V-Flyer

Hello all.

Just did a panic buy BA Dub Lhr Sfo on 12-20th April as CW came in at £1000 pp. However, hotel prices seem to be through the roof that week. Does anyone know why, is there some massive convention on or is it just one of those price blips that will come down again? Mandarin and Wynn are coming in at whopping £250-£350 per night EEEEK

Seems there is a National Association of Broadcasters 2015 convention on for first part with 98,000 visitors at the convention centre.

That'll teach me to not look before I leap!! Thanks AU Flyer

Clanger, I had a quick look on Low Cost USA and Net Flights. All is not lost.
Net Flights have Four Seasons at 1163.46, Delana at 1102.78, and some better Caesars Palace towers around this price.
You're right though - Wynn, MO etc very expensive for this time.

Thats sounds better. Very kind of you to look. Quite fancy a bit of the Four Seasons. Its that or I can change the flight for 300 euros per person to the week before, will need to weigh up the options....hmmm

Hi Clanger

I made the same mistake of not checking the Convention Calendar - we're there 14th to 20th April! I managed to get Aria at a reasonable rate when I booked back in October - the same room now is currently £ 500 more expensive for our six nights :0

Maybe meet you there!

ScoobySu

Hi Scoobysu,

Wow, bet you are glad you booked the aria when you did! Will let you know if we decide on the aria. I hear it is a very decent hotel. I shall be watching hotel prices like a hawk from now on...

Also remember the exchange rates are very poor at the moment. Since October the dollar has strengthened by 10 cents on every pound. We are going in October and on looking from early December the hotel we are interested in has gone up by £100, should have booked but had other commitments, so am hoping it comes round to a bit better rate soon. :0 Linda

Well, try a couple of days up in the freemont street.

I was looking at hotels for last week back in October and it was sky high (I was also checking out different dates). In december they had dropped. Might have overlapped with CES being in town. When I booked it, I missed it by one day, and the prices dropped.

So try some of the days you want on the strip. And maybe first few (like days of the conference) in freemont street. I know its low roller, but Main Street Station can't be beat for price. It was like 30 quid a night for me last week, including a free buffet per day, the beer is wonderful and cheap. Though ask for a room on the side of the hotel away from the freeway.

Worth keeping an eye on Wynninsider rates (free registration on site) at moment. That conference is a right pain as it's impacting our rates (late weekend -> week after - week of 20)

For our time needed in vegas - Amex plat was £852 for 4 nights Wynn or Mandarin, ie just over £210 a night. Same prices on insider rates.

Wife just booked 2-3 days ago 2 of the 4 nights for Wynn at $250 total for both days on wyninsider, including taxes and resort fees - ie, 1/4 the price of amex - yes no breakfast, but the saving covers that easily. Only was on website one evening - yesterday I think, but we snapped that up. Keeping an eye for the other 2 nights - but worst case, we'll go to a cheaper strip hotel - probably Bellagio, as Amex plat has good rates.

V-flyer meetup- week of 20th a possibility? We're all over California, Nevada, Arizona ,Utah for the weeks previous/after (see previous thread) for all of April

I was surprised by this as well the other week. I always remember Vegas hotels to be very cheap but were much more expensive for my dates in early May. In the end I booked a "top secret" hotel on lastminute.com These can be good value as it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out which hotel it is before you book. I got the Vdara for 3 nights Wed-Sat for £260 all in using a 15% off code. That made it one of the cheapest hotels in town! Don't worry about the prices though, you can win it all back in a spin of the wheel :0

Smid wrote:Well, try a couple of days up in the freemont street.

If you're heading to Freemont street, take a look at the Golden Gate, what ever you do, do NOT book a regular room, but feel safe in booking a suite, they are very nice.

Scrooge wrote:
If you're heading to Freemont street, take a look at the Golden Gate, what ever you do, do NOT book a regular room, but feel safe in booking a suite, they are very nice.

They have some lovely staff there too .
Hope you're taking things easy Scrooge .

DL

Las Vegas hotels are always significantly cheaper mid-week as well compared to weekends.

I'm staying at the Palazzo at the end of June again for 3 nights though this time mid-week. That is working out at about the same as I paid 2 nights last year, simply because that was over a weekend.

Thanks everyone...very entertaining and informative too. Have been looking at lots of the downtown hotels (bit of a scary minefield but fantastically cheap) and may book a few nights down there and then a couple more at the four seasons. In the mean time, have booked the Aria for a hefty $1800 for the 8 nights but its fully refundable so if anything better pops up, I can grab it. I have a bit of a theory in that many people book rooms...perhaps at a few different locations so closer to the date, more availability will appear. So scoobysu....if nothing changes, see you at the Aria for a drink?!- it all looks very nice there and the location is great too. Only 3 months to wait...and try and bag that elusive BA upgrade...

