Simplifying Las Vegas Flickr Group - New Milestone

Hi Vegas fans,

The Simpifying Las Vegas Flickr group now has over 7,000 pictures and more than 525 members. For a city that boasts "what happens here stays here," that's a lot of photo evidence!

Viva,
Mike

Um.... Does Anyone Remember Gambling?

Hi Vegas fans,

The latest news in Las Vegas points to an interesting trend on the Strip - more shopping and entertainment. Compass Investments broke ground this week on the new Skyvue Wheel, a giant Ferris wheel similar to the London Eye, which will be flanked by shopping and restaurants.

There is also a new shopping center that will be - gasp - next to Planet Hollywood, home to the Miracle Mile shops. Think about what's close to Plant Hollywood - you've got CityCenter with the upscale Crystal shops, and not far from that you've got the Forum Shops. Take a short walk south from Planet Ho, and you arrive at Showcase Mall, complete with M&M's World and the World of Coca-Cola, among other unique retail opportunities.

Too much? I think so. Don't get me wrong, I think a lot of variety of entertainment and dining options help attract visitors to Sin City. But this reminds me of another particularly odd time in Las Vegas' history. In the 1990's many casinos built entertainment options to present the city as a family-friendly destination. Remember the amusement park at MGM Grand? The pirate show at TI? It wasn't a bad idea - after all, why not try to increase visitation by enticing parents to bring the kids?

But it didn't really fly. Mom and dad want to escape, and they don't want Disneyland for kids, they want Disneyland for adults. So the MGM tore down the amusement park. The pirate show was revamped into The Sirens of TI, complete with scantily-clad ladies and shirtless pirates. Now the casinos have "party pits" where very sexy ladies dance while you drop your hard-earned money at 6-5 blackjack.

Downtown, you'll find a similar trend. There are often several concerts going on at the same time on Fremont Street. And you can get your photo taken with showgirls and bunnies. Um, not that I would know.

But the point is this. Entertainment is great in Las Vegas, but you can get top-notch shows and restaurants in many cities. What separates Las Vegas from them is the casinos. I wish they would focus more on them. Really focus on them. I think the art of planning the casino floor has been lost.

So I'm sending out an open call to casino moguls and the execs who run the floors. Rethink your gaming plan. Please. Here are some ideas, for starters:

• Dedicate your space to lots of good table games and plenty-o'slots and video poker machines. Make that the focus of what you do again.
• Send out good gaming promos to your players to draw them in, and not just the usual invitations to slot tourneys. Think about coupons for other games, poker gatherings, and other creative investments in the people who love to spend a few dollars in the casino.
• Make sure your casino floor is comfortable so that guests will want to stay there a while. Freshen the carpets and felts on the tables, and keep those drinks coming. Too many cocktail waitresses take their time between rounds. Even when I pre-tip them.
• Forget the unbuilt condos behind your properties. Let them rust. Remember that when push came to shove, they didn't work, but people still walk into your casinos.

I've got lots of other ideas. You'll find me at the 3-2 blackjack table with a rum and coke in my hand. I hope.

Viva,

Mike

"Bridesmaids" Didn't Leave Me with a Hangover

Hi Vegas fans,

Before you think this blog post is a movie review, I want you to just hang with me here for a minute. Ok - so I went to see Bridesmaids with my wife. She picked this one. I picked the last movie - Everything Must Go starring Will Ferrell.

Rotten Tomatoes gave Bridesmaids an 89% fresh rating, and it has been billed as "the next Hangover." It had its moments, and a few raunchy scenes, but for me it really didn't live up to the expectations. And it's not because it wasn't set in Vegas or because my wife picked it. We tend to like the same movies, and I really trust her judgement.

But we tend to disagree on one aspect of movies: ratings. She follows Rotten Tomatoes pretty closely, and that's why she picked this movie. I do not follow the tomatometer. Here's why. They gave Secretariat only a 64% fresh rating. Worse, they gave Sense and Sensibility with Hugh Grant a 98% fresh rating. I liked Secretariat and thought it was a heart-warming but not over-the-top movie and gave me more than what I expected from a Disney flick - much better than a 64% rating. On the other hand, I'd rather stick my head in a vat of boiling grease and bob for day-old onion rings rather than see Sense and Sensibility. I have two very simple but strict rules about movies:

1. A movie shall not have Hugh Grant in it.
2. A move shall not be adopted by anything written by Jane Austin.

Those are my requirements. I don't need a fresh or rotten meter to tell me how great or how lousy a movie is. I just need to see a few coming attractions and read what the movie is about in order to determine whether or not I want to see it. Most of the time, I'm not disappointed. I'm sure you have your requirements, too, and I bet they have nothing to do with critics.

Ask yourself this question: how many times have you been to a movie that the critics loved but you hated? How about the opposite: how many times have you been to a movie that the critics didn't treat kindly but you liked?

But I digress. What does all of this have to do with Vegas? After all, I promised this was not going to be about movies. Well, here you go: don't trust ratings. You'll read lots of critics who review Vegas shows, restaurants, and so on. They all have opinions. Some of them will like stuff you hate, and others will hate stuff you like. You need to know what your Hugh Grants and Secretariats are. Then make up your mind.

Think about it this way - if the critics aren't always right, and you blow $35 or more on a movie (you're taking a date and buying popcorn), you're gonna be mildly tiffed that you spent hard-earned dollars on someone else's opinions. How are you gonna feel if you do the same thing on a much more expensive vacation to Las Vegas?

