Vegas Trip Information for anyone looking to go this year.

[Simon Galloway]

Soft spot for the Mirage too.  card room a waste of time now.  Pool decent, if a little over-crowded.  Rooms are recently renovated, standard rooms bathroom a little small, Tower Deluxe rooms bathroom better sized and separate lifts so you don't stop on every floor.. OK basic food outlets, nothing really great at the top end though.  Decent location too.

Stayed a couple of years back, 3 nights Penthouse for $240 with a $200 dining credit.  Needless to say, a rare find on the discount sites, but they do pop up sometimes...

Click to see full-size image.

[vegaslover]

I used to tell the cabbies to take me the freeway when came/went downtown, it's much quicker and I can live with a couple bucks more to not be sat in traffic

Yeah it's quicker/cheaper to go downtown via the freeway, but we were taken on the freeway from Aria to Wynn which was ridiculous.  Most of the taxi drivers seem to want to rip you off, it was constant.

Love the trip from the airport to the wynn, probs done it 10 times now,  complete randomness on the pricing/route.

Am pretty sure some could do you for $30 airport to the Aria.

We always ask the driver to/from the airport not to take the tunnel/freeway and instead take Swenson/Tropicana.  It shouldn't cost more than $20.  If you are long hauled, when you reach your destination you can give the driver what you think the journey should have cost.  If he doesn't like it, he can call the taxi authorities or the police.  If he long hauled you, he won't!

Taxi drivers get worse every time I go Vegas.

Last time I went in April asked the driver to take Tropicana and not the tunnel (as they always go the tunnel if you don't state) and had the driver try to start, saying I was rude for telling him how to do his job. He defo got both barrels and a complaint to the TA

[Dry em]

Did anyone try the US sim cards mentioned earlier in thread? Were they worth it/good value

Planning on going again late Nov/Early Dec for rodeo anyone been then have any tips?

I had the holidayphone card.  Voice side was good, phoning home from anywhere for long-ish calls and not having to trapse back to the room was ideal.  US calls/texts all fine.  Data side didn't work so was resorting to wifi for that (admittedly I didn't try too hard to fix it)

But imo, £26 from t-mob ftw.

Had to activate the data by downloading something via wifi 1st on my iPhone. Was in the instructions, once done the data worked really well and was the main reason I'd get this again

How was your experience calling uk numbers? How often did it work by calling the number direct and how often did you have to go the more convoluted route of ringing a given US number 1st before the uk one?

[Dry em]

I used to tell the cabbies to take me the freeway when came/went downtown, it's much quicker and I can live with a couple bucks more to not be sat in traffic

Yeah it's quicker/cheaper to go downtown via the freeway, but we were taken on the freeway from Aria to Wynn which was ridiculous.  Most of the taxi drivers seem to want to rip you off, it was constant.

Ha, we had the exact same situation getting a can from Aria to Wynn. He told me that the strip would be very busy and was it ok to go a faster route. I'm usually pretty good at directions as I rent a car every year but around the back of Aria is one place I wasn't sure on the best way to go (pretty sure it's down Harmon then left on Koval) but I mistakenly said yes. His idea of a faster route had us going south on Polaris and looping back north on I15 surprise surprise taking us past a "club" he thought we might want to try. He did floor it down the freeway probably because he wanted to justify his "fastest" description of the route

I refused to tip when we arrived as I told him he'd taken us the long way and he didn't put up too much of a fight. Didn't think to give him less but then I hadn't taken a cab between the 2 before so wouldn't be sure what the fare should have been

[Simon Galloway]

Had to activate the data by downloading something via wifi 1st on my iPhone. Was in the instructions, once done the data worked really well and was the main reason I'd get this again

How was your experience calling uk numbers? How often did it work by calling the number direct and how often did you have to go the more convoluted route of ringing a given US number 1st before the uk one?

Once or twice the call wouldn't connect, but for the most part, it worked fine first time.  Obv I should have followed the instructions, but I was ill for half the trip and in the room, so it hardly mattered.

[stumpythefish]

Thanks very much for the information on this thread it really helped with my trip to vegas cheers

taxi fares airport to aria $28,aria to airport $21

aria to nugget $28 nugget to aria $22

Im sure they just make em up

[Longy]

http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com/taxi-fare.php

So yeah if your cab fare is over $20 from McCarran you have got done, one way or the other.

[Biddy 62]

Got a limo from Monte carlo to airport. Concierge who arranged it all told me no more than $90. Gets to airport guy asks for $110. Maddening thing i'd already tipped guy at hotel $10 Fkers

[Christo!]

Anyone stayed in Ballys recently?

[Simon Galloway]

Got a limo from Monte carlo to airport. Concierge who arranged it all told me no more than $90. Gets to airport guy asks for $110. Maddening thing i'd already tipped guy at hotel $10 Fkers

$90 not uncommon rate to be asked (= limo for an hour) but 2 minutes online = $65 (+tip)

[Longy]

Anyone stayed in Ballys recently?

Yes, a couple of times actually. What would you like to know?

[Christo!]

Anyone stayed in Ballys recently?

Yes, a couple of times actually. What would you like to know?

Just if its decent enough. Stayed in Tropicana last year and it was good but Bally's location is better and its really cheap.

Going with the wife so the room has got to be ok and she will prob want a decent pool.

Other option is Excalibur possibly

[Longy]

Anyone stayed in Ballys recently?

Yes, a couple of times actually. What would you like to know?

Just if its decent enough. Stayed in Tropicana last year and it was good but Bally's location is better and its really cheap.

Going with the wife so the room has got to be ok and she will prob want a decent pool.

Other option is Excalibur possibly

I would put it in the same tier for vegas hotels as the 2 you mentioned and would personally choose Bally's over the other 2 due to location. It certainly has no "wow" factor like the classier hotels but it is functional and clean.

What I have done is take the cheapest room (south tower) and then $20 trick at check in. I am 3/3 with it and have got a room in the north tower, which are sizable and certainly in line with 3* hotel quality. Also there is no resort fee here or any other caesars properties.

I know nothing about the pool apart from its location which is near the underground shopping arcade.

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=56443.0

Here is a recent thread with other opinions.

[Christo!]

Anyone stayed in Ballys recently?

Yes, a couple of times actually. What would you like to know?

Just if its decent enough. Stayed in Tropicana last year and it was good but Bally's location is better and its really cheap.

Going with the wife so the room has got to be ok and she will prob want a decent pool.

Other option is Excalibur possibly

I would put it in the same tier for vegas hotels as the 2 you mentioned and would personally choose Bally's over the other 2 due to location. It certainly has no "wow" factor like the classier hotels but it is functional and clean.

What I have done is take the cheapest room (south tower) and then $20 trick at check in. I am 3/3 with it and have got a room in the north tower, which are sizable and certainly in line with 3* hotel quality. Also there is no resort fee here or any other caesars properties.

I know nothing about the pool apart from its location which is near the underground shopping arcade.

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=56443.0

Here is a recent thread with other opinions.

Thanks Longy

[tikay]

With WSOP 12 done & dusted, just wanted to thank Marky for this thread, it was invaluable.

I just looked at it every morning & was able to see what was on around Vegas, where & what I could go play that day, all nicely sorted in one place, job done.

Was a bonus to share Tables with you in that Nugget comp, too. All part of a collection of lovely memories from Vegas 2012.

Now, one more favour....

I am considering going again in October/November. Someone sent me the Venetian's shedule for Oct/Nov, do you have any idea who else will be running Fessies @ that time, & if so, when will their schedules be published?

If you did a new Oct/Nov "Mini-Schedule", I'm sure we'd all much appreciate it.