Vegas Hotel Deals and Casino Offers

Over the last twenty years through 2010, we have paid homage to this gambling mecca several times. The earlier visits were vanilla ones as they were more of stopovers en-route to other attractions. The glitz of Las Vegas increased exponentially as we witnessed the build-up of Mega Resorts on the heels of the first such resort, the Mirage in 1989. Last year (2009) Las Vegas hosted close to forty million visitors. Vegas population increased by more than a third in the last ten years – the previous ten years saw a population appreciation of 85% - Vegas relocation is a huge growth area. By the mid-2000’s, Las Vegas made another shift with the announcement of a number of Super Mega Project announcements. Many of those projects are delayed as the economic crisis deepened.

A combination of factors makes Las Vegas a hot spot for both visitors and residents alike. Although gambling continues to be the mainstay, the availability of hotel rooms in abundance (around 160,000 as of last count) makes it large event friendly. Some of those events are known to bring in over 100K in attendees. The big events include the CES Expo; Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show; World Market Center; and World Concrete Show all in January; Kitchen/Bath Industry Show in April; World Market Center Summer Show and Magic International Annual Fall Show in August, and the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week in November. Visitor headcount as convention and event delegates/attendees exceed four million annually. Avoiding big event dates when scheduling a trip to Vegas is definitely encouraged – for the area gets even more crowded, room rates climb higher (double or more is normal), and deals are harder to come by as well.

Choosing a place to stay can be overwhelming in Las Vegas – finding a room is easy but deciding on which one can be an entirely different ballgame. Best Vegas Hotel Deals usually come by Sunday through Thursday during non-holidays. The stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard between Sahara Avenue and Russell Road (North to South) is the world famous Las Vegas Strip.

Vegas Hotel Deals and Casino Offers from a variety of properties on the strip (listed North to South) as of early 2010 follow:

