Where is my Las Vegas going?

[pirate44]

the Stardust Hotel Casino is announcing they arent taking any more reservations past the end of October. This is kinda sad. ive stayed there 3 times and although it isnt considered a player in todays hotel boom, it was a fun, historic place. i understand the town is in constant change, but its sad to see one of the old, venerable places dissapear. i was sad to see the end of the El Rancho (even though it was never an "important" casino), since it was the first place i ever stayed. i was sad to see the Hacienda go (my second place to stay) even though what was built in its place is a magnificent place to stay and play. I teared up at the demo of the Dunes, replaced by my favorite hotel, the Bellagio. and the demo of the Sands was the ultimate dissapointment. i never stayed there, but i did go to a show at the Copa room, the former stomping grounds of the Rat Pack. I love the history of this town all the way back to the original land auction in 1905. I understand that for this type of city, change is necessary. and in the cases as the Hacienda/Mandalay Bay, Dunes/Bellagio, Desert Inn/Wynn, Sands/Venitian there have been improvements. I hope the tearing down of the Stardust will bring an equally magnificent place. but it will be sad. Tropicana, Frontier, Sahara, will be next. :(

http://www.agilitynut.com/p/stardust2.jpg


http://arestravel.com/appimages/hotels/74/1074/description.jpg

[GreenMonster]

FoFo, I feel you Bro. Last year I made my first of what will be many trips to Las Vegas (we loved it, had a blast) and stayed in the Sahara. Yeah it was fairly inexpensive but that isn't why I chose it. I picked it over the Luxor and several downtown hotel/casinos mainly because of the "old school Vegas" charm that came along with it. I wasn't disappointed either, there were pictures all over that place from back in it's heyday. There were so many bigger than life stars filling their walls that there is no way that I possibly could have seen them all. It is a shame that "old school" Vegas has to come down for "modern Vegas" to go up.

[underware]

I've been going to Vegas twice a year since '92. I've seen all the changes and it ain't good. It's all Corporate Profits now. I hear TI, liked it better when it was Treasure Island, has a computer system that distributes liquor so theres no overages by the bartenders. Geez, No cheap hotels, food is really expensive now, and now they have very few, if any, free drinks. Only for the Table players.

/hanging head

[AggieJohn]

Originally posted by underware
I've been going to Vegas twice a year since '92. I've seen all the changes and it ain't good. It's all Corporate Profits now. I hear TI, liked it better when it was Treasure Island, has a computer system that distributes liquor so theres no overages by the bartenders. Geez, No cheap hotels, food is really expensive now, and now they have very few, if any, free drinks. Only for the Table players.

/hanging head everything is so commercial

[Adidas410s]

it's sad that the "best value" meals in Las Vegas these days are the buffets at MGM and Aladdin...and they run you $25-30. (Though I must say the MGM buffet...worth every dollar!) If you want cheap drinks...sit down at a nickel slot machine that's close to a decent table game or the poker room and you can get a lot of drinks...toss them a dollar every time and they will keep showing up. Want to play blackjack for less than $5 per hand??? Go downtown or hit one of the mini-casinos (i.e. Barbary Coast). Other than that...get ready for the man to get you down. Las Vegas is turning itself into more of an entertainment city (clubs, restaurants, golf courses, shopping, shows, etc.) and less of a gambling and sex city all the time. It's in their best interests in the long run because it will go a long way to improving the image with the general public. However...it definitely makes things a lot more expensive! :(

[underware]

A couple of other good places is Slot-o-Fun at Circus and O'Shea by the Flamingo.

[pirate44]

i remember the days when youd tip a maitre'd (sp) $20 to get a good seat at a show. no more. i used to love staying at TI. after Wynn sold it it slowly lost that old vegas service. id reserve an executive suite and they comp me the tower suite and a bottle of champagne. the last time i stayed there in 2002 though, no room upgrade and i had to ask for a bottle of chapagne (that was comped though).
on a stay at the golden nugget (another former wynn property), i was trapped in the elevator for half an hour going to my room. when they came to get me out, no comps, only questions as if i did something wrong. back in the 80's i would have gotten a free room and dinner at Stefanos.

I went to a Rat Pack show at the sahara a few years ago. the feel was similar to the old days at the copa. now with all the Cirque shows and broadway junk, its difficult to find a good show to go to in the evening. theres nothing like the old shows like Lido, and Enter the Night. true vegas.

the room rates and food prices are the biggest evidence its gone downhill. back in the mid-80s i could get a breakfast buffet for $2. last time i was there, $10 breakfast was a steal. ive spent almost $20 for breakfast at Paris:mad:
golden nugget rooms (4 star quality) were $39 in the summer as recent as 1999. you cant even get a motor room at circus circus for that much

[pirate44]

underware was right on the money about the drink service. its hard to come by a cocktail waitress in the slot banks. and if you do, they will make sure you wait enough time to drop $50. and i have always tipped $1 each time.

[44INAROW]

Originally posted by pirate44
underware was right on the money about the drink service. its hard to come by a cocktail waitress in the slot banks. and if you do, they will make sure you wait enough time to drop $50. and i have always tipped $1 each time.

