Flamingo days

I have not been keeping up very well with just a running narrative while here at the Flamingo. Red Rock and Human Nature were the highlights of the time. The gambling has been losing and most disconcerting is that I don't think I have been playing that badly.
I did get some cards last night and won some hands at a 2-4 table at Imperial Palace, but except for two guys all the others easily would have outplayed me in any contest. All knew one another and one was a dealer with lots of experience. This is not the competition I want. So I went home.
Earlier a Canadian guy had dominated and overbet the OShea's game, "betting on representation" as he called it and talking every minute. He was obnoxious but friendly enough and I just could not beat him. I lost money and left after he did and the pots diminished again to practically nothing.
He was playing for Guinness, he said and was pretty drunk, ordering one after another, but because he bet everything, he was difficult to beat. He caught good cards and seemed to have them when he was raised or called.
I played there between a dealer's wife who I liked and another woman I keep bumping into from San Diego who is very friendly and attractive. She was up meeting her sister. So it was a friendly game with some talk of Vegas.
I was in bed by 7:30 trying to squeeze something watchable out of the bad television and I fell asleep, woke up and put on the mask and then slept a good night. So I am rested. It has been hard for me to be rested this trip and that keeps my out of the late night games.
I went back to the Spice Market buffet yesterday and enjoyed basically the same treats I had at the Sunday brunch for much less money. I have not managed the buffet deals as well this time. I was in line a bit late and so did not get in until after eleven so I paid $5 more for the lunch menu. The trick is to get in line early enough to catch the breakfast price and late enough to get the lunch food. Next trip I'll remember.
At Venetian I seemed to do well at the 4-8. The game was conservatively played and it reminded me more of the Foxwoods game with a few bad players and a few really good players and the rest like me. I may try that game again tonight if I still have energy. When one game broke, another continued and at that table sat a girl with hundreds of dollars in chips in front of her. There are no high hands or bad beats there so she much have won those playing all day. Her chip stack made her seem invincible. I got lucky and beat her on one hand when I caught a queen full house. I confused her by checking the turn. This was a mistake except I thought it might get her to call the river, or had she bet I would have raised. I don't know what she held.
I really don't know how to think about the poker. I have only found my ideal game once while here. Most of the games have not been with poorly playing tourists. Perhaps the thrill of sitting down to play after watching television is over.
The trip is complicated too because generally I am up for indulging food and alcohol and this trip I am more focused on not gaining back the weight I lost. Then too my sleeping just does not contribute to easy poker play.
Finally, the Flamingo has just not delivered the delight I expected. I'll be glad to leave. I tried swimming yesterday and could only bear the water for ten minutes. I soaked in the fine hot tub and listened to a fellow from Australia tell a couple from Canada how to tour London and go to some rock concert extravaganza. I liked that, but it was too cold out to sit and read and they expect more cold today as well so I am debating whether to head for the zoo or not. I expect that I would be warm enough there in layers with my coat and scarf, so perhaps I'll head out soon.
Then the bed bug business added to my discomfort. I am more relaxed about it now seeing that an inspection can determine whether there has been any activity, and after a few days in a room without getting bitten, I can get my luggage out of the tub and being to relax and expect no surprises. The fact that the source is a traveler means that no infestation just happens from down the hall, the way a flu bug might work. I suppose that I need to find more long 5 night stays at fairly good prices and quit jumping from hotel to hotel. This makes downtown appear a good bet again especially since my napping has not very often extended my gambling day. I do wonder if the Super 8 has weekly rates. With the free transportation from the airport, that might be a good spot to stay, combined with Terribles for a couple of coupon nights before heading downtown.
Or if the Gold Coast starts giving me good room deals, I'll book there as I did like the food, the video poker, the music and the access to the strip on Flamingo and Tropicana.
The Venetian looked fine at night again. I like going there when it is dark. What a strange moving walkway! I remember going on it one time when it was iced up and the little hill of metal required some sliding.

******************************************

Walked up to the Tuscany for wifi but I did not have enough juice for reading long. I failed to bring my wire or I could have plugged in there in Marilyn's cafe.

There were no crowds. Things were very quiet with only a couple people having breakfast.

Played and lost two match plays
Bill's
Tuscany
down $15
Played and tied at Ellis Island
Then played too much video poker but at the last minute caught four kings and two hands later help 8-10-Q of hearts and caught the straight flush.
So now I am $5 ahead

But not for long. Thursday was a frustrating day. I lost $475 at 4-8 at the Venetian and I lost my senior ID when I made a mistake and put it in the machine that dispenses tickets.
After waiting for the bus and talking to the bus driver I found out it would be 3 hours before anyone would address the problem and then I still would have to go downtown to retrieve my ID.

The game was fine. My cards were not. I kept thinking that I could win and feeling very comfortable with the mix of players. But I kept losing.
My last hand I went on tilt. Bets were gradually capped and I had pocket fours. I stayed with it. The flop gave me a set. There was not much betting after that, but I lost on the river when the fourth heart made the Ace and King high flush. That was enough, the icing on the cake.

Played with friendly people and liked the general pace of the game. The opponent I worried most about generally folded if I raised. Once we went head to head. We each had three queens but he had the bigger kicker.

So I guess this ends my huge passion for poker. Something I don't understand gives me repetitive losing streaks and this is the second Vegas trip that has resulted in huge losses. Add to that my new diet sense of not indulging the food and alcohol as well as my sleeping issues and I am just not having such a good time coming to Vegas anymore. Tough to admit as it ends a long passion with this place, but I have not had so much fun this trip.

I was in my room by nine but I was up watching very bad television until 2 and then someone called me on the cell at 5. I will be tired today. I guess I'll just head out after a shower and go downtown. Vegas Club might have an early room for me.

Days at the Super 8 on Koval

I was still tired for most of this weekend.
I liked the Super 8 because of all the amenities: the laudromat, the free wifi, the good television.
Also the check in fellow listened to my concern about bedbugs and put me in 3045, the room that he said the manager's family uses when they visit the hotel and that just got a brand new bed. It was really fine and comfortable.
One night I could not sleep and so I did laundry at 3 AM. I could take my computer to the laundry room and go on line while the clothes washed and dried. This is a fine place to come mid trip.
I liked the coffee machines in the room as well as the machine in the lobby that served a variety of coffee and sweet hot drinks. Nice touch.
No winnings this weekend.
I am still tired out too much.

Days at the Gold Coast

I was exhausted by the time I got back to the Gold Coast and so I watched a little television and went to sleep. Of course that means I am awake again at five, but Elizabeth called just after I woke up. Jay is installing the new window and the air conditioner so he had a ton of questions.

I was considering a cab to move from the Orleans to the Gold Coast, but once I saw that with the extender opened on the new suitcase both my sleep apnea machine and my computer fit into the suitcases even with their cases, I decided to try walking.
It was an easy walk.
At one point I passed a 104 bus stop, so there is a bus that travels on Arville and that is good to know. I rested a few minutes, but my 24 hour pass from the day before ran out of time and so I just decided to walk. It was a good decision. No bus passed me.

The trip was easy. Arville was as I remember it, but the laudromat was really close to Flamingo and not an easy walk from the Orleans. I was considering on a future trip walking with my dirty clothes in my roller suitcase, but I think that is more practical from the Gold Coast than from the Orleans.
The neighborhood is very street friendly. The few people I encountered were polite. One young Korean girl on a bicycle on the sidewalk actually stopped and got off to give me a free roll around a pole. I thought I was in another country and thanked her. She smiled.
There was no one else much on the walk. There are mostly businesses along this stretch and parking lots. One fenced in lot was full of security guards and a Constable drove out of that area. There were a bunch of school buses; perhaps it is a school.

The only disconcerting thing was the noise of the traffic moving so close and so fast. I was again happy not to be driving here in Vegas. All along the route were fine sidewalks and those great suitcase ramps that Vegas builds into the sidewalks so that it is no effort to roll a suitcase.

I wondered about going down Rochelle and I'd like to check to see if that actually connects to the Palms. I did avoid the Flamingo corner by going into the Palms parking lot. I liked being away from the street traffic.

