Hotel Deals in Vegas?? (1 Viewer)

[Craig S]

I know there are a lot of Vegas vets around here, and I was wondering if anybody had any good tips for getting decent hotel rates (besides the obvious - gambling away thousands of dollars and getting comped). The hotel web sites show what I'm pretty sure is rack rate, and I'd rather not get "racked". (Sorry 'bout that).

We'll be there for a couple of nights in early October, and we'd like to stay on the Strip. Any suggestions, tips, web sites, etc??

Thanks in advance.

 

[LewB]

You might try calling some of the hotels and ask to talk to a casino host. They'll tell you how much 'action' you need to get comp'ed for a room. They are not looking for you to lose per se, they are looking for you to spend time gambling there. The odds take care of the rest. You could just book everything like a normal trip thru the web, 800 number or tavel agent, you can usually get some kind of deal thru Expedia or one of them.
Sign-up for the casino's rating card (they all have one) and make sure all your play is rated whether you play slots or table games. Then when you check out see how much 'comp' you have coming and see if they'll apply it to your bill. BTW, you haven't been rack'ed till you've been rack'ed in Atlantic City. Vegas is the place to go hands down ! My last two trips were to the MGM Grand, had a blast both times. Remember, you can always sleep at work. Hope this helped some.

 

[Michael*K]

Travelaxe is software you download and use to compare dozens of travel websites (including the hotel websites themselves) and will spit out the rates from each one. You can use BiddingForTravel to see how Priceline classifies the Vegas resorts. I know if you bid on a five star resort, you're basically only bidding for the Venetian. I myself am going to Vegas in early October and I got a great package deal through Southwest Airlines Vacations. Good luck. I had a blast on my first trip to Vegas last year and can't wait to get back.

 

[Shawn C]

I gotta plug http://www.expedia.com since my wife works for them!

TIP: If you go through EXPEDIA, make sure you buy AIR/HOTEL or AIR/HOTEL/CAR as a package. When you do, the airfare drops to a "bulk air" rate that makes the whole trip cheaper. You don't get to see the breakdown, but you will notice the difference.

 

[Mike Slade]

For my trip to vegas a few weeks ago, I got my stuff directly from the airline and hotel and it came out about the same as what I found sites like expedia or travelocity. I think it actually was slightly cheaper.

 

[Shane Martin]

Craig,

1. You are going during Convention Season. This doesn't bode well for your hopes to find a deal. I will say we went in late November and got a deal from Luxor on the hotel. I just checked their site and the prices are rather spendy atm.

2. Go Sun - Wed if you can. If you can't expect to pay a premium for weekend rates. I compared 3 nights at Luxor on Southwest and MLT which is a bargain operation that we use in Tulsa and I know flys from Dallas. Looks like 3 nights during the week of Sun- Wed would cost you about $771 or so and if you went on the weekend it would run you $1,125. If you can take off during the early parts of the week its a nice savings.

Honestly I'd check the local paper and see what deals are being ran. I'm not sure of what type of airlines you want to fly and what type of hotel you prefer but this should give you an idea on cost. Perhaps their are deals to be had. I think alot of it is the time you are going. If you go after Thanksgiving you will cut your hotel in half.

As far as Hotels to stay at, It all depends on your level of quality. I used to sell travel and some folks just loved staying at the Sahara but it's a dump. It's cheap however and people who love to gamble alot typically stay there. I msyelf demand a little more quality so I picked Luxor and to be honest as a hotel its nice but its too far down the strip for me. I much prefer something along the lines of Paris or that area of the strip.

Also, if you haven't been learn to use the bus. I know I don't want to drive there and using my feet(got tiresome) and cabs got costly.

Edit: just checked Expedia and they have a little better choices for hotels but I'm not sure on what airlines they are using. Looks like the cheap rates are flying you into one airport and back to another in Houston(assuming you are using Houston). Using the same airport it looks like the price goes up about $100. Still their rates are rather fair but I'd personally look in the paper to see what combo deals you can find.

Hope this helps.

 

[Scott Dautel]

Actually, my experience has led me to believe that the better deals can be found right on the websites of the target hotel properties. Look for Specials, Deals & Promotions. For example... this deal at Treasure Island get you a (mid-week) upgraded room for $69-$85 & coupons to boot.

Also ... remember Vegas can still be a good deal on weekdays; but prices typically double on Fri & Sat nights. You'll also be more likely to get last minute dinner reservations, show tix and find everything much less crowded durig the week. I've always said go to Vegas mid-week, then drive to LA (3.5 hrs) for a weekend hotel special.

Scott

 

[Craig S]

Guys, thanks for all the tips. I knew HTF would come through.

Problem is, I'm not sure how much of this I can use. I'm pretty constrained for this trip. We're flying into Albuquerque on 10/4 to spend a couple of days at the Balloon Fiesta. Then we're driving to Grand Canyon for a couple of days. Rather than just driving back to Albuquerque and flying home, we decided to try to drive to Vegas for a couple of days. My friend has never been and she wants to see all the glitz. Thanks to Southwest's Internet specials, we were able to get one-ways from Houston to Albuquerque and then from Vegas back to Houston for $99 each.

So the flights are set. We'll be staying in Vegas Thursday & Friday night (10/9 & 10). So yeah, one weekend night means more bucks. I know we're there during convention season - can't be helped. Plus, this won't be a gambling trip, as the most my friend will want to do is throw a few coins in the slots. So we'll be getting no comps.

Oh well, we'll probably end up paying the big bucks, but what the heck, it's our vacation.

Thanks for all the info, I will check out some of those sites!!

 

[Michael*K]

Try Priceline. The worst that can happen is your bid gets turned down.