Las Vegas podcast #163 includes:
- Alice opener
- Donny and Marie at Flamingo
- Scores becomes Rick’s
- 21
- What Happens in Vegas
- Deal
- The Grand
- Listener calls and comments about Bodies, Harrah’s cutbacks, Wet Republic at MGM Grand, Las Vegas karaoke, Hard Rock construction, Wynn rooms, $20 trick at Golden Nugget and more
- Call us at (702) 866-9494
Five Hundy By Midnight 4/27/08 (40:51 min, 37.5 MB)
You should put up a list of your vegas games and the rules so we can print them off and play them.
Thanks
I’m planning to do just that sometime soon.
That’s “Bill Fayne, Musical Director” to you, mister…
Las Vegas Advisor Reports-
• April 26, 2008 GG Ups Price for Shrimp Here’s a shocker. We’ve heard that the price of the famous 99 cent Golden Gate shrimp cocktail goes up to $1.99 today. This is the first price increase for what LVA had ranked as Las Vegas’ #1 value in almost 15 years (when it was raised from 50 cents). But not all the news is bad. It’s our understanding that the shrimp cocktail will still cost 99 cents if you show a GG players card. Get to the window and sign up.
I was thinking about mentioning the shrimp cocktail thing but decided against it. Because the price is still 99 cents with a players card, it seemed like a non-story.
Maybe for a future show you can mention what the future for “Vegoose” will be this year if you can find out. And how much tickets were for it, and where exactly it is.
I wonder what the percentage of folks that wander in there to play don’t have a players card.
I also wonder how many are enticed by that $1 savings to actually sign up for one.
I have no idea why I’m spending so much time wondering about a place I’ll never set foot in.
Oy!
Just now at Mccarran headed back to Denver with the wife after one night in Death Valley and two in Vegas. Random comments:
-escalators all over the city, both inside properties on the strip and outside seem to be either turned off or broken or under repair. Is this a seasonal thing?
-the Mirage smell appears to be completely gone, the Venetian/Palazzo smell is in full force. In addition to the Mirage smell, what also is gone are the two golden topless mermaids as you enter the place. I demand to know where they went and why! The aquarium renovation at Mirage appears not to be newsworthy.
-the Titanic exhibition, contrary to an earlier call/e-mail a few weeks ago, is awesome and well worth two hours although the price (30 non-discounted) is pretty steep.
-is the economy affecting Vegas? Local tv news channels are filled with doom-and-gloom stories about reduced state income from casino taxes, a surge in the homeless, gas prices (of course) and foreclosure stories (of course). Table minimums at the higher end joints (Bellagio, Wynn, Mirage at least) were 10 for bj and craps even on Friday and Saturday nights.
-the properties, even the low-end ones like sahara and trop seemed cleaner and better kept since last I entered them a few years ago. On the other hand, the non- hotel areas of the strip appear to have 3 times the number of pornslappers and are trash-covered.
-the-casino-formerly-known-as-barbary-coast now has what appear to be tiny compact-fluorescent (CFL) lamps in place of the old incandescent bulbs that cover most of the outside of the building. Kudos for that.
-Palazzo blue tape? Still there as of Friday evening, 11:30 PM.
Great report, James. Thanks!
Hey Tim-
I’m sitting in my room at Mirage this evening listening to the podcast while writing. When you made the comment that you would “pimp the book” on the site when completed, I threw up my hands in victory!!! That’s so awesome, and thanks for the vote of confidence! I am sure this book will take at least another year to complete, but I won’t forget the big boost of positivity you guys gave me this evening!!! 🙂
Hopefully we still can meet out here in Vegas at some point over the next year. I really want to interview you guys for this.
Thanks again!
Chris (Day 4 of 21)
PS – The newly renovated rooms at Mirae are AWESOME! The front desk clerk charged me an additional $20 per night for them, but they are really really cool. Kind of “Go Room” like, but with a better color scheme.
PSS- As of Sunday afternoon, blue tape lives on!
