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  • Just back

    Okay, just came back from 21 days in Vegas. Part of this was upscale with my wife and the rest solo. I'll share a bit each day of the trip, starting with hotels.
    ORLEANS

    I always like these rooms. I wish they had more video poker that was playable. I'd stay there more often.
    With my wife, for three days it was a fine compromise between frugal and upscale. But she told me next trip we will go more upscale, perhaps the Aria.
    It also fit in well with tickets to O and Zumanity and Bellagio and Aria buffets.
    We went to McMullen's one night for a Swithwick's and just missed the two for one happy hour advertiser special. Off the diet potato chips were a great treat.
    We had really rich and decadent oyster chowder at Al's. It was expensive, but a great treat.
    The rooms are always comfortable and quiet. The pool was warm enough in mid October for me and the Jacuzzi was great for my wife.
    She just wants to avoid the noise of the casino next trip. Aria was very quiet when she played her penny slots.

    TRUMP TOWERS

    This was my wife's choice driven by her brother Jim's choice, and I think it was a great one. Folks wanted to avoid the noise and confusion of a casino and this place is quiet and smoke free.
    Actually, my wife was a bit disappointed and thought for the expense it should be somewhat better. I think disconcerting was that the clock could not be set.
    We tried. The bellman who brought our bags tried. Then the maid tried and then she brought in a maintenance fellow who tried. All failed.
    The next day we called maintenance and a fellow came who tried and I could see he was as lost as all the rest of us, so I said,
    "You know, we don't really need all the whistles and bells. If you could just switch this out for a ten dollar digital K-mart clock,that would be enough. I just need to be able to check the time when I wake up in the middle of the night."
    He said he could do that.
    "Great! And while you are here could you try looking at the coffee maker because the coffee plastic slides they left us do not fit this coffee maker."
    He told me that it was an older model.
    So, when we got back from our outings that day we had a clock and a new coffee maker. I would think that might have been done with no requests from us and just as part of the daily maid service.


    The bathroom was huge in this place with separate areas for everything.
    I liked the oversized tub for my soaks. Fashion Show Mall was just across the street and at Bath and Body Works I bought some organic salts called Stress Relief
    http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13066108&cp=12587010.4431583.1 1226124

    and it did wonders for my psoriasis over the trip.
    To took tubs at the D and at the Four Queens,
    but the best bathtub was the large one here in the Towers.

    I also liked the breakfast area. We could have breakfast and sit and talk as long as we wanted without any feeling of being rushed.
    The pool was comfortable.
    There was a shuttle to the Wynn and to Caesar's that usually was easy to access. One time when we came back by cab from some adventure, there was a huge line. No line every affected our travel.

    We walked to the Wynn. It is an easy walk. It is ugly. Whatever Wynn planned and abandoned has left a field of rubble. But it was easy enough to walk it.

    Normally I care little about the room. When I am awake I am either writing on the word processor or getting ready to find a poker game. But with my wife the pace slows. I don't gamble much. So when I am awake, I like comfort.

    That being said I can't say I'd recommend this place. There must be many better alternatives for folks looking for upscale.
    My wife says that next time we should look at the Aria for the upscale portion of the trip. So I better get playing that MyVegas for rooms as well as food and shows.

    For my solo 12 nights I stayed downtown and paid $149 total with tax for all my rooms. That was much less than one night at the Trump Towers.


    EL CORTEZ CABANA

    I always love the Cabana rooms, but I'll try not to stay on the ground floor next visit. I had a good deal, two nights for $50, but I had a rotten first night. I didn't like the first floor because I feel like I was right on the sidewalk. Sometimes I could hear a word or two as people pass; I did not feel tucked in and off the street. I only like the first floor because it is close to ice and requires no elevator.

    I was tired my second night, and I expected that when I rolled in at midnight, I'd go right to sleep. Instead I stayed awake.
    I began to worry about going to the Four Queens around the Life is Beautiful celebration. Perhaps I'd be blocked from walking over to the casino due to closed streets. Perhaps someone would ask for a $100 plus arm band just so I could access my next hotel.
    I was particularly anxious after talking to the El Cortez poker guys. The EC poker room was to be closed that weekend. Folks needed to enter using just one door.
    I called the Four Queens, and they were not at all helpful and barely courteous. I find that so rare at that casino. The clerk did not know what streets might be closed. The city had not told them anything, she said. She could not say how I should make the walk. She was useless, and it was the wrong hour to pass me on to anyone else in the casino.
    She did try to talk me out of walking altogether. In her mind with luggage it was a long walk and should be avoided. Every once in a while I get advice from someone who gives advice I don't need. She was really an idiot. Finally, she did seem to know that the cabs would be working, so I could cab it.
    That did not help my anxiety.
    Finally I did sleep some, but I knew that I would not be able to go all day with enough energy to enjoy the bull riding that night at the campus, and so I gave that up and never did get to see it.
    I should have gone to the Cabana desk and asked. The next morning they did know what streets were closed and assured me I would have no difficulty. I needed merely to walk North for one more block on Ogden and then South to the Four Queens. Fremont Experience was not being closed. Even if the woman at the Four Queens had told me just that small bit of information I could have slept easily.
    I am still angry with her. I should have taken her name and written a complaint.

