Thanks for the invitation - I have been in LVA over 6 years - probably one of their most active paid members with over 2600 posts - but things have kinda changed there. They told me last January that they would be fixing the problems very soon - still hasn't happened and here we are at the end of October. A major issue for me was that one of their most valuable contributors passed away this year - and they didn't even acknowledge it. Those that came from there will recognize the contributions that GregRio made. Now, I go to the forums and it is like arriving at a major accident scene but not knowing if anyone has called 911. Free for all has become a toxic area of mindless name-calling and insults, and the paid forums are dead. Anyway - enough about them. I visit Vegas and Laughlin between 4 - 6 times a year. Was very loyal to M Group but now stay mostly downtown. Glad to have found this group and looking forward to finding old friends here.
I just returned from a Vegas trip 2 weeks ago - here is my trip report -
Friday we took a spur of the moment decision to got to Vegas. Most places were full Saturday - I guess because of the fight. All the places that usually comp us were full but Plaza had rooms and gave us a great deal. We then booked Alaska - discount fare plus $100.00 companion fare and Dollar car for $116.00 all in.
Saturday morning I found out that the parks we like to visit were closed so I cancelled the car. We would regret that later.
Flight to Vegas was uneventful and arrived 8:30 p.m. Grabbed a cab and told the driver to go to Plaza by Paradise and then Main at Strat. He did exactly that and cab fare was $28.00 instead of the $44.00 it cost last time we took a cab to downtown.
Check-in at Plaza - South Tower - was very quick and the air in the casino was fresh. I can't do very smokey casinos or the ones where they fire in lots of air freshener/chemical. Four Queens has started doing that and I can't spend time in their casino anymore. The room is quite well renovated, nice desk, sofa, king bed, flat-screen TV, small bathroom/toilet with sink outside. View is to the other tower over the disused tennis courts. But we do get to see some downtown lights and some mountains in the distance.
We were pleased to see that the internet came up right away and that we could use more than one device per room. Bottled water is also supplied to the rooms - part of resort fee I guess. Went to use the desk and the lamp wouldn't work. Moved the lamp and it worked fine - it was the wall socket that was broken.
Decided to shower and go down to the casino. The drain was plugged!
Set out from the 9th floor at 10:00 p.m. - arrived 10:35! Turns out that 4 of the 6 South Tower elevators had broken down on their busiest night. When one finally stopped with space we entered and it went to the 3rd floor - which everyone assumed was 1st floor - and we all got off and walked into a huge worldwide convention of The Majestics (Low-Rider nuts - I believe both cars and pants from what we saw ) Then the fun started - no more elevators except ones packed like sardines. Some of the Majestic guys decided to walk to north tower to see if that was any better and we went with them - it wasn't. Then one of them remembered an escalator so we all went looking for that - it was out of service and blocked off. I said that I was going to move the barrier and walk down it. Just then a guy who had been sitting reading his newspaper told me to go to Oscars - walk through and stay left and I'll find another elevator. I did and the people there told me they had been waiting 15 minutes. Finally an elevator stopped - packed - and we told them it wasn't moving until we all squashed in - amazing it moved but it did and we finally hit the casino.
First stop was to sign up for the players club. Their promotion is that they will refund the first $100.00 that you lose - in 2 installments. My wife and I each lost $100.00 - which was quite difficult - we kept winning!
Sunday
Next morning went back to players club and they gave each of us a $50.00 freeplay, and told us to come back tomorrow for another one. That is an awesome promotion. After getting our freeplay we went to Dupars for breakfast. It was packed and after a 25 minute wait we got seats at the counter. I was really surprised at the high number of meals being sent back - ours was excellent.
After Dupars we wandered around Fremont for a while - it is really turning into a freak show but at least it has some character - I still love it - we went to the Four Queens. Really sorry to report that one of my favourite casinos is still pumping massive amounts of "air freshener" into the place. My allergies kicked in within one minute and I had to leave. Don't understand it, they used to have good air quality. Did the filters break down? Are they hosting smokers with cheap perfume conventions? Are they offering prizes for the stinkiest guest? Whatever they are doing I will not be able to stay there anymore. The air in Magnolias has always been OK - we are going to try hurrying through the casino tomorrow evening to Magnolias - we'll see how that goes!
So - today turned into a not so great Vegas experience. I stopped using cabs in Vegas a couple of years ago - I was so sick of fighting about long-hauling. It was nothing to do with the money - it was about being cheated. Arriving in Vegas to a fight with a cab driver ruined my whole night. Looking at the true cost of a night in Vegas - airfare, time away from business etc. I was not about to have it ruined by a cab driver so we quit spending $80.00 on cabs and started spending $150.00 on rental cars. The peace of mind was worth a lot more than the extra $70.00 - to me.
