Circus Circus
I hate HATE HatE Circus Circus. I never thought I’d say this but here I am saying it: it’s awful. Looks do deceive.
I always figured my first stay at CC would be wonderful and marvelous. Never thought I would agree with the lot of you. I am a fan of old gems. It’s super pretty on the outside at night and it has quite a few nice amenities (Krispy Kreme, Mcds, pizzeria, famous steakhouse, indoor theme park, and a large midway). But none of that made up for the crappiness that is crap.
The room was extra dark, grim, moody…and green. All. Over. Green. Yep, just like good ol’ puke. Yep, that’s right, I was swimming with the ogre of the strip. I had come to Circus Circus so many times to visit and enjoyed myself…except the last time when I felt I would puke myself.
I never thought all the rumors would be true. I would not spend another dime in staying at CC unless someone was paying me to sleep in their highest, newest remodeled casino tower King room. And that’s it. I even visited their several-times, worst-dining-award-winning buffet. And as pretty as it was on the outside (it really is park-like on the inside), just like the hotel itself, it will make you barf…a little…in your mouth.
I mean, I have tasted worse, at places like Terribles where selection is as wide as a 3 course meal . But I am one who likes to try different foods at a buffet and minus the fried chicken and the soda, my tall plate remained widely bitten-and-spittin. And this was at the cusp of breakfast and dinner.
The park-like environment probably kept me from indigestion. People do not understand when I say that décor is everything for me. The worst décor really makes me moody and strangely enough keeps me so moody that I do not feel like going outside. Sad, I know. CC did that to me even though I was double-booked at IP.
The next day I would completely miss the shows Legends and Thunder Down Under for this reason…and even miss check in into IP (called IP to move check in to the next day). Just like my trip to The Rio last August, I felt immobile from the ugliness of the room. A ghastly experience.
Not to mention, the Skyrise Tower rooms I was in were so darn far away from either entrance, it was quite the hike to even leave the room involving 2 different elevators, 2 path trails, and some stairs. Crazy!
It was just so bad I did not even use my quite awesome book of coupons they give you at check in, including but not limited to 2 free drinks, $5 matchplay, $15 win cards, 2 free midway games, 2 free premium rides. Nuts! I was just so…annoyed by the place.
So annoyed in fact, that I decided to start off my trip report in the middle just to let that off my chest.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Gold Coast
Thinking about CC reminds me how awesome Gold Coast was. Now, THAT is a gem ladies and gentleman. I always said GC felt like one big old grandma’s coach—super comfy and feeling of love.
I received a casino rate of $12 a nite for 4 nights, and I did not really know what to expect. They gave me their new premium rooms, which could probably compete with the likes of Aria. No joking. Seriously. It’s relatively spacious, although I’m sure Aria has slightly bigger rooms.
The décor certainly suited my fancy although I am not big on browns. The browns in this room soothed me instead of discomforted me fortunately.
The beds were super comfy and the had a beautiful bathroom with a stand-up shower, however I had great difficulty closing the slider door (don’t know if it was meant to be closed—you know what happens here…). Strangely enough their was no door to the stand-up shower either. The bathroom really felt classy and yet half done.
Luckily it was just me and wow did I have fun! Cozy, comfy, classy…the value of that room was truly out-of-this-world for what I paid.
I came into GC at 11pm at night after taking the Bell Trans shuttle being the last stop. I was tired from a long flight and quickly fell asleep in the warm, soft bed.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Gold Coast
Today really started my Vegas trip! My mission for this trip had changed drastically in the past couple of days.
Instead of scouring all the casinos in and around the Las Vegas area by limo and taking pictures of them as I had originally planned, I decided to get a whole new experience altogether: attend an awards show. I would be in town for the Billboards, and I really would have been mad at myself if I passed up the opportunity to see the affordable show. I had always thought it was an exclusive ticket, only to find it about $100 bucks plus tax.
I had sacrificed a chunk of my limo money to rub shoulders with celebs…from far away in the nosebleed section. Besides, I had no idea whether any limo driver would have been interested in making 40-50+ stops within 6 hours in 3 to 4 different cities, perhaps even taking some pics, for only a couple hundred bucks and a $40-50 tip. *shrug*
I figured next time, I’d take a rental car. Let me get my driver’s license first. I always made a joke that I would get my masters degree before getting my driver’s license. This trip followed my masters graduation…and no DL Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
*Ahem* Uhm…so…instead of a full-speed limo drive through town, I started my trip off at the Gold Coast gym, which was open 6a to 10pm (their small but cute and lovable pool is open 9a-10p, which was definitely a score) and a dip in the pool.
Rio
Followed by the Rio Buffet at the cusp of breakfast and lunch. Finally USED my reward credits on something—what a rush! Even after having tried their dinner, breakfast, and lunch, they still reign for me as the BEST EVER! Just amazing, with a fresh multitude of options. Just so many, I could not even get all that I wanted, and everything I chose, I ate with rapture…just unlike any buffet I have ever eaten at.
After a lovely breakfast/lunch, I used the free slot play coupons from the website with Tropicana and Palms $40 slot play for $25.
Palms
I hit $100 bucks at a WOF at Palms, as usual , using my free slot play. No matter how good the slots at Palms have been to me, I never trust that place. The WOZ on the wall near the movie theater is also really fun for at least stretching your money.
Tropicana
Then from Palms, I walked to the strip and then walked down to Tropicana. It was a nice, hot day, but an mp3 player always sends enough endorphins to keep you going. At Trop, I cashed out with $40 on one of their quarter machines.
