Vegas attire is some of the most diverse I have ever seen. Flashy, tacky, sparkly, barely-there, frumpy, you name it, you’ll see it. This is one of the few places where anything goes. I mean anything.
I personally like to have fun with my wardrobe when I go to Vegas. I actually have a section of my closet for my “Vegas clothes”. This section includes spike-heeled boots, sequined shirts, sassy high heels, and even small fashionable purses that can be carried easily but still accent a chic wardrobe. I still wear regular casual clothes occasionally, but this is definitely the place to come if you want to get a little more flirtatious or fun with your clothing. One of the things that gets me is when I see women in spike heels that look like they have been walking all day. Remember that the Las Vegas strip is long, and casinos are large. If you are planning to stay in your shoes all day, make sure they are relatively comfortable. If you are just going out clubbing or to dinner for a couple hours, by all means wear those heels.

Many women choose to dress like J-Lo at the Oscars with their low cut or bust enhancing get-ups, especially in the summer. Other women wear tennis shoes and fanny packs. I, personally, don’t advise the fanny pack look, but it is fairly common. Not as common as cleavage by any means, but still normal. If you don’t have any hip clothes and you want to dress up sassy, there are plenty of boutiques that sell them in Vegas.

Men vary as much as women in the fashion department. Some men look like minivan driving, soccer dads from the Midwest, while others look straight out of a fashion magazine. Anything goes.

So check the weather in advance of your trip and pack what feels comfortable to you. Believe me, you will blend in no matter what you choose.
Remember that if you plan to go to a nice dinner, restaurants may have dress codes, such as no tennis shoes, no jeans, or dresses / dress pants required for ladies. Be sure to check or just bring a semi-formal outfit just in case.

Have you ever wondered how chocolate would taste with bacon? OK, I know, that sounds nasty at first. Though, if you ever did wonder, you could try it in Vegas. My husband and I found this small chocolate shop in the mall at Caesar’s Palace, called Vosges Haut Chocolat. From the outside it just looked like it might have some high-end dark chocolate that we both enjoy. So we went inside. They have chocolate with some really weird crap inside. Think cheese, hot pepper, lavender, fennel, wasabi, paprika… you get the point. And yes, bacon. There are also “normal” fillings, such as Madagascar vanilla bean, organic peanut butter, caramel, praline, kirsch… So of course, we bought some.

The definite strangest taste was what was called “roosters”. They are conical chocolates that are meant to be eaten in 3 bites. Each bite has a different ingredient, so that as you eat it you have an “experience”. These roosters are found in the Collezion Italiano, a $56 box of 16 truffles and roosters. They tasted OK, but you have to be ready for the cheese. It’s kind of different. Our favorite kind of chocolate ended up being the Goji Bar. It is a regular candy bar with milk chocolate, sea salt, and goji berries, which are actually supposed to be really good for you. Woo Hoo! Healthy chocolate! The only downside is that each bar is $8. Not bad for a treat, but if you are a chocoholic, it could get expensive.

After trying various yummies, I determined that I love the taste of salt with chocolate. It really seems to bring out the flavor. Which gets me back to the bacon…. I have not tried the bacon chocolate, but I am ready. When I go back to Vegas in October, I am going to go to Vosges and get me some. I also might have to pick up some of those new “organic” peanut butter bon bons….

I wrote a previous article on comps. That article is more of a primer on comps and the benefits. This article will give you some more information and perspective on comps and how to start maximizing them. So once you have been to Las Vegas, and you are planning a return trip, this is when you should try a tactic to get more comps. The first thing you should do is to call Casino Marketing to book your room. You can find this phone number on the back of your Players card, which you should have signed up for on your last trip. This is usually an 800 number. When you call you can give them your players card number and the dates you hope to visit. They can then possibly give you a better rate based on your account activity. That means how much you gamble and spend when you visit one of their properties. This is why it is so important to get a players card and to use it. Using it means that you book your room through Casino Marketing or directly through the casino/hotel rather than a budget website.

I know I have backed budget websites such as www.kayak.com or www.lasvegas.com, but if you are looking for comps, you are better off booking through the hotel itself. If you are a one time or first time Vegas visitor, those budget sites are great.

