In a way, I agree. The first time someone used the “Sandwiched 20″ technique, I almost freaked out because I felt that I was guilt tripped into needing to upgrade the guest. And I felt almost too awkward to hand the $20 back. To this day, my stomach still turns when the technique is used. What I do for myself after I see the bill, is placing the bill ON the desk in full view, and if the guest wants me to keep it, then I keep it. It still gives the guest an option to take the money back, even though the devil in me is telling me to keep it. But in the end, the real question is: Does the “Sandwiched Technique” really work in Vegas?

Bottom line, yes, because everyone loves money. It is absolutely up to the front desk agent if they would like to participate in the deal. If they decide to, then of course it’s a yes.
But here are a few signs to help you determine whether the technique worked:

When is it a ‘Yes, you will get something better’?
- When you see the agent smile and say “I’ll see what I can do for you”

When is it a ‘No, you need to pay for it through the hotel’?
- When it’s a sold out night
- When you see the agent squirm
- When they don’t say anything at all and hand it back to you with your ID and credit card
CAUTION: Some agents will keep the bill regardless of whether or not you got an upgrade. In their eyes, they already made the extra effort for you.

I personally do not like the sandwich technique. The sure way of not losing your bill, get that upgrade (if not on a sold out night) AND have the agent feel more comfortable?

1. Place a $20 bill in clear view for the agent to see on the desk without handing it to them. Trust me, they’ll know what that means.

2. If the agent doesn’t upgrade you, you could just ask for change instead. (You could still tip a small amount if you would like if you felt the agent really tried.)

3. If the agent did indeed upgrade you, fold up the bill after the whole check-in process is done and hand it to the agent. That way, you are technically tipping them for their wonderful service, instead of the sneaky maneuver of paying them secretly to upgrade you in the beginning. (It really is all based on technicality)

I’m sure half of you don’t really care about how the agents feel as long as you get that upgrade. But the more comfortable the agent is and the faster you make the agent realize there is a tip, the higher your chances of getting a room with a better view or an upgrade. Here is a site called FrontDeskTip.com that provides some statistics on each hotel in Vegas and the probability of getting upgrades using the sandwich technique. (I’d take the the statistics with a grain of salt. Hotels with more rooms will have a higher success rate.)

If you definitely want a room that’s bigger or one with a better view this summer, I’d suggest paying just a little bit extra to secure the room when making a reservation. Because during summer time? It’s a sold out night almost every night.

Best of luck future Vegas travelers!

Here are a couple tips to help you summer vacation in Vegas go smoothly. These tips WON’T guarantee that you will get what you want (since nothing is ever guaranteed), but merely a guide to increase your chances of getting the room you desire.

TIP 1: Arrive Early

Like I said before, arriving early is key to getting what you want. Summer season is Vegas most busiest season which means sold out hotels everywhere. If you want to secure the bed type or a view, it is best to arrive early to check in.

TIP 2: Call to Confirm

Not able to check in early? Give the hotel front desk a call to give them an estimated time that you will be arriving. You may even ask if they are able to assign you the room type you would like. But nothing is safe if you are planning to arrive late, because nothing is guaranteed. But it never hurts to try

TIP 3: Pay for those Queens

Got a family of 4 and definitely in need of two beds? Pay for the extra person(s) charge and you will most likely be guaranteed of having 2 beds. Most hotels (on sold out nights) will assign queen beds to those that have paid for the extra person’s charge. Or, some hotels offer bed guarantee fees. That extra $20 won’t seem so bad when you get the two queens and the people next to you have to squeeze 4 in one king bed and a rollaway.

TIP 4: Be Prepared to be in Line

Like I said before, summer is the busiest time in Vegas, so be prepared to be in a line anywhere you go. Whether you are at the airport or checking in at the hotel, don’t expect anything to be speedy, especially with check in.

TIP 5: Use the Express Check Out Options

Even though you may have a slow check in experience, you can have a speedy check out process. All hotels allow check outs via the TV in the room. Simply check the bill on the TV, and press a button to check yourself out. Some hotels are even offering check outs through texting from your phone for your convenience. If all technology fails you, simply call down to the front desk from your room to check out.

