Budget Friendly Weekend In Vegas

[aja319se]

Hi I am hoping the budget board can help! We are planning a girls only weekend in Vegas this April
There are 8 of us going. I feel lost! I think it was easier for me to plan Disney..
We are considering the MGM.. what other tips hotel, food, or etc do you have. TIA!

 

[malibuconlee]

Hi I am hoping the budget board can help! We are planning a girls only weekend in Vegas this April
There are 8 of us going. I feel lost! I think it was easier for me to plan Disney..
We are considering the MGM.. what other tips hotel, food, or etc do you have. TIA!

What are your plans? Gambling, pool, restaurants? If pool is important to you I think MGM is a good place. If you are seeing a lot of shows, maybe staying closer to where the shows are or you'll spend $$$ on cabs.

We always spend $$ on cabs and tips anyway, it adds up fast.

Gambling - table games, slots? You'll find lower limits for table games at places downtown or at the older hotels. Casino Royale generally has lower limits as well.

Vegas is a lot like WDW....some people have a really frugal trip, some go all out. I'm not a high roller, but we di gamble quite a bit and consider food in Las Vegas to be part of the experience as well.

Most trips we don't see shows. We saw 3 on our 10th anniversary trip, but now we go with a group and gambling/drinking in a suite then heading to a club is the norm for us now.

 

[scrapquitler]

I don't have anything to add, but I need to subscribe to this thread because hubby and I are considering a trip to Las Vegas within the next 6-8 months.

 

[Kae]

I consider The middle of the strip the best because of location. One day/night we go left & the next day we go right. go to www.cheapovegas.com nice site with reviews & links to all the resaorts websites.

Kae

 

[pearlieq]

What are you interested in doing? That would help folks give you advice you can use.

I would also echo the suggestion to try to stay more mid-strip than MGM. Have you checked out the Flamingo? It's got a great location and the prices are usually great. It's not the newest or the flashiest, but it's clean, has a great pool, and it's right in the middle of the action.

 

[jeepgirl30]

In August we did a quick trip and only booked a few weeks in advance. We went through SW vacations and got a great deal. In the past I always booked the hotel directly with them as it saved money but I could not beat SW's prices.

We booked Mystere tickets ahead and had a nice discount. Day of the show the hotel (we stayed at TI) sent a voicemail saying they had tickets remaining so I stopped by to check it out and got my tickets upgraded AND got a refund!

We have stayed at Luxor, Paris, MGM, Caesars and TI. We spend a lot of time touring the hotels. Mandalay Bay's pool is amazing, the Forum Shops are fun (Caesars), the Bellagio fountains are a must see.

Try Las Vegas Advisor and OpenVegas for discussion boards.

 

[KKB]

WE have done around 20 trips in 17 years...
MGM is a good property with a great pool, but I also recommend midstrip. Mirage has best pool, but Flamingo is cheaper. We were not impressed w/ the property at all, and the pool is full of kids ALTHOUGH their GO pool is free for women & I really liked that. Ballys is my fav place to stay midstrip, but the pool is nothing special.
If you want to see a show, and don't have your heart set on a specific one, try Tx4Tonite right inside Bills casino. Around 10AM daily they offer discounts for tickets for that day. A line forms early.
I do NOT recommend buffets. They are generally overpriced for mediocre food. There are plenty of places to eat reasonably. Fast food & chains are the most reliable for fair prices.
There is SO much to see along the strip for free, could keep you busy for days.
There are cheap slot machines almost everywhere. Join players clubs at all casinos; you may get free play, coupon books or small gifts for doing so. If blackjack or table games are your thing, the smaller/older casinos have the lowest minimums. Downtown is a fun day trip for cheap drinking, eating & gambling.
If you give me your dates I could research some rates...

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

Check out the $6.95 steak dinner at Ellis Island. Also their $4.95 steak and eggs breakfast.

 

[Redwitch]

We didn't do a budget trip.... We have a food problem.

This site was very helpful. http://www.smartervegas.com/

Restaurant.com has good Vegas places available. We found the Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas and Las Vegas Day by Day helpful guide books.

 

[aja319se]

We plan on going to clubs, lounging out , maybe seeing a show and doing some shopping. I think gambeling is the lowest priority on our list.
My travel agent priced me out with what I think is a good deal of 500 pp including 4 nights at the planet hollywood and non stop flights from Boston

Can anyone recommend a good show,club, or restaurants? I'd also like to hear if anyone has any reviews of the planet hollywood. All the travel sites are generally positive reviews.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Restaurants at Planet Hollywood? Earl of Sandwich, of course! Yes, I'm 100% serious; okay, it's not an actual restaurant but it's cheap and we all like it, right?