Las Vegas Hilton room suggestions. Hi everyone, I have stayed at the Hilton before and must have got lucky since I had a really nice room. Though, I am reading mixed reviews from Trip Advisor about that place. Though they did remodeling recently, anybody know which towers I should try to get where I have the best chance of getting a nice room like I did last time. Maybe, I should try that $20 trick. Thanks.
On your film round up … one film that has just come out over here on DVD is “Vegas Baby” ( browsing about online think it was called “Bachelor Party Vegas ” in the States ) now from the blurb on the video etc it seems to be a no-go film to me, but anyone seen it or have any opinions – worth renting ?
Updated Odds:
Tim
——
Siskel: 1-4
Ebert: 1-6
Roeper: 1-4
Shalit: 1-2
James in Denver-“Table minimums at the higher end joints (Bellagio, Wynn, Mirage at least) were 10 for bj and craps even on Friday and Saturday nights.”
I was shocked to see $10 table minimums at Venetian in February too. The last couple years you would be hard pressed to find those kinds of minimums at even a mid level joint like TI.
Chris:
Las Vegas Hilton is a strange bird because it’s not really a Hilton – it is one in name only, which means it is pretty inconsistent when it comes to quality. That being said, I stayed in the East wing on or around the 15th floor back in early March and had a freshly updated room that was really nice for $75 each night. Lots of marble, granite, comfy bed, flatscreen TV. I have “diamond” status at Hilton so that did help. I’d try the $20 trick and ask for a “flatscreen” room as that’s what the front desk called it when they upgraded me.
Sounds like with all the good hotel deals and lower minimum on table games, it may be a good time to go. Too bad airfare is higher.
Just a movie Update: Video Business (trade mag for home video) has THE GRAND streeting on June 10, 2008.
Since it was my first time calling the show I hoped I wouldn’t have sounded so much like a noob, but whatever. I’ve thrown my photos of the suite at the wynn on flickr and figured I would share, there is some really interesting stuff to be seen down in the encore area. The whole “pool” area seems a little small to me compared to the rest of the hotel complex. But we’ll see when the joint opens. I labeled most of them so its pretty easy to navigate what is what.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92296749@N00/
Chris from SF:
Stayed at the Hilton during my Feb trip (I’m a Star Trek geek); did the $20 trick with success and was upgraded to an East-Tower room akin to what James mentioned. Outstanding room, with a huge tub in which to soak feet subjected to Vegas walking.
I wish you luck!
BHBH
Thank you James and Boozehound. Appreciate your opinions. Yeah, I gotta try that $20 trick since that place seems like it is really hit or miss. Last time, I hit the jackpot where I got the big bath tub, clean, etc. Didn’t realize it then how lucky I was, but now I know. I will give the Five Hundy listeners my feedback about the hotel when I get back from Vegas in case they want to consider the Hilton. It was really a cheap deal off the internet, so it may still work out.
As a side note, I have stayed in the Monte Carlo a lot in the past. That is a great place where it is clean, well kept, etc. As long as you don’t mind not having all the clubs, it is a good bare bones place with standards that is not too expensive. Anyway, I hope I get the refurbished suite! (Suggested new saying to replace the Rainman suite opening for Five Hundy).
RE: The Grand trailer. A poker player that lives with his Mom? Had to be a stab at Daniel Negreanu. I think his mom packed his lunch for him every day as he headed off to the poker room. Maybe that’s changed since his marriage. 🙂
– Escalators (and travelaters) have been in various states of operation on the last 3 Vegas visits over the last 3 years so I think it’s just a random thing …. but I expect it’s worse in the heat.
– It’s not a good time currently for many of the free sights in Vegas either – the animated fountains in the Forum Shops are both out of action due to renovations and so was the rainstorm in the miracle mile shops, although some may think that’s a good thing !
– The Mirage volcano is under renovation and I assume that the show in the sky is also not currently running if the previous reports are true
We’ve seen all of those before, but it’s bad timing for many of the ‘attractions’ to be down at the same time.
– On a brighter note, there was water around the statue of liberty