Access Vegas Insider Vibe – June 20, 2001

Posted on June 20, 2001May 8, 2008 by admin

WELCOME to Access Vegas News and Reviews, now with subscribers in over 50 countries around the world! This is the official newsletter of http://www.accessvegas.com We talk about the Las Vegas attractions, dining, and shows that YOU really care about.

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Read Opinions: http://boards.accessvegas.com
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THIS ISSUE: Sheena Easton

EDITOR NOTES: For the remainder of the summer, I’m going to publish this newsletter biweekly. I am working on some fantastic new Vegas Internet projects, and although I am gathering some great people to help, this is a hectic summer of expansion. The biweekly newsletters will be longer, but you’ll have a couple of weeks to digest them.

I don’t want to tip my hand too much except to say that this fall, not only will the newsletter be back to weekly, but we’ll have new ways for you to access more Vegas information! To those who have expressed interest in helping, hang tight. I will be getting back to everyone soon.

LAS VEGAS NEWS – of interest to tourists:

4’th OF JULY – Most of the fireworks happen far from the Strip, so it doesn’t hurt to rent a car if visiting this 4’th of July. The only fireworks near the Strip will be at Palace Station and will probably only be visible from the North end of the Strip. Other celebrations happening around town are listed at http://www.lasvegas.com/events/4thofjuly/

TOPLESS SHOWS – Forget the family friendly stuff–the white tigers, the roller coasters, the wave pools. In a town that is constantly redefining itself, what’s old is new again as the entertainment pendulum swings back toward sex appeal. For all the talk about the Disneyfication of Las Vegas as a wholesome, family oriented destination, topless entertainment is making a comeback here in Sin City. Full story at http://www.latimes.com/travel/vegas/lat_vegas010617.htm

VACATION IN VEGAS – In light of higher travel prices, the R-J recently ran an article reminding locals off all the fun there is to do and see on The Strip. This may sound crazy, but the truth is that locals rarely leave their neighborhoods to visit the tourist areas and often aren’t that “up” on what is happening (unless they read our newsletter)! This “local’s” look at things like Adventuredome (which we reviewed at http://www.las-vegas-shows-reviews.com/circus-circus-adventuredome.htm ), Star Trek: The Experience ( http://www.las-vegas-shows-reviews.com/star-trek-experience-las-vegas.htm ), Wet ‘n Wild and other locals attractions is available at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-29-Tue-2001/living/16170350.html

HIGH HEELS – Some older cocktail waitresses are complaining about the medical problems caused by wearing high heel shoes on the job. Full story at http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/states/nv/A7985-2001Jun15.html

URGENT CARE – It isn’t something any of us likes to think about, but occasionally a vacation is interrupted by illness. If this happens to you in Las Vegas, head for the Imperial Palace where University Medical Center has opened an 8’th floor doctor’s office. Print this one out and stuff it in your suitcase — just in case: http://www.viewnews.com/2001/VIEW-Jun-20-Wed-2001/East/16318464.html

MORE POWER – The energy crunch in the West has hammered California, but could turn into a jackpot for neighboring Nevada. The gambling state is courting energy giants, betting that future power plants based in Nevada will help its economy and provide plenty of electrical power to the region. The power companies are responding, with proposals for Nevada plants that would supply more than 10,000 megawatts of energy by 2004. Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-29-Tue-2001/business/16152320.html and http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jun-06-Wed-2001/business/16260034.html

COINLESS SLOTS – Casino giant Park Place Entertainment (Caesars, Bally’s, Paris, etc.) has signed a deal to add 15,000 coinless-payout slot machines to many of its 29 casinos throughout the world. For years, conventional wisdom dictated that slot gamblers preferred to receive their payouts in loudly clanging coins, the better to dramatize a win of any size. In fact, an earlier incarnation of the technology was rejected by customers at the MGM Grand, shortly after the megaresort’s 1993 opening. Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jun-20-Wed-2001/business/16358878.html and you have one more week to vote in this week’s poll on whether you like coinless slots at http://www.accessvegas.com

CLIMBING THE WALLS – Tuesday night is infamous at Studio 54 at the MGM for EDEN, the “Erotically Delicious Entertainers Night.” In addition to the women swinging above the crowd, sporadic confetti blasts, and bungee routines, they have added the Wall Walkers. Costumed in glossy, body shaping suits, the walkers climb two pillars and then gravitate back down doing acrobatic flips and turns. The more wild festivities start about 2 AM. Guests must be 21 and a dress code is enforced.

DESERT PASSAGE – valet parking is now free. When the Aladdin shopping area first opened, we were among the many who were shocked to pay for valet parking at the parking garage entrance to the upscale mall area. This bucked the tradition of hotels and malls offering free valet parking. We applaud mall management for making this change. Valet parking for the hotel has always been free.

LOW TECH VEGAS – Long time readers know that a pet peeve of mine is how unwired this entire city seems to be. Yes, it is getting better but when you meet someone you are still more likely to exchange phone numbers than email addresses. When I tell people what I do for a living, a common comment is “I’m thinking about getting a computer sometime.” Only a very few hotels send out press releases via email. Don’t take my word for it: A recent article details our low tech ranking at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-28-Mon-2001/business/15922839.html

COMDEX – Believe it or not, hotel rooms are already starting to fill up for Comdex. If you or your company are thinking about coming, do your boss a favor and pass our http://www.accessvegas.com web address along to the person making the travel plans for Comdex or any other convention anywhere in the country. Your boss will appreciate the money you save and you’ll appreciate not staying in some overpriced dive. During Comdex, it is common for fleabag motels on the wrong side of Fremont St. downtown (you know, the ones that are generally overpriced at $99 a week) to charge a nonrefundable $100 a night during Comdex. You can also secure your rental cars early and save through http://www.accessvegas.com

VACATIONS FROM HELL – The R-J just ran two features on vacation horror stories and how to avoid problems when you travel. Worth a read at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jun-05-Tue-2001/living/16216900.html and http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jun-05-Tue-2001/living/16204806.html

BINGO – The Plaza Hotel is offering incentives throughout June to welcome Bingo players to the newest downtown Bingo Room in Las Vegas. The new Bingo room holds 8 sessions daily beginning at 9 AM with the final session at 11 PM. There will be super progressive bonanza jackpots every session with a $1,000 bonanza consolation guaranteed at six of the sessions.

NEW MALL – The on-again, off-again shopping mall between Mandalay Bay and Luxor is back on the Mandalay Resort Group’s front burner, company executives said Friday. Construction on the partially built retail structure will resume before the end of the summer, said Mandalay President Glenn Schaeffer, speaking after the firm’s annual shareholders’ meeting at Mandalay Bay. The mall is expected to open by the end of 2002. Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jun-16-Sat-2001/business/16335998.html

BUSY AIRPORT – Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport is set to overtake Denver as the sixth-busiest airport in the United States, according to data compiled by the Airport Council International. According to information released by McCarran, Southwest Airlines, America West Airlines and National Airlines all recorded significant percentage increases in the numbers of arriving and departing passengers in March over the previous March. Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-11-Fri-2001/business/16072617.html

ADVERTISING – Although rare, last week someone replied to the newsletter with “QUIT SENDING ME YOUR ADVERTISEMENTS.” For those curious, here are a couple of details on our newsletter and what part of it is advertising:

1. We only send this to people who request it by signing up through the forms on our sites. Our newsletter is probably the easiest to unsubscribe out there. You don’t have to go to a website, enter a password, or type something in the subject box. You simply email the unsubscribe address at the bottom and it is done.

2. The commissions from hotels, rental cars, et. al. support this effort. In addition, costs are covered by the four ads per issue, which are bounded by the =========== dividers. That is the only revenue advertising. I spend hours and hours combing news sources to find the best info to present.

While we do accept complimentary tickets to review a show (which is common in media), long time readers know that I shoot from the hip. Bottom line is that I’m not going to cut any deals that restrict what I can say or which sources I can use. You keep booking with us to help us, and I’ll keep getting you the best unbiased info from all sources!

$100 REBATE SPECTACULAR! Our partners at Hotel Reservations Network are giving you up to $100 back on any stay in Las Vegas or any major city they reserve. (Full details and list of all eligible cities at http://www.hoteldiscounts.com/cgi-bin/coupon?SID=IVC&Dest=LAS&LKF=IVC&PROD=HOTEL ). Claiming your cash is simple:

1. Print out: http://www.hoteldiscounts.com/cgi-bin/coupon?SID=IVC&Dest=LAS&LKF=IVC&PROD=HOTEL
2. Book a room online at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-discounts.htm
3. Send in for your rebate when you get home.

It doesn’t get any easier than that, and you get their low price guarantee
to boot!

CONCERTS AND SHOWS:

DAVID DARKSTONE – “Illusions & Beyond” has opened at The Frontier. This new afternoon magic show runs daily (dark Monday) at Noon and 2 PM. Ticket price is $12.95 and includes two drinks. You can get them at the box office (new shows like this rarely sell out) or call ahead to (702) 794-8200

STEVE MARTIN ART COLLECTION – is at Bellagio through Labor Day. Story at http://www.accessvegas.com/story-3.htm

SHOW REVIEWS – Recent reviews appearing in the media:

* La Femme (MGM) – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jun-15-Fri-2001/weekly/16309715.html
* Rita Rudner (New York, New York) – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-11-Fri-2001/weekly/16026622.html
* Storm (Mandalay Bay) – http://www.accessvegas.com/story-4.htm

SHOWS, GOLF, DINING:

* SHOW TICKETS – See which shows are playing during your stay and book reservations EVEN if the tickets aren’t on sale yet. Let ShowVegas takes care of all your needs directly online! Search by dates at http://www.showvegas.com/svpricing.cfm?amid=143&cscheme=1
* GOLF RESERVATIONS – BookVegas let’s you grab that tee time GUARANTEED before you get to town! Click to http://www.bookvegasteetimes.com/gvpricing.cfm?amid=143&cscheme=5
* DINING RESERVATIONS – For a small service fee, you can now guarantee reservations for that “special night out” during your visit at http://www.bookvegasdining.com/dvpricing.cfml?amid=143&cscheme=5

EVENT LISTINGS:

* SHOWS AND HEADLINERS – listings available at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-shows.htm
* CONCERT – listings available at http://www.accessvegas.com/concerts.htm

RESTAURANT REVIEWS – Recent reviews appearing in the media:

* Circus Circus Steak House – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-23-Wed-2001/living/16115745.html
* Florida Cafe (north of Stratosphere) – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jun-15-Fri-2001/weekly/16297880.html
* Le Provencal (Paris) – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jun-13-Wed-2001/living/16282040.html
* Shadow (lounge: Caesars) – http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/2001/departments/2001_06_14/bar_fly.html

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LAS VEGAS WEATHER – This 5 day forecast is courtesy of Weather.Com:

Friday – 107 ░F / 80 ░F Sunny
Saturday – 103 ░F / 78 ░F Sunny
Sunday – 105 ░F / 76 ░F Sunny
Monday – 103 ░F / 75 ░F Sunny
Tuesday – 102 ░F / 75 ░F Sunny
Wednesday – 102 ░F / 74 ░F Sunny

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FEATURE STORIES: Sheena Easton

“My Baby Takes The Morning Train” … “For Your Eyes Only” …

For most, those are the only two songs that come to mind when someone says Sheena Easton. So I admit to being skeptical when I heard that she was booked to play the entire summer at the Las Vegas Hilton with the possibility of extending the run if it went well. She had just finished a year-plus stint in “At The Copa” with David Cassidy but he was admittedly the star and main draw of that show.

