In early October my friend and I arrived in Las Vegas for a 6 night vacation. Our first 2 nights were spent at Excalibur. I have stayed at Wynn, Venetian, Paris and Caesars Palace on many trips before but as I visit 4 times a year, I am now spending more time in the 3-4 star hotels such as Bally’s or Flamingo. I was able to get a room for $22 a night through the MLife club so we decided to try Excalibur.
I checked in at 12:30 and it took less than 15 minutes. I was offered a room with no view if I wanted to check in right away or wait 1 hour for a room with a view. I really don’t care what the view is so we checked in right away. After reading a lot of negative comments about the rooms I was prepared for the worst. We were only on the 3rd floor and when you stepped off the elevator you could tell the rugs were recently cleaned or replaced. Upon entering the room I was pleasantly surprised. The room was very clean and the bathroom had a large countertop and bath/shower enclosure. The beds were comfortable and there was a 42 inch flat screen TV. There was no coffee pot or refrigerator in the room but there was a safe in one of the dressers.
The casino had all the latest games and did not smell of smoke at all. Cocktail service was excellent especially in the morning. They always asked if I wanted an extra bottle of water with each drink. I did not eat at any of the restaurants so I can’t tell about the quality of restaurants.
On Thursday morning I was out for a walk and was in front of NY-NY near Monte Carlo. An obviously drunken person was attempting to cross the street and I watched him go face first into the wooded construction barrier. I was amazed that no one stopped to help this man. I stopped and noticed he was bleeding from the mouth and nose so I called 911. I tried to talk to him but he kept telling me to “F.. Off”. Finally NY-NY security came, he had no ID and he wouldn’t give his name so we all waited for the paramedics to show up. After they put him on the stretcher to take him to the hospital, I was stopped by the police and asked to provide a witness statement. I thought since I did my good deed for the day I would be rewarded in the casino but it was not to be. We went to see Veronic at Bally’s. She is a female impersonator / singer. Since I found an offer on-line for $2.50 a ticket I figured I wouldn’t be too upset if the show sucked. Overall I would give the show a B minus. She was entertaining but not at the level of Terry Fator. The rest of the night was spent bouncing from Excalibur/Luxor/Mandalay Bay and I could not get even a small win.
On Friday we visited the M-Resort for the seafood buffet. This is every bit as good as the Wynn but about $15 cheaper. After eating I hit (4) 4-of-a-kinds on Bonus poker within 20 minutes. I left well fed and $200 richer. Friday night we went to the Monte Carlo and they have a beautiful dancer in the front of the casino. She is dark-skinned and looks like she could be in one of the Brazilian Butt videos they show late at night. We sat the bar for over 2 hours watching her dance. This was also a rare occasion as both me and my friend were both winning on the same night. We each walked out with over $100. Sadly, this was to be my last winning night for the trip.
On Saturday we checked into the Orleans. I really like this place and I stay here on every trip. The staff and service are top-notch and my host even gets me for free rooms during super bowl week. The rooms are larger than normal and the restaurants are a lot cheaper. The weather was warm enough (low 80’s) so we spent 6 hours at the pool every afternoon. The Orleans pool was heated enough to swim in and the hot tub felt great.
I bought in for $500 on 3 different sessions playing between $10 - $25 a hand and lost each time. The first time I was down $400 but I lasted another 3 hours and lost only $35. The other 2 sessions were just plain ugly. On Monday morning I sat down to play and on the first 16 hands, I lost 14 and tied 2.
The Orleans does offer $25 blackjack tournaments each Saturday and Sunday. I made it to the final round on Saturday and finished in 4th place and won $200.
At the Orleans we ate at the Mexican restaurant, which is very good. Al’s Oyster Bar makes excellent jambalaya and the coffee shop is good for a cheap breakfast. My main complaint when I stay at the Orleans is the buffet. The food is never hot and is very bland so I stopped eating there over 4 years ago.
