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Access Vegas Insider Vibe – June 24, 2009

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AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

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AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! Weird week as we say goodbye to three entertainment icons: Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Ed McMahon. Plus, it was overcast with light rain here for a couple of days. Just a weird week. This newsletter is going to be all over the map. If a section doesn’t interest you, just keep scrolling! On to some fun and winning…

Enter To Win Tickets For
Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular

Grand Prize Winner Will Also Enjoy Dinner at the Fabulous New FIRST Food & Bar at Palazzo Las Vegas

Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular Entry

More Than Just Dinner and a Show…

Grand Prize: You and a guest will enjoy dinner at the brand new FIRST Food & Bar restaurant inside The Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Following this unique dinner, you’ll move over to Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular’s custom theatre to be seduced by this exhilarating “Only In Vegas” rendition of this world famous, award winning show.

Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular Entry Page

4’th Of July – We’ve continued to add quite a bit of information to our Fourth of July 2009 Las Vegas page. If you are going to be here this coming weekend (or even thinking about it), make sure you find out what is going on. It is going to be one huge weekend in Las Vegas!

New York, New York Roller Coaster – Certainly one of the wilder rides in Las Vegas, but not cheap at $14 for the first ride and $7 for each re-ride. (Co’mon guys… Every time we drive by, it is running nearly empty. Could it be the price)? However… for those who are true thrill seekers, they do offer a $25 all-day Scream Pass.

I haven’t done the NY, NY ride but a few years ago bought an “all you can ride” pass for the rides atop Stratosphere Tower (currently running $33 for Tower admission and all the rides you can handle) and went on the Big Shot ten straight times. (That is the ride which shoots you straight up off the top of the tower). Once you get used to both the height and the weightlessness, the view is unmatched!

Play The Machines Loaded – Very recently, I stopped to toss a few bucks into a Megabucks slot machine (our version of the lottery). The last person to play it before me had only bet two coins instead of the maximum three one can bet on this machine. Like just about every other “progressive jackpot” machine (where there is a huge top prize), you must play Megabucks “loaded” (full coins in) to hit the top prize.

If you line up the winning symbols but are playing for a smaller bet than the maximum, you won’t get the top prize. Even if you line up the highest winning symbols! If a certain progressive jackpot machine beckons you but is a little bit out of your financial league, do one of two things: 1. Plan of playing fewer hands or 2. Find a machine that is in your price range. Never, ever “try your luck” with less than the maximum bet allowed on a progressive.

New Las Vegas Deals TV Show – Our friend Alan Mendelson (long time Southern California newscaster) is bringing a new type of TV infomercial program is coming to Las Vegas TV called Vegas Best Buys. Unlike traditional TV infomercials that have advertising from one company, Vegas Best Buys will feature “mini infomercials” from ten to twelve advertisers with each advertiser getting a segment of several minutes on the program.

Alan has been producing the “Best Buys TV Show” in Los Angeles. The shows — both the Los Angeles and the Las Vegas versions — follow a “news format” that Mendelson developed while doing bargain shopping news reports for the CBS TV stations in Los Angeles. Interested businesses should contact him through his web site www.AlanBestBuys.com. Alan has told us that there will be no charge to the businesses that are picked to participate in the pilot. So pass this along to any local business owners you know.

Airfare Hitting Bottom – A very recent Associated Press story noted that airfare prices are at the bottom. The price of oil is starting to rise and people who cut back spending during the recession (but never lost their jobs) are starting to loosen up their spending a bit. They suggest that if thinking about a trip, book your airfare now.

If coming to Vegas, don’t forget to compare hotel prices with our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals. How do they keep their prices so low? They buy rooms in bulk, at wholesale prices from the hotels (who are willing to do so because it guarantees that the rooms are sold). They then pass the savings along to you.

Lowest Graduation Rate – Nevada has the lowest high school graduation rate in the country, with less than 50% of students grabbing that diploma. In the past, this was attributed to the ease of getting a good paying job in hospitality or construction (or on a stripper pole) without an education. Given the 11% unemployment rate and the end of the “gravy train” of high paying, low skill jobs because of the economy, let’s hope we see that number start creeping up a bit.

Summer Of ’69 Contest – If you missed our last issue (or just forgot to enter), you only have a few more days to take a shot at our Summer Of ’69 giveaway of lots of cool and unique Vegas stuff. Details are in the archives of our June 17, 2009 Access Vegas Insider Vibe.

More Members Mania – I’ve had to skip doing our very popular Members Mania section of the newsletter (scroll down about 2/3 of the way) a couple times in the past two months. So… we did a double-dose for you this week.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Bally’s from $49, El Cortez from $23, Fitzgeralds from $23, Hooters from $20, Orleans from $28, Riviera from $27, Sahara from $23, Stratosphere from $25, Tropicana from $28, Tuscany from $31, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Las Vegas Show Reviews

Barbra & Frank, The Concert That Never Wasà

barbra streisand frank sinatra las vegas

“Barbra & Frank, The Concert That Never Wasà” at the Riviera Hotel & Casino is pure Vegas entertainment. Imagine if you will, an evening with two of the greatest musical icons of the 20th Century û Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra, together on the same stage. It never happened. It never could have happened. But Sharon Owens and Sebastian Anzaldo will make you feel as if it did, with you right there in the audience. Frankie starts the night off with the classic “I’ve Got A Crush On You.”

Anzaldo is dapper and debonair as Sinatra and quickly pulls you into the illusion. He’s got Frankie down. The voice and the physicality is unmistakably Sinatra. Owens’ Streisand has all the mannerisms of the real Streisand û the long nails, the hair. But it’s when she opens her mouth that she becomes Barbra. Her nasally speaking voice is true to character. She delivers the songs like a pro.

Penn & TellerÆs Magic Keeps Las Vegas Mesmerized

penn teller las vegas

In terms of upholding their reputations, the two do not disappoint here at The Rio. Employing a variety of standard magic bits from a simple Cups & Balls illusion to the more dramatic Sawing a Lady in Halves, Penn & Teller manage to inject their unique take and unexpected punchline every time. Other parts of the act incorporate totally unusual devices, such as an Airport Metal Detector. And PennÆs romantic fire-eating interlude is in a category all its own, as is his nail-biting nail gun routine. Teller, despite his trademark staunch silence, shines every bit as brightly in many acts highlighting his deft sleight of hand skills.

“Sgt. Pepper Live” Featuring Cheap Trick Exclusive Las Vegas Hilton Engagement – “Sgt. Pepper Live,” featuring Cheap Trick, will be presented at the Las Vegas Hilton September 13-15, 17-19 and 21-23. The performances, with special musical guests to be announced, will feature a full symphony orchestra, audio production by Geoff Emerick and set design by Rene Lagler. “One of America’s greatest bands ever, doing their live interpretation of this classic rock album, an album nobody believed could be performed outside the recording studio, sets a new standard for rock and entertainment in Las Vegas,” said Ken Ciancimino, executive vice president of the Las Vegas Hilton.

One Less Timeshare Company?

This past week, the company that probably was THE major timeshare company in Las Vegas (and one of the biggest in the U.S.) declared bankruptcy. These are my thoughts:

The economy has forced Consolidated Resorts into bankruptcy this past week. You might know then as the people behind Tahiti Village, the timeshare resort on the very, very, very south end of The Strip (2 miles south of Mandalay Bay). This may mean less people stopping you along The Strip at various hotels and asking you if you want free show tickets in return for listening to a timeshare pitch.

What remains to be seen will be the impact on the various shows which they promoted. They would actually buy the show tickets (presumably at some discount) then give them away. Various shows over the years continued to soldier on largely in part due to this guaranteed revenue.

Believe it or not, their preferred method of getting people to take timeshare tours was NOT stopping people on The Strip. It is costly to rent the space, put up the incentives, etc. Consolidated had an widespread radio campaign (featuring celebrities like Rosanne Barr and Tanya Roberts) and were in the process of developing a very aggressive internet presence in order to target regular Las Vegas visitors who would be interested in a dedicated place here.

How do I know all of this? We had discussions a few years ago regarding working with them on this effort, and again last fall a few more informal discussions regarding their internet marketing strategy.

The great thing about the internet is the ability to target those who might be interested in a product without the “in your face” presentation you (as a visitor) get from the sales people while you walk down The Strip. Final Note: At this time, Access Vegas own the undeveloped properties FreeStayVegas.com and FreeStayLasVegas.com. They are currently for sale or lease. Interested parties should email allvegastv@aol.com

Las Vegas Deals

These are only a few of the many Easy Vegas Deals we find each and every week (many of which happen too quickly for newsletter deadline). For a complete and constantly updated listing:

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

I am bringing my grown up family to America in June/July – (3 nights San Francisco, 2 nights Lake Tahoe, 7 nights Las Vegas and 3 nights LA). The last time I visited Las Vegas for a few days was pre-Wynn hotels. Our week in Vegas commences 30’th June. Apart from the Grand Canyon, what are the top five places I should show them whilst there?

Graham

Ted Responds:

That sounds like quite the trip, and you are sure to enjoy yourself!

Las Vegas has so much to do and see, and everyone has different tastes. Hence, a “Top 5” would be impossible to come up with.

If you go to our newsletter archives site at https://las-vegas-news-reviews.com and scroll down the right sidebar, you will see links to years worth of archives. You may wish to scroll though them and see what catches your eye!

I have read that the M resort shuttle to and from Fashion Show Mall is only available to residents of the hotel, is this fact ? We would like to visit M on our next trip but the thought of return cab fares from Wynn would be prohibitive for a lunch outing at Studio B. (This may sound strange but I am happy to gamble say $500 on our visit there but reluctant to pay a return cab fare! More to play with I suppose).

Regards,

Annette & Bill from the UK

Ted Responds:

Nothing wrong with saving your money for playing the machines or taking in some great shows!

I personally called M not long ago was told that anyone can use their to come on down and visit the hotel. My advice? Call M when you are in town to double check. Tell them you are staying on The Strip and want to come down to eat and do a little playing. And, ask the M shuttle driver when you get in the shuttle to confirm.

P.S. Many don’t know this, but it is a proper courtesy to give a shuttle drive $1 per person tip upon exiting the shuttle.

I first visited Vegas in 1960, on my way to being sworn-in as a new Navy Medical Officer. Over the years, my wife and I have visited Vegas many times. Over the past 20+ years we’ve averaged visiting once a year (our most recent visit was in January) and what a change we’ve noted over the years.

I enjoy Blackjack but I couldn’t find a decent game anywhere on the Strip what with hardly a $10 minimum, 3:2 Blackjack payoffs, Dealer hitting Soft 17, No Late Surrenders, etc.. And, hardly anyone at the tables. Vegas is going down the tubes & it’s not just because of the economy. The MBA bean counters are ruining it for everyone. I think things were a lot better during the Bugsy Siegel era (from a gaming standpoint).

Ham

Ted Responds:

Thanks for reading and thanks for your input. Surrender (a blackjack rule that lets you save part of your bet) went away years ago. It made the game too advantageous for card counters. Having said that, downtown still has plenty of lower limit blackjack with a full 3:2 payoff for a blackjack.

We’ve been talking about downtown quite a bit the past few months because downtown is still very much run the old way. Smaller operators (or single casino owners), food deals, cheaper drinks, looser slots, and better table game rules.

You can win or lose anywhere on a given day, but we continue to encourage people who want to do some serious gambling without breaking the bank to plan a session or two downtown. Fremont Street downtown is no longer as far removed from The Strip as it once was. The Deuce bus runs every few minutes, 24/7 and you can hop off at The Sahara and catch the monorail to most parts of The Strip in a matter of minutes.

The only way the casinos on The Strip will get the message to bring back decent rules and lower limits is if more and more people take their gambling downtown.

I am planning a trip to Vegas sometime this year and I would like to bring my 17 year old niece with me. She has a great interest in singing and I would love to take her to see some of the shows. Are there any age restrictions for the shows? I know there are age restrictions for the casinos and of course, the X-rated shows, but, is there anything else I need to know?

Thanks for your help.

Heather Rhind

Ted Responds:

Except for any show that features some form of nudity (or some of the comedy shows because of content and/or a bar setting), shows generally don’t have age restrictions.

I say this generally, because some may not encourage (or actually have a ban on) young children.

However, a teenager won’t have any issues. Especially a 17 year old girl. You won’t see or hear anything at most Las Vegas shows that they already see or hear on MTV.

Thank you for your continued excellent newsletter. Being from the UK itÆs a great way to stay in touch with all the latest gossip from your wonderful city. We are planning a trip in the summer with our 3 kids and their partners, 2 of whom are vegetarian. Can you suggest the best places to go for good ‘veggie’ food at reasonable prices, credit crunch problems here in UK means we donÆt have as many US$ as we would like to spend!!

CanÆt wait to see Vegas again soon. Keep up the great work we really appreciate it!

Kind Regards,

Kim from Essex U.K.

Ted Responds:

As you can imagine, Las Vegas isn’t exactly a bastion of vegetarian dining. Your best bet for a variety of non-meat items would be the various hotel buffets. Buffet prices vary widely and you get what you pay for.

If renting a car, you’ll find major grocery stores just a couple minutes east of The Strip at Flamingo/Maryland Pkwy. (Albertson’s) and Tropicana/Maryland Pkwy. (Vons) where you will be able to find plenty of food that should suit your needs. Plus, you can buy a cheap, disposable cooler to keep in your room and keep it filled with ice from the hotel ice machine.

Any word on the Lady Luck Casino???

We visit Vegas about once a year and have stayed there a couple of times. We thought it was a lot of fun (we prefer the smaller casinos) and the food was great! Hope it returns.