If Ms. Easton has a “star” attitude, she certainly didn’t display it in this performance. After hitting the stage with a tight eight piece band, she ran through a number of standards and with a couple of disco songs thrown in for good measure from her latest European CD. In her stunning evening gown, it was pure lounge. Not the tacky, typical Vegas lounge but old-style classy.

She then took a few minutes to bond with the audience, talking about her kids, her career, and what it is like to be an 80’s sex symbol 20 years later. She joked that her rear end from the 80’s is still alive and well — and that Britney Spears is now using it! While she still looks great, the self-depreciating rant went over well with her (mostly) 30 and older audience.

Playing to a general “Vegas” audience, the odds are that people are coming more for the entertainment value than because they are die-hard Easton fans. Keeping that in mind, she was smart to integrate her hits from the 80’s with classic standards. No matter how you cut it (and how much many of us still enjoy it), music from the 80’s can’t help but sound a little dated.

She ran through “Strut” than did a duet with her percussion player on “U Got The Look” and “We’ve Got Tonight” as well as performing other hits from her repertoire. After letting her band shine in a jam that featured a short solo from each member, she emerged from a wardrobe change and whipped into “Fever” before singing the her obligatory hit “Morning Train.”

Then it was back to a duet on “If You Asked Me To” and “Best of My Love” featuring both her percussionist and her female backup singer participating in lead vocals. She had a very strong finish to the night with “For Your Eyes Only” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.”

Easton was signed to play the 350 seat Hilton Nightclub but response has been so strong that many of her dates will take place in the main showroom that was once host to Elvis. She does a great job of entertaining and both her fans and those expecting to see a classic Vegas performance won’t be disappointed.

Sheena Easton – For Your Eyes Only Ticket Info

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EDITORS NOTE:

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Barbara wrote:

> Dear Ted, I just returned from a 5 day stay in Las Vegas. I go there
>on a regular basis, twice a year. I have always enjoyed the seafood
>buffet at the Rio and have recommended it to several. This time was
>different. I was surprised to find the food was not hot (its hard to
>dip cold lobster into cold butter). I had planned on taking my
>parents there and now I am glad that they couldn’t make it. Spending
>$30.00 a person, the food shouldn’t be cold. Also the service was
>poor. I sure hope this was a one time experience because I have, in
>the past enjoyed the Rio.

From what I understand, fish like lobster and crab are served cold at Vegas buffets for food safety reasons. But I agree that the drawn butter should be hot! I shared your opinion of the Rio Seafood Buffet and my full review is archived at http://www.las-vegas-shows-reviews.com/rio-suites-las-vegas-buffet.htm

Colleen Kato wrote:

>Here are my thoughts on De La Guarda —
>
>I love going to Las Vegas shows and have enjoyed everything I’ve ever
>seen during the many years of vacationing there. A few weeks ago we
>decided to finally see DE La Guarda. It sounded like an intriguing
>show and it was one of the few shows we hadn’t seen. De La Guarda was
>absolutely insane, only somewhat entertaining and I’d never recommend
>that anyone see it. There were six in our party (from ages 18-60).
>We tried to keep an open mind, knowing that this show would be
>different. It was different all right, but strangely so. One in our
>party described the experience as being in an insane asylum and
>watching the inmates do crazy things. Things go on forever, perhaps
>too long. For instance in the beginning, people are flying overhead
>on bungee cords for what seems like forever. After a while it gets
>tiring and you’re ready for them to move on to something else, but it
>goes on and on and on and on. I know they’re having fun up there, but
>it’s rather tiring for the audience to continually stand, looking up,
>watching the same thing and wondering when something else is going to
>happen, and hopefully — it will be something more interesting than
>what you’ve bee subjected to so far.
>
>There were some interesting
>moments. I was somewhat interested in the precise timing of two girls
>swinging from ropes as they ran across an expanse of wall. The water
>and the fog added substance and I liked the balloons, but there were
>many people around us asking their partners, “So what is the purpose
>of all of this?” There were strange cast members, dripping wet,
>mingling through the crowd, trying to stare strangely at individuals
>in the audience. They hunk around, act weirdly, then lie in the
>puddles on the wet floor like someone having a fit or acting how like
>you’d expect an adult with a mind of an infant to act. Out of our
>party of six, two walked out before the end of the show. I didn’t
>mind the loud music and enjoyed the strong percussion, but a friend of
>ours couldn’t stand the insane screaming (more like shrieking). All
>in all it is a show I’d never ever think of seeing again. It absolutely
>was not entertaining at all.

>PS I tried booking show tickets through the BookVegas Itinerary system
>you advocate. Although I’ve only used the system once, we got
>terrific seats. I just booked show tickets for two shows in July and
>am crossing my fingers that the seats we get this time, are just as
>good. It was worth paying the processing fee to get those great
>seats!

De La Guarda is definitely for people looking for a rave-like, artistic, chaotic experience. I found it interesting, but prefer more traditional Las Vegas entertainment. Most people either love or hate the show: there is little in between.

Thanks for supporting our efforts with your business! For reserved seat shows, you stand a better chance of good seats the earlier you buy your tickets and buying in advance also guarantees that you won’t arrive in town only to find a show sold out. I’m pleasantly surprised both at the number of readers using our BookVegas service at http://www.showvegas.com/svpricing.cfm?amid=3230&cscheme=1 and the continued positive feedback regarding it.

Allen Goenawein wrote:

>I just returned from my latest trip to Vegas. I
>thought that anyone looking for some good cheap meals
>might be interested to know that Ellis Island still
>has prime rib and top sirloin steak dinners for $4.95.
>These are not scaled down dinners but include a salad
>of your choice, potato of your choice, a vegetable and
>bread and butter. They also have a steak breakfast
>special that goes for $1.99. Again, no scaled down
>meal but a good sized portion of steak, two eggs, hash
>browns, and two pieces of toast with jelly and butter.
>For the really hungry at breakfast I would recommend
>the ham and eggs. For only $3.25 you get a slice of
>ham that is so large, it hangs over the edge of the
>plate, plus the eggs, potatoes, toast, butter and
>jelly. You can eat for very little money in Vegas if
>you shop around.

Thanks for the reminder of these great specials. I can vouch for them myself as the steak special has been a long time favorite of mine. Ellis Island is a couple of long blocks east of the Strip just set back from the corner of Koval and Flamingo (down Koval a couple hundred feet south). It just so happens that one of my summer projects will be to chronicle and list all of the great “cheap meals and deals” on The Strip and downtown for inclusion in one of our new websites!

Lysaa Rossi wrote:

>Hello,
>
>**Great newsletter**! Full of helpful insight, just one suggestion:
>Since there is so much info perhaps HTML format would make it easier
>to scroll through. It’s a bit hard on the eyes. Also, I know this is
>mainly for tourism, but a real estate review of the many
>areas/communities in LV and Henderson would be great to have given
>that so many people decide to relocate there — in fact, we are moving
>there next month!
>
>Thanks!!

By HTML, she is referring to newsletters that look like a web page instead of this plain text format. I’d like to go that route because we can present graphics and use a pleasing format. However, AOL 5.0 (and before) as well as some other email programs can’t display HTML newsletters and I want everyone to enjoy the info. Also, I have heard that the next version of Microsoft Outlook Express might be shipped with HTML turned OFF by default. I appreciate your thoughts and we will certainly make the transition when we can rest assured that everybody will still be able to enjoy our content.

++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++

Your input is welcome. Write us a “letter to the editor” at (click) mailto:allvegastv@aol.com While space doesn’t permit publishing every letter, we do certainly read them all and they help shape our content. Please include your name if you wish to have it published (stating your city is optional). Also, guest article submissions are welcome with full credit to you, your website, etc., if accepted.

Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Scenic Southwest Tours – by plane, bus, or even helicopter! You’ve seen the glossy ads in the tourist brochures. You’ve thought about it. You come all the way to Las Vegas — why not see one of the some of the most famous landmarks in the world! Don’t by tricked by web sites & magazines that offer discount tours. Taxes, park fees, permits can almost double the price. Our prices are inclusive – no hidden charges! Best Las Vegas Tours

ONLINE POLL – “How do you feel about coinless slots?” Let’s hear your opinion at http://www.accessvegas.com — results will be published next issue!

FREE CONTEST:

SHEENA EASTON – We have one autographed poster of Grammy award winning artist Sheena Easton. Enter by sending a blank email to (contest closed) The 20’th entry will be chosen winner. No need to include any info — we’ll return email the winner. One entry per person.

VEGAS TRIP – Sign up for Weatherbug and get a free trip to Vegas: http://ww2.weatherbug.com/aff/default.asp?zcode=Z3390&DoCheck=True

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Have a request for a review? Boggled when you come to town and see the hundreds of dining, attraction, and show opportunities? Let us know what you’d like to hear about! Unlike the tourist magazines where all of the “articles” are really paid ads, we give you the honest scoop. If you appreciate this service, please consider booking your rooms and rental cars for ALL destinations with us at http://www.lodging.com/affiliates/us_reservations.cgi?remote=tedinvegas You get secure ordering with the convenience and savings of booking online!

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New to the list? Back issues and subscription info can be found on the web at: https://las-vegas-news-reviews.com

Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates, or better yet click here: http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=826126 to recommend it to friends with a chance to win $10,000!

All contents copyright 2001 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
June 20, 2001 ISSN: 1529-2770

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – May 23, 2001

Posted on May 23, 2001March 3, 2009 by admin

QUICK TRAVEL LINKS: Book Online and Save – Easy and Secure with Instant Confirmation:

THIS WEEK’S CITY ON SALE: Las Vegas: Stratosphere from $59.95, Aladdin from $109.95, Hilton Grand Vacations from $69.95, The Hilton from $59.95, and The Orleans $59.95 Click to http://www.hoteldiscounts.com/cgi-bin/OnSale?LKF=IVC&SID=IVC

HOTEL MESSAGE BOARDS – Help others and share your Las Vegas hotel opinions!

