Las Vegas Vacation Blog Blog

Customer service positions are historically low-paying jobs and Las Vegas is no exception. The people you interact with count on tips for a decent living so don’t forget them while you’re on your trip. They often get stiffed or are treated rudely when people take their lousy luck out on them. I generally tip as follows:

* At the Craps table: When the shooter’s point is a six or eight I’ll occasionally throw a dollar chip down on the layout and say “Hard six for the boys” or “Hard eight for the boys”. It’s a dollar bet that pays $10 if the next six or eight is thrown “the hard ways” (as doubles) and it’s a way to not only tip the dealers but get them into the action. (Note that if the number your hard bet is on is shot easy, i.e. not as doubles, the dealers don’t get the dollar, the house does, but the dealers still appreciate your getting them in the action.) Another way to get the dealers in on the action is to place a chip next to your chip(s) on the Pass Line. This is a Pass Line bet for the dealers. When you do this, the stickman will often say “Dealers on the line”. (I usually do this when it’s my turn to shoot the dice.) Another alternative is to simply throw about 5% to 10% of any winnings down on the layout “for the boys” as an out-right tip when you’re ending your session.

* At the Blackjack table: I tip the dealer a buck or two out-right (when playing $5 or $10 hands) if they deal me a “natural” (ace and a ten-value card). If the dealer has been dealing me a good percentage of winning hands I’ll occasionally place a $5 chip on the layout between my bet and the dealer. This is a bet for the dealer getting them into the action. You can also do the “end of session” 5% to 10% thing mentioned above.

* If you like playing the slots, ask the slot attendants (located in the center of a large carousel of machines) or roving change attendants which machines are “loose”. They’re around those machines all day and have no problem helping you get some of the boss’ money. But be sure to tip them if you walk away a winner.

* Cocktail Waitresses: Drinks are free while you’re gambling. I usually give the cocktail waitress a $1 chip or $1 slot coin each time she brings me a drink.

* Shuttle bus drivers: The standard for airport shuttle bus drivers is $1 or $2 a bag.

Tipping drivers of the free shuttles which run between hotels is at your discretion. They often have a cup near the front of the bus for the tips but I usually hand $1 to them directly.

The shuttle bus drivers for the various off-Strip activities will often return you directly to your hotel rather than to the central pick-up point so tipping them for this time-saving service would be appropriate also.

* Bellman: $1 to $2 a bag is the norm.

* Maid: I leave a $5 tip each day, mainly because I shower each day and that involves extra effort on the maid’s part. Some guides say to leave one large tip at the end of your stay but I feel this is unfair. You may have several different maids during your stay due to their work schedules and assignments, and your tip could go to someone who didn’t touch your room while you were there. Plus doesn’t it make more sense to reap any benefits of your generosity (such as extra towels, etc.) while you’re still there ?

* Room Service: $3 to $5 depending on how fast I get my order. Either write “Tip=$5.” on the room check or they’ll gladly take a chip from the hotel’s casino.

* Buffet waiters/waitresses: The buffets usually have waiters or waitresses bring you your drinks, and refills are no problem. I tip $2 to $5 depending on how attentive they are.

* Don’t try and hail a cab in front of a hotel/casino. The cabbies will only respond to doormen. Get your cab through them and tip them a buck or two (more for more people).

* Cabbies: 15% is the normal rate but you may want to add a couple bucks if you ask for advice on a good place to play or eat.

* If you’re driving, valet parking attendants usually get $1 to $3 depending on how fast they are.

* If you’re taking a commercial (non-charter) flight and things are so busy at the ticket counter that a sky-cap takes care of checking your bags at the curb, tip them a couple bucks per bag for speeding you to your gate.

Source

Check-out time at most hotels is noon. However, most offer a “late check-out” option for a price. If your flight doesn’t leave until the evening, using this late check-out option can give you another all-nighter at the tables or another day of sunning out by the pool. Simply ask a front desk clerk for check-out times and costs.

If you have a players card for the hotel because you were getting your play rated, ask about getting this late check-out as a comp.

