Las Vegas Tips, Entertainment and News

Not that it needs an introduction, but Cirque du Soleil is a collection of fabulous acrobatically oriented shows, many of which having permanent residence in Las Vegas. The shows feature not only a dynamic display of acrobatic talent, but also fabulous set design, costuming, and general creativity. Cirque du Soleil currently offers five shows in Las Vegas: KA, Mystere, “O”, Love, and Zumanity. If you decide to take in just one show while in Las Vegas, try Cirque du Soleil. Tickets are not cheap, but unless you insist on a fourth-wall production, you won’t go wrong.

KA, playing at MGM Grand, takes on an industrial theme, exploring the ties of two “cirque” tribes. While the plot may be less than innovative, the set is anything but. The main stage of KA is a rotating platform. To use the word rotating, however, is unjust. This is not merely a rotating stage like that of Les Miserables’ famous design. This stage rotates in every angle in all directions. Up, down, vertical, horizontal, you name it, the stage moves. While the acrobatics might be less of a feature than in other shows, the overall impression of the show is stunning.

Mystere, found in Treasure Island, frequently matches with KA for highest marks in professional reviews. The show takes on a light feel, and includes many displays of strength and acrobatic prowess. If you are looking for the comedic approach of Cirque du Soleil, this is definitely the way to go. If you can, try to arrive early, as the pre-show antics are especially entertaining.

“O” is the aquatic Cirque du Soleil found in Bellagio. “O” is billed as a tribute to both theater and the pureness of water. Elaborate scenes take place in, on and above the water, featuring acrobatic divers, and impressive synchronized swimmers.

Love, playing at The Mirage, is a “cirque” which features the music of The Beatles. The stage is a circle in the center of the theater, with seating 360 degrees around the stage. Although it holds true for most Cirque du Soleil theaters, Love’s theater is widely known for not having a bad seat in the house. While its reviews are typically a touch behind those of KA and Mystere, any music lover should see this show. Besides, when the shows are this incredible, being a close second is for all practical purposes negligible.

Zumanity, found in New York-New York, is considered to be the sensual side of Cirque du Soleil. The show is adult oriented, and restricted to adults 18 and over. While still known to be an impressive show, many struggle with the melding of eroticism and love to the light “cirque style”. Still, impressive acrobatics, dancing, and vivid set design await the ticketholder.

Seen them all? Waiting for more? In September 2008, Luxor will open the sixth Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. “Believe” will be a mysterious and magical cirque, inspired by and featuring famous (and weird) Las Vegas magician Criss Angel. Also, not to speculate, but many are counting on an Elvis-themed Cirque du Soleil sometime late 2009. It would reside in the now-under-construction City Center complex. It is rumored to have hit a few bumps in production, but we think an Elvis themed show would be a perfect semblance of Las Vegas culture and Cirque du Soleil’s style!

Without a doubt, Cirque du Soleil is here to stay in Las Vegas. In fact, many consider the experience a staple to any Las Vegas visit. We have never come across someone completely unsatisfied with a Cirque performance, but if you know someone, make sure to let us know!

In March 2008, the Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas became the newest addition to the Las Vegas skyline. Located where the Strip meets Fashion Show Drive, the 64-story Trump International Hotel houses over 1,000 suites and 50 penthouse suites each complete with floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the city. Guest amenities include a fully equipped fitness center, an outdoor heated pool, and The Spa at Trump. Restaurant dining can be found in either DJT, which offers modern American cuisine and signature cocktails, or H2(EAU), offering Mediterranean and Neo-Japanese cuisine.

Reviews reflect mixed feelings about the Trump. Many reported positively about the guest services, room size, and luxurious atmosphere of the hotel. However, others reported negatively about frequent noise from nearby trains, mall, and interstate as well as the windy 7th floor pool area. While the hotel is in fact located off of the Strip and there is no casino, the entire hotel is nonsmoking. Hotel prices range from around $200-$400 a night for suites and $2500-$5000 a night for a penthouse suite.

