Poll : 27 January - 09 February 2016

Analysis

Here's (some of) what you said [resort operators, we recommend you take note, or ignore at your peril!]:

• "On my first trip, I stayed at Circus Circus because it had the cheapest room rate. After spending my trip walking far too much of the Strip, I realized location really is important. I'd rather spend my time in Vegas enjoying Vegas, not waking somewhere I don't want to be just because I saved some bucks. And, separately, I hate resort fees. I figure it'll be a common sentiment here, but I really REALLY despise them. Nickel and diming me with resort fees, tightened machines, and new and unfavorable table-game rules have really cut back on the number of trips to Vegas I make a year. And I'm not regretting it. Unfathomable, but true..."
  
  
• "If I can't smoke there, I won't stay or play there!"
  
  
• "Resort Fees: Did you know that MRI no longer provides coffee makers in the room? You can have one for the princely sum of $20 per day. They'll give you 3 Keurig pods/day. At Vdara, it's much cheaper to go downstairs to Starbucks." [Ed: I make fresh coffee daily at home, using some nice organic Trader Joe's beans, and my expenditure is less than $10/month, so...]
  
  
• "I am always comped at Boyd hotels however sometimes when my stay in Las Vegas is a long one in the middle of my trip I will pay to stay a few nights at a non-Boyd hotel. That way I will not have to gamble for those few days to keep up my comps. When I look for those hotels I try to find one with low cost, no or low amenity fees, and close to bus transportation." [Ed: Makes sense.]
  
• "I like and need smaller hotel/casino. Flamingo is perfect for me most of the time. Some days, being disabled, even walking to valet is an issue, though."
  
  
• "I want a large modern bath or shower. I stayed in a hotel downtown where you had to reach in and lift the toilet lid to open the door all the way. Never again."
  
  
• "Safety. I try to read the local papers before I go as to what is going on downtown or on the Strip so I am aware of recent crime and arrests. As a single woman traveling, I usually pick a hotel I can come back to and gamble or eat at or take advantage of re live music, etc. and don't venture out much very late or early morning for safety reasons."
  
  
• "Most important it needs to make my wife happy. Clean, not scary, downtown, nice shower and bathroom."
  
  
• "CLEAN well-maintained rooms with comfortable beds and good TV channels."
  
  
• "I look to see if they have keno and if they have it on in-room TV channel." [Ed: And, if they do, that means you DO stay there ... or you don't? Just kidding ;-) ]
  
  
• "How many nights are free without resort fees and how much free play is offered."
  
  
• "It depends on why we're going to Vegas in the first place. In the last few years, we have mostly stayed at the Orleans, which has a broad spectrum of attractions: pool, liquor store, restaurants, not-too-bad blackjack, poker room, etc. You hardly need to leave the building--and a good thing, too, because it's a long walk to anywhere. Last time we were there the resort fee was just about what we would have paid for Wi-Fi anyway. OTOH, last year we came to WSOP at the Rio and stayed at the Gold Coast across the street. Location and price were prime factors when we booked it--but then it turned out to have good BJ, NSU deuces wild, a wonderful Chinese restaurant, plus free parking, and other good things. And the resort fee was less than a lot of other places, although they didn't mention it until I specifically asked about it. Turn-offs like parking fees, street performers, and panhandlers have pretty much driven us away from downtown, perhaps permanently."
  
  
• "Does the property have AFFORDABLE dining options including breakfast? Funny, we don't mind forking over for a nice dinner, but we really resent spending big bucks on the first meal of the day!" [Ed: LOL but that makes perfect sense: We all know how much an egg costs in our local we're all you're still sharp enough to smell a ripoff ;-)]
  
  
• "I chose value for money. However, I do take in to account resort fees, and now parking and whether or not I am going to get nickel-and-dimed to death, also whether the wi-fi is included (and works decently) and whether or not smoking is permitted. IfI can't smoke in a casino I won't waste the airfare because I can smoke in casinos at home. I also take into account customer service and cleanliness, so for me it's most of the above."
  
  
• "Location is most important: Must be on Strip; prefer nearby locations within easy walking distance. No family-friendly locations; would never book non-casino resort. Only book non-smoking rooms; prefer food courts, plus some good restaurants, but not ones that cost a fortune. Stay at updated, clean resorts that give good service. Oh yes, and let me win at least some of my money back ... so I can enjoy the next trip. Stop adding more and more clubs and shopping venues."
  
  
• "Comped drinks in the casino are big. Also, do my wife and I feel safe in the casino and resort room." [Ed: How very sad -- and salutory, resort operators, should you be reading this -- that it's even a consideration that a regular visitor and/or their wife might not feel safe in any major Las Vegas hotel-casino.]
  
  
• "How did you miss "Does the hotel/casino offer good gaming?" A great room rate doesn't matter to me if their JOB pays 7/5 and the one craps table is always full or at a $25 minimum. So a hotel in a GOOD CASINO is #1 for me."
  
  
• "It's a comped room, but here's your bill, Sir." No thank you. We strongly object to resort fees. "
  
  
• "The crowd the hotel appeals to is important: I like hotels where all adults are welcome and I avoid ones that target only certain demographics."
  
  
• "As a senior lady who travels alone, my primary consideration is safety. I must feel safe going and coming from my room and anywhere on the property. The more cameras and hall patrols the better I feel. I also ask the host prior to check-in if there are any upgrades since my last stay. Thanks for asking for my opinion. [Ed: You're quite welcome and, again, how sad that your safety is a major consideration. Out of interest, have you ever had a specific experience that made you feel unsafe?]
  
  
• "Need a balcony or windows that open. Like to breathe your fresh Vegas air at night rather than the recycled AC air. (No, I don't visit Vegas in the Summer :) ]
  
  
• "How much of the hotel is really24/7 ? Room service that quits at 10 pm, or lounges, restaurants, and clubs that are only open on weekends, are misleading/disappointing."
  
  
• "Size of the suite and view. For instance, I've had wonderful, very large end suite at Planet Hollywood, where I could see the Paris entryway, Eiffel Tower, and across the street to Bellagio Fountain show. Size matters because I live in a fairly small home and a huge suite makes me feel important. More like a very high roller, you know?" [Ed: Sure we do! That's why you come here, right?!]