Vegas Hotel Advice

[Maura]

A group of us are going to LV in January for
the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)... actually, I'm
going for the poker; they're going for CES....

Some of the hotels being considered are
a. Sam's Town
b. Riviera
c. Circus Circus

does anyone have any insight into these hotels, or can
anyone suggest other "cheap" hotels they have found acceptable?

thanks
~Maura

[highlife]

Unless you love thousands of screaming kids, its a definate no go on Circus Circus.

Sam's Town is supposedly a great value if you don't mind the bad location (off the strip) and the large majority of the players being locals.

The Riviera is somewhat more expensive than Circus and Sam's. I've heard its a decent place but for a similar price the Tropicana or Flamingo offer better value and better amenities.

In the Circus Circus price range I would recommend Sahara or Gold Coast instead, perhaps Statusphere if you don't mind being way up north on the strip.

[Dominic]

Maura, spend a little more money and stay at The Westin. It's just off the strip (you can walk to it), it has a very nice, small casino with no kids, and all their rooms offer "The Heavenly Bed!" If you don't know what that is, go their web site...it's worth it...I was just there over the 4th of July weekend and paid $100 a night...not a bad deal at all. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[highlife]

no offense dominic but people dont go to vegas to sleep!

i've never been there but in reading about the Westin it seems like a very boring hotel for the price and offstrip location. its like a business hotel with a few table games and slot machines, virtually no entertainment or restaurants.

[RydenStoompala]

If you are going just to play cards, with no regard for ambience (which from you list I would think is a good assumption) then the list of possible hotels is a long one. If you can get CES rates somewhere good, take them. For the very different forget the Stratosphere (way too out of the way and it's a bit of a freak show) and try weird little spots like Barbary Coast. Stay at the Mone Carlo and get a poker rate...not much more money; not a bad hotel.

[Dynasty]

I always reccomend people stay on the Strip so Sam's town is out.

Circus Circus and the Riviera are directly across the street from each other. So, they basically have the same location. Circus Circus and Stardust are the rooms very close to those hotels. The Sahara and Mirage are each about 10 minute walks away (in opposite directions).

[chromakey]

Look for the Sahara at expedia.com. I got a $45 a night rate there. It's nothing to write home about. The rooms are clean and it has cheap gambling in the casino. The staff is really friendly too. The poker room is so-so, only low-limit stuff. The monorail opens soon too and that'll take you right to the heart of the strip.

[RydenStoompala]

Good post. Good idea.

[GaylordFocker]

I was in Vegas last year during the CES Convention.

We got a rate of around $80/nt @ Barbary Coast. Nice little Casino/hotel with one of the best locations on the strip.

My recommendations for cheaper rooms with excellent locations: Barbary Coast, Imperial Palace, Casino Royale. All real close to a lot of good poker rooms on the strip (Mirage, Bellagio, etc.)

[bwana devil]

dont know about the others, but circus blows. i stayed there a few years ago. booked it and paid for 3 nights. after the first night, we ditched it and just left it empty for the last 2. it was that bad. we got rooms at the paris instead.

for hotel prices check out biddingfortravel.com (this place rocks when you want to check out expected hotel prices on priceline. it's a board, much like 2+2 that people post bidding prices and strategies.

[usual bs about not being affiliated w/ either of those sites]

edit: i guess it would be useful to say why i didnt like circus. it was way too crowded w/ kids. walking anywhere, there are mobs of 10 year olds running into you not looking out. theyre all over the place. the casino is therefore filled w/ the kids' parents. not the vegas atmosphere i was looking for.

but the circus breakfast buffet does rock.