Read Opinions: http://boards.accessvegas.com
Post Opinions: http://boards.accessvegas.com

THIS ISSUE: The Truth About Slot Cards, Casino Freebies are not Usually Free

LAS VEGAS NEWS – of interest to tourists:

WORLD SERIES OF POKER – Carlos Mortensen knows when to hold ’em. The 29-year-old who moved to the United States from Spain a few years ago to play poker professionally won the World Series of Poker tournament Friday night at Binion’s Horseshoe — and a $1.5 million jackpot. Full story at http://www.bergen.com/morenews/poker20200105205.htm and http://www.casinogaming.com/columnists/shelf/051601.html

WORLD SWIMSUIT – Model Search Finals will have over 60 women compete in what they bill as the “Ultimate Swimsuit Competition.” US and Canadian Finals are Friday, June 1 at 6:00 PM and the World Model Search Finals are Saturday, June 2 at 8: 00 PM. Tickets at (702) 731-7865. Discount Caesars rooms at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas.htm (Caesars link).

SET TO RETIRE IN VEGAS – Nevada might have to wait a few years before it lives up to its growing reputation as a retirement mecca. Fewer than 10 percent of the state’s booming population are 65 or older, according to 2000 census figures released Friday. However, those aged 45 to 59 nearly doubled their ranks. “The pre-retirees are people moving here for their last job,” said Jeff Hardcastle, state demographer. Full story at http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/states/nv/A42254-2001May17.html

FRENCH FRY FUEL – Biodiesel fuel made from recycled cooking oils at casino hotels and restaurants went on sale in Nevada Tuesday, the first public access fueling station in the nation to offer the biodegradable fuel that reduces emissions. Full story at http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/biodiesel010523.html

AFTERNOON TEA – The Four Seasons (located at the south end of Mandalay Bay — same building) offers English style afternoon tea from 2 – 5 PM daily. At the Verandah, patrons choose from 11 teas that come with a three-tiered serving tray filled with scones, finger sandwiches and pastries. Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-16-Wed-2001/living/16029484.html

It doesn’t get any easier than that, and you get their low price guarantee
to boot!

CONCERTS AND SHOWS:

EFX – I took quite a bit of heat for my unkind review of EFX starring Rick Springfield, but word is that his run will end when his one-year contract is up. Story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-13-Sun-2001/news/16088379.html and you can read the archived review at https://las-vegas-news-reviews.com/01-03-07.htm

SHOW REVIEWS – Recent reviews appearing in the media:

* Fab Four (Las Vegas Hilton) – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-18-Fri-2001/weekly/16097002.html
* Paul Anka – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-11-Fri-2001/weekly/16011307.html
* Splash (Riviera) – http://www.lvshowbiz.com/current_issue/splash.html

SHOWS, GOLF, DINING:

* SHOW TICKETS – See which shows are playing during your stay and book reservations EVEN if the tickets aren’t on sale yet. Let ShowVegas takes care of all your needs directly online! Search by dates at http://www.showvegas.com/svpricing.cfm?amid=3230&cscheme=1
* GOLF RESERVATIONS – BookVegas let’s you grab that tee time GUARANTEED before you get to town! Click to http://www.bookvegasteetimes.com/gvpricing.cfm?amid=143&cscheme=5
* DINING RESERVATIONS – For a small service fee, you can now guarantee reservations for that “special night out” during your visit at http://www.bookvegasdining.com/dvpricing.cfml?amid=143&cscheme=5

EVENT LISTINGS:

* SHOWS AND HEADLINERS – listings available at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-shows.htm
* CONCERT – listings available at http://www.accessvegas.com/entertainment/index.htm

RESTAURANT REVIEWS – Recent reviews appearing in the media:

* Olio (MGM) – http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/departments/2001_05_10/dining_taste.html

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LAS VEGAS WEATHER – This 5 day forecast is courtesy of Weather.Com:

Thursday – 103 ░F / 80 ░F Partly Cloudy
Friday – 100 ░F / 75 ░F Partly Cloudy
Saturday – 99 ░F / 74 ░F Partly Cloudy
Sunday – 96 ░F / 69 ░F Partly Cloudy
Monday – 90 ░F / 69 ░F Partly Cloudy

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FEATURE STORIES: The Truth About Slot Cards, Casino Freebies are not Usually Free

The Truth About Slot Cards
by Ted Newkirk

Every few weeks, someone writes and asks why I never talk about comps (casino complimentary, i.e., free stuff you get for playing). The answer? For most players, it is simply not worth it. Except for the free drinks when you gamble or asking the pit boss for dinner is you’ve had a long run at the table (I mean 2 hours of heavy play or 4 hours of normal play), the average gambler bringing a few hundred bucks to town is not only going to get next to nothing, but they will be baited to play and lose far more than the comps are worth.

Most casinos track your play with a slot club card. You give them more vital info than you probably feel comfortable parting with, you use the card every time in every machine you play so they can track your every move, and you earn points good for food, gift shop items, and (if you play heavily) rooms.

If you are an average player, you may rack up enough points during your stay for half a buffet or a T-shirt. When you get home, they might send you a couple of buffet coupons or a discount room offer to get you back in on your next visit. (These “special rates” are often on par with the everyday discounts we offer on the very same rooms — our room supplier buys rooms from the hotel in bulk at deep discounts we pass on to you.)

So what’s the problem, you ask?!? The casinos don’t have slot clubs because they are nice people. Casino comps are but a small percentage of the money you are expected to lose “earning” those slot points. We all like to think that we beat the house and got something for free, so these cards actually encourage you to play more than you were planning to. After you’ve started to accumulate points, you end up putting another $20 or $100 in the machine to rack up those few more points needed for a free meal, totally forgetting the fact that the $20 will outright BUY the meal!

Don’t take my word for this or say “Well, that is other people but I manage my money flawlessly.” I recently had a drink with professional gambler Rob Singer, author of The Undeniable Truth About Video Poker. The book as well as his site http://www.vptruth.com are very fresh looks at many of the myths surrounding “beating the house,” especially related to video poker play.

Rob plays with a set financial strategy, and his #1 and only goal is to lock up a certain win on each of his monthly visits. And even HE told me that he’s stopped using slot club cards because of the temptation to deviate from his financial strategy and play just a little more to gain a benefit. If a pro can be tempted, are you going to tell me you can’t?

Don’t get me wrong: If your gambling budget in well into the thousands for each trip, get all the comps you can. In fact, skip the slot club card and ask to speak to a casino host about your gambling budget and what they might do for you.

But for the rest of us, be careful. You are coming here to have fun, and hitting the ATM for the third time in a day subconsciously savoring the free buffet the points are going to “earn” you isn’t fun. And trust me, that buffet comp or T-shirt doesn’t make you look like a high roller in their eyes. You are just another player who got a little extra play out of. Multiply that extra, unplanned play by all the slot club players, and they can well afford to give away a couple bucks worth of food.

Still don’t believe me? Or Rob Singer? Here is an interesting and informative article that came across the gaming wire a couple weeks ago:

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Casino Freebies are not Usually Free
By Jeffrey Compton

How many times have you heard that “there is no such thing as a free lunch”? So many times that the cliche has lost its meaning. But if you patronize casinos, and receive mail filled with tempting “free offers,” and then act on that mail, i.e., stay in a free room, see a free show or have a free lunch, you will soon find out what free really means.

Here is an example from one of my readers: Dear Jeffrey: Ballys/Paris send us a letter offering three free nights and one for $69. After we arrived and played for several hours, we asked for a meal comp, and were told that there were no comp dollars available in our account until our play covered the cost of the rooms. I thought these rooms were free? WH, Springfield, Il

Before I go any further, let me assure one and all that this situation is not unique to Ballys/Paris, nor their owner Park Place Entertainment, nor happens only to travelers from Springfield. I get at least two “how come free isn’t free” letters a week, as do my fellow gaming writers Bob Dancer, Jean Scott and Anthony Curtis.

Here is how it works: As a player plays (assuming he is using his players club card), he earns both “published” and “discretionary” benefits. At most casinos in America, the published benefits are usually cash rebates (although many local Las Vegas and Midwest Riverboat casinos may also publish free food and room guidelines). Player comps, especially on the Las Vegas Strip, come from the discretionary account administered by the hosts.

Although policies vary (to the point where no two casinos have the same exact policy), many hotels do deduct from the player’s discretionary account any redeemed direct mail room/meal offers, and thus the player’s comp account could be considerably less than zero when they arrive. Some hotels (and hosts) handle this better than others, and find a more diplomatic way to explain it–¡ or tell the customer so little about discretionary comping that the player doesn’t realize what or how his account is charged.

Some casinos do not debit redeemed offers that were sent to fill up rooms during a traditionally slow seasons (early December), and there are still many older casinos that do not track redeemed direct mail offers back to the player account due to either corporate policy or an outdated computer system.

I will anticipate the next questions: “Casinos have been giving out comps both on the casino floor and through direct mail for years. Have they always tracked every freebie back to the customer?”

The answer is no, Bugsy and the boys did not spend two seconds thinking about player comps after they gave them out. Most decisions were done based on their best recollection of the player’s action (i.e. seat of the pants decision) and their daily mood. In the last few years, however, several developments have led casinos to keep track of the giveaways.

Casinos hold back a lot less money than they once did. Due to increased competition as well as increased player knowledge, player holds have dropped dramatically over the last twenty years. It was easy to be Santa Claus when you had a new sack of money coming in every day, but todayÆs casinos really have to work to make a buck.

Casinos are no longer one-man (or one-gang) operations. You can count the number of privately owned Nevada casinos on two hands, and even they have to report to their lenders. The rest have stockholders and investment bankers who are not thrilled about runaway “player reinvestment” expenses.

Players are more comp aggressive. My grandfather’s generation was brought up to never ask for a free meal, but most of us players have gotten over that stigma. Several recent books, most notably the Frugal Gambler by Jean Scott and Comp City by Max Rubin, have done an excellent job in converting once docile gamblers into aggressive comp consumers.

Computerization is everywhere. Whatever the reasons casinos had for making the comp process more accountable, it could not be done without computers, which get better and cheaper every year. It is my guess that within the next few years, they will know exactly how many free drinks I consume per hour of play ¡ and that is no joke.

So what should players do when they get a “free” offer in the mail? If they like to play at the casino, then by all means enjoy it, but realize that the offer was sent for a reason (hint: they want you to play the games) and if they do not get that result, you will not be getting any more freebies.

