Have you stopped patronizing the Hilton hotel?

Hee hee. I don't drink coffee. Maybe that's why I never noticed whether there was a coffeemaker or not.

The last time I was in Vegas (April 2005, right before I bought my Prius) I stayed in a hotel off the strip that didn't force you to go through the casino to get to the desk and elevators. Yes, there was a bank of slot machines in the area. But you could actually walk in the doors to the desk, then turn right and go to the elevators without actually having to pass between the rows of slot machines. You did have to pass through a gambling area to get to the restaurant area though. I can't remember what hotel it was but the parking garage was right across the street. Golden Palace maybe? Downside is we had to drive everything to get anywhere and then try to find parking spaces there.

In case you're wondering I dropped my token $20 of nickels as fast as I could, then enjoyed myself with the sites, such as they were. Only three gondolas were working at the Rio, the fountains at the Belagio weren't going either and the wait was too long at the Venizia for one of their gondola rides. Hey, I've been on the real thing in Venice so hmpph. What I enjoyed the most? The Getty Museum in the Venizia had "Quest for Immortality"; Egyptian artifacts on a tour across the U.S. Fabulous. That's actually why I went there. And my mother and I enjoyed walking the shopping loops in the Aladdin. Wow, that was very impressive. And I manage to find some discontinued earrings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Gift shop in the Aladdin. They match a necklace I had just bought on eBay perfectly. I happen to be wearing it at the time. Wow. Later I found that necklace I bought for $22 originally sold for over $200. So yeah, I'm pleased with my trip. Every time I wear those earrings I'll remember that trip and everything I saw. I do like the light rail system they have for traveling from hotel to hotel, but it's not extensive enough. Vegas is NOT designed for pedestrians. What they ought to do is take the cars completely off the strip in that area and put the light rail on the street in it's place. And run it 24/7 instead of the limited times they have now. Those Disney peoplemovers would be perfect.

 

It will hurt the employees more than Paris, just like sanctions hurt the common citizen more than the leaders. Neither will work, we're Dooooomed!

Wildkow

 

A former work aquaintance was the Comptroller for a Hilton Hotel in Phoenix, AZ
I was told the employees were treated like dirt and even worse.

So after hearing that news is when we stopped supporting the Hilton's.

Paris is a kid that needs to grow up, I hope this little incarceration has helped define her.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jun 26 2007, 09:40 PM) [snapback]468647[/snapback]</div>

I stayed at the Bellagio because it made it easier to see Cirque du Soleil, which has one of its shows there. I was able to walk everywhere I had any reason to go. I gambled and lost two dollars, saw no thrill in it, and quit there. (They let me bet $1 on roulette when I told them I just wanted to bet $1 once; and I dropped $1 in a slot machine. I absolutely cannot understand why people gamble. And I saw people at tables where the minimum bet was $100.) The fountains at the Bellagio only operate for a few minutes at a time during certain hours of the day. I could see them from my window.

I agree with you about cars. The strip was a parking lot when I arrived. Ban them! If you stay on the strip you never need a car the whole time you are there, assuming you can walk (and assuming you don't want to make a side trip to Pahrump ).

 

You can also ride the trolley that goes up and down the strip,
We did stay at the Hilton long long before Paris was Paris (the kid)
to see Bill Cosby man, was he funny I liked his Dentist skit the best

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 26 2007, 11:08 PM) [snapback]468638[/snapback]</div>

Yeah, the Fairmont is great (I've only stayed at the one in San Francisco, but it was NICE); for chains, the best one I've stayed at is Ritz Carlton, but I'll only stay there if someone else is paying.

The hotel I've stayed in Vegas had a coffee maker. I (usually) never use hotel coffee makers, though, because they (usually) only give you that awful powdered non-dairy "creamer".

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 27 2007, 08:48 AM) [snapback]468757[/snapback]</div>

We go to Vegas often. It's only an hour flight. My husband enjoys gambling and I like shopping/going to the spa/going to shows and eating food. Also, if you gamble a lot, they comp practically everything else. I figure if you break even then it's winning because it's hours of entertainment for him and when you do anything else you have to pay. Even if you lose a little, it's winning in my book. I mean going to a show and dinner is easily $500 for like 3-4 hours worth of fun so why is gambling different. Some people love it and some don't. It's not a job or an investment. It's entertainment.

We stay at the Wynn. Belagio has too many looky loo's clogging up the public areas.

We never drive anywhere while in LV. I think a majority of the people chugging along on the strip are locals. Or cabs/limos.

 

Ever since Paris Hilton gained preeminence, my favorite Hilton now changes the sheets hourly...

And Christine the hostess (who used to anticipate my every wish) has been replaced by someone called 'Sativa'...who won't call a bellman unless I slip her a $5.