I was laughing that I probably got more exercise by doing this than I did in my morning workout at the Orleans. I could feel some of the weight of the suitcase on my arm and switched up a couple times, but it was not at all uncomfortable. I wondered if pulling the extra weight burned off more calories than my time on the treadmill. How odd we are to walk and run and climb for no purpose and spend the rest of our lives trying to get the parking spot within steps of the supermarket entrance.

So I we delighted to have this new frugal experience in Vegas to add to my collection. I saved $10. That paid for supper.

The sleeping issues are the hardest. Here I am up long before there is much to do and I'll be tired again later. I am hoping that I can get a nap in the afternoon today and head down to Oshea's or perhaps the Imperial Palace in the evening. It does convince me that I do need to plan a hotel close to where I want to play late night so that I can get a good afternoon nap and this Gold Coast is a perfect location.

room comparison:

The Orleans room was by far the nicer of the two, but this one is perfectly adequate. I have no view here, but I did not ask for any either. I do like being on the first floor as it means a quicker trip on the elevators. Everything seems smaller here. The corridor is more narrow, the room is smaller, the bathroom is small too.
I did not notice the art on the walls at the Orleans. Generally I find the wall decor of hotel rooms rather tacky and uninteresting, but this is different. I am certain none of it is expensive, but the scenes all depict a man on horse, often in a Mexican setting and with a pack animal along with him. In one the rider moves through a field near a line of small trees and in the background is a huge cathedral. In two others he moves down a street in a quaint Mexican town with small and dull adobe, and in one that is very different, he climbs up a winging trails above hoo doo like mountain plateaus. Justin Neisck is the artist. I like the feel of the prints, the sense of quiet movement with animals. It is always the same rider.

WEDNESDAY NOON

Ahhh. I had my fine breakfast here at the Gold Coast. I am still being careful to eat mostly fruit and vegetables, but I did have my red eye gravy and biscuit and it was as tasty as I remember. And speaking of comida sabrosa two tastes in the Mexican offerings were absolutely wonderful. One was a scrabble of chorizo and eggs and another was the corn soup posole. I loved both but had just tastes of each.
Again there were two small salad stations at the breakfast buffet and again I missed that there were two with different offerings. Also, at the dessert section there were blueberries and in another spot a few kinds of yogurt and a granola for topping. So I had plenty to eat. The vinegar is not balsamic or malt, but it was fine and I dribbled drops of tabasco along with it. Contrary to what I said about perfering Cholua, in this recipe I liked the tabasco.
It may be that in some of may tastes I am put off by intensity. I know that I did not eat yogurt for a long while and then found that a spoon or two as topping on fruit is very good. Also, I mix my juices with water.
I ended up with $37 in comps on my Coast Card, so all my meals here will be free. Breakfast was $5.99 so I can eat five of them for free.
Next I check out the pool and the workout room. The sun is out today and it is warming up. The water was fine. Perhaps it is heated. I like the setup. From the workout room the pool is visible so if the television is not entertaining perhaps a few bikinis can get the mind off the exercise. I also turned on the television and caught a Yankee game against LA. I am not a sports fan, but baseball and exercise seem a fine blend.
I did not last long on the stepper, but did twenty minutes on the treadmill and then swam the circumference of the pool 16 times before my bladder said it was time to get out. In the pool were two Asian girls talking a mile a minute in some version of French, I think. I enjoyed the cadences, the feeling again of being not in Vegas but traveling the world, and the playful, vacation attitudes of these two young women. So my swimming was not too boring. There were three women in bikinis and one was getting a foot rub and making the appropriate sighs. There was also a very overweight woman with plenty of physical issues who tried the pool but found it too cold. She had watched me swimming and I could see she wanted to try. I felt bad for her.
I think I have kept my weight off so far. The scale in the fitness center here showed I had lost 20 pounds since yesterday. Had I known that they had such a scale, I might have skipped the work of the exercise; however, I weighed myself after the exercise, so there it was. Once again my timing was off.
I had intended to go up to the strip earlier, but got attracted by all these adventures. Now I think I will catch a set or two of the jazz boys, perhaps drink a beer, and then try for an afternoon nap that would enable me to play poker tonight at OShea's or the Imperial Palace into the late hours of the morning.

It will get into the 80's tomorrow. Summer is here.

Jay talked to me about the work of the installation of window and air conditioner. It is going well and he is over the brink of the place where he is wondering how exactly to do it and has cut the hole and now sees how it will go. I am very excited to be able to abandon the old portable airconditioner.

THURSDAY

I napped a bit and then played poker all night. I started at the Imperial Palace where two fellows were using the button and regular straddles every time they had a chance. My blinds were useless then, but I thought myself in fairly good position to take advantage of the bigger pots whenever I had good cards, but that was seldom. The game did not last long and I went to O'Shea's and had a fine night of poker, but ended down about $200. So this has been a trip of one loss after another. I think it may be time to spend a day at the zoo.

I drank a good bit of Myer's rum and did enjoy the party atmosphere. To my left was a fellow from Brazil and his friend from Madrid, so I got to practice some of my Spanish. He taught me a few gambling expressions, but of course I have forgotten them now. So hard for me to learn anything at this age.

To my right was a doctor, a radiologist from just north of Toronto. He was friendly and interesting. He thought we would be pleased with the new Health care bill.

The time went quickly and I could not believe how fast the night was gone. I would have like to have some profit to show for it.

At home Elizabeth reports that Jay is finished and everything looks just great. It was fine to get the free window from Gregg as that saved us a couple hundred dollars and now I can get busy putting in the book shelves.

THURSDAY

Well, that all nighter wiped me out so I slept much of the day. The rum also dehydrated me so I drank ice water and sat by the pool. I did not work out but I did swim for quite a while and watched the bikinis and other interesting people by the pool. I read through a Vegas magazine, and some of the shows are mildly interesting, but so far nothing catches my imagination.

I did spend a second day listening to a few sets of the Classic Jazz band here. I miss the leader who must be on a vacation, and then at five yesterday the trumpeter also left, so I gave it up. What I heard was really great, however. There are lots of new faces in this band and they are all improvements. I just love the sound of these obscure old swim numbers and love watching the old people practicing dancing. Last night there was a young couple who were very good and did amazing things with their arms. Elizabeth would have loved watching this.

In between I played video poker and won back all I had lost on previous days here and ten dollars in addition. I had four 4's dealt to me and holding 2-3-4 of spades hit A-5 for a straight flush. I would have loved those dealt 4's on the double bonus three play, but I was content not to lose.
I had a pretty good poker session with locals here in the poker room, but they were tough to win much money from. Finally, I misplayed a hand by betting my full house into a larger one. I folded it before it got too expensive, but it cost me a bit first. fives and eights on the board. I have a five and one woman has an eight and another fellow actually has an 8-7 and catches his 7 on the river. I was stupid and made a raise. This was a 3-6 kill pot hand. I don't seem to mind the kill pot hands in this 2-4 game where there are not aggressive raisers.

I heard today that the Venetian is capping at least some of their rakes at $2 to attract business. I will have to walk up and try playing there.

Today I pack up and head out to the Super 8 on Koval for the weekend.

I tried the evening buffet with my ACG coupon last night, but it was not very impressive. I ate a bit off my diet as I had done from breakfast so yesterday was not a good dieting day.

Two nights at the Orleans

I knew that it was a mistake to book a show on my arrival night, but in all these years of flying Southwest had not had a delay in this nonstop to Vegas.

So this was the first time.

We were at least an hour delayed and that meant to use my Seven Wright tickets (nice aisle seats just about thirteen rows back) I had at touchdown just an hour and fifteen minutes.

I was lucky. Southwest now has the first carousal at the bottom of the escalator, my bags came a minute after I arrived. The shuttle left three minutes after I boarded and while I was last after five other stops, the driver hopped in quick and got us out. The check in line was fast. I actually took my luggage to my room and made the box office to pick up my tickets with fifteen minutes to spare. This was a good thing as I needed time to tuck in my shirt.