Not counting the $25 a piece I paid for the Trop and Palms slot play, I was up $140 for the trip without even dipping into my stash. It was then I knew it was going to be a GREAT trip.
I vowed to myself before coming that I would not play much on the strip, because the strip is where (gaming) dreams go to die. I headed straight for downtown…where I could actually recycle my money. I had been saving quarters for the past 3 months to use at my fav machine in La Bayou.
The D
But first I was reeled into The D. The D is a dumb name btw just in case you didn’t catch that. The D sounds like something you can catch. But certainly not catchy.
It looks like the Fitz. Ok, better, it didn’t change much. I didn’t bother getting the new card, as I didn’t intend staying long. I went to the oft-missed second floor, and started plunking down some quarters. But to no avail. I scurried outta there.
La Bayou
Back down to the La Bayou. My machine is a really old red, yellow, and orange 7’s machine nearest the cashier all the way in the back.
I started plunking down those quarters, 3 at a time, like nothing. I played the max bet because the last time I was down there in March, the bonus kept hitting while I was only playing one credit. So I played 3 credits every spin , and out popped 10s of quarters almost every other spin (thinking about it now, I should have stayed on that machine my whole entire stay), and every time I would cash them out. I hit the bonus once, with my 5-6 dollars worth of quarters and cashed out $32 up.
I think I will be saving quarters again. *pats self on the back* Here, I was about $170 up and I had not spent a dime for my *real* bankroll. I was on top of the world!!
Las Vegas Club
Next, I went to Las Vegas Club with $5 to spend on my fav Cash Coaster machine from last trip. For only $5 worth of risk at 30 cents per spin, I was hitting $30-40 hits last time each time. This time, $5 quickly disappeared…and so did I.
I have come to downtown so many times and yet I still have not seen the new Plaza. Maybe next time. I didn’t even go into Golden Gate that gave me great business my last trip, because I was not yet ready to get their card…and play the comp game. Because, you never know, maybe one day I will regress and desire a comp. I even skipped Mermaids this time around. I am usually enamored by their $1 fried treats but this trip I seemed to have turned over a new leaf when it comes to Mcds and super-duper-cheap eats. Little of it. I headed on my merry way.
El Cortez
Off to El Cortez. I got a deal to get a 2 free $5 slot play through the website. One of signing up for paperless statements, not sure what the other was for. And I think they are going to be sending these coupons every month—so check your players card!
I was guided to a quarter machine, after losing $2 here and there at other machines, and played a quarter per spin a few times, and hit a juicy $90. Yes! Sweet. This was my first real hit EVER at El Cortez. I only tend to use free play at El Cortez from casino guide books, and I never hit anything really. So much for loose slots. Though I believe I hit $40 my first time in EC on a penny lobstermania machine.
I had to revel in the moment anyway. I had a slick $260 total before real play was underway. There definitely was a pep in my step.
I took that pep straight to the Flame Steakhouse for the first time to use that 50% off coupon from the ACG. I ordered a shrimp scampi, and though I am back, I still dream of that meal. Elegant place, quality food. Awesome. But they charged me extra for extra cheese because they had no cheese in their establishment and had to get it from their deli. Lol I ordered a chocolate cake too, did not finish it. It was kinda dry, not super moist as advertised.
Even after the coupon, my check was $19 bucks. EEEeek! Certainly not what I was expecting. The taste was worth it but it was not worth the surprise. I would not do it again. But it was only that price because of the drink, dessert, $3 for extra cheese, and tax. The scampi would have been like $12 after the discount and taxes. Not so bad.
It was a good night that ended early. I had to rush back on the deuce and get to GC to sleep for my next excursion tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Flamingo
I had to wake at like 6am to make sure that I did not miss the bus. I was trying to make the 8:00a Laughlin tour shuttle departure at Flamingo. The tour cost $7 but it came with $5 dining credit, freeplay and matchplay.
I was finally going to take the plunge and go far away from Vegas for a minute. It was a good decision.
Golden Nugget Laughlin
We got off at Golden Nugget and they handed us a coupon booklet with lots of goodies, and because I had won so much the previous day, I had a little to work with, without touching my bankroll.
Golden Nugget was a terrible place to play anything but it had a beautiful, mini-atrium near the atrium that resembled that of Mirage.
Harrahs Laughlin
I then checked out Harrahs by way of water taxi. Oh, the MOSQUITOeS, THE MOSQUITOeS!! Uggghh. There was these flying insects that encircled every water taxi stop….I couldn’t do it anymore. I’m smacking my face just thinking about them. But it was a $4 flat ride as I remember to any hotel.
I checked into my $9.89 hotel room at Harrahs in order to see their private beach (was only going to stay in Laughlin a few hours though), not realizing that their private beach can easily be seen from the water taxi entrance…and is not much to see at all…neither is their pool (which is separate from the private “beach”) or their room. It’s also not much to be on. The beach is terribly dirty and crazily steep. It was very hard to get on the chairs or in the water because I felt I would flip back or flip forward from the steepness.
The slots at Harrahs were just as bad as Harrahs anywhere else—tight. They have a bad rep for good reason.
Their buffet was tolerable though. And I used a 2 for 1 buffet coupon as a 50% off thanks to the cashier. PLUS she let me use my reward credits after the discount. Score! Zero dollars down. I can eat to that.
Laughlin casinos
From Harrahs, I took a *regular* taxi down the strip of Laughlin taking pics. I was only able to play at Colorado Belle and Pioneer which seemed like places to play but I left with nothing nevertheless. The river walk connecting most of the casinos was definitely worth the time.
