Vegas Movies

There are a ton of movies about Las Vegas and filmed in Las Vegas. Some are great, and some just plain stink. I wanted to mention a few of my faves here and also to say that a great way to get geared up for your next trip is to watch a movie about Sin City.

In no particular order:

• Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 13: By Ocean's 11 I mean the remake with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle, etc. The original with the Rat Pack is good, but this is one of the few times I like the remake better! These are both really fun movies about a bunch of folks who want to steal a great deal of money from casinos. Complete fiction, and they take a lot of liberties, but you have to lose yourself in them and put away your "that could never happen!" hat. I could watch these two movies over and over and over…
  
• Viva Las Vegas: Elvis, cars, Ann Margaret and Las Vegas. What else could you ask for? There's singing, dancing, gambling, cars that turn over and explode (and no one seems to care) and more. Plus you get to see what Fremont Street looked like in 1964.
  
• The Hangover: Ok, it's immature. It's sophomoric. It's moronic. And it's really, really funny. I say "ouch!" a lot during this move, given what happens to the cast of characters, and it has all of the elements of a disastrous Vegas weekend. You'll see costumed characters on the Strip and Downtown dress like Alan (Zach Galifianakis) with baby Carlos from this movie.
  
• Casino: Sometimes, gambling is a good thing. Like when you hit your point in craps or you get a blackjack or hit a jackpot on the slots. Sometimes, it's a bad thing. Like when you get your head squeezed in a vice or your hand beaten with a hammer. Casino highlight the bad things and is loosely based on the story of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, his wife (Geri), Tony "The Ant" Spilotro, and the Stardust hotel.
  
• Vegas Vacation: My luck at the blackjack table is almost as bad as Chevy Chase's, but I bet in smaller quantities so it's not as painful. My favorite scene is when Audry (played by Marisol Nichols) is hanging out with her cousin Vicki (Shae D'lyn) and friends in the Neon Museum's Boneyard. When Audry finally starts letting loose and enjoying herself by dancing on top of one of the neon signs, Vicki's friends says "She's going to break a lot of hearts" to which Vicki replies, "She's gonna break something."

Honorable Mention:

• Bugsy
• Rain Man
• 3000 Miles to Graceland
• 21
• Last Vegas

What are you favorites? 
Viva,
Mike

Stratosphere Wants Us to Take Back Vegas!

Kudos, Stratosphere!

I love your new campaign. It's a little risky because you may alienate people with lots of money, but I think it makes an important statement. One of the things I have always loved about Las Vegas is that whether you are a shmo or a super-important celebrity, there has always been a place for you. However, there are fewer and fewer places that cater to the grinds, the low rollers, the average Joe and Jane. It doesn't have to be that way.

There is no reason that properties can create a fun, relaxed atmosphere while still promoting high-end merchandise for those who can afford it. Treasure Island (TI) is a great example of this. TI is mid-strip and you can see the beautiful Mystere show or catch bikini bull riding at Gillies. The casino is small but contains many lower-minimum tables and machines; it is also very clean and appealing to everyone. Restaurants range from the posh Phil's Italian Steakhouse to the pretty simple Señor Frog's Mexican restaurant and bar. Balance - it's a good thing.

The Strat has always been more of a joint for the low roller. Perhaps being on the very northern boundary of the Strip (some say it's not a Strip property at all… but it's close) has lead to its complex of not being the Wynn or Bellagio. Or perhaps they just don't care to be a fancy-pants place. In any event, I love visiting the Strat and spending a few dollars in their casino, sports book, and moderate restaurants. I've stayed there many times, and the rooms aren't spectacular, but heck, at their prices you don't expect them to be. 

The Strat borders on a neighborhood that you wouldn't write home to momma about, but I've never had a problem. Like anywhere in Las Vegas (or any major city), you should know where you are going, you have to be aware of your surroundings, and you shouldn't walk around alone late at night.

One way the Strat could improve on its Take Back Vegas program is to reduce or remove the resort fees. These are getting obscene in Las Vegas, and while the Strat's is not as bad as mid-Strip properties, it's still around $18, which is too much.

Aside from that, I love the Strat. It is not pretentious, which is nice considering some of the trends in Vegas.

Viva,

Mike

Au Revoir, Riviera

Forget for a moment all that you know or don't know about Riviera Las Vegas. Forget the punch lines, the dank casino and the dwindling crowds, the maze to get from point A to point B. Forget the butt statue.

Forget its history. Forget the fact that it was classic Vegas even before there was such a thing. Forget that it opened in 1955 and will close in May, 60 years after its debut. Forget the facade that was added in the 1980s, which most people hate. Just forget all that stuff for a moment and bare with me.

We all know that nothing is permanent in Las Vegas. Landmarks tumble, properties change hands to new corporations, and your favorite show moves from the Strip to Downtown back to the Strip overnight, then it goes dark for good. This is just the nature of Las Vegas. You get used to it. It reminds you that, like the weather in most places other than southern Nevada or California, change is constant, and there's not much you can do about it. Next year, I'll be waxing poetic over how the new Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority building in its place is so cool. Probably.