“Casino Freebies are not Usually Free Copyright” copyright May 11, 2001 lasvegas.com Gaming Wire Used with permission

EDITOR’S NOTE: People had a lot to say about the “Kids in Vegas” letters printed a few weeks ago. While I can’t print every letter I receive, I always print a representative sample of all opinions expressed. Letters that contain good writing style (paragraphs, punctuation, no ALL CAPS, etc.) have a better chance of getting published. I’ll have comments and answers at the end. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll “Should people bring kids to Las Vegas?” at http://www.accessvegas.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

John Krogh wrote:

> I found it amusing the two responses you published were both
> advocating keeping “kids” out of Las Vegas. Especially in light of
> the fact that Las Vegas has spent millions to promote itself as a
> “family vacation site.” Granted, I think that was a mistake, and I
> think Las Vegas has finally realized it was a mistake also. But
> nonetheless, with a family image being promoted by the city, how on
> earth could anyone be upset when families show up?
>
> Second, this is a city that is supported, in fact is built on tourism.
> When the strip fills up with people, why is anyone surprised at jay
> walking or people trying to beat the light? It comes with the
> territory. I don’t know how things are in Nevada, but in California
> and other states, a pedestrian caught in a crosswalk who’s light as
> changed against him/her, ALWAYS has the right of way.
>
> Finally, in a more serious vein, the intolerance expressed by both
> parties is disturbing. The Taxi cab driver who thinks a red/green
> light is the only rule, and the parent, who by pushing an infant is
> immune to the color of the light. The purpose of the “lights,” the
> crosswalk, the “rules” is to try and keep one another from being hurt,
> not to encourage it.

Glenn Burton wrote:

> All this noise directed against parents who take children to Las Vegas
> seems overblown to me. Don’t the casinos spend billions constructing
> attractions aimed at families with children? I doubt if die-hard
> gamblers go to Las Vegas for the Circus or the roller coasters.
>
> Isn’t Las Vegas being billed in the media as a “new” family
> destination? We’ve all read that there are many activities in Las
> Vegas suitable for children and that the prices are subsidized by
> gamblers … so why be surprised when people respond to the hype and
> come? Many of these parents who bring children to Las Vegas are
> probably on their first trip to Las Vegas and have no idea what the
> city is like. Some may not plan on gambling at all.
>
> I suggest that if you want to be angry at someone about bringing
> children to Las Vegas, direct your anger to the casino owners who are
> marketing their product to families and not against the families who
> respond.

Jack Hart (who originally wrote the letter about his experience with his young son in Las Vegas) wrote:

> Your readers comments to my letter, (subject — taxi drivers), printed
> in Access Vegas News attacked me for being in Las Vegas with my
> children. I would appreciate a rebuttal to comments made by R. Hirst
> and Mr. and Mrs. Cook of Calgary. First of all the issue had to do with
> vehicular intimidation by taxi drivers. Hirst called me a dimwit and
> an irresponsible parent. The Cook’s said they were “tired of being
> run over by strollers.” Their verbal attack and attitude displayed
> was ridiculous to say the least. These people are old people that
> should be the ones to stay away from Las Vegas. Keeping my children
> away with baby sitters is there answer to being run over by taxi
> drivers? What’s wrong with these people? I hope there are a better
> caliber of visitors to Las Vegas than these people.
> Please let R. Hirst know that he/she is not alone in his/her remarks
> about kids in Las Vegas (or any other gambling Mecca)!

J. Clayton wrote:

> We were in both Las Vegas and Laughlin some weeks ago. While in
> Laughlin, we stopped in at Burger King’s restaurant (in a corner of
> the Flamingo Hilton casino floor) at about 11:30PM to grab a Coke and
> some fries. As one would surmise, the place was the usual late night
> air full of smoke. … and even though I no longer smoke, I really
> don’t particularly care. However, a young couple with a literally
> ‘brand new’ baby (my ‘Better-Half’ guessed the age at less than a
> month) was sitting in the restaurant. Shortly after we arrived, they
> finished their meal and wandered (child in mother’s arms… carrier
> on father’s arm) off onto the casino floor to the slots.
>
> Question: What in the (expletive deleted!) are parents doing with a
> baby of that age up at that hour in a casino designed for adults?!
>
> You are absolutely right, R. Hirst, that people are trying to bend
> the adult playground of the World into a Disneyland for families! (As
> a matter of fact, I don’t even think kids can really get all of the
> fun out of the REAL Disneyland like adults can! …smiles!).

Kimberly Byers wrote:

> I have kids ranging in ages from 10 yrs to 19 yrs. We have been going to
> Las Vegas once a year for the past 5 years. Before you start slamming
> all parents and banning families maybe you should consider this. I have
> always taught my kids to respect the adult environment. They move
> quickly through casinos and only to go to the room or to eat. I realize
> this is not true with all kids but in this case it is. No one ever
> argues over who has to “watch” the kids. It is my pleasure. I never
> pretend its a family vacation. I make it one. Who are you to decide for
> me. I am glad to have these times with them and not leaving them at
> home. I’m glad your kids are grown and now you can enjoy yourselves. I
> am enjoying myself now. I dread the day when mine are gone! I’m not
> trying to be a goody goody. I drink a bit, I love to gamble and I also
> love being a mom. Too bad other people haven’t learned to incorporate
> families and kids into the real world. Don’t feel sorry for me. If it
> were up to me I would ban smokers and opinionated S.O.B. but then I
> would feel sorry for you.

Dean Di Mascio of Philadelphia, PA wrote”

> Dear Ted…. I very much enjoy reading your newsletter, a job well done!
> However, I’m becoming upset with the suggestion(s) by the many
> writers who say “if you have kids stay away from Las Vegas.” My wife,
> daughter (16) and I are big fans of Disney world, vacations and travel
> in general. We will be visiting Las Vegas in August and are looking
> forward to it. moreover, with all of the themed venues, attractions
> and natural settings and restaurants why should we not think of Las
> Vegas as a “family” detestation? I have an itinerary for our visit and
> it does not even include gaming. Although (smile) I’m sure my wife and
> I will lose some money in the casinos! But to those who wish to cling
> to the “old Las Vegas,” give it up I say. Like it or not Las Vegas
> has changed. Opened up to embrace families as well as
> “couples.”

Raymond Buchmueller wrote:

> Last year we took along our 6 and 8 year old to Vegas. We all had a
> great time. Just ask them where they want to go next holidays!
> Vegas. We just found that most Hotels buffet, the kids paid the same
> price was very unfair. How can a 45lb. kid pay the same price like a
> 250lb adult. Hats off to Luxor, and also Mirage. Maybe someone can
> let me know if other hotel have discount for kid on there buffet.

Rob McLeod of Calgary, Alberta wrote.

> We took our three boys (8, 10 and 12) to Vegas in May 1999 for 4
> nights. Contrary to most letters I have seen we had a good time with
> the kids. We stayed at Mandalay Bay and enjoyed the pool, lazy river,
> etc. We saw the Caesar’s Magical Empire which we all really enjoyed,
> spent a day at Circus Circus Adventuredome and a half day at
> Excalibur. On top of that we saw the volcano, pirate ship, the Coke
> museum, the Dive restaurant, the Luxor motion simulator ride, New York
> amusement area, etc., etc. The wife and I saw “Mystere” — we left the
> kids with the Aunt. I still got in 24 hours of gaming, we won’t talk
> about the net result.
>
> In my opinion, taking kids under 6 would pose problems. They need to
> be able to listen (“stay out of the casinos” and “don’t take the
> hooker magazines from the street vendors”) and be able to walk lots.
> But we had fun and would do it again.
>
> Great newsletter — keep it up! We will be there again, this time at
> the Luxor, no kids this time.

Las Vegas has not marketed itself as a family destination for years. This is a common misconception kept alive by bad comics and media reporters who have not done much homework. Only Circus Circus still “caters” to families to some extent although the company’s to most recent properties (Mandalay Bay and Luxor) are mostly adult-oriented.

In the early 90’s, casinos thought it would be a great idea to build theme parks and try to turn the town’s image from “sin city” to “family friendly.” Then they realized that they GOOFED because families take advantage of gaming-subsidized lower prices while children cut into the parent’s gambling time. Not cutting kids a break on buffets is just one subtle way many casinos are retracting the welcome mat from children.

Bellagio won’t allow children under 18 to enter the property unless they are guests. Hotels like the Riviera and Tropicana have used advertising slogans like “Where Adults Play” and “Rollers, Not Strollers” in the past couple of years. The MGM has taken out their theme park to build more convention space, suites and a Marriott hotel. If this seems extreme, note that children are not even allowed to enter casinos in Atlantic City.

I don’t have a particular agenda here. I sell rooms, not blackjack. If anything, a family makes me more commission, because they need two rooms or pay the extra that most hotels charge for more than two to a room. However, I’ve seen far too many little kids being pushed around late at night or in the hot sun, and these parents don’t look like they are having much fun. If you have young kids, you might consider leaving them with Grandma and spend a wonderful, relaxing, romantic time with your wife here in Las Vegas.

At the very least, consider not bring children until they are old enough to enjoy the experience and you are prepared to forgo the party / romance atmosphere that Las Vegas is now selling unless the children are in their teens and old enough to strike out on their own much of the time.

Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll “Should people bring kids to Las Vegas?” at http://www.accessvegas.com

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ONLINE POLL – “Should people bring their kids to Las Vegas?” Let’s hear your opinion at http://www.accessvegas.com — results will be published in two weeks!

Results from last poll: “What is your favorite view of Las Vegas?”

Stratosphere Tower 47%
Rio Voodoo Cafe / Lounge 24%
Paris Eiffel Tower 15%
Binion’s Ranch Steakhouse 7%
Polo Towers Lounge 5%

FREE CONTEST:

VEGAS FAMILY REUNION: Go to http://www.emsiweb.com/l.asp?c=atf&r=afri1&i=1633917&s=61 for your chance to win a Family Reunion weekend for up to 100 of your family & friends at your choice of locations in the U.S. (restrictions apply).

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New to the list? Back issues and subscription info can be found on the web at: https://las-vegas-news-reviews.com

Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates, or better yet click here: http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=826126 to recommend it to friends with a chance to win $10,000!

All contents copyright 2001 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
May 23, 2001 ISSN: 1529-2770

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – May 16, 2001

Posted on May 16, 2001October 21, 2008 by admin

QUICK TRAVEL LINKS: Book Online and Save – Easy and Secure with Instant Confirmation:

HOTEL MESSAGE BOARDS – Help others and share your Las Vegas hotel opinions!

Read Opinions: http://boards.accessvegas.com
Post Opinions: http://boards.accessvegas.com

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THIS ISSUE: Wolfgang Puck’s Cili

EDITOR’S NOTES: I’m back after a much-needed vacation. The amount of news and info I sift through each week is mind-boggling but I love Las Vegas! I added a short section about my trip for those who might be interested in a nice place to take a beach getaway.

Also, we’ve added four new cities to the 120+ destinations we offer with guaranteed low rates: Edinburgh (Scotland), Nice (France), Madrid (Spain), and Munich (Germany) at http://www.lodging.com/affiliates/us_reservations.cgi?remote=tedinvegas and our city on sale this week (listed above) just happens to be Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS NEWS – of interest to tourists:

HOT WEATHER – We just had a string of 100 or near 100 degree days, somewhat unusual for this early in the year but no indication of an unusually hot summer. However, bringing heavy clothes or a jacket to town between now and the end of September is pretty much unnecessary. Weather story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-10-Thu-2001/news/16065186.html

POOL PARTY – New York, New York as cranked up their Sizzling Summer Saturday Pool Party which is running now through Labor Day Weekend. It runs Saturday nights from 5 – 9 PM and features a DJ, dancing, contests, food specials, beer and cocktail availability, prizes and giveaways. Admission is $5 but includes a $3 off coupon for the Manhattan Express Roller Coaster. Hotel guests showing room key enter free and you can check New York, New York room prices and availability at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas.htm (New York, New York link).

