Which Casino?

[Little Piggy]

A group of my friends and I really want to head to Vegas for a long
weekend but are completely overwhelmed. I have never been there and know
nothing about Casinos? Is there really a significant difference between
the cheaper ones and the really expensive ones? We're all poor students
and bunch of us are willing to cram into a room to save money but we
want to stay somewhere nice.

[matt]

If you're a poor student, the answer is NO. No significant difference.
The Bellagio and Imperial Palace both have Beds in the room. The
real difference is that the Bellagio has marble floors in the bathroom,
$15 minimum blackjack tables, and easy access to some EXPENSIVE eats
(notice I didn't say OVERPRICED. I'm sure it's a great dining
experience and it's probably worth the money if you feel like spending
it). The Imperial Palace is old, but clean, with $3 BJ tables and a
burger joint instead of a $60-per-entree steakhouse. If you're short on
cash, you'll save about $200 per night staying at the IP.

BTW, I'm just using the IP as an example. There are plenty more grind
joints in town:

Imperial Palace
Frontier
Casino Royale
Excalibur
Riviera
Sahara
...and many more...

Are these places nice? I think so. I'd put all of them on par with a
Holiday Inn. I'd put the Bellagio ABOVE a Holiday Inn, but do you
really need a toilet that shoots water up your ass?

How many people are you going with? Another option is an apartment at
the Westward Ho. These are (i think) 3 bedroom apartments on the strip
that start at about $60 per night, and go up to maybe $160 per night on
weekends. I've never seen one, but I'm DYING to hear from somebody
who's stayed in one.

Good luck!

Matty-o

Post by Little Piggy
A group of my friends and I really want to head to Vegas for a long
weekend but are completely overwhelmed. I have never been there and know
nothing about Casinos? Is there really a significant difference between
the cheaper ones and the really expensive ones? We're all poor students
and bunch of us are willing to cram into a room to save money but we
want to stay somewhere nice.

[B.N.]

Post by matt
How many people are you going with? Another option is an apartment at
the Westward Ho. These are (i think) 3 bedroom apartments on the strip
that start at about $60 per night, and go up to maybe $160 per night on
weekends. I've never seen one, but I'm DYING to hear from somebody
who's stayed in one.
Good luck!
Matty-o

I've stayed several times in them. This goes back a few years, so I can't
tell you what condition they are in today.
They are in buildings running along the side of the property that faces the
side of the Stardust. Parking is right outside. The buildings have four
units each, 2 on the first floor and two on the second. Each has a living
room with sofa, and refrigerator. There is one bedroom open to the living
room. The other two bedrooms are separate rooms. 2 single beds in each.
The washroom is between the two bedrooms with access from each bedroom. The
buildings are grouped in 3's in a 'U' shape.
In the middle is a courtyard, hot tub, or pool. I always stayed in building
10, 11 or 12 because there is a pool right outside the door. Some of the
units are so far from the strip that they have a shuttle running from the
units in the back to the casino.
It can be a long eerie walk late at night to and from some of these
buildings. They are certainly not top of the line, but for a place to
sleep, they are probably ok. Once again it's been a few years, but that's
how I remember them.

B.N.

[Des]

I would suggest the Boardwalk to stay. It is across the street from Alladin
and next door to Monte Carlo and New York New York. There are December
specials on there web site. Deal direct and save approx. 10% that most
booking companies charge. Also all of the group get a tracking card and then
apply the credits to the room. One person get duplicate card for all.

Post by Little Piggy
A group of my friends and I really want to head to Vegas for a long
weekend but are completely overwhelmed. I have never been there and know
nothing about Casinos? Is there really a significant difference between
the cheaper ones and the really expensive ones? We're all poor students
and bunch of us are willing to cram into a room to save money but we
want to stay somewhere nice.

[Company Man]

Post by Des
I would suggest the Boardwalk to stay. It is across the street from Alladin
and next door to Monte Carlo and New York New York. There are December
specials on there web site. Deal direct and save approx. 10% that most
booking companies charge. Also all of the group get a tracking card and
then apply the credits to the room. One person get duplicate card for all.

Yabbut, don't eat there (or Circus Circus buffet).

[fvrc82b8]

Post by Little Piggy
A group of my friends and I really want to head to Vegas for a long
weekend but are completely overwhelmed. I have never been there and know
nothing about Casinos? Is there really a significant difference between
the cheaper ones and the really expensive ones? We're all poor students
and bunch of us are willing to cram into a room to save money but we
want to stay somewhere nice.

goto www.lvol.com for lots of good info

[Jill in NH]

Post by fvrc82b8

Post by Little Piggy
A group of my friends and I really want to head to Vegas for a long
weekend but are completely overwhelmed. I have never been there and know
nothing about Casinos? Is there really a significant difference between
the cheaper ones and the really expensive ones? We're all poor students
and bunch of us are willing to cram into a room to save money but we
want to stay somewhere nice.

goto www.lvol.com for lots of good info

Also www.cheapovegas.com has good reviews and more.

Have a great time.

jill

[Mr.Sunshine]

X-No-Archive: yes

Post by Little Piggy
A group of my friends and I really want to head to Vegas for a long
weekend but are completely overwhelmed. I have never been there and know
nothing about Casinos? Is there really a significant difference between
the cheaper ones and the really expensive ones? We're all poor students
and bunch of us are willing to cram into a room to save money but we
want to stay somewhere nice.

Go to Excalibur. It's cheap, but located in a very nice part of the Strip
with easy transportation (by free tram, walkway, etc.) to nicer properties
like Bellagio, Luxor, for your day trips. Students new to Vegas and I'm
guessing you're girls, right? DONT stay in some dump downtown, I don't want
you getting raped or mugged when you go out after dark. BTW, get some good
fake IDs if you're under 21, they won't let minors in the gaming areas of
casinos...at least not in the daytime and if you look obviously young like
by wearing your bikini from the pool.