CAUTION: You May Get Walked

No matter how long ago you booked and no matter where you booked your reservation (unless you are from a convention group), there is that 1% chance of you being walked (being redirected to another hotel) by the hotel on a sold out night. I have no idea how the hotel picks which guests they walk, but it seems at random and the lucky (or unlucky) guest will be sent on their destination. Hotels usually will pay for cab fare for the guest if they don’t have their own car, and usually compensates at least the first night of their stay. It is almost never a pleasant experience, but look on the bright side because sometimes you may end up getting a better deal. (And never hesitate to ask for more compensation, especially if you are getting downgraded to a worst hotel)

The last caution isn’t meant to scare anyone off, but it is a common thing that will happen when the hotel overbooks themselves. It does not matter how long ago you made the reservation, or how many times you’ve stayed at the hotel. People are randomly chosen based on the number of nights of their stay. And yes, generally wholesale reservations are first ones picked. If you booked through the casino or through a convention group, then you are generally safe from being walked by the hotel.

Good luck with booking your summer vacation and see you out there in the sun!

Caesar’s Palace Garden of the Gods

Open to the Public?
YES

Prices:
All Non-hotel guests have to be 21 and over to enter the pool
Women: Free
Men: $20 (Thursday~Sunday)

Pool hours: 8 AM – 8 PM

As the name suggests, Caesar’s Palace pool does indeed make you feel like a god. With 7 different pools all named after Roman Gods and planets, you can choose which pool to relax in at different hours of your visit. Need a good tan? Station yourself at the Apollo Pool, the Roman god of light and sun. Hungry and need some fun? Try the Fortuna Pool, the Roman goddess of luck will assist you in a couple of hands of swim-up blackjack. Once you enter the pool area, all you can do is look at the whole landscape in awe. An awesome oasis in the desert indeed.

The Cosmopolitan Boulevard Pool

Open to the Public?
NO, but the public is allowed to visit the pool area

Prices: N/A

Pool Hours:
Sunday-Thursday: 8am~8pm
Friday-Saturday: 8 am~12am

Like the hotel itself, Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool is posh and is vibrant with energy. Whether you go during the day or during the night, it is simply just a beautiful spot to be in. Although only hotel guests are the only ones that are able to use the pools, there are still plenty of things to see for the general public. Other than the swimming pools, the Blvd Pool offers games like ping pong, billards, and foosball to entertain guests. There are also tv’s around the pool area for people to catch their favorite teams. The seats all around the pools are so comfortable that you could literally sleep on it, and the view of the strip is great, even allowing you to see the Bellagio fountains on the left side of the pool. The Cosmopolitan pool is also one of the few pools that opens till midnight on the weekends. Can I get a hot tub?

Mandalay Bay Beach

Open to the Public?
YES, but closed to the public on high demand days

Prices: (per adult, child, baby)
Monday~Thursday- Locals $20 Non-Locals $30
Friday~Sunday: $40 for all

Pool hours: 9 AM – 7 PM

If you’d like to see a beach in the desert, then the Mandalay Bay Beach is the place for you. The Lagoon takes up 11 acres, with 27,000 tons of imported sand and a huge wave pool, it really makes you feel like you’re at the beach. Other than the wave pool, there are a couple of pools you can chill in, including the lazy river, where you can just float around all day. The only downside is that during super busy days there is limited seating, so it’s fairly difficult to find a place to settle down. Mandalay Bay Beach also holds beach concerts; past musicians include Adam Lambert, Daughtry, and Colbie Collete. There is also a beach side casino that hosts blackjack, roulette and craps with a great view of the lagoon. Overall, the atmosphere is great and the environment is very family friendly. Want a more adult atmosphere? Head to the Moorea Beach Club, a European style pool (which means ladies can be topless, most likely a guy’s dream). All in all, Mandalay Bay Beach is definitely a great place to be on your Vegas vacation, be it with family or friends!