MORE ROOMS – Caesars Palace announced Friday plans to build a 900 unit all-suites tower that will be ready for guests in 2004. This is on the heels of the all-suite Venetian finalizing their plans to go ahead with doubling their room inventory with a new tower. Story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-12-Sat-2001/business/16081286.html

COINLESS SLOTS – are coming, and there really isn’t a way to stop them. Fortunately, the technology is already out there that let’s you cash out on a machine, and take your receipt and stick it in another machine for play, eliminating waits for change and dirty hands. Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-03-Thu-2001/business/16011220.html

CBS TELEVISION CITY – is open at the MGM. You can watch a preview of a possible TV show and be part of audience research. Screenings, which begin daily at 9 a.m. and are conducted every 20 minutes, are free. A booth outside the center takes sign-ups from participants. Coupons for $10 off on items in the retail shop are given out for watching the screenings. Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-08-Tue-2001/living/15915313.html

ALADDIN BUFFET – A reader recently wrote telling me that the Aladdin buffet had gone downhill to the point that the food was comparable to Denny’s. Because I often note that the Aladdin is one of the top three buffets on the Strip (along with Bellagio and Paris Las Vegas) I stopped in a few days ago to check. I’m pleased to report that is still well worth the $20 price and that the quantity and quality of the food from seafood to deserts continues to be topnotch.

BALLET – is coming to The Rio. In a rare alliance between casino and cultural entities, the Rio will host several Nevada Ballet Theatre performances at its $35 million, 1,500-seat Samba Theatre, including the holiday perennial “The Nutcracker.” Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-08-Tue-2001/living/16043051.html

WETLANDS PARK – Phase one of the park is completed. The 130-acre nature preserve includes paved trails, ponds and wetland areas for wildlife. This first phase also features retaining rock walls to control flood erosion of the Las Vegas Wash. It is a real oasis in the middle of the desert, and they are recreating a wetlands that once filled the area. The park is in the Southwest part of the valley near Sam Boyd Stadium. To get there, drive east on Tropicana Avenue one mile past Boulder Highway, then turn left on the marked, unpaved road. Story at http://www.viewnews.com/2001/VIEW-May-09-Wed-2001/East/15998296.html

BEST ANIMAL EXHIBIT – Question: I know there are lots of animal exhibits in Las Vegas, but which ones are the best? Answer in a story at http://www.accessvegas.com/story-2.htm

EX-FL – Although very popular in cities like Las Vegas, Orlando, and San Francisco, UPN backed out from broadcasting XFL games next year. This left the XFL without a network television outlet and thus the demise of the startup football league. The XFL was a weekly work-in-progress during the early part of the year, and by the time the talent started to gel and football announcing crews (as opposed to WWF-related broadcasters) were in the booth, people had tuned out and refused to tune back in. Stories at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-11-Fri-2001/news/16075189.html and http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-11-Fri-2001/sports/16075134.html

ART IN VEGAS – Can Picasso and Renoir compete with topless revues and video poker? Will a museum exhibit draw the same crowds that scramble to see fighting pirates, dancing water fountains and exploding volcanoes? Las Vegas resorts are betting on it. Full story at http://news.excite.com/news/ap/010509/12/wkd-vegas-art

$25 HOTEL REBATE — you pick the hotel! Our partners at Hotel Reservations Network are giving you $25 back on any 2+ night stay in Las Vegas or any major city they reserve. (Full details and list of all eligible cities at http://www.accessvegas.com/100-rebate.htm ). Claiming your cash is simple:

1. Print out: http://www.accessvegas.com/100-rebate.htm
2. Book a room online at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-discounts.htm
3. Send in for your rebate when you get home.

It doesn’t get any easier than that, and you get their low price guarantee
to boot!

CONCERTS AND SHOWS:

CELINE DION – A long-standing rumor (which we first mentioned last November) has come to pass. Celine Dion has indeed finished negotiation with Caesars Palace for a two year run in the new 4,000-seat Coliseum-themed theater built for her. Story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-11-Fri-2001/news/16055569.html

JUNEFEST 9 – features Bad Company, Billy Squier, Journey, Molly Hatchet, Night Ranger, Styx, and Joe Stark. More info at http://www.junefest.com

MADONNA – is coming to town and tickets go on sale May 19 at http://events.excite.com/event_info?id=845400. Story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-03-Thu-2001/news/16012338.html

SHOW REVIEWS – Recent reviews appearing in the media:

* Scintas (Rio) – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/May-04-Fri-2001/weekly/15998841.html
* Storm (Mandalay Bay) – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Apr-27-Fri-2001/weekly/15921496.html and http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/departments/2001_05_10/stage.html

SHOWS, GOLF, DINING:

* SHOW TICKETS – See which shows are playing during your stay and book reservations EVEN if the tickets aren’t on sale yet. Let ShowVegas takes care of all your needs directly online! Search by dates at http://www.showvegas.com/svpricing.cfm?amid=3230&cscheme=1
* GOLF RESERVATIONS – BookVegas let’s you grab that tee time GUARANTEED before you get to town! Click to http://www.bookvegasteetimes.com/gvpricing.cfm?amid=143&cscheme=5
* DINING RESERVATIONS – For a small service fee, you can now guarantee reservations for that “special night out” during your visit at http://www.bookvegasdining.com/dvpricing.cfml?amid=143&cscheme=5

EVENT LISTINGS:

* SHOWS AND HEADLINERS – listings available at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-shows.htm
* CONCERT – listings available at http://www.accessvegas.com/entertainment/index.htm

RESTAURANT REVIEWS – Recent reviews appearing in the media:

* 808 (Caesars) – http://www.accessvegas.com/story-1.htm

Rental Cars – Don’t pay top dollar! Enter the dates of your visit and compare prices from virtually every major rental car agency (most US cities). Book the lowest price company or your regular agency. Save the hassle and some money – Car Rental Savings Search. Few regret renting a car. Free shuttles and city bus rides can be slow and smelly. Taxis can cost what a rental car costs. Your vacation time is valuable — make the most out of it!

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is not a regular feature, I have no plans to make this a general travel newsletter. I’m sharing a pleasant travel experience and in keeping with my editorial policy, none of this is a paid endorsement. If you are only interested in Vegas info, skip ahead.

MY VACATION – People often ask me where someone from Las Vegas goes to vacation. I go to see two things we don’t have here: a beach and green scenery. Last week, a number of friends of mine from all over the U.S. decided to spend an extended weekend on Florida’s Emerald Coast. It is an area that some Floridians teasingly call “L.A.” (lower Alabama) as this area is located on the Florida Panhandle directly below Alabama. However, this part of Florida is truly a best-kept vacation secret.

The beaches of the Emerald Coast consistently rank among the best in the U.S. by the Travel Channel because of their sugar white sand and the warm, turquoise Gulf of Mexico water. You actually get the best of the deep south with the wonderful southern hospitality and the best of Florida with the fantastic beach. Testament to this is that a number of people in our group were from Florida (South Beach, Ft. Myers, etc.) and pleasantly commented that they didn’t even know this area existed but would be back.

We stayed at the stunning Ramada Plaza Beach Resort right on the Gulf of Mexico between Ft. Walton Beach and Destin, FL on Okaloosa Island. None of our travel partners book this resort, but you can go directly to their site at http://www.ramadafwb.com and check it out for yourself.

Besides the ability to stumble out of one’s room and directly on to the beach (what a wake-up!) the hotel features beautiful grounds and Northwest Florida’s largest swimming pool accented with a five story Polynesian island where one may swim through the waterfall to the Grotto Bar. The best thing was price as resorts with similar surroundings and amenities in a more well known destinations can cost considerably more.

Destin, FL has been a second home to the well-off for quite some time. It wasn’t uncommon to see private jets flying out of the municipal airport and luxury cars on the road of this upscale beach town and you golfers may recognize the name of the neighboring Sandestin golf resort village ( http://www.sandestin.com ). As in Vegas, that meant that there was a great selection of fine dining ( http://coastalcuisinemenuguide.com/restaurants2.htm ) and shopping opportunities.

However, if listening to Jimmy Buffet style music play while you sip a drink at an open-air beach bar or dancing at a club is more your style, you won’t be disappointed. Places like The Back Porch ( http://www.backporchseafood.com ) and Pompano Joe’s ( http://www.pompanojoes.com ) are a couple of great beachfront restaurants that let you enjoy the cool breezes and beautiful Gulf whether you dine indoors or out.

For partying, AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar features dining in the day and evening and it turns into a party bar at night ( http://www.ajs-destin.com ). The Swamp Club on Okaloosa Island ( http://www.swampclub.com ) is a huge, rustic, two story totally club that features live bands and / or a DJ from 8 PM to 4 AM every day. If your raging party days are a little behind you, Howl at the Moon ( http://www.howlatthemoon.com/destinhowl.htm ) is on the same boardwalk and has a “dueling piano show” nightly. Me? I took it ALL in and never ran out of things to do the entire week.

Getting there is simple. Driving: It is within a days drive of all of most of the southern US. Flying: Okaloosa Regional Airport (airport code VPS — http://www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/airport.html ) is a scenic 20 minutes from Fort Walton Beach and 30 minutes from Destin. Air service is provided by Delta, Northwest, AirTran and US Air and major car rental services are available.

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LAS VEGAS WEATHER – This 5 day forecast is courtesy of Weather.Com:

Thursday – 96 ░F / 71 ░F Sunny
Friday – 95 ░F / 69 ░F Sunny
Saturday – 96 ░F / 69 ░F Sunny
Sunday – 97 ░F / 69 ░F Sunny
Monday – 99 ░F / 70 ░F Sunny

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FEATURE STORY: Wolfgang Puck’s Cili

Just a half mile south of Mandalay Bay sits what is now the only golf course on The Strip: Bali Hai. Course developer Billy Walters never does anything second rate. The course itself is a 7,015-yard, par 72 tropical golf paradise inspired by the landscape of the South Pacific with seven acres of water including an island green, 2,500 palm trees and over 100,000 tropical plants and flowers.

However, that wasn’t enough. So onboard came Wolfgang Puck to build the clubhouse restaurant. This isn’t your average “19’th hole” burger and beer stop, but a gourmet restaurant that happens to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus Sunday Brunch. The dining area is Polynesian themed with water, exotic relics, high arched ceilings, palms, and waterfalls. The dining area has a beautiful view of part of the course, overlooking foliage and water (patio seating is available).