Judy from Minnesota

Ted Responds:

Nothing will happen to it until the economy improves. Sadly, it probably won’t be the same when it re-opens. Different owners, etc.

I miss it, too. Really enjoyed it. Over the years when heading downtown alone (strictly for research purposes, or course), I’d usually park at the Gold Spike for some $1 blackjack (back when the Gold Spike was a dive), and hit the Lady Luck for a couple of cocktails and 25 cent video poker before moving on to dinner somewhere on Fremont Street.

My dad & I returned from an 8 day stay at the Flamingo earlier this year. The closet was broke in the room and I don’t think the maid vacuumed the whole time we were there. One day, she never even left any towels! We will not be staying there again.

Did get to Fremont Street this trip. it was wonderful, just wish we would have eaten in the Golden Nugget sooner. Best buffet we ever had! Marvelous time at the Wayne Newton show at the MGM. Had fun at the meet and greet after the show. Wayne is soooo gracious and really gives everything hes got at every show. Cant wait till next time!

Donna

Ted Responds:

A word to the hotels who have been cutting staff to the bone in an effort to save money: This is what you are getting. Unhappy customers.

Never be afraid to call (or visit) the front desk if service is lacking. Something as simple as “It doesn’t appear that our towels were changed out nor was our room vacuumed today. Can you send someone up to take care of this” should suffice.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at I4Vegas Discount Las Vegas Reservations and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 13-15 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 14
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • Mardi Gras February 16
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 4
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 9
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 29-31 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 20

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

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All contents copyright 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

June 24, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – May 20, 2009

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AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! It is Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. and I’m going keep things a little shorter than usual. So I can take the weekend off? Not exactly (as the Hertz rental car ad says). Although the beautiful 95 degree weather does beckon.

This is technically our 10’th Anniversary issue of doing this newsletter! However… it kind of crept up on us (time flies when you are having fun). We’re working hard on the next two newsletters which will be jammed with photos, new show reviews, and a couple of nice giveaways if we can get it all to come through in time. Stay tuned.

Best Memorial Day Ever In Las Vegas? – It may just be in terms of hotel rates. No one can (literally) ever remember seeing these kind of prices over a major holiday. One guy in the paper was quoted as noting that he’s getting a good room here for what he paid for a roadside “roach” motel (very sub-par motel) room in Florida recently.

Is it going to last? No. Las Vegas has been busy again the past couple of months and things are bouncing back to normal. IF you (especially) are pondering coming to town over the July 4 weekend or Labor Day Weekend (US), I’d check with our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and grab the room now. Prices for holidays and the fall season in general are expected to climb over the summer. If you used to complain that Vegas is too expensive, these room rates leave you plenty of money to see a couple of shows and enjoy some fine dining.

Danny Gans Memorial – Took place this past week. Still no word on cause of death. Couple of related stories this week:

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Bally’s from $49, El Cortez from $33, Fitzgeralds from $33, Hooters from $20, Orleans from $40, Riviera from $54, Sahara from $33, Stratosphere from $44, Tropicana from $30, Tuscany from $47, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Tickets For Mayweather vs. Marquez Super-Fight – MGM Grand To Host Event Saturday, July 18 – Floyd “Money” Mayweather has returned to the sport of boxing and will put his undefeated record on the line when he faces the dangerous and highly touted five-time world champion Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez in MAYWEATHER vs. MARQUEZ “Number One/Numero Uno” Saturday, July 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Disney’s The Lion King Celebrates Las Vegas Premiere At Mandalay Bay – Disney’s award-winning Broadway phenomenon, THE LION KING, celebrated its Las Vegas premiere at Mandalay Bay Theatre Friday evening. Several members of the original creative team were in attendance to launch the show, including director/creator Julie Taymor; book writers Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi; choreographer Garth Fagan; scene designer Richard Hudson; and Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Group.

Engelbert Humperdinck Returns To The Orleans Showroom June 11-14 – Dubbed music’s “King of Romance,” Engelbert Humperdinck has sold over 150 million records worldwide, including 64 gold and 24 platinum albums. The multiple Grammy-nominated artist will charm hearts once again June 11, 12, 13 and 14 at 8 p.m. each evening at The Orleans Showroom. Although born Arnold George Dorsey in Madras, India, it was over four decades ago that Engelbert Humperdinck emerged as one of the foremost entertainers in the world.

Starlet Holly Madison Prepares To Tease In Peepshow At Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino – PEEPSHOW, Las Vegas’ newest hit production and only striptease spectacular is pleased to announce blonde bombshell Holly Madison as the newest addition to the PEEPSHOW cast at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino beginning June 22. Madison, star of the TV Series’, “The Girls Next Door” and “Dancing with the Stars,” is strapping on her dancing stilettos once again to take over the role of “Bo Peep,” a modern woman who has yet to find her own confidence and sexuality, currently played by “General Hospital’s,” Kelly Monaco, a “Dancing with the Stars” champion.

Steely Dan To Perform At The Pearl At The Palms Friday, August 28, 2009 – Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, return to the intimate The Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Casino Resort as part of the Steely Dan Rent Party ’09 US tour on Friday, August 28, 2009. Concertgoers can expect a hefty draft of the incomparable Steely Dan experience this year. Supported by their renowned 11-piece band Becker and Fagen will draw from their deep catalog and showcase Steely Dan’s signature slinky grooves, sleek subversive lyrics, impeccable musicianship, and infectious hits.

Pussycat Dolls To Perform At The Pearl At The Palms – Sexy pop sensations The Pussycat Dolls, perform their energetic stage show at The Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Casino Resort on Saturday, June 27, 2009. After forming in 1995 as a burlesque troupe under the direction of famed choreographer Robin Antin, The Pussycat Dolls burst on to the pop scene as an all-girl pop group and dance ensemble in 2005.

MGM Grand’s Crazy Horse Paris Welcomes Silver Screen Siren Carmen Electra To The Cabaret Stage – MGM Grand’s Crazy Horse Paris is proud to announce a week-long guest-star engagement by actress, model and international sex symbol Carmen Electra. Electra will be the second celebrity to perform with the ensemble on the Crazy Horse Paris stage in Las Vegas, following only Dita Von Teese. Electra is set to kick off her guest-star appearance Wednesday, July 8 and will appear nightly through Monday, July 13 in both the 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. performances.

Comedian And Musician Rodney Carrington Will Perform At MGM Grand July 30 – August 12 – Comedian Rodney Carrington returns to the Hollywood Theater at MGM Grand July 30 û August 12. Carrington is scheduled to perform at 10 p.m. nightly. For more than 15 years, Carrington has blazed comedy trails with his stand-up comedy tour across America and multitude of chart-topping albums. In addition to recording six country music albums and performing stand-up comedy, Carrington has made several television appearances demonstrating his exceptional talents.

Kylie Minogue To Perform At The Pearl During First-Ever U.S. Tour – For more than 20 years pop sensation Kylie Minogue has fascinated fans with her studio releases and live tours. Kylie stops at The Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Casino Resort as part of her six city, first-ever U.S. tour on Saturday, October 3, 2009. In July 1987 Kylie released her first single; a remake of the 1962 Little Eva hit “Locomotion.” The song hit #1 in Australia and remained in the top spot for seven weeks, becoming the biggest Australian single of the ’80s.

Grand Poker Series Returns To Golden Nugget – The Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino will host its second annual Grand Poker Series June 6 û July 5. This month-long event will feature daily tournaments at noon in The Grand, the property’s luxurious events center, as well as hold cash games and much more, including special tournaments for seniors and ladies.

Easy Vegas Deals

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Just got back from another fine trip to Vegas. Stayed at Flamingo, food has gone up alot since last trip and we laid out at pool. I can’t understand why they don’t have a waitress working the pool area, after all there was at least 80 people laying out.

Rented a car and traveled the STRIP alot, you can not be in a hurry to travel the STRIP. Also visited Red Rock Canyon a must see!! Service in the casino was very good, drinks were delivered regularly with tip regularly!! Got home Thur. night, the next morning after calling in to unemployment I booked a 4 night to Laughlin, Nevada. I enjoy reading you letters.

Larryáfrom Wayne, Michigan

Ted Responds:

We’re sorry to hear about your employment situation, but since you have time on your hands and with Las Vegas (and Laughlin) being so cheap right now, I can’t think of a better way to kill the time!

On a first visit with so much to do and see on The Strip, no need to rent a car. But for the regular visitor, so much more you can get out to (and in much less time) with a car. A few cab rides and you’ve paid what a rental car will cost.

Driving Tip: Remember that Interstate 15 parallels The Strip. Even during rush hour (and yes, Las Vegas has rush hour), you can often move more quickly on the freeway.

Your newsletter has been a fantastic guide to me over the years — you and your staff are doing a fabulous job!! I also agree that the media is giving Vegas a bad rap on the amount of people visiting the town. Every time I am there, it is wall to wall people.

My mother and I were in Las Vegas the week before Easter and we were both absolutely amazed at how many kids were walking in the casinos as well as on the streets. From toddlers and strollers to teenagers, we were dodging them all over the place. We have been coming to Vegas once or twice a year for the past 8 years and neither of us were very happy that this seems to be a trend, as this is not the first time we have noticed children running amok.

While we will still plan another trip to the Strip, why does Las Vegas suddenly seem to be the “new” Disney World?? One of the main reasons we return year after year is that Vegas caters to the adult world. What happened to the old days when you had to be 21 to enter a casino??

C. Cessna from Cumberland, MD

Ted Responds:

You happened to be here during Spring Break, which I’m sure compounded matters. Plus, with Las Vegas being such a value right now, I’m sure that many families chose Las Vegas as a value Spring Break destination.

You did bring up a good point for families to keep in mind: Las Vegas hasn’t been overly child-friendly since the 90’s. Kids have never been able to do more than pass through casino gaming area and outside of Adventuredome, there really isn’t a place for a family to go enjoy an extended activity. I’m sure we’ll get a couple of letters about how someone had a great Vegas vacation with their family. But the truth of the matter is this: When you see parents with kids on The Strip, it rarely looks like they are having much fun.

Love all your info. We were just at The Rio. Blackjack at most tables 6/5. (Editor Note: Blackjack should pay 3/2 which would be $15 for a $10 bet, not $12 for a $10 bet). Now at craps they changed the odds.

If they can change the payouts where you can clearly see it, what do you think they would do to a slot machine payout where you cannot see it. The casino execs think all gamblers are idiots. I told my friends that The Rio does not deserve our business and went next door to the Gold Coast. All blackjack was 3/2 and all craps were the right odds.

Thank you,

Leonard

Ted Responds:

Leonard brings up a great point that I’ve been harping on for as long as I’ve been doing this newsletter: Too many gamblers act like there is a seat belt on their chair. They will lose and lose, complain about the lack of drink service, the odds, you name it… but just continue to sit there and play.

Pretty much only in Las Vegas are so many casinos so close together. If you aren’t happy, get up and walk your wallet to another one. (Especially downtown where you can be at another table or slot game in another casino in under a minute).

Also, a good tip: The Rio is no farther from Caesars than the Monte Carlo is. Rio, Gold Coast, and Palms all sit right next to each other. (Plus, there is a free shuttle from Bill’s Gambling Hall to Gold Coast which leaves from the side entrance to Bill’s on Flamingo). The Palms is a world famous property, the Gold Coast is a typical niceálocals casino (with traditionally better table game rules and looser slots), and The Rio is still one of Las Vegas’ most fun (and famous) properties. You won’t be sorry if you include them in your visit.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at I4Vegas Discount Las Vegas Reservations and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 13-15 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 14
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • Mardi Gras February 16
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 4
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 9

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

May 20, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – May 13, 2009

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AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! Sumer is here, temps have already hovered at the 100 (F) and the pools are packed. Hotels are working harder than ever on promotions that should make this one of the best Las Vegas summers in some time.

Reinventing Las Vegas – The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) was looking for ways to “reinvent” Las Vegas and the way they market it (Review-Journal April 13, 2009). Last we heard, the are probably going to bring back the “What Happens Here, Stays Here” motto.

My thoughts? Las Vegas does not need a budget in the hundreds of millions to reinvent itself. Supply and demand reinvents Las Vegas. Right now, we are in a significant “reinvention” without any slogans. The economy has brought back the Las Vegas of the 90’s (minus the “family friendly” attempt of that decade).

The economy has forced cheap room rates, and plenty of specials on food, drink, shows and attractions. People used to go home and tell their friends about the great room (for the money) or cheap late night meal specials which also soothed the gambling losses. Visitors are the best way to sell and promote Las Vegas (word of mouth). But… you have to give them something to talk about!

Casinos in other areas (in competition with Las Vegas) are following the tried-and-true. Reference this ad from a casino outside of Sacramento, CA:

99 cent breakfast

How about we see more of this in Las Vegas and the word-of-mouth (and gambling money) is sure to follow!

Clint Holmes Returns – If you’ve been coming to Las Vegas for a number of years, the odds are that you saw Clint Holmes perform at Harrah’s (or at least remember hearing about the long-running show). Clint is back later this month for a weekend run. Details down in our news section.