Cheetah’s Las Vegas Strip Club

*  Hours of operation: Open daily, 24 hours.
* Cover price:
o Drink Package: $29. Includes: Front-of-line admission, two drinks, VIP seating and complimentary transportation from your hotel to the club. Please contact (702) 384-0074 and ask for the manager on duty to arrange transportation. Package does not include lap dances or gratuity for dancers and servers. If arriving by taxi, there will be additional charges at the door.
o VIP Drink Package: $69. Includes: Front-of-line admission, two-hour open bar (Only well drinks, domestic beer and call liquors), VIP seating and complimentary transportation from your hotel to the club. Please contact (702) 384-0074 and ask for the manager on duty to arrange transportation. Package does not include lap dances or gratuity for dancers and servers. If arriving by taxi, there will be additional charges at the door.
o Bachelor package for 5: $450. Includes: Front-of-line admission for five (5) guests, three-hour open bar (Only well drinks, domestic beer and call liquors), VIP seating and complimentary transportation from your hotel to the club. Please contact (702) 384-0074 and ask for the manager on duty to arrange transportation. Package does not include lap dances or gratuity for dancers and servers. If arriving by taxi, there will be additional charges at the door.
o Bachelor package for 10: $850. Includes: Front-of-line admission for 10 guests, three-hour open bar (Only well drinks, domestic beer and call liquors), VIP seating and complimentary transportation from your hotel to the club. Please contact (702) 384-0074 and ask for the manager on duty to arrange transportation. Package does not include lap dances or gratuity for dancers and servers. If arriving by taxi, there will be additional charges at the door.
* Payment info: Cash and credit card.
* The Ladies: There are almost as many ladies as guys. If you can’t find one you like here, you’re obviously not serious about topless entertainment. On most weekends Cheetah’s features 500 girls in a 24-hour period.
* Skin Factor: Topless.
* Dances:
o Lap dance: $20.
o VIP room: Four dances for $100.
* Music: Variety of dance and Top 40.
* Alcohol: Yes. Drink specials from 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. include $1 beer
* Food: Free lunch buffet with two drink minimum purchase from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday - Saturday.
* ATM: Yes.
* Atmosphere: Nice, medium-size room, one main stage and five more throughout the club.
* Parking : Valet at the door. Free parking is questionable at best. I would rather spring for the extra couple of bucks to tip the valet guy than take my chances.
* Special Events: Lap Dance Happy Hour between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. every day of the week. NASCAR Sundays feature free barbeque and drink specials.

Cheetah’s Review

Cheetah’s is one of Las Vegas’ classic strip clubs.

Filled with neon tubes and neon-illuminated dancers, Cheetah’s offers a full range of topless entertainment.

Cheetah’s has a veritable forest of stripper poles — ten metal rods spread across the main stage and side stages provide plenty of swinging room for the club’s hundreds of dancers.

The main room is set up in a party-friendly manner, with lots of chairs and lounge tables. At night, the place fills with revelry-makers — male customers and a fair share of girlfriends and wives tagging along for fun.

Just by Cheetah’s entrance lies the private G-Spot room, a swank, mirrored private room. It’s perfect for lap dances.

Off to the side of the main floor is the VIP area (bottle service is offered) and another mirrored private room.

At Cheetah’s, the sports fanatic can double up on his interest in the human form, be it uniformed or topless; there are numerous wide screen televisions on the main floor and at the bar.

Cheetah’s does take some inspiration from sports bars. Nonetheless, it’s filled with lots of gorgeous, scantily-clothed dancers.

And, oh yes, the infamous 1995 film “Showgirls” was filmed at Cheetah’s. You knew it looked familiar…

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher spent a romantic Valentine’s Day in Las Vegas with Sarah Larson, the ex-girlfriend of Oscar winner George Clooney, a Las Vegas newspaper is reporting.

“They were holding hands, definitely on a Valentine’s Day date,” a “spy” told Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The pair snuggled up at the Bellagio’s club The Bank, which bills itself as “the most desirable cosmopolitan nightclub in Las Vegas.”
The All-Pro linebacker, who once dated Paris Hilton, has been busy off the field with an ongoing custody battle with Tyna Robertson, a former stripper who was sued by “Lord of the Dance” Michael Flatley over making a false sexual allegation against him.

Urlacher, Clooney, Larson, Hilton and Flatley aren’t the only celebrities making cameos in this story.

According to Norm Clarke’s Web site, the eye-patch sporting columnist is “one of Las Vegas’s most notable and recognizable celebrities.”

Clarke describes himself as the all-seeing, all-knowing “eye-patched man-about-town.”

Another fun reason to visit Las Vegas is all the Celebrities you come across and sometimes get to meet and have a drink with. The town never gets old. I couldn’t imagine ranking any city as a better vacation spot than Las Vegas. =)

Source

Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd. joined hoteliers in lambasting U.S. lawmakers’ criticism of corporate travel, saying hundreds of thousands of jobs are in jeopardy.

President Barack Obama’s warning this month that companies receiving government bailout money “can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers’ dime” is causing more convention and meeting cancellations in the city, already hurt by the U.S. recession, executives of the four biggest Las Vegas Strip casino owners said in interviews.
Read it all..