Lunch features appetizers in the $10-16 range including standards such as poached shrimp “martini” cocktail to more unusual fare such as Balinese style satays with pork, chicken and shrimp. Lunch entrees and sandwiches run $12-18 and include sandwiches (with only twists a Puck establishment could think of) to rib-eye steak.

A bar menu is available from 3 PM to close and includes selections like Atlantic oysters on the half shell with mignonette, Herbed goat cheese with roasted peppers and olives, and Prime steak tartare with chopped egg, mustard aioli and sourdough croutons. The bar menu averages $12-15.

Dinner gives you a choice of American or Asian cuisine, although fans of Pucks restaurants know he takes liberties in mixing a wide variety of flavors. Highlights are the Grilled porterhouse steak with creamed spinach & potato gratin and Grilled salmon with stir fried rice, prawns & spicy bok choy. Of course, a wide variety of meat and seafood dishes prepared in various tempting configurations are available. Dinner entrees range from $21-38.00.

Cili is open seven days a week from 7 AM to 9 PM. It is open to the public and located in the Bali Hai Golf Club at 5160 Las Vegas Blvd. South (The Strip) 1/2 mile south of Mandalay Bay. Reservations are suggested but not required at 702-856-1000

EDITOR’S NOTE: I was swamped with letters (both pro and con) about kids in Las Vegas and will be printing those next week. We’ll let the “best view” poll go one more week, then introduce a poll asking how you all feel about kids in Las Vegas. This week, we’ll answer a pervious question: If someone only has one day in town, what would you show them?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

John Krogh wrote:
> A night helicopter ride over the strip…

Jessica Lehnert wrote:

> Take her to Caesars palace. The shopping alone is beyond belief but
> the casino, pool & shows are fabulous. You can sit in one place in
> Las Vegas & get a show! Lehnert

Jean H. or Waukesha, WI wrote:

> If you can drag yourself away from the tables and slot machines–I’d
> walk to visit and see every major casino on the strip. They all have
> such different themes and each one seems to be more spectacular than
> the next! I’d also watch the Pirate show at Treasure
> Island but I’d get there early and have a drink at the Battle Bar and
> enjoy the show from there. Also, I’d go downtown and eat at Hugo’s
> Cellar–one of my favorite restaurants in the US.

Madeleine from Canada wrote:

> Having been to Las Vegas regularly, since the late seventies, I think
> a newcomer to “Sin City” would enjoy the view from the top of the
> Stratosphere, at night. It’s magnificent!

Diane Podemski wrote:

> To answer Allen Waterman’s question of what one thing would you show a
> newcomer….it’s impossible to list only one!! I’ve been going to
> Vegas at least twice a year since I turned 21 (I’m 45 now) and there’s
> always something new and exciting to see. The cactus garden at the
> Ethel M chocolate factory is beautiful, the atrium at Bellagio is
> awesome, the Pirate Show at Treasure Island impressive and Danny Gans
> show at Mirage is great! Allen, you need to take more than one trip,
> make a list of “must sees” each time you go, it’ll take quite a few
> years before you can cross off everything!

Mick & Lyn of Essex, London wrote:

> I have only been to Vegas once and that was in Nov 2000 but I am
> looking forward to going back next year, we had a great time and
> everything was good but the thing that I really liked was walking
> along the strip at night and watching the fountains at Bellagio they
> were just great.

Allen Goenawein wrote:

> What you want to show someone depends on their
> interest. And there is plenty to show in and around
> Vegas. If you are the outdoors type, Red Rock Canyon
> is a nice half day trip. You will get to see wild
> burros, Indian pictographs, maybe some wild horses,
> plus a lot of great scenery. Or maybe Hoover dam would
> be more your style. Or take a flight over the Grand
> Canyon. In town are a host of new casinos to visit,
> one more beautiful than the next. Some of the finest
> shopping can be had at the Fashion Show Mall shopping
> center. All of the big names are located there. My
> favorite place to visit in the Fashion Show Mall is
> Centaur Galleries on the lower floor of the mall.
> There you can see art work from some of the greatest
> masters of the world. You can just look or if you are
> so inclined, you can purchase a fine art treasure to
> enjoy the rest of your life. Mr. Richard Perry is the
> owner and has resources all over the world that
> enables him to present some of the best art work from
> around the world. If you want to gamble, any of those
> above mentioned beautiful casinos will be glad to take
> your money, after all, that’s what they are in
> business for. But, maybe, the best thing to do is to
> hang out by a pool for three days, relax and let the
> world go by.

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ONLINE POLL – What is your favorite view of Las Vegas? Let’s hear your opinion at http://www.accessvegas.com — results will be published next issue!

FREE CONTEST – Fly free to Vegas!

Every week now through June 10th, fodors.com is giving
away two round-trip tickets to anywhere US Airways flies
in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean. In the final
week (June 4th¡10th), you can go anywhere US Airways
flies including Europe.

You can enter the sweepstakes every week at:
http://www.accessvegas.com/foders.htm

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New to the list? Back issues and subscription info can be found on the web at: https://las-vegas-news-reviews.com

Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates, or better yet click here: http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=826126 to recommend it to friends with a chance to win $10,000!

All contents copyright MM Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
May 16, 2001 ISSN: 1529-2770

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – April 25, 2001

Posted on April 25, 2001April 29, 2009 by admin

QUICK TRAVEL LINKS: Book Online and Save – Easy and Secure with Instant Confirmation:

HOTEL MESSAGE BOARDS – Help others and share your Las Vegas hotel opinions!

Read Opinions: http://boards.accessvegas.com
Post Opinions: http://boards.accessvegas.com

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This Issue: Second City

Curious about a show, restaurant, or other Las Vegas attraction that looks fun? Let us review it for you first! Suggestions are always welcome at (click): mailto:allvegastv@aol.com

EDITORS NOTE: The weather has been stunning — my little free time has been spent around the pool. With our low humidity, 85-90 is perfect here. Also, we are going nuts adding new services for you! We have the new hotel hotline 1-800-666-5268 for those who still fear booking online or feel better talking to someone, we’ve added hotels in Hawaii with the same guaranteed low rates (see http://www.lodging.com/affiliates/us_reservations.cgi?remote=tedinvegas ), and we now have condos and vacation rentals at http://www.hoteldiscounts.com/cgi-bin/pickcondo?SID=IVC&LKF=IVC.

LAS VEGAS NEWS – of interest to tourists:

$5.1 MILLION JACKPOT – A Cypress, Calif. man returned to his lucky Wheel of Fortune(R) dollar machine at Paris Las Vegas Friday evening and walked away $5.1 million richer. Jim Fowler said that on a previous trip he had won $1,750 on the same slot machine and had since made it a point to play it when in Las Vegas. Full story at http://www.accessvegas.com/story-1.htm

CHAOS – is the name of the new ride at Adventuredome (Circus Circus). Similar to the popular thrill park ride The Zipper, this ride rocks, rolls, and rotates in a unique way each time, assuring riders that no two rides are the same. Story and photo at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Mar-30-Fri-2001/weekly/15707266.html

BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS – are headed to Vegas this fall. A Thanksgiving weekend event will have Illinois, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, Saint Louis, Hartford, Pennsylvania, Southern Illinois and Eastern Illinois and the pre-Christmas tournament fields Cincinnati, Purdue, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Richmond, Southwest Missouri State and Illinois-Chicago, with an eighth team to be announced. Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Apr-25-Wed-2001/sports/15949929.html

CSI – CBS’ highest ranked new show will be in town shooting for the next couple of weeks. Although set in Las Vegas, the majority of the shooting is done in LA. This Sunday night, Speed — The Ride at The Sahara will be shut down from 5 PM to midnight for shooting with cast and crew. Story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Apr-23-Mon-2001/living/15922396.html

MAKE THE CALL – A friend brought to my attention that some of you may prefer talking to a reservations agent instead of booking online. We now have a Toll Free 24 Hour Hotel Hotline you can call for questions or to place a hotel reservation at 1-800-666-5268

VEGAS SAFETY TIPS – Howard Schwartz, marketing director for Gambler’s Book Club in Las Vegas, has written what I consider a “must read” for those coming to visit our city. Go to http://www.casinogaming.com/columnists/shelf/042501.html, print it out, and read it on the plane.

SURVIVOR – Oddsmakers have installed Texas cowboy Colby Donaldson as the favorite to win the $1 million grand prize on the CBS reality-based series “Survivor.” Donaldson is the 3-2 favorite at the Stardust hotel-casino and the 2-1 favorite at the Bally’s and Paris hotel-casinos. The odds are only hypothetical because state law prohibits wagers on events in which the outcome already is known. Full story at http://news.excite.com/news/ap/010423/08/ent-colby-donaldson

IF BETTING ON COLLEGE SPORTS IS BANNED – “(Illegal) bookmakers are going to prevail bigger than ever,” ESPN’s Dick Vitale warned. “That will happen behind the scenes like you can’t believe, big time. I sing the praises of those trying to eliminate the problem, but does this create a nightmare of shady guys getting more involved?” Full story at http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20010425/3263021s.htm

EASTER IN VEGAS – Villanova student Joelle Jackson wrote a fun and humorous story on what it was like as a Catholic to spend Easter week here in “Sin City.” This funny column is at http://news.excite.com/news/uw/010420/university-216

1. Print out: http://www.accessvegas.com/100-rebate.htm
2. Book a room online at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-discounts.htm
3. Send in for your rebate when you get home.

It doesn’t get any easier than that, and you get their low price guarantee
to boot!

CONCERTS AND SHOWS:

SHOW REVIEWS – Recent reviews appearing in the media:

* Catch A Rising Star (Excalibur) – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Apr-13-Fri-2001/weekly/15842623.html

SHOWS – See which shows are playing during your stay and book reservations EVEN if the tickets aren’t on sale yet. Let ShowVegas takes care of all your needs directly online! Search by dates at http://www.showvegas.com/svpricing.cfm?amid=3230&cscheme=1

SHOWS AND HEADLINERS – listings available at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-shows.htm
CONCERT – listings available at http://www.accessvegas.com/entertainment/index.htm

DINING RESERVATIONS – For a small service fee, you can now guarantee reservations for that “special night out” during your visit at http://www.bookvegasdining.com/dvpricing.cfml?amid=143&cscheme=5

GOLF RESERVATIONS – http://www.bookvegasteetimes.com/gvpricing.cfm?amid=143&cscheme=5

RESTAURANT REVIEWS – Recent reviews appearing in the media:

* Cili (Bali Hai Golf Club) – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Apr-11-Wed-2001/living/15812253.html

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LAS VEGAS WEATHER – This 5 day forecast is courtesy of Weather.Com:

Friday – 90 ░F ░F / 64 ░F Partly Cloudy
Saturday – 90 ░F ░F / 61 ░F Partly Cloudy
Sunday – 88 ░F ░F / 62 ░F Mostly Sunny
Monday – 92 ░F ░F / 64 ░F Mostly Sunny
Tuesday – 94 ░F ░F / 63 ░F Partly Cloudy

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FEATURE STORY: Second City

Celebrating it’s 40’th year, the famed Second City improvisational comedy troupe has expanded to Las Vegas at the Flamingo Hotel. Second City presents comedy revues filled with satire of sex, politics, and religion as well as the improvisational skits.