That's why my travel guide offers you something different. It has categories of information and provides you with a lot of context for what you need to decide about how you can have an awesome time in Vegas. And I've got a lot of work to do to update it for 2012. But that's for another blog post...

Viva,
Mike

Vegas Numbers

Hi Vegas fans,

Today I have a bunch of numbers to talk about, beginning with a report from the Las Vegas Advisor:

• 5.6 percent: the increase in total Las Vegas visitors in March 2011 compared to March 2010
• 19.2 percent: room rate increase
• 4 months: that's how long revenues on the Strip were on the decline, until March
• 3 years: March saw the highest take from blackjack since 2008

That last one doesn't surprise me. I helped increase the blackjack intake in April for Strip properties. But despite my outcome, I'm happy that things are starting to look up again for Las Vegas. It's about time! I hope the good news continues.

Here are some other numbers, brought to you by the good folks at Simplifying Las Vegas (that's me):

• 516/6885: The number of members and pictures, respectively, associated with the Simplifying Las Vegas Flickr group.
• 152: Simplifying Las Vegas Facebook friends
• 33: Number of luggage tags I've given away since 2008

Thanks for all your support, Vegas fans! Please continue to visit this blog and my site and let me know if you have comments or questions. And, of course, continue to... Go to Vegas. It's that Simple.

Viva,

Mike

Viva Las Vegas

Hi Vegas fans,

Here's a snapshot of our recent trip to the Strip. Steve and I had a blast, regardless of the fact that we lost some cash. Notice that the picture only shows us from the waist up. That's because we lost our pants. Ha! Just kidding.

I really had a great time. It's nice to escape from reality, if only for a little while. Part of the fun for me is that Steve and I go way back. Friends that gamble together stay together.

We checked out the Cosmo for the first time on this trip. Steve played some blackjack (and lost). It played it safe by just taking pictures. What a really fun place to hang out. It's really upscale, but unlike a lot of modern casinos, it's not difficult to navigate. I think the reason is that they built it "up" instead of creating a sprawling, 100 mile casino floor to roam until your feet ache.

We also saw a Dodgers game, and I cashed one of my only successful sports tickets. I had the Dodgers winning and also a second bet on the run line (Dodgers - 1 1/2 runs). They held on to win 7-5, which made the drive back to Vegas much nicer.

I'll be looking at another five day adventure within a few months, but until then I have a lot of work to do. I'm going to be making updates to the book and the site soon. I've just updated the Gambling tab on the website with a thought I had when Steve and I were losing money at the tables. It's a light, fun read, so take a look and let me know what you think.

Until then, remember... Go to Vegas. It's that simple.

Viva,
Mike

Flying Through the Air with the Greatest of Ease

Hi Vegas fans,

For those of you who fly to Sin City, you'll appreciate this article about America's Meanest Airlines. I have flown just about all of those major airlines, and I can tell you it's an accurate report. I now fly Southwest, new to my area, and I'm very pleased. It's a great airline with a spectacular business model.

I was surprised they issued paper tickets, and I am assuming this is because they are new to my city. However, even that was not a huge deal. I did have a problem retrieving my confirmation number (which only appeared on paperwork they sent me, but not on the ticket) versus my reservation number. When I wanted to check in 24 hours before my flight, I did not have all of my paperwork. My efforts to find my confirmation number online proved difficult, and I had to call to get it. Other than that, Southwest made my flight easy and enjoyable. Here are some highlights of my recent Southwest and airport adventures:

• Southwest is fun. Flight attendants are funny and one even sang on my flight, making it an enjoyable experience for passengers.
• For those of you not familiar with Southwest, boarding is different. You don't have an assigned seat, you just have a spot in an area. Then passengers board the plane and sit where they want. You'd think mass chaos would ensue, but it doesn't.
• Southwest planes seem to have a little more room to me than others. And they serve normal size snacks, not those tiny pretzels that other airlines throw at you.
• I love the charging stations available at most Southwest gates now. I charged my iPad and got online with free WiFi at the airports.
• Two "first time EVER" situations for me: 1. The first leg of my flight arrived right next to the gate to my connection. No running through the airport, dragging a bag, getting on a train to another terminal. Nice. 2. I had a non-stop flight home where I just stayed on the plane. With Southwest, this was nice because I could move up and sit in one of the best seats on the plane. Little things like this make me happy.
• Coming home, I went through one of McCarran's body scanners. When the TSA agent said, "remove ALL items from your pockets" that was no problem. But when he said, "remove your belts," I had to hold up my pants. This made it difficult when I was in the chamber and the agent said, put your hands up above your head and bend your elbows. I was afraid that everyone in McCarran airport was about to get a free showing of my boxers (plaid), but fortunately my pants stayed up. Barely.

Overall, traveling gets easier for me every year as I learned how to deal with airlines and airports. For me, the first step is picking my flights. I know when to fly into Vegas how busy the airport will be, how long the check-in line at the rental car and hotel will be, and so on. I'm ready for it. I also have learned that less is more in my suitcase, patience is a key, and most importantly, arrive early to the airport.

When leaving Vegas, I always leave my hotel 2 hours before my flight is scheduled to depart. If I get through security quickly and to my gate an hour early, so be it. I'll sift through my pictures and try to remember what happened on my trip. And then plan the next one.

Hope your next flight is safe and easy. And remember, for the love of all that is good and holy, ensure your seat back and folding tray are in their full upright positions.

Viva,

Mike

Vegas Photos

Hi Vegas fans,

Check out the latest photos from my trip on Flickr or on my Facebook page.

Enjoy and comment!

Viva,

Mike