Declining apartment rents and increasing vacancy rates have property managers across the region scrambling to keep existing tenants and provide higher levels of tenant service — and some property managers are even reducing existing rents to keep or lure new tenants.

A fourth-quarter multi-family housing analysis by CB Richard Ellis says rents declined by an average of $5 a month for apartment complexes under 80 units, and rents fell $10 for larger properties with 80 or more units. Among the area’s smaller complexes, northeast and southwest Reno lead the market with vacancies above 10 percent, the CBRE report states. And in larger complexes, west Reno has a whopping 25 percent vacancy rate, followed by southwest Reno at 14 percent.

Len Ramos, first vice president with the multi-housing group with CBRE, says managing occupancy is of utmost importance in a time of declining rents and rising vacancies.

“That is the key; maintaining occupancy is the bottom line,” he says. “Managers are saying they are meeting more with their tenant base and are just staying closer to them to make sure they don’t leave.”

And drawing new tenants typically requires concessions such as free rent.

“For new tenants you will find everything from monthly rent concessions, first month off or second month half off — it all comes down to a concession or whatever they think they need to do to get a guy to rent or stay there,” Ramos says.

Jason Plaut, manager of Parkway Manor Apartment Homes in Carson City, said that occupancy has been the single biggest issue in the past few months, and they are offering deals for new renters who sign six- and 12-month leases. They are also working harder to promote the features of their property and provide good customer service.

But many times it just comes down to price.

“You definitely have to be open to negotiations for renewals and first-time renters,” Plaut said.

Parkway Manor has about 85 percent occupancy, according to Plaut. This is up over just a few months ago because of the 30 units they have rented to people in town for the 2009 session of the Nevada Legislature.

“The Legislature does great for us,” Plaut said. “We really appreciate it.”

Danielle Young, broker and owner of Real Estate Connection in Reno and a property owner as well, doesn’t believe in giving free rent as it can change the quality of the tenants that are attracted. Instead, Young says, making a great first impression can lure new tenants and keep current residents happy. And if possible, landlords should give them other perks.

“Make sure you take care of your property,” she says. “Have the trash picked up and be very conscientious of your tenants’ needs. That, I am finding, keeps the tenants there. Also, providing a washer and drying in a unit and allowing pets if possible.”

Don Wilkerson, president of Gaston and Wilkerson Management Group, says the most typical concessions are a month off a year lease, or a reduction in required deposits. And in worst-case scenarios for property owners losing tenants to other properties, managers are cutting rents unbidden.

“I have heard of managers that have gone to their residents and say, ‘I am going to lower your rent by $5 or $10 for remainder of your lease. In case of one owner they were losing residents to other properties that were offering big discounts.’”

Other property managers are getting much more creative in keeping tenants, says Morgan Walsh, multi- family specialist with NAI Alliance. Walsh points to one complex that’s offering three different stylish room and kitchen remodel upgrades with a 12-month lease renewal.

“The best operators have become very pro-active in tenant retention, flexibility with tenants who want to double-up, and giving generous incentives to renew,” Walsh says. “The astute manager draws up a list of the best tenants by length of tenure at the complex, payment history, income strength and housekeeping standards and then works diligently to retain each one.”

Wilkerson says that with rents declining and vacancies increasing, perhaps the most important thing an owner or management group can do is to staff the apartment complex with talented people. Employing front-office staff trained as Accredited Residential Managers from the Institute of Real Estate Management makes a big difference in perception, he says.

“Amateur hour is over. What is it going to take to keep apartments full is good strong property management, and that is more than collecting rents and paying bills. Good quality site managers are absolutely critical in today’s market. Accredited Residential Managers have been trained, and they are not amateurs.”

In addition to keeping revenues high, one of the main reasons property managers try to keep existing tenants is the high cost associated with tenant turnover. “If I lower your rent and you stay, that costs me less than new flooring, appliances, paint, all that stuff,” Wilkerson says.

Occupancy and rental rates directly affect revenues, CBRE’s Ramos says.

“The reason why the rental rate is dropping is because occupancy is dropping, and in order to get occupancy you have to do something, which is usually lowering rents.”

Source

Credit Insurance may be something you should check out.

Craving a taste of adrenaline on your vacation? If you want a bit of excitement and adventure, Pole Position Raceway will send your heart racing. Novice and experienced racers alike can enjoy this state-of-the-art facility, which features indoor race karts zooming faster than any of their kind in the country.

In fact, three weeks after its opening in December 2007, Pole Position already had approximately 5,000 visitors. In addition to celebrities like Jamie Little, Paul Tracy and Kyle Busch, novice drivers from ages 10 to 70 also come out to the track.
Read it all..