Wolfgang Puck Summer Dining – Many of Las Vegas’ nicer restaurants are offering some amazing Pre-Fixe (fixed price, fixed menu) meals right now. Starting June 1 – Sept. 30, 2009 the following Wolfgang Puck restaurants are offering the following:

  • Spago û $29 Pre-Fixe Lunch Menu: Spago presents a three-course, pre-fixe lunch menu created by Executive Chef Eric Klein. Available daily, the menu offers delectable, yet light fare, ideal for lunch and guests on the go. The menu changes weekly and features new dishes which arenÆt featured on the standard lunch menu. The pre-fixe menu is $29 per person (excluding tax and gratuity).
  • Chinois û $39 Three-course pre-fixe menu with wine: Wolfgang PuckÆs Chinois invites guests to savor the flavors of Asia with a three-course pre-fixe menu, paired with a complimentary glass of red or white wine. The pre-fixe menu is priced at $39 per person. (excluding tax and gratuity).
  • Postrio û $49 Three-course pre-fixe menu with wine: Postrio entices guests to experience its exciting new menu and stunning new design. The restaurant is offering a three-course pre-fixe menu priced at $49 per person (excluding tax and gratuity).
  • CUT û $75 Pre-Theatre Menu: CUT by Wolfgang Puck offers guests a new pre-theatre menu available from 5:30 û 7 p.m. nightly. The menu includes three courses, accompanied by three of CUTÆs signature side dishes. For dessert, guests have a choice of Banana Cream Pie, Baked Alaska or a Warm Chocolate SoufflÚ. The pre-theatre menu is available for $75 per person (excluding tax and gratuity).
  • Spago û $135 Six-Course Beer Pairing Menu: Spago has added a special six-course tasting menu paired with exotic beers from around the world including Belgium, Japan, Italy and Germany. The menu changes daily and is priced at $135 per person (excluding tax and gratuity).
  • Summer LocalsÆ Appreciation û 25% Off: Wolfgang Puck is expressing his appreciation to Las Vegas locals this summer by offering guests 25% off their check. Beginning June 1 through Sept. 30, guests may take advantage of this special offer at Spago, Postrio, Chinois and Trattoria del Lupo.

Did You Know – The president of the perennially failing Las Vegas monorail makes $339,000 per year and claims to work a 50 hour week? Let’s see: the line rarely announces new advertisers or promotions. The cars don’t even have drivers. I think we’d all kill for that kind of $1/3ámillion dollars per year, “50 hour week” job!

Ground Has Been Broken – on the downtown performing arts center. The one you are paying for with your rental car taxes and will probably never bother to visit. The one we needed so badly because we have such a lack of entertainment venues here (I’m being sarcastic).

Look… I think downtown will be an amazing city core in the next 5-7 years. We have a photo set of Fremont East coming up soon, and plenty of great development is taking place at Union Park (just west of downtown). Not to mention so many high-rise condos that are built and coming on line. But if a venue is needed downtown (as it eventually will be), one of the downtown casinos will build it when the time is right. Without taking any money out of your pocket (except for the voluntary money you choose to gamble).

Condos For “Cheap” – Just to give an idea of how Strip condo prices have fallen: Earlier this year, and formerly $11.5 million dollar penthouse condo at Panorama Towers was going for $3.1 million or best offer. No word on if it sold or what the final price was. Panorama Towers is just across the I-15 freeway from CityCenter, and now simply has a “panoramic” view of the back of the project.

Where Are You? – I often talk about our worldwide readership and I’m sure many of you have wondered where everybody is (on the face of the globe). I pulled the top ten countries from our statistics by percentage:

  • United States – 73.52 %
  • Canada – 10.02 %
  • United Kingdom – 5.43 %
  • Australia – 1.28 %
  • Ireland – 0.98 %
  • Germany – 0.98 %
  • France – 0.86 %
  • Mexico – 0.54 %
  • Italy – 0.44 %

Because so many people can use web email, the above stats are actually from our AccessVegas.com traffic. But based on our reader feedback, I’d say this newsletter readership falls into line with those state. Note: We have no way of knowing exactly who you are. When you visit our websites, we’re simply able to determine what country and city that request is coming from (i.e. who your internet provider is).

With over 15% of our readership outside North America, we’re pleased and humbled to be a key source of Las Vegas information. No matter where you live, we know that you expend significant time, effort, and money to come visit our desert paradise. We’ll continue to work very hard to provide you the best Las Vegas information and advice possible.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Bally’s from $49, El Cortez from $33, Fitzgeralds from $33, Hooters from $20, Orleans from $40, Riviera from $54, Sahara from $38, Stratosphere from $44, Tropicana from $30, Tuscany from $38, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

The Hit Musical Jersey Boys At The Palazzo Celebrates A Successful Year On The Strip – JERSEY BOYS Las Vegas, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, celebrates its first anniversary on The Las Vegas Strip at the Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino Sunday, May 3. The show has become a staple of entertainment in Las Vegas, being named the number one show of 2008 by the Las Vegas Review-Journal after only six months of performances. In addition, just last month, JERSEY BOYS was named “Best Show” in Las Vegas by the staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, in the newspaper’s 28th annual “Best of Las Vegas” poll.

Clint Holmes Brings His Smooth Sounds To The Suncoast Showroom May 22-24 In ‘An Evening With Clint Holmes’ – Singing sensation Clint Holmes brings his powerful voice and magnetic stage presence to the Suncoast Showroom in “An Evening With Clint Holmes With Musical Director Bill Fayne,” May 22, 23 and 24. Holmes’ fans know him as more than just a singer. He’s famous for making every performance an original and captivating audiences with his charisma and signature style.

Legendary Groups Chicago And Earth, Wind & Fire To Co-Headline Show At The New Joint – Music legends Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago have reunited for a 30-city national co-headlining summer concert tour and will be making a stop at The New Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Saturday, July 25. Each band will perform a full set, and the two bands will come together both at the beginning of the night and for a final set that features both bands onstage together. In 2004 and 2005, the two bands teamed up for what is still talked about as one of the great musical spectaculars in recent touring history.

Comedian Artie Lange To Bring The Laughs To The New Joint At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Saturday, June 27 – Incredible comedy & non-stop laughter is coming to The New Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino when Artie Lange brings his live show to Vegas Saturday, June 27. Those are just a few ways to describe this prolific talent who continues his rise in the entertainment industry.

Duran Duran To Perform At The Pearl At The Palms – One of the most popular “British Invasion” bands of the ’80s, Duran Duran, takes the stage at The Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Casino Resort on Friday, July 10, 2009 as part of limited run dates along the West Coast. Duran Duran was founded in the United Kingdom in 1978 by Nick Rhodes and John Taylor. Over the years Duran Duran underwent several lineup changes however never disbanded entirely. Today’s lineup includes Rhodes and Taylor as well as Simon Le Bon and Roger Taylor.

Original Creed Line-Up Of Scott Stapp, Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips And Brian Marshall To Play The New Joint – Creed, one of the most successful rock bands of the past decade, has announced all four of the original band members are back together for a summer tour and new album. Since their formation, Creed has sold close to thirty-five million albums and millions of concert tickets. Creed will play The New Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on September 27.

Performers Announced For Reggae In The Desert – The eighth annual Reggae in the Desert concert returns with a collection of well-known reggae acts including Ky-Mani Marley, Gregory Isaacs, Third World, Yellowman, One Pin Short and Jah Fusion. DJ Rhamma will spin tunes throughout the day and in between sets. Steve Edwards is the host for the event. The concert is set for Saturday, June 13 at the Clark County Government Center Amphitheater in downtown Las Vegas.

Travel Back In Time To 1969 As Fremont Street Experience Presents “Summer of ’69: Vegas or Bust” – Fremont Street Experience takes Las Vegas back 40 years this summer with the “Summer of ’69: Vegas or Bust” festival and concert series beginning Memorial Day weekend. The celebration offers tourists and residents a summer full of free concerts by major iconic bands from 1969, including The Guess Who, Blood Sweat & Tears, Rare Earth, Janis Joplin’s Original Band Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Grass Roots, Jefferson Starship, The 5th Dimension, Canned Heat and Three Dog Night.

Easy Vegas Deals

These are only a few of the many Easy Vegas Deals we find each and every week. For a complete and constantly updated listing:

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Love your newsletter! My son and I just came back from a four night stay at Sahara. Compared to a number of other casino floors, I found they had a much better selection of slot machines, and they actually paid from time to time. Riviera was OK, but Circus Circus and Stratosphere were lacking in the newest games.

On the other hand, our room at the Sahara was peculiar. I normally stay at Imperial Palace or Circus Circus (low rates), and the rooms are functional. Our Sahara room was larger, had more character and a balcony with a nice view. The plumbing was hardly working, the carpet had burn holes, cleanliness was lacking – it clearly hadn’t been deep cleaned in ages, as evidenced by the dust on the electrical sockets. We chose it because of the Monorail, and were very pleased with the Caravan and Grind food services – both 24 hours and offering good variety and reasonable prices.

I was disappointed with the slot machines and food services at Imperial Palace just before Christmas, so with price, location and convenience factored in, I’d choose Sahara again. But you get what you pay for.

Dave from Canada

p.s. Somebody had written their phone number on our mirror, and it wasn’t cleaned off before we checked in. Didn’t call it, however…

Ted Responds:

You do get what you pay for and unfortunately, hotels are cutting costs (no room improvements and similar) to compensate for how low they have to keep the room rates right now.

I need to check on this, but I understand much of the Riviera’s rooms were upgraded a couple of years ago. We’ll look into that. We are going to start sending our stable of writers on “staycations” at as many local hotels as possible, and we are probably going to institute a “bang for your buck” ratings system. We’ll also ask readers who have stayed at Riv to let us know their thoughts.

Couple of notes:

1. It is a little bit of a pain, but if a room seems not clean in any way (including writing on the mirror), do not hesitate to call the front desk and ask for either a room re-assignment or if they can send a maid up IMMEDIATELY (let them know it appears the room wasn’t cleaned).

2. The Sahara is owned by one guy, not a big corporation. Many other hotels like Riv, Hilton and others are also owned by smaller concerns as are most of the hotels downtown. Absolutely drop the hotel’s general manager a snail mail note on situations like this. Just be clear and to-the-point like you were with me. (When people start exaggerating, it starts to sound like the writer just wants money or a free stay next time).

This is stuff they need to know, and they actually might toss you a couple of free nights or something similar on your next visit.

Lots of rumor floating around that The Sahara is winding down to a temporary closing phase. The properties owner wants to completely remake it into a Palms style hotel. Given the changes going on at the north end of The Strip (Wynn/Encore, Fontainebleau, maybe someday Echelon and Plaza), the north end of The Strip may finally turn into the new hot spot.

Thanks for the report!

My wife and I spent March 19-23 in Las Vegas and had a great time. We travel there from Ohio 1-2 times a year. We enjoyed the excitement of the first weekend of March Madness. The weather was pleasant and a nice switch from the damp gloominess of northwest Ohio in March. We stayed at The Hilton.

What we found disappointing there and along the strip was the poor gambling options, particularly if you are a low limit blackjack and craps player. Almost every blackjack game at the Hilton, during busy hours, were 6-5 (blackjack payoff). There were no $5 craps tables. Same was true along the strip, even at some of the traditionally lower end casinos.

We did manage to find options, but had to go to the Sahara or downtown. We had a great time and I’m not complaining since I came back ahead. It’s just harder and less convenient to find lower limits and favorable conditions. A tip of the hat to the 4 Queens and Binion’s where we spend several hours our last night. My wife and I concluded our blackjack session at the 4 Queens with blackjacks and a successful craps session at Binion’s. We’re already looking forward to our next trip.

Mark from Toledo, Ohio

Ted Responds:

I’ve been very vocal about suggesting people do at least one of their big gambling sessions downtown, and for the very reasons you noted. The lower limits let you play longer, the better odds and looser slots give you a better chance of winning, and if your luck at one hotel isn’t good, you can simply get up and be gambling in another hotel in a matter of a couple of minutes!

First I do enjoy reading your comments on what is going on in Vegas. I thought I would point out to fellow readers and people on a budget that I found some very good deals on Memorial day weekend. My girlfriend and I started going to Vegas a couple of years ago and since have been a couple of times a year.

Right now like a lot of people we have to watch our money but when things get a little better for us. Our first vacation will be in Vegas. I never had any interest in going to Vegas but my girlfriend wanted to see the lights on the strip so she talked me into the trip. I guess I was sold because we have been 8 times in 3 years pretty good considering I never really wanted to go the first time.

I found Vegas not to be what I thought it was. I thought it was all gambling and after over a half dozen visits I can tell you there is so much to do for couples and family that the gambling is actually pretty far down on the list when I think of Vegas.áOh, I’m sure I heard some of the casino owners gasp when I say that. Keep up the good work. love your news letter.

Joseph from Imlay City, MI

I love your newsletter. Reading this is better than the newspaper!

Myetta From Granada Hills

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Memorial Day, U.S May 23-25 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 13-15 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 14
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • Mardi Gras February 16
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 4
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 9

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

May 13, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – April 8, 2009

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AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! 16 years, baby. 16 years. April 2009 is marking my 16’th year here in Las Vegas. I moved from the beautiful (but all too often overcast and rainy) Pacific Northwest near Portland, Oregon and never returned. I’ve been publishing this newsletter for nearly 10 of those years. Next year marks the 10 year anniversary of thisá AccessVegas.com Insider Vibe (which started as Las Vegas News and Reviews).

Far too many memories to list on one page, but rarely a dull moment. I was the last civilian (non-hotel or demolition employee) to step foot in the infamous Copa Room at The Sands. More recently, in line behind Andrew “Dice” Clay at a local convenience store (very surreal). In-between, things like heckling Carrot Top from the first row (he actually puts on a really good show) to a pre-opening visit to the top of The Stratosphere Tower thanks to a cocktail waitress friend who was a charter employee.

I’ve stumbled upon countless movie, TV, music video and commercial shoots (hint, they happen late at night), and seen more live radio and TV broadcasts produced than I can count. One of the more interesting: Don Imus doing his nationwide show from The Mirage in the mid-90’s, interviewing Steve Wynn at 4 AM (7 AM east coast time) in front of a crowd of bleary-eyed ápeople who had been up all night and were still boozing. Plus, more “What Happens In Vegas” moments than I can count. (Once again, best time for these sightings is well after midnight).