You also need to make sure that when you eat at a restaurant you charge it to your room, which is linked to your account. Also, you can get show tickets right through the concierge or ticket office in the hotel. That also works if you are seeing a show at a sister property, you can charge that to your room as well. I know I have also backed discount, same-day, ticket brokers and I still do, especially if the show is not at one of hotels sister properties. Remember, this article is about how to maximize comps. If you would rather save the money because you are not spending much otherwise at your hotel, go ahead and use a discount ticket seller.

My husband and I go to Vegas frequently enough that we now try to patronize the hotel that we are staying at for all of our meals and entertainment. We also charge absolutely everything to the room, from shopping, to eating, to spas, to shows. We also have both of our players card linked to each other and always use our players cards at card tables and slot machines. Then the night before we check out, and when we’re pretty much done spending, we go to the players card desk and ask them to analyze our spending patterns. They in turn call the front desk so that when we check out the next morning, we will have some spending comped, usually in the form of food and beverage credit. That means they just deduct that amount off of our bill. We have to check out at the front desk, rather than using express checkout, but hey, it’s worth it.

If you like to drink, and you enjoy quirky British humor, then I have the perfect night out for you. 1 – consume ample amounts of Sake laced martinis at Okada at the Wynn. 2 – Hobble down to the Wynn Theater to enjoy Spamalot. This is what I did recently. I advise trying it.
Now, you might think that you could do without the alcohol, but let me assure you, being a little goofy beforehand will add to your enjoyment of this show.

If you know anything about Monty Python, then you already know that the humor is borderline idiotic. Skits are silly and leave you shaking your head. You should also know that most people either love this humor or hate it. I haven’t met many people who are in between. So, if you already know you like Monty Python, you should check out this show. If you know nothing about Monty Python, I can’t even presume to predict what you will think about the show. Be forewarned, there is not much original material in the show, at least, not as much as I expected. Of course, a few songs and skits are new and unique, but you will find plenty of material directly ripped off from the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. They even claim right on the website that it is “ripped off” from the movie. The most popular scenes from the movie are included, such as “the knights who say nee”, and “I will fart in your general direction” to the argument about African Swallows. They were still funny, even if you were familiar with them. The woman who played Guinevere pleasantly surprised me. Her voice was amazing and she was quite entertaining. She has this one scene, all to herself that was pretty funny, having to do with her being disgruntled with her role in the show. I don’t want to spoil too much, but I will say that I did enjoy the show after a few drinks, and I suppose you may do the same.
One note, the seats are not extremely roomy. So if you are a normal sized person, you’ll be fine, but if larger people surround you, you may be snug. Also the theater is fairly small so there really wasn’t a bad seat. Though if I were you, I’d try to get seat D101.

Staying at the Wynn is definitely something that I would advise you to do. Often touted as the most luxurious hotel on the strip, staying there just might make you think that your normal life sucks. My husband and I stayed at the Wynn in August of 2007 because of a promotion that was mailed to us through the Red Card program, aka, casino marketing. The deal was a Resort Room (their basic room, hah! basic!) for $239 per night Friday and Saturday night. If you think that’s steep, you should know that the Resort Room we ended up with was going for $700 per night that weekend without the promotional price. While I ‘m not sure I could justify spending $1400 to stay there for two nights, I am delighted with what my $500 got me.

We began our experience by trying the “give the check-in person 20 bucks trick”. It worked. He glanced down at the $20 tucked between the credit card and the ID, and by the time we asked if any upgrades were available, he replied, “I’ve already taken care of it, you will have a great view of the fountain show.” Score. Our room was on the 29th floor (amazingly, they have 60 floors!) with a floor to ceiling plate glass window overlooking the Venetian and Treasure Island. The strip view is slightly blocked by the new Palazzo tower at the Venetian, but I am not complaining. We also looked down into the Water and Light show that the Wynn has. The funny thing about that show is that it is for guests only. You can’t enjoy it from the outside in general public areas. You actually have to be in the hotel or on their verandas to see it. I thought that was kind of nifty. Anyhow, the room was very spacious, with a very comfortable bed. There is a nice couch and footstool, a desk, a wet bar and mini-fridge, 3 phones, and even an electronic panel to open and close the curtains. It was, duh, very clean and nicely decorated. Bathrobes were provided as well as cute little complimentary slippers. The bathroom was great. There were dual sinks, a sit down vanity, deep single person jet tub, separate toilet room, and a large marble shower. The bathroom toiletries were awesome. My hair was like silk after using the shampoo. Another neat thing about the hotel is that when you get off the elevators and are walking to your room, you can sense the curvature of the hotel as you look down the hallway.