If you have a car, I highly recommend the Egg Works on Flamingo Ave. There are usually B1/G1 coupons around and the breakfasts’ are large and delicious. It is about a 10-12 minute drive from the strip but well worth it. We ate there twice during our vacation and there are so many items to choose from and everything I have tried there is excellent.
I checked in at 12:30 and it took less than 15 minutes. I was offered a room with no view if I wanted to check in right away or wait 1 hour for a room with a view. I really don’t care what the view is so we checked in right away. After reading a lot of negative comments about the rooms I was prepared for the worst. We were only on the 3rd floor and when you stepped off the elevator you could tell the rugs were recently cleaned or replaced. Upon entering the room I was pleasantly surprised. The room was very clean and the bathroom had a large countertop and bath/shower enclosure. The beds were comfortable and there was a 42 inch flat screen TV. There was no coffee pot or refrigerator in the room but there was a safe in one of the dressers.
The casino had all the latest games and did not smell of smoke at all. Cocktail service was excellent especially in the morning. They always asked if I wanted an extra bottle of water with each drink. I did not eat at any of the restaurants so I can’t tell about the quality of restaurants.
On Thursday morning I was out for a walk and was in front of NY-NY near Monte Carlo. An obviously drunken person was attempting to cross the street and I watched him go face first into the wooded construction barrier. I was amazed that no one stopped to help this man. I stopped and noticed he was bleeding from the mouth and nose so I called 911. I tried to talk to him but he kept telling me to “F.. Off”. Finally NY-NY security came, he had no ID and he wouldn’t give his name so we all waited for the paramedics to show up. After they put him on the stretcher to take him to the hospital, I was stopped by the police and asked to provide a witness statement. I thought since I did my good deed for the day I would be rewarded in the casino but it was not to be. We went to see Veronic at Bally’s. She is a female impersonator / singer. Since I found an offer on-line for $2.50 a ticket I figured I wouldn’t be too upset if the show sucked. Overall I would give the show a B minus. She was entertaining but not at the level of Terry Fator. The rest of the night was spent bouncing from Excalibur/Luxor/Mandalay Bay and I could not get even a small win.
On Friday we visited the M-Resort for the seafood buffet. This is every bit as good as the Wynn but about $15 cheaper. After eating I hit (4) 4-of-a-kinds on Bonus poker within 20 minutes. I left well fed and $200 richer. Friday night we went to the Monte Carlo and they have a beautiful dancer in the front of the casino. She is dark-skinned and looks like she could be in one of the Brazilian Butt videos they show late at night. We sat the bar for over 2 hours watching her dance. This was also a rare occasion as both me and my friend were both winning on the same night. We each walked out with over $100. Sadly, this was to be my last winning night for the trip.
On Saturday we checked into the Orleans. I really like this place and I stay here on every trip. The staff and service are top-notch and my host even gets me for free rooms during super bowl week. The rooms are larger than normal and the restaurants are a lot cheaper. The weather was warm enough (low 80’s) so we spent 6 hours at the pool every afternoon. The Orleans pool was heated enough to swim in and the hot tub felt great.
I bought in for $500 on 3 different sessions playing between $10 - $25 a hand and lost each time. The first time I was down $400 but I lasted another 3 hours and lost only $35. The other 2 sessions were just plain ugly. On Monday morning I sat down to play and on the first 16 hands, I lost 14 and tied 2.
The Orleans does offer $25 blackjack tournaments each Saturday and Sunday. I made it to the final round on Saturday and finished in 4th place and won $200.
At the Orleans we ate at the Mexican restaurant, which is very good. Al’s Oyster Bar makes excellent jambalaya and the coffee shop is good for a cheap breakfast. My main complaint when I stay at the Orleans is the buffet. The food is never hot and is very bland so I stopped eating there over 4 years ago.
If you have a car, I highly recommend the Egg Works on Flamingo Ave. There are usually B1/G1 coupons around and the breakfasts’ are large and delicious. It is about a 10-12 minute drive from the strip but well worth it. We ate there twice during our vacation and there are so many items to choose from and everything I have tried there is excellent.