A local sat next to me and we talked awhile. She is one of the few who like having moved to Vegas ten years ago. She made a killing in real estate and go out just before the recession. She was cheerful and very friendly. She gave me her ticket stubs, so I had three free drinks to welcome me to Vegas and celebrate the great time victory. Amaretto.

Wright was his usual self mixing old material I had heard with new material. He was a bit more engaged with the audience, not totally in that mindless stare, but still very, very funny. He used the repetition of "What the hell are you doing?" and "The teacher (cop, etc) started to cry" to draw attention to the bizarre reality bends that make him so funny. I don't laugh much out loud, but the theater did.

He sang a few songs, including the one about the young boy who plots to kill the cat.

He put some of his jokes in his father's or more often his grandfather's voice"

"One year for Christmas my grandfather gave me a box of ground glass and he gave me brother a box of bandaides.

' Okay, "he said, " I want both of you to share.'

"One time my grandmother handed me five dollars and said, ' Don't tell your mother I am giving this to you.'

" I told her, ' It will cost you more than that."

He told many jokes about being stopped by a policeman:

"Once my buddy and I had the cruise control set at 100...we were both in the back seat. The policeman didn't know what to do because no one was driving."

He had a whole list of answers for, "give me you license and registration."

For, "Why were you driving so fast," he said, "Because I had my foot pressed to the floor and completely explained how a car worked."

For, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth.." he answered with, "Yes, you sure are ugly, and there is a woman in the jury I'd like to bang," and then " do you want me to just continue or are there questions?"

There were fewer sign jokes. In one he said, " I was passing a gas station and saw two signs, one said "Help wanted" and the other " Self Service" After a laugh, he said he had gone in the station and hired himself, made himself the boss, helped himself to the cash register and then quit for the day.

He wished his first word had been "quote" so his last word could be "unquote."

He said he often went to waiting rooms just to wait.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, I'm just waiting."

"Would you like to see the doctor."

"what kind of doctor is he?"

"A foot doctor."

"I'd like to see a doctor that tall."

The doctor comes out and he really is 12 inches high.

Here are some others I remember:

"I collect rare photographs... I have two... One of Houdini locking his keys in his car... the other is a rare picture of Norman Rockwell beating up a child."

"I stayed up all night playing poker with tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died. "

"What's another word for Thesaurus? "

So much of this reminds me of old humorists. Gracie Allen comes to mind. I love twisted logic, puns, anything interpreted in some literal or ambiguitous manner so that the meaning creeps up on us.

He told the story of getting a letter from his girlfriend and finding it so beautifully written, that he crossed out her name, wrote his, and mailed it back to her.

He never heard from her again.

"I guess she didn't really like what she wrote."

I like the layered joke patterns as well, the laugh that catches you in the middle of the last laugh.

He told my favorite of the old woman who asks if he can speak French, but I thought the timing was off this time. I may write him.

Of course, by the time it was over, even with my attempts at resting all day, I was very tired. The show started at 8 and that was 11 Albany time. I knew I could not play live poker, so I just walked around and watched the people, drank my three free Amarettas and then decided to play some video poker. I like double bonus and while they eliminated most of their decent offerings, there is a nickle progressive that is 9/7 and is triple play. I like it.

It liked me too. My first twenty went all the way up to sixty before I played it down to nothing. My second twenty went up to eighty before it was time to top off the three amarettos and the two rusty nails with a $3.99 graveyard steak and eggs special.

Then I went to bed, but I was awake a bit after seven.

I think I'll check out the workout room and get my $5 resort fee value. With the free rooms came a $10 food credit so in one sense I already got that back, but I used to like the bikes and sauna and free oranges for breakfast and I sure do need to do something to work off all the calories of the alcohol.

Day 2

Tough day. Down over $500, some of it no limit and some of it Megabucks which seemed to catch my attention more than it usually does. This is not a good way to start 16 days. I'll have to slow down.

I am posting from Seattle's Best Coffee where the Orleans now offers free wifi. It was easy early in the morning, but seemed to start to fill up as the morning progressed.

Yesterday I took the Tropicana bus down to the MGM and played a few hours of no limit. I felt comfortable, but I lost $419. I had most of it back when two hands took out the rest. This continues to be a hard game for me.

Contrasted was the 2-4 at Excalibur. They did not have the old spread limit game. It was really great when I joined and up until two tables combined and better players were concentrated. I expected around midnight to find poorer players and instead found that the passive callers were replaces by some tricky players. I lost two hands, both to high card straights. In the second I had the straight to the queen and the fellow held queen-king. I was happy to leave up $109. I do really thinl this is my game here. It is a lot of grinding, but with enough callers I can take money away and whatever I won't lose much. I drank a few Myer's rums and had some conversation, but it was not as festive as I expect I'll find at Flamingo and LV Blvd. Overall, I was not impressed with this corner for poker so I am not sad to be leaving it.

One player at the Excalibur carried with him a wonderful cushion that was decorated with gambling bits and fit on the chair to cushion both his seat and the back of the chair. It looked wonderful. He bought it at bingo.com.

When I got back late I should have eaten the graveyard and instead decided to put $20 in the Megabucks. It was a huge mistake as I just got caught up in it thinking I might break even and ended $240 down, a record for my Megabucks play. Stupid too because today, in the morning, as a senior I can get 5X points here at 8 am and I should have waited to drop that kind of money. I earned over 800 points and that would have been nice to be multiplied times five.

I played two matchplays on craps, basically breaking even by winning the $5 one that came with the room.

Nice room. This was a good deal that way. Perhaps with the Megabucks losses I'll get invited back as well.

I made a mistake on walking East on Tropicana to catch the bus. I thought that the stop could not be too far, but it was and not as comfortable as it would have been right in front of NYNY. One character told me his life story. One guy was walking and reading a book and bumming change. Another guy who works at the MGM said the new bus schedule has not helped him. The Tropicana now runs only once an hour late at night and there are two, the A and the B, only one of which goes far enough for him.

But the bus finally came and it drops in a fine spot right at the Orleans just two steps from the parking lot.

I learned that the lunch offerings start early, at about ten thirty, so I can pay the breakfast price and have a bit of fruit and then the salad bar will open up for my dessert. The offerings were tasty, but I am easy to please and not looking for gourmet, just fruit and salad and a taste of the other things. I do love it that they have Cholua hot sauce here and not that damned Tabasco that is the pepper of choice in most places at home. I am going to start carrying my own Louisiana hot sauce and avoid that distinctive and unsatisfying unique taste of the Tabasco.

Stash goi berry tea starts my day. I'll be out soon. I should have brought two boxes, but I am not used to having a coffee maker. Happily I brought a cup as well, so it is comfortable having morning tea.

I left my computer wire at the Orleans when I checked out, so I went back on the shuttle. As long as I was there, I decided to play some more of the nickle three play video poker. I lost $200. However, it does not feel like the loss at the Megabucks. The conditions were right for playing:

• 
  
  My senior day points were multiplied to 5X
• 
  
  I could also be in the free drawing for free slot play
• 
  
  The progressives were high, one was up to over $500 so it was the time to push for a royal
• 
  
  Even with the three play, each pull was just 75 cents.

I also was able to use my coupon and get the Oyster chowder Big Al's. The place was a mad house, but I sat at the counter and the chowder was just as rich and wonderful as I remember. The bread too was very good and the blend of the two flavors made a fine supper meal. It is so funny that this increased my food cost by 150% and all I had was a bowl of soup and not the huge buffets. Odd too that the Spice Market buffet will be about the same price as this one bowl of soup with the coupons I printed.

Booking for April (with running revisions)

Free Southwest ticket will get me there nonstop and back between April 11 and April 27.
16 nights in Vegas at an average cost of $32 a night.

11-12 -Two free nights at the Orleans that will put me in playing distance to the MGM for the Convention folks if they manage to get down that far.  I'll get to check first hand whether comped players are charged the resort fee.  It is only five dollars here.

