Downtown LV Easy Room Comps
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7 members have voted
It's been over 10 years since I've been to Las Vegas. I have a 3 night trip coming up, and was wondering which Downtown LV casino would be best fit.
I'm particularly looking for future comp room offers.
I know CET but I'm not a Diamond player therefore would be paying resort fees, see #2 below.
Facts:
1) Gambling budget $500 per trip
2) I HATE resort fees on comped rooms
3) I'm not playing for comps
4) Primary action will be VP
If anyone has suggestions about comp rooms other than Downtown LV chime in. Right now I'm looking for Downtown but nothing set in stone.
Thanks for the guidance.
Quote: JoemanFour Queens has pretty good VP offerings, and they don't charge any resort fees, comped room or not. I hear it is fairly easy to score future comp offers, but I have no direct knowledge.
My experience with The D was getting comped room offers just for having a pulse, but that was many years ago.
Quote: MDawgWhat is the Golden Nugget like these days? I haven't played there since the player friendly Tim & Tom days.
Machines are very tight at GN considering they are a downtown property. Not many comps for low rollers.
For the original poster, 4 Queens, D, Golden Gate are good options and the will send mailers. The Circa may also be good as they are related to The D and Golden Gate.
We didn't have any problem getting fully comp'ed at Circa but then I was playing to special limits which were off the chart anyway.
Quote: MDawgGolden Nugget is nice. Circa is even nicer. Aren't the rest on the list basically dumps?
Probably by your standards, the rest of the world is content with staying at a Holiday Inn and doesn't require a 5 star experience.
Quote: whatmeI'm particularly looking for future comp room offers.
3) I'm not playing for comps
You are contradicting yourself here.
If you are looking for future room comps, like you said, losing $500 on 25-cent video poker should get you there. El Cortez should get you the most nights, or be able to get it without going through the entire $500. I think Four Queens is the next most friendly with their comps. Both have good VP options.
If you are not playing for comps, like you also said, then you can do what is much cheaper for most people, which is use a credit or debit card number to secure a room, instead of a players club number.
Quote: Vegasrider$500 budget? Or did you mean $5000? 500 is not a lot of money for a trip to Vegas.
If it is a $500 gambling budget that is pretty typical for most people. If that has to cover food, drinks, shows, hotel room, etc. it would be difficult.
Everything is getting so expensive these days. My friend from Connecticut who visited Vegas for a few days in Vegas before coming to Reno took a brutal beating down at the Golden Nugget. But had much better results up here in Reno since he wasn't forced to play such high minimum bets and no 6:5 BJ. I guess he was splitting his BJ against the dealer 2's thru 6 when he was playing 6:5 BJ
Quote: VegasriderI don't know how people can plan and take all that time and effort to make a trip to Vegas with only 500. I believe VP was the choice of game, if you play. 25 at $1.25 per hand, you could lose that in one session.
Some people are content playing nickels while others play the penny slots betting minimum. Some people may only gamble an hour a day. Everybody is different. Honestly in my experiences the people gambling the smaller amounts are the ones having the most fun. I still love seeing tourists high five each other when they get a straight or flush at video poker. My friends are so jaded that if they hit a $4000 royal all they will say is "it's about time, now I'm only down $XXXX"..
Right now (or maybe a bit ago, I don't like to pin our location down) the VIP floor I am/was staying at has/had two guards on it 7/24 - not because of me, but because of another guest.
You stay at an unsafe dump at your own risk. It's not just about luxury.
I play for enjoyment and +EV getting a comp room for my normal action is a perk. It also tells me who wants my action.
Personally I like the history and atmosphere (based on 10 years ago) of Downtown LV.
This trip is due to work so my gambling time is limited.
Yes my gambling budget for this trip is $500 (just gambling not transportation, room, food, etc.) No I don't want to loose it, just risk it. Lol.
Thanks for the insight.
But I'd just hate to see anyone get robbed or hurt staying in some unsafe dump.
Quote: VegasriderI don't know how people can plan and take all that time and effort to make a trip to Vegas with only 500. I believe VP was the choice of game, if you play. 25 at $1.25 per hand, you could lose that in one session.
How much action does it take to have a 50% chance of losing $500 on a typical video poker game, at $1.25 per spin? Online calculator I used to use for these things is so old it doesn't work anymore. Have notes that show it should be somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 hands for a 50% chance of losing $100, depending on the game. That means it has to be well over 5,000 for $500, probably at least 10,000, even on the worst games. That is quite a lot of playing for one trip. And should get a comped room offer downtown.
Quote: Vegasrider$500 budget? Or did you mean $5000? 500 is not a lot of money for a trip to Vegas.
The average bankroll of a McCarron passenger is less than that.