But I'd like to take a step back and just remember for a moment. Ah, the Riv and the Stardust (also gone) were my first memories of Las Vegas 23 years ago. The Riv was the first hotel my buddy Steve and I stayed at and where we had our first gambling experiences.

I recall sitting down at my first blackjack table, a nervous young man, barely out of college. I had read books about how to win at blackjack, how to pick the best tables, and so on. But in my haste I sat down at a game where the dealer pitched cards to players instead of dealing from a shoe. I had very little idea what I was doing, and it showed. After a few hands, I got up and left to find a table with a shoe, where all I had to do was bet. Back then, we gambled at $2 tables and ate like kings.

The Strip seemed bigger than life. We didn't have a rental car that trip, so we walked everywhere. In July, no less.  It didn't matter. We were young with very little responsibilities or worries at that time. No mortgages. No big car payments. No debt. In fact, I used my credit card for the very first time on that trip.

Fast forward. I've stayed and played in many places in Las Vegas, and they all have something unique, some story to tell. I'll miss the Riv, just like I miss the Stardust. Not for the inexpensive food or low-roller tables. Not for the pool (which is huge!) or the sports book. Not for the butt statue (although like everyone else, I had to put my hand on it). I'll just simply miss the fun that I had while I was there.

Viva,
Mike

Simplifying Las Vegas Blog Posts - 8 Years of Fun (So Far)

I looked back at some older posts today. I couldn't believe that I've been blogging about Las Vegas since 2006. To my surprise, my first few posts have some of the same topics that are important in Las Vegas today, like money-saving tips when booking a trip, taxis, and downtown opportunities. The blog posts are important to me because they help me with my book.

My first cover in 2008

Las Vegas is very different, for sure, and when I think back to 2008, when I first published Simplifying Las Vegas, so much has changed in the publishing landscape. Back then, Amazon's Kindle Desktop Publishing program was new for authors like me.

I have learned a great deal since that first book. I've made improvements to the content, the layout, and the tips in every single book. It now takes me the good part of a year to review and revise SLV.

The latest version

Back then, I didn't know what it would lead to, I didn't know what to expect. Sure, I hoped Oprah would invite me to her show to talk about it as one of her favorite books. I would jump up and down on her couch and say "I'm in love with Las Vegas!" Never happened. But that's ok.

I'll keep writing. I think it's worth it. Forty million people a year visit Las Vegas. Now if everyone bought one or two copies of my book, I'd be doing ok. But if not, I'm still doing ok. Visiting Las Vegas and writing about Las Vegas is just one of those things I'll always do.

So if you want to support my habit, keep sending me emails, commenting on this blog, and visiting Las Vegas. Oh, and buy a copy or two of my book.

Viva,
Mike

Plan Your Las Vegas Holiday

If you are thinking about a taking a holiday trip, consider Las Vegas. I did a little comparison shopping, and here's what I found on southwest.com:

• The week before Thanksgiving (M-F), a flight from my hometown of Charleston, SC to Las Vegas is about $700 (well, this is what happens when you wait to the last minute)
• The week of Thanksgiving, it goes up to $394
• The week after Thanksgiving, the cost goes up to $545

With hotels, it's a little different story for times around Turkey Day. I looked at Treasure Island, a decent hotel in the middle of the Strip, to see what their rack rates are for the same time period (checking in Monday, checking out Friday)

• The week before Thanksgiving, the total rate is $157
• The week of Thanksgiving, it goes up to $205
• The week after Thanksgiving, it goes down to $185

Thanksgiving is not far away, so you may not have time to plan a trip that soon. However, if you are thinking about a vacation around Christmas, Las Vegas can be a bargain. Here are some of my findings, again on southwest.com:

• The week before Christmas, a flight from Charleston, SC to Las Vegas is about $472 (M-F)
• The week of Christmas, it goes up to $697
• The week after Christmas, the cost is over double at $1078 (New Year's is crowded and expensive)

For hotels, the best rates are also always the week before Christmas. These are some of the best room rates you will get any time of year in Las Vegas. Again, here are some findings from TI:

• The week before Christmas, the total rate is $154
• The week of Christmas, it goes up a little bit to $184
• The week after Christmas, it's a whopping $679

Now this was a quick search. When I plan a trip to Las Vegas, I look at a lot of package deals, several websites, and research costs as much as I can. For detailed information about how to save a ton of money on your trip, consider buying Simplifying Las Vegas online.

Can't make it for the holidays? Plan ahead - way ahead. If you can book your trip 6-8 months in advance, you will save a lot of money. I know that's hard to do, but when it comes to vacations, the better you plan, the more you'll save.