On the way back from Laughlin, the AC on the bus broke down. So we drove through the desert with what felt like the heater blowing hot air. It seemed like a bus full of retirees. I went up to the driver and complained and so did another man, so the driver stopped at a convenience store break in the middle of the desert—who woulda thunk such things existed!? We cheered him on for this gesture. I was fainting from heat.
Gold Coast
We arrived back in Vegas around 6pm. I was beat, and so happy to walk into the 100 degree heat after being on that bus. It felt like a cool breeze compared.
I headed back to my room and got myself back. Took a shower. Sat back and read my “24/7” book about a man who got a 50K advance to write a book about blowing money in Vegas. Amazing book. Here I was actually doing regular vacation stuff instead of out enjoying Vegas. It was…relaxing.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Gold Coast
I woke up uber early in order to find a blackjack table. I love the tables at GC because you can actually PLAY on them. 6:5 BJ is a beast and so is multiple-deck BJ. Plus their side bets are actually winnable, with 19, 20, and 21 received with a combo of your cards and the dealer’s top card as a score. Gold Coast tables are packed all day long.
After gym time, I went down to make some money. I kept hitting the side bet over and over….even won twice with 50 to 1 bet. Too bad I was only betting $1 at a time. Blackjacks at the table abound. I bought in for $60 and walked out $125. Still very much up for the trip.
Used my points to get a Port-a-Call Buffet at GC. This place is definitely a hit-or-miss. It was horrible last time but it was perfectly acceptable this time. Tasted my first bacon French toast sandwich here ( I made it) and it was tasty! Generally, no buffet in Vegas gets French toast wrong but almost each and every one I have ever gone to makes their pancakes so bland. Completely ruins the pancakes. The only buffet I had that failed at both was Circus Circus. But they failed…at everything.
The Orleans
I took the GC shuttle (comes every 10 mins…don’t listen to the website that says 30 mins) to the Orleans, took pics, played and failed at a couple slots with like $10 bucks. Then, I went to their theater for the very first time to watch Mirror Mirror. Boring movie yet I loved Julia Roberts in it. She kind of made the movie and yet it epicly failed.
Suncoast Hotel and Casino Summerlin
I took the 201 down to Tropicana, and took the WAX to Summerlin. I saw the Suncoast at the last stop and what a SIGHT---on the outside only! The inside looks like every other casino…a bore.
Rampart Casino Summerlin
Did not even bother playing at Suncoast, just headed over to Rampart casino next door by foot. It was very almost excruciatingly hot…I wonder how I made it…that mp3 again.
This place is another OMG OMG OMG OMG beautiful on the outside…yet another BORE on the inside.
Red Rock Casino Summerlin
Took the taxi out to Red Rock since I was in the area. I really wished to hire a limo for $43 an hour because it would have been a greater value than taking a taxi there and back ($20 each way) and another when I got back into Vegas. But no limos were available at that time.
No, Red Rock looks like a college campus on the outside to me. Nothing too crazy. But the INSIDE reminds me of Planet Hollywood…totally awakens the senses. My kind of place. Took pics and took a taxi back to the WAX bus stop.
Las Vegas Little Theatre
I had a community theater play to see at 8:30pm so I took a taxi from Tropicana casino to the Chinatown area around spring mountain rd. The play was a detective case called 39 steps. FABULOUS! Multiple accents, multiple roles in each actor in each act, multiple sets, multiple wardrobe changes, suspense, intrigue, thrills, comedy! Clean and crisp execution. I went here for the first time last March and watched two other excellent plays.
I intended making this place a permanent stop for me when I am in Vegas. Totally inexpensive and so much more fun than most shows on the strip. Funny enough, the actors are pure volunteers. Experts with no pay. Wild! Magical experiences here.
Gold Coast
Starving, and still dreaming of my EC scampi, I ordered a small dish of shrimp alfredo at the 24-hour TGIFridays at Gold Coast. Awesome times. Then off to sleep.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Gold Coast
This morning I realized that I had been going to sleep rather early since I was off-strip, and using taxis more often off-strip. That was the benefit of staying on-strip and particularly mid-strip—everything becomes more walkable or busable. Plus, you feel more comfortable spending late late nights just walking around because LOTS of people are still around—not off-strip.
That’s what sucks about off-strip but other than that, I was considering making Gold Coast my new home casino. It was smack-dab in the middle of almost everything I love.
My fav pool in Vegas: Rio (open to public). My fav buffet in Vegas: Rio. Best *free* entertainment: Rio (lots of free nightlife and comedy show tickets handed out all the time). Best frozen yogurt: Rio. Best room in this off-strip area: Gold Coast (new premium room). Early/Late pool hours in area: Gold Coast. Late Gym Hours: Gold Coast (included in resort fee). Low Cost buffet: GC and Palms. Best Movies: Palms (I have pre-paid tickets from dinelv.com). Cheap eats: Palms. Late eats: Gold Coast. Free shuttles: Rio and Gold Coast. Tables: GC. Slots: Palms. Plus some nearby nightlife and the Las Vegas Little Theatre.
If they could only keep up the $12 per night casino rate, they got me!
Until then, I was checking out of Gold Coast. I played for about an hour between blackjack and slots. Even used a $5 casino matchplay table bet on the field on craps once (lost that one). Fridays this month was 10X the points on the reel slots but when I put in my card I did not see any difference in how my points were accruing. Oh well.
