FLIGHT

So first things first, the flight. BMI, direct flight. Never been with BMI and probably won't go again. Soooo uncomfortable and I think we were offered 1 drink during the entire flight. A problem for me as I get too hot on planes. The only one positive was the food - the only time I actually ate the whole thing on a flight. They 'helpfully' rebooked out window seats so we were sat together both going and coming back. On the way back this meant the back row. We couldn't put our seats back, a metal box under the seat in front meant no leg room at all and the screens in the back of the seat in front couldn't be viewed when the seat in front was put back (not that the screens were working most of the time) Horrible and uncomfortable experience from start to finish. At the end of the flight they come round to collect the headphones. I couldn't find mine (they didn't work) and they were quite rude about it and insisted I find them which I did.

TRANSPORT

Vegas! Got there mid day. I was wearing sandals and a t-shirt and it was a beautiful day. Got a cab, taken direct to our hotel and no long haul for which our driver got a bigger tip than usual. We used taxis a lot this trip. The only one to take the p*ss was the taxi back from freemont who got a 10c tip and only because I didn't have exact change. Other than that all the other drivers were a credit to LV taxi drivers. The only other expensive cab ride was due to traffic and road works so no complaints there.

On the subject of transport we used to use the monorail almost exlusively but it seem to get more expensive every time we come. Just a dollar or two more and we won't use it all since a cab ride will be cheaper.

HOTEL

Got to the Sahara. Love this place. Smaller, cheaper and friendlier (see cocktail waitress below). Got a free upgrade to the Tangiers tower and this time it had a refrigerator. Oddly placed and I walked into it many times during the night. But nice to have so there is always a cold beer ready at the end (or start) of the day.

Check in woman was sooo nice. No $20 trick needed for a room upgrade (some might argue the room upgrade ain't worth $20 but I can tell you there are some crappy rooms) in any case she got a tip which was eagerly stuffed in her pocket (I mention it because we were both suprised by the response)

Strip view is technically still a strip view since you can see the road but construction work has put an end to a true strip view. The best bit about the view from here though is the mountains. The air was clear this trip and the view was truly beautiful and the mountains looked different every day.

We've stayed in the Signature which was pure luxury but I'd still stay at the Sahara because it's quiet, cosy and well, a bit of history.

The rooms are worn no doubt about it but the beds are good and we don't go for room service etc which most would find sub standard compared to the more expensive hotels.

I'm a drinker too and we can get two drinks for the price of one at the south end, cheap buffet - nothing special but at the same time not bad and for the price (even better with a players card) you really can't complain.

The one thing I love about the Sahara is the buffet self service drinks (see Buffets below)



BUFFETS

Sahara
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Cheap, and does the job of refuelling you. I particularly like the fact it has self service drinks. One of my big complaints about other buffets is I have to wait until served to get drinks (see RIO below)

Food is nothing outstanding but it's not bad either and at the price they charge it's a bargin. On our first trip when we were on a very tight budget we ate here every day. Also, we've never been ill after a sahara buffet, which can't be said of some of the expensive buffets.

The one bad experience we had was on the last day. Champagne brunch - had this last time and had my fair share of drinks. This time the champage station was unmanned so was unable to get any which would have annoyed me given the inflated price but since we were comped the meal I didn't mind. I should point out that we were there as soon as it opened as we has a flight to catch. But the poor thing was the service, cleaning plates away and such which is normally very good here.

All in all I'd say this is a bargain and I will probably always pop in here on all my vegas trips. If you are on a budget then I'd say it's a great place to eat for very little. Get yourself a players card and eat for even less.

Wynn
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I hate seafood so the selection here is limited for me compared to other buffets. Last time we were in vegas we came here an the meat was wonderful best I've ever had. So we came back. I didn't have such a good experience. I'm a very fussy eater and it doesn't take much to put me off. The meat was very 'fatty' which I can't stand so I didn't enjoy my lunch here.

After we left we decided to get players cards. Free buffet if you get to 25 points and another at 50 points. Did some gambling on the slots and got 50 points in about 10 minutes and still came out on top.