Quote: DRich...Everybody is different. Honestly in my experiences the people gambling the smaller amounts are the ones having the most fun...
Agree,
For fun I try to find a lively section playing pennies. Put $20 in, bet minimum, drink, tip, and just have fun.
Quote: whatmeAgree,
For fun I try to find a lively section playing pennies. Put $20 in, bet minimum, drink, tip, and just have fun.
Nothing wrong with having fun. But you mentioned you were looking for comped rooms, or food? That's why I didn't think playing .05 a hand or even .25 will get you anything, at least in Vegas. Reno maybe, I think you need to play at least .10 a hand to get a free drink at the bar up here. Certain casinos up here have point multiplier days, like 6X or 7X, so that can add up fast. But thats up in Reno, not sure if any of the casinos offer multipliers in Vegas.
Quote: VegasriderNothing wrong with having fun. But you mentioned you were looking for comped rooms, or food? That's why I didn't think playing .05 a hand or even .25 will get you anything, at least in Vegas. Reno maybe, I think you need to play at least .10 a hand to get a free drink at the bar up here. Certain casinos up here have point multiplier days, like 6X or 7X, so that can add up fast. But thats up in Reno, not sure if any of the casinos offer multipliers in Vegas.
Pre-Covid, quarter players had no problems getting free room at the EC and 4Queens.
Quote: MDawg...You stay at an unsafe dump at your own risk. It's not just about luxury.
I've stayed at
1) El Cortez
2) Gold Spike (when it was a casino, & really bad neighborhood)
3) Fremont
The only time I felt unsafe at a casino was at the Wynn, a group just started to fight (punches flying). Security did show up quickly and stopped it.
It should be noted, I'm not from a small town.
For anyone who isn't comfortable with the news/reputation about downtown don't stay there or go by yourself.
I've stayed at hotels that were rated 4 star that made the El Cortez look high end.
It's not just about luxury, experiences and comfort should be considered.
Quote: whatmeMy view is if you are playing outside your own rules and/or comfort inorder to get a comp then you are playing for comps. To each their own.
I play for enjoyment and +EV getting a comp room for my normal action is a perk. It also tells me who wants my action.
Personally I like the history and atmosphere (based on 10 years ago) of Downtown LV.
This trip is due to work so my gambling time is limited.
Yes my gambling budget for this trip is $500 (just gambling not transportation, room, food, etc.) No I don't want to loose it, just risk it. Lol.
Thanks for the insight.
Back in my youth, I would occasionally rotate between the Cortez, what was then Fitzgerald's, and the California for a month at a time, with the occasional treat of weekends at the old Gold Spike, where they gave you rotary phones at the desk as you checked in. I get the allure of the downtown milieu.
Anyway, I think the Four Queens probably fits your bill the best. Good coffee shop, good restaurant, good video poker, no resort fee, and they will comp you as well as anyone. If they have better rooms available (not likely), they may upgrade you into one of their old style suites.
The Golden Nugget, of course, is quite nice. The steakhouse is old school and top notch. The video poker, however, is bottom of the downtown barrel. I've stayed in a few GN rooms. Not much difference between the standard GN and the standard Mandalay Bay rooms. GN had some strange retro suites. I like the look of them; nobody else does.
You could consider staying at GN and playing at the Four Queens -- maybe the Queens would then view you as someone to entice who hasn't stayed there and that could factor into their algorithm for future offers. You would then be blowing off the GN for future offers, but unless you're playing blackjack or other table games, no big deal. My girlfriend has a bunch of GN offers on the table -- tournaments and cruises and all that -- but she put in some serious play and her brother has been comped there forever. I simply cannot play video poker there -- the games are just too degraded for me.
One other option -- the Hotel Apache is a subset of Binion's. No resort fee and old style 1950's rooms (on purpose). Good pricing, but if you read the reviews, upkeep and cleaning services often leave something to be desired.
I wouldn't worry about Danger, Danger Will Robinson. Just stay west of the Cortez at night. And don't go wandering about the Plaza parking garage after dark without a machete.
Quote: whatmeI've stayed at
1) El Cortez
2) Gold Spike (when it was a casino, & really bad neighborhood)
3) Fremont
The only time I felt unsafe at a casino was at the Wynn, a group just started to fight (punches flying). Security did show up quickly and stopped it.
It should be noted, I'm not from a small town.
For anyone who isn't comfortable with the news/reputation about downtown don't stay there or go by yourself.
I've stayed at hotels that were rated 4 star that made the El Cortez look high end.
It's not just about luxury, experiences and comfort should be considered.
You beat me to the punch regarding some things. The hookers at the Wynn are well dressed, but they are not going to win many Miss Universe pageants. If you are west of the Cortez, downtown should be fine except for pickpockets, who take advantage of the overhead light shows to ply their skills. Carry a decoy wallet in a back pocket or just be aware.