Days Inn Wild Wild West
I tried to check into Days Inn. I got a wonderful flat rate (no changes during busy weekends) of $33 for WWW on hostelworld.com, and it’s $17 on the weekdays. I only had to put down a $3 deposit. Last time, I booked WWW for March but I was so wary of it, because it looks a lil’ sketchy on the outside that I end up paying $100 for a Friday night at Hooters instead. Not this time. I wanted to keep my upfront money low.
It was around 11am but they said they were not checking people in until 2pm because it was a busy weekend (probably because of the Billboards and all). This was my downfall. I spent the next 2 to 3 hours playing in the casino.
Until this point, I had not spent up to an hour in any one casino at one time. I found a Big Money Wheel of Fortune machine that was recycling my money like CRAZY! I won like $12 here and there on the multiple bonus rounds. This new machine (that I later found at all the casinos) has “tumbling reels”, meaning that after you get an arrangement of items on your screen, more items may be coming down for more wins! So, don’t be so quick to push the spin button so quickly. A slot that gives you more for your money…certainly. I got up about $100 and then started coming back down on different tables and slots. Time is always against you.
From the $100 I won, I was down to about $20 or 40 by the time I checked in, only to find out I could have checked in a couple hours earlier because they had been finally ready. I was still a couple hundred ahead for the trip, so I was still happy. But nothing like a loss to get you chasin’…even when there is not much to chase.
I found my room and opened the door and was dazzled by the quaintness and comfyness. The bed was massively comfortable—best bed I ever slept on in Vegas. Made me sleep like a darn baby. As long as the décor fit my fancy and it was clean, the comfyness was a SUPER bonus!
I automatically put WWW down in my mental book as a GREAT weekend filler for cheap rates especially for crazy busy weekends (too bad Dec 31 is sold out/unavailable this year). Around the time I booked WWW the reviews on tripadvisor were rather good for WWW, and the reviews do not lie.
I had already checked into or viewed 3 hotels thus far, and had 4 more to go. This trip was also purposed as one to learn which hotels I could trust for future stays. GC was looking like a new home casino and WWW looked like an excellent weekend filler.
WWW was half a mile from the Excalibur, completely walkable, with bus stops right in front of it, a Wendys and In-and-Out burger across the street, as well as a gas station and 24-hour convenience store. Plus, for every night you stay, you get 2 free Dennys breakfast passes at the 24-hour Dennys attached to the casino. With a $5 resort fee and $25 incidental deposit hold, WWW was shaping up to a very very affordable and valuable choice.
Half my day had been lost playing the casino, so I tried out the Wendys nearby and hopped on the bus to finally put away my winnings at the bank. It was like 3 or 4pm now. I had had plans to visit Tahiti Village, South point, Silverton, and M resort. But it didn’t happen that day…in fact, it didn’t happen this trip. Next time I suppose.
Tropicana Cinemas
I decided then to go to Tropicana Cinemas and buy a $1.50 to a see a second-run movie. I had never come here on a weekend and it was considerably packed. I bought a ticket to see the sequel to American Pie; The American Reunion. Funny movie. Particularly so if you have a packed movie theater.
So much laughs. And the movie shut off half way due to a malfunction, the jokes in the theater from the audience made it even a more fun time. The show came back on running after a complaint and we all enjoyed the rest of our $1.50 movie in a ball of complete hilarity.
Days Inn Wild Wild West
After heading back, I hit up the BJ table, losing $20 bucks after 30 minutes (not so bad). I thought I would take a dip in the Jacuzzi, since it was open 24 hours but I was just so tired and my boyfriend wanted to talk on the phone and plan our upcoming trip to Florida. So we talked all night.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Days Inn Wild Wild West
I woke up needing to do laundry, use my free breakfast voucher at Dennys, and use the pool before I checked out. I was having a wonderful convo on the phone with my sister about God all morning long between all these errands. Sometimes that’s all a solo needs on their trip to revitalize it (especially during errands…LOL @ pooling and eating as errands) : connect with folks back home.
It was a blessing to have a laundry room in my hotel (can anyone tell me if other hotels on the strip have laundry rooms? Because I have no idea). I believe I paid about $4 total in quarters to wash and dry. Walked all the way to the convenience store across the street to get cash out of the atm and get quarters instead of being charged $5 at the atm on-site
I planned on staying in Vegas for 11 days after graduation, and I just pack too light NOT to do laundry for such a trip. It was rather relaxing doing laundry during vacation. No words can truly describe this feeling.
I did not enjoy the free breakfast at Dennys and was happy I ordered a $2.99 slice of French toast on the side of it. The free breakfast is from a limited menu. I do not like Dennys pancakes all that much but you get sausage, pancakes and hashes which is good value for FREE.99. I discarded the free breakfast. I also tried their apple pie ala mode which was delish.
Afterwards, I headed to the pool. Whoooo!!! FREEZING. Even the HOT tub was FREEZIN. Minus 1, Days Inn. -1. I LOVE pools, and it is completely unacceptable for a *hot* tub to be *freezing* even on a smoldering day. Days Inn could have easily become a home casino but the freezing pool and hot tub limited them to busy weekends/periods filler.
Ready to check out, I called a cab and off to Stratosphere I go.
Stratosphere
Smooth check-in for Stratosphere at 1pm. The entrance is very inviting and really transports you to a modern and smooth-feeling era. They gave me high floors for my only comped room this entire trip—but hey it was a weekend comp!