The pools are very nice. My husband and I ate breakfast overlooking the Tower Suites VIP pool from Tableau, a great restaurant. Then later on Saturday, we swam and sipped expensive alcoholic concoctions at the main pool. If you look at a map of the property, you can see that this pool is shaped like a long dumbbell. There were a lot of people in it, It is August in Vegas after all, but we didn’t feel too crowded. We stayed at the shady end of the dumbbell. The sunnier end, near the poolside cabana bar was much busier with young people seeing and being seen. It was a little bit tricky finding a lounge chair, since people that have left will leave their towels on the chairs and make them appear occupied. In my opinion, they should have cleaned the chairs off quicker, but that’s a pretty small complaint overall. For the most part, the service at this hotel is amazing.
For example, we went to the Terrace Point Café late Friday night after we arrived. It was something like 10:00pm. We were really hungry for fresh berries with crème fraiche and a smoked salmon plate that we usually order off of the breakfast menu. Even though it was not on the evening menu, we asked. The waitress said she would check, and sure enough, satisfied our cravings. That is the kind of thing that at many other places, you would hear “we don’t have that at night” and if you have a polite server, ”sorry”.

My husband and I used the concierge, via the telephone in our room, to reserve dinner at Okada and tickets to Spamalot. They were very helpful, and allowed us to pick up the tickets at the concierge desk rather than waiting in the box office line, which in my experience, is usually long. Okada is the Wynn’s Japanese restaurant and it was very good. I’ll write more in a future article. But let me say, if you like sushi, this place carries OhToro and ChuToro. It’s fatty tuna for you non-sushi-lovers, and it’s awesome. Spamalot was also a good show if you are suitably inebriated and a Monthy Python disciple. I’ll also write more about that in a future article.
So, if you feel like living the high life for a few days, check out the Wynn. Try on some Manolo Blahniks at one of the only two north American stores, shop for a Rolex, buy a $300 La Perla Bra, sip expensive drinks while floating in paradise, laugh at ultra cheesy songs in Spamalot, lay around in a divine hotel room all day, or shop for a Maserati, no a Ferrari. Oh, decisions…. Whatever it is you choose to do at the Wynn, I’m guessing you will enjoy it.

When going to Vegas, you usually have to stay in Vegas. If you are a first-timer or you don’t go very often, you should probably use a cheap internet site, like vegas.com, lasvegas.com, or my recent favorite kayak.com. I like Kayak because of the way it lets you sort the hotels after you have searched. I have also had luck with hotels.com and mobissimo.com. You have to be careful, though to select a hotel that is actually nice. Some of the hotels that are listed say they are just of the strip or on the strip, when they are actually way down at one end, or a long walk through a bad neighborhood. So if you see a room for $29 and it’s at Whiskey Pete’s, think again. You are looking for these names: Tropicana, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York New York, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, Planet Hollywood (this used to be the Aladdin), Paris, Bally’s, Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace, Flamingo, Harrah’s, Mirage, Treasure Island, Venetian, or the Wynn. My favorites are in bold letters.

Excalibur needs a remodel; it’s beds are like rocks. Bally’s needs an update, has way too low ceilings and smells like smoke because of poor ventilation. Tropicana is also in need of an update. I have never been in a room there, but the lobby/casino doesn’t really make me want to. The Monte Carlo isn’t too bad, but the casino floor is small. Harrah’s is gaudy; I am not a fan of the carnival theme. This is a decent map of the strip. As you can see, the Rio, the Palms, Hooter’s, the Stratosphere, and others are off the central strip, but may still be of interest to you. You could also consider the Las Vegas Hilton if you are a Star Trek fan. The monorail that you see on the map is handy because you can ride it directly to the strip, but you have to pay for it, and wait for it.

Notice I did not list Stardust, or Barbary Coast (recently renamed to Bill’s Gambling Hall), and some others because I would not want to stay there.