Additional evidence of the tourism slump is coming from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Last year, it says the visitor count was about 37.5 million, down 4.4 percent from 2007 when an estimated 39 million people visited Las Vegas. News 3’s Steve Crupi digs deeper into how the hotels are dealing with the decline.

The Las Vegas Strip is offering some unheard of incentives. Tuesday, Harrah’s Entertainment announced that on top of cheap room rates, the company will begin giving away up to $300 in airline credits to customers who book a return visit to Las Vegas.

Normally, receiving an airline comp is a privilege reserved for a casino’s best customers. But now, just about anyone can cash in on the slow economy. The goal is to fill the gaming tables and keep the Las Vegas economy from slipping any further.

“Get Your Wings” is the name of the airfare promotion. If you say for three nights at a Harrah’s property in Las Vegas, you can get up to $300 toward your flight on a return visit.

“These rates are as low as $38,” says Suzanne Trout, Harrah’s Entertainment. “(It’s) two trips for the price of one, really.”

Every hotel in Las Vegas is feeling the pressure. Hooters Hotel’s new walking billboards are another example of the steps companies are taking to attract customers.

“How competitive is it these days? Grab for as many people as they can get,” says Matthew Desvio, Hooters Casino.

Even the newest and fanciest hotels are offering tremendous bargains. At the Trump Tower, you can find rooms for $109 that include a $50 credit for the spa.

And $6 per night isn’t even the cheapest we’ve seen; in December, the hotels in Primm were offering “free” rooms to locals willing to make the drive down I-15 to the state line.

Source

Are you taking your sweetie to Vegas for Valentine’s Day? Why not surprise her with a spa treatment. The resort spas are getting into the spirit by offering holiday-themed facial, scrub and massage specials. But be careful not to blow it, make the reservation before all you spontaneous lovers show up on the Strip. Your thoughtful advanced planning will score as many points with her as the gift.

Caesars | The Kama Sutra with Shirodhara couples treatment is on the menu year-round. “Celebrate the art of love with someone special as you enjoy the Shirodhara and body exfoliation with massage experience side by side in your own private suite. Warm oil anoints the forehead, opening the intuitive mind, while chilled rose petals rest softly over the eyes. Tantric music and pure aphrodisiac massage oils of sandalwood and rose transport couples into romantic bliss.” Cost: $450  (per-couple price) for 75 minutes. Contact: Qua Baths & Spa, (866) 782-0655.

Venetian | For the big splurge, get the “Valentine’s Date” package for couples at Canyon Ranch SpaClub. Six-hundred dollars gets you and your loved one a 50-minute side-by-side Chocolate Cherry Massage or a 50-minute Fruit and Chocolate Facial, a couples Rasul (or private mud treatment experience), use of the Aquavana, Canyon Ranch’s facility experience including steam rooms, saunas, wave room, aromatherapy room, rain showers, cool air igloo and more. The package also includes a prix fixe dinner for two at the Canyon Ranch Grill. Note: While the Canyon Ranch SpaClub has some Valentine’s spa treatments good through the rest of the month, this date package is limited to Valentine’s Day weekend. When I called the only availability left was on Monday, Feb. 15, 2009. Contact, Canyon Ranch SpaClub, (877) 220-2688.

Treasure Island | Enjoy a Chocolate Mint Body Scrub to invigorate and exfoliate the skin or a White Chocolate Body Soufflé with amino acids and more than a dozen minerals to increase cellular rejuvenation and restore elasticity to the skin.  Both are 25 minutes and cost $70 each. Contact: Wet, (702) 894-7474.

Red Rock | Head out to Summerlin for some chocolate. The Spa at Red Rock has nine Valentine’s treats to choose from including a Cocoa Creme de la Creme facial (50 minutes, $145), Chocolate Chip Double-Dip Scrub and Massage (80 minutes, $195), Couples Delight package with each person getting a 50-minute Swedish massage (in the same room) and an 80-minute Top of the Rock pedicure ($254 per person). Contact: the Spa at Red Rock, (866) 363-2872.

New York New York | Sweetheart Massage: Swedish and deep-tissue massage with  romantic aromatherapy strawberry & Champagne scents plus a box of chocolate truffles. Cost: 25 minutes for $85, 50 minutes for $115 or 75 minutes for $165; running all month. Contact: the Spa, (702) 740-6955.

Las Vegas is a great place to have a vacation. I personally prefer renting a rental home instead of going to a hotel like the Bellagio or Treasure Island.  Renting a home in Las Vegas is pretty reasonable these days but its always good to look around at all the major rental sites in Las Vegas and to barter with the home owner. This economy sucks and everyone seems to be hurting, especially people renting real estate.