Strat is where I became a Vegasite, where I first explored and discovered Vegas for myself. I had the same room then…but something felt very different. Could not quite put my finger on it. I later learned that more modern (i.e., dark) furniture was added in the rooms and sections were moved around in the lobby. Figures!
This Stratosphere Select room just did not feel as bright and cheerful as it once did. It felt dark, dampy, moody…but modern. Instead of fun, bright, beautiful and modern. It still had cheery-toned pillows and sheets but it just felt so gloomy.
I went to go and spend my $15 in free play. And just like the last time I visited to play in march, I lost it all. And all the $100 I tried to play with. Boo you, Stratosphere. Boo You.
It had not yet dawned on me yet that I was back on the strip, and to expect my money to be draaaaiiinnnnneeeddd….rather than recycling itself substantially before being draaaiiiinnnneedd.
But now, retrospectively, I blame the *required* 3-hour stint at Days Inn putting me in a mood to play for longer than the casino is really able to pay me. Not stopping when the going gets rough.
I figured that $100 loss landed me a comp last time so maybe this loss may lead to a comp. Then, I could swallow it a little easier.
Strip
Later, I took a stroll down the strip, taking pics. But I made a stop at Dennys because I was starving. I had a cheeseburger which was really amazing, and headed on my merry way. Walking the strip, soaking in the sights and the ambiance, and taking pics is fun all on its own really.
Margaritaville Casino
But mid-way through the strip, I realized it was getting late for my free Riviera tickets that I got from the American Casino Guide. So I tried to hustle to the Flamingo bus stop but was lured in by the palm trees at the Margaritaville Casino.
Fun times to be had here this night. I guess they loosened the slots for the celebrities coming for the show tomorrow. I was hitting left and right $100 on a sex in the city slot machine. $40 on a zues slot. $20 here and $10 here. Had some fun recycling on a Big Money WOF machine like before. Many of the machines were hot near the bus stop.
I got so overzealous, I missed my show and started to get a tad melancholy. I LOVE the Riviera comedy show. Who cares if it was free? The worst thing is for me to play when I am melancholy. Lose. Lose. Lose. Give it all back. Bad girl. Very bad.
Stratosphere
Eventually headed back to my hotel and played some more, losing again. Oh Strip, why do you do me this way?
I eventually get back to my room, sit down, open my closet…and lo and behold, ALL MY SH** IS GONE!!
Can you imagine, coming back to your room and not finding all your luggage where you left it? I was freaking out.
But then I realized that a lot of things had been moved in my room—the soap, towel, pen, all back in neat order. And the envelope near the lamp even had someone’s name on it now. I PRAYED that housekeeping took my stuff.
And they sure had. I assumed housekeeping took my stuff because they did not realize that someone had checked in already. I had to go to security to retrieve it, wait for them to bring it over, and lug it back myself. Very distressing night.
I called the front desk for a free buffet or something…and they graciously gave it to me, apologizing and all. So I am thankful for the service and humility.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Stratosphere
The next morning I wake up to find that the zipper on my luggage is completely missing. As in not there. As in gone. As in broken off and nowhere to be found.
I call the front desk again and complain; they offer me an additional $15 dining credit and send security up to my room for me to write a report to risk management.
I tell them the story and add that I am appalled by the service and my experience. And that I want $200 in free slot play for damage to my $40 property. You CAN NOT blame a girl for trying. (Almost 5 days later, they would offer me only $25 in compensation…due to depreciation of property.)
This was the second time this trip that I had to request compensation for bad service. I wrestled with Livingsocial.com by email about refunding me my $39 I paid for a massage at Tuscany Suites. The spa in question would be fully booked and unavailable for the whole 2 weeks that I would be in Vegas. They refused twice by email, saying it’s outside policy. And I threatened that if they did not refund me, I would make sure they refund every customer they ever had. They did not outright agree in the email but that $39 showed back up as a credit on my statement.
By the time I checked out of Stratosphere, I was glad to be out of there…and would be back for my free buffet…even though every time I had paid for a buffet at Strat it was beyond mediocre. I also grabbed a big $15 Vegas bag in the gift shop to contain my luggage removed from the damaged property.
Circus Circus
And the trip report comes back around—half circle. I HATED Circus Circus. I never felt this way about any place in Vegas…except maybe the first time at Rio. And like Rio, it was about the hotel room (that I actually hated) especially and not about the casino and hotel amenities, which were actually what enticed me about these places….and still do. I checked into Circus Circus and had a lousy experience.
Even more lousy because I actually took the monorail….with all my heavy luggage. Sheesh. If you know anything about the monorail, you know that it feels like a mile walking in the heat to the Sahara monorail closest to Strat…not to mention the luggage.
Worst yet, it probably would have been closer to walk the strip directly from Strat to CC, because it’s the same distance to the monorail and the distance between the next stop and CC feels like twice that.
The monorail is a SHAMBLE. And I am glad that I only used my 2 for 1 special tickets that I pre-paid before my trip.
The only good part of the monorail is if you wanna stop at LVH, IP, Harrahs, Hooters, MGM, Bally’s or Paris, it’s worthwhile but then you still have a trek to get to the center of it all. They even say it closes at 2am but at 1 am I found the MGM gates closed. SHAMBLE.
After checking in and putting my stuff away, I then go to the taxi line and take it back to Strat so I can use my free buffet.
Stratosphere
WACK. Terrible food again at Strat but nice little moist red velvet cupcakes. Nice desserts in general. Sucks that this was the ever-expensive Sunday brunch. Happy I have now tasted the breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch at Strat and they were all seriously mediocre.