In any given Las Vegas casino, there are hundreds of different types of bets that you can make. Although you may love your slots, step outside your comfort zone and take a chance at a new game! It is all too easy to sit down at a one-armed bandit and pull (push, these days) away until your funds are depleted.

While it may be an incredibly simple “game” to play, it comes at a hefty price. Slot machines have some of the worst odds in the house, and can eat you away faster than you may think. Even if a machine pays out over 90%, you should never expect to only lose 10% of your bets in any given session. Keep in mind that the payout percentage includes jackpots, and you’ll have to sit there for awhile before your volatility settles into that 90% figure.

Are you ready to get away from the slots? Great! Here’s your first game to try: mini-baccarat. Mini-baccarat is just a slot machine played with a deck of cards. There is absolutely no strategy involved. None. Zip. Nada. The dealer deals out the cards, and you win or lose. Sure there is a methodology behind it, but the only decision you’ll need to make is choosing your bet.

Ready for something a little more involved? Try blackjack. One popular reason people shy away from blackjack is intimidation. This is nonsense. There is absolutely no need to ever feel intimidated at a table game. Read a quick rundown of the basic strategy, sit on the dealer’s right side (this gives you the maximum time to think about your hand before it’s your turn to play), and enjoy yourself! You’ll pick up on it faster than you think.

If you think table games are too complicated, you’re fooling yourself. Most games are incredibly easy to play. Take craps for example. If you’re not in the know, the game looks daunting! From the betting lingo, to the confusing table layout, to the dice, it seems like a foreign language. But, this game is way too much fun to pass up. Spend five minutes reading up on craps rules, and you’ll be good to go. Jump onto the rail and start with a simple pass bet. From there, slowly expand your arsenal of bets as you watch and learn from others. All in all, craps is extremely social. Not only will your bankroll rise and fall with those around you, 90% of them will be more than willing to teach you a few things as you play the game.

The final step is to go out and explore all the other games that a casino has to offer. Believe it or not, casinos have much more to offer than slots, blackjack, craps, and roulette. Here is an extensive list of Las Vegas casino games. Try something new. You might just find your new favorite game!

Hopefully by now you’re over your fear of table games. If you still don’t feel comfortable, attend a free gambling lesson offered by the casinos. Ask your hotel’s front desk for daily schedules when you check in (they’re usually offered mid-day). In the end, just make sure you don’t miss out on the fun because you were too afraid to give table games shot. Not only are they often a better bet than slot machines, they’re social, and that will only add to your gambling entertainment!

**For a quick rundown on gambling etiquette, lingo, and game rules, check out VegasClick.com’s Crash Course in Gambling.

Once you’ve successfully landed in Las Vegas and retrieved your luggage, the last thing you want to do is wait in line to reach your hotel destination and start winning big. While the most common and obvious way to get from the airport to your hotel is via cab, your excitement may come to a halt once you see the outrageously long line you’ll need to wait in just to get one. This Disney World-sized line seems to endlessly wrap up and down the sidewalks outside of the airport and may not seem like the best way to start an exciting vacation. Not to worry, there are other (and cheaper) options!

The money-savvy experienced travelers will always explore the Las Vegas shuttle option before any other mode of transportation to and from the airport as it is undoubtedly cheap and convenient. Showtime, Gray Line, and Bell Transportation, just to name a few, offer shuttle buses between the airport and various Strip and downtown hotels seven days a week. You can purchase tickets and catch one of these shuttles just outside the north and west sides of baggage claim (specifically outside door exits 8-14 in case you’re lost). You might have to wait for the bus to fill up before leaving the airport and may make a couple stops at other hotels to drop off other passengers before reaching your destination, but for the cost, it’s worth it! Prices range anywhere between $8-$15 round-trip or $5-$7 one-way. This beats paying $15-$20 for a cab and waiting 25 minutes in line any day–not to mention avoiding the risk of having the cabby take the “scenic route” to your hotel!