Well this was a last minute trip and I booked a car but then discovered that the parks were closed - so I cancelled it.
Plaza Players Club has 4 levels - Jack, Queen, King, (Prize if anyone can guess the last one) and there was a notice in the elevator that said that they would elevate us to any level that we held in any other casino. We have Gold for M Group so I went to the players club and showed them my Gold card. They said that would take us over Queen straight to King. (Keep trying to guess the last one - there will be a test later). The guy then said, "Oh - I see that it has expired - you will need to get it renewed. And THAT is how I bought into the Vegas BS that I swore I would never buy into again! Out to the street - jump in a cab - Mirage - Main Street and Strip. He did a U-turn. Why did you U-turn - the Stratosphere was directly ahead of us. I am taking the Freeway. No you are not - I told you Main and Strip. Cabbie - I am sick of you people - I am going to dump you right here in the street. I told him to do exactly that so he did an other U-turn - this is all on our meter - and took off down Main. I told him to dump us in the street as threatened and he put his foot down and took off. So we arrive at the Mirage with an incredibly upset cab driver - and I even gave him a decent tip - Don't Worry, Be Happy was one of my favourite songs So we go to M Life Players Club and they told us that our cards had reset to Sapphire at the end of September ! Out we go to get a cab. We got a Yemeni driver - and I told him - Plaza - Strip to Strat then take Main. OK - that was clear - he is on his cellphone the entire time - telling whoever he was speaking to about this fare that is telling him how to drive. Sometimes an ability to speak Arabic is a plus in Vegas cabs. He turned for the Freeway and I told him to stick to the strip - another really upset Cabbie. Arrived back at Plaza After 2 miserable cab rides - and no gold card! I an NEVER taking a cabin Vegas again - I'll walk first! After that things really picked up. No big wins but I played VP for over 5 hours and came out $30.00 up - and that was out of the freeplay. Dinner at the buffet at Fremont. 2 for 1 coupon - good value at $15.00 for 2. Bought a bottle of Scotch. Heading down Fremont away from the Plaza the place on the right wanted $39.00 and the place on the left wanted $26.
Got back to the Plaza - must report that the elevators are working OK now - the place is much quieter - Saturday was a Zoo! Very happy to hear from RecVP Player who was driving in today and staying at the same hotel - so we are meeting tomorrow morning for a breakfast drink and a chat. Looking forward to that.
Watched TV and had a couple glasses of Scotch - then decided to go back down to the Casino for a quick visit. Sat down and put my ongoing voucher from my freeplay in - nothing. nothing. 4 of a kind. straight flush - then up and down for 30 minutes. Came away having added to my freeplay voucher - all in all a good day.
Monday -
Plan is to meet RecVP Player. He was supposed to be in Sun afternoon but work got in the way so we couldn't connect then. Woke early and made coffee and watched the news. As usual it ranged from sad (refugee boats sinking) to pathetic (overpaid politicians trying to look important and failing miserably) and the weather. Then downstairs - pretend to act like a health nut - yoghurt and coffee - hold the eggs, bacon, sausage (we'll come back later Then play some VP then back to room. RecVP Player had said that he would call and he did at around 9:30. We had a good chat and he said that he hadn't arrived until 3:00 a.m. so we agreed that he should go back to bed and we would meet at 11:30 a.m..
Went for a walk along Fremont Street. Usual collection of loonies and beggars. I picked out a couple that in my opinion needed a hand and gave then a $5.00. Then I saw an old lady in a wheelchair, reminded me of my mother before she passed away, hunched over and really out of what was going on. and a guy standing next to her with a sign saying, "Every Little Helps" I went over to him and gave him hell for using the old lady as a tool for his begging. I think that he thought I was going to give him something - he was shocked!
Last time I was downtown I saw some splat balls and was going to buy one for my granddaughter. Decided to buy it the next day but came back and they had all gone. Today I found them again and bought some.
Back to Plaza and went to the coffee shop to meet RecVP Player. What a super-nice guy. We chatted for about 90 minutes about anything and everything - very comfortable conversation - felt as though I had known him for years - which of course I had - but only online. Obviously he gave me some good VP advice - he is the VP guy! and I will be using my Dancer Software to learn the machines that he recommended. After we parted Robbin and I went for our free lunch - courtesy of Plaza -then went to check out the new poker room. First electronic poker room I have ever been in. The host, Dave, showed us how to use the table and how to register and buy-in and has invited us back tomorrow for a free game to try it out . Good guy - I hope it works for him. Next was the Slot tournament - 1 entry for 100 points earned in one day. We had each earned over 400 points so got 4 entries each - which, as it turned out, wasn't enough!