There are just so many pools available on the strip, and I haven’t even gotten the chance to visit them all. But these 3 so far have caught my attention with the atmosphere, pool design, and environment. The current fad for Vegas hotels is to create Party Pools, like Wet Republic at MGM Grand or the Hard Rock Hotel’s Rehab or European Style pools like Moorea at Mandalay or BARE at the Mirage. One of the best atmosphere’s I’ve experienced was at the Monte Carlo Pool. Everyone was out having a great time, throwing footballs at the small wave pool, and playing beach volleyball. My point is that, whether you’re looking for a party atmosphere or just relaxation, the pools in Vegas will never fail to disappoint. Just make sure to bring some sunblock  and avoid being turned into beef jerky!

3 day sale (last day today) – Rates start at $71

Mandalay Bay

Spring Break 2011 Promotion - Rates start at $79

30% off Room Rates (use code under ‘offer code’): PSCA35

Monte Carlo

Summer Escape 2011 - Rates start at $56

MGM Grand

Spring Break 2011 Promotion - Rates start at $70

The Cosmopolitan

Click for different deals - Cocktails, passes to Marquee Day & Night Club, Late check out and more

Caesar’s Palace

Click for different deals - Buffet passes, Celion Dion tickets and more

Treasure Island

TI Palooza (Spring & Summer Sale) – Up to 35% off standard room rates and Mystere show tickets and much more

TV Ad Special – Rates start from $79 (Sun-Thur) 2-for-1 tickets, dinner and much more

1. We always need to see a form of Identification and Credit Card at check In

This seems simple, but a lot of guests often don’t realize just how important an ID is for front desk agents. Many guests will check in, tell us their name, and expect us to check them in without any proof of identity. Some guests roll their eyes or ask ‘really?’ before taking their ID’s out. Yes, it may be a tedious task to pull out your ID from your wallet, but we have to make sure that you are who you say you are… and to make sure that you are 21 or older. And yes, if you lose your key and you want to get another one, you’ll have to show your ID again. (There are guests that get annoyed only because they think it’s pointless.) Trust me; it’s not pointless, unless you want us to let strangers into your room. This leads me to point number 2.


2. Please add your guest’s name(s) to the reservation.

The point of adding another person’s name to the reservation is so that your guest can check into the reservation if you are running late, or for them to have authorization for extra room keys. All too often, a guest comes to the front desk because they lost their key, only to find out their friend didn’t add their name to the reservation, which in turn means they cannot receive a key. Not just friends, sometimes the husband doesn’t even add the wife’s name to the reservation. The process is so that we don’t just give out keys to random people. Yes, there really are psycho girlfriends and wives out there that track down their significant others in Vegas. It’s for YOUR security that we don’t give out keys to random people, and only to the people authorized for keys. It’s for your security, we’re not trying to make things harder.

3. Hotels on the Las Vegas strip do not offer free breakfast or slip the final bill under your door.

Please understand why we don’t slip your final bill under your door on the morning of your check out. Hotels often have more than 3000 hotel rooms, so we don’t have the man power to go through all that. Also, can you imagine how much paper we would be wasting? So the next time you check out and want complain that we’re not like the Holiday Inn and give you your bill under the door, just know that you can look-up bill on the television in your room. Also, we’re not like Comfort Inn or the Holiday Inn where we offer free continental breakfast. Food in Vegas is never free.

4. Please understand if we can’t get all 4 rooms on the same floor and all with a view of the strip.

We know that you want your vacation to be perfect, but sometimes, even if we try our hardest, what you want just isn’t available. Sometimes having one reservation with 3 requests is hard enough to handle, but multiply that by 3, and It doesn’t get any easier. I once had a guest that got upset because he had 5 rooms, and 1 didn’t have the view he wanted.  Yes, 4 out of 5 rooms were perfect but 1, and he couldn’t care less about how it was a sold out night. Please understand that we do all that we can to make you happy, we do! But sometimes you’ve got to compromise with us as well. For more about problems with special requests check out my previous post here.