So we went for breakfast the next day. Players card places were not open and we couldn't claim the free buffets so we gambled for an hour then went for breakfast. Nothing amazing in that it was fairly standard fare compared with other buffets (except perhaps Paris) but I enjoyed it. Comped diners are seated seperately and I was suprised to note that mose comped diners did not leave a tip which I feel is just mean.

We did leave a tip (the only time I wouldn't leave a tip is if the service was bad) and this was reflected in the staffs response when we left.

While my experice wasn't fantastic (which it was last September) I still enjoy this place and will be a regular place to visit.

Paris
-----

Breakfast at the Paris has become a must do event for us. We always enjoy it and this time was no exception. I was in the mood for bacon and I realised here just how much bacon I can eat in one sitting. I'm not sure what it is about the paris I enjoy so much, maybe it's the decor, the food, I'm not really sure but I do know I always enjoy it.

Rio
---

A favourite with me. This time didn't seem so great. I think that is in part due to the fact I'm not so impressed by it having ate here many times and in part by the really bad drink service we got. I had one sip of my orange juice, was offered a refill and we were did not see our drinks waitress again until after the meal. She topped up my girlfriends empty coke glass then walked off leaving me with no drink. I wasn't impressed.

Non the less this is a place you should try if you've never been. It's one of the biggest out there (if not THE biggest) and although this visit wasn't great my other experiences have always been good and have felt it was well worth the money.

Rainforest Cafe
--------------------

Ok, not a buffet but since this is the only non-buffet place we ate it hardly warants it's own section.

Ate here twice. The food is always good and often struggle to finish all the food. This trip we made sure we went hungry enough to finish it all. The food was great as usual and service prompt and friendly. Not a huge selection of food I would choose to eat and tend to go for the burgers which are great.

The novelty of the decor wore off long ago but the food will keep us coming back without a doubt.


French Toast
----------------

The first time I ever tried this was at the Lady Luck a few years ago - and I loved it. So far no other buffet has come up to that standard and the standard varies so much from one buffet to another so if you can tell me where to get some great french toast then drop me a line.

Coffee
--------

Again Lady Luck wins here. I like my coffee strong and black. At the Lady Luck I got a cup of coffee and a guy came round every five minutes and made sure my cup was never empty. I really appreciated that. So often I find the coffee to be weak and not too enjoyable and I get a pot of coffee and am rarely offered another.


COCKTAIL WAITRESSES

OK, so here is one reason I love the Sahara, it may be down to the one cocktail waitress whose name I always forget to find out.
On our last trip I got up early and one particular cocktail waitress took my drink order and for the rest of the morning I never had to order another drink. She just brought it, where ever I'd moved to in the casino. Fantastic. This trip, the very same cocktail waitress was working the same shift. I call it the graveyard shift. I get up about 3am and go down and gamble and it's very quiet except that's the time time the cleaners are out, repair men are about, new machines go in, security collect the cash etc. Anyway, the same waitress was working, she did the same thing, I ordered once and she looked after me for the rest of the morning - and for the rest of the week- no matter where I moved to, she found me.

On the one hand you might think, well they need all the tips they can get at that time of the morning, but no other cocktail waitress has ever done this. Next time I go I'm gonna get her name and find someone at the hotel to thank mentioning her name because to be honest getting that level of service makes you feel special and makes you go back to a place and she deserves credit for that.

On a separate note at another casino we noticed cocktail waitresses paying for drinks - do they have to do that? I noticed one cocktail waitress (at the sahara) mad as hell because someone ordered a beer and left. If this is true then I appreciate even more that this cocktail waitress prepared drinks without knowing if I'd still be there when she got back to the casino floor.

So, another reason I like the sahara, it's small and you have a great chance of catching a cocktail waitress. In some of the bigger places you can be there an age before you catch one, even if one does come by they have often gone by the time you turn around. I'm a drinker and I want a drink. Drinking and gambling is more fun than gambling. I really don't care too much about winning if I've enjoyed my time at a place. As a consequence the places that looked after me drinking wise got a bigger share of my bankroll because those are the places I stayed.

BARS

This is a little hazy for me becaue I did a LOT of drinking this trip.

Sahara
--------

There are some great bartenders here and some really bad ones. Some are rude, charge max price for drinks and charge even if you are gambling. Thankfully these are only a few. The good ones look after you and if you are tipping or gambling or both then you will be looked after very well.