13-14-15-- Gold Coast - Got the offer on the B connected site.  I have not played much there.  I'll enjoy some easy time with the band when I am tired and not a bad distance to play poker on the strip.  Also, the moves will be easier than the Imperial Palace.  I have to pay the resort fee of $3.

16-17 - Super 8 next to Ellis Island.  Norma took my booking and was very helpful.  Two nights for $139 with taxes using my AARP card.  NO cancellation fee, NO resort fee, NO upfront billing.  They do have a tighter policy if I were to book the cheapest rates.  My AARP (also AAA) rate costs me a  total of $6 more, but gives me the right to cancel.  Also, they have many free amenities: free wifi, free pool, laundry.  The laundry will come in very handy in the middle of my trip.
In addition for each night I stay Southwest will give me .5 rapid rewards credit.

18-19-20-21-22 - I booked April 18 to 22 at the Flamingo. This will be a treat for me as I have never stayed there and all the pools will be open. I booked for cash before my offers were posted.  Because I had booked, the computer would not let me see my offers.  I called and the operator took a look at my offers, found 2 free nights.  However, rates had gone up so it cost me $25 more for my other nights.  Still saved me over $50.

23-24 - Found Vegas Club on Priceline for $33 with tax a night.  I booked, but I can change it.  Eastside Cannery is still expensive.  More than twice that price and that means another bus ride to get downtown.  I guess I'll skip Boulder this time, unless I take the bus up on one of may strip days.  I have never used Priceline before,but this was not give a price and let them choose the lodging.  I hit this by first going to this great search site:  http://www.bookingadvisor.com/
They actually compare prices of three discount broker, and I can link right to the offer from there.  They do take my money upfront, but they have a full refund cancel policy.

25-26 booked El Cortez (Pavilion) for 25-26 for $30 total on the American Casino Guide. Took the girl a long while to know what to do when I told her there was no promotion code on the coupon. Odd.  When I do confirmation, I need to check they have the numbers right.

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That leaves me yet to plan:

I won't do Laughlin this trip, unless I do the one day bus ride.
I also won't do the monthly bus pass because I can do just as well on 24 hour passes.

Since April is a long way away and the free offers come at the last minute, I may have to alter plans or dates, but it feels good to be planning and thinking hotels again.

National Broadcaster's Convention is the first week of my stay and those folks are fun at the poker tables and there are a bunch of them.

I must remember to check my Harrah's online offers and my B connected offers.  This time there was a Gold Coast coupon for 3,000 points as well.  I think that will pay for a buffet.  I just had to print it out and bring it along.

BUS TRANSPORTATION

I intend to tuy a 24 hour reduced fare ticket on the 108 bus at the Airport.  That will get me started for the days at the Orleans.
I'll need to play it by ear while I am on the strip.  I don't think I'll ride the bus much.  I might break up the strip with a one day free bus ride to Laughlin.

If I decide to go to the Cannery for the final weekend, I can just pay the one way on the Flamingo, but the 24 pass is just 50 cents more and maybe I'll want to go down Flamingo for breakfast at the Salvadoran place.

If I decide to go downtown for the final weekend, I will need a 24 hours pass just for the two legs of the journey.
It seems that 24 hour reduced fare passes are my easiest option all the while I am there.

silverton

New report from Historian on Brian's Board that the Silverton does not add resort fee to comped rooms.

bedbugs

NOTE:  JULY 23- 2010  THIS POST IS GETTING TOO LONG AND CUMBERSOME.  I HAVE FLIPPED IT INTO A BLOG OF ITS OWN JUST DEALING WITH BEDBUGS.  i'LL HAVE IT UP AND GOING IN A DAY OR SO.  I WON'T MOVE COMMENTS.

http://bedbugvegas.blogspot.com/

Please head to that site to continue the discussion.

INTERESTING BUS DISCUSSION THREADS

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52013

What I Learned Last Night booking the Super 8

SUPER 8

You may have read what I learned about booking at Harrah's.
My next focus was on the hugely expensive rooms for April 16-17 at the Imperial Palace.
$85 and $95 did not set well with me, but at the same time I did not feel like going very far on the bus and that weekend, just after the National Broadcaster's Convention, would be a great weekend to look for easy poker tables filled with tourists.

I could not beat the price until I took a look at the Super 8 next to Ellis Island. Over the last few years this place has been getting better reviews. I am hoping it will be about like a downtown room.
I caught a price of $58 for those two weekend nights, but the price was not refundable if I cancelled. Then I tried the AARP/AAA price and hit $62 with the usual 72 hour prior to arrival cancellation fee.
So for a total of $6 I could book these rooms and still look for better deals and have the insurance of no cancellation fee if I could not make the trip.
NO RESORT FEES THERE

And here are the FREE AMENITIES:

Hotel Services & Amenities

* HOTEL AMENITIES/SERVICES:
* 24 Hour Front Desk
* AAA Approved
* Air Conditioning
* Airport Shuttle
* Alarm Clock
* ATM Machine
* Business Services/Copy/Fax
* Cribs
* Dataport
* Elevators
* Free Parking/Outside/Street/Bus/ Truck
* Guest Laundromat
* Heated Outdoor Pool
* Free High Speed Wireless Internet
* Ice Machine
* Interior Corridors
* Available at front desk
* Rollaway



* Safe Deposit Box
* Security
* Spa
* Vending Machines
* AMENITIES- IN All ROOMS:
* Phones-Free Local Calls
* Long Distance Access/International Access
* Satellite/Cable Television with CNN, Fox, etc.
* TV with Remote Control
* View from Room
* Wake-up Service
* AMENITIES- IN SOME ROOMS:
* Handicap Facilities/Ramp
* Non-Smoking Room
* Pets Accepted in 1st floor rooms only-$15.00 plus tax per pet, per night
* Pool View
* Suites Available


That sold me. Perhaps the rooms are not as nice as the Imperial Palace Delux, but staying there would mean that I could have free internet access and a laundry right in the middle of a 16 day stay. That is truly amazing!
I also like having HBO for a movie when I am just too tired to play and yet not ready to sleep. Their television is supposed to be better.
I don't need the free shuttle back to the airport this trip as I am heading downtown at the end of my trip and I'll get that from the El Cortez, but if I like this place well enough, it will be great on a future trip.

So I called and booked and saved $63. Norma was a great help on the phone. She answered all my questions and even told me that if I could get a Traveler's Coupon book, there are often coupons in there for this property.
Working with Harrah's Rewards and booking Super 8, in an hour of rebooking I saved $125.
This brings my 16 night stay in Vegas in April down to $34 - $39 average a night (with taxes) depending on which of two casinos I pick for the second weekend of my stay.

What I learned last night about booking a Harrah's casino

My next trip is in April. Generally I go in August  and December.  I avoid conventions.  I stay downtown or slip away to Laughlin where the VP is still full pay.
However, I am changing my gambling focus, dropping intense VP play and concentrating on live poker.
For live poker the strip is a better place to play.  And conventions are very good things. Casinos don't change the odds at the poker table.  People and their quality of play do.

Now, I play no one armed bandits.   Generally I go unnoticed by casino marketing.   But my Harrah's poker play around the country apparently has attracted some attention, and I am getting my best deals on their Rewards site using my card.

So I booked there a month ago. 
Now here is the weird thing about that site.  Once you make a booking, you can't book again on line for that month in any Harrah's properties.  They don't want you to get two rooms at your special rate.  You have to call.  You don't have to pay the $10 processing fee for the call because it is the fault of the computer.  They waived that when I asked. 

You also can't see what they call your "offers."

When I booked there were no "offers" for April.  I booked too early.
But I am a book and rebook frugal guy even when staying on the strip, so last night I decided to call and see what was what.  I had to change my dates anyway. 

I had booked Flamingo for five cheap nights, ($40)
I explained my dilemma to the booking operator.  She agreed that I could not see rates to decide if I wanted to rebook to save money.  She was surprised I could not see my offers, but I suggested that she could see my offers so would she mind looking to see if I was missing any good deals.
Since I booked, the rewards rates had gone up $25 over the five nights.  But my offers included two free nights.  So she rebooked me. I saved $80-$25 or $55 plus 12% =$62

And for this call I did not have to pay the $10 processing fee either.  Apparently changing a reservation entails no fee, so the frugal way to book is to book something on line, wait a while, and then call.