5. Your Debit Card DOES NOT act like a Credit Card.

Most hotels want a credit card from a guest for ‘incidentals’. This allows you charging privileges from hotel restaurants, making sure you pay for your room, but most importantly, in case you trash your room. That’s why when the hotel swipes your card, it will usually put a certain amount on hold on your credit card just to make sure you are able to pay for it all. Along with your room and tax, they will put a hold of about $100/day. So staying for three nights? The hotel would probably hold $500+ depending on how much your stay is. That is all for a credit card.

Now debit cards? Hotel’s hate debit cards, especially since it limits a guest’s spending. But most importantly, if we just swiped your debit card, it will automatically take out your money (hence debit). Usually what hotel’s will do in this instance is to “hard charge” your card (basically you pay for your whole stay at check in) and see if you want to pay $100/night extra for charging privileges. Don’t tell us it’s the same thing, cause in our system, it isn’t.

6. Please only come to the desk when we make eye contact with you (when in a line)

There are times where we may have to finish our previous transaction, but if you come up to us when we are not ready to have a new guests it will either make us feel pressured, or feel bad because we can’t immediately assist you. One of the biggest pet peeves is when a guest comes up to the desk without me motioning that I was ready because I was finishing a transaction, and sound annoyed when I tell them politely “just one second”. Why are you angry at me? Don’t be annoyed, because that makes me annoyed (and yes, I can tell when a guest has an attitude). I know people can be frustrated with a long line, but we are doing the best we can! Which brings me to the next point…

7. If in line, please do not stand right behind the current guest I am assisting

That puts a lot of pressure on me as an agent…and makes the current guest uncomfortable. I’ve had guests that are waiting peeking over the shoulders of the current guest every five minutes to see if we’re done. That’s disrespectful and rude. I once had a current guest that actually turned around and told the guest in waiting to chill out. No one likes to be breathed down their neck.

8. Don’t be mad at us if your room isn’t ready… at 10am

Check out is at 11am, and usually, we will have some rooms ready at 12pm. But if they’re not, please understand why. If the previous night was at 100% occupancy, that usually means we have no empty rooms left over for the next day. For a hotel to turn around from a sold out night is difficult because it gives little breathing room for the next day. Housekeepers have to wait for the guest’s to check out before they go in. And even though we say that check out is at 11am, plenty of people tend to stay longer than that without telling us. Check in time is at 3pm, and we stated 3pm because those are the times that most of the rooms will be ready. And no, we cannot kick guests out of their rooms (a person was so mad that he couldn’t check in at 9:30am that he told me that he’ll tell the guests in his room to leave). Please don’t, as that just makes you sound like a disrespectful human being.

9. Please don’t whine at us to ‘hook you up’… and we cannot give out freebies like we own the place

Yes, ask for a complimentary upgrade, but please don’t be obnoxious about it. There is no way are we allowed to give any guest a complimentary upgrade to a two bedroom suite (yes, people are bold enough to ask about it) without reason. But if you are upgraded to a suite for a huge discount, make sure to take care of the agent with a tip. From my previous post, I talked about the different tiers of hotel rooms that a hotel has. You may get tier 2 or tier 3 complimentary, but definitely not above tier 3 (even if you slip in a $20). Asking multiple times does not help your case, it just makes us think that you are not listening to what we have to say, and that you just want to fish for freebies… which leads me to my last point. We cannot give out free spa passes or free show tickets. It never hurts to ask of course, but how you ask is the most important part. If you sound whiny and obnoxious, it not only makes us cringe, but really makes us not want to help you. My point is that we really don’t have the power to give out free things just because.

10. Please check out on time, unless given a late check out…and notify us when you’ve checked out

I cannot stress how frustrating it is for the hotel when the guest leaves but does not check out. They figured that if they just leave, the hotel will be okay. In fact, not checking out adds on more hassle then it is helpful, especially since the hotels in Vegas all have 2000+ rooms. The hotel has to send people up to the room later on to see if the room has been vacated. I understand the the guest may be lazy and don’t want to deal with standing in line in the lobby, but they could always call from the room to tell the front desk they will be vacating the room.