    One other nice feature of these Cabana rooms is the free candy and fruit in the lobby. I can't eat much candy, no more than one M and M, but each time I passed I could grab a banana or a pear. These, with some Walgreen's nuts make a small meal. I had two pieces left when I went to the Four Queens and they went with me.
    For a guy eating light most of the time and healthy as much as possible, these paid for the upcharge in the rooms over Pavillion or Vintage.
    I am frugal and I don't need much, but I need more than Vintage or Pavillion.
    Also, the Cabana refrigerator is just fine for cold drinks.
    I read of people catching these rooms for $20 a night, but I have yet to find those deals. I'd like to. I don't try to play for any comps here at the El Cortez, as I do at the D, and the Four Queens, so it lets me concentrate my bankroll in places where I get comped.
    I did play some coin dropper 10/7 VP at the EC. I really do like these old machines because the cards come very slowly, and so the experience of the anticipation of possibilities is much increased and so the pleasure of playing.
    Years ago just $1000 run through the VP would score an offer of three nights and two rooms. Those were the good old days.


    THE D AND FOUR QUEENS

    Negative comments have been written on discussion boards about the D, but it still is one my favorites downtown. The room was equal to the Four Queen's room except that the Keurig coffee maker makes coffee in the room too expensive while the Four Queens lets me make a pot of about three cups totally free. I was prepared for the D; I brought along Melita screened canisters
    https://shoponline.melitta.com/product/EFILTER

    and used coffee collected at other hotels in my many travels along with cinnamon. I intended to get some fancy coffee, but I had so much collected over travels and stored in my suitcase that I just used that. Four screened canisters cost about ten dollars. A tea bag placed in the screen brews a nice cup of tea. I keep one screen for tea and one for coffee and that way the two did not blend as they do in some in room coffee makers.
    My buddy in Springville NY has screened canisters with different colors, but I just let the tea bag stay in the tea canister until I wanted the next cup of tea.
    Coffee is easy to get from the maids at the Four Queens. I don't take housekeeping, but I do catch them in the hall, remind them I don't want service, and ask for coffee. They are very accommodating.

    The D $20 resort fee I have read about seems really crazy. I understand the game they play with that on the discounter sites so they can look the cheapest, and so they get more money per room with less going to the discounter. However, I play video poker just enough for 2 for 1 nights up to four nights per month. I booked before the resort fee, but when I checked in the clerk said that my offer would not have incurred a resort fee, regardless of when it was booked. So call and check and see what the deal is if you get an offer. Or call and see if you have an offer. I don't always get the mailings, but if I call, I get the 2 for 1.
    It does not seem to take very much play to get a two for one offer. And it seems that they are using the resort fee just to get good placement on the ranked lists of Vegas hotels. It may be that any offer would exclude the fee.
    In contrast, last trip my offers at Sam's Town have added their resort fee to paid nights, but perhaps there the free nights are scattered throughout the month and not offered as 2 for 1.
    As for the D elevators, I have no idea what folks are talking about who complain about how slow they are. I did not wait long at any time and the wait was always based on crowds rather than the speed of the elevator. They were full of people checking out and coming in at noon when I got my room, but I got up and down from the 24th floor quickly and easily.
    The Four Queens actually had slower elevators than the D. But again it seems of little concern. I liked them better than the speedy elevators at the Trump which went so fast our ears popped. Others disliked this as well.
    They extended my stay for free until 1 PM at the Four Queens, so I could book the D room and look for bedbugs without rolling luggage and then come back for my luggage once I was satisfied. The D rooms looked pretty clean. I vacuum better at my house, but the rest was fine.
    The mattresses looked new and I could easily access them to check for bedbugs. They have that same ridge of material on the mattress as I find at the Four Queens and that is where the little devils would gather were they around, so I think the checking is easier. I do check everywhere.
    No signs this trip.
    The light by the bed had two plug areas that easily accommodated my sleep apnea machine. The counter desk had one for my computer.
    The Four Queens had two desk chairs; The D only one.
    The D view was compromised by that damn screen over the window holding the big stockinged leg. I hate the experience of noir in such views, but I don't much do the view anyway, so it is not a deal breaker. Mine was also obstructed by patches in the screen. Very tacky look.