I also had three nights booked at the Imperial Palace, but I could only use my "offers"  in one Harrah's property.

So, it seems that early booking on the Rewards site saves money.  Then it seems that just as the "offers" show for the dates booked, a call to Harrah's may save more money.
What surprised me most was the two comped nights.  Poker play does not often generate many free nights.

BUS SNIPPET: EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT RIDING THE BUS

Hey, the Vegas bus stuff got so big it had to be morphed into its own blog.

SORRY FOR THE EXTRA CLICK BUT THE FORMAT IS MUCH LESS CLUMSY

http://vegasonthebus.blogspot.com/

PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS

SO, YOU FOUND THE BLOG.
WELL, GLAD TO HAVE YOU.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW YOU WERE HERE, SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LEAVE COMMENTS ON THIS BLOG.
TO LEAVE A COMMENT AFTER ANY POST JUST GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT POST, CLICK ON "COMMENTS" AND WRITE YOUR REMARKS.
NOW THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. MANY WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT SEEM TO GET CAUGHT AT THIS POINT.
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COMMENT BOX ARE SOME CIRCLES TO TICK
UNLESS YOU HAVE A BLOG AS WELL, CHOOSE THE ANONYMOUS OPTION IN THE CHECKLIST, BUT BE SURE TO INCLUDE SOME INDICATION OF WHO YOU ARE IN THE TEXT OF THE COMMENT.
THAT HELPS ME CONTROL SPAM.
I ALSO HAVE NEEDED LATELY TO HAVE THOSE NERVE WRACKING WORDS TO TYPE AND COMMENTS NEED TO BE LOOKED AT BEFORE THEY ARE POSTED. ALL DUE TO THE DUMB PANAMA INVESTMENT AMERITRUST SPAMMER THAT WON'T LET ME ALONE. SORRY. POST ANYWAY.

Technology and Gambling

Neighbor Ron shared a fine article in the January edition of Popular Mechanics on the security systems in Vegas. Much of it I had read before, but some of the observations I had not thought much about:

1. "There is no underwriter's Laboratory for security technology."
A good bit of the security used at airports and other industries is tested first in las Vegas because they invest and use the cutting edge technologies. And so become "a pioneer in surveillance tech and data mining."

2. Government benefits as well. "Slot machines all operate using a complex algorithm knows as a random-number generator. And the same technology that determines jackpots is also useful for high-tech cryptology, which protects government secrets via encryption.

3. New sensors can detect the presence of chips "whether they are in your pocket or your stomach"
So stealing chips will soon be almost impossible.

4. Secret files on personal data are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. There is a danger here. " Digital data has a long memory, and effective surveillance technology spreads fast. The software that measures your gambling skills at the blackjack tabel today could be the gathering data for your performance review tomorrow."

5. And here is the slot player's biggest nightmare:
"To make adjustments on standard slots, attendants have to stop play, open the housing and swap out the chips, a time-consuming process that reduces profits for the casino. The Mirage's soon-to-open sister property, Aria Casino and Resort, however will be the first casino in las Vegas outfitted with server based slot machines. That means Aria's one-armed bandits will run off a single computer, allowing supervisors to alter machines simply by pushing backroom buttons that can change games, odds and limits to suit the player or the situation."

http://casinogambling.about.com/od/slots/a/server.htm

http://www.slots.cd/server-based-slots.html

http://grochowski.casinocitytimes.com/article/server-based-games-26734

Well, there is lots more in the article.
A good article with some good and some bad news.

Resort Fee

NOTE: THIS POST IS NOW OUT OF DATE.  IT HAS BEEN UPDATED AND TURNED INTO ITS OWN SEPARATE BLOG FOR EASIER NAVIGATION.

http://vegasresortfees.blogspot.com/


BREAKING RESORT FEE NEWS!!!!!!!!
This answers the issue at Circus Circus.
And here too is exactly the squeeze that I've been writing about.
December 20 Circus Circus will have a Resort Fee of $3.95.
I called to book Circus Circus for April 23-24. After getting a quote on the room rate, I then asked about Resort Fees.
"Oh, no," says Rhonda. "No resort fees here. Just the dollar for unlimited local calls."

Yet they know those fees are coming for any booking I make in April.
Or January for that matter.
Nobody is talking. They talk to Vegas.com, but not to you and me.
BAIT AND SWITCH!
BAIT AND SWITCH!

I wrote Vegas.com because they show a Resort Fee, and here is their reply:
Hello,

Thank your for contacting us. We checked with management at Circus Circus and confirmed that they will be charging a resort fee of $3.95 beginning Dec. 20.

Kind regards,
Vegas.com

Meanwhile Circus-Circus in Reno is advertising with the slogan NO RESORT FEES. You go Reno. Hope this is the next trend.

http://www.circusreno.com/hotel/noresortfees.aspx

At Circus Circus Reno we add no hidden Resort Fees!

When we say we offer a free shuttle to and from the airport, we mean FREE!

We offer the most free covered valet and self parking in downtown Reno with over 3,000 spaces!

As a registered guest you have full access to our fitness center FREE of charge!

Many other Reno hotels say they offer these services free, but then charge you a "Resort Fee", per day, plus tax!

Don't get us wrong, some of our amenities do require a small fee like:

* Same day dry cleaning
* Wireless Internet Access
* Full-service Business Center
* Rollaway Beds (based on availability)
* Mini Refrigerators (based on availability)

But you, as our guest, make the decision to add these charges!

Circus Circus Reno strives to be the best value to our best asset, YOU, our Guest!

--------------------
December 20 - I wanted to check to see if the fee was up and working just to test Vegas.com on accurate information. I also wanted to test a theory from a poster on the LVA board that claimed anyone booking before the fee was in place for a time after the fee was imposed would be "grandfathered" in to paying no fee

I called Circus Circus again and so far the resort fee has not been implemented, but

"That doesn't mean it won't be next week"
said my operator whose name I won't give since I don't want her to be bothered.

Then I asked her about this grandfather theory. She said if I booked yesterday and the fee was in place in January (her guess as to when it might hit the computer) that I would not be grandfathered in when I arrived in April, but I would have to pay the fee.

I asked three times in three different ways and she said definitely, "No!" to the grandfather theory and added that she wished it would work like that because the way it works now she gets plenty of people yelling at her. She did say I could do what the guy in the last post did, call a manager, because he has the discretion to waive it. But that is no guarantee, is it?

Futhermore, she said that when they first imposed the dollar fee for unlimited calls no one was grandfathered.

So there it is. I do have to trust Vegas.com's connection that they really know about the coming imposition of the fee, but Vegas.com has no reason to make that fee up. It hurts their business.

And I don't care about this one casino. It is the practice. It seems to be tricking everyone into thinking that it is not a hidden fee likely to rise up and bite them at check in or check out.
The operator said she thought that resort fees don't work with any grandfathered protection in other casinos also.

I'd like to hear of one person who has been surprised with the resort fee and been grandfathered by the check in clerk as if that were the standard procedure. Who has had that experience?

******************************************************************************************


CHECK HERE TO FIND OUT WHAT THE RESORT FEE CURRENTLY IS:

1. This is a Vegas discussion board and the information will be updated quarterly. It will not agree with some other lists of resort fees, because some casinos tax the resort fee as well, and Viva Las Vegas who maintains this post has been nice enough to do the math and include the full amount that you have to pay.
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50749&highlight=resort+fees
2. Here is another interesting list.
http://www.vegashotelspecial.com/index.php/2009/10/07/hidden-fees-at-las-vegas-hotels-dont-be-a-victim/

3. This site even may predict Resort Fees that have not been noted yet on other lists:
However, some casinos will not be listed at all because they can't be booked here. Like Gold Spike.
http://www.vegas.com/incl/resortfees.html

4. These are more general articles on added fees:
http://hotels.about.com/od/hotelsecrets/a/avoid_charges.htm

http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/watch-out-for-these-hotel-fees.html?id=3439912

5. An interesting collage of resort fee reports:
http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGGL_en___US354&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=hidden+resort+fees+vegas&fb=1&gl=us&hq=hidden+resort+fees&hnear=vegas&view=text&ei=-ZgpS5mSOIvDlAfVxZyiBw&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=more-results&resnum=4&ved=0CC8QtQMwAw
******************************************************
A discussion of resort fees from September 2009:

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=52&threadid=298169&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=

This has got to be the funniest thread of December.  I post the Circus Circus news and keep getting the same off the cuff responses.  I try over and over to turn the generalizations with facts and wonder what is exactly going on and finally someone outs one of the main poster as a casino employee and it dawns on me why I am beating my head against a brick wall:  hidden fees combined with hidden agenda. 