My girlfriend went to one bar while I went to our room to get my players card and was treated really badly by one rude staff member. This is not the first time either. This is not the norm and shouldn't put you off, there are two bars so you have a choice. Most staff treat those gambling (or/and tippiing) very well.

The majority of our experinces were good. We did a lot more bar top gambling this time than any other and we had a great time (see Tipping below)

With the Sahara being smaller you can build a rapport with some of the staff and I think this is really nice.

Centrifuge MGM
--------------------

As we were walking by the bar staff got up on the bar and started dancing. We thought this was a fun novelty so went in and did a bit of gambling and drinking. Every so often they would get up and dance again. It was fun and added to the experiece of being in there. We were gambling so didn't have to pay for a drink which appreciated more it retrospect having been in other bars (see below)

Bellagio
---------

We went to a bar in the casino. Sat down and started to play some video poker. Oddly all the other people at the bar were English too, their first time by all accounts. The atmosphere was great and I was drinking vodka cokes. I mention this because they were GREAT. A good vodka code requires the right amount of ice, not too much to water things down, the right amount of coke (so you can still taste the vodka) and the right amount of vodka.

The barman here prepared the best vodka coke I've ever had. I was asked which vodka I wanted which I've had no where else. It was well prepared and presented nicely in a nice glass etc.

Everyone was enjoying themselves and as far as I could tell only one player was actually winning. No-one cared though a good time was had by all. The barman was getting lots of tips, the punters were getting lots of drinks and the casino was getting our hard earned cash (I was losing quite badly but didn't care because the vodka cokes were GREAT)

Then came a change of staff. As people asked for another drink they were charged. The mood changed and not so much fun was being had. I noticed this guy was getting no tips at all. He explained that you had to play max credits to get a free drink and the previous guy didn't know.

Want to see a bar empty fast? Well that's the way to do it. It's their rules and if that's what they want to do then fair enough. We, like everyone else at the bar decided to take out business elsewhere (including the one player who was playing max credits)

(see Caesars below)

The most annoying thing is that there are video poker machines right behind you as you sit at the bar where you can play one credit and get drinks for free. Crazy policy in my opinion but I'm a low roller and maybe they don't want my business. That wish I can grant. Shame though since I was having such a good time.

Bar at the barge - Caesars
---------------------------------
Only had one drink here. Chair was broken and uncomfortable. Bar staff were friendly and attentive. Vodka cokes were strong as I like 'em. But the place didn't have any atmosphere. Time to find another bar.

Seahorse bar Caesars
--------------------------

Ordered our drinks and when brought we were asked if we intended to play. We said yes (since we were) and we were given our drinks for free. This is worth mentioning because often now I find that even if you are already playing you can be charged for your first drink. (see free drink below)

This put me in a good mood immediately (after the Bellagio this was a good thing)

We ended up staying here for a long time and yes I lost a lot of money again but had a great time here. They took all my hard earned cash that the Bellagio could have had if they hadn't been so greedy (or exclusive - you decide)

Vodka cokes were good but not quite up to Bellagio standard. Service was friendly and very good, drinks were refreshed as soon as they were finished and this place will definitely get my business next time.

Someone asked where they could buy cigarettes and the barman said 'I'll sort it out', he picked up a phone and a few minutes later a cigarette girl arrived, the barman pointed out the guy requesting them. I thought to myselft this is good service and give the place another plus in terms of service.

There is nothing bad I can say about this place, service was outstanding - I WILL be back. Bellagio, you do great vodka cokes but screw you and your max bet policy.

After several hours we stopped gambling (lost enough for one night) we continued to get free drinks which we didn't expect.
Casino policy? Hmm I doubt it but it will benefit the casino without a doubt because we will be gambling there again also without doubt, we'll lose just as much.

And as a note on this (as if the casinos wil read this) this place got it right. We gambled and lost a lot of money and will do so again. We had great service and a great time, the casino gets my money, the bar staff get their tips and I go home having had a great time. Win win for everyone.

Parasol Down Wynn
-----------------------

I think this is what it's called. To be honest I had so much much to drink here that it took me most of the next day to recall I was even there. Drinks are not cheap here. We sat at the bar as soon as a place became available. We had a nice chat with bar staff and many, many drinks, all well prepared. I worked my way thought the vodkas and my girlfriend the cocktails.