    I only had the really loud noise of the casino first floor downstairs when I walked out and it might be avoided by going out the back entrance rather than through the casino. Otherwise I used the elevator to get to Floor 2, the Vintage floor.
    To get back late at night I either braved the noise to see the pretty dancing girls or used the escalator to go directly to the second floor and then the elevator to my room.
    Oh...okay.... I almost always braved the noise to see the pretty girls. It is like a strip club without the dollars required as tips and not lasting forever.
    It was average casino loud upstairs on the 2nd floor, even at the bar, but the music was all really old rock and roll, even some Elvis, and delighted me. They have a great Boze system and I heard parts of lyrics of some very familiar songs that I have missed over 50 years .


    Actually, the noise of the machines around the full pay progressive DB video poker in the Four Queens and the shouting of the craps shooters and the hooting of some idiot woman at the blackjack table who must have thought every little win worth celebrating....all these bothered me more than any noise at the Vue bar. It is at the Four Queens that I am considering playing with noise reduction earphones or ear plugs on my next trip. Or I can I play during quiet hours there.
    I do suggest playing at the D along the bar close to the street entrance unless it is very cold out and the opening of the door is bothersome. That gets us far enough away from the noise of the Sigma Derby which can jar on nerves a bit.
    I love the little D cafe. It is perhaps my favorite for a light breakfast and usually one of those is with a $5 coupon. I get poached eggs and mixed fruit and it comes with delightful rye bread and a really gormet taste of jam.
    I ask for cinnamon for the berries and use what is left in my room to add zest to my coffee. I had a ten dollar voucher and grabbed supper, but it is not a place to easily eat supper on my diet.
    I tried the Southern field green salad and it was one of the most delicious meals I have eaten, with tender bits of beef tips, wonderfully grilled eggplant, delicious greens, and a very tasty brown dressing on the side. The rolls were just wonderful small rolls with a crisp outer covering. However, it must be loaded with sugar or the two rolls I ate may have been too many carbs because two hours later my blood sugar had spiked.
    Also, with play, I see that I build up food comps separate from my cashback comps.
    If they keep the resort fee off the offers and keep the good paytable at the Vue bar, I'll choose this place every trip.
    This time I was very smart. I booked my three nights of weekend in October (free) at the Four Queens, then 4 nights at the D, then 3 nights of weekend in November(free) at the Four Queens. I get just 3 nights a month there but weekend nights are included. Moving luggage from one to the other is absolutely the easiest move in Vegas. Out the back door right near check in, across a dead end street and in the other door. If I needed to, I could have taken three trips with no great discomfort.
    And early checkins are very common if rooms are available in both casinos.
    No early check in fee.
    No hassle.
    If they have a room ready, you get it.
    More often now at the Four Queens I don't get early check in because I lock up a room to have later that is my pick. I like the South Tower rooms that end in 26, so that I am at the end of the corridor and have no neighbor on one side. This is quieter and yet I can play TV at 2 AM and not bother anyone.

    So I left my things packed at the Four Queens and played some morning poker at the Golden Nugget, had breakfast and got to the D around noon. I checked into the room, collected my keys, did the bedbug check, all without luggage. Then I went back, retrieved my luggage, and had a straight shot at the room.
    There was a noise at the D that I really dislike. It sounds like a small alarm and perhaps it is, but the source seems to be outside. It probably would not bother most people, and with the fan on in the room, I could not hear it. I used my noise reduction earphones while on the computer and that took most of it away. I read while soaking in a bath and there was no noise there.
    It does not wake me from sleep, but the white noise advantage of a sleep apnea machine covers most small annoying noises. And one interesting trip is that I just pull the covers up over my head. I never liked the stuffiness of that for sleeping, but the apnea machine brings in fresh air from outside my little cocoon. It works.
    So it did annoy me, but it was not a deal breaker.
    I also could just barely hear folks in other rooms here. So it is not the most quiet of rooms.
    And I don't seem to manage end rooms the way I can at the Four Queens. Otherwise I like The D just fine.

    I also am going to try to get bathtubs on future trips.
    Soaking my psoriasis every day with some stress relief bath salts I got from Bath and Body works in the Fashion Show Mall really made a difference in this annoying skin condition.
    Both the D and the Four Queens had a bathtub. It was not as large as I might like, but I could read for a half hour and get most of my spots under water and in the salt. I am thinking again of the huge bathtubs in the corner rooms of the Eastside Cannery. Perhaps I'll pay the extra bucks for a couple nights there next trip.
    I think all the rooms had a safe. I know I used the safe at the Four Queens and at the D.

  • #2
    Re: Just back

    Dewey, I enjoyed reading your trip report. Thanks!

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    • #3
      Re: Just back

      Another good trip report. I always pick up a good tip or two. I am thinking of seeding the "D" this trip. Thanks again.

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