As for budget stays, consider an off-Strip location that provides free shuttle service to the Strip - Rio (and I think Sam's) to Harrah's, Orleans and Gold Coast to Bill's Gambling Hall.

 

[andrews_dad]

Not a terrible price, but you could do better. Rooms in Vegas are cheap!!

Hit the giant Coke bottle for 1/2 price show tickets, day of shows only for non-sell outs. Good shows include Blue Man, Ka, O, Love, etc. If a girls trip maye you want Thunder from Down Under? Also check out Pure nightclub. Dick's Last Resort in Excalibur. The Piano Bar at NYNY Hotela and casino.

Take the Duece ($2 bus) to downtown Vegas for the light show, cheap eats, and cheap gambling.

 

[KimFIGFern]

If you haven't booked your trip yet, you might want to try looking at Sam's Club Travel (if you or someone in your group had a membership). When I went about 3 years ago, we got 4 nights at the Luxor and round trip tickets from Pittsburgh for $435! There are some really good deals out there that could cut some costs so that you could spend more money on food or gambling. good luck!

 

[brymolmom]

My sis just found Flamingo for $42 a night (but hers is in July) on hotels.com - check it out. Flamingo is a GREAT place to stay. You can hang at the pool all day, which is very budget - unless you're drinking alcohol - then bring some cash! Flamingo is a great location. No cars needed. Take a cab from the airport (4 in each) - it works out cheaper than the shuttles when you have at least 3.

Hang at Carnival Court (outdoor bar outside Harrah's - a quick walk 3 casinos over) - music and dancing WITHOUT the high club prices.

Bring a cooler with you and go to Walgreens and/or the liquor store behind Bills Gamblin Hall (5 minute walk from Flamingo) - and stock up on bagels and juice for breakfast and wine/beer/alcohol to have a couple of nightcaps before heading down to dinner.

Margaritaville at Flamingo is reasonable. Sit in the bar and you don't have to wait for a table - first come, first served.

Check out the water display at Bellagio - it is free and awesome!

Stay away from the buffets unless you guys eat a lot - it is the expensive way to eat there. Sure, there are crablegs - but you can eat for less than $25 (plus drink, plus tip) at regular 'sit down' restaurants. If you're not really hungry - take a walk over to Caesar's food court - tons of choices - salads, potato, fish and chips, pizza, and more - around $10 or so will get you a meal and lots of choices.

The best part of Vegas is meeting people...So be prepared to meet, meet, meet! Have a blast! And, bet 21! That's my number of choice.

 

[brymolmom]

Check out the $6.95 steak dinner at Ellis Island. Also their $4.95 steak and eggs breakfast.

I'll second the vote for Ellis Island - a nice walk off-strip (wouldn't do it after dark though) and cheap and yummy breakfasts. Never done the dinner.

 

[4Seasons]

I love the vibe of Planet Hollywood resort. Then again I also love the luxury of Palazzo and the Venetian
Planet Hollywood is mid strip, great location. I've seen some coupons on Restaurant.com for locations within the Miracle Mile shops.
One of our favorite meals in Vegas is the "gambler's special" at Mr. Lucky's Cafe in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. It's not on the menu, but it's a sirloin steak, mashed potatoes and salad for $7.77. Just don't make the mistake of buying the margaritas in the big souvenier glasses (at $20 a pop!).

 

[malibuconlee]

We plan on going to clubs, lounging out , maybe seeing a show and doing some shopping. I think gambeling is the lowest priority on our list.
My travel agent priced me out with what I think is a good deal of 500 pp including 4 nights at the planet hollywood and non stop flights from Boston

Can anyone recommend a good show,club, or restaurants? I'd also like to hear if anyone has any reviews of the planet hollywood. All the travel sites are generally positive reviews.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

A fun place to drink and dance without the hassle of the "club" is Carnival Court at Harrah's. Voo Doo at the Rio is fun too.

 

[aja319se]

You are all great! I knew I could count on the Dis board to help me out!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I love the vibe of Planet Hollywood resort.

I just read on another forum (everythinglv.com) that Harrah's has taken over Planet Hollywood operation.