Have a great time, but stay safe.

[Johnny]

Post by Little Piggy
A group of my friends and I really want to head to Vegas for a long
weekend but are completely overwhelmed. I have never been there and know
nothing about Casinos? Is there really a significant difference between
the cheaper ones and the really expensive ones? We're all poor students
and bunch of us are willing to cram into a room to save money but we
want to stay somewhere nice.

We had a group of three guys stay in one of the (Westward) Ho's
apartments Nov. 12 - 14. I'll tell you, it ain't the Ritz, and it ain't
the Holiday Inn. Think more along the lines of a Motel 6. Heck the Ho
still uses REAL KEYS for the rooms!

It's not horrid, but it definitely isn't plush. On the upside, it was
relatively cheap (especially when split three ways), the room was fairly
large and clean, we each had a queen bed, there were two bathrooms
(tub/shower in both), the Ho appeared to have cheap table limits, but
when didn't gamble there.

On the down side, the furniture is probably the same furniture that
anyone who's stayed at the Ho has seen -- it's not from this decade, the
bathrooms are tiny, the furniture is old, and the Ho is a ways from the
action on the strip.

Looking for cheap? Looking for clean? Looking for a place to crash and
not much more? The Ho fits the bill. Looking for room service?
Looking for attractive clientele? Looking for a posh room? Go
somewhere else.

Is there a difference between the cheaper hotels and the expensive ones?
Yes. I stayed at the Luxor on my honeymoon three years ago and the
difference is night and day (but so was the price).

If looking for a cheap place to sleep, shower, and change clothes? I'd
consider the Ho. Looking for a room to hang out in or take a short
break from your strip exploring? Go somewhere else, maybe the Flamingo
or Barbary Coast (though I've never stayed at either).

Looking for fairly cheap table limits on the strip? Casino Royale and
Barbary Coast seemed to fit the bill. My group was 100% low rollers and
we did our gambling at the Barbary Coast. Roulette was $3.00 outside
and $1.00 inside (I turned $20 into $250 on day one). Craps was a $5.00
minimum. Both minimums held throughout the weekend. Casino Royale had
$.25 roulette ($2.00 minimum, I think), and maybe $3.00 or $5.00 craps,
but was very crowded. I can't speak to any of the card games anywhere.
For comparison sake, most of the other strip casinos (and the Rio and
Palms) had $5 - 10 limits on Roulette and $10.00 craps. We're not huge
gamblers and don't need to lose $10 - 25 at a time.

John

p.s.
One guy called the desk to ask for an iron & ironing board. Soon after
there was a knock at the door. Opening the door, he was presented with
the iron & board and was told, "You've got two hours."

[salmoneous]

Post by Little Piggy
A group of my friends and I really want to head to Vegas for a long
weekend but are completely overwhelmed. I have never been there and know
nothing about Casinos? Is there really a significant difference between
the cheaper ones and the really expensive ones? We're all poor students
and bunch of us are willing to cram into a room to save money but we
want to stay somewhere nice.

Start reading at www.cheapovegas.com

More money does buy you stuff. Only you can decide how important that
stuff is

1) Location - you'll always pay more for location, though there are
cheap and mid priced places in great locations

2) Condition - some people don't like staying in places with worn
carpeting and chipped tiles in the bathrooms.

3) Neighbors - the nicer the place (usually) the nicer the people
staying next door to you. Fewer drunken arguements at 2AM, and
sometimes thicker walls.

4) Pools - if you are going in the warm months, this is a big one. No
matter where you stay, you can go over to the swanky places and qawk
at the fancy ceiling, eat in the expensive restaurants and play in the
overpriced casinos. But you can only use the pool area as a guest.

[Chris]

Post by Little Piggy
A group of my friends and I really want to head to Vegas for a long
weekend but are completely overwhelmed. I have never been there and know
nothing about Casinos? Is there really a significant difference between
the cheaper ones and the really expensive ones? We're all poor students
and bunch of us are willing to cram into a room to save money but we
want to stay somewhere nice.

Actually, I always thought Vegas was kind of cheap to stay @. On my
trip in July...I found that the rates to stay @ a Holiday Inn, or
Super 8 were just about $20.00 cheaper than to stay @ The Bellagio.
One hotel "La Quinta Inn" in Montana was more expensive than anything
we could have stayed @ on the strip.

Your best bet would be The IP, however I wouldn't say that is a "nice"
place to stay, but it's location is Perfect for any visitor in Vegas.
Another reasonably priced hotel (on the strip) would be Bally's (which
ic connected to Paris, and has a walkway to both the Bellagio, and
Ceasers Palace), as well as being right next door to Barbary Coast.
Plus if you do plan on cramming a bunch of people into the room, this
would be your best bet...the rooms are huge and some of the biggest
standard rooms in Vegas. I would also recommend the Rio, which (while
not on the strip) offers free shuttle service to sister property
Harrah's.

Downtown is cheap too, if you like to drink...that's the place to go.

There are three places I would check for the best deals, and they are:

Vegas.com
UnitedVacations.com (The cheapest by far I think)
The Hotel websites (themselves)

All 3 Offer Air + Hotel price, or just Hotel. Once again, I find
UnitedVacations the cheapest.

Go visit smartass http://www.cheapovegas.com a useful site, it has
direct links to all the hotel websites.

Expedia has virtual tours you can check out as well, those are always
interesting too.

Good Luck, there's nothing like Vegas, anywhere on the planet!