More discussion is happening here in December 2009:

http://blonde4ever.yuku.com/topic/12968
and here
http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=17&threadid=299964&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=
and here
http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=299287&STARTPAGE=1&CFID=28914273&CFTOKEN=16527034
real argument here. I can't figure why people want to defend this practice or claim it is not a problem with "let the buyer beware" attitudes.
http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=17&threadid=300075&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=&STARTPAGE=1


**********************************************************************************
Here are the issues as I see them:

The resort fee insults us, tries to trick us, and changes often, usually by going up.

By shouting some have had some success in getting the fees dropped, but as it becomes more and more common practice, the shouting is of no value.

COMPED ROOMS?

According to board posts, people with comped rooms are often not charged the fees, or are charged them and can argue their way out of them, but lately I have heard too reports of people with comped rooms being charged:
1. "MGM/Mirage has started to do it with some you can book directly online via the Player's Club."
2. "I confirmed it yesterday via NYNY. 2 comped nites, $25 free play AND a $10 per day resort fee."
this from
http://blonde4ever.yuku.com/topic/12968
3. "NYNY resort fee is 10.07/night. Even comped rooms have that fee. The only way to get them waived is by "play." this from http://www.vegasmessageboard.com
4."I checked into the Fiesta in Henderson a few days ago, it was comped, but the loser clerk tried to charge me a $11.89 per day resort fee upon checkout.For that dump? It took me an extra 15 minutes to get a suit to eliminate it. " This from LVA board.

Posters on the Trip Advisor Laughlin board report that the Venetian has a way to opt out of the fees for comped players.

Also, one poster who was going to Station casinos and getting comped rooms, said that the fees were waived but the benefits were not, including free internet. This poster liked the fees as it meant other people were funding his free internet.
"So, for free, I get the wireless internet, free drinks, paper and water which I use."

Purists are boycotting casinos that charge fees; I am just putting the price into my hotel searches and complaining. I admire purists.

If the fee is just a dollar, like Circus Circus could it be that the casino hopes to get good advertisement from such a low fee when it is compared against the high fee casinos?

Flamingo for April 2010 charged me a processing fee of $10 for my phone reservation. I am there five nights, so it is not much for the use of the pool and for my first stay on the strip, so I paid it. I have since found out that this is only charged if I use the phone to book.
When I booked another week in April at Imperial Palace, I could not manage it on the computer which kept saying I already had a reservation.
So I called to book. The girl told me that the computer reads bookings per month so that if we try to book two Harrah's properties in the same month, we will get rejected by the computer. So I called.
They booked me over the phone and when I asked, "So is this going to cost me the $10 processing fee..because the computer can't separate dates in the same month?"
"No," she said, since it was clearly a problem with the computer.
If you call and simply indicate you are unable to book on line, will they will waive the fee?I don't think they checked my other booking, but perhaps they did.
Anyway in the list Viva Las Vegas makes a good distinction between these processing fees that can be avoided and resort fees that cannot.

Some casinos tax the resort fee as well adding to the cost and making comparison shopping even more a comedy of errors.

Discounters don't reveal this practice of resort fees, so it is a surprise when you check out. Using the Kayak search engine used to result in a fine list of casinos arranged by price, but they now quote the room price and also underneath give a total figure that says it represents the charde with taxes and fees, but resort fees are not included in the mathematics.(see complaint to kayak below)
I generally use the discounters and arrange the casinos by price, low to high in a fine clear list. That is now impossible. One casino will look like a better deal than another, but it will actually be quite a bit more expensive because resort fees do now show up in the computer ranking of price low to high. This explains some of the reason the casino likes the hidden fee. They look better at the discounters than they really are.

Las Vegas Advisor monthly newsletter too was commenting on the low price of hotel rooms and offering examples without adding in the cost of the resort fees.

We may have buy a room early from the discounter and find it double in price by the front desk. What will happen if we book early with a discounter and the fee goes into effect or is raised while we wait for our dates to roll around? Do we pay the old fee? Do we pay the new fee?
It seemed to me in searching for information that Hooters may have raised their resort fee at least twice.

From now on when dealing with the hotels directly, I'll ask them to quote the entire price to me with taxes and fees included for easier comparison and then when I confirm, I'll check that total price as a way of insuring what I will pay. I'll also ask for a confirming email that includes total price. Some places will send that.

HOW TO COMPLAIN

What methods are there of protest?
Complain at the front desk. (While this is the weakest form of protest, this seems to still be working for people who find this added to their comped rooms or were not told when they booked.)
Complain in writing to someone who must answer.
Complain on public discussion boards.
Whenever you cancel a reservation, say it was because of the resort fee and say that in writing.
Put the entire hotel bill into dispute with your credit card company and let them wait for their money.
If you are trying to get it dropped, tell the casino you will dispute the entire bill with your credit card. It is more bother for them to go through that process than to waive the fee.

If you still get caught, then this might be a good thing to say and of course to put in writing.
"Fine, I'll pay this damn tricky resort fee, but I'll not wager a dime here. I'll go next door or down the street. When I'm here, I'll go on the internet in my room or to the fitness center. I'll enjoy the pool, and use up my points on free food, but I won't gamble here this trip. That will save me the resort fee. "

Vegas is hurting and I guess this is what they feel they must do to pull themselves out, but it is a mean thing they are doing, and they know it.
Generally, casinos try to mask their meanness. They don't display it in their advertisement. Until we start gambling, the casino generally fawns over us. Feeling like we are being treated kindly and with care is one reason we are willing to gamble at a place.
Check the comment on this board for November 2009 at NYNY. Do you think this customer is likely to go back to NYNY again?
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g45963-d91904-r49184607-New_York_New_York_Hotel_and_Casino-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html

Glance through the comments on stays collected in the link in number 5 above. Are those folks likely to head back to the resort fee pirates?
One solution for most casinos might be to simply make the resort fee an option and include pool, spa, internet in that package. They could then perhaps often get the extra money, and the folks who choose not to pay it may be those who just want to gamble all day and will more than pay for their rooms that way.

I can't see paying $20 extra a night for anything. That is what I generally set as my total hotel bill for a night. I have seen posts where customers thought it was fine to pay it, however, even to pay that $25 fee charged by Red Rock.

The funniest Resort Fee has to be the Gold Spike. They just charge; they have absolutely nothing to list as a benefit.
The Gold Spike offers a $7.77 promotional coupon for a single weekday night in the 2010 American Casino Guide. Nothing on the coupon says anything about the $2 resort fee which adds 26% to that night's stay. They kept that information back from the American Casino Guide and you just know it is going to be something that folks will get angry about. This kind of bait and switch promotion also works to reduce the credibility of the American Casino Guide. It is a small amount, but it set folks to wonder. Promotional coupons to really work need to be redeemed smoothly so that the user are amazed they can get such a deal and so drawn to return to buy that coupon book and return to the promoted casino.
My last trip I found Gold Spike rooms advertised with discounters at $9 a night making the resort fee a 22% add on.
Now here is a new casino trying to win new customers and setting up a system for discouraging them from returning at the same time.(my letter included below)

Perhaps this will offer up a completely new form of coupon in the American Casino Guide. Why not have coupons that waive the resort fee? Room discounts have rather drained away in this publication. This might be a room discount coupon of value. On the other hand I suppose the casinos do not want to do anything to draw attention to the fact they charge these hidden fees.