Here’s to the future and my continued quest to make you, our loyal readers, the best-informed Las Vegas visitors possible!

Dixie’s Dam Bar At Hooters Las Vegas – Over the past few years, a theme has developed in the massive amount of feedback we get from you, our readers. That theme? What happened to the old Las Vegas? I don’t want to go to a club with a dress code I’ll never meet and then have to pay $400 for “bottle service” just so I can have a table.

Dixie’s Dam Bar at Hooters is open Wed. – Sun. starting at 9 PM with no bottle service, no attitudes, and the Dixie’s Diva’s to pour you the drinks when they aren’t dancing on the bar. Cover is $20, a small price to pay for a night of unrestrained, unpretentious fun.

Dixie's Dam Bar at Hooters Hotel Las Vegas

Dixie's Dam Bar at Hooters Hotel Las Vegas

Dixie's Dam Bar at Hooters Hotel Las Vegas

Click on any of the above photos to view the entire Dixie’s Dam Bar at Hooters Las Vegas photo set.

Smoke ‘Em If You Got Em – The Nevada State Legislature is currently in the process of taking the teeth out of much of Nevada’s smoking ban. Specifically allowing smoking (should a business owner choose to do so) anywhere minors are prohibited.

This would allow both local bars and hotel casinos to allow smoking in areas where they have food service (at their discretion). IE, if a hotel restaurant saw fit to allow smoking at a restaurant baráand were willing to enclose it — probably with glass — to separate it from a main dining area where minors would be allowed, they would be able to do so.

If you wish to write our legislators (on either side of this issue), the following two gentlemen represent the area of the Las Vegas Strip:

Keep it brief and polite, represent yourself as a regular Las Vegas visitor, and let them know your feelings regarding loosening the smoking ban.

End Of An Era – Folies Bergere bowed out after 49 years of being a Las Vegas staple. Our local paper did a great photo feature of closing night: http://www.reviewjournal.com/media/slideshow/folies_finale_032809/

Earth Hour – Some of you may have read how most of the hotels along the Las Vegas Strip turned off their outside lighting for an hour in honor of Earth Hour a couple of weeks go. We didn’t cover it, nor will we if they do it again.

Over the years, the lights have been dimmed (usually for about 15 minutes) to honor the death of people ranging fromáU.S. Presidents to members of the Rat Pack. The lights were dimmed after 9/11 in honor of the victims as well. I believe this exercise should ONLY be reserved only as a special honor in similar situations.

I’m also concerned that between smoking bans and Earth Hour celebrations, Las Vegas is gaining a reputation for political correctness. Which is NOT why people come and visit.

Even if you recycle, carpool, watch your use of natural resources, drive an efficient car and other “earth friendly” activities, Las Vegas allows you to spend a few days tossing caution to the wind. At time to cut loose. Eat and drink a little too much. Use some electricity (or watch the hotels use it) purely for your enjoyment. Trust me… the earth will survive your visit to Las Vegas.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Bally’s from $49, El Cortez from $25, Fitzgeralds from $34, Hooters from $25, Orleans from $35, Riviera from $56, Sahara from $28, Stratosphere from $40, Tropicana from $40, Tuscany from $39, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Legendary Guitarist Carlos Santana Launches First Rock Residency Show In Las Vegas At The Joint At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Signing on as the first rock and roll resident artist in Las Vegas, Carlos Santana brings his legendary talent to The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino through a multi-year deal with AEG Live. Through 2010, The Joint will be the only place west of the Mississippi where fans can see Santana perform. Titled to pay homage to his most successful body of work to date, Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits debuts on Wednesday May 27 and features the artist’s signature fusion sound in a show designed exclusively for the new venue.

Vegas’ Sexiest Show Begins Preview Performances Peepshow Starring Mel B. Costarring Kelly Monaco – PEEPSHOW, the new, sophisticated, ultra-hot show begins preview performances this week at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Pop superstar Mel B (of the world famous Spice Girls) stars with General Hospital’s Kelly Monaco (“Dancing with the Stars” champion) and The Strip’s hottest dancers in this spectacular world premiere. In PEEPSHOW, Mel B. will originate the role of the mistress of ceremonies, the “Peep Diva.” Kelly Monaco will take the stage as “Bo Peep,” a timid girl who the Diva guides in her transformation into a confident, sensual woman. Alongside Mel B. & Kelly is a sizzling ensemble of sexy PEEPSHOW GIRLS, showstoppers from film, TV, Broadway and beyond who were handpicked to complete a highly-skilled, voluptuous cast unlike any other on The Strip.

Jimmy Buffett And The Coral Reefer Band Summerzcool Tour 2009 – Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band return to Las Vegas for one remarkable performance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, May 16 as part of Jimmy Buffett’s “Summerzcool” Tour 2009. Tickets go on-sale Monday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. Parrotheads won’t want to miss their chance to soak in the full Margaritaville experience.

Keith Urban To Bring His “Escape Together World Tour” To Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, July 18 – As if a night with Grammy Award-winner Keith Urban isn’t enough, now comes word that Urban’s “Escape Together World Tour” will feature the legendary Glen Campbell. Urban, one of the industry’s most explosive and critically hailed live acts, and Campbell will perform at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, July 18.

Metallica To Bring “World Magnetic Tour” To Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, December 5 – Following a triumphant summer European tour, Metallica will return to rock North America this fall for the second leg of its “World Magnetic Tour.” The multi-platinum hard-rock band will perform later this year throughout the United States and Canada and will include a stop at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, Dec. 5.

Paul Anka Returns To The Orleans Showroom May 8-10 – With more than 125 albums, 15 million records sold and 22 Top 20 hits, Paul Anka has been one of the most influential voices in pop music since emerging as a teen idol in the 1950s. On May 8, 9 and 10, Anka will be bringing his incomparable sound to The Orleans Showroom for a three-night engagement.

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Love your newsletter. I had a question. Have you seen the table game limits coming down in this economy? I’ve been visiting Vegas for 20 years now. One of the things I used to love was the ability to walk up and down the strip and stop in at a variety of difference casinos and find $5 craps and blackjack tables.

In the past 5 years or so I noticed all the minimums are $10 and your hard press to find $5 tables. I feel am an average gambler and would think I’m not the only one who would like to see the limits back down around $5.

Keep up the good work,

Randy

Ted Responds:

We had a Members Mania letter about this a few months ago. Certainly a topic that people continue to wonder about.

We have heard word of table minimums coming down on The Strip here and there but no major trend we can see as of yet.

We encourage people to gamble downtown where the minimums are still lower and rules still tend to be more favorable to the player.

It is interesting that gaming wins (what the casinos win in total) here in Nevada are plummeting. Execs are blaming it on the economy. But perhaps they are simply making games too expensive or unfavorable for the millions like yourself who will gladly risk your money for hours on end. IF you can do so at reasonable minimums.

Thanks for reading and telling your friends to subscribe. We are a small company that relies on word-of-mouth!

What is the appropriate amount to tip for valet? Does it depend on the hotel? Should you tip when you drop off the car, or pick it up, or both?

Thanks,

Maureen

Ted Responds:

One dollar when you drop it off is a nice token and two when you pick it up is satisfactory. I’d (more or less) double that at the high end hotels and/or if it is really, really busy. Also, the amount of time they take to retrieve your car should come into play. A little more if they are quick, less if it takes forever.

If you drive up to a hotel you aren’t staying at and they have a sign indicating valet for hotel guests only (or Valet Full), you’ll find out that a $10 bill will usually magically make the valet a little less full. IE, they will take your car.

Me? I usually skip the valet and do a little-known parking garage trick: Simply drive to one of the top floors of the parking garage where you’ll usually find plenty of parking within a few feet of the elevator. Sure, you spend an extra 30 seconds driving up a couple extra floors. But you’ll more than make up for the time by not circling a lower level floor looking for a space or having to park a long walk from the elevator. Plus, the view from the top floors of some of the parking garages are pretty cool!

My extra-top-secret Las Vegas Strip parking tip which I noted here a few years ago? The Casino Royale (just north of Harrah’s) has a four floor public parking garage right behind their little casino. The garage is open to the public and literally a 30 second walk from the Las Vegas Strip sidewalk.

Hope this all helps!

Hi! I read your newsletter all the time. We just LOVE Vegas and love to get all the news when we can’t be there in person. We will be coming for a visit next month and have heard recently that the casinos have stopped serving free alcoholic beverages while you’re playing. Just wondering if this is true?

Thanks,

Kristy

Ted Responds:

A few hotels have toyed with not serving video poker players free drinks at the bar unless someone is playing $1 level or more. Also, if you are playing penny slots and literally playing only a few pennies at a time, you might not get served.

Overall, casinos are continuing to serve free drinks to players.

If you ever get refused a free drink while gambling a “normal” amount of money (IE, not trying to scam a drink while only betting one nickel at a time or playing video poker one quarter at a time), cash out and move to another casino.

LOVE you guys. Having a family reunion next weekend in Las Vegas and forwarded your newsletter to everyone who’s going.

Absolutely the best source of Las Vegas information out there!

Keep on keepin’ on!

Johanna Greenfield

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Easter Sunday April 12
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 10
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 23-25 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 13-15 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 14
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • Mardi Gras February 16
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

April 8, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – March 18, 2009

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AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! We made the “mistake” of driving the length of The Strip (instead of using I-15) about a week ago mid-Friday afternoon. Thought it would be quicker. After all, nobody is coming to town, right? (OK, we knew better but wanted the change of pace). Take a look:


Flamingo and Las Vegas Blvd.


In Front Of The Harley Cafe


Mon Abi Gabi at Paris Las Vegas full of people-watchers. There are few better places to enjoy the Las Vegas Strip in spring and fall than with a light meal and a glass of wine on their patio.


The Deuce double-decker bus next to the fire truck make an interesting contrast. However… look at all the people in line to get on the bus!


The ever-popular O’ Sheas. Where you can still find cheap(er) drinks and lower limit gaming. Plus, people having fun!

Now… some may say “of course it was busy… it was a Friday.” However… Friday afternoon is actually transition time here. Weekday visitors are checked out and headed for the airport. Weekend visitors (many of whom drive in from Southern California) aren’t even in town yet. Las Vegas is still alive and well with people having the time of their lives!

More Pictures From Our Recent Cruise Down The Las Vegas Strip At The Bottom Of This Newsletter.

Hotels In Bankruptcy – Whenever the financial troubles of some of the local gaming companies make national news, we get people worried about booking because the hotel might go out of business. Have no fear: Even now, these monsters are much too capable of generating cold, hard cash to close.

Generally speaking, they are in financial trouble because they over-spent (too much debt) and over-anticipated future demand. Not because they lack basic cash flow. Those who hold the debt aren’t in a hurry to repossess anything. If you think the current crop of MBA’s is doing a lousy job running these places, what success do you think a bank would have? Many big banks can’t even run their own affairs!

Bankruptcy will allow the hotels to reorganize their debt and in the long run may lead to better customer service and more competitive pricing for you (the visitor) because they don’t have to pinch every penny trying to pay their mortgages.

99 Cent Shrimp Cocktail Special – is now available daily in the Players Deli at The Tropicana. The Player’s Deli is open daily from 8 AM to 6 PM. Of course, if you followed our EasyVegasDeals.com or our Access Vegas Twitter feed, you’d already know that!

M Shuttle Correction – The free shuttle from The Strip to the new M Resorts leaves from Capital Grille at Fashion Show Mall. Information and photos from The M plus the phone number to verify and get the latest shuttle information is available in our March 11, 1009 Las Vegas back-issue.

Take Advantage While You Can – For years, I’ve been saying that the “new” (now overbuilt) Las Vegas would allow you to stay in top-quality rooms for dirt-cheap prices. That the market would be flooded with upscale rooms and not enough “rich” people to fill them.

We’ve hit that point. I honestly don’t think we’ll see rooms quite this cheap again once the economy starts humming along (which may be sooner rather than later, as some politicians and economists are now saying maybe things weren’t as bad as we thought).

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to stay at Wynn, Bellagio, or Venetian, now is the time. You can get those rooms for what a mid-level hotel would have cost just a couple of years ago.

And… if you want to brag to your friends about how truly cheap you can get a Vegas room for, our friends atáLas Vegas Hotel Deals have Hooters and The Sahara for as low as $24 a night on selected weeknights (plus great rates on the top-end hotels as well).

Things are starting to get busy around here again. People have quit believing the “doom and gloom” and are headed to town. If you don’t lock up your trip now, expect to be paying a bunch more in the very near future.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Aliante from $30, Boulder Stn from $30, Fiesta H from $25, Green Valley from $80, Palace Stn from $25, Red Rock from $90, Sunset Stn from $50, Texas Stn from $29, Wild Wild W. from $24, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Def Leppard Announces Tour Stop In Las Vegas With Poison And Special Guest Cheap Trick Saturday, September 5 – In what will be one of the biggest rock events this summer, Britain’s great arena rock band Def Leppard will join forces with Poison and special guest Cheap Trick for a 40-city North American Tour set to hit the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, Sept. 5. The three bands have a combined sales of 100 million albums worldwide, 65 million from Def Leppard alone, fans can expect hits like “Photograph,” “Rock Of Ages,” “C’mon C’mon,” “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” “Foolin’,” “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak, “Nine Lives,” and countless others, to create an evening of rock ‘n’ roll unlike any other this summer.

