Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Q & A with John Wilson

Hi Vegas fans,

My friend and fellow blogger John Wilson just returned from Las Vegas with his wife and five month old baby. John’s been to Vegas before, and like me he’s quite the Vegas nut, but this was a little different because it was his first trip with his baby. I sat down with him and asked him about his vacation.

SLV: So, John, you just returned from Vegas with your family. Your posts on whereisjohnwilson.com about traveling to Vegas are really fun and informative. What was the biggest difference for you with a five month old versus traveling without a baby?

JW: About $1,000 not put into a slot machine. In all seriousness, going to Las Vegas with my wife and our new baby was a great deal of fun. It’s a completely different experience, however, than many of your readers may be used to. I spent almost zero time gaming and tons more time resting, sightseeing and taking pictures.

Some highlights of our trip include going to Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon and some sights from TV shows such as The Ultimate Fighter, the World Series of Poker and Pawn Stars.

I think it’s a great place to vacation if you go in knowing it will be different.


SLV: It must have been time-consuming getting from point A to point B. I know you rented a car. What do you think about renting a car in Vegas vs. public transportation?

JW: Renting a car is a great idea unless you’re only staying for a weekend of debauchery. Any more than casino hopping on the South end of the strip would best be served with an automobile. If you add up all the inconvenience of the monorail and the high costs of cabs and include the missed opportunities to visit the locations above, it’s well worth the time and money to get a car.

I have some tips over at the site for getting the best use of your car and some hints for getting around.


SLV: I know you usually stay close to the Strip. But for this trip, you stretched your Vegas legs and went further out than usual. What was that like, and what was your favorite non-Strip excursion?

JW: We stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations just behind the Sahara. It was a great alternative with the baby. The hotel had its own swimming pool, outdoor bar, grocery store with cold sandwiches and it was only 30 yards from the Hilton Las Vegas. Though we had a car, the monorail station at the Hilton would have been incredibly handy.

The problem with the North end of the strip, as commented in your most recent post, is its relative “deadness” compared to its brethren to the South. My take on the issue with this end of the Strip is the distance between hotels. It’s a long walk with not much to look at between. Even though it takes forever to walk from the Bellagio, past Caesars to the Mirage, there are ton of people, things and shenanigans to keep you interested. North of Encore, it’s pretty sleepy til you get to the Sahara.

I think you nailed it about the Sahara’s secret to longevity. I consider myself a pretty decent poker player. I get pot and implied odds, I play tight aggressive, etc – and I always play at the Sahara. There are some very nice poker rooms all over the Strip – but the 2/4 Limit HE at Sahara is always full of very nice tourists acting as calling-station ATMs. The strong drinks, $1 blackjack and $3 roulette keep the place full.


SLV: It was pretty danged hot when you were in Vegas. What were some of the ways you beat the heat?

JW: Because of our son, we took LOTS of naps. One piece of advice for folks taking their family traveling from the East Coast is to never bother getting off of Eastern Standard Time. We did more before 9am (and before it was 300 degrees) than most people do all day. All of the casinos are open, no one is getting in your way (or grabbing your baby’s cheeks) and there are virtually no lines.

The weather while we were there stayed around 104 most of the time, with 0% humidity. Living in South Carolina, I thought 104 with no humidity was a cool day. We walked around for hours and never worked up a sweat. We always had tons of extra water to keep us all cool throughout the day.

Thanks John... I'm sure you're already looking forward to your next trip to Vegas.
Viva,
Mike

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Las Vegas Hilton - What's Next?

There are some changes to the lineup of shows at the Las Vegas Hilton. Namely, Voices and Sin City Bad Girls are out. This is not a huge surprise. The Hilton has been shopping for an identity for a while. Barry Manilow left to go to Paris earlier this year. So they have been trying to usher in new shows and capture a younger, hipper crowd from the Strip. This might prove difficult.

The Hilton is just far enough off the Strip that it's going to take some nifty advertising to get the usual Strip crowd over there. Think of it this way: if I'm staying at TI or Caesars, and I have all of these great clubs, restaurants, casinos, and shows within walking distance, why would I want to go to the Hilton? If I'm booking a trip to Vegas, why would I stay there?

They basically have two options to try to draw people away from mid-Strip: price or unique atmosphere. Because Las Vegas is suffering from a down economy, the Hilton probably won't attract people based on price. Places like the Flamingo or the Imperial Palace will be able to match them and maybe beat them. As far as a unique experience, that's also a tough sell when the Strip continually ups the ante with more fun and excitement than you can shake a stick at.

So the Hilton seems to be in the same limbo as many North Strip hotels. The Riviera filed for bankruptcy earlier this month. The Stardust is gone. The Frontier is gone.