I realize the time is flying and it’s time to get cute for the Billboard awards.
Circus Circus
Quick shower, clothes laid out. A mid-length, tank black dress with cute ruffles near the collar, with a tear-drop buckle front. With my beige platforms with the multi-colored silky scarf attached to the side. Wore my hair long and curly, almost waist length. Hoping I was styling.
And I was ready.
MGM Grand
Rushed the taxi over there and walked by lined up limos at the MGM Grand Arena. Everyone looked great…I mean the audience. I think they rush the celebs in right after the audience is seated.
The Billboard Awards was pretty meh. I was hoping to see crazy people like Gaga and Nicki Minaj. Or talented people like Beyonce or Adele. Or perhaps the wild Rihanna or the sick Lil Wayne. Just stupidity that they superstars didn’t even seem to be there. Great job, Billboards, great job. Total downgrade from last year. I bet there was no peep about this awards show.
Thankfully though, without most of those people, there was less ritualistic stuff going on…although I saw some burning crosses for the Billboard sign.
Great talents showed up though like Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, John Legend, and a wonderful tribute by Natasha Bedingfield.
Katy Perry had a beautiful performance like Cirque. Carrie Underwood had phenomenal vocals. Usher was classy, Beiber was sassy. And how did LMFAO even get there? This show will have people LTMFAO. What a joke. Billboard spokesperson said they wanted to compete with the Grammys…you can’t even compete with MTV with this joke of a show.
The show looks a lot smaller in reality than it does on TV, plus all the cheering you hear is engineered. I bet the cheering crowd near the stars on stage are damn tired by the end of all the false excitement.
The highlight of the show for me was the tribute to Whitney Houston. I sang. I waved my light in the dark room. I cried. And I cried, and I cried. It was my first time really crying since she passed. She was my favorite singer of all time but I was too shocked by her death I couldn’t cry. It was lovely seeing her daughter. Bless her heart.
Imperial Palace
It was about 9pm when the Billboard Awards ended. After taking pictures, I headed back on the “glorious” monorail (which was packed after the awards show….after all, finally it made sense) to watch Divas at IP.
Dynamic. Vivacious. Sentimental. That’s my favorite show in Vegas. Divas at 10pm every night. And yes; yes this is a free advertisement. Going 25 years on the strip? It better be damn good. And it does deliver.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Circus Circus
I had 2 free buffet passes from the special that I booked online with Circus Circus. By this time, I was so ready to leave and go to Imperial Palace. I had it booked starting today. But I wanted to try to buffet. You already know how I felt about it. GROSS but pretty environment. I ended up discarding the second free pass.
I spent majority of the day in the store Ross-Dress for Less bear CC, Dennys, and 7-eleven. I bought 3 dresses, 1 pair of shorts, 4 skirts, 4 pretty blouses, 2 active tops, 1 pair of jeans, 9 pairs of under-roos, 1 pair of headphones, and 1 camisole for a good $150 bucks. Nice. I’ve got my summer wardrobe for less than people buy a handbag. Score! It also took 4 hours to shop for.
But by the time I lugged it all back into the CC, I only had time for their very tasty pizzeria before I hit the room and grew so moody by the hideous decor, I missed my two shows for the evening and IP check in. Went to bed.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Imperial Palace
I left CC without looking back. I checked into IP. Smooth check in as always. Construction is really taking up a lot of the space. But it already feels spruced up. When I walk inside the room, the décor was still the same but the bed was obviously bigger and better and more comfy. The bed is usually quite firm and this time it was softer, warmer. Score.
Henderson
I wanted to get all my shopping out of the way for the trip, so headed on down to the Sunset Station area for the Galleria Mall BUT FIRST! I took several pics of casinos in Henderson. I took the 202 from the strip to Sam’s Town and caught the HDX, where the BHX also picks up.
On the way, we passed casinos like Jokers Wild, Skyline Casino, (2) Dottys, Terribles Town (different from Terribles in Vegas), Rainbow Club, Eldorado, etc. The Water District encompasses Rainbow Club, Eldorado, and Emerald Island, and that’s where I chose to get off since there was a cluster of them. But I only had an hour to roam before the next bus would come.
Rainbow Club
I gave up on these casinos once a cashier told me they had no hotels. There was no REAL point coming back here if there was no hotel to stay, sadly. Because rainbow club was beautiful on the inside, if you can imagine a hole-in-the-wall cross between Cosmopolitan and Peppermill Lounge. They had big TV screens all around the casino with different ever-changing beautiful landscapes.
Played and lost $5 on VP and left.
Emerald Island
Unlike Rainbow Club, Emerald Island is the opposite—pretty on the outside and plain on the inside. When I was trying to get my free $10 slot play activated, I had to run because the bus would soon come. I literally ran and just made the bus.
Sunset Station
I took the HDX back and walked across the street to catch the BHX to Sunset. I did not actually go into the casino. I only explored the area on this extremely hot day. I went to eat at Red Lobster and had a decent meal but it didn’t feel as classy as those near home. Yes, Red Lobster feels *classy* in my hometown, not as dinky as it is here.
I then walked over to Walgreens while talking to all three of my sisters about God on the phone simultaneously. Fun times. I got CDs made of all the photographs I took while on the trip thus far. It took at least an hour and a half.
I hit up the Galleria Mall…it was your average mall. Did not spend much time there because I was trying to get to the strip in time to watch Divas at IP, my fav show now in Vegas.
The Ross store nearby also only sold the stuff I saw at the Ross I had already shopped at.