Elvis Presley Rocks a Special Appearance at Minus 5░ Ice Lounge in Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino – The King of rock ‘n’ roll, Elvis Presley has entered the building. Making a special appearance at Minus 5░ Ice Lounge inside Mandalay Place, guests can pay homage to the 7-foot ice sculpture decked out in iconic garb. The King took more than two days to sculpt from two tons of ice and is able to maintain his bonafide style at a chilly temperature of 31 degrees Fahrenheit in the ice lounge. Touting the coolest experience in Vegas, 18 tons of ice were used to build and decorate the lounge from the walls and seats to the glasses that chill the famous vodka-based cocktails.

Rod Stewart 2009 North American Summer Tour MGM Grand Garden Arena, August 1 – Rod Stewart returns to Las Vegas with a stop at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, Aug. 1 as part of a limited-engagement tour this summer. The tour will provide fans with the perfect summer setting to enjoy hits from throughout Stewart’s extraordinary four-decade career. The concert is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist Rod Stewart arguably possesses one of rock’s greatest and most distinctive voices. His trademark voice has successfully commanded nearly every genre of music including folk, rock, soul, R&B, blues and more, even managing to breathe a unique modernity into the classics. Spin has called him “the single greatest male singing voice of the rock era.”

Mac King performs his infamous rope trick for a group of children and parents at the Children’s Park in Town Square to help kick off his annual book drive for National Reading Month. – Mac King kicked off his annual book drive in support of National Reading Month on Wednesday, March 11 with Magic and Storytime in the Square at Town Square Las Vegas. New books are being collected now throughout April 24 at all four Las Vegas Borders locations to benefit Child Haven’s Through the Eyes of a Child Foundation. All patrons will receive a two-for-one offer to The Mac King Comedy Magic Show with their book donation.

Ultimate Fighting Championship« Presents UFC 98: ‘Sugar’ Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida Saturday, May 23 At MGM Grand – In the UFC« light heavyweight division, one of the most talented weight classes in all of mixed martial arts, every bout is a super fight. This will never be more evident than on Saturday, May 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena when champion ‘Sugar’ Rashad Evans defends his crown for the first time against fellow unbeaten Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida in the main event of UFC 98, presented by Tequila CAZADORES. The Evans vs. Machida bout replaces the originally scheduled heavyweight championship bout between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir, which has been postponed due to injury.

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

I’ll be in Vegas in a little over a week. Where is a good place to get coupon books? And in this time of turn down economy, where is the best place to play slots???

Chuck Merica

Ted Responds:

Try the players club desk at each hotel for coupon books, plus your in-room magazines. But don’t waste your time chasing coupon activities unless it is something you really want to do or see. What good is saving $10 on an activity that takes an hour for you to get to and ends up being marginally enjoyable?

As we’ve always said, gaming odds (both slots and table) are generally better downtown. More and more people are combining their visit downtown (something of a ritual for the seasoned Las Vegas visitor) with that one major gambling session. I’m “all in” with that idea. Head downtown in the late afternoon, stroll around and have a cocktail, then enjoy dinner at one of the great hotel restaurants (Hugo’s Cellar at Four Queens is our pick).

Get into a nice, long (and hopefully profitable) gambling session. Remember that he overhead light show plays at the top of the hour from dusk until (including) midnight, which is a great excuse to take a break if your table or machine turns cold on you. Then, hit another hotel and try your luck again before finally venturing back to your hotel. It will be a night you probably don’t forget!

I thought Cher was no longer performing in Vegas? I see Cher is still listed on your “Vegas Concerts and Headliners” section.

Calvin

Ted Responds:

Cher had canceled a few shows quite some time ago due to a health issue. She is not only going strong with her performances here, but has recently added more dates. We have them listed down the right sidebar of this newsletter. Also, you may wish to bookmark http://entertainment.accessvegas.com where we are always adding the latest available concert dates for all artists!

Hi Ted!

Love your newsletter! We’re coming to Vegas in March for my daughter’s 21st birthday and of course they want to hit the clubs. There are different packages on Ebay that offer VIP passes to most of the clubs and they say no cover, no lines. Do you know if these passes are legitimate and are worth it?

Thanks for the insight!

Sharon from LaPorte, IN

Ted Responds:

I can’t vouch for packages off of Ebay and I’d be careful. The worst thing that could happen is arriving and finding out you bought something that wasn’t valid. We’ve linked to a long-time reputable site in the newsletter for years: Nightclubs.com has VIP passes and other nightclub options for Las Vegas and a number of other top club cities.

My husband and I had been planning for 3 years to introduce our son to Vegas when he turned 21. However,my husband passed away a few days before our sons 21st birthday. My son and I decided to still go to Vegas for New Years. It was a great experience for our son though it was bittersweet.

Dora

Ted Responds:

What a touching story and my deepest sympathy on your loss. Hopefully, your son was able to see many of the things that his father enjoyed and I’m happy to hear that it was satisfying experience in light of the circumstances. Taking a (grown) child to Las Vegas on their 21’st birthday is an amazingly popular activity and a great way to introduce them to some of life’s true pleasures.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at I4Vegas Discount Las Vegas Reservations and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Easter Sunday April 12
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 10
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 23-25 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 13-15 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 14
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • Mardi Gras February 16
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17


Work is coming along on the new Hard Rock Cafe (just a little bit north of MGM Grand).


Missing some of your at-home familiar sites? Both this McDonald’s and Walgreens sit just south of Planet Hollywood. Our advice? Forget the expensive mini-bar and grab what you need at Walgreens.


CityCenter is still up, up, and away. Maybe. They need another
$$$ billion-plus to finish it.


More visitors enjoying the stunning 75 degree weather.


Terry Fator and Cher both lighting up The Strip with their respective marquees. Both are selling well.


Tired of the doom and gloom on the news? Trust me… it will be far from your mind as you take a relaxing afternoon stroll in front of The Venetian.

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.


March 18, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

All contents copyright 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – March Yo-Eleven, 2008

Posted on by

AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! Daylight savings time has hit, and I couldn’t be happier. This is Las Vegas… who needs light in the morning when it is cold? You are on vacation… sleep in a little! Especially this time of year with promises of temperatures in the upper 70’s (F) this coming week leading to stunning springtime desert afternoons and evenings.

St. Patrick’s Day 2009 – is turning out to be bigger than ever this year! I don’t remember when we’ve been deluged by so many events, deals, and specials taking place March 14-17. This means you still have time to book a room and get here for the party!

M Resort Opening Photos – As promised, we have a number of opening-night photos from the new M Resort. This billion dollar resort opened on budget and ahead of schedule in the south part of Las Vegas to huge success. How much success? Most hotels over-hire, then quietly lay off people when needed staffing levels are realized. Within days of opening, the M announced plans to hire 250 more employees because of the patron demand.

Wait Ted… Las Vegas is in the gutter. A poster child for the recession. 10% unemployment. Is this a bunch of false hype? Not in the least, nor am I surprised by the success of the resort so far. It sits in what is (for the most part) a well established area of Las Vegas. People who have had their homes for a number of years, who have stable long-term jobs, and a mortgage they can afford. And, the resort was built in an area not served by a local’s casino. That part of the Las Vegas Valley was literally begging for something like this.

Also… we aren’t going to dive too far into economic analysis, but our area’s unemployment rate is largely attributed to the death of the construction and real estate sector. Tens (and tens and tens) of thousands of people flocked here to swing a hammer and pour concrete. Many thousands more to sell what those people built.

Those are the people who are out of work. While that is very unfortunate, take them out of the economic equation (and many of them weren’t part of the equation 10 and 15 years ago), and we’d most likely have unemployment numbers well below the national average. Most established locals still have a job and cash to spend. And, they seem to like spending it at The M.

M Resort Las Vegas Photos

So, is The M Resort worth checking out? Not if you are a first-time visitor. Too much to see and do on The Strip and Downtown Fremont Street Experience. However… if a somewhat regular visitor, take a couple of hours out of your stay and see The M. They have a free shuttle (open to the public) which leaves from the Capital Grill area of the Forum Shops at Caesars. Call M at (702) 797-1000? for current shuttle times and specifics.

More M Resort photos at the end of the newsletter. Always scroll through the entire issue. You never know what you’ll miss if you don’t!

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Aliante from $25, Boulder Stn from $30, Fiesta H from $30, Green Valley from $80, Palace Stn from $25, Red Rock from $90, Sunset Stn from $50, Texas Stn from $29, Wild Wild W. from $24, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Bon Jovi To Rock The New Joint At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Friday, April 24 – Opening week at The New Joint just got even BIGGER as the #1 tour in the world returns to Vegas! Grammy Award Winning rockers Bon Jovi are taking the excitement of opening The New Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to the next level. Bon Jovi will play The New Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Friday, April 24. “We are thrilled to host such an incredible act in the all new Joint,” said Randy Kwasniewski, President and COO of Morgans Hotel Group Las Vegas and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Rehearsals Begin For The Strip’s Sexy New Production Peepshow At Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino – Rehearsals are underway for The StripÆs hottest and most anticipated new show, PEEPSHOW, at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Starring TV personality and chart-topping musical artist Mel B, a member of the world sensation Spice Girls, and General Hospital star and Dancing With the Stars first season champion Kelly Monaco, PEEPSHOW is a highly stylized, full-throttle production show that combines sexy striptease and celebrity with high-level production values and a dash of passion. Tickets are available now, including specially priced tickets during preview performances, for a glimpse of the all-new, modern striptease revue. Set in a new, custom-designed theater, PEEPSHOW will highlight the art of the tease featuring an all-female powerhouse band and more than 20 sexy dancers from film, TV, Broadway and beyond for a show unlike any other on The Strip.

PEEPSHOW is a story of sexuality and empowerment told through dance and contemporary popular music, featuring the “Peep Diva,” a bold and powerful woman with all the answers, who guides the timid “Bo Peep,” a modern woman who has yet to find her own power and sexuality, on a swift journey of awakening and self-discovery during which sheÆs inspired through sensual awareness and blossoms into a sexy, daring, provocative and more confident woman.

Eric Clapton And Steve Winwood Play MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, June 27 – After their historic three nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood announced an exclusive 14-city U.S. tour beginning June 10. Their tour will make a stop in Las Vegas to perform at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, June 27. The concert is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. After a stunning collaboration at the Chicago Crossroads Guitar Festival in July 2007 and much speculation, Clapton and Winwood announced three eagerly anticipated concerts at Madison Square Garden.

Grazie – Martorano’s Celebrates Second Successful Year In Las Vegas At The Rio – Fresh ingredients combined with a unique welcome-to-the-family vibe make Martorano’s an exceptional place for Italian dining. Long known for some of the best South Philly Italian cuisine outside of his grandma’s house, Steve Martorano isn’t like most chefs or restaurant owners. A self-taught Italian cook from the neighborhood, Martorano has been entertaining diners with his unique blend of exceptional food, music and film for more than 15 years at his top Zagat-rated Ft. Lauderdale restaurant. The month of February marks two years at his Las Vegas location in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

Tiger Woods And No Doubt Team Up For The 12th Annual Tiger Jam Presented By AT&T Saturday, May 16 At The Mandalay Bay Events Center – Tiger Jam is back with renowned musical talent, amazing guests and, of course, a legendary host. No Doubt will join Tiger Woods Saturday, May 16 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center to celebrate Tiger Jam XII presented by AT&T and kick-off their first tour in five years. The event benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation and select Las Vegas-based charities. “I’m thrilled No Doubt is kicking off their tour at Tiger Jam,” Woods said.

SushiSamba Celebrates 10 Years With A Special James Beard Foundation Menu – To kick-off a 10-month promotion to celebrate the 10th anniversary of SUSHISAMBA, the culinary masters who have created the extensive and delectable menu will offer a special James Beard Foundation dinner available to all SUSHISAMBA guests. From March 10-19, guests can enjoy the anniversary meal served to the culinary experts of the James Beard Foundation in New York City. Dine on dishes created by SUSHISAMBA chefs Michael Cressotti, Juliana Gonzalez, Koji Kajawa, Jose Mendin and Fernando Navas in celebration of the cuisine and culture of Japan, Brazil and Peru û the spirit of SUSHISAMBA.

The Legend of Pop, Neil Sedaka, Returns To The Orleans Showroom March 26-29 – For more than four decades, Neil Sedaka’s timeless standards have influenced the sound of popular music. Renowned for his work as a singer, performer, producer and songwriter, Sedaka will perform at The Orleans Showroom March, 26, 27, 28 and 29 at 8 p.m. With countless hit singles, platinum and gold records, Sedaka is recognized as one of rock and pop music’s legendary pioneers, with songs that continue to stand the test of time.

Diana Krall To Perform At The Pearl At The Palms – Award-winning Jazz performer Diana Krall is known for applying an artistic perspective and modern twist to a classic era of jazz encompassing the talents of artists such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. She brings her unique sound to The Pearl at the Palms on Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. A Canadian-born pianist, Krall began playing classical piano at age four.

Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali Attends Lance BurtonÆs Magic Show At The Monte Carlo Las Vegas – Muhammad Ali , his wife Lonnie and grandsons Biagio and Nico along with daughter Rasheda attended “Lance Burton: Master Magician” Saturday night. When fellow Louisville native Lance Burton announced that Ali was in the audience the entire audience of over 900 people stood to their feet with a standing ovation that went on for minutes.. Click to Read The Full Story …

Gardunos At The Palms Announces All-New Sunday Brunch Offerings – Gardunos Restaurant at the Palms Hotel and Casino announces spectacular new additions to its all-you-can-eat Margarita Brunch on Sundays at $14.99 per person which also includes all-you-can-drink Margaritas. Beginning March 8, 2009, the new menu will feature the following Mexican specialties: French Toast Caramelo, Chicken Green Chile Waffle ôCooked to Order,ö New Mexico Chili Potato Crusted Mahi Mahi with Chipotle Cream, Southwestern Spare Ribs, Homemade Flan, Warm Arroz Con Leche, and a made-to-order Omelet Station. Click to Read The Full Story…

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Members Mania will return next issue. I know, I know… it is a favorite part of the newsletter and I really enjoy answering everyone’s questions.

