Vdara is finally open!

It's finally open!!! Vdara opened at 12 noon to a decent amount of fan fare with news organizations local and national covering the event. The place is everything you would expect from the latest and greatest in hotel design. Lots of marble and dark colors as well as high ceilings and a lot of natural light. Its a very nice place thus far. Room pictures will be posted shortly...

Vdara Grand Opening Pictures

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Mirage's 20th Anniversary

It was November 22, 1989 when "New" Vegas officially arrived with the opening of the Mirage. The first new building on the strip in years, it was a casino like no other. It sparked not only an unprecedented building boom on the strip but also around the world. Shortly after would follow Excalibur, Luxor, MGM and many others. More importantly, it created a casino explosion throughout the country and even the world turning places like Tunica MS and Macau China into gambling Meccas. It's hard to believe how much has changed since that day 20 years ago.

Steve Wynn has many critics but there is no denying the immense impact the man has had on Las Vegas and the gaming industry. His bold vision and fearless drive has made the city what it is today for none of the others would exist were it not for the success of the Mirage and Bellagio. The places he has built have provided the livelihood to tens of thousands of people and are largely responsible for turning a "sleepy" desert town into the sprawling metropolis of today.

Golden Nugget's New Tower

In somewhat ironic news, this week also welcomed the opening of the "Rush" Tower at the Golden Nugget downtown. Ironic because it not only was Steve Wynn's first casino and a blueprint for the Mirage but also because it just happens to also be the first new hotel tower downtown since... 1989. Think about that for a second. All of the construction that Vegas has seen in the past 20 years and ZERO was on Fremont Street. That pretty much sums up the situation down there, doesn't it?

As always, I wish the best for new endeavors anywhere in town but coming out of the gate, management is a bit delusional about the environment in which they are opening. The CEO is quoted saying "We're not going to drop rates just to turn dollars, I'd rather not have all the bodies. It's got to be profitable dollars for us to rent a room." Really? An empty room is better than a head in the bed? Once again, I am amazed at how some of these guys got to where they are. Fortunately, there is some sanity somewhere in the organization as despite the CEO's proclamations otherwise, the prices have been dropping steadily since the day they started taking reservation.

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Orleans Review and Room Pics

The second night of the trip I moved over to the Orleans and got there around 1 PM. There was only a short wait of about 10 minutes at the front desk. It was a double on the 15th floor very close to the elevator. Since my last stay a few years ago, the rooms have been "refreshed" with new linens and draperies but definitely not completely remodeled. Never the less, the room was in pretty good shape. They are on the larger side for a standard Vegas room and has a seating area with a small couch and coffee table. I always love having a couch but in this case the downside was that the TV was little small and far away to watch it. Similar to other Coast Casino hotels, the bathroom is located at the back of the room and there is no closet, just a rack in the bath. A unique feature of the Orleans room is a small window in the shower area that actually opens, All in all, the room was decent enough with no real complaints though I preferred the room I had the night before at Palace Station especially considering was $5 cheaper.

As one of the largest locals casinos, the Orleans has a decent collection of restaurants, most of which skew towards the cheaper ends of the scale. There is a decent food court, a large buffet which was slightly better than average, the dreaded TGI Friday's as well as a still 24 hours coffee shop plus a couple of nicer places. The lunch buffet was nothing out of the ordinary but did have a good selection and everything I tried was fresh and tasty. A late-night room service burger while also nothing spectacular, arrived ridiculously fast which was nice after the problems the night before at Palace Station.

One of the reason I choose the Orleans was because I wanted to catch a Las Vegas Wrangler game; the minor league hockey team who plays at the Orleans Arena. The game was entertaining enough though not NHL quality but certainly priced right at $38 for a seat right on the glass and just about every other one was $8. Being a small arena, every seat is a good one. As a bonus, it was Dollar Beer Night which made it a hell of a bargain for an evening of entertainment. They should definitely be marketing more to the Strip as an option if one of the dozens of Cirque Du Soleil shows isn't your idea of a good time.

Staying at the Orleans, I got the feel that it is like the MGM of the locals casinos. It has everything every other one has, just more and bigger. Plenty of rooms, many restaurants and a giant casino. If you want to try staying at a locals place, it's a great way to go plus its only a short hop down Tropicana to the strip. The room was nicer at Palace Station but otherwise Orleans has much more to offer.

Click Here for Room Pics

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Palace Station Review and Room Pics

I arrived around 6PM and check-in was fast with there actually being more clerks than people waiting. I have noticed less front desk staff at many places these days so this was a nice surprise to start out the trip. In a matter of minutes I was up in my room on the 16th floor of the tower. For only $30 a night, the room was incredible. It looks freshly remodeled in the past 6 months with all new furnishings including a nice sized flat panel TV and marble counters in the bathroom. The\ shower had a nice, high "rainshower" head with good pressure. One note, there was only a shower stall, no tub in the bathroom. Not a problem for me but might be for some. The whole room was in great shape and quite clean with no stains or burns anywhere. I couldn't have been happier with the quality especially at the rock bottom price.

