Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Traveling to Las Vegas on a Budget

In the 80's and 90's, Las Vegas was known for great dining values with $5.99 all-you-can-eat Prime Rib Dinner buffets, low cost rooms at some of the most well known hotels in the world and discount show prices. Times have certainly changed around here since then.
The Las Vegas Strip has become the playground for the 20-Something Internet/Finance/Real Estate movers and shakers with deep pockets and party attitude. Strip hotels now cater to them with lavish hotel rooms with High Speed Internet access, Big Screen Plasma TVs, Ipod docks, and every other imaginable gadget available.
Million Dollar "Ultra-Lounges" have sprung up in most major hotels with celebrity owners like Jay-Z, Nicky Hilton, Nick Lachey, and Wilmer Valderama hosting big name Hollywood and Sports celebrities every night.
Ever tried to book a room on a weekend in Las Vegas in the past 5 years? Almost certainly you were going to pay a premium, especially if there was any kind of live sporting event or event of any kind in the city, especially on holiday weekends.
Off-Season really doesn't exist anymore; at one time you could come to Las Vegas in November and December and save a bundle on everything, except maybe your food expenses. Rooms went for below normal rates and shows were always having 2-for-1 specials to get you in the door.
The absolute key to saving your hard earned cash in Las Vegas is to plan ahead, Way ahead! You can save hundreds of dollars on hotel rooms, shows and dining if you do your research ahead of time.


Discount Las Vegas Hotel Room

Five Ways to Save Money on Your Las Vegas Hotel Stay

Are you thinking about a Las Vegas vacation but having a hard time finding a hotel that fits your budget? With a little research, you can almost always find a great room deal at a Strip casino. Below are five tips you can use to save big money on your Vegas Strip hotel.

Try to book your vacation during the off-peak seasons and days of the week. The cheapest hotel rates are usually available during the summer and early winter, and the best days of the week to snag a cheap hotel room are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Consider booking a flight and hotel vacation package through a travel agency site such as Expedia, Orbitz, or Travelocity. The flight and hotel packages sold through these sites commonly save you 30% off the cost of booking the flight and hotel separately. The only drawback to booking through a travel site is that it can be harder to get refunds on your trip should your itinerary change.
Visit the casino's website and join their "players club" in order to receive exclusive members-only promotions. Many casinos, including the Wynn Las Vegas, allow you to sign up for their players club (called the Red Card club), online and start receiving special offers instantly. Another option for receiving promotions from the casino is to find the "Special Offers" or "Promotions" page on the casino's website. From there, you can usually subscribe to receive exclusive offers by email. Some hotels even offer instant deals on these pages -- no email subscription required.
If you are considering a stay at a Caesars Entertainment owned hotel (such as Caesars Palace, Flamingo, or Planet Hollywood), visit the hotel's reservations page and under "Calendar Options" in the right-hand column, select "Hot Deals". From there, you'll be able to access exclusive promotional rates.
Search for hotel promotion codes online. Las Vegas hotel promo codes work the same as retail industry promo codes; you can use the code directly on your reservation to receive a discount. For example, the Bellagio often has a promo code available for 15% - 25% off your hotel stay.
Once you find a great deal, check the casino's advertised rate to make sure it isn't subject to a resort fee. Many hotels in Las Vegas impose a mandatory resort fee, which is a daily charge of $5-$25 (or more!) per night for services ranging from local phone calls and newspaper delivery to internet access. The resort fee may be not disclosed on your reservation; the hotel will require you to pay the fee at check-in. Want to avoid resort fees during your stay? All the casinos owned by Caesars Entertainment (including Caesars Palace, Flamingo, and Paris) are resort fee free!
As you can see, there are several strategies you can employ to find Las Vegas hotel deals. Saving money on your hotel means you'll have extra dough to spend on all the great gaming, dining, entertainment, and shopping the Las Vegas Strip has to offer!


Discount Las Vegas Hotel Room

The Best Way to Book Your Las Vegas Vacation

Alright, it's Las Vegas time! Get all your buddies, get a room, book a flight, and have fun! But wait...what's the best way to go about doing all of this? Can I get this stuff for a discount, or maybe even free?
Absolutely there is! As a matter of fact, there are a couple of ways to go about getting a deal on a Las Vegas hotel and airfare. You just have to know where to look.
Let's jump right into the fun part. FREE STUFF! Ok, now don't get too excited because to be honest, most people don't get free rooms or airfare when going to Las Vegas. That's just the facts. As the old saying goes, "How do I get a free room in Vegas? You buy a hotel." Well, that isn't exactly true, but you are going to have to do a little bit of gambling.
If you gamble a lot and are part of the different casinos' players clubs, they will send you offers in the mail. A lot of times these offers will include free or reduced priced rooms, show ticket offers, and food offers. These always depend on how often you gamble, and how much money you bet.
If you gamble more money than a normal patron the casino will appoint you a "Casino Host". A Casino Host's job is to make you happy, and give you free stuff! So, if you are offered a Casino Host, be happy! They will give you their contact information, and the next time you come into town give them a ring. They will set you up with rooms, show tickets, nightclub reservations, and pretty much anything you can think of. Now, they don't give away everything as it still depends on how much money you're gambling and how often you visit the casino, but they are your best bet at getting free stuff.
Alright, now if you are like most people, you aren't getting offers in the mail and you don't have a host. So what is a "normal Joe" to do to save a little cash? You have two options.
*Book through a booking company that offers vacation packages. If the hotel itself isn't going to give you free stuff, go ahead and go through one of these companies to find Las Vegas hotel and airfare deals. A lot of times, these companies bunch things together like a hotel, flight, and a rental car so you can purchase it all in one place. You can often find great deals doing this, because these companies often buy a "block" of hotel rooms, or "X" amount of rental cars and they get a deal for purchasing in bulk. Therefore, they can pass the discounts on to you.
*Visit the hotel's website. Especially in Las Vegas, different hotels will give discounts for Las Vegas rooms seasonally. You can often find a deals such as, "Get a room for $175 a night, and receive a $25 food credit, and $30 in free slot play."
So, in conclusion you have a couple of options to get that deal you're looking for. Gamble a lot and get freebies, go through a booking company, or check for deals on hotels' websites. There really isn't any reason to pay full price until you shop around a little for those Las Vegas air hotel specials.


