Basically free rooms at the EC Sun-Thurs thru 12/23

Quote: mkl654321

The two weeks before Christmas offer great deals all over town. Stations/Fiestas are all quoting room rates under $30, and in some cases, under $20. Imperial Palace is under $30; Bally's is under $40. But I like free best of all...

It's also the only time of year a low roller like me can get free rooms. I'm staying at planet hollywood next week for 5 nights. Total cost? $40.

Quote: bluefire

It's also the only time of year a low roller like me can get free rooms. I'm staying at planet hollywood next week for 5 nights. Total cost? $40.

I think I have already reported this, but I have five nights (in on 13th, out on 18th) at the Rio absolutely free, and I have often acknowledged that I am a very-low roller. In fact, I have been known to wander out of the Rio, where they have booked me into a low-cost "suite", and go across the street to the Gold Coast to play at lower table minimums.

O.K., which one of you just said that that's being a cheapskate? Well, watch it, smart guy. I highly resemble that remark!

Its unofficially known as "Dead Week" in Las Vegas and is a rather poorly defined period prior to Christmas wherein there are indeed deals available all over town and its an opportunity to obtain bargains.

Now food comps are not all that expensive for the casino and Free Play is internally billed to the casino at some rather steep discount from its nominal value, just as Comped Rooms are billed to the casino at the Casino Rate, so not all of this "value" being dangled in front of you is quite as it appears, but if you find it worthwhile... go for it.

I happened to cast a quick glance at Expedia a few days ago and found that their bargain fares for Dead Week seem to end 12/21.

I'd go check it if I could... Nice offer, despite all the prejudice seen.

I'm minus two weeks to Las Vegas, going 12/21-12/25. I got a deal on Expedia.ca for a package tour with a $300 discount. The package tour itself cost $307. (I had to bump up the price by purchasing a shuttle service). The cost of the trip is $7.50 including the exchange rate and the currency exchange charge on my credit card. I am staying at the Gold Coast 12/21-22 on a two nights free offer with $5 food and $5 slot play per day. Then I am moving to the Tuscany on 12/23-25 on a free three nights offer with $25 slot play. Expedia provided an Orleans room with their package, but that will go unused, and I will save the $5/night resort fee. I am looking into rental cars now.

Anybody gonna be in town around this time? I know WizardofEngland is.

Quote: teddys

... I am looking into rental cars now.

I have never used Expedia, and only once used any of the other discount booking services. I just buy directly from the seller, even though that might not always give me the best price.

For cars, I deal with National Car Rental. As a member of their Emerald Club (it's free), I book a mid-size, by-pass the check-in line, and choose whichever car I like that's parked in their "Emerald Aisle". Sometimes they have some of their normally-higher-priced vehicles parked there. The Emerald Aisle is quick, easy, and gives me some flexibility.

For my upcoming trip, I have had an interesting experience in booking the car for a five-day period. I had no idea how much and how frequently their prices fluctuate. Initially, they quoted a price of $186.85 plus $85.67 in government fees, for a total of $272.52. I made that reservation, but later checked back and got a new quote of $233.19 total. I accepted that and canceled the original.

Because of that change, I kept checking back. The prices jumped up and down erratically. I sequentially accepted additional offers at $156.76, $138.44, and $137.91 (~50% of the original), each time canceling the earlier reservation. In between, the prices kept jumping back to $230 and above. And all of this is for exactly the same vehicle for exactly the same period. The lowest I have been quoted is $137.66, but it's not worth the bother to make further reservations/cancellations unless there is a significant savings -- the last change I made (saved 53 cents) was just for amusement. I plan to keep checking back until my departure, but the one factor I have picked up on is this: they have their prices high during the daytime Mon-Fri, when business travelers are more likely to be making reservations. Saturday evenings or most any day at midnight, they offer the discounts. Has anyone else seen this?

Quote: teddys

Anybody gonna be in town around this time? I know WizardofEngland is.

I still think it would be a nice feature of this forum to have a calendar or something to help those of us who might like to arrange face-to-face meetings while we happen to be in Las Vegas at the same time. Questions like teddys's are likely to get buried in the pile of threads. I have tried to schedule a get together with a local member via PM, but I would not likely have known to even try that if he had been an out-of-towner like me -- discussions of our individual travels would tend to be lost in the noise.

Quote: Wizard

I hate to put an end to the fun, but I'm going to have to suspend you for that one. Actually, it isn't just that one, you were pushing the limits in the Sarah Palin's Alaska thread, before I moved it to the FSZ. I'm sure you'll deny it, but I interpret that remark as implying that mkl isn't a man. This one was not nearly as bad as the NAMBLA remark, so three days this time.

I doubt you have to break up this many fights at UNLV!

Quote: Doc

I still think it would be a nice feature of this forum to have a calendar or something to help those of us who might like to arrange face-to-face meetings while we happen to be in Las Vegas at the same time.

I like that idea as well. I believe it's on JB's ToDo list.

Quote: Doc

...discussions of our individual travels would tend to be lost in the noise.

Noise? WHAT noise?

oh, yeah... Were in the middle of a MKL/JL suspension....

I decided on the Mirage for my trip next week. But when I was booking my flight on southwest.com, I checked out the hotel deals. The price for an Air+Hotel package with El Cortez was the same as airfare alone.

There were actually some locals casinos, where the package was a few bucks cheaper than the airfare!

(There may have been extra fees, taxes)

Quote: teddys

I am looking into rental cars now.

Hey Teddy,
I second Doc's suggestion of National. In fact, if you go out and pick up a copy of the 2011 American Casino Guide, there are some EXCELLENT discount/upgrade coupons in there for both them and Alamo (which I believe is owned by the same company). I'll be in Vegas from 1/14 to 1/23 and reserved a Toyota Corolla from Alamo for all but the first two days I'm there. Base price for a weekly rental with coupons...$75. Unfortunately, the ridiculous amount of taxes and fees nearly double the price from there, but it still comes out to less than $20/day.

Hope you enjoy Christmas in Vegas!