Several times in recent posts I have discussed the issue of the dying coffeeshop and the Stations are at the forefront of movement. I got to experience the new Coco's replacement when I had a late room service meal a little after 11 PM. I pressed the button on the phone for room service and the it rang at least 25 times before I hung up. I tried again with the same result. After waiting a few minutes, once again no answer. I called the operator and she said that room service was available from 11PM to 11AM so they should have answered and she would connect me. Still no luck. I called back the operator who puts me on hold for a minute before finally finding someone at Coco's to answer the phone. Hardly stellar service! If I wasn't looking to make a point, I wouldn't have made that much of an effort and simply would have been pissed off and went with another option. To their credit; once I did place my order, it arrived quickly and was pretty good but the whole experience underscores my point that there is no way an outside establishment will treat the casino customers as well or offer the value as an in-house place would.

The following morning, I was in the casino playing a little Keno when out of the blue I was approached by a slot host who asked if I would like a buffet comp! It was good for anytime and for up to week with no points coming off your account. In all of my trips and all of the hours playing in a Vegas casino, that has NEVER happened to me. It happened once at an Indian casino in So Cal but never in Vegas. Needless to say, I was pretty shocked. It is precisely that type of stuff the casinos need to get back to if they ever want to fill all those new rooms coming online in the next few months. Kudos to Station for that move. I used the comp for a lunch buffet that was above average in quality but short on quantity. There just wasn't a really large selection of items especially compared to some of the other locals buffets around.

All in all, I was very happy with my stay at Palace Station. You just can't beat a freshly remodeled room for $30. Aside from the issue with room service, everyone else I dealt with was great with fast service at the valet and front desk plus the unsolicited comp while only playing quarter keno was an added bonus. Considering its location close to the strip and just off the freeway, it definitely is a decent alternative to a Strip place if you are looking for a good deal on a room.

Click Here for Room Pics

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Bob Stupak R.I.P 1942 - 2009

Yesterday, Las Vegas lost one of the greatest characters to ever grace its landscape, Bob Stupak. The creator of the Vegas World casino in the 70s which morphed later into the Stratosphere, left a permenant mark on the city's skyline and history. Born in Pittsburgh and self-dubbed the "Polish Maverick," he placed his first bet at age 8.Running craps games in the army, he learned that he could make a nice buck because "people were prepared to gamble a little if they had a chance to win a lot." He bounced around the world for a while developing a PT Barnum-like flair for marketing but always had a love for Las Vegas. He finally moved there in the 70s opening a restaurant, gambling museum then Vegas World in 1979. Here he would begin to truly make his mark on Las Vegas. When he realized the Strip ended at Sahara, a quarter mile south of his casino, he took it upon himself to declare the Strip has "officially" been extended. He went to great lengths to get people into his casino in often classic fashion. Vegas World was known for the utmost in gimmick marketing, sometimes ending him up in hot water with the Gaming Commission. Though things like no-craps craps and late-night TV ads selling vacation packages and dealers wearing old-western bowties that read "He's Bob Stupak. He's Polish!" the casino was like no other.

While living in Australia, he got the idea to build the Stratosphere and never gave up on the dream. He knew people were drawn to tall buildings and set out to build the tallest one west of the Mississippi River. When first proposed; people said he was insane, that planes would crash in it. Persistant as always, Stupak was undeterred. Despite having to take on investors that would eventually drive him out and force the place into bankruptcy, his vision was achieved and Stratosphere remains one of the must-see atrraction in Vegas and an icon that can been seen from anywhere in the Vegas valley.

Stupak's personal life was as colorful as his professional one. He once bet a million dollars on the Super Bowl and was an accomplished poker player if not so much for his skill as his bravado. He would incessantly tempt fellow players at side bets on virtually everything, typically in huckster style. He once bet anyone in the poker room that he could do "between two and three hundred push-ups." Everyone rushed to bet the skinny Polish guy. Once he got on the floor, they quickly realized he never said "between 200 and 300 push-ups." They quickly paid up! He ran for political office on several occasions, though never won and was quite the ladies man. He almost died in 1995 when he wrecked his motorcycle and completely crushed his face. The traffic investigator when he arrived on scene couldn't imagine anyone living through the accident but Bob managed to pulled through. In 1999, he proposed a Titanic themed casino on the Strip with a complete replica of the ship serving as the hotel, sadly the Las Vegas city council shot down the idea. There was also a very charitable side to Stupak with large donations particularly to the neighborhood surrounding the Stratosphere. To say it isn't the best part of town is an understatement and Bob wanted to help the residents. He employed many of them when the Strat first opened and built a community center and park in honor of his father which is a jewel in the middle of a pretty rough neighborhood.

Rest in peace, Bob. You made a legendary place in the history of Las Vegas and your legacy will never be forgotten!