I hopped the HDX and 202 right back to the strip while talking to my boyfriend. A disagreement changed my mood a bit, so I went to Mcds for an ice cold coke to wake me up again.
Harrahs
Instead I had an ice cream cone, a coke and cheeseburger. Woke up indeed and started hitting the slots atHarrahs. It started innocently enough at $5 risk 15 cents per spin, just eating and drinking my time away. Then I let the emotion take over and I wanted to bet a little higher.
But then every machine I touched turned to gold. $40 turned into $100, before coming back down to $40 and going back up to $130, and then coming back down to $80 and going back up to $125, then $100 back to $135.
I wanted to get out of that casino alive…I mean, with my winnings.
I pulled myself away from the slots…and I head over to Carnaval Court to play blackjack. Bought in for $10 and lasted about 10 minutes before losing it all. Hey a $1 per minute of entertainment.
I ended up watching the fire show, listening to the live band, and hearing the dance music the DJ played while watching people play, leave, come back, double down on the same BJ table for the next 2-3 hours before the place started getting packed and the pit boss kicked me off the table for non-play. Lol Otherwise GREAT entertainment value. Watching other’s risk can be more fun than risking yourself. I will have to try this next time.
The music was not so great that I wanted to stay anyway. It was not due to a terrible DJ; he was playing all the “hot” songs of today. It must be a sign of the times.
I just picked up gracefully from that BJ table and left Carnaval Court and gracefully hit my pillow.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Imperial Palace
I woke up feeling like more blackjack, and what better place to play it than Gold Coast with their good side bets. But I had yet to see IP pool in the last 3 or 4 times I stayed here, so I had to go and take pictures. It was not the kind of atmosphere I wanted to frolick in; too packed, too cramped for my taste. And yes, you do need a key to get into IP pool, unlike Caesars. So I headed over to Caesars.
Caesars
8 pools, ALLLL THHHEE WAYYY IN THE BACK. I used to say Caesars was my favorite pool but I am taking that back.
There is no key entry for Caesars; no one is even at the door but you have to trek like 8 miles in the casino to get there; they figure only a guest would go through all of that.
When I came to this pool back in August, I would lounge on the plush blue sun couches but NOW they are saying that you need to pay for those. Without these particular chairs, Caesars is just another BIG pool party that is exactly comfortable for me. The quiet pool off to the side, where I was told I could use those blue chairs, were also closed off.
But I found this shall-we-say “exclusive” pool up these flight of stairs, called the Bacchus pools. I thought I had struck GOLD. No one was in them and all the blue couches were empty. As were the cabanas.
The cabanas were ugly so I did not even bother but the blue plush chairs…that was all me. I spent the next hour or so frolicking like a ballerina in this calm pool while the nice jams played in the background. It was amazing.
Then I spotted what looked like a CEO and an assistant and “interests” coming towards the pool. I was told by the assistant-looking person that I was not to stay in these pools, as the cabanas alone cost $2000 and no one had paid for them today, and these pools were only for the people staying in the villas. She said it nicely but firmly. I took my time leaving.
It would have been funny if she had said something else…after all, there had been no signs on the pools and no barriers to the pool. Fortunately after saying what she said, she walked away and continued to chat up the “interests” with the “CEO” on the far side.
I walked away with a “villa” experience. This goes down as the *free* villa experience. You want to talk about value!
Ha! If this was the villa experience, then Caesars is a joke. There was nothing that much different from the other pools. I guess exclusivity beats excellence…or maybe not, since no one had paid for it that day.
Gold Coast
I thought I would go to the Rio pool next but I was really itching for some BJ.
I went over there by shuttle near Bills, and bought in for $20 and then $40, and I left with about $80 in about an hour. I had gotten up to $130 but had played it down, not realizing when the game had made a change.
It was a special Wed with 11X the reel slots so I played and lost another $40 but I did not, AGAIN, see a difference in how the points were accruing.
Rio
Next, back to my favorite buffet. I had not eaten all day and figured a free dinner, using reward credits, would make my wallet happy. I bought it at 3:30pm and therefore was able to avoid the mad rush line and get both lunch and dinner. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Never did make time for the pool.
Harrahs
I took the Rio shuttle over to Harrahs. It was my first time taking it. It’s on the outside facing Gold Coast.
I changed into more elegant clothing from my casual skirt and got ready for my first show at The Smith Center.
The Smith Center
“I was there!” is what the brochure read to mark participation in the inaugural season of the Smith Center.
It’s a beautiful little campus. I was coming to see the 8:30pm Mary Poppins show. 15 minutes to the show, the fire alarm goes off and I run down the emergency exit stairs as fast as I possibly came. They tell everyone to exit.
But never make an official mention to come back in after the alarm turns off. They need to work on this for the future.
I scurry back in and make my way to the last row in the $25 nosebleed section in a crazily steep room. I fight consciousness the whole show. Pretty show but dull acting. Mary Poppins was the funnest character besides the mean nanny who could have stole the show had she had more parts.
I wish a bus stop was near the center but I only had a brief walk in the dark but plenty officers were around. Took the HDX to the BTC center and hopped on the SDX to the strip, got off at fashion show mall and walked.
Harrahs
I decided to have another stint at Carnaval Court. This time—no BJ. Instead, listened to the DJ. Just more signs of the time. And lots of “symbolism” from the DJ demonstrating “secret” membership. *shrug*
I left and just played some slots and lost at IP. It was OK, going to my room, with its pleasant décor, made it all better.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
It was my final full day in Vegas. And what a whirlwind it had been.