While never going out of style, improv comedy has seemed to make quite a comeback lately with Drew Carey’s ABC show and the reemergence of Second City’s own SCTV following Conan O’ Brian weeknights late night on NBC. I had only seen improv on TV and it wasn’t really my thing. While attending the show with an open mind, I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy it, and I was pleasantly surprised.

The night started with audience interaction. The troupe asked a gentleman in the crowd his name and what he did for a living then went on do to an improv song totally based on the information they had just learned. This similar segment was done twice during the show and to some pretty funny results.

There were typical “Vegas” bits that seem to be mandatory for any comic act in Las Vegas. “Frank and Bob’s Motel and Casino” was a pretty amusing bit that presented what it would be like if two used car salesmen made their own commercial for a second rate casino. As good humor should do, their jokes about the casino buffet and other “amenities” rang very true to someone who has played and dined at some of the more run down casinos on Boulder Highway and in other parts of town although some of it may have been lost on tourists.

“Leopold and Ray” took a nice dig at the legendary magicians with the tigers that play across the street from the Flamingo. In keeping with the theme of the property, the “magicians” made flamingos vanish all while noting that they were “definitely not gay” and using purposely bad misdirection during the illusions. This piece was one of the many highlights.

“Win, Lose, or Draw” took pot shots at couples, relationships, marriage, and camaraderie between the sexes. Other bits included “Las Vegas Driver Education” where the instructor rates the driver on hell well he can do things like eating, running yellow lights, and finding lost items on the car floor during driving. While all the props are minimal, it is refreshing in Las Vegas to see talented performers shine without the elaborate production used to help prop up many run-of-the-mill shows.

The Las Vegas cast consists of nine total members, rotating five for each show so even with the set bits, you are never going to see exactly the same show twice. They put on a solid 70 minutes and while improv is always at the mercy of the unique factors of audience and performer mood, very few of the bits fell flat. With the reasonable admission price, this is a great “What the hell, let’s check it out” show and you can go home telling friends you have seen the famous Second City troupe.

Second City Ticket Info

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Jack Hart wrote:

> My lasting impression of Las Vegas will be the taxi drivers. They are the
> worst in the country. I always thought New York City was the worst until now.
> I got stuck in a cross walk, pushing my 10 month old son, with the light
> changing. They cam speeding at me with horns blowing and yelling profanities.
> I have always received very courteous gestures form motorists out west. I was
> shocked and outraged at this. It happened a couple of times so I know that
> this was not an isolated incident. The city of Las Vegas should prohibit this
> type of behavior by the taxi drivers. They should be fined for blowing horns
> and displaying such an aggressive behavior. Just because they had a green
> light does not justify threatening me with running me and my baby down.

I agree that cursing at you isn’t proper, and I’m not a big fan of our taxi drivers. They don’t always take the shortest route, and they often refuse to take calls to pick up people in the suburbs because shuttling tourists around the Strip is more profitable even though they are legally required to service the entire valley.

However, I’m personally shocked I myself haven’t yet hit a tourist with my car on The Strip, and I’m not driving a cab 12 hours a day. Tourists get relaxed and forget to cross in the crosswalks, with the walk sign, etc., when the cars (taxi’s or otherwise) DO have the right-of-way. I see cabs lay on the horn all the time because people are crossing against the signal. They tend to do this well before they reach the crosswalk and the other alternative is jamming on their brakes in the middle of busy traffic and creating wreck after wreck.

The Strip isn’t Disneyland, but a very busy road. I encourage everyone to play it safe and not cross against the light (or better yet, use the pedestrian bridges when possible). If the “don’t walk” sign has even started to flash, the average person probably won’t make it across, especially on The Strip where you are crossing 7-8 lane widths. Trust me: that casino across the street is still going to be open when you get there, and we want you to stay happy and healthy for many return visits to our city!

Tom Beaven of Garden City, Michigan wrote:

> A few years ago, we were in Vegas over the 4’th of July. We stayed at
> Binion’s Horseshoe downtown. This was before they built the canopy for the
> light show. There was a brief, but major display across the street at the
> Golden Nugget. We could see it from our room.
> But what we really enjoyed was spending some time in the evening on the
> roof (by the Shoe’s pool) and watching fireworks displays pop up here and
> there all over the valley.
> I’m sure the same could be seen from any high building downtown or on the
> strip.

Mary from Texas wrote:

>Will be visiting Las Vegas again in May. Want a great meal
>with a great view of Las Vegas. What do you suggest —
>Top of the Tower, Horseshoe Steak House?

You can’t go wrong with either of those or Voodoo at Rio. Binion’s is a little more “down home” although all of them will set you back a few bucks.

Top of the Stratosphere is elegant with a view not for those squirmy of heights, Voodoo is very nice but a little more modern / funky, and Binion’s is a straight-ahead steakhouse. All three respectively have great views of The Strip. Binion’s menu is traditional while the other two have more modern culinary variety. The only one we have published a review of so far is Binion’s at https://las-vegas-news-reviews.com/00-06-14.htm Our poll this week at http://www.accessvegas.com asks “What is your favorite view of Las Vegas?”

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ONLINE POLL – “What is your favorite view of Las Vegas?” Let’s hear your opinion at http://www.accessvegas.com — results will be published next issue!

Results from last poll: “Are you rethinking your Las Vegas vacation plans in light of the economy?”

Vegas is Vegas — I’ll cut back somewhere else in life if I have to. 47%
I’m going to visit just as often, but cutting back (cheaper room, less entertainment or gambling). 23%
I’ll be visiting less often. 19%
I’m actually skipping a planned trip. 9%

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New to the list? Back issues and subscription info can be found on the web at: https://las-vegas-news-reviews.com

Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates, or better yet click here: http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=826126 to recommend it to friends with a chance to win $10,000!

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – January 10, 2001

Posted on January 10, 2001October 1, 2014 by admin

WELCOME to Access Vegas News and Reviews, now with subscribers in over 40 countries around the world! This is the official newsletter of http://www.accessvegas.com We talk about the Las Vegas attractions, dining, and shows that YOU really care about.

This weekly newsletter is free and only sent to those who request it. If you receive this by mistake, unsubscribe information is at the bottom. Feel free to forward this to friends and associates in its entirely. To subscribe, simply send a blank email to newsletter@las-vegas-news-reviews.com

Book Online and Save – Easy and Secure with Instant Confirmation:

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* Discount Rental Cars – All Cities: http://www.travelnow.com/cars/search.jsp?cid=2005
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* Best Tours/Rates for Grand Canyon, Hoover, more: http://www.accessvegas.com/tours

HOTEL MESSAGE BOARDS – Help others and share your Las Vegas hotel opinions!

Read Opinions: http://boards.accessvegas.com
Post Opinions: http://boards.accessvegas.com

HOTEL SPECIAL – Harrah’s Las Vegas from $59.95 a night! This deluxe casino hotel is located in the heart of the strip across from Mirage and Caesar’s Palace. Some of the features include a state of the art fitness center with sauna, Olympic size pool, whirlpool and much more. This rate is subject to limited availability and is subject to change without notice. To view more information, Click Here: http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-discounts.htm

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This Issue: 01.01.01

EDITORS NOTE: The newsletter is packed, the photos are online (see feature story). The De La Guarda review has been in a holding pattern over the holidays but I’ll have it next week and we’ll be back to a new review every week. In the words of infamous boxing referee Mills Lane, “Let’s Get It On!”

LAS VEGAS NEWS – of interest to tourists:

SUPER BOWL PARTIES – The Super Bowl brings more testosterone to Las Vegas than any other weekend. Every bar, every lounge, every TV everywhere is tuned to the big game. Many of the hotels throw “all inclusive” parties where the price of admission gets you all you can eat and drink. The R-J has these listed at http://www.lasvegas.com/events/superbowl2001 If you are looking to go crazy betting the game, we suggest the Imperial Palace. They put up a pile of interesting and wacky side bets that must be seen to be believed.

HERE WE GO AGAIN – A group of investors has plans on the drawing board to build a 40 story megaresort across the Strip from Mandalay Bay. Virgin Atlantic’s Richard Branson is considering throwing his hat into the project, which is having some problems acquiring the remaining few parcels needed to pull off the project. Stories at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jan-03-Wed-2001/business/15149127.html and http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jan-04-Thu-2001/business/15159717.html

ELVIS – would have turned 66 a few days ago, and AP just did an article on The King’s continuing popularity here in Las Vegas at http://www.journalstar.com/nation?story_id=3033&date=20010108&past=

TAKE THE TRAIN? – A couple of years ago, Amtrak abandoned service to Las Vegas, which (as part of a longer route) only operated three times a week with a 7.5 hour ride between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. However, they have been hard at work to restart daily LA – Vegas service using faster equipment and special stretches of double track allowing the fast passenger trains to pass slower freight service. The money for the new trains and track improvements are available, and the new trains are reported to be plush and have the latest entertainment and amenities.

The delay? The planned 22 mile long passing siding is in the Mojave National Preserve, home to a tortoise that has been listed as a “threatened” species. Although adding another set of rails beside a present rail line would seem to have minimal additional impact, government environmental red tape threatens to delay the project for many months. Full story at http://www.latimes.com/travel/vegas/lat_amtrak001217.htm So, our friends from Southern California continued to be hampered by an 8 hour drive on the weekends or crowded air flights to come visit.

WE’RE #1 – Besides having the biggest fireworks display for New Year’s Eve, we are #1 in another category. It came as little surprise that Nevada was the fastest growing state in the nation for the past decade. Our growth of 66% far outpaced neighbors Arizona (#2 with 40%) and Utah (#4 with 29%). Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-29-Fri-2000/news/15126494.html

SLOTS – When you make your way through the slot jungle, have you ever wondered the “what’s” and “why’s” of slot placement and who decides? The R-J recently had an interview with the VP of Slots for Coast Resorts at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-31-Sun-2000/business/15119724.html

LAUNDRY – While you are wondering … what does happen to the linen at a resort with 5000 rooms? Find out at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-26-Tue-2000/living/14787173.html

$25 HOTEL REBATE — you pick the hotel! Our partners at Hotel Reservations Network are giving you $25 back on any 2+ night stay in Las Vegas or any major city they reserve. Claiming your cash is simple:

1. Print out: http://www.accessvegas.com/100-rebate.htm
2. Book a room online at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-discounts.htm
3. Send in for your rebate when you get home.

It doesn’t get any easier than that, and you get their low price guarantee
to boot!

