Today would have been Hunter S. Thompson’s 75th birthday. So this seems like a good day to step away from your computer and pick up Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Long live HST.
Las Vegas Links
Las Vegas Room Tour: Cosmopolitan Wraparound Terrace Suite
In March, we shelled out a few bucks for a Cosmopolitan Wraparound Terrace Suite. As I’ve mentioned approximately 14,000 times on the podcast, I love a room with a lot of square footage. This room had a ton of space. Of course, the selling point behind most of Cosmopolitan’s rooms is the terrace. Although we didn’t have the ever-coveted Bellagio fountain view, we weren’t the least bit disappointed with the magnificent mid-Strip/south-Strip view.
First Look Las Vegas Room Tour: Golden Gate
For the past several months, Golden Gate has been undergoing substantial renovations, including a new lobby, a high limit room, new restrooms, remodeled standard rooms and the addition of 16 suites. During our visit earlier this week, we were able to get a preview of one of the new suites.
Adorned in rich reds and browns, the room has a comfortable, classic vibe. The Dean Martin artwork is a nice touch, tying the suite to the vintage Vegas theme seen throughout the Golden Gate.
The large, L-shaped couch provides a nice spot to chill with a brown drink before hitting the casino.
The massive, multi-purpose wall unit includes plenty of storage space, a work desk and a big-ass TV.
Like a lot of Las Vegas suites, there’s no separation between the bedroom and the living room/lounging space. The Golden Gate suite layout takes the single-room suite concept one further, providing no separation between the bathroom and the rest of the suite.
Immediately upon entering the suite, a countertop and sink to the right sits in front of two frosted doors—one for the shower and one for the toilet. If you don’t know your roommate well before staying here, you will by the time you leave because you’ll probably see him or her naked.
Fancy bathroom swag from Bath and Body Works. The scent is Rainkissed Leaves. I don’t know what a rain-kissed leaf smells like, but I’m told it’s delightful.
The new Golden Gate suites may not be the largest rooms on Fremont Street, but they’re well-designed, comfortable and reasonably prices, starting at $109 during the week. For those of us who have avoided staying at Golden Gate because of the cracker-box-sized standard rooms, this provides a very nice option.
Two super-sized penthouse suites are still under construction but will be added to Golden Gate’s new room mix later this year.
Zip and Learn?
The RJ has an update to the Excalibur/Luxor zip line plans we broke in February. The FAA approved the plan on April 6, and Clark County signed off last night. The FAA approval becomes final on May 16, opening the door for MGM Resorts to start stringing the cables.
According to today’s update, three of the lines will serve as a multi-leg zip line course. The fourth line (starting at the Excalibur entrance) will function separately.
Here’s the weird part… the company that will run the thing, Ziptrek, plans to have guides (zip line sherpas?) lead zippers through the course, delivering educational lectures about “sustainability and four conditions which must exist in a sustainable society” during the two hours it will take to complete the course. People will be clamoring to get on the zip lines just to escape from the hippie buzzkill. How long before they drop the unnecessary lectures?
Las Vegas Room Tour: Red Rock Resort
During my most recent Las Vegas trip, I had the opportunity to stay at Red Rock Resort for a few nights. While there, I shot some video of the room for your enjoyment.
I thoroughly enjoyed Red Rock Resort’s accommodations. The bed was super comfortable and had tons of pillows, which I always appreciate. The room had plenty of surface space for working and didn’t feel the least bit cramped. The design reminded me of Golden Nugget’s Rush Tower rooms, which I also really liked. I highly recommend Red Rock. If you’re not opposed to staying off-Strip (way way off-Strip), give it a shot.
VT Announces Trippies Nominees
When Five Hundy by Midnight was retired to the Trippies Hall of Fame for Best Vegas Podcast, it never really dawned on us that Five Hundy would pop up in another category.
We were pleasantly surprised this morning to find the Five Hundy Facebook Group nominated in the Best Community category. This nomination is a testament to the great information shared by our listeners and the overall positive vibe on the Facebook Group. Congratulations to everyone who participates on the Facebook group on the nomination. You guys deserve it. Now go vote!
* I was also nominated in the Best Tweeter. I’m honored but completely undeserving.