While some people leave and don’t check out, some people decide to ignore the 11am check out time and stay until 2pm or 3pm… without telling us. If you would like to have a late check out, please ask. On sold out days the hotel needs every room possible and have it cleaned ASAP for the next guest, and staying in the room past the designated time is just rude. Plus, housekeepers have to keep coming back to that particular room to see if they can go in to clean. Some people decide to abuse the fact that we cannot kick guests out. And trust me, if we could, we’d be charging people who stay later than they’re suppose to another night’s room and tax.

Most of these pointers are just common courtesy, because hotel workers are humans too! A lot of them were from my own experience from the industry night in and night out. Not all guests and travelers are rude, but a lot of them are clueless on how to be nice and respectful. They try to play the agents and the managers as if we don’t know our jobs, but they don’t realize that we know when they are fishing for free things. All in all, it’s good to be nice, because all the agents are there to help you with your vacation and they’ll be more willing to help you out. Also, here is a good article about housekeepers and what their job consists of.

Until next time!

When you are on a budget, you generally try to save as much money as possible on your vacation trip. But then you feel that since it is a vacation, you’d like to splurge a little bit. So you hop online to book a reservation and start to look at the suites that the hotels have to offer. You feel like you would like to have a larger room… but is it worth it?

When my friends and I visited MGM Grand a year ago, mid March for a birthday trip, we originally booked a Bungalow Suite room with two queen beds for $139 a night for two nights. It was already a fairly good deal especially since we were 7 college students on a budget. MGM’s largest suite, called the Marquee (a two bedroom suite), was selling at $600 a night at the time we booked and there was no way we could afford that. When we were checking in however, the agent told us that we could get the Marquee Suite for just $150 a night extra. $150! In total that would only be $290 a night instead of the $600 at the original price. Granted, we were lucky because their occupancy was low and it wasn’t super busy, but because of that, the hotel was willing to sell the suites at a discount. For us, it was a great deal because we are paying just a little more per person for a room that is 900 sq ft more. (Plus, it’s always better when you least expect it!)

Now I know not everyone is in need of a suite that large, so here is an example break down on the different tiers of room types based on the rooms at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Resort on the strip.

TIER 1: Deluxe Room (DR)    TIER 2: Spa Suite (SS)      TIER 3: Great Room Suite (GR)

TIER 4: SkyView Suite (SV)    TIER 5a: Two Bedroom      TIER 5b: Two Bedroom

[With 2 Kings]                 [With 1 King & 2 Queens]

TIER 6: Vista Suite  (VS)       TIER 7: Media Suite (MS)    TIER 8: Hospitality Suites

On average, having a suite that is the next tier up from a standard deluxe room will cost at least $30 more a night (see picture above for example). Usually when people think of a suite, they think of multiple rooms. But some hotels these days have ‘Spa Suites’ which is just a regular room that is 30-50 sq ft larger with a bigger bathtub.  In my opinion, that is not worth the extra money, especially since hotel’s use those as the ‘complimentary upgrade’ rooms.  Depending on the occupancy sometimes you’ll be able to get an upgrade for a much lower price at the time of check in.

For complimentary upgrades, it never hurts to ask if there are any available when you check in. But keep in mind that most upgrades will only have 1 bed in the room (so if you need 2 beds, you better stick with the standard room).  And as stated in the previous post,  if the agent that is checking you in had decided to take care of you and give you the complimentary upgrade, then make sure to take care of them by tipping them (even $5 doesn’t hurt). As for suite upgrade fee’s, you could always barter with the agent on how much you’d like to spend. So if the agent quoted you $250, you can ask for $200 (don’t go too crazy and say $50, especially if it’s for a tier 4+ suite).

My point is that unless it is absolutely necessary for you to get a larger hotel room, there is no point in getting a larger suite especially if you know you won’t be spending a lot of time in it. If you do have a lot of people together, then it’s safe to say a bigger suite is worth it since you’ll be splitting the room cost.