Property	Thumbnail	Room Type	Best Rate Including Taxes	Description	Entertainment options
Sahara Hotel and Casino (Stockbridge SBE)		Standard – NS – 2 Queen Beds	$78	Moroccan flavored casino hotel with over 1700 rooms - opened in 1952. Renovated and changed ownership multiple times. Original Ocean’s Eleven (1960) was filmed here.	NASCAR themed speedway, arcade, and a rollercoaster. Casbar Lounge and The Comedy Stop. The Magic and Tigers of Rick Thomas and Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show.
Stratosphere Las Vegas (Whitehall Street Real Estate Fund)		Deluxe Guest Room – 2 Queen Beds	$48	Opened in 1996 with over 2400 rooms. Tallest Tower in Vegas.	Two observation decks on the tower, “Top of the World” revolving restaurant, Rides: Big Shot - the highest thrill ride in the world at 329m, Insanity - another thrill ride that spins riders over the edge of the tower, SkyJump Las Vegas – Bungee jumping-like ride with a descent of 261m, and X-Scream – another thrill ride.
Circus Circus (MGM Resorts International)		Skyrise Tower – 2 Queen Bed – NS	$44	Circus themed – opened in 1968 with close to 3800 rooms. The casino’s midway is featured in the Bond movie Diamonds are Forever.	Free Permanent Circus Show, Adventure Dome Theme Park, $25 all-you-can eat all-day buffet is good value.
Riviera (Riviera Holdings)		2 Double Bed Room	$119 – 3rd and 4th person charged at $20 extra	Opened in 1955 – one of the oldest Casino Resorts. 2100 rooms.	Crazy Girls Topless Show and ICE – an ice skating show featuring Russian skaters.
Wynn Las Vegas (Wynn Resorts)		Panoramic View Room – 2 Queen Beds	$325 – 3rd & 4th person charged at $50 extra	AAA 5 diamond award luxury resort casino – opened in December 2008 with over 2000 rooms.	Encore Beach Club, Surrender Nightclub, and XS Nightclub. Encore Theatre – Beyonce Knowles and Garth Brooks shows.
Treasure Island		Standard Room	$74	Opened in 1993. Close to 2900 rooms.	Sirens of TI live pirate show – FREE every 90-minutes, Cirque du Soleil Production Mystere.
Casino Royale (Tom Elardi)		Two Double Beds – NS – Standard	$70	152 rooms - Previously Travelodge rooms. Opened in 1978 as Nob Hill. Reopened 1992 as Casino Royale. Focus on low-rollers.	Great coupon source. Timeshare marketing promotors also give out Casino Royale slot play coupons.
The Mirage (MGM Resorts International)		Deluxe Room – NS – two queen beds	$215	French Polynesian themed Casino and Luxury Hotel opened in 1989. Over 3000 rooms.	Artificial Volcano eruption show every hour on the hour from 5-11 – FREE. Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. Love – Cirque du Soleil theatrical production. The gold windows used actual gold dust in the tinting processs during construction – distinct and unique until the Trump property came online. Venue of the famous Siegfried & Roy show that closed in 2003 after Roy Horn got injured by a white tiger.
Harrahs (Harrah’s Entertainment)		Classic – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$148	Carnival Themed casino opened in 1973. Close to 2700 rooms. Previously Holiday Casino. Renamed in 1992 as Harrah’s and renovated in 1997	Carnival Court Theatre.
Imperial Palace (Harrah’s Imperial Palace Corporation)		Deluxe – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$134	Chinese/Asian themed casino opened in 1979. Over 2600 rooms.	Largest Classic Car Showroom in the world with over 250 on display and most for sale.
Flamingo (Harrah’s Entertainment)		Deluxe – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$130	Miami/Art Deco themed casino opened in 1946. Over 3600 rooms.	Wildlife Habitat. Mob connections immortalized in the movie “Bugsy”.
Caesars Palace (Harrah’s Entertainment)		Roman Tower Room – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$215	Roman Empire themed – opened in 1966. Over 3300 rooms.	Forum Shops Luxury Mall with over 160 stores – highest grossing mall in America with tentants such as La Perla & Versace.
Bill’s Gambling Hall and Saloon (Harrah’s Entertainment)		Classic Room – 2 Queen Beds	$108	San Francisco themed casino opened in 1979. Close to 200 rooms.
Bally’s Las Vegas (Harrah’s Entertainment)		South Tower Classic – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$168	Cosmopolitan themed casino opened in 1973. Over 2800 rooms.	The long running show Jubilee! – a topless show for over 18 as of 01/2009. Garden Walkway. Shopping below game level.
Bellagio (MGM Resorts International)		Deluxe Room – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$279	Bellagio (Italy) themed Luxury AAA Five diamond hotel opened in 1998. Close to 4000 rooms.	Cirque du Soleil’s aquatic production “O”. 8-acre lake in front with a dancing fountain with music. Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
Paris Las Vegas (Harrah’s Entertainment)		Luxury – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$201	Paris Themed – opened in 1999. Almost 3000 rooms.	Replica of Eiffel Tower and other Paris attractions in front. Paris is marketed towards gay and lesbian travelers.
Planet Hollywood (Harrah’s Entertainment)		Hollywood Hip – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$190	Hollywood themed – opened in 1998 as “The Aladdin”. Reopened in 2007 as Planet Hollywood. About 2600 rooms.	Miracle Mile Shops – around 140 stores and 15 restaurants through the Desert Passage. Mezannine above Casino for guests to relax – Planet Hollwood showroom that feature different live shows are hosted here.
Aria Resort & Casino (MGM Resorts International & Infinity World Development)		Deluxe Queen Room – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$190	Urban themed Luxury Hotel opened in 12/2009 with over 4000 rooms.	Viva Elvis show by Cirque du Soleil.
Monte Carlo (MGM Resorts International)		Deluxe Room – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$139	Opened in 1996 in the Monte Carlo theme with over 3000 rooms.	Magic show at the Lance Burton Theater.
New York-New York (MGM Resorts International)		Skyline Room – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$160 (3rd & 4th person may be charged $30 more)	“New York City” themed – opened in 1997 in the with over 2000 rooms.	Manhattan Express roller coaster. Zumanity, a Cirque du Soleil cabaret style production (over 18 only).
MGM Grand Las Vegas (MGM Resorts International)		Grand Tower Room – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$106	Hollywood themed hotel opened in 1993 with close to 7000 rooms – second largest hotel in the world behind Venetian.	Lion Habitat right inside the casino area. Cirque du Soleil production Ka. Studio 54, a recreation of New York’s Studio 54 nightclub.
Excalibur (MGM Resorts International)		Widescreen Tower Room – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$76	Camelot themed hotel opened in 1990 with over 4000 rooms.	Wedding Chapel. Thunder from Down Under show. Large pool area.
Tropicana Las Vegas (Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel and Resort Inc.)		Deluxe Room	$111	South Beach Miami themed hotel opened in 1957 with over 1600 rooms.	Hypnosis Unleashed show and Comedy Shows.
Luxor (MGM Resorts International)		Tower Deluxe Room – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$115	Contemporary Thebes themed hotel opened in 1993 with over 4400 rooms. One of the most recognizable structures in Las Vegas.	LAX Nightclub. “Criss Angel: Believe” show featuring magician Chris Angel in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil.
Mandalay Bay (MGM Resorts International)		550 DR Room – 2 Queen Beds – NS	$275	Southeast Asia themed hotel opened in 1999 with over 3300 rooms. Top three floors are penthouses while floors 35-39 are the five-star AAA Five-Diamond Four Seasons Hotel.	The Lion King show. Shark Reef Aquarium. House of Blues. Giant heated wave pool, with a connecting pool for small children, and a river with a waterfall. European-style pool (Moorea – over 21 only – topless option).