Quote: billryanThe Wynn has better-looking hookers.
Barely, in my opinion. Although to their credit, the Wynn girls dress high end.
Come on, you can't compare an utter dump like Four Queens to Wynn, it's absurd to even try. And as well, even that one incident at Wynn happened on the casino floor, not up in the guest rooms.
And the way the murders happened at Circus Circus is some guy was apparently going around door crashing, until he found an open door and then robbed and killed the two people inside. That would never happen at Wynn. It never has happened at Wynn. Wynn isn't the only top place on the Strip but it blows doors over Four Queens in every respect.
Wynn, Circa, Resorts World, Cosmopolitan, etc. have a lot of scantily clad girls. Venetian has some too, although sadly the Venetian crowd has gone downhill of late class wise. You see most of these scantily clad girls in groups parading down the halls. I don't really get the impression that many if any of them are hookers. Hookers don't work in groups! not even in twos. Most are just out drinking, clubbing and looking for something to do.
Quote: redietz... the old Gold Spike, where they gave you rotary phones at the desk as you checked in...
WHAT?
Please elaborate.
Thanks for the info
Quote: whatmeWHAT?
Please elaborate.
Thanks for the info
Evidently rotary dial phones were either a fave thing for Spike clientele to purloin, or the check-in desk felt it their sacred duty to match guests with just the proper rotary phone. LOL.
Yes, the rooms didn't have phones until you checked in, in which case you were provided with one. This was in the mid 80's. You checked in and toted your phone to your room.
The Spike almost always gave me a "single male" room, which was a corner room with a bamboo type canopied bed. The room and the bed were actually fine. The room was pie slice shaped. My first or second time in this particular room, I got the bright idea to put the back of my bamboo chair propped against the door knob so nobody could roust me in the middle of the night. Well, imagine my surprise when I saw the back of the chair rubbed down and worn exactly where you'd prop it under the door knob. In other words, yeah, I was not the first person to come up with that. More than once, I got an unsolicited knock at 2 AM offering services. I guess it was a perk of the "single male" rooms.
The reason I stayed in the Spike was, back in the 80's, the Gold Spike did not raise their prices on weekends. So I could stay at the Cal or Fitzgerald's during the week cheaply, then move on over to the Spike and get a room for $25 or whatever on Friday and Saturday.
Quote: MDawgHoliday Inn is by and large clean and safe. Judging from the undesirables I've seen in their casinos whenever I've wandered in there, places like El Cortez and Four Queens are not. The murders that happened at Circus Circus I don't think would have happened at Wynn.
Right now (or maybe a bit ago, I don't like to pin our location down) the VIP floor I am/was staying at has/had two guards on it 7/24 - not because of me, but because of another guest.
You stay at an unsafe dump at your own risk. It's not just about luxury.
Where was that mass shooting? Was that at Four Queens?
As well, the original target may have been the downtown Life is Beautiful festival.
Quote: MDawgRather in poor taste to bring that tragedy up here by way of implying that it means that one should stay away from such and such hotel, which let's face it that tragedy could have happened anywhere. All Vegas hotels have taken measures to prevent something like that from happening again AND as it turns out, Wynn had already implemented explosive sniffing dogs to sniff out the Wynn grounds BEFORE that even happened, which is part of why maybe that guy did not do it at Wynn, even though he was in fact a known player at Wynn.
As well, the original target may have been the downtown Life is Beautiful festival.
That's my point; it could have happened anywhere. Even in general, I'd consider Downtown no less safe than The Strip---especially if one stays under the FSE.
Quote: MDawg$500. is plenty to gamble at some places. I think anyway.
But I'd just hate to see anyone get robbed or hurt staying in some unsafe dump.
Just think about this statement for a second.
How many millions of people stay at a Downtown LV casino hotel every single year (in total, obviously) and nothing happens to them?
You've probably never even stayed anywhere under FSE, except maybe Golden Nugget and Circa. There's not a single casino-hotel anywhere Downtown that has me peeing my pants at the mere thought of spending a night there. The D is actually quite nice. And, while Four Queens is certainly a dump (but fun), I don't think it's at all unsafe.
https://news3lv.com/news/local/las-vegas-police-investigate-deadly-shooting-at-wynn-parking-garage
Quote: KeeneoneNothing bad ever happens at the non-dumpy Wynn resort. <sarcasm>
https://news3lv.com/news/local/las-vegas-police-investigate-deadly-shooting-at-wynn-parking-garage
Didn't Steve Wynn get attacked by a tranny hooker in one of the bars there?
Quote: billryanDidn't Steve Wynn get attacked by a tranny hooker in one of the bars there?