Every hotel has different tiers for hotel rooms. So always do a research and see which types are available and whether or not they are worth it based on the square footage. Always scout for pictures to see differences and even a layout on what the rooms look like. Travelers even post what the rooms or suites that they stayed in on youtube, so if you are interested, definitely go search for videos from youtube to get a look at what is really inside the suites. Just remember, you will still have an awesome time in Vegas whether you are in a standard room or in a honeymoon suite!

There are always questions on how much you should tip certain people that help you on your trip. By no means do you HAVE to tip, but some of these professions live off of the tips that they receive. If the worker is going above and beyond their call of duty, then you should show appreciation by tipping! And to be frank, if you tip, you WILL get better service. Nothing like saying thanks with a five dollar bill!

Here is a simple rubric on how much you should tip for services:

Bartender: $2+ per drink (or more depending on the price of the drink)
Make a friend out of the bartender with your tips and he’ll get you a free drink

Cocktail Waitresses: $1 to $2 per drink
The more you tip, the faster you will receive you your drink

Game Dealers: Amount of your average bet, once or twice an hour. For poker, $1 per winning hand
Karma. Hopefully the more you tip, you get more winning hands

Bellmen/Doorman: $1 to $3 for each bag (more for prompt exceptional service)
They’ll take care of your bags and not toss them like rag dolls

Front Desk: $5+ (Or more, but only for exceptional service)
Show that $20, and they’ll be more likely to help you find a better room

Concierge: $2 to $20 depending on task
Find you better seats at shows

Housekeepers: $2 per day (tip more if you have special requests)
They will go the extra mile at your request

Valet:  $2 +
They’ll take better care of your car

Spa/Salon:  15-20% of treatment cost
No, not for a happy ending…

Taxi Drivers: 15-20%
(they are taxed on their tips by the government)

Top 7 moments to tip:

1. When you arrive at the hotel and the front desk agent gives you an upgrade at no extra charge per night or a huge discount per night. Or if they’re extra helpful or nice.
2. When you spill your drink at the bar/restaurant and the bartender or waiter gives you a replacement drink at no charge.
3. Tip extra When you have a super heavy bag for the bellman to carry (heavy is when you struggle to carry the bag yourself).
4. When you keep winning big at the tables.
5. If the waiter/waitress was awesome, tip more than 10%.
6. If you want your car taken care of by the Valet.
7. When you realize the housekeeper does an exceptional job (details like: an extra box of tissues, replacing the missing pens, etc.) without you having to telling them to.
8. And remember to tip the sweet room service boy…

Only it wasn’t perfect when you arrived.

When you checked in, you did indeed get a non-smoking room. But, instead of just one king bed… you got two queen beds! Slightly confused, you tell the front desk agent ‘I reserved a king bed’. The answer given to you is ‘that’s all we have available’. You feel like you want to throw a tantrum, or throw your wallet at the agent, but instead you turn and go to your room. Seeing the two beds you let out a furious howl… and then sit at the desk to write a bad review on Trip Advisor about the hotel.

So was the front desk agent lying? Or did you accidentally click two queen beds on the reservation?

The answer is no, and no! (But please double check before you hit the submit button!)

1. Why was the front desk agent not lying?
   Remember when the airlines got themselves into big trouble when they oversold seats just so they could fill them up? In this situation, the Hotel did the exact same thing. The hotels are looking for maximum room revenue. They overbook so they can get as many people in the rooms as possible. So even though you may have booked a king, you may not get one! And believe me, lots of people DON’T show up…even if they have paid a one night deposit already. Which is why the hotels over sell, cause they know there will be a certain number of people that won’t show, and you can fill instead.
2. Was I lied to when I was making reservations?
   No. If you made a reservation through the hotel’s main reservation line, most of the reservation agents will tell you that NOTHING is guaranteed. Yes, NOTHING. Meaning you may request a high floor, or a view of the strip, or two queen beds, but that doesn’t mean you will get it! Same thing even if you book online. In fine print, it will say that everything is just a request, and nothing is guaranteed. Some hotels are charging $20-$30 for a guaranteed bed type or smoke/non-smoking room…which sucks but during the busy season (like summer) you may have to pay it. 