Played some more VP, had a great cocktail server who really looked after us - then over to Four Queens for Dinner. Lines were huge so went to Binions instead. Them watched my favourite free entertainment for 30 minutes - Carl "Safe Sax" Ferris - love that guy. On the way back stopped to watch the clay modelling guy who does faces - very talented - then the Light Show - Heart - it was OK - then back to gamble - Held my own. Finally back to the room for a couple of drinks , watch TV and make a couple of notes.
Tuesday
Lazy morning. Coffee & TV then down for a snack. Played VP for an hour - Came away up $40.00. Check out the Poker Room - dead - so walk down Fremont to check out the Golden Nugget sharks. Walking through the GN casino we saw a sign for Texas Hold'Em Bonus lesson just about to start so we sat down ald learned for 20 minutes. I never miss a chance at a lesson. It is fun, I learn something, and I get to play the game for the cost of a tip. Leaving the casino I saw a flyer that someone had left. 2 Tickets for Gordy Brown, 2 Drinks, 2 Dinner Buffets - $49.00! Went to box office and bought it - better deal than the LVA coupon. After that we wandered Fremont and decided to get a snack at Binions. Saw a Deal or No Deal Machine, watched it a while and joined in. Won $88.00. Remembered that you get free stuff for earning a few points there so went to the card-swipe and won $10.00 in non-negotiable chips. Put them on Red Roulette and Red came up. Left while I was ahead.
Back to Plaza for the slot tournament - we had earned enough points for 4 entries each - it wasn't enough. Back to room watched some TV, went down and played some more VP. Left Plaza at 6:55 to catch the light show on way to Plaza. It was the Patriotic one - one of my favourites. Made our way through the freaks and pornslappers, pan-handlers and wide-eyed tourists to Golden Nugget. Gordie Brown was great - and we were upgraded to the VIP section totally different show from last time, and the GN Dinner Buffet has really improved - it was a very good dinner buffet. Back to Plaza for more VP - the cocktail waitresses there are some of the most attentive downtown. Decent drinks as fast as you want them. A young naive-looking southern boy was playing Keno and won a jackpot - About 4000 coins . He ran around all the players in the area telling everyone that he had been down to his last $20, is about to get married and now he won a jackpot. He left and came back a while later to introduce his bride. Nice couple.
Going home Wednesday. Asked front desk for a late checkout - no problem. We really enjoyed the Plaza. Apart from the overcrowded Saturday night the elevators worked fine with very little wait. We had a blocked drain that was fixed. One electrical outlet in the room didn;t work - but we didn't need it. We liked the quality of the furnishings in the room. The staff were great - without exception. The $10.00 resort fee which I really resisted was decent value - we could run my computer and both out playbooks on the included Wifi - and I have to have Wifi as I stay in touch with my clients through Skype and email. The resort fee also included Gym, and bottled water daily. I ran $6,000.00 through over 4 days. My wife ran closer to $7,000.00 through over 4 days. And we both came away slightly up. I know a loss has to come soon but right now we are enjoying the ride. It will be interesting to see what level of offers we get for that amount of play. Time for 30 minutes TV and bed. Decided we won't gamble here tomorrow morning as it would lower our daily average play.
Wednesday
Wed morning in Plaza South Tower - only 1 out of 6 elevators working - they are having big problems with those elevators. Walked to GN for Craps lesson. Breakfast at Dupres. Packing for airport - will have to leave earlier than planned as we don't know how long we'll wait for the elevator!
Went to Players Club to see if we had earned anything. They moved us up a tier and told us to go and meet the host. We now have a host there - Jeff. Treated us like royalty and told us that he will take care of our next trip and see that we are looked after.
Summary - Room had a couple of issues but they were resolved. Furnishings were of good quality and bed was the most comfortable I have had downtown. I love the vibe in the casino. Cocktail service was the best I have experienced downtown. I play 9/6 J or B. They had 9/5 J or B. So my projected loss is in the region of $1.50 per $100.00. That equates to about $22.00 a day. For that I get awesome cocktail service, a host who treats me like Royalty, a great vibe and a very comfortable room (I'm assuming they will fix the elevators!) The Resort Fee (Which I won't be paying any more) was actually great value.
Our Christmas trip is already booked - 7 Nights Aquarius Laughlin and 5 nights MSS.
But after that . . .
I have a new favourite Downtown Hotel!
Thanks to the $100.00 rebate I came out about $30.00 ahead from Plaza - but also won almost $100.00 at Binions. My wife was down about $450.00. I have been very lucky the last few trips - just enjoying the ride while it lasts. Arrived home to find I had won $126.00 on the lottery!
Thanks for reading.
Tonyrob
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