Have they ruined Las Vegas?

[scottmandue]

No, I don't miss the old days where if you won big they would drag you out to an alley and beat the crap out of you.

However,

Entertainment used to be cheap, now $100+ to see a show, everyplace has a high end club now where you pay crazy money just to get in the door... I admit I have never been a club guy, friends tried dragging me to clubs back in the day, bunch a people crammed into a room with loud booming music... not my cup of tea... if you dig it fine... but I'm not dropping C notes to get into that unpleasant experience.

Gambling, I'm not a high roller but I have a friend that is... long story short comps are few and far between... I talking people who drop thousands of dollars in a casino and nothing... nada... and for us low roller the new machines are nothing more than gaudy video games.

Food, buffets were the thing... $5 to $15, but now... $15 to $50 or more... to quote my high roller friend "buffets are all the same, the only difference is how much you pay." What really kills me is that the fun in dinning in Vegas was finding the fun hole in the wall places, in and outside the casinos we had our favorite joints... now it is mostly chain restaurants... some of those chain restaurants I actually like... but I can eat at those places at home, I don't need to go to Vegas to eat at P.F. Chang's!

End of rant

[JavaBrewer]

I have zero interest in gambling so for me that leaves shows and dining. From the many past threads here the universal advice is to not eat on the strip and seek out of the way places. I agree with said advice - ALL of my meals in/around the strip have been forgettable and damn expensive. I can have a great meal and glass of Cabernet with an ocean view in Del Mar for far less $ than on the strip. Sushi - easily 2x more expensive than in San Diego. Drinks...forget about it. I'll hit CVS for supplies and make my own thanks very much.

Shows can be hit or miss but as you stated - bring lots of money.

I doubt I'll ever darken that part of the country again.

[emcon5]

I think in the past, the shows were there to get you in the casino to gamble, and served as a loss leader. With the changes in the economy, people are not gambling as much, and the casinos are not making enough money on the gambling to subsidize the shows.

"They" didn't ruin Vegas. "We", the consumer did by our spending habits.

[Hugh R]

The buffets are not all the same. Try the Bellagio or The Wynn, about $10 more but worth it.

[Eric 951]

I agree. I used to go to Vegas at least twice a year, but my last trip was 5 years ago. I just got fed up with the price creep, the added 20.00+ per day
"resort fee" that every place tacked onto your bill

The insane cover charges/lines for clubs--then being completey sardined once inside--unless you wanted to shell out another 300.00+ for bottle service.

The elimination of any type of comp from the Pit Boss unless you had a "players club" card--even then hours of play would net a single breakfast if you were lucky.

The impossibility to even drive down the Strip with the traffic and the proliferation of chain stores and restaurants everywhere.

I really miss eating a comp buffett brunch, playing blackjack for half a day, seeing a good show on the cheap, eating a nice old-school steak dinner at Drai's, and wrapping up the night with drinks and the view from Voodoo at the top of Rio.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

From the many past threads here the universal advice is to not eat on the strip and seek out of the way places. I agree with said advice -

True enough... but then what is the point? They whole town is built around the strip... then they tell you to get away from the strip? And is you are staying on the strip the traffic on and around the strip is a little slice of he11... and if you are planing on drinking (Vegas is a party town after all) better not be driving off the strip either.

Kinda like booking a vacation to Hawaii and being told "just don't go to the beach"

Personally I drive a lot at home... then drive 300 miles to get to Vegas... it would be nice to stay at a resort and not have to drive to avoid getting screwed... oh, I know, just eat at the food court, subway and panda express, yuuuuum.

[HardDrive]

I've only been to Vegas a couple times, dragged there by a conference/business.

Great place to wander down the street with a drink in your hand and people watch. A spectacle like one finds in a Tom Waits song. Very trashy and sad in my humble opinion.

[widebody911]

[onewhippedpuppy]

Huh, not quite what I expected. I really enjoy Vegas, and my wife and I don't even gamble. Our last trip was right at $1000 for Thursday - Sunday, airfare and hotel. We stayed at Vdara, which is a very nice all-suite non-smoking non-gambling hotel on the strip just behind Aria and next to Bellagio (connected to both by tram and bridge). Frankly we'd have a hard time going much of anywhere for less money, Wichita is limited for direct flights and SWA goes direct to LAS for cheap. The shows are expensive but fantastic, honestly worth the money to us. The people watching and roaming the incredible casinos is free and simply priceless.

We go yearly for a nice laid-back no kids vacation. During the day we wander and shop, randomly grabbing a meal or drinks as the mood strikes us. At night we go see a show and find somewhere else interesting for dinner and drinks. For us it's a nice laid back affordable weekend trip.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Eric 951

I really miss eating a comp buffett brunch, playing blackjack for half a day, seeing a good show on the cheap, eating a nice old-school steak dinner at Drai's, and wrapping up the night with drinks and the view from Voodoo at the top of Rio.

You are my kinda guy! That is exactly what I remember.