What's even more confusing is, everyone who checks in seems to have no baggage and refers to themselves as, 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith.' But they're not wearing wedding rings!

It all makes me feel kind of cheap (and, ahem, not in a good way).

 

What's the difference between Paris Hilton and the Hilton in Paris?

Not everyone's been in the Hilton in Paris.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sassy Pamela @ Jun 27 2007, 09:46 AM) [snapback]468860[/snapback]</div>

First of all, they don't give you anything free if all you lose at the tables is the amount you would have spent had you not gambled. If they're writing off your hotel bill, it's a good bet (pun intended) that your hubby lost ten times that much, if not considerably more.

Second, while I am sure you can spend $500 on a night's entertainment, you certainly do not have to. Decent tickets and a very good meal are nowhere near that.

Thirdly, I'd imagine that if you only lose $500 in a night the casino would consider you a fairly small time gambler.

But lastly, it's just a matter of personal preference: I don't see the "entertainment" in giving money to the casino for nothing. What "entertainment"? It's entertaining to watch a good show. Perhaps a magic act, or pretty girls prancing around, or the circus, or a play, or a concert. I saw a magic act that was utterly baffling, and a comedian that had me laughing so hard it hurt. But sitting at a table letting a croupier rake up your money??? If you play poker with friends at least you have an even chance. At Vegas you know beforehand that you're going to lose. It's like betting on yesterday's horse race but you can't pick any of the first three finishers.

On the other hand, if you want to throw your money away, it's a free country. Just don't kid yourself that when the casino marks your hotel bill paid your hubby has only lost as much as the bill would have been.

 

The last time I was in Vegas, we stayed at the Golden Key motel.
It had a swimming pool.
Okay, I was about 8 years old.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 27 2007, 06:39 PM) [snapback]469103[/snapback]</div>

I'm sorry but perhaps you didn't get my key points.

1. My husband ENJOYS gambling. He finds it ENTERTAINING. You obviously don't. GOOD FOR YOU. Maybe he thinks a magic show is a waste of money?
2. My husband rarely loses. If I gambled, I would lose. Every time. That is why I prefer to "gamble" in the mall instead.
3. WHEN he does lose, I don't consider it LOSING as stated in my original post. Also, they do not only comp people who lose. They want you to come often. Their chances of you losing increase. They comp based on hours of play.
4. 2 tickets to cirque du soleil $250 - dinner at a 5 star restaurant $250. $500. This is vacation, I'm not saying that you CAN NOT have fun for less than $500. I was giving an example of our typical night out in vegas. Pay attention.

We do not believe that Steve Wynn built a gorgeous resort off of people winning in the casinos. DUHHHH. I was merely explaining the reason why we go and enjoy our times in Vegas. Obviously you'd rather go camping. or watch a magic show. GOOD FOR YOU.

 

Last time I was in Vegas, we gambled a little, then spent most of the rest of the vacation on Lake Mead in a rented waterski boat.

It was so nice to get away from the fake glitz and gaudiness of the strip.

I know it's a matter of personal preference, but I just didn't find the whole gambling/high roller atmosphere really that entertaining. As for the shows, I'm in the business and get comps to the good stuff anyway. Generally speaking, I feel like the final resting place for most acts is somewhere on the strip; that aspect of Vegas really doesn't interest me very much.

But, at the core of it, is the idea that that the odds are stacked against me, so why bother? I mean, clearly, when the bottom line is calculated, the results favor the house.

If I want a good show, I'll go see one. Ditto a good meal or whatever; personally, I'd rather see and do exactly what I want to do --and know exactly what it's going to cost-- than take my choice from comps and other offerings that may or may not be exactly to my taste.

But, as I said, it's just my personal preference.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sassy Pamela @ Jun 27 2007, 04:56 PM) [snapback]469111[/snapback]</div>

??? Guess I've never been in a restaurant that fancy. Or more properly, that expensive. And I have been in some darn good ones. Unless maybe you're a family of four. I once ate in a restaurant where we paid $200 for three people, but that included wine for them and sparkling cider for me, and more food than we could eat.

But pardon me if I don't believe that your hubby wins most of the time. The only game where that's possible is blackjack, and then only if you count cards, and once they realize they've got a card counter they either boot him out or they shuffle every deal.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 27 2007, 08:35 PM) [snapback]469147[/snapback]</div>

I did once. With friends at a convention. Planned for it. My meal did come to over $100. All a la carte.

I remember I started with a fresh mozzarella made from buffalo milk. There was some sort of exotic salad. And the entre was....ostrich. There was also a fabulous desert.