Yep, we stayed at the Nugget a couple of weeks ago, I personally drank some $75 "free" drinks playing blackjack....... You'd think a cocktail waitress with legs that go up to her armpits could walk faster than that :rolleyes:

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by pirate44
underware was right on the money about the drink service. its hard to come by a cocktail waitress in the slot banks. and if you do, they will make sure you wait enough time to drop $50. and i have always tipped $1 each time.

the best bet on cocktail waitresses is at Bellagio. There are nickel slots that are right by their poker room and they usually have at least 2 or 3 girls working the poker room...and they walk right by the slots to go to the bar. So every time they come by...I stop them and ask for a drink. It can be a good time without having to wait to long for a drink. I can sit and play Wheel of Fortune for an hour...lose $25...and have had 5 or 6 grey goose and tonics at the same time!:D :D :D

[pirate44]

Originally posted by Adidas410s
the best bet on cocktail waitresses is at Bellagio. There are nickel slots that are right by their poker room and they usually have at least 2 or 3 girls working the poker room...and they walk right by the slots to go to the bar. So every time they come by...I stop them and ask for a drink. It can be a good time without having to wait to long for a drink. I can sit and play Wheel of Fortune for an hour...lose $25...and have had 5 or 6 grey goose and tonics at the same time!:D :D :D
i got decent service at Bellagio playing dollar slots. buts that was a rarity

[Blastoderm55]

That's why I stay downtown. Its still cheap there. :D

[pirate44]

Originally posted by Blastoderm55
That's why I stay downtown. Its still cheap there. :D
downtown is going downhill too. Becky Binion ran the horshoe into the groud. those internet geeks just about did the same to the Golden Nugget. The Pioneer is just a gift shop, and the service isnt near what it was before the canopy was installed.
now Landry's owns the Nugget, Harrahs owns the horshoe and who knows who owns the rest.

[Blastoderm55]

Originally posted by pirate44
downtown is going downhill too. Becky Binion ran the horshoe into the groud. those internet geeks just about did the same to the Golden Nugget. The Pioneer is just a gift shop, and the service isnt near what it was before the canopy was installed.
now Landry's owns the Nugget, Harrahs owns the horshoe and who knows who owns the rest.

So stay at The Plaza for $29 a night and then go to the $2 Blackjack table at the Four Queens and get drinks out the wahzoo.

On a side note, I find it hilarious that some of the same people who reply with "that's how the world works" in regards to other topics about financial desparity are now complaining that Vegas is all about corporate profit. Of all places, you'd figure Vegas above all else would be about nothing but corporate profit. Go figure. :D

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by pirate44
downtown is going downhill too. Becky Binion ran the horshoe into the groud. those internet geeks just about did the same to the Golden Nugget. The Pioneer is just a gift shop, and the service isnt near what it was before the canopy was installed.
now Landry's owns the Nugget, Harrahs owns the horshoe and who knows who owns the rest.

I think that Harrah's bought the Horseshoe so that they could move the WSOP out of there. They run the WSOP as well and have moved it to the Rio...even the final table of the Main Event is at the Rio. I have heard rumors going around that they may consider moving it to Caesars in the next few yerars. I don't like what they have done with the tourney personally. They can play the other events wherever...but the Main Event belongs at Binion's!!! :mad:

I still want to stay at the Nugget sometime. In my three trips to Las Vegas...I still haven't been downtown and I want to check it out.

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by Blastoderm55
So stay at The Plaza for $29 a night and then go to the $2 Blackjack table at the Four Queens and get drinks out the wahzoo.

On a side note, I find it hilarious that some of the same people who reply with "that's how the world works" in regards to other topics about financial desparity are now complaining that Vegas is all about corporate profit. Of all places, you'd figure Vegas above all else would be about nothing but corporate profit. Go figure. :D

I think people point out the corporate profit part because all of the big strip casinos are owned by corporations (MGM, Harrah's, etc) instead of by individuals or a small group of investors.

[KTJ]

Was there in January. I had fun.

[CHS_CG]

I WENT TO LAS VEGAS IN 2004 BUT IT WAS JUST TO STOP FOR THE NIGHT ON THE WAY HOME. SINCE MY GRANDMA USED TO LIVE LESS THAN 5 MILES FROM THE RIVERBOATS IN KANSAS CITY SHE HAD COMPS FOR HARRAH'S OUT THE BUTT SO WE GOT A HUGE SUITE FOR FREE.. IT WAS PRETTY AWESOME!

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by CHS_CG
WE GOT A HUGE SUIT FOR FREE..

Did it come with a big tall cowboy hat too??? :p

[CHS_CG]

Originally posted by Adidas410s
Did it come with a big tall cowboy hat too??? :p


I SWEAR SPELLING POLICE I MISS ONE LIL FREAKIN LETTER!:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by CHS_CG
I SWEAR SPELLING POLICE I MISS ONE LIL FREAKIN LETTER!:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

no it was just how I read the statement and it made me laugh...there was something else I could point out but I didn't! ;)

[pirate44]

corporations have done wonders for vegas. if the mob had continued to run the casinos, there would be no las vegas. thats why they sold out. they were running the places in the ground by the skims and had the opportunity to get bailed out. they were able to keep the old time mafia style service for awhile though. unfortunately, turning it into a family friendly destination (early '90s) was the end of good service and good deals. when they realized "family" was a losing idea (around 2000), they returned it to the "what happens in vegas stays in vegas" type destination but keeping the high prices and poor service. now they maintain 95% occupancy almost year round, so why change things? its sad, but that seems to be the evolution of sin city.