However, with the opening of M Resort, us ramping up our Access Vegas Twitter Feed and Easy Vegas Deals, preparation for our new PartyVegas.com brand and too many other projects to mention, I been stretched just a little bit thin.

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

More M Resort Las Vegas
Grand Opening First Look Photos

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 12
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 10
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 23-25 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 13-15 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 14
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • Mardi Gras February 16
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

March 11, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – February 18, 2008

Posted on by

AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! I usually like to start out by telling you how great the weather is (and it usually is). Not this past 14 days or so. Rain (and snow-capped mountains ringing the Las Vegas Valley), clouds, sprinkles, and high temperatures in the 50’s (F) on the Las Vegas Strip.

Oh, wait… that is still warmer than the vast majority of the United States during the same period. (Florida had freezing temperatures about a week ago… where is global warming when we need it). Nevermind! Temps looking to be closer to 70 as this newsletter goes out.

Las Vegas Still #1 – From the Orlando Business Journal:

Las Vegas, long considered OrlandoÆs top tourist destination rival, topped the Orbitz reservation serviceÆs list of most popular 2008 tourist destinations.

HereÆs the complete ranking: Las Vegas, first, New York, second; Chicago, third; San Francisco, fourth; Miami, fifth; Los Angeles, sixth; Orlando, seventh; Washington, D.C.; eighth; Boston, ninth; and Atlanta, 10th.

I keep bringing this stuff up, but at the end of the day the media (in general) has tried to pile on with the “Las Vegas… Nobody Is Visiting… Doom And Gloom” angles. It is getting pretty old.

#1 is #1. And… I’d be shocked if we aren’t #1 once again in 2009. Especially with the very low Las Vegas room rates available right now.

Bellagio Gardens Display Schedule – Most of you planning are planning to visit this year (or already live here). The Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens’ have released their schedule for the 2009 displays:

  • Chinese New Year: Presently Showing through February 28
  • Spring: March 8 û May 16
  • Summer: May 24 û September 12
  • Fall: September 20 û November 29
  • Holiday: December 6 û January 2, 2010

New Newsletter Segment – I’m starting a new segment called Las Vegas Economy, Housing, and Politics that will appear down below More News, Concerts, and Events. We have significant demand for this information. We aren’t just read by visitors but by everyone from those with a second home here in Las Vegas to investors, hedge fund people, local gaming executives and more.

I’m coming up on 16 years here in Las Vegas. Significantly longer than most local TV and print journalists. This gives me a “big picture” perspective and sometimes angles you won’t read elsewhere.

However, we know that most read for the great travel and tourism information we produce each week. Hence… we’ll move the hard news commentary to a separate part of the newsletter.

Billboard Touring Awards Calls The Colosseum (Caesars Palace) The Top sub-5000 Seat Venue For 2008 – No surprise here on the continued strength of Bette Middler, Cher, and Elton John’s many successful shows. Speaking of, Elton John is hanging it up (The Red Piano Caesars shows), but Better and Cher are still going strong. Side note: Rumours of Cher’s show having ended are obviously not true.

Ticket Info:

Girls Night Out Vegas Tip – When I moved here in 1993, Las Vegas was a “guys” vacation spot. Most female visitors were here with a husband or boyfriend. Oh how times have changed, and Las Vegas is a very popular “girls getaway” spot.

My tip? Smooth Jazz Ladies Night atop the Stratosphere Tower in the Romance Lounge (Level 107 of the Tower). From 7-11 PM on Wednesdays, ladies enjoy half-price martinis and other drink specials, plus the chance to win a designer purse. Other giveaways include a $100 gift certificate to Top of the World, a $50 gift certificate for Romance Lounge, $25 in free slot play, tickets for two to American Superstars and tickets for two to Bite. All in attendance can enjoy live jazz by the William Moran Jazz Trio.

Although slated through at least March 11, 2009, this popular event is likely to continue. My advice? Check with Smooth Jazz 105.7 before your trip to find out event status.

Flickr Users Beware – While not Las Vegas related, I imagine we have a significant number of Flickr (public photo sharing website) in our audience. Flickr is a very popular service, but don’t count on them to keep your photos or care what happens to them. This is especially important to those of you who upload your photos to Flickr without also copying them to your computer:

We here had a paid Flickr photo account and had uploaded around 3000 Las Vegas photos to their site. They were all ours (or a handful of PR photos we had permission to use). No copyright violations or content violations. In addition, we didn’t use Flickr to spam our information. IE, we didn’t post links to our site under the photos.

We DID spend well over 100 hours working to be an upstanding member of the Flickr community. We added descriptions to our photos, geotagged them (put on a map where they were taken) and were active in the Flickr community.

Without warning, Flickr deactivated our account. A paid account. To add insult to injury, it took nearly a month to get a reply as to why (and only after a repeated requests). Their support person was downright rude and pretty much simply said that they don’t have to tell anyone or give a reason for deactivating an account.áCould it have been done by mistake or by someone overzealous who failed to check that we owned the photos and they don’t want to own up to the mistake? We’ll never know.

What we do know is that our photos vanished and over a hundred hours of hard work to be part of the Flickr community vanishes as well. From a paid account. Without warning. A web search found instances where this had happened to others as well. My advice? Use Flickr to post photos at your own risk. If you wake up one day and they are gone (including any community contacts you have created), Flickr won’t notify you or care. Even if you have a paid account.

Still unpacking and organizing from the move. New photo sets (not to be placed on Flickr) and other newsletter features coming soon. Stay subscribed.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Aliante from $30, Boulder Stn from $29, Fiesta H from $28, Green Valley from $80, Palace Stn from $25, Red Rock from $90, Sunset Stn from $40, Texas Stn from $29, Wild Wild W. from $23, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Fleetwood Mac MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, May 30 – The legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac has added 29 shows to its upcoming Greatest Hits “Unleashed” tour in April and May. The added tour dates come on the heels of the first leg of dates announced in December, which have nearly sold out. The “Unleashed” tour will make a stop in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, May 30. (Tickets) The concert is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. The tour will include all of the bands’ greatest hits from the course of its extraordinary career. Click to Read The Full Story …

Twin Creeks At Silverton Casino Lodge Goes Bananas With The Monkey Business Cocktail – Swing into Twin Creeks at Silverton Casino Lodge to try Monkey Business ($10) during February 2009, an original cocktail creation from Master Mixologist John DuPont. Monkey Business contains a silky blend of Van Gogh Dutch chocolate vodka, Godiva chocolate liqueur, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, Nocello walnut liqueur and CrÞme de Banana. The concoction is served in a chilled martini glass and garnished with a chocolate and walnut sprinkled banana. After receiving a $3.7 million redesign, Twin Creeks boasts an innovative new menu, signature boutique bourbons, extensive wine list and restyled interior and exterior. Designer lighting throughout three distinct dining areas produces the ideal ambiance to enjoy exciting new menu creations. High top tables in the bar area provide casual dining and conversation, while custom designed booths offer seclusion and privacy. New finishes throughout the restaurant such as wood floors, ceiling beams, sheers and candle niches are all part of Twin Creeks’ transformation into one of the best dining options in Las Vegas. Twin Creeks is open for dinner 5 û 9 p.m. Tuesday û Thursday and 5 û 10 p.m. Friday û Saturday.

Dave Matthews Band With Special Guest Jason Mraz Friday, May 8 & Saturday, May 9 MGM Grand Garden Arena – Dave Matthews Band returns with its first studio album in four years and a 2009 spring tour, which will include a stop at the MGM Grand Garden Arena for performances Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9. (Tickets) Fans will experience the group’s first-ever live performances of songs from the new album. The concerts are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. with special guest Jason Mraz. The band’s yet-to-be-titled album is being produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance) and will be released by RCA Records. Click to Read The Full Story …

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

I’ve been coming to Vegas for many years and have visited at least twice a year in the past 5 years. I love Vegas and I don’t even gamble. We visit during New Years mostly, bet on Bowl Games, flew in from Pittsburgh just to be with a great crowd at Caesars when WE won the Super Bowl year before last. It was spectacular, we were offered a lot of money for our terrible towels. Didn’t sell them. They’re originals from the Iron Curtain days.

Anyway, I am so happy to find this site. Don’t know why I never found it before. I love to hear all the info there is about Vegas. We stay at the Flamingo. It’s affordable and right in the middle of things. I always beg for a room with the a good view of the strip (and thankfully always get it). I open the drapes and see the Fountains at the Bellagio and the beautiful front entrance of Caesars and the big flashing billboards and I know I’m in Vegas and I’m in heaven.

Last year a saw the Family Stone (Sly) at a casino off of the stirp. It was really a great show. If anyone gets a chance to see it GO it was one of the most affordable shows I saw in Vegas. I enjoyed Earth Wind & Fire and the Venetian last New Years Eve.

I am looking for some good places to eat that won’t cost very much. We’ll splurge a few nights on dinner but will have to watch our money. I still going to Vegas and I’m sure there are places I can go, not spend to much and have a good time. Any one with some actual experiences of good affordable places to eat and or places to go, please post it. I will be checking this site often.

Bebe

Ted Responds:

This letter actually came in before this most recent Superbowl (hence the references to the game from three years ago where the Steelers also won). Becuase of our move, we’re a little backed up on Memebers Mania letters.

Just a reminder to everyone looking for Vegas deals: Remember, our EasyVegasDeals.com has been up and running a number of months now. We post various Las Vegas deals and specials as they break. We’ll also soon be launching a separate Easy Vegas Deals newsletter (which has been slightly delayed due to technical issues… we need to upgrade our servers to handle volume).

Readers often comment “I can’t believe I didn’t hear about you earlier!” This is where all of you readers come in. We are a smaller outfit without the huge advertising budget of other travel sites. Our money goes straight into the information and research we provide.

Because of this, we continue to rely on you to tell all of your family, friends, co-workers… hell, tell your worst enemies about our newsletter if they have any interest in travel and Las Vegas! Signing up is free and simple: They simply need to go to our main site AccessVegas.com and use the newsletter sign-up form at the top of that page.

Wanted to see if you can help me with your knowledge of Vegas. I am recently engaged and we are thinking about maybe having our wedding in Vegas however I am wanting to know if any of the hotels or any other places out there happen to have a big suite with a terrace or balcony with a view of the strip where we could have our wedding at and enough people could fit probably like 50+ people. Something totally different instead of a banquet hall setting or what not. Or do you know who I can contact to find this information out?

I know MGM Grand has suites but they are only 1300 sq feet with a terrace and view of the strip.

Thanks,

Alisha Sumpter

Ted Responds:

I absolutely agree that this is a great wedding idea, and many do prefer to get married in a suite with a view instead of the traditional wedding chapel. A suite that large with a terrace is going to be few and far between (and if so, be a very high roller type of suite that will be very expensive). Voodoo Lounge at The Rio has an amazing view and could fit the bill, but renting that out (even for an afternoon) might also be quite costly.

Readers, have you seen (or stayed in) a room that might fit this bill? Or any other thoughts? I’m racking my brain but there must be something I’m overlooking. Email us at the address below.

Hi Ted and Crew,

I live in the UK and love Las Vegas. I have visited three times with friends and family and if I lived in the US I would be out there every other month. My first visit was as part of a tour and Las Vegas just happened to be one of the stops – I was not that fussed either way before we got there and our tour guide said you will either love it or hate it. Well I loved it. I am visiting again in April in a group of 6 and hubby is coming for the first time.

My second visit we stayed at the wonderful Stardust which sadly had gone by our third visit two years ago so we booked into the Orleans which we loved and where we are heading back to this year.

Love your site and use it to research all shows and activities for our trips.

Keep up the good work!

Cheryl from London England

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Las Vegas Economy, Housing, Politics

Obama Says “Don’t Visit Las Vegas” – President Obama’s recent remarks that companies involved in receiving federal bailout money shouldn’t be having business meetings in Las Vegas stirred some anger in both Republicans and Democrats alike (including Mayor Oscar Goodman, D-Las Vegas).

While trying to sound a populist note, the sting of this one may not soon be forgotten. Consider the following:

1. Companies with offices all over the U.S. (and world) routinely need to conduct meetings in central locations. It is simply a fact of doing business.

2. Las Vegas literally is one of the cheapest places to have business meetings, conventions, and events.

Don’t take my word for it. Pick a random few weekdays in the next couple of months and go to our travel partnersáLas Vegas Hotel Deals and see what rooms here are going for. Even top-end rooms at Wynn/Encore, Venetian/Palazzo and Bellagio. The go to any national travel site and see what upscale hotel rooms are going for in San Francisco, Chicago, or New York cost.

One of the companies chided by The President’s remarks actually canceled their trip here and rescheduled it for the much more expensive destination of San Francisco!

3. Obama won Nevada largely on the backs of unionized hotel labor. The very same people are are being laid off because Las Vegas travel is down from last year. Although a small state in population, Nevada is a state that Democrats must keep out of GOP hands in close Presidential races. Will the union members forgive and forget? Be interesting to watch.

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at I4Vegas Discount Las Vegas Reservations and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 12
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 10
  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 14

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

February 18, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – January 21, 2008

Posted on by

AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! We continue to escape the bitter cold that has even enveloped South Florida this past week. Highs generally well into the 60’s although we are having a couple of rainy (yes, real rain in the desert) days as I type. Should be moving through soon.