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Great place to wander down the street with a drink in your hand and people watch. A spectacle like one finds in a Tom Waits song. Very trashy and sad in my humble opinion.

Yes, very strange indeed, all the freaks and weirdos in costume competing for a tip to take a picture with them among the opulence of the mega high rise buildings.

I do enjoy the architecture... but that is about all I enjoy anymore.

[ckelly78z]

I have had several opportunities to gamble in a casino and declined every time. I don't like crowds, losing money, or loud music.....call me an old fuddy-duddy, but I can use that money for more interesting things like cars, house repairs, cheap vacations.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Huh, not quite what I expected. I really enjoy Vegas, and my wife and I don't even gamble. Our last trip was right at $1000 for Thursday - Sunday, airfare and hotel.

As they say, everything is relative... for me growing up in SoCal Vegas was a road trip as a younin... pile in the car with some friends... book a $20 room... stuff yourself at a $10 to $15 buffet twice a day... $1 and $2 blackjack tables... cheap drinks... drunk and disorderly for two or three days for $100

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

As they say, everything is relative... for me growing up in SoCal Vegas was a road trip as a younin... pile in the car with some friends... book a $20 room... stuff yourself at a $10 to $15 buffet twice a day... $1 and $2 blackjack tables... cheap drinks... drunk and disorderly for two or three days for $100

Ummm, yeah, but that's probably when gas was $0.50/gallon as well. Good luck staying anywhere respectable for much under $100/night, be it Vegas or Wichita.

You're right though, everything is relative. For me a road trip is KC or OKC, fun for a weekend but not exactly "getting away". Vegas is a better escape.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Ummm, yeah, but that's probably when gas was $0.50/gallon as well. Good luck staying anywhere respectable for much under $100/night, be it Vegas or Wichita.

You're right though, everything is relative. For me a road trip is KC or OKC, fun for a weekend but not exactly "getting away". Vegas is a better escape.

I hear you Matt, Vegas can be a nice bargain if you are flying and staying at a nice resort.

I am just pining for the old days of the killer deal Vegas.

And I am spoiled that if I want a nice getting away escape I can book something with a ocean view in that price range.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Fun but way too spendy for anything that's not trashy now. Heck it's spendy for some stuff that IS totally trashy. Fun if you've got nothing better to do. Wouldn't go out of my way now...

[gogriz91]

Maybe the good deals moved to Reno?

[biosurfer1]

Vegas is much more expensive since I started going and I'm only 33. I gamble a little, could care less about comps and fill most of the time at the pools, roaming around the strip or watching a sporting event on 37 tv's.
I'll take that over a place like, say, San Francisco any day. Went there for a bachelor party a couple weekends ago and dinner was $24/person without alcohol, bars were crammed packed to where they could hardly fit another person...and that's about all there is to do in SF on the weekend. No thanks :/

[imcarthur]

Short Answer: No.

Long Answer: There wasn't much there to ruin. As 30 + year veteran of Vegas for tradeshows I have seen Vegas go from seedy, to family orientated, to worldly glitz. It’s the same sandpit with a new facade. The food always was mediocre – especially during major tradeshows. The excessive quantity never did make up for the questionable quality. There has been an uptick in the availability of fine restaurants if you can afford them & if you can stomach their attitude (and people think the French are snotty). As for the price? I am making a lot more than I was in 1982 (my 1st year) so I would expect some upward movement in prices as well.

I quit gambling completely 10 years ago. But I do miss the sound of the dollars hitting the bucket.

Ian

[onewhippedpuppy]

Maybe I don't get it because I hate buffets?

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by gogriz91

Maybe the good deals moved to Reno?

Or Laughlin, for the life of me I can't understand why they don't have flights from Los Angeles to Laughin...

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Short Answer: No.

Long Answer: There wasn't much there to ruin. As 30 + year veteran of Vegas for tradeshows I have seen Vegas go from seedy, to family orientated, to worldly glitz. It’s the same sandpit with a new facade. The food always was mediocre – especially during major tradeshows. The excessive quantity never did make up for the questionable quality. There has been an uptick in the availability of fine restaurants if you can afford them & if you can stomach their attitude (and people think the French are snotty). As for the price? I am making a lot more than I was in 1982 (my 1st year) so I would expect some upward movement in prices as well.

I quit gambling completely 10 years ago. But I do miss the sound of the dollars hitting the bucket.

Ian

Like Matt you have a very different perspective...

Matt is looking for a luxury resort vacation at a reasonable price, win for him.

You go there for work, at peak occupation, again as a spoiled SoCal brat I scan the hotel ads for rock bottom prices that equal non peak and they are giving rooms away, and the casinos/restaurants are not crowded as a result.

And coins hitting the bucket... another thing they ruined... if you win the machine kicks out a coupon you take to an ATM like machine for your payout.

Kinda funny so many of you talk of going to Vegas and not gambling... to a gambler Vegas is Mecca... my wife isn't a gambler and I don't have a disposable income to do any serious gambling... however I can't imaging going there and not playing a little blackjack and/or video poker.