. If you saw the Robert
DeNiro movie Casino, you may be interested in knowing
that the Tangiers hotel/casino in the movie is actually
based on the Stardust (but interior casino shots were
filmed at the Riviera). The Ace Rothstein character
played by DeNiro is actually Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal who
has a Website on sports betting at
www.frankrosenthal.com. The bombing of his car actually
happened in the parking lot of what is now Tony Roma's
restaurant on Sahara (but was filmed near Main Street
Station downtown). The character played by Joe Pesci,
who was killed along with his brother outside of town,
was actually Tony "The Ant" Spillotro. Mr. Rosenthal and
Mr. Spillotro were often represented in court by defense
attorney Oscar Goodman, who is now the mayor of Las
Vegas.