Well done on the BA SFO deal!

The choice of hotels in Vegas is mesemerising. Makes my head spin ?|

I have booked the MO for 7 nights for $1800. Booked direct but found a cheaper rate elsewhere. They have matched this and taken an additional 10% off y) We are not there until December though. I will keep an eye out to see if rates drop further.

Have a great time wherever you stay. And I want to see a full and detailed TR on your return please

clanger wrote:In the mean time, have booked the Aria for a hefty $1800 for the 8 nights but its fully refundable so if anything better pops up, I can grab it. I have a bit of a theory in that many people book rooms...perhaps at a few different locations so closer to the date, more availability will appear. So scoobysu....if nothing changes, see you at the Aria for a drink?!- it all looks very nice there and the location is great too. Only 3 months to wait...and try and bag that elusive BA upgrade...

starquake wrote:V-flyer meetup- week of 20th a possibility? We're all over California, Nevada, Arizona ,Utah for the weeks previous/after (see previous thread) for all of April

Starquake & Clanger - it's a plan y) ! RachelCox is also in Vegas when Clanger & I are there - but both she & I leave on the 20th :#

ScoobySu

I second signing up to the Wynnsider, as I booked the Encore for a quarter of the advertised rate for next month. I know how busy it can be when conventions are in town, but don't forget that it is sometimes still cheaper to book directly with the hotel website - last year I got a great deal for a wraparound terrace through the Marriott website for the Cosmopolitan, using their "best rate guarantee" page, which gives you 25% off the best rate you can find on other websites for the same room.

linb121 wrote:Last year I got a great deal for a wraparound terrace through the Marriott website for the Cosmopolitan, using their "best rate guarantee" page, which gives you 25% off the best rate you can find on other websites for the same room.

Hi Linb121

Do you know if Marriott will deal with a lastminute.com deal please?

Many thanks in advance and with best wishes

ScoobySu

ScoobySu wrote:

linb121 wrote:Last year I got a great deal for a wraparound terrace through the Marriott website for the Cosmopolitan, using their "best rate guarantee" page, which gives you 25% off the best rate you can find on other websites for the same room.

Hi Linb121

Do you know if Marriott will deal with a lastminute.com deal please?

Many thanks in advance and with best wishes

ScoobySu

Here is a link to the Marriott Best rate guarantee website http://www.marriott.com/hotel-prices/travel.mi
you have to book your Marriott room first then send them details of the cheaper rate, but I booked the Marriott room only once I was sure there was a cheaper deal on another website. In my case I think it was either Booking.com or Expedia but I cannot see why they would not do it for Lastminute. Be careful as it is a guarantee for exactly the same deal, i.e. same class of room, and breakfast options (with or without) the same, as I tripped up on this the first time I tried it, but just cancelled both deals and started again.

Maximus wrote:The choice of hotels in Vegas is mesemerising. Makes my head spin ?|

I have booked the MO for 7 nights for $1800. Booked direct but found a cheaper rate elsewhere. They have matched this and taken an additional 10% off y) We are not there until December though. I will keep an eye out to see if rates drop further.

Maximus

If you were playing Wheel of Fortune; the Las Vegas MO is about as close to the jackpot as you will get.

It's the epitome of luxury and trumps my previous favourite, Four Seasons Las Vegas, on modernity, room size and amenities, in both rooms and suites.

The service is impeccable, the view from the bar is brilliant and Twist has some amazing food.

Other V-Flyers (you know who you are) may prefer the Wynn as they get comped, but not being a gambler, I prefer to go for the 'smaller' hotels.

As you are there over a weekend, then the 4S Verandah brunch (0800 - 1300) is well worth a visit; advance booking essential (702 6325121) and, in my opinion, you cannot get a better steak than in Circus Circus at The Steak House (1600 - 2200); booking recommended (702 7943767), most of the staff have been working there for 30 - 40 years.

I'd just add a bit to this - we're now in Bellagio (AMEX FHR rate) for 2 nights, then Wynn (insider rate) for 2 nights. Vegas now 100% confirmed.

Total costs of $600 for 4 nights, and when you take away the generous AMEX FHR value (effectively $200 of food comp), working out at $100 a night - a bargain for the class of hotel booked.

starquake

Keep at it, you may find that, eventually, they give you money to visit.

Sadly the AmexFHR is only available to customers in the USA

linb121 wrote:Sadly the AmexFHR is only available to customers in the USA

Amex FHR is available to UK card members, I always book Las Vegas MO via FHR (online at americanexpress.co.uk) - recenty booked a week for this April.