Oh and ostrich doesn't take like chicken. More like lamb but not as gamey. (I probably got 'dark' meat)

I wanted to do it once in my life for the experience. And the company of friends was a perk. It was a fabulous night. We just talked and laughed non-stop. It does make me appreciate the cooking reality shows like Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 27 2007, 08:35 PM) [snapback]469147[/snapback]</div>

My Dad has a couple of times. But he stays in really low priced hotels off the strip and takes advantage of all of the food freebies like the shrimp cocktails for $1.00 (used to be free.)

At least twice he's won enough to pay for the hotel and gas. I considers breaking even like that a win because he and my Mom got the entertainment of gambling for free. (My Mom doesn't gamble much. She's like me. $20 in the slots and call it a vacation.)

Now that they've brought back the penny slots I'm saving my pennies. I really don't care the amount. I don't find gambling fun. My Dad finds it very mentally stimulating because he shoots Craps and is constantly doing odds in his head. I find doing that or figuring the odds at Blackjack very stressful and draining. 5-10 min. at the slots is fine with me. I call it token gambling. It the 'fee' I pay for enjoying the sights.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 27 2007, 06:35 PM) [snapback]469147[/snapback]</div>

The seven course prestige menu is $290 per person at Guy Savoy.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 27 2007, 08:35 PM) [snapback]469147[/snapback]</div>

Daniel, you'll shocking me in this thread. First you admitted laughing at a show (actually, the first shock was admitting you did something as plebian as going to a show) - I assumed you had your laugh muscles removed at a young age. Now you admit to dining out - what? You don't only eat home-grown organic food? Like I said, shocked.

(Seriously, I kid because I love...)

(In your case, anyway. I kid "Dr." "Berman" because he's... well, I don't feel like getting banned so I'll leave it at the ellipse)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jun 27 2007, 07:59 PM) [snapback]469180[/snapback]</div>

Twice out of how many times? I'll bet he's dumped ten times as much as he's ever won.

My uncle (since deceased) was a big spender and a high roller. He lost thousands, if not tens of thousands, in a weekend at Vegas. Of course, for losing that much, they tore up his hotel bill. Meanwhile, my aunt would sit at a blackjack table where the dealer would cheat in her favor and she won a few hundred in the same weekend. Keep the wife happy or she might not let the husband return. The casino ain't dumb.

At one time he owned two big supermarkets. Then he was informed by certain serious people that if he valued his knees he'd pay off his gambling debts. He had to sell one of his supermarkets. After that he moderated his gambling.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Jun 27 2007, 08:05 PM) [snapback]469189[/snapback]</div>

Thank you. I'll eat elsewhere. My most expensive meal was at Carballeria (I think that was the name of the place) in Barcelona. Everything was impeccable. We ate there because my mom wanted to eat at a very fancy place. And we could afford it.

But the best place I've ever eaten was the dining balcony at Tortillis Tented Luxury Camp in Amboseli National Park in Kenya, with a clear view of the conical, snow-capped mountain (probably Kilimanjaro). But since everything is included (lodging, meals, and game drives) there's no way to know what the meals cost. The food was Indian curry (my favorite) and far too much of it. It was served restaurant style (not buffet) but they brought you as much as you wanted. Best food, best ambiance, best view.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Jun 27 2007, 10:35 PM) [snapback]469251[/snapback]</div>

You'd be surprised (and probably shocked for real) by some of the things I've done. But the most shocking thing I'll admit to was trying to dig a Minuteman III nuclear missile silo out of the ground with a pick and shovel.

My friends consider me witty and amusing, with a robust but peculiar sense of humor.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 28 2007, 04:51 PM) [snapback]469726[/snapback]</div>

I have not eaten at Guy Savoy, either at the original in Paris or its Las Vegas clone. It is not in my budget nowadays. The most expensive meal I have ever had was at Paul Bocuse' l'Auberge du Pont de Collonges near Lyon, France, back in 1988 when I was still single, childless and had disposable income. It was about $140 per person including wine and service (when the dollar was king and bought 9 French Francs). It was worth every penny.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 28 2007, 06:51 PM) [snapback]469726[/snapback]</div>

They go about once a year for a few days. April 2005 we left on Sunday morning and returned on Wed. afternoon.

He has an allowance. As he wins, he puts the stake in his pocket and plays with the winnings if he can. When he wins a larger pot, like a few hundred dollars, he quits. When he loses too much he quits. He never gambles beyond the initial allowance he's alloted. Sure there are some times when he's lost the allowance. That basically pays for the "entertainment" value. More often he loses and wins back so he has close to the allowance he started with. But there were those few times when he came out on top and was able to pay the hotel bill, meals and gas with the winnings. Usually not much left over. So he never wins or loses more than a few hundred.

My Dad isn't close to having a gambling problem. He's also never been drunk in his life.