Now there are exceptions. The Sahara is holding on, but they have a few things going for them. One, they are on the Monorail path. Two, they have good gambling promotions (dollar blackjack, affordable poker, etc.). Circus Circus is part of MGM, and they have the whole circus thing going on, so they are different.

But what's to become of these properties? I don't know. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that some will be purchased, possibly razed, and re-opened as new, hip casinos to look like their mid-Strip counterparts. Here's the thing that baffles me. It doesn't have to be this way. These properties north of Sahara Avenue could be a haven for the average Joe and Jane traveler to Vegas. Here's how I think it could work for them:
  1. Use the Sahara as a model and offer inexpensive gaming with good rules. You'll beat Harrah's properties every time.
  2. Don't try to beat mid-Strip properties at their own game. You're not about clubs, fancy-pants restaurants, and giant suites. You're about affordable rooms, good gaming, fun, and Las Vegas class. Bring back some old Vegas because people still want to see that. Nostalgia is a powerful drug, even for people who didn't experience it the first time around.
  3. Join forces. This worked for downtown when they built the Fremont Street Experience. It could work for you, too. Put your heads together and offer something that nobody else has.
The first two times I visited Las Vegas, I stayed at the Riviera and the Hilton, respectively. I had so much fun that I continued to return to Las Vegas. Going on 18 years now, as a matter of fact. I stay at different places these days, depending on deals, who I'm going with, and so on. I would love to see these properties return to their former glory. Or even a new glory.

As dealers say to me when they push the chips to me, good luck!

Viva,
Mike

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Downtown Las Vegas - Hip, a trip, or a blip?

Hi Vegas fans,

Trends come and go. One thing is constant in Vegas - change. Twenty years ago, it was the Mirage and the themed resorts. Mom and dad brought the kids, and casinos built theme parks. Then casino execs figured out that Junior couldn't gamble. Down went the theme parks, and up went the upscale joints. Wynn, Palazzo, Encore. Then, condos. That was the wave of the future. But, the economic downturn hit, and everyone stopped building.

In the mean time, there's downtown Las Vegas. A quirky "what do we do with this" kind of place. It's not on the same level as the Strip in terms of upscale adventures, but it's also not down in the dumps. There are some great properties here, including the Golden Nugget, but visitors just don't seem to know what to do with it.

Here's what I've been saying for years... downtown just needs a fresh coat of paint, a few promotions, and a little love. It's like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree - give it a little attention, and it will grow.

Especially now. Look at all of the stalled projects on the Strip. There's no better time to show visitors that 1) this is a great place to gamble/stay/play and 2) it won't cost you an arm and a leg... like some places.

I've pointed this out before with support from other publications. Here's a snippet from Vegas Today and Tomorrow, a good barometer for Vegas projects:

"Even though there's an economic slowdown, the downtown area is becoming a sustainable, modern, urban city. Transportation projects, public facilities, high-rise condo and loft residences are being built among new markets, galleries, shops, clubs and bistros. Yes, Downtown Vegas is becoming hip and livable."

Yep. Downtown has a lot of potential. Best wishes and keep up the good work. Let's see what happens next.

Viva,
Mike

Monday, July 12, 2010

Preparation and Pacing in Vegas

Hi Vegas fans,

When I go to Vegas, I always pack light, but one of the things I take with me is a ziploc bag with a few vitamins, some ibuprofen and antacids. I'm going to add theraflu and zicam to that list. Why? Well, it seems that when I get to Vegas, I tend to hit the town pretty hard. I like to hit the tables right away, which means I start having a few drinks right away. Then I get hungry and eat too much.

My everyday system is not used to this, so it tends to break down a bit. That's why I hit the vitamins, ibuprofen and antacids. But, I press on the next day, doing the same thing over again (I am a bit hard-headed). By the time I've been in Vegas for a few days, I sometimes catch a cold. Or as my friend Meg says, a touch of "the Irish flu." That's why I'll be packing theraflu and zicam from now on. It's no fun being in Vegas with a sore throat and head cold. Medication usually masks the symptoms, but that's all I really care about. I need some masking for a while to fend off the illness until I get home. Then when I get home, I can call in sick for a day or two to really rest.

As much as I tell myself that next time I will pace myself in Vegas, the truth is I'm so excited when I get there that it's hard to do. So, at the very least I can prepare and take care of myself if I happen to take in too much of the good life in Vegas all at once.

Viva,
Mike

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Here Begins Something New

Hi Vegas Fans,

Starting today, you'll see a new feature on the Simplifying Las Vegas website. It's called the Vegas Reflection. The VR will be a news item, a quote, an image, something from a reader, or another cool tidbit.

I hope you enjoy it! If you have something you'd like to include in the VR, please email me.

Viva,
Mike