The next morning I couldn't understand why I had no money left. Once my memory returned I understood; but you know what? I didn't care one bit. We had a great time at that bar, and free bar snacks which other bars could do well to implement.

It was an expensive place no doubt (and not gambling) but we enjoyed it and will definitely return.

The Wynn is a place we tend to visit but not stay. This time we had a wonderful evening of drinking and chatting and some nice times gambling here too. It's soooo comfortable, nice and oddly loose slots (or maybe we were just lucky)

I really enjoyed my time at the Wynn and will spend more time there on the next visit.

Rio
---

Had lunch here and then off for some gambling. The casino smelt like a sewer it was horrible. We did some gambling anyways then hit the bar at the far end. We were informed that we must gamble three credits in order to get free drinks. Ok, we did.

Stupid, stupid rule. I can gamble 3 X 75c and get a free drink but gamble 1 X $5 and get nothing? Stupid.

Anways. We had a good time. Bar staff entertained with their juggling (or lack off) skills.

We stayed for a few drinks and stopped gambling .


Crazy horse MGM

Bar outside it anyway. Rainforest Cafe was still serving breakfast and we wanted lunch, so went off and had a drink. Don't recall much about his place but we enjoyed it enough to stay for several drinks instead of the one we'd planned on. Will go back and try it again.

Sahara Again
----------------

Last night, on a mission to gamble beyond our means. By that I mean gamble at higher stakes than we are usually comfortable with to use up the rest of our holiday cash. As usual for our last night, we win, and keep winning. OK, in the end we lost it all but we get a big buzz playing higher stakes and winning bigger.

For low rollers we finally get enought points to get something for free. I get $25, free buffet, and $10 gambling money. My girlfriend gets $20, free buffet and I think $10 gambling cash. We worked it out and we must have put about $4,000 dollars through the machines that night, most of which came from winnings (we lost considerably!!!! less than that)

Still, for low rollers it always nice to get something for free because we don't expect it. So it was a thrill and because we only get to Vegas once a year we usually don't qualiy for a lot of free stuff so this was a nice bonus for us.

So we finally have enough dollars left for a taxi to the airport and some food for the plane. Then another drink arrives - (crap I can't pay for it and still have cab fare) but we were not expected to pay (phew). And the next drink, and the next drink, and the next drink.

I realised something, not only had we gambled a s*it load of cash but the tip jar was overflowing. Now I mention this because the it was the weekend and there were lots of other that have been gambling for quite some some time. We were sat at the bigger bar and I was shocked to see all the other tip jars. Empty, Emptys, One dollar, two dollars, empty, empty etc

(see tipping below)

TIPPING

I'm from England. In England you tip only when you get great service. It's not expected and doesn't form part of your income - it's a bonus if you get it. So my first visit to Vegas I was embarrassed giving a $1 tip. The more I go the more I realise that these tips are an important part of a persons income in Las Vegas and far from being something I should be embarrassed about giving, it something greatfully recieved.

Now I've always known that you should tip a dollar a drink. If you pay for the drink (or not) a dollar is expected, so that's what we've always done. It's not until this trip that I noticed that not everyone does this, and the weekend crowd even less so.
Tipping more when I can afford it is recieved even better. Like I said we are low rollers, on a limited budget but we always tip, why can't others?

Don't get me wrong, we don't tip in order to GET better service, I've tended bar, worked in restaurants and my girlfriend has tended bar for many years and put up will all kinds of crap. We tip because we know how hard a job it is. And I'll tell you something, I really noticed this trip how much the weekend crowd complain, moan, and expect the world but give a dollar tip? Forget it.

My girlfriend overheard a barman telling the other bar staff that we were good tippers. We're not. We just tip a dollar a drink (and perhaps drink a lot) sometimes we tip a lot more but that doesn't happen a lot, sometime I feel people go out of their way to be to nice and they deserve every penny. In any case, my point (which I've yet to make) was brought home while wating in the airport on the way home. People were talking about their LV experience and people were complaining about having to tip, so didn't, and had to pay such and such for a drink etc. Well, screw you guys because I can tell you from personal experience that tips are appreciated and as a bonus you will get great service. It's such a small amount, particularly when you come from England where everything costs double that it does in the US.