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Monte Carlo Review and Room Pictures

For the final two nights of the trip, I moved over to a Monaco Suite at the Monte Carlo in anticipation of the wife's arrival later that day. I worked it out that after spending 3 nights with Mom, I would fly her back to Orange County to look after our pets as Lisa flew out for the last two nights. I managed to keep them both happy while not having to do it at the same time! It worked out well and I will do it again for my trip in December.

Check-in at the Monte Carlo was painless with only a very short line and I was up to the room in a just a few minutes. Amazingly enough, we weren't looking at a wall for once! Though far from the best view in town being on the 6th floor overlooking valet, anything was better than the previous 3 nights. The Monaco Suite is a really a mini-suite with 1 and a half baths. It wasn't priced much more than a regular room and it was well worth the extra money. Since we enjoy hanging out in the room, having the seating area and extra bath was definitely nice. The room itself was nice enough though hardly 5-star luxury. The furnishings were in good shape and everything was clean except for some of the dirtiest windows I have ever seen. More on that in a second... There was a flat screen TV but bafflingly there wasn't HD programming. I can't fathom the stupidity of spending the money for new Hi-Def TVs then not provide HD! The TV also wasn't really big enough to enjoy from the bed. They made up for it by having a very comfortable couch. The bathrooms, like the room itself, were also in good condition but both toilets were fairly difficult to flush, which was odd. The master had a combo shower/whirlpool tub but we just used the shower.

Overall, we were both very happy with our stay at the Monte Carlo. I have never had a very high opinion of the place since it opened back in the 90's. It was one of just three places on the strip that I have never stayed since there is nothing to really draw you there and the casino has never been very good. However; between the room, a surprisingly fun casino (if you aren't looking for serious gambling) and a decent selection of restaurants, we didn't leave the place all that much the entire time we were there. I sold the Monte Carlo short and it turned out to be a nice mid-budget place that might be a better option than something like Luxor or TI especially once City Center opens next door in Decemeber.

A very interesting incident happened on the first day at the hotel. As I mentioned earlier, the windows were terribly dirty. Lisa was poking around and discovered to both of our surprise that the window fully opened! I don't think I have ever seen a window that opened in a Vegas hotel so we were both shocked. Since it was a smoking room, we decided to leave the window open to air out the room. No more than 10 minutes later, the phone rings and its security telling us that we have to close the window as its obviously a safety hazard. No problem. We close it then as we always do when we leave, hang the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door as we head down to the pool. We are in the pool for about 30 seconds before lightning rolls through and they close the pool. We head back to the room to find that they ignored the DND sign and busted in to put a stop plate on the window so it didn't open anymore. It was almost as if they were scoping us out and waiting for us to leave to get into the room. The speed at which they acted was breath-taking! I'm sure if I called them for something, they wouldn't have been so speedy. It definitely gave us a good chuckle. It also served as a reminder that we are just "guests" in the hotel and its THEIR room and they will enter as they please.

Click Here for Room Pics

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New York-New York Review and Room Pictures

The first night of my stay was at New York-New York. I received an email offer about 3 days before we left for $44 a night. We were supposed to have been in the standard Skyline room but when we checked in at 11:30 PM, the gave us a free "upgrade" to a "Park Ave. Deluxe." The room was located on the 3rd floor near the food court elevators and when we got in the room, I swore the window was a fake. There was not a single ray of light to be seen, even from above. The next morning, we find out it wasn't fake but looked directly at a wall 3 feet away. By far the worst view I have ever gotten in Vegas. We probably would have been happier without the "upgrade!" No big deal though as we were only going to be there 12 hours. Other than the view however, the rest of the room was decent overall. It is an older room that is still in relatively good shape but don't expect a flat screen with HDTV. There wasn't any major stains or burns and all the furniture was good as well. The room is a little on the small size but I guess there wanted to continue the New York theme to the rooms! The bed was comfortable enough with no sagging though the pillows could have been better. The bathroom is very run of the mill with only 1 sink but the combo shower/tub had very good water pressure.

As for the rest of the hotel; the place has a decent collection of restaurants, most of which are quite affordable including a big food court and an ESPN Zone. There are several good bars and clubs including the Times Square Bar which started the whole "Dueling Pianos" rage that every hotel now seems to have. It is definitely entertaining enough, especially while sucking down free drinks and slow-playing video poker at the bar. The location is also very good. Located feet from MGM's front entrance and just across from Excalibur and the tram to Luxor and Mandalay Bay, there are plenty of other options within a short walk. There are a few definite negatives against the place... The casino is pretty terrible as far as good games go. The pool is amongst the smallest in Vegas and as mentioned previously, the rooms are hardly the lap of luxury. All in all, NY-NY serves its niche pretty well. If you are looking for a younger crowd and want to party all weekend and want a room that is a step up from bargain, it is a great choice. If you are looking for a luxurious romantic weekend getaway, there are far better choices in town.

Click Here for Room Pics

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