Speaking of moving… we are in the process of relocating locally to be closer to the heart of The Strip and downtown to provide even a better level of coverage for you! Because of those responsibilities, my sections will be abbreviated this week. However, this issue still has the great Las Vegas news and happenings that you come to expect from us, and we’ll be back with our next issue the first week of February.

Folies Bergere Las Vegas Showgirls

The End Of The Showgirl? – After a nearly 50 year Las Vegas run, Folies Bergere is calling it quits. The 80 person cast and crew apparently no longer works out economically for a mid-priced show. This is a true shame as we’ll be losing one of the last remaining vestiges of “Old Vegas”.

Folies Bergere Las Vegas Showgirls

My advice? See this show while you still can. Many of you may not be able to say that you were ever in the Copa Room at The Sands (where the Rat Pack played and subsequently hosted other big name performers over the years) or that you actually drove a car down Fremont Street (the part which is now the Fremont Street Experience downtown) or that you even saw the Siegfriend and Roy show live.

If you are visiting between now and the end of March, absolutely make a point to see Folies Bergere. Whether you are 21 or 81 (or any adult age), you’ll enjoy this true, living slice of the way Las Vegas used to be. Even the ticket price is easy on the wallet compared to many other Las Vegas shows. Click for Folies Bergere Las Vegas Tickets.

Side Notes: The showgirls are covered (have tops on) in some shows and are traditional (sans tops) in others.

  • Monday, Wednesday, Thursday – 7:30p Covered, 10p Adult.
  • Tuesday & Friday – 8:30p Adult.
  • Saturday – 7:30p & 10p Adult.

Can’t make it to town in time? Treat yourself to Jubilee! (Click for Jubilee! Las Vegas Tickets). Not quite the same, but still that Old Vegas stage show vibe and well worth seeing while it is still around.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Aliante from $40, Boulder Stn from $29, Fiesta H from $29, Green Valley from $125, Palace Stn from $24, Red Rock from $125, Sunset Stn from $40, Texas Stn from $25, Wild Wild W. from $20, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Jersey Boys Is Las Vegas’ Number One Show – Jersey Boys Takes The Top Spot In Las Vegas Review-Journals’ 2008 Top Ten List – The smash hit Jersey BoysClick Here at The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino has been named the number one show of the year by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nevada’s largest newspaper. In a year of stiff competition, JERSEY BOYS claimed the top spot for entertainment in 2008 ahead of such celebrated productions as Bette Midler “The Showgirl Must Go On,” Cher and Donny and Marie Osmond. Click to Read The Full Story …

The Mirage Las Vegas Launches Wine Nights Featuring Half-Prices Bottles Of Wine – The Mirage Hotel and Casino, much like a fine wine, gets better with age. This year, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, The Mirage is offering its vino-loving guests the chance to purchase bottles of wine at 50 percent off the regular price. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, half-priced bottles of wine are available for purchase at Onda Wine Lounge, Kokomo’s Steak and Seafood, Samba Brazilian Steakhouse, Caribe CafÚ and Cravings. With more than 900 labels available, even the most discerning palate will find a wine of their liking.Click to Read The Full Story…

Wolfgang Puck Satisfies Dessert Cravings with the New Seasonal 15-Layer Carrot Cake – Wolfgang Puck invites patrons to indulge in the 15-Layer Carrot Cake, a unique take on the traditional dessert. Director of Pastry Kenny Magana created this mouth-watering temptation which is composed of fifteen savory layers of cake and adorned with candied walnuts, filled with a delectable cream cheese filling and complemented with ginger ice cream. For $12, the seasonal dish is available at Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois and Spago, located inside The Forum Shops at Caesars, as well as at the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, located inside MGM Grand. Click to Read The Full Story …

Special Performances Of The Beatles LOVE To Benefit Nevada Public Radio – Nevada Public Radio listeners and members have a special opportunity to support public radio while experiencing a little love. Two benefit performances of The Beatles LOVE at the Mirage Hotel and Casino are scheduled for 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 5. (Ticket Link For Non-Benefit Shows) All of the proceeds will benefit Nevada Public Radio and must be purchased through Nevada Public Radio. A special feature to this benefit is the “Help! I need somebody” section. When a single ticket is purchased through Nevada Public Radio, that seat will automatically be placed with other single public radio fans. You never know, you might just “find somebody to love.” Click to Read The Full Story and Benefit Ticket Info …

Celebrate Year Of The Ox At Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens – Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens ushers in the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Ox, with a spectacular new exhibit. The majestic centerpiece will be a 15-foot-long ox comprised of more than 10,000 living plants. The ox is the second animal in the Asian zodiac. Just steps away, an 18-foot-tall Chinese God of Wealth and Fortune will stand amidst golden lucky coins. Visitors also will delight to discover a trio of charming, 6-foot-tall giant pandas. Made of more than 9,000 living plants, the pandas will frolic in a lush garden filled with towering bamboo. Click to Read The Full Story …

“Defending The Caveman” Settles In Permanent Cave At Excalibur – “Defending the Caveman,” Broadway’s smash hit about the sexes, will begin a permanent performance schedule at Excalibur Hotel Casino beginning Tuesday, January 13. (Tickets) “Defending the Caveman” performances take place at 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday with additional performances at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. “Defending the Caveman” has experienced tremendous success in Las Vegas, racking-up an impressive 700 performances since its Las Vegas debut in June 2007. Click to Read The Full Story …

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Memebers Mania will return next issue. This is the section where we feature reader feedback and questions and I give my personal insight to help you have a great Las Vegas vacation!

Wish me luck on this move.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Chinese/Lunar New Year January 26
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 14-16 (3 day weekend)
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 12
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 10
  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 18-20 (3 day weekend)

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

January 21, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – November 5, 2008

Posted on by

AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! We took a little time off to let you get the U.S. elections out of your system. Regardless of who you voted for, am I the only one that could go the rest of my life without seeing a campaign commercial again?!?

Venetian Bankruptcy – Some of you may have heard that Venetian/Palazzo parent company Las Vegas Sands is close to bankruptcy. Please hold the “We have reservations there, will they be open” questions. Just as many major U.S. airlines have continued to operate while in and out of bankruptcy, the odds of the Venetian closing down are about the same as the sun rising in the west tomorrow morning. At worst, they will restructure, perhaps give up part of the company to an investment group, and continue on.

Not Your Grandfather’s El Cortez – Interesting recent article about how the El Cortez downtown (which finished major improvements within the past year) and how they are keeping their table game rules liberal (to the player’s chance to win) while remaining a small, family-owned property. Article at Overseeing an evolution – Executive aims to lead El Cortez from storied past into stellar future

Visitors, Open Up Your Wallet – 100,000 signatures were gathers to encourage the Nevada State Legislature to up the room tax another 3% to pay for education. This at a time when many of you are having to dig deeper into your pocket to visit us in the first place. Many locals (especially those not long-time residents) don’t seem to understand that you spend a lot of time, money, and effort to come visit us year-in and year-out. You work hard for your money, and have plenty of vacation options.

Nevadan’s need to quit taking it for granted that tourism will always be strong (let alone continue to grow… as tourism growth is flat). For the record, I was approached outside of a local Albertsons grocery store to sign the petition. I declined. With Clark County (Las Vegas) school district enrollment flat, they can take projected construction and new teacher spending off-the-board and use the money to pay the present teachers if needed.

Anyone Miss The Stardust? – Construction on Echelon Place (a name that still just doesn’t do anything for me) has been delayed until at least 2009. Even in the best of times, I was curious about how The Strip was going to absorb a truckload of high-end places like The Plaza (former Frontier site), CityCenter, and Echelon. The question is whether it will ever absorb that many upscale rooms even in good times.

Behind The Scenes At A Sportsbook – Ever wonder how the lines are set, who the house wants to win and generally what happens on an average day setting the line at a sports book? The Review-Journal had a really interesting recent article NFL Sundays keep book director busy – Even ‘light’ days add up to heavy wagering

McCarran Traffic Down, What Does It Mean? – Traffic at Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport is down 13% from last year, but those figures are misleading. Tourism remains steady. With the local economy (especially that not based on tourism) doing poorly, you have fewer local residents making flights.

International travel is bucking the trend. Traffic into Terminal Two (the dump of a terminal that some charter and all international visitors have to suffer though) has traffic numbers up almost 6% over last year. Canadian based WestJet is up almost 60% on the year. This all no surprise to us as we count a large number of Canadian, European and even Mexican visitors among our readers. With domestic fuel prices coming down, we hope that once again soon it will be more economical for U.S. residents to visit just as often!

Stomp Out Loud To Close – For now, anyway. Stomp has had a great run at Planet Hollywood but was somewhat cursed by playing in a 1500 seat theatre (larger than many of the major production shows playing on The Strip). The economics of filling a venue that large are tough, even for a well-liked show. Stomp may resurface here as the producers note they are looking at other venues better suited for the production.

Stomp is an amazing show of unique nonstop energy and well worth seeing before the run ends at the end of the year. Visit our review Stomp Out Loud – A Journey Through Rhythm and Percussion to decide for yourself if this is a show you would enjoy.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

California from $39, Fremont from $39, Gold Coast from $38, Main Street from $39, Orleans from $42, Sam’s Town from $28, Sun Coast from $63, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

TBS Presents A “Very Funny” Festival: The Comedy Festival – TBS Lines Up More than 25 Comics for LOL Lounge And Brings Excitement of THE COMEDY FESTIVAL Live Online For The First Time Ever. Unprecedented Online Coverage of Event to Utilize Cutting-Edge Technology, Allowing Users to Interact with Web Show Hosts and Comics. THE COMEDY FESTIVAL, a Co-Production with AEG Live, Returns to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas For Fourth Year Thursday, Nov. 20, through Saturday, Nov. 22. (Tickets) Click to Read The Full Story …

Pianist Philip Fortenberry Of “Jersey Boys” Debuts “Liberace and Me” Cabaret Performance For Limited Engagement At Liberace Museum – Philip Fortenberry, a solo pianist, improvisational composer and cast member of “Jersey Boys,” has debuted his new intimate acoustic cabaret-style piano performance, “Liberace and Me,” for a limited engagement at the Liberace Museum. “Liberace and Me,” conceived and written by Fortenberry, offers a loving respect for the spirit and legacy of Liberace and the impact he had in Fortenberry’s life and career. Fortenberry opens his engaging performance with Liberace’s signature arrangement of “Chopsticks,” while seated at Mr. Showmanship’s own nine-foot Concert Grand Baldwin. Click to Read The Full Story …

Frank Caliendo Performs His Hilarious Stand-Up At Treasure Island Friday, November 28 – Comedian, impressionist and actor Frank Caliendo will perform his stand-up comedy routine Friday, November 28 at 8 p.m. (Tickets) Star of “Frank TV,” Caliendo will perform a one-night only engagement inside the Treasure Island Theatre. In 2007, Caliendo created “Frank TV,” a comedy based on his impressions of famous personalities such as Robert DeNiro, Robin Williams, Al Pacino, John Madden and George W. Bush. The side-splitting show is an extension of his popular sketch comedy routine. Click to Read The Full Story …

Do Si Don’t Miss the 22nd Annual Downtown Hoedown at Fremont Street Experience – The Fremont Street Experience is going country for the kickoff party for the National Finals Rodeo (Tickets) on Wednesday, December 3. The stompin’ shindig will feature free live concerts and plenty of two-steppin’ fun. The 22nd Annual Downtown Hoedown brings a rollicking entertainment lineup to Fremont Street with top country music talents Lady Antebellum, Heidi Newfield, The Road Hammers and Mark Chesnutt.The performance schedule is as follows: 1st Street Stage * Lady Antebellum, 6-8 p.m. * Heidi Newfield, 9-11p.m. 3rd Street Stage * The Road Hammers, 6-8 p.m. * Mark Chesnutt, 9-11 p.m. Click to Read The Full Story …

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Celebrates Expansion Milestone With Topping Off Ceremony For New North Tower – The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino hosted its topping-off ceremony for the new North Tower Friday, Oct. 24. A crane lifted the traditional evergreen tree and American flag to the top of the structure as hundreds of team members, executives and construction workers looked on “This is a monumental occasion for the Hard Rock, and we are very pleased to celebrate this expansion milestone,” said Yale Rowe, senior vice president and general manager of operations for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “We have great faith in the resiliency of Las Vegas and while much of our attention is focused on current market conditions, we continue to position the Hard Rock for the future. We are fortunate to be well-funded with partners who have not wavered in their commitment to the redevelopment of the Hard Rock.” Click to Read The Full Story …

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Hang tough… we know that many of you love this section where I answer readers questions and give my personal advice and insight as only a long time Las Vegas resident in my business can do!

However… I am also a working member of our AccessVegas.com team and we’ve been cooking up some great new resources. These are in beta (design not finished) for the next two weeks, but take a peek and see what you think:

  • Easy Vegas Deals – We are starting to post every deal we see or get our hands on when they happen, in real time at our new EasyVegasDeals.com blog. Food specials the hotels send us, both Vegas Strip and Locals casino deals, food, gaming, arts, events, you name it! For the most part, we are just looking to post good and interesting deals. Whether it be a blowout (dollar drinks somewhere) or a significant discount on fine dining or a fun, free event. Note: Site in beta and will not be updated daily until November 15.P.S. If you see deals we have not posted or enjoyed a great Vegas food, drink, or entertainment special on your last trip, drop us a line at allvegastv@aol.com so we can let everyone know!
  • AAA Vegas News Blog – We’ve started posting all of the casino releases and news we publish here to our new AAAVegas.com blog. This is your one-stop source for all of the Las Vegas hotel and resort news as it breaks every day! Note: Site in beta and will not be updated daily until November 15.
  • AccessVegas.com Twitter – We are joining the ranks of those with a AccessVegas.com Twitter feed. No, we aren’t going to tweet (post to Twitter) every single piece of news and deals. For that, you’ll want to subscribe to the RSS feeds of the new blogs (see above). However, we’ll be twittering the bigger, more interesting, and more special news and deals!