Happy Holiday Shopping!
Viva,
Mike

Why I'm Worried Gary Loveman and CEC Are Getting It Wrong

There is a lot at stake in Las Vegas. The economy is rebounding, the visitation numbers are way up, and new projects are springing up on the Strip and beyond.

It hasn't been that long ago that unfinished condos and casinos littered one of the most famous and expensive stretches of land in the world. Cranes stood still and girders gathered dust and rust. Hotels and casinos that didn't close had to reconsider their strategies. Americans didn't have money to pay the rent, much less to spend in Sin City.

Slowly, that has started to change. The tables have turned in Las Vegas, which has invested in very, very upscale spaces. Famous chefs, in-residence DJs, retail stores, and boutique hotels are all the rage. From the outside looking in, Las Vegas looks like it's in its prime again.

Except that this trend really doesn't make sense. Visitation is up, but gaming numbers are down. Entertainment is everywhere, but profits are nowhere. So many of the hotels are owned either by huge corporations, like MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment Corporation (CEC). When they succeed, everyone wins. If one of their properties isn't doing well, they have the money to fix it. They can buy up other properties that are ailing and make them new again. 

Most of these companies have investments overseas, especially in Macau, China, where casinos are soaring, which means that they can afford to lose money in Las Vegas. But they don't want to lose money, of course, and Las Vegans can't afford for them to lose money. The last recession hit residents hard. When the tourists stopped coming and the good times stopped rolling, some went into foreclosure, Some even trashed what was left of their homes.

Las Vegas has always meant risk, and not just for the folks playing slots and table games. To run a successful casino, it takes guts, luck, money, and foresight. I'm worried that the major players in Las Vegas, like CEC, have too much of the first two items in that list, and not enough of the last two.

I'm a worrier by nature, but I'm staying positive. I think there is still plenty of time to see whether the current experiments work. Hopefully, the powers that be will recognize how to turn things around if the focus on crazy-expensive entertainment fails. Another possibility is that someone else may change the game. It looks like Resorts World has everyone on the Strip, from Steve Wynn to Gary Loveman, concerned. And that's a good thing. Some healthy competition may just create more of a balance. At least, that's what I'm betting on.

Viva,

Mike

Is Las Vegas a Market Leader or Playing Follow the Leader?

There are easily defined patterns in Las Vegas' storied history. To recap a few of the more modern trends:

• Themed hotels to attract families (Mirage 1989 ~ Paris 1999) 
• Free shows at hotels (volcanoes, indoor rain, street performers, lions)
• High end hotels and condos (these projects started popping up behind properties on the Strip)
• Frozen drink stands (they are everywhere these days)
• Party pits in the casino (scantily-clad go-go dancers, complete with poles, right behind pit bosses)

And the list goes on. Once one casino opens a door to these trends, every one of them on the Strip and downtown follow suit. In a way it is easy to get a sense of "the next big thing" in Las Vegas because there is a copycat effect.

Las Vegas was in serious trouble after the economic collapse of 2008. But it bounced back, and now it is on the verge of hosting 40 million people this year. The current trend is to market to millennials, those young folks (mostly from California, in this case) with a lot of money and a penchant for looking for a good time.

This strategy seems to be working… sort of. People see the posh, luxurious hotels, clubs and restaurants and think "wow, Vegas is hopping!" And it is, if you look at raw numbers of visitors. But at the same time, many of the hotel/casino entities in Las Vegas are having a hard time turning those numbers in to stellar profits.

Caesars Entertainment Corp (CEC) is famously and publicly having financial problems, and while some of those problems are due to the fact that they are a HUGE company with about a million initiatives, part of the investment strategy is following entertainment trends in Las Vegas. For evidence, all you have to do is look at the giant High Roller wheel and the corresponding LINQ shopping venues behind Flamingo.

As another example that things may not be so good, SLS is starting to lay off its workforce. How could the hippest, newest casino in Las Vegas be in trouble already?

I wonder how many top Vegas properties are doing serious market research and finding out what sticks. These trends make the short-term money, much like a fad (think Personal Digital Assistants, or PDAs, of the 1980s) instead of the long-term ideas that have lasting effects (think smart phones).

The focus on trends is one of the reasons many Las Vegas hotels have put gaming on the back burner, a secondary "oh by the way" feature, and are spending their time and money on entertainment. Experts will argue that, regardless of the reasons for this (and there are many), that this is a good strategy for Las Vegas proprietors. I wonder… other than visitation numbers and the "if you build it they will come" mantra, where is the proof that this is a good long-term strategy? It's not in the numbers. What happens in a few years when the millennials start getting older and don't want to party at clubs and topless pools anymore? Las Vegas will have to reinvent itself again.

And I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing. Change is good. Be nimble to adapt to an ever-changing market and you have a better chance of being successful. I get that. But there are certainly long-term marketing strategies that hotels and casinos can also implement that will lead to financial stability. After all, I'm sure they get tired of chasing down the next big thing.

Viva,
Mike