I have advised that you try the $20 trick for room upgrades at check in. However, I have never had one turn out quite the way things did last month at the Palazzo.
We asked if there were any upgrades at check-in, using our $20 bill as an eye catcher. We were told that “yes, actually, there is a $1600 a night suite that is available, for a mere $100.” This was a hospitality suite and it had a huge patio overlooking the golf course or pool. We’d be insane not to take it, right? So we did.
When we get to our room, we found it arranged in such a way that we could not even access the Murphy bed without moving a massive table and eight chairs. Then, the bed had no linens. There was no mini bar, as promised. And the room just looked as if it were still under construction. (Keep in mind that the Palazzo had been open for eight months and claims to be a 5 Diamond hotel.) Oh, and let’s not forget the patio. It was large, but that’s where the compliments end. It had no view other than a 15-foot high stucco wall. We called the front desk and were moved to a different hospitality suite. The second suite was just as bad as the first. There were no bed linens, the furniture was not arranged for habitation, and the patio was just as uninspiring. There was still no mini-bar, and there was even a broken chair. Frustrated, we called registration again. We asked to simply have a regular room, and get a refund on our “upgrade”.

Granted, we realize what the pupose of the hospitality suite is; parties, and meetings. All the same the decor and condition of the rooms were overseen by a blind, insomniac wrestler.

All of this had taken about an hour and a half.
Once we arrived at the regular room, which was a suite, we were greeted by hooks on the wall rather than Art. The room was definitely an improvement, but still felt and was unfinished. We had probably five locations in the room, where there were beautiful metal hooks on the wall, where presumably the Buonarotti and Caravaggio replicas were supposed to be. Once the previous check-in saga was over, however, the lack of Art seemed bearable. We told the housekeeping crew, but nothing ever got delivered.

At checkout we spoke with a manager who was extremely apologetic and encouraged us to contact a manager immediately when anything like this happens. He gave a decent chunk of food and beverage credit and allowed us to stay in the room till 6PM since we had a late flight out.

Overall, the Palazzo seems a nice enough place. I’d like to believe my crazy experience is a fluke. Though, I will not be putting them on my high-end recommended list. That honor belongs solely to the Wynn, with the Bellagio, Venetian, and Mandalay Bay close behind.

It seems like deciding what to wear in Vegas is a big issue for many travelers. First off, just know, that you cannot go wrong. Honestly, every type of outfit you can imagine can be seen there. But also, if you are the type of person who is a closet exhibitionist, you have found your paradise. Legs, cleavage, and midriffs are very normal in Las Vegas. I mean, if I saw some of the outfits in my town, I would do a double take. In any regular setting, many of these getups would be way too flashy, sleazy, or inappropriate. However, Vegas is not just anywhere. It is extremely unique in that it is almost like living in an adult circus. All those glittery, bosom-enhancing outfits that you see on TV really do walk around the strip. Now, of course, you do not have to dress that way. I actually choose not to. I’m just saying that if you have wished for a place to show off your inner showgirl, you can do it here.

The style that I actually recommend for Vegas is a classy, sexy spin. Nice fitting jeans or stylish shorts with cool heels. Or summery sequined tops that flatter your curves are great looks. Trendy, branded items, like your coveted Prada purse, or Manolo shoes are great to show off here. That is not to say that your stuff has to be expensive or a label; just know that you will see a lot of that. In fact, depending on the hotels you plan on hanging out at, you will find different looks. For example, at the Venetian, Bellagio, Wynn, Caesars, or Mandalay Bay, you will see more sexy chic and money prancing around. Yes, I mean labels on purses, shoes, and sunglasses. At Flamingo, Bally’s, Stratosphere, Excalibur, and Luxor, you will see more casual sneakers, fanny packs, and people trying too hard to be sexy. These hotels, while all nice enough, seem to attract the budget conscious who still want to stay on the strip. The remaining TI, Mirage, Paris, MGM, and NYNY you will see a mixture of both since those are middle priced strip hotels that attract everyone.

Just remember, no matter what you wear, you need to be comfortable in it; both in how you feel about yourself and how you plan to move around the town. If you will be cabbing it everywhere, go for the stilettos. If you plan on walking a lot, go for the pumps or sandals. But if there ever was a place to dress however you like, Vegas is it.