I was finally over all my embarrassment on this trip when I tipped the guy that opens your taxi door outside one casino. He said thank you so many times that WAS embarrassing. Turns out the guy had been opening cab doors all day without a single tip (weekend crowd again!)

Anyway, my point. TIP. It's costs YOU very little and it is appreciated by those receiveing it and you WILL have a better experience as a result. Everyone wins so why not do it?

OK, I guess I'm getting boring on this point now so I'l leave it there.

GAMBLING

Sahara
---------

For some reason I always find getting up at 3am very very lucky. Not so on my first night (well morning) on this trip. But in general I find it pays. When you add to that extra 'luck' with the extra attention from cocktail waitresses then what have you got to lose huh?

Monte Carlo
--------------

Holy crap, if this place hadn't caught fire I'd be back, the loosest bar top vidoe poker I've ever seen!! Had a great time here,

Wynn
------

Played slots, can't recall losing. My girlfriend had the same experience. We did well. I'm sure we'll lose it all next time but we enjoyed it. I particularly liked it because it was comfortable. Some casinos seem really uncomfortable, like they don't want you to stay. I really liked this place, and will be back on my next visit.

RIO
----

Really bad smell about the place for some reason. Still we did well on the slots but not a lot of variety. I kinda like this place despite this and the buffet will always bring us back.

Centrifuge MGM
--------------------

My girlfriend did well here, me not so much (playing bar video poker and blackjack). We had a good time though and that's what really counts. Another place we'll be back.

Downtown
-------------

Got a few players cards here. Much lower dollar to points ratio but we didn't do much gambling, downtown is a great place to go for a beer and have a good time. Golden gate is always a favourite for a few beers. Nice friendly, cosy place.

Other
-------

There were other places we had good luck and bad luck but I don't recall where. In general, south strip - not so lucky, north strip - better luck. Make of that what you will.

FREE DRINKS

Last time we were here we noticed we were often charged for the first drinke even if we were already gambling at the bar. I guess I can understand this. The weekend crowd would often take the p*ss by putting in dollar and expecting a free drink. Often the bar staff would say you must put $5 in or whatever, but as soon as they got a drink, cashed out and left.

So I can understand charging for the first drink to see if you are serious. This time we found a few bars where they trust you. I guess if you are taking the p*ss it will be your last free drink but I appreciate this approach. I've payed $50 a drink when losing badly and I don't need any crap about am I gamble or not which you can get and when you're a few hundred down and a change of bar staff means you get charged... well it ain't good. As mentioned above though, there are some great bars where you can gave a great time.

My biggest suprise came on this trip with the weekend crowd which I'd always assumed would be a BIG earner for the staff working the weekend shifts but what I saw was them taking a lot of crap and taking few tips.

My advice... Tip, for every drink. Don't 'pretend to gamble 'cos you ain't fooling anyone. They KNOW who the gamblers are and who 'aint. On the other hand, play by LV rules, look after those that are looking after you and you will have a great time.

Anyway, I'm drinking the vodka I bought duty free hence the bad spelling etc. Can't wait to go back.

I know I've missed a TON of stuff but as I've said, I was pretty much drunk for the entire holiday and I couldn't care less about all the money I lost because in general we had a fantastic time and were well looked after by the staff at the various hotels.

You GOTTA love Vegas!!!!!

SLOTS AND GAMBLING

We are low rollers, and we are not gamblers. Sure we gamble in Vegas all the time. But that is it! We gamble for fun and nothing more. It's a thrilll to win, but we don't expect it, it's the experience we enjoy. We do gamble more and more the more we go but hell, we only gamble what we can afford to lose and so far don't mind one bit because we have been treated so well by the various staff that to be honest, it worth every penny to have a great vacation.

SUMMARY.

Where else can you feel like a millionaire on a budget than las vegas. Sure coming for the UK it costs a lot to get there, but once there you can spend a fortune or next to nothing but still feel special. If you havent been and haven't made a post on the formum here then introduce yourself, believe me.. you can't have a bad time in Vegas.

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