Discount Las Vegas Hotel Room

Tips For Check In At Las Vegas Hotels - Tipping The Front Desk Clerk Helps You!

I am writing this article as a employee in a Las Vegas Hotel. Guest are well informed when it comes to certain things and take full advantage of the kindness of the Hotels and Casinos. The smallest inconvenience like a long wait in line, people ask for compensation. When it comes to Vegas the big thing is the request guest make. They request their rooms to be connecting on the same floor with a certain amount of beds smoking or non-smoking with a free upgrade. Even though most hotels can accommodate these request on a slow day, it is very difficult especially when you have this request and you are checking in at 10pm.
What people don't understand that this isn't your normal city. This is the number one vacation spot in the world, so when they come demanding this and they say, "Your this many stars or diamonds, so do it or compensate us", it is ridiculous that they think the hotels on the strip are empty enough to meet every request of every single guest. Yes, we meet 80 percent and the rest is hard to please. About 70% to 90% ask for a free upgrade. This is also a huge thing to do in a place that is big on views. So you think the Front Desk Agent would be the first person they tip good. Normally we are the last person to receive a tip.
Tipping the Front Desk Agent is the best way to help you get a better view or a better room there are discounts and other things that the Front Desk have access too that can make your trip. In the hotel industry, the people tip valet for parking a car and bellman for carrying luggage the best but the person who can make your vacation and save you a few hundred in discounts gets tipped the least. A lot of people take the free upgrades and run but never tip enough to get the other benefits. In Las Vegas, people think if they tell an agent their going to spend alot of money that the front desk agents will give them a free upgrade but the truth is that has no benefit to the Front Desk so it will probably not work unless you have a casino host and they already set your room up.
The other thing with Las Vegas is the suites in the good hotels are often controlled by the casino's and not the Front Desk and Hotel. When you ask for a upgrade to a suite at a hotel with a casino it is not going to happen for free unless there is a shortage of regular rooms which rarely happens and then you will be a lucky person because they will choose you by the reservation profile.
Yes, we have heard it all. 95% of reservations are booked in advance, so your request are not guaranteed, just your room is. The request will be met (except the free upgrade request), but the later you check in the more likely they will not be met on that day. More than likely you will have to go on a list of priority, but so many people let the request ruin there vacation.
The wait in line is shorter than Wal-mart. Do you ask Wal-mart for compensation? Do you say you were inconvenienced at Wal-mart by a bad shopping cart and ask for free food? I know a hotel room is alot more expensive, but if you take anything from this article hopefully you will have a better understanding how the hotels work in Las Vegas and maybe you can get that great room and discount your looking for without asking for compensation just because you can. Maybe you will start tipping the Front Desk, because they are the ones that can help you the most and the ones who work the hardest to please you.


Discount Las Vegas Hotel Room

Cheap Hotels in Las Vegas - When is the Best Time to Book an Affordable Hotel Room?

Over thirty million people visit Vegas every year, so many hotels and resorts are needed to accommodate all the visitors. The great thing about it being the entertainment center of the world is that most of the resorts rely on their casinos for the majority of their profits, and are therefore able to set low prices on the rooms.
It's not hard at all to find cheap hotels in Las Vegas during most of the year. In fact, some vacation packages include hotels that cost less than $50 a night! Even the most luxurious hotels on the Strip are less expensive than luxurious hotels found in other cities around the world. And, as Vegas is a city filled with shops, casinos, rides, shows, attractions, etc, it's nice to know that you can at least save money on your hotel room.
The cheapest time to visit Vegas is anywhere from Sunday through Thursday. Most tourists visit for a weekend getaway, so you can save by NOT going on the weekend. Of course, accommodation is also a bit more expensive during holidays. If you do want to go during a holiday, make sure you book at least a couple weeks in advance before all the affordable rooms are sold out.
The best way to find cheap hotels in Las Vegas is by searching online. Travel companies like Expedia and Travelocity often have great vacation packages at inexpensive prices. Just don't forget about taxes and fees whenever you receive a quote on a room. You can be charged up to 10% extra for additional costs. Still, that's not all that much considering you can find a nice hotel for $25-$50.


Discount Las Vegas Hotel Room