Many people want to know how to do Vegas on the cheap. One way, is to go during the slow season. That happens to be the space between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You will probably find many travel deals trying to entice you to visit. While, generally I do recommend this, be forewarned, many shows and restaurants close down during this time. It struck me as odd, until I realized everybody needs a vacation, even the people who make ours possible. So, go ahead, take advantage of those great rates, but if there is a specific show you want to see, or a place you want to eat at, check in advance to make sure they are operating. Another thing to keep in mind is that is not the best weather season for Vegas. Even though there are ample palm trees, it could easily be only 45 -50 degrees during the day. Check the weather before you go and pack for it.

If you are planning to spend New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas, get on it. Make your reservations. Many hotels are not even listed as being available anymore on Vegas.com nor other travel sites. Call your players card number and see if they have anything left for you. If not, you may be left staying off the strip. Probably not a big deal, but personally, I want to be close to my room after the festivities, just in case I have a few extra drinks. The strip is closed to all cars at 6:00 pm, so cabs will be using the back streets. I am hoping to not have to use a cab if I can help it, though my husband doesn’t think it will be that bad. Do note, however that hotels with cab stands that are only accessible from Las Vegas Blvd (The Strip) will not have cabs available until the strip opens back up.

Another thing to consider is dinner. If you are planning on a nice meal, you should reserve sooner than later. Some high-end places that we have called are already booking up. Many restaurants will also have special event menus, such as Picasso at the Bellagio. We checked into that one, and the price per person for their black tie event (9:00pm – 12:00) is $575 per person. Another great restaurant in Vegas, Alex, at the Wynn is taking names of interested parties for their gala. I just wouldn’t try to waltz into a restaurant at 8:00 on New Year’s Eve unless you are P Diddy.

If you are planning to spend the evening at a club, check in to that early as well. I have already seen that many clubs have special concerts or various events that are trying to lure you in. Some sound as if you may want to reserve early as well.

If you are on the strip right before midnight, you will be treated to a fireworks show. All of the main casinos blast them so that from the strip, you have quite a view.

Also, I would advise staying an extra day. January 1st is a great day for college football, and Vegas is a great place for sports. And you might just want to sleep in on the 1st.

New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas is second only to Times Square as far as places in the US to spend that most important evening. This year, I plan to do just that. Normally when you look for hotels in Las Vegas for New Year’s you are either going to pay through the nose for a room on the strip or you are going to be staying at Whiskey Pete’s way off the strip. But wait. Here is a way to stay on the strip for a reasonable price. Comps.

I have mentioned before that you can use your Players Card to secure your room through Casino Marketing. Well, I did just that for New Year’s Eve this year. I called, just for giggles, to see if there were any rooms or special rates available for New Year’s. I totally expected them to laugh and say, “no way. That’s New Year’s Eve”. But they didn’t. My husband and are reserved at the New York New York for $199 on Dec 31. The next night, Jan 1, is I believe, $89. They gave me this rate even though the travel websites show that the hotel is sold out, because I have shown that I spend money at their casino when I stay. This is because of what I have said before; when I stay at a property, I try to spend at that property. I eat as many meals, see as many shows, and gamble exclusively at that property, and I charge it to my room whenever possible. That way, when I call for reservations such as New Year’s Eve, they see me as a valued guest, and I get one of the rooms that are set-aside for people like me. Don’t mistake me, you do not have to be a huge spender, you just have to do your spending at their hotel.

Another thing that I have mentioned before about Las Vegas is that travel out of their airport is often cheaper. That is actually why we will be in Vegas for New Year’s Eve. We are flying out of McCarran to go to Green Bay for the last NFL home game of the season at Lambeau Field for my birthday, and then returning to Vegas on New Year’s Eve. We saved about $300 by doing this, and turned around and spent it again on a hotel in Vegas. But the really neat thing, is that we are essentially getting 2 vacations for the price of one, since flying out of Salt Lake City is so expensive, which is my local airport.

This reinforces two things that I have said before. Always try to get cheaper rates through casino marketing. It can’t hurt to ask. Also traveling to and from Vegas is often a great way to save money while getting extra vacation experiences.

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.

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.

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.