Don’t Know Twitter From Tweety Bird… RSS From R&B? – Have no fear. As always, ALL news, deals, and other interesting information will continue to be published in this newsletter in our More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events newsletter area (next section down in this issue).

However, we now have a way for those that want specific news delivered in specific ways to access it quicker without abandoning our core way of getting the very best Las Vegas news and deals to you on a regular basis.

As always, thank you very much for reading and telling your friends to subscribe at AccessVegas.com

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.
  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day November 27-30 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 22 – Dec. 29
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 1
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 19-21 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year January 26
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 14-16 (3 day weekend)
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 12
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 10
  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

November 5, 2008 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – October 22, 2008

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AccessVegas.com Insider Vibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! Lots to get to, so we’ll dive right in:

10 Years For O – My how time flies. I can still remember my first walk through Bellagio and wondering how the new (at the time) Cirque du Soleil show O would fare. Time has given the positive verdict and we want to congratulate Cirque du Soleil’s O on ten years here in Las Vegas. Cirque du Soleil O Tickets

George Wallace Offers Early Voters Complimentary Tickets – George Wallace, headliner of Las Vegas’ “Best 10 p.m. Show,” is offering one complimentary show ticket to all patrons who present an “I Voted” sticker to the Flamingo box office. Early voters may redeem their “I Voted” sticker for a George Wallace show ticket any time between now and November 11. This offer can’t be combined with any other offer and the “I Voted” sticker must be surrendered upon receiving the complimentary show ticket. George Wallace Tickets

Don’t Forget… Last Chance To See Mamma Mia! At Mandalay Bay – Time is ticking down on the final chance to see another extraordinary long-running fixture of the Las Vegas Strip. Mamma Mia! has consistently been ranked as as a Top 10 show year after year, and there is no substitute for seeing it in Las Vegas. Do so before the curtain closes just after the end of 2008. Mamma Mia! Las Vegas Tickets

Local Housing Market – is looking to be in the tank a long time. I won’t spend a long time on it, but a little bit of new news: The highest areas of foreclosure in the Las Vegas area are in the Northwest (and far Northwest part of town in areas like Centennial Hills). Especially for those of you from out of town who are financially stable and thinking of buying a vacation home here, think twice about buying in these areas. Here’s why:

Las Vegas is really spread out. Most of the newer development (including in this area) is a long drive from The Strip. (Long time locals joke that it should be called “South Reno” as it seems like you have driven halfway to Reno to get there). What good is a dirt cheap foreclosure when you are nowhere near The Strip or the airport?

Now… if you are moving to retire or moving here with a family and don’t care about being close to business centers, the airport, or The Strip, this might be for you. New, quiet neighborhoods that are no different than living in parts of Phoenix, Albuquerque or newer areas of Southern California. For those wanting more research:

Halloween In Las Vegas Event List – As promised last issue, we have been compiling a list of Las Vegas Halloween Events. More event notices are coming in every few days, so you may want to bookmark that page, tell your friends about it, and check back often.

Help Us Help You Out – It is no secret times are tight. One of our (bigger) competitors just recently laid off 10% of their media staff. We have no such plans, but more than ever we ask for your support to keep this newsletter free and as jam-packed with information as always. Here’s how to help:

  • Many write and tell us how invaluable our advice and news was to helping plan a great Las Vegas vacation, but then mention (in the course of their email) that they booked their trip elsewhere.Please take a minute to check the rates of our travel partners Las Vegas Hotel Deals. You’ll be surprised at how low the rates are (sometimes lower than the actual hotel web page) and even if they are only a couple of dollars more a night, use them anyway. A very small price to support a sponsor when you consider the time and money our advice saves you on each trip!
  • Las Vegas’ top shows have been long-time sponsors of this newsletter. They buy space every week for those graphical ads in the upper right hand sidebar and make the investment that allows us to put out a great publication at no cost to you. Click thorough to the sites of each of these great shows and explore the idea of seeing them!
  • Help us spread the word that people can sign up for our newsletter (top of our main page AccessVegas.com)! Many of you participate/post to various message boards, travel boards and internet discussion groups. Make a post about us!Also, o you read (or subscribe to) any travel publications? How about a quick email to their editor, letting them know about this newsletter? Many of them would also appreciate subscribing (and in turn telling their readers) because of the wealth of Las Vegas travel news resources we put into each issue.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

California from $39, Fremont from $39, Gold Coast from $35, Main Street from $39, Orleans from $42, Sam’s Town from $36, Sun Coast from $58, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Mandalay Bay And The Mirage To Host Closed Circuit Viewing For De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao – “The Dream Match” – Mandalay Bay and The Mirage will host closed circuit viewing in conjunction with the upcoming “Dream Match” between the ‘Golden Boy’ Oscar De La Hoya and Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao. (Tickets) The championship card, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, will be distributed by HBO-Pay-Per-View and the live telecast will begin at 6 p.m. PST. Circus Circus, TI, Monte Carlo, Excalibur, Luxor and New York-New York will host a limited number of closed circuit seats. Tickets for the fight sold out in one day and established a live gate of nearly $17 million. Click to Read The Full Story …

Usher To Perform At The Pearl Concert Theater On November 21 – R&B sensation Usher makes a stop in Las Vegas and is set to perform at The Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms on Friday, November 21, 2008 at 9:00 p.m. (Tickets) After being signed by legendary L.A. Reid at the young age of 14, Usher Raymond, released his debut album Usher in 1994. His first single, “Think of You” reached the top of the charts and paved his way to be known simply as Usher and make his mark on the R&B charts. Click to Read The Full Story …

Lance Burton Taps Keg At Hofbrauhaus In Honor Of Oktoberfest – Master Magician Lance Burtoná(Tickets) was honored by tapping the keg at the Hofbrauhaus Sunday night (Oct. 5). This is the fifth year in a row he has tapped the keg at Las Vegas’ landmark German restaurant the Hofbrauhaus. Next to the Christmas tree, Oktoberfest is the most popular German custom that Germany has ever exported to the rest of the world. Click to Read The Full Story …

The Smashing Pumpkins Reunion Tour Stops In Las Vegas At The Pearl At The Palms November 29 – Celebrating their 20th Anniversary Tour, The Smashing Pumpkins make their way to The Pearl at the Palms on Saturday, November 29, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. (Tickets) The Smashing Pumpkins – one of rock’s most forward-thinking, influential, and often misunderstood musical forces – commence their North American “20th Anniversary Tour” November 1. Click to Read The Full Story …

American Superstars Show at the Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower to Host Limited Engagement Celine Dion Tribute – The American Superstars show at the Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower (Tickets) will add Elisa Furr as Celine Dion for a special limited engagement through October 27, 2008, announced American Casino & Entertainment Properties officials. ôOur Christina Aguilera tribute artist is taking a break, and we needed a high caliber replacement. Celine Dion is a musical icon with a voice like no other, the adoration of fans worldwide, and a recent record run here in Vegas. We are pleased to welcome the talented Elisa Furr and her amazing tribute to Celine Dion,ö said Mark Callas, who produces American Superstars with his Springtime Productions partner, Donny Moore. Click to Read The Full Story …

Minus 5 Experience Opens First Permanent Ice Lounge in the United States – The first permanent ice lounge in the United States has opened at Mandalay Place, adjacent to Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The 2,000 sq. ft. Minus 5 Experience welcomed its very first patrons with an “Elvis sighting,” an unveiling of a life-sized ice Elvis, complete with signature pompadour, glasses, side-burns, and guitar. On a day when the temperature topped 90 degrees in Las Vegas, the inside of the newly opened Minus 5 ice lounge pushed the mercury to a frigid 23 degrees Fahrenheit, or, true to its name “minus 5” Celsius. Click to Read The Full Story …

Gambling Talk: Limit and Pot Limit Omaha High – with Victor H. Royer. Join our own “Vegas Vic” in the seventh of a series of poker instruction brought to you via streaming video! This week: Limit and Pot Limit Omaha High (broadband)

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

What happened to coffee pots in the rooms? We just visited Vegas within the last two weeks and were surprised to find the was no coffee in our room (unless of course we wanted to order through room service). My wife does not do well without her coffee the first shot out of the cannon. Then we find we can get coffee at the restaurants at the casinos ($3.00 a cup).

Where we were staying we knew we could get a complimentary cup as long as we were gambling, which is what we did. This brings up another story, it seems that where we were staying you could only get one drink at a time, and could not have two containers in front of you at one time. BOOZE i understand, BUT COFFEE?????????

Other than that had a fine time. this was our 9th trip in 12 years and we watch buildings, casinos and coffee go up toward the sky!!!!!!!

T. Dede

Ted Responds:

Excellent question. I remember some years ago (this goes way back) when The Rio removed coffee from the rooms because the health department dictated that the maids didn’t have the proper facilities to wash the coffee pot. Some hotels simply replace the pot with a clean one, others may have arranged to have them properlyácleaned by the maids.

Per getting it from a cocktail waitress, she might have been under the gun to follow ever-more-strict rules. You could try tipping her a little more and seeing if she can hustle for more. However… another option that maybe no one thinks about: There are a number of Walgreens/CVS type stores along The Strip. Stop in and BUY a $10 coffee maker and a $5 can of coffee. You now have coffee in your room for your entire stay, anytime of the day, for the price of what you’d otherwise probably spend on it in a single day. (This is a great tip for bottled water also).

As in-depth as we know Las Vegas, our one weakness may be that we actually do live here, so we rarely get a room. So I toss this out to the readers:

If you can think back to your most recent (or even past few) trips, where did you stay and did the room have a coffee pot in it? Email news editor Mark Jacobs at mark@accessvegas.com and he’ll compile a list!

I have read that you have to wait on line for an hour or more for the seafood buffet before being seated. I & my party of 4 arrive in Vegas on Oct. 26, & planned on going to this buffet for dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 29th. Does waits of an hour or more still apply.

Thank you!

Hap Fairman

Ted Responds:

Hap is already going to be in town by the time this comes out, but I did fire him the following note:

Wait lines depend on buffet, time of day, and day or week. If you really want to check out a certain buffet, go Sunday through Thursday and arrive within 30 minutes after the dinner buffet hours start or wait until about an hour before the buffet closes for the evening to avoid the longest lines.

Hi Ted,

I’ve been an avid reader of your e-letters since our first-ever trip to Las Vegas in May of 2007. We had such a fantastic time seeing all the glitz of downtown, the strip, with the entertainment, and the food, etc. We enjoyed it so much that we couldn’t wait to come back again for a second trip this September, 2008!

With your e-letters and a bit of research on my own.. I’ve learned that deals CAN be found… for hotels, entertainment, and dining… as long as you’re looking in the right places. You have to pre-plan you trip.. decide what you want to do.. how much you can afford to spend… for the length of your stay. Your e-letters helped me greatly with those plans… and I thank you.

I’m concerned with all the talks about on the downturns of Vegas. The economy has hurt many communities from coast to coast in the United States… and Las Vegas is not immune to those downturns. Just the reports on the housing market in the entire state of Nevada alone can make that point. With the cutbacks (in various areas) at some of the casino’s — how has that effected the Vegas visitors gambling experiences? Are the casino’s paying out at all these days?

We were lucky to win $800 on a 5 cents slot machine (at maximum bid … of course) at Sahara on the very first day of our May 2007 trip. We used that winning money towards our other gambling times during the entire week we stayed. In between our shows and sight seeing and dining… we like to gamble a little (it IS Vegas after all)… but we’re not liking the idea of throwing our money away on slots if the machines are hardly “loose” because of the Casino revenue issues. What’s your take on the subject?

Patrick Magee from Upstate New York

Ted Responds:

The downturn in the housing market here has nothing to do with tourism. Too many people moved here and wanted to live the Las Vegas lifestyle without a clue as to how they were going to pay for it. All their friends were getting houses and they wanted one. Add to that the (unfortunate) number of people who bought vacation homes thinking it was a good investment plus the downturn in residential home building, and you had a recipe for disaster.

The condo situation didn’t help. For the most part, only a moron would think that a numerous high-rise condos would work in a city where you can get a 3000 square foot house with a yard and a pool for the price of a 1000 square foot condo. Even Trump Tower here seems to be selling poorly.

The general consensus is that the casinos have tightened slots and table game rules to the point that it is driving away gamblers. People are choosing to see a couple of shows and have some fine dining experiences instead of the disappointment that quick gambling losses seem to bring.

You’ll be able to tell friends and family about seeing Phantom or Mamma Mia for years to come. Similar with what a great meal you had at a celebrity chef or other amazing restaurant. A much better investment then dropping the same amount of cash in a short time at the casino.

We usually get plenty of reader feedback about any problems or changes from previous visits and we haven’t heard much about levels of customer service yet (which means it may not be a problem). If we start hearing about it, we’ll report is as always. The letters that end up here represent what many of our readers are saying!

At your urging, we ventured downtown for the first time. We had this image of seedy, dingy and unsafe. Wow, were we wrong. The atmosphere was delightfully upbeat, day and night, and we never felt unsafe.

We frequented several casinos, restaurants and attractions. Next trip we will skip the Strip altogether! I’ve passed your website onto many people who wonder how we get such great deals. Love the newsletter. Thank you so much.

Tina from New York

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day November 27-30 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 22 – Dec. 29
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 1
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 19-21 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year January 26
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 14-16 (3 day weekend)
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 12
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 10
  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

October 22, 2008 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

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