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CONCERTS AND SHOWS:

Second City – comedy troupe have confirmed plans to start playing The Flamingo in March, replacing the long-running “Forever Plaid.” Details at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jan-10-Wed-2001/living/15200323.html

SHOW REVIEWS – Recent reviews appearing in the media:

* David Brenner – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jan-05-Fri-2001/weekly/15096137.html

SHOWS AND HEADLINER – listings available at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-shows.htm
CONCERT – listings available anytime at http://www.accessvegas.com/entertainment/index.htm

5 Star Awards – Picasso (Bellagio) and Renoir (Mirage) each repeated the honor of receiving the Mobil Travel Guide 2001 Five-Star Award. These are given to a handful of restaurants around the country (17 this year) who exemplify fine dining. Full story at http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jan-10-Wed-2001/living/15195910.html

RESTAURANT REVIEWS – Recent reviews appearing in the media:

* Harley-Davidson Cafe (on the Strip) – http://www.lvcitylife.com/dining/stories/01010401d.html
* Mortoni’s (Hard Rock) – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Dec-27-Wed-2000/living/15083266.html
* Tommy’s Rib & Steak House (Algiers) – http://www.lvcitylife.com/dining/stories/00121401d.html

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LAS VEGAS WEATHER – This 5 day forecast is courtesy of Weather.Com:

Thursday – 55/43 Showers
Friday – 50/33 Showers
Saturday – 53/30 Partly Cloudy
Sunday – 53/29 Partly Cloudy
Monday – 54/29 Partly Cloudy

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FEATURE STORY: 01.01.01

The New Year came in with a big bang, literally. A fireworks show called the “Big Bang” simultaneously went off from the roofs of 14 casinos up and down The Strip. Each of the hotels looked like a Roman candle going off with sparks flying everywhere. This was accompanied by loud and constant “concussion bomb” explosions that literally rocked The Strip.

At a time when much of the US was unfortunately freezing, buried in snow, and many without power, New Year’s Eve dawned beautiful and sunny. Temperatures were in the mid-60’s during the day and remained in the mid-40’s leading up to midnight. The crowds were unprecedented, with estimates ranging from 300-350,000, and Metro (Police) reporting by 10 PM that the entire length of the Strip was completely closed to traffic.

There was no shortage of news coverage, both locally and around the world on networks like CNN. We had our brand new Sony Mavica FD-85 digital camera out on The Strip. (My thanks to those readers who recommended it to me a few months ago when I asked for info on a digital that handles low light well.) Despite the throngs of people and general merriment, we managed to get 30 great photos of the fireworks, the crowds, the crazies, the ladies and The Strip on this unique evening. We also have listed links to other photos and stories:

ACCESS VEGAS NEW YEARS EVE PHOTOS (30 photos) – http://www.las-vegas-new-years-eve.com

R-J story “2001: A Vegas Odyssey” (7 photos) – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jan-01-Mon-2001/news/15142507.html
R-J story “`Big Bang’ not a bust” – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jan-02-Tue-2001/news/15144938.html
KTNV story (2 photos, video link doesn’t work) – http://www.ktnv.com/news/jan01/toplv2001.asp
R-J spectacular photo of hotels ablaze – http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jan-02-Tue-2001/news/15144938.html

The only sour note? An unnamed hotel executive was quoted lamenting the money spent on a celebration which drew heavily on the 20-something crowd. Generally speaking, casinos prefer to fill the town with a crowd that is a little more established and mature (read: has more disposable income). This is probably one of the same morons who a few years ago questioned the need for hotels to have websites or facilitate booking rooms online. (Las Vegas has always been way behind the online curve, and it didn’t dawn on these guys that parts of the rest of the world are using the internet to find information and buy things 4-5 years ago.)

Note to casino executives: Credit card companies advertise all over college campuses, trying to get their cards into the hands of those with no money. Why? Because someday those students will be making the big bucks, and still using that card. Vegas “ain’t no different.” These 20-somethings had a great time, went home and each told 20 friends how cool Vegas is, and will be back year after year with more and more money to enjoy themselves with. (End of rant.)

Did you come here for New Years? If you did, we want to hear from you! What part of The Strip were you on, what did you see, and what did you think? If you had to drive to The Strip (from an off Strip hotel or home), what time did you go and where did you park? As noted last newsletter, I suggested people get down there before 6 PM as the side streets fill up and hotels start to only allow guests to park in the garages.

I can only be in one place at a time so it would be great to hear what things were like all up and down The Strip. Also, if you have any photos you would allow us to put online, please attach them! Write us at allvegastv@aol.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Kit Lindsay ( http://www.lindsaytransmission.com ) of Warrensburg, Missouri wrote:

>Denise and I were there for the holiday, and saw the Blue Man group at
>Luxor for the first time.á We have seen almost every show in Vegas and
>I have to say up until last Sunday night I thought that Mystere’ at
>Treasure Island was the best show in town.á Now I think it is a toss
>up between the Blue Men and Mystere’.á We couldn’t decide how we were
>going to describe it to friends that we will recommend it to, finally
>settling on “Fabulous musicians that play very interesting
>instruments, allot of percussion and sound effects and no speaking.
>Lots of laughs and audience participation.”á I hope this accurately
>describes the show and encourages others to see it.á It is GREAT!!
>
>Before we visit Vegas each time we always consult your newsletter and
>I don’t remember seeing the review for the Blue Men, but I may have
>missed it.á We visit Vegas two to three times a year and usually see
>two shows per visit.á I also have to say that we have yet to see “O”
>and hope to send you a personal opinion on that one after April’s
>visit.
>
>Still have to say that the Palace Station is the best place to
>stay/gamble as there are fewer children, and the restaurants serve
>”regular food” like you usually eat at home.á I don’t eat lobster and
>prime rib at home, and don’t want to eat it at every meal on vacation
>either.á I am probably the exception, however.á I do think that Vegas
>is getting overcrowded with folks that should leave the kiddies at
>home until they are adults, but that is another issue to discuss.
>
>Thanks again for all your hard work on the Vegas News and Reviews.

Blue Man is on the short list. I have been meaning to review it for quite some time as its popularity is soaring. I have their CD and have been addicted to the unique pulsing rhythmical music. I have yet to hear one negative comment about the show, and it is a top seller on our shows page at http://www.accessvegas.com/las-vegas-shows.htm If anyone wants a free preview of the music, go to the Blue Man Group page at Amazon for free click-and-play song samples: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000038A2S/invegascom (My fave is song #5 “Rods and Cones”).

This week’s new poll asks everyone which show they would go see if money were no object so don’t forget to go to http://www.accessvegas.com and vote.

You hit the nail on the head about the kids. I was SHOCKED at how many strollers and mothers holding babies I saw this New Year’s Eve. These people paid a premium for rooms, airfare (or fought traffic heavy traffic flowing in for the weekend), and were exposing their kids to noisy fireworks and 1/3 million tipsy revealers. My advice to parents? Do the family vacation with Walt Disney. Come to Vegas sans the kids for fun and romance.

David and Jennifer Parker from Wales in the UK wrote,

>Hello, My wife and I visited your city from Dec.á 3rd to Dec.á 10th.
>Your e-mail information prior to the trip was excellent and gave us a
>great insight to the area and made getting around much easier.á Las
>Vegas was everything we were told about only better. We hope to be back
>in the near future.

Good to hear you had a great time! I still have a hard time grasping the worldwide readership (this internet thing, what a concept, huh). But, I think info like this is even more imperative to those of you who have to fly 12-18 hours or more and spend serious money to come visit our crazy city.

Dale Jackson wrote:

>Thank you for your wonderful newsletter and web site on my favorite
>vacation spot, Las Vegas!á I know you probably get lots of these kind
>of letters.á I hope you can stand to read one more.á (I’ll keep it
>short!) I just wanted to express my appreciation and gratitude for all
>of your hard work in keeping all of us out here in cyberspace informed
>about the latest goings on in Vegas.á I live in Beaverton, Or.á and
>your newsletters help to warm up cold and rainy nights by temporarily
>transporting me to a warmer and brighter place.á Once again, from the
>bottom of my heart, Thank You!

I always appreciate the kind words, and as a native Oregonian (sorry Notre Dame and Texas fans) who gets up your way frequently, I can appreciate what it is like to come see our Las Vegas sunshine!

Matt Schafer wrote:

>Ted, My wife and I visited Las Vegas for the first time earlier this
>year.á I have a question.á Those people at the hotel that ask you if
>you will be in town the next day (meaning, from what I gather: Will
>you be around that evening to go to a show?) and they want to give you
>information about shows at specific hotels (Bally’s and MGM come to
>mind).á Each time this happened we politely declined thinking that it
>may be some sort of way to “trick” us into something.á What are these
>people trying to “sell” us?á Should they be listened to?á Do they have
>good deals on the shows?á We would like to know for a return trip
>sometime in the future.á Thanks, and keep up the good work.

They want to waste a couple of hours of your valuable time to pitch you on a time-share. When you add up what your time is worth here (airfare, hotel, etc.) you are better off avoiding the hassle. They best way to avoid them is to tell them you are leaving tonight, or split up with your significant other until you get past them (they generally don’t pitch single people).

Lisa wrote:

>á I have seen on TV many times a place the locals call the “casino
>graveyard” where all the old neon signs are.á Where is this place and
>is it open to the public ?á I would love to see it.á Any info you give
>would be helpful.

The signs that have been refurbished and are operating are at the East end of the Fremont St. Experience downtown (by Race Rock, etc.) There is a yard in another part of town where a bunch are stored awaiting restoration (or just collecting dust — nothing rusts in the desert), but to my knowledge it is not open to the public.

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Your input is welcome. Write us a “letter to the editor” at allvegastv@aol.com While space doesn’t permit publishing every letter, we do certainly read them all and they help shape our content. Please include your name if you wish to have it published (stating your city is optional). Also, guest article submissions are welcome with full credit to you, your website, etc., if accepted.

ONLINE POLL – If money were no object, which high end show would you go see? Let’s hear your opinions at http://www.accessvegas.com — results will be published in two weeks!

Results from last weeks poll “If you fly, which airline do you usually fly to Las Vegas?”

Southwest 38%
Other 17%
National 10%
America Trans (ATA) 7%
Delta 7%
Alaska 6%
Northwest 5%
United 5%
TWA 0%
US Airways 0%

FREE CONTESTS:

RULES: (unless otherwise noted or link to outside contest): You may enter every contest, but only one entry to each. The 20’th entry in each contest will be the winner. Send a blank email to the specified email address — we’ll get your mailing address from you only if you win. Also, please do not enter if you have won within the past month.

Free Helicopter Tour – Win a Free Las Vegas “Strip” Helicopter flight for two. Enter at http://www.maverickhelicopter.com/enter.htm

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New to the list? Back issues and subscription info can be found on the web at: https://las-vegas-news-reviews.com

Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates, or better yet click here: http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=826126 to recommend it to friends with a chance to win $10,000!

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Access Vegas Insider Vibe – June 20, 2001

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Access Vegas Insider Vibe – January 10, 2001

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