I took a couple hours lounging, getting repacked, getting ready for my day.
Caesars
I took $200 and only intended playing $100 on a $5 WOF machine at 2 credits per spin in Caesars high limit slot lounge that I had won at for the past 2 trips but ended up using up the whole $100 and then some this time with no wins (although the woman in the seat I had originally sat in but moved over from had hit in 2 spins for $300 tsk tsk).
I wasn’t so mad because I had gone the whole trip and had not spent up to half of my BR yet so this was to be expected.
Bellagio
I took out another $100 and headed to Bellagio, and asked them where the $5 WOF was but they said they did not have one. I looked around their high limit slot lounge only to see $100 max credit for a $5 machine as a norm. Yeah, Bellagio “high limit” and Caesars’ “high limit” were two very different high limits.
I took to Bellagio buffet. I waited in line for at least 40 minutes but this was to be expected. I used my lovely express comps and ended up ponly paying $4.27 total out-of-pocket for dinner.
I was so excited to try Bellagio buffet for the first time…for so cheap! But the buffet as well looked and felt cheap minus my beautiful requested booth.
What is the hype? Granted the desserts tasted “rich” but they did not taste rich. In other words, they had the excellent quality, light, flavorful, and tasted like something rich people would eat but they did not taste rich, dense, moist, sinful. In fact the whole buffet was pretty much like that.
Actually I take that back. Everything that tasted good tasted like that. The rest tasted like something better left at the Gold Coast. The crab legs were OK. The grilled chicken, PHENOMENAL—very rich-tasting…as in rich people, superior quality. I can not remember anything else…it was that forgettable.
AND it was tiny. The ROOM was large for seats but the selection probably even smaller than Gold Coast. I would not even put this buffet in Planet Hollywood’s caliber. Perhaps Harrahs’ caliber—quite decent. A few steps up from Gold Coast and Excalibur. Centuries away from Circus Circus. And of course, centuries away from the Rio buffet…in the opposite direction. Rio has the quality, quantity, and variety.
Bellagio did have a variety of breads, crab legs and desserts but I would definitely question whether I would care to stop by even if it were free. At least it’s not the CC buffet that I would not offer to an enemy.
I left the Bellagio buffet to go play $5 slots. I was doing Ok. Hit $30 there and $60 there but still ran my money down into the ground.
But then while walking around, I found a $5 shoot-to-win craps machine that was actually favoring the field. And in an instance, I was making money!
I was even betting the hardways and horn bets, making dough. The guy next to me made like $400 (and then eventually lost it all) from horns and hardways.
Eventually the machine grew cold on the horns and hards. I bet it was all the screaming we did from winning. I’m telling you, these eye-in-the-skys are always monitoring and changing the game. Conspiracy I tell you. LOL.
I must have played for an hour or so. I came out with about $130 but that was nothing since I took out another $100 while playing. Haha
This was the only day I went hard and thankfully because it was all coming to an end.
Harrahs
I headed over to Harrahs to finally watch my comped Legends tickets but I only stayed to watch the surprisingly first act, Michael Jackson. This Michael Jackson just did not have the sweetness and humility of the Michael from the American Superstars show, and I had intended on seeing the 2 Kings show at Rio but they canceled my tickets and refunded me. While this Micheal had the moves and the energy, he did not possess the demeanor and personality of MJ, not even as much as the dealertainer MJ at IP who really encompasses the whole act.
More than his music, I liked MJ’s person. Legends had nothing on American Superstars. I will miss that show gravely.
I spent the next couple hours making up with my boyfriend over the phone and ended up missing the free Riviera comedy show ticket again. Oh well. Next time.
Hooters
I was intent on staying at IP tonight, even though I was double-booked for Hooters. I took the monorail over to MGM and took the front entrance walkway path to Hooters that I recently discovered. My interest in checking into Hooters at this point was to get the free steak dinners apart of my package deal.
Their steak dinner was awesome but when I checked in, they did not have the vouchers for free steak dinners for the hotel because they were running the same deal for the casino. It was all very confusing, so I went back and forth between the hotel registration and the player’s club.
The hotel ended up giving me a voucher for a prime rib dinner and American breakfast, and then I had to talk to the manager at the restaurant to please give me the steak.
I remember making a phone call to the hotel in January to make sure that my free steak dinner would work when I checked in, even though it was a winter special.
They promised me I would have no problems. I was so glad at that moment that I had switched my initial Hooters reservations to Imperial Palace reservations and only stayed at Hooters for one night for the steak (and also partly for the pool which I did not use and gambling deals which they did not give me).
The manager decided to give me the steak. I had a late night steak and decided that I was done with Hooters for a while. Besides their toiletries sucked.
I racked up on IP lotion every day, and I am so glad to have lots of excellent hand lotion for the summer now.
Imperial Palace
Went back to IP and hit the sack. It was a long day.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Wanted to try the Wynn buffet for breakfast so I could say that I had tried all the “best” and can compare. But I would have to save it for later because I was rushed for my 2 o’clock flight. I also wanted to use my free breakfast at Hooters (I knew my free breakfast vouchers for WWW could go to the trash because it did not even taste great) but I just made me flight in time after taking the monorail down and taking the WAX from the Tropicana stop for the first time!
I am just happy because I came back with half of what I took after 11 days. Yipppee! I remembered all the details from my trip without notes again. Yay! I wrote it all in one day. Hooray! And I added some pics. Whooopee! Stay tuned for the next adventures in months to come….
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