If you buy a round-trip shuttle bus ticket at the airport, be sure to hang on to it for your return trip to the airport. Ask your driver how far ahead of time you should call for pick-up at your hotel.  At the end of your Las Vegas stay, just pick up the hotel house phone and ask to be connected to your shuttle-bus company and arrange for pick-up!  No matter how much you gambled away during your stay, this pre-paid option is a guarantee to getting you back home!

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Here comes summer! Vegas Hotel Hunt is in full swing and the Summer 2008 Deals are rolling in every day. If you’re still trying to decide which hotel to stay at, while price is undoubtedly the most important factor, hotel location is probably number two. Not sure which hotels are where? Try checking out our new mapping tool, Vegas Vision. It is a map of The Las Vegas Strip which uses Google’s Street View technology to give you a real look at each hotel. You can travel up and down the street, jump from hotel to hotel, change your view, and explore Las Vegas! It’s a great tool to get a feel for the layout and spacing of hotels on The Strip. Even if you’re a Vegas veteran, it is still fun to cruise up and down Las Vegas Boulevard, checking out the new hotels that have opened since your last trip (try Palazzo), and to also reminisce on your favorite Vegas memories.

As always, we’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment or use our Contact Form to let us know what you think about Vegas Vision!

Every year, Las Vegas hotels spend millions to try to lure you into their casinos. Before you gamble a dime, however, you need to be on their property. What better way to get you there than offering free entertainment? The Las Vegas Strip is full of free attractions, events, and shows. Many of these productions are absolutely fabulous, and are worth seeing every chance you get. For example, the Bellagio Fountains are incredible. They are gorgeous at night (especially for those of you lucky enough to be watching them from a Bellagio fountain view suite), and worth watching again during the day. Unfortunately, not every free show is on par with The Fountains. The quality of shows really runs the gamut, all the way from the stupendous to the downright embarrassing. That’s not to say that they all aren’t worth a visit, however!

Take for example the animatronics in the Forum Shops at Caesars. While seemingly a little dated, less than classy, and a little cheesy, they are still fun. Even if it just isn’t your ticket, you probably won’t be able to keep yourself from laughing at the hoards of people who’ve gathered around just to see a few flames, fireballs, and robots speaking in a room with terrible acoustics.

Perhaps equally cheesy is the Sirens of TI spectacle at Treasure Island. From the lip syncing to the absurd songs, it isn’t about to win the Tony for Best Musical. Still, you’d be surprised at how packed the “docks” of TI are at show time! Some may cite the fireworks, pyrotechnics, and dancing “sirens”, but come on! The real draw is seeing a pirate ship the middle of the desert! And, like it or not, you’ll probably find yourself joking with your friends as you incessantly try to get those snappy song lyrics out of your head (something about honey and shaking?).

Needless to say, there are lots of free things to do in Las Vegas. And, if you’ve got a few bucks to spare, your choices are nearly limitless. While sometimes lacking the wow-factor, odds are you’ll get at least a sprinkle of entertainment out of each one. If not, take comfort in knowing you’re only steps away from a casino resort with hundreds of other things to do (ut-oh, their marketing scheme worked!).

Want a sneak peek? Use the playlist below to check out some of the free Las Vegas attractions.

It is not uncommon that you hear of someone running to the casino to make a big first bet as soon as they land in Las Vegas.  Whether it’s red 18 on the roulette wheel, or a Yo at the craps table, that precious first bet might just be a nice predictor of your luck for the rest of the trip.  Unfortunately, as any statistician will pound into your head, more often than not, you will lose that first bet, which by no coincidence will likely be the tone for the rest of the trip.

 While most gamblers understand that the odds are stacked against them, there may still be one bet in Las Vegas that may give you an edge: The Twenty Dollar Tip. 