************************************************************************

*********************************************************************
WRITTEN COMPLAINTS and POSTS OF INTEREST:

If you write letter in protest, paste it in the comment section of this post. Each one models what to say. I am starting by seeing if another Vegas reporting regular will add this information to their fine and funny casino reviews.


http://www.cheapovegas.com/index.php

12/13/10
open e-mail to cheapo las vegas
casinoboy@cheapovegas.com:

I have always loved your site since way back in the days of the old Gold Spike and your celebration of the little guy gambler.
Now a new ugly thing raises its head. Resort Fees. Consider adding that information to your casino reviews. It does require some updating, but there seem to be some folks doing that. I tried to collect them here

http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/2009/12/all-i-know-about-insidious-resort-fees.html

Even your old favorite Gold Spike has a "resort fee". No resort amenities, just a hidden fee. Not like the old days of syrofoam plated egg breakfasts.Also, I'll link you in the favorites on my site if you like. Mine is just a blog. I sell nothing and no one advertises there nor will that happen.Have a good one. Watch out for hidden fees.

****************************************************************************************************************************
Letter to Gold Spike:

Open letter concerning Resort Fees‏

From:	dewey hill (deweyfhill@hotmail.com)
Sent:	Sun 12/13/09 8:43 AM
To:	generalmanager@goldspike.com

Well, I have been hearing such great reports on all the new renovations at your resort and had decided to give it a try when I come up in April.

Now I am rethinking my decision.

Why have you gone on the resort fee bandwagon?
It is not really the $2, but the idea that it is such a tricky tactic.
While the new renovation attracts, this resort fee repels.

And what exactly resort like do we get for the hidden $2? Pool? internet? laundry? business office use? gym?
I read that we get.........well...........nothing.
Guess I'll keep my El Cortez reservations. A bit more money perhaps, but I can count on few surprises except perhaps Jackie's unpredictable play at the poker table.

Sincerely
Dewey Hill

************************************************************************************
FEEDBACK FOR KAYAK SEARCH SITE

I used to recommend you all the time, but you are failing to figure in RESORT FEES when quoting in fine print the price with taxes and fees. It makes a huge difference and completely makes the list by price function of your site useless and deceiving.

From:	Gayle Evans, Kayak QA Engineer (225622.ee0@feedback.kayak.com)
Sent:	Fri 12/18/09 4:32 PM
To:	deweyfhill@hotmail.com

Hello, Thanks for taking the time to send us feedback about resort fees.  We are aware of this issue and are working with our providers to get this information.  I hope you will still use Kayak.  We not only read and respond to every feedback, but use this feedback to improve our products.



Thanks again,

************************************************************************************
FEEDBACK TO THE VEGAS.COM SITE

I'd like to thank you on behalf of many of my blog readers and myself for being so informative on RESORT FEES. Other sites allow these hidden fees to remain hidden, even claiming prices with taxes and fees but including the resort fees that can be as much as 25% of the booking.
It would be great if searches would arrange casinos by total price as that would make comparison shopping more easy, but you have done the next best thing with pop up warnings and a clear statement for each casino chosen.
Your site it already getting good marks on Vegas discussion boards for addressing this frustrating issue, and I'm certain you will find more customers booking through you because of your response to resort fees, many of them mad that their computer searches on other sites did not reveal actual cost.

*******************************************************************************
MY ANSWER TO A BOARD MEMBER ASKING WHEN DID ALL THIS HAPPEN AT HIS FAVORITE CASINO.
IT WASN'T THERE TWO MONTHS AGO, HE SAYS.

The "when" of the resort fee farce can be any day of any week for any casino. That is why Viva Las Vegas took on the task of updating the list here on this board(click), why some of the more savy discounters are getting the message that this is going to continue to be a frustrating hidden fee and they better get it communicated to their customers, and why I am trying to chase this thing into the ground on a daily basis.

RESORT FEE BLOG THREAD

For many, many customers the important "when" is the time in the room booking process when they learn that each of their nights might cost them another $25 and that all their comparison shopping did not mean much because quite simply they were quoted one price and will pay another.
Perhaps it is as they check in.
For some it won't be until check out.
And we will have to imagine that for many it won't be until they pay the Visa a month after they are home.

So at least here, where we talk to one another, we can stop this virus from infecting the pleasure of a Vegas trip, but even here we are always working behind the "when" of the decision.

Unlike casino implosions, the imposition of resort fees will not be televised.

The entire purpose of this practice is to get their hotel to look cheaper than the competition when someone does a search and pops them up ranked by price low to high as well as trick the customer into paying more.
Of course, the entire business of the casino is to trick the customer into paying more but generally they have kept the tricks confined to the slots, extra zeros on roulette, and dealers reminding us to bet the hard ways. They have not tried to trick us in the booking process itself.
But they are hurting for cash. So, like many financially strapped folks, mugging sounded like a good solution.
Hey, if the bankers can do it on house mortgages, why not do it on rented rooms?

Ask for total prices when you book.
Confirm those total prices when you confirm your room before heading out to Vegas.( I am not sure what happens if the hotel you booked starts a resort fee between the time you book and the time you arrive, but I suspect that folks are already being squeezed by this bait and switch con.)
Post what information you find so we can spread it around to your brothers and sisters on this board.


The better "when" is the day we see these fees go away or evolve into something optional.
Or the day when some casino begins to advertise that they have no resort fees as a way to promote their rooms the way Southwest promotes their airline travel with no baggage fees.
This too can be any day for any casino.

__________________
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"Taking calculated risks is, well, risky; not taking them is pointless."
John Blowers from his novel Life on Tilt: confessions of a Poker Dad

Every so often I compose a post I particularly like, and then I save it here.
This is one.
Ironically enough, the American Casino Guide discussion board moderator just wrote and asked me to no longer post links to this board or the Foxwoods board with my trip reports, but to cut and paste the trip reports on his site.
Yeah. Like that's gonna happen the next time I compose a dozen snippets of focused information with interior photos and links.
Get real ACG.
They said they wanted to get people to their site, not direct them to other sites.
This is short sighted (excuse the pun) thinking.
Free sharing of information is better for them as long and I see no down side since my site holds no advertisement.
I also have been doing it there and at a number of other discussion board sites for years without complaint. Anyone taking the time to look over my blogs know that they have no advertisement, sell nothing, and so are not spam.
Even the board with the demented disquieted and perpetually perturbed moderator who wrote after I mentioned on another board that he was so tough he stooped to insult a deceased board member (on a thread mourning the fellow's loss) to tell me I was "know nothing dickhead"....even on that site they let me link to my blogged trip reports.
But somehow writing for American Casino Guide this week I fell in the groove, writing on a post I started about the new resort fee and the Tuscany, and it flowed nicely, so the American Casino Guide got a long bit of work from me, cut and pasted as requested.
I especially liked linking the resort fee idea to playing short pay VP. That seems a way to explain what happens that might make sense to people, especially those reading about resort fees. I had not thought of the analogy before.

To see the entire thread, click American Casino Guide and scroll up to the top.
re: Resort Fee at Tuscany is now $10 for each night.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GotAces What do you think about their casino? I signed up for their players club and did pretty good. I was playing very l..o..w stakes on nickel machines. I hit quad aces with kicker on one machine and then quad 4s with kicker on the next machine. Then the next machine gave me a RF1. I switched to quarters and got handed my head! So I went back to nickels and hit a RF2. So back to quarters (dumb!) and still got handed my head. Quarters ate up 2/3 of my winnings but I still made a good percentage return on my meager stake. (But the next day I signed up at Terrible's player club and cound not even get a quad.)

This may not be the way you think about gambling, but for what it's worth here is my philosophy:
When we play video poker, unless we are playing full pay games, whether we win or lose in a particular session, we do more poorly than you would at a full pay game. If every time we hit a full house or a flush the casino short pays us a dollar and a quarter, then we are losing money on what we have been lucky enough to hit.
Our score at the end of a session or two or twenty doesn't mean anything. What is meaningful is whether the mathematics gives us full pay or not.
Tuscany does not offer full pay, so why play when we can hop a bus and in a few minutes be at the Gold Coast or Palms?