Recently, a friend at work who had never been to Vegas and wanted to take her husband for his birthday asked me to recommend a hotel and I gave her the same description as above. I guess she considered these too expensive and chose to stay at a different hotel and for a much cheaper rate. I asked her later how the trip was and she lamented about getting a cheap, scuzzy hotel. Apparently it was advertised as being on the strip Las Vegas Blvd, but it was miles down the strip. She said it was so nasty they didn’t even want to sleep or shower there…. but hey, it was only $39 bucks a night. I didn’t even say “told ya so”. She felt bad enough.

Your input makes this site valuable. If you have any comments, requests, questions or suggestions, please post on this site. I would love it if people wanted to ask me about something in Vegas and I could either answer directly or have some fun finding out. I’ll be at the Wynn in August, so if you have a show or restaurant you’d like to know about, mention it and I’ll try to experience it for you and let you know what I think.

–Stephanie

When traveling to Las Vegas don’t forget to include money for tips in your budget.
In some cases, tipping is expected for good service, like in restaurants and at the spa, but other times it can help you “get” things. I’ll list some common things that you should tip for and some that you may not realize.I’ll start out with the most important and as you go down the list you will find things that some people tip for and some don’t.

Valet - When you get your car back, $2-$3 is appropriate if the car comes back within a few minutes. If it takes 10 or more, when it’s not that busy, a tip is not necessary.

Baggage / Bellhop - if you have your bags delivered to your room, tip $1-$2 per bag.

Restaurant servers - 15-20 % of your total bill (before taxes) for good service like everywhere else in the US. Since Vegas is known for buffets, I should mention that too. Leave a tip of $1-$2 per person if the service was good; aka, your drinks were brought and refilled quickly and your plates were cleared quickly.

Casino drink waitress - the scantily clad chicks who bring you free drinks while you gamble should be given $1-$2 per drink. The more you give them, the more likely it is that they will return promptly… consider that before you stiff them.

Casino Dealers- If your dealer is friendly, and especially when you are winning, it is polite to tip your dealer. The appropriate amount is usually 10% of your average bet every 5 - 10 hands for games like blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride…. you know, card games. In Poker, like Texas Hold Em, it is polite to tip the dealer $1 - $5 each time you win a decent sized pot. If you are playing 2-4, 3-6, or 4-8 , a $1 - $2 tip is fine. If you are playing higher limits, tip $5 or even $10 for a big win. I know, the dealer does not make you win, but they can make the play enjoyable, and they do depend on tips as income. Pretty much for any table game, this is polite to do. Tips for dealers are also pooled, so if there is a cranky dealer, and you sit with another dealer later, make sure to mention that, and the nice dealers will likely “have a word” with the cranky one.

Cab Driver - If your cabbie is friendly, gets you there quickly, and or helps you with luggage give a 10% tip. Sometimes traffic cannot be avoided and most cabbies will not take you down the strip unless you ask them to. It is often congested and it is much faster to go around the backs of the casinos or on I-15. Also, ask your cab driver for advice on shows and restaurants. Most of them are helpful and knowledgeable. If they are cranky, just pay the fare and no tip.

Room Service - when you order that late night snack or break in bed, don’t forget to tip the delivery person. Some people say you should tip the standard 15% like you would in a restaurant. But if you’ve seen the room service prices, you may think twice. If it’s just a meal for one or two people, and the service was timely, give $5 - $10.

Daily maid service - Some people like to leave a few dollars for the nice ladies that clean your room each day. If you choose to do this, you should leave a couple bucks each day rather than at the end, in case your normal room cleaner isn’t on shift and you leave it to someone else. Also, if you leave a few dollars each day make sure to leave it in an envelope marked housekeeping so they don’t think it’s just your cash laying around.

Here are some situations where tipping is not expected, but may help you out.

Check-in desk clerk - when you check in to get your room, if you slip the clerk $20 with your ID and credit card, then ask if there is any ugrade available. You may just get that “strip view” room they were just sold out of, or even a suite. If the clerk is not interested, or unable to accomodate your request, simply pull your Andrew Jackson back.

Restaurant host/hostess- similar to the check in situation, sometimes slipping the host a $10 or $20 (depending on the caliber of the restaurant) may get you a better seat.