   

3. So there is no point in trying to book what I want?
   You should still still try! Trust me, as a front desk agent myself, I want to accommodate every request. All the agents do! Having requests is better than having none, because if you don’t, half the time you’ll be put into a random room. Just be sure to have in mind that you MAY not get everything that you ask for. For a lot of the hotels in Vegas, it really is ‘first-come-first-serve’. Hotels do not assign rooms unless you are a super VIP or a mega star, so all the rooms are really up for grabs. So if you can, try checking in as early as you can. Usually 3pm is the usual check in time, but you can always try checking in at 1pm or so, even if the rooms aren’t ready, just so you can get dibs. But at the end of the day, it’s all about adjustment and flexibility, on the hotel’s part and the guest.

[**INSIDER TIP** The hotel understands when a guest is upset when they do not get what they want. But a lot of times when the hotel is fully booked, they are NOT lying about it. Sometimes the agent will even go to talk to their managers to see if they can get you what you want on a fully committed day. But if you start swearing at them and telling them they suck at their job, they'll be less inclined to help you.]

As an agent, I fully appreciate an understanding/flexible guest. As a guest, I try to be the same as well. No one likes to be told that they are not getting what they want, but if you believe in Karma, maybe the hotel will award you with something better the next day, especially if you were super understanding and asked for compensation nicely. The best tip I can give to get what you want? Don’t expect everything to be perfect (especially when you have 10 different requests) but rather, just try to check in as early as you can and be flexible. And even if the room isn’t cleaned yet when you check in, you may just get what you want!

Whether the room is one bed or two, or away from that ice machine that bothers you, make sure you communicate that to the agent when you check in. Either way, life isn’t perfect, but the nice front desk agent checking you in is trying their best to give you the best Vegas experience possible.

Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson said straight out: “No more comped rooms. No food and beverage. No showroom credits. We’re selling rooms.”

I understand that last year was the worst year Las Vegas ever had, but the economy is picking up and Las Vegas is slowly crawling back to where it used to be. Sure you can cut comps back, but to come right out and say that there won’t be any more comps AT ALL? Now that is just absurd to their loyal guests.

Let’s see what was good and bad about that decision:

THE GOOD
1. Venetian/Palazzo will receive higher room revenue
2. ……I can’t even think of number two

THE BAD
1. Less casino revenue, only by a little, since there will be less casino players that are going to stay at Venetian/Palazzo without those room comps.
2. Cancelling comped future reservations that were already made even though the guests have already booked it. There were even reservations that were cancelled two days prior to their arrival date
3. People are already joining the facebook page to boycott the hotels
4. Yes they can still make loads of money off tourists, but it will hurt them in the long run where they will have no guests that want to stay there. The CEO might as well tell the guests  to their face to go to MGM or Caesar’s Palace instead.
5. Did I mention how stingy they sound? They really did just give most of their guests the middle finger

I’m sure a lot of their former guests flocked to stay with MGM or Caesar’s, but there are always those people that are willing to pay for the hotel room only because they are just that loyal…. And I bet those are the types of toursts the Venetian/Palazzo are counting on, the ones that believe the hype of them being a great 5 Star hotel (I believe Wynn is a true 5 star hotel, not the Venetian/Palazzo) and the loyal guests that think they’ll be appreciated by the hotel for sticking with them (which I don’t think will be true, the hotel won’t even acknowledge their gold tiers now). Hopefully they are smart enough and loosen that stranglehold on comps and credits. In the long haul, it is never good for a hotel business to be stingy.

Ah my favorite part! Las Vegas is a hot bed for all food enthusiasts and foodies to visit. There are no other places that have this many great restaurants by world renowned chefs and celebrities chefs all in one city. Even for me, it is hard to give all of them a try (hard on the wallet and the belt!) But nonetheless, I still try to go out to the hot spots to give it a try. Here are some of my tips for dining out in Las Vegas for lunch or dinner.