Another way to look at it is that the Tuscany, if they offer say 8/5 JOB has on a dollar machine a $5 resort fee on all full houses and flushes. Whenever those are hit, they take the fee. It is charged just for the fun of playing on their machine rather than the one at the Gold Coast that pays 9/6 JOB. Both machines work the same way by law.
Add it up while you play sometime. It is much more costly than any resort fee on the hotel room.

I play live poker and have heard good things about the Tuscany, but there have never been enough players there when I went for there to be a limit cash game with a full table. If we don't play full tables in live games then we get forced to put up blinds for cards we would never pay and that costs money in the long run. We also have less chance of being at a table with a fish or two who are passed around from good player to good player. So I don't like games that are short players unless by some wonderful luck, I am at a table with five players and two of them are idiots.

I did not gamble much at Tuscany. Here is why I stayed there last August:

In August I sought the comfort and location at an affordable price as well as important amenities. They charged me $19 a night and a one time ten dollar resort fee.
I got a good bit out of the resort. For one thing I planned my stay there to coincide with the point at which I would have two large loads of dirty clothes and nothing much clean left.
They have a laundromat.
(Try to find one at a casino in Vegas. Maybe at the Plaza.)
Their common areas have free wifi, and I used that benefit to catch up on my email and these boards.
Their pool area and the large comfortable living room furniture in the rooms were great places to sit and talk with some of my relatives who live in Vegas.
One of them is dieting and decided that he did not want me to buy supper as I ususally do, so it was fine to have a spot just to catch up and visit that was comfortable. Not buying him supper saved me the price of the room that day.
Their access to buses was just incredible. I could hit the strip or just beyond hit Gold Coast and Palms. Moving from the Tuscany to downtown for the last leg of my stay was very simple and quick even with my huge suitcase. Just a hop on the Flamingo, a hop off, and a nice ride on the 108.
My Terribles, Hard Rock and Ellis Island matchplay coupon runs were easy even in August weather because the walk from Terribles to the Tuscany was easy and broke up the walk to Ellis. I bought two books last year and so I made two runs.
I always have lots of coupons for Terribles for breakfast. This time I did not use any of them. They just gave me free breakfasts based on a bit of past play and did not take my points. I don't know why. Terribles can be like that. By the way there is at least one JOB 9/6 game there.
The walk back to the Tuscany from Ellis Island after a 3 AM graveyard snack of the famous steak special (no waiting at 3 AM) was also very easy. The workmen and lighting in the street being renovated helped make it safer. Had I not felt safe, the bus drops right at the Tuscany, just a short scamper to the B rooms where I stayed.

And this upscale place I wanted to treat myself to this trip with my restaurant.com $10 coupon was just down the street.

Here is my review of that spot, easy to reach from the Tuscany.

I went to Himalayan Cuisine where I had a ten dollar restaurant.com coupon that cost me 80 cents. Most restaurant.com coupons require two people, but they agreed to honor it for my solo meal. It is just down the street across from the atomic museum. To get there you get off the bus one stop beyond Terrible's and walk away from the stip a block and cross the street into a small strip mall. Getting back is walking a half block away from the strip to the nearest bus stop.

It was a great treat and a change from buffets. I ordered half portions liberally in order to get a few tastes. That made the meal a bit more expensive, but I was treating myself. I did not drink any of the wonderful assortment of Belgian beer but had mandarin iced tea and it was very good. I had two. No free refills and $4 each.
I did try to note the names of the beers, all unknown to me ( I can't read my own handwriting) and perhaps I'll try one on my next trip after I have to time look at them on line:
Piraat Flemis IPA

Gulden Draak
Urthel Vloam se Bock
St Bernadus Abtis
Du chessede de Brugogan
Bornem Double Abben Ale
Nostradamus Brown Ale
Cherish CherryLambic
Cherish Rosberry Lambic
Troubadour Obscura

I ate:
vertical vindaloo with lamb – spicy chuncks of lamb in a gravy. Very good with bites of Naan.

Organic Tantric chicken Tandoori – I suppose I should have tried dishes new to me, but this favorite was very, very good.

Chana masala – chick peas in garlic and other spices.

All was a great treat. This is more pricey than my usual Indian food at home, but I'm happy I went. The atmosphere is quiet. Other customers were for the most part native to the food. That is always a good sign.

The menu is very well written. Here is one bit I collected on a dessert I did not have room to try.
Himalayan Snowball: Mango and passion fruit sorbet with raspberry sorbet core covered in white chocolate and drizzled with milk chocolate stripes. Looks like a snowball on the outside but when cut open it blooms like a bright Himalayan spring flower.

One traditional dish I passed on was called Lamb Saag Dhindo and the menu joked that it was LSD but not mind altering. Lamb, spinach, corn meal.

As well as individual dishes, an assortment of sampler platters that cost about $30 were available. These seemed a good value, especially when using a $10 coupon. One was a vegetarian sampler. Much of the food was organic and vegetarian.

Spice level could be chosen. I chose hot and found the vertical vindaloo well spiced and very good.

A take out menu was also available.

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So I loved the Tuscany for location, and I'll go again if the price meets my needs. I did not make it to the Atomic museum or take the bus to Eastside Cannery and Sam's, but I might next time.
I know I just need to figure in the resort fee, put there to confuse the uninitiated, and decide based on actually what it will cost me.
Not much different than my advice on the video poker. Figure the mathematics and make a decision.

While I fully appreciate Ben Jamin's desire to start a movement to boycott, and I respect his personal lobby to organize a boycott of all places that have resort fees, I am just too old for revolution. The best I can do is post so the folks looking for information see the disingenuous acts, and then they can decide to boycott or book.
I would suggest that were one to really want revolution, the tactic would have to be more organized than simply railing here on the boards (although that helps) If a hundred people decided to book a week of rooms for their holiday, and then decided to cancel a week later and follow up with an e-mail to marketing explaining how disappointed they were not to be able to stay in the lovely Tuscany because they so love the gambling there, but that with the resort fee so high they just decided to go on down to Bill's where for not much more they could gamble right on the strip. That might send a message.
Or if you could organize regular customers of the Tuscany who would, when the credit card bill came, fill out the paperwork and put the entire charge in dispute until the credit card company had asked the Tuscany about their "hidden" fees, that also might send a message.
Perhaps the fine print would require them to pay in the long run, but it is the amount of organized quiet resistance that makes these practices more a burden than a builder of revenue for the casino.
They pay more than ten dollars to the person who talks to you by phone or answers your complaints.

The annecdotal history of resort fees on discussion boards is filled with folks who on check out refused to pay the fee, but were willing to talk about it for a long, long time and the fee was often dropped just as were fees to have telephone or a locked safe a few years ago.

I only advocated myself for a mass protest from online friends once. It was when the Orleans first started to insist on a room key for a seat on the shuttle. I offered to help people compose letters, posted the ones I and others had sent, kept track of the responses and posted the names of people to contact directly with a polite explanation of why the recent shuttle decision decision was not a good choice.
I don't think I got a hundred people to write and call, but I got enough action off this board and others that I found out it frustrated the person who had to handle and answer all that mail. They soon moved to priority seating for those with keys and open seating for the rest just to get the letters needing answers off their desk. Perhaps that pressure helped.
Of course, in those days the Orleans had great VP and was the discussion board hotel of choice, so many of those writing had good gambling records and had stayed there over the years. I am not sure that kind of customer exists at the Tuscany. Few reading these boards would go to the Tuscany for advantage gambling.

I would point out, however, that with the ACG 2010 coupon Tuscany will pay you ten dollars to play $40 at the live poker table.

I'm now too old, too tired for revolution.
All I really want now is to get the semiconscious folks (those who won't read enough to know they are to pay a resort fee to the Tuscany) to play live poker at the live poker table where I am playing there and hope their mathematical skills at poker are equivalent to those they use when they fail to add up or recheck their hotel bills.