Tipping the front desk attendant can pay dividends!  When checking in at a Las Vegas hotel, you will always be asked for your credit card and state ID.  Try sandwiching a twice folded $20 bill between the two cards and politely ask, “Are there any complimentary room upgrades available?”  You would be surprised at what this easy trick can accomplish.  From complimentary champagne, to rooms with better views, and even suites, Mr. Jefferson can bring you a lot!  And, as if this wasn’t a nice enough bet already, often when the attendant isn’t willing/able to divy out an upgrade, you will be given your $20 back.  You won’t find that at a craps table! 

Still not sure? Try checking out FrontDeskTip.com for some great stories about this trick.

You may feel a little bit nervous, but as we pointed out in our last post, Las Vegas runs on tips (something front desk attendants are usually left out of).  Unless your attendant is a rookie, he/she will know exactly what you’re after.  Give it a shot.  What if it fails and you lose your $20?  Well, you just lost your first bet, welcome to Las Vegas!

If you’re a regular at Vegas Hotel Hunt, you may have noticed a few changes. Besides a couple design improvements, we’ve decided to add a few lighter posts on our blog. We understand that while you may not always be planning our next trip to Las Vegas, it is still fun to stay in the loop of Sin City. While the primary focus at Vegas Hotel Hunt is to find the best hotels rates around, we still know a few other websites that can help give you that Las Vegas fix. With the addition of these posts, we hope to bring to you some fun online resources for your own Las Vegas pleasure. From travel tips, to Las Vegas news, to just plain entertainment, we hope we can show you the lighter side of Vegas Hotel Hunt!

Beyond our new blog posts, we also wanted to let you know that we’re continually expanding our All-In-One search to include more and more online booking sites. Just recently we added TravelRes to the search, a booking engine with very competitive rates for Las Vegas hotels. Finally, all of the Spring 2008 package deals are flowing in, so take advantage of them before the hotels are booked, and enjoy a spring getaway in fabulous Las Vegas!

Everyone who has ever gambled in a Las Vegas hotel knows about the cocktail waitresses that come around, enticing you to keep gambling by offering free drinks.  What’s the price of a gin and tonic to them when you sit at the blackjack table for another half hour enjoying a drink (or worse, gamble irresponsibly from inebriation)?  What’s it matter to you though?  You came to Vegas to have a great time.  Free drinks?  A win-win situation.

To be more succinct, while the drinks are free, the service is not.  Cocktail waitresses/waiters (don’t worry Rio, I didn’t forget about your male servers), work hard and expect a tip.  Now, I’ll be the first to say that tips should not be something seen as a guarantee.  To Insure Prompt Service, right?  Given that, though, I would be hard pressed to find an instance when a cocktail waitress didn’t deserve a tip.  These people work long, hard hours on their feet (often in high heels)!  The question that comes then, is how much are we supposed to tip these waitresses?  Well, if you want the facts straight from the horse’s mouth, just listen to Dollie, a cocktail waitress gone webmaster over at Cocktaildoll.com.

While her site doesn’t look too fancy, Dollie has pages and pages on everything you could possibly want to know about the job of a cocktail waitress.  Many pages of the site are pretty useful, giving you tips on how to tip the waitresses, what they expect from you, and what you should expect from them.  Other pages such as “who orders what?” and her frequently asked questions have a lighter, sometimes comical tone.  Check out her site, and enjoy the free drinks!

With that, have you ever been at a casino just waiting and waiting for that cocktail waitress to come?  Well, if you plan on staying for awhile, and you’re sitting at a machine (I’m not sure how well this would work at a table, as their rounds seem to be better defined), give the cocktail waitress a large tip when she brings you your first drink.  More often than not, they’ll be back around before you can finish your first drink.  For additional drinks, just go back down to something more normal (say, $1).  It’s really amazing what a nice gesture on the first drink can do!