Maybe this?
https://www.tmz.com/2008/08/07/hookers-just-cant-wynn/
----------
And before we get totally off track...
To the OP of the thread, vpfree2 is a great place to look for vp games you may be interested in playing:
https://www.vpfree2.com/casinos/by-region/las-vegas
Quote: VegasriderVegas is actually one of the most dangerous cities in the US when it comes to violent crimes. People just need to be careful, it's not a fantasy, it's reality.
I didnt know that.
Makes sense.
A guy was handcuffed by cops. Dealer said he was part of a team that distracted the dealer while he grabbed chips. He was in the high limit rm.
Quote: KeeneoneMaybe this?
https://www.tmz.com/2008/08/07/hookers-just-cant-wynn/
----------
And before we get totally off track...
To the OP of the thread, vpfree2 is a great place to look for vp games you may be interested in playing:
https://www.vpfree2.com/casinos/by-region/las-vegas
Perhaps that's the incdent, but I thought a black tranny attacked him in a bar when he ordered her out. I'm not finding it, so I may be mistaken.
Quote: VegasriderVegas is actually one of the most dangerous cities in the US when it comes to violent crimes. People just need to be careful, it's not a fantasy, it's reality.
Las Vegas is also one of the cities most motivated to underreport incidences of violent crime, so that puts a spin on the data.
Just as an anecdotal aside. I have a friend who drove cab in State College (Penn State), where he was paid New York rates for what he described as a "country club environment." We visited Las Vegas, and he decided to scout out the opportunities as a cab driver. He did some legwork and walked away convinced that it was way too dangerous, and the week he was there a driver was shot and killed near the Stratosphere, so that put the icing on the cake. Now this was a guy who worked on the fishing boats in Alaska during summers; he wasn't much scared of anything.
Oh, but they'll all have COVID come October.
Quote: redietzLas Vegas is also one of the cities most motivated to underreport incidences of violent crime, so that puts a spin on the data.
Just as an anecdotal aside. I have a friend who drove cab in State College (Penn State), where he was paid New York rates for what he described as a "country club environment." We visited Las Vegas, and he decided to scout out the opportunities as a cab driver. He did some legwork and walked away convinced that it was way too dangerous, and the week he was there a driver was shot and killed near the Stratosphere, so that put the icing on the cake. Now this was a guy who worked on the fishing boats in Alaska during summers; he wasn't much scared of anything.
Is driving a cab in Las Vegas more dangerous than driving one in College Station? Maybe, but how many people move to State College each year?
I briefly looked into driving a cab when I moved to Vegas, as I'd done in some years back in NY for a bit.
The two companies I called didn't hire part-time and they expected new drivers to work six 12 hour shifts each week for a minimum of thirty days before you could cut down to five shifts. One driver told me 90% of new drivers didn't make it 30 days, but no one cared because the applicant pool was endless. I signed up for both Uber and Lyft but never worked even a single ride.
Living and working in semi-rural Pennsylvania is undoubtedly safer than living in Las Vegas, but at the end of the day, you are still living in semi-rural Pennsylvania. Not exactly people's dream.
I’ve never gotten a room from 4 Queens. Plenty of food comps but no rooms. Their website doesn’t seem to have a section you log into with your players card so I just see the rack rates. I assume they’d email or mail real offers but I prefer the properties where you can log in and see tailored rates. I’ve never gotten a room offer from 4 Queens despite playing a lot of VP and a fair amount of craps there.
As far as safety, so long as I’m on the strip or Fremont, I never felt unsafe. I wouldn’t go strolling a block or two away from those areas at night or counting bills in public but the tourist areas felt totally fine. Pickpockets, sure, but there are Easy ways to protect yourself from pickpockets. I felt more unsafe at night in college in Baltimore than I ever did in LV.
Quote: TinManI find the Boyd properties downtown to be generous with room comps. And if you’re comped you don’t pay a resort fee (unlike Caesars non-Diamond level). I’ve stayed at MSS, Cal and Fremont all comped, $0 total.
I’ve never gotten a room from 4 Queens. Plenty of food comps but no rooms. Their website doesn’t seem to have a section you log into with your players card so I just see the rack rates. I assume they’d email or mail real offers but I prefer the properties where you can log in and see tailored rates. I’ve never gotten a room offer from 4 Queens despite playing a lot of VP and a fair amount of craps there.
As far as safety, so long as I’m on the strip or Fremont, I never felt unsafe. I wouldn’t go strolling a block or two away from those areas at night or counting bills in public but the tourist areas felt totally fine. Pickpockets, sure, but there are Easy ways to protect yourself from pickpockets. I felt more unsafe at night in college in Baltimore than I ever did in LV.
I just call them and they look up my players' card and ask me how many nights I'm looking for.