1: Always make reservations for dinner!

This tip may seem simple, but a lot of people don’t follow it. I know it is hard to plan for every single meal of every single day. Are you traveling to Vegas on a weekend or a holiday? Well you better plan! Even with the numerous restaurants on the strip, almost 99.9% of them still get filled up and lines start forming on weekends especially from 6pm-8pm. If you don’t have a reservation, you may have to wait for more than an hour or so to get a seat to eat. So if you do make a reservation, you don’t waste time and your stomach won’t hate you. Many restaurant reservations can be made online with the main restaurant’s website or through OpenTable (which has their own membership benefits).

[**INSIDER TIP** Like hotels, always try to make dinner reservations with the main restaurants sites and avoid third party sites like OpenTable (unless that IS the main reservation source that the restaurant offers). I’ve seen times where OpenTable lost a reservation, or even forgotten to inform the party that the restaurant was closed for renovation. A lot of restaurants offer online reservation, or if you have a party of 10 or more, you’ll have to call.]

2: Do Some Research

Every hotel will have at least 1 restaurant out of 5 that is VERY popular. Whether it’s their buffet or their steakhouse, wherever you are staying, definitely give their main restaurants a try. Do some researches online before you head into Vegas, especially on which dish you should try. All restaurants have their signature dishes, and if you have a hard time deciding, most of the waiters in the restaurants will be very honest with you. Look up the restaurant on their main site, read the description and look at the menu. Then visit ‘Yelp’ or ‘Trip Advisor’ or google for reviews (although personally, I don’t really trust them 100%).

3: What’s For Lunch?

Most of the restaurants on the strip are rarely open for lunch (except for café’s and buffets). So what should you eat for lunch? You could always eat a simple sandwich or dine at a buffet. A lot of people eat fast food as well. But for most of the prices for the fast food, I would suggest just dining in the hotel café. Other than Mc Donald’s, most of the places in the hotel food court are priced fairly similar to the café in the hotels.  If anything, dine simple for lunch, and go lavish and extravagant for dinner.

4: On a Budget? Dine off the Strip…especially in Chinatown.

24 Hour Dim Sum! Click for more info

Yes you can still eat on the strip during lunch or dinner, but if you are really on a budget and don’t feel like spending $40-$50 per person on food, look at your options off the strip. China town is only a couple miles away and it offers loads of restaurants that are fairly priced. Overall, you would be spending $10 a person on food during lunch and a little more for dinner. There are other restaurants off the strip as well, but dinner will always be on the pricier side. Still, either way, if you dine off the strip, you’ll save money.

5: Are buffets worth the money?

Best Seafood Buffet in Vegas

The answer is yes…if you eat a lot…and which buffet you are trying. One of the tips for maximizing your buffet experience is to AVOID THE CARBS! Stay away from pizza, pasta, potatoes etc. They fill you up a lot quicker and make you eat less. Avoid drinking a lot of liquids too, since it fills you up as well.  Personally, I like the Wynn Lunch buffet or Brunch buffet on the weekends, the seafood buffet at the Rio, and the dinner buffet at the M Resort off the strip. Overall, I would say the M Resort buffet is the worth the most for the price. Some places are offering All-You-Can-Eat buffets or Whole Day Buffet Passes for around $40. It is worth it…if you want to eat buffet all day at the properties that they own.

[**INSIDER TIP** Find out what time the buffets switch from breakfast to lunch.  Example: Usually the breakfast buffet ends at 11am and Lunch starts then. So you can enter the buffet at 10:45am, pay for breakfast price, and 15 minutes later, eat lunch. You’re paying the breakfast buffet price to eat lunch! It doesn’t sound like much, but for a large family, they can save up to $10-$15. Too bad you can’t do that for lunch into dinner]

All in all I would have to say even if you are on a budget, I would suggest trying at least one of the fine dining restaurants to experience the food in Vegas. Most of the restaurants are worth all that fanfare that they receive. I’ll be posting some of my personal favorite restaurants on the strip and in Chinatown later, so stay tuned!