* Palazzo, Wynn Encore, Venetian, Vdara (condos only), THEhotel, The Signature (condos only), Mariott’s Grand Chateau (villas only), Trump Hotel, and Mandarin Oriental have “all suites” or condos and hence did not make this list.

Our most recent stay (Fall 2009) was at the Stratosphere Las Vegas where the deals were just outstanding – less than $40 for a room with two queen beds on the higher floors and the icing on the cake was free tickets for all four of us to the top of the towers – the panoramic view of the entire strip from the lookout is a not-to-be-missed attraction in its own right.

As for relocating to Vegas, one has to be able to adjust to desert weather or “mild desert weather” as the locals describe it – outside, the air is stuffed and mushy, while indoors is all air-conditioned, not to mention the general concrete feel to the place. Las Vegas relocation do not rank for people with young children. On the plus side there is no state income tax and unemployment rate is low - there are many startups and call-centers/IT hubs focused in the area primarily enticed by the low costs. Property taxes are also comparatively low.

Attractions near Vegas include:

1. Grand Canyon National Park is around 5-hours away and the Death Valley National Park is less than two hours away.
2. Hoover Dam located thirty miles South-East of Vegas on Highway 93 is a great day-trip option.
3. Lake Mead National Recreation Area located thirty miles South of Vegas on Highway 93 has several developed beaches, marinas and campgrounds with a variety of recreational options including boating, fishing, kayaking, and waterskiing. Houseboat rentals on a daily/weekly basis are available as well.
4. Twenty miles west of Vegas (NV-159 onto Redrock Canyon road) is the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. There is a 13-mile scenic drive along with hiking trails. 

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3. Reno Hotel Deals and Casino Offers.

Last Updated: 02/2011.

Reno Hotel Deals and Casino Offers

Reno is the largest city in the state of Nevada after the three big cities in the Las Vegas area – Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson. It is about 30 miles North of Carson City, the Capital via scenic route 395. Reno proclaims itself as the Biggest Little City in the World – despite its size, the city focuses on providing outstanding service to visitors so as to keep them coming. The city of Sparks is nearby and the combined area including other nearby suburbs is called Truckee Meadows – named after Truckee River that crosses the valley through Reno. The entire Truckee Meadows area has a population of over 400,000. The city is just 15 miles east of the California border. It is around 5,000 feet above sea level on one of the Eastern slopes of the Sierra Mountains. Reno receives just about 7.5 inches of average annual rain fall and has a Steppe Climate. Daytime temperatures can be in the 90s (100s possible) and fall below 40s in the night during summer. Winter months (December & January) feature mild snowfall & icy hazardous road conditions occur occasionally. The area is distinctively windy throughout the year.

The state of Nevada legalized casino gambling and passed liberal divorce laws in the 1930s in a bid to keep the economy humming as the mining boom that started in the 1860s started to wane. Liberal tax laws was introduced beginning in the 1950s, again as a ploy to attract businesses which otherwise would settle in California or other states with more resources. More recently, huge entertainment oriented events has been a focus aimed at driving more business to the state. The combination of these factors has created a diverse economy that lead to the home construction boom-bust-cycle in the 21st century – the median home price has plunged from the $400,000 range in the 2006 bubble-peak to around $225,000 as of August 2010.

Reno was regarded the divorce capital of the world until the mid-twentieth century when other states & countries overhauled their divorce laws. The key legislation that allowed for easier divorces is the reduction of residency requirement from three months to just six weeks in 1931. Another key reason people choose Nevada is an easy procedure for marriage annulment which declares marriage as not valid – this allows bypassing of the 50/50 split in community property states including both California & Nevada. Introduction of more lenient divorce laws in other states along with competition from countries such as Dominican Republic (single day residency requirement, but not a US jurisdiction) and Guam (5-day residency requirement and it is in US jurisdiction) has eroded Reno’s business over the years. Even so, Reno remains a major center for people seeking divorces.

Reno is called Sin City, although it is well behind Las Vegas and Atlantic City in terms of providing adult oriented entertainment. Further, its gaming revenues have declined rapidly in recent times as competition from Indian Casinos in California has diverted business. Nevertheless, gambling remains big business in the Reno area with the resort-room count at over 13,000.

Reno Hotel Deals & Casino Offers from a variety of properties in the Reno/Sparks area as of early 2010 follow:

Property	Thumbnail	Best Rate Including Taxes and Resort Fees (if any)	Room Type	Description	Casino Offers & Entertainment options
Atlantis (Monarch Casino Resort)		$90	Motorlodge Queen Bed - NS	Opened in 1972 with around 1000 rooms in the Tropical theme.	Largest gaming floor in Reno city. Premium Concierge Tower with exclusive features for guests. Waterfalls, Torches, and Light Show.
Boomtown (Pinnacle Entertainment)		$90	North Tower Classic Queen Bed - NS	Opened in 1964 with around 318 rooms in the Wild West theme in Verdi, NV.	Family Fun Center with games for the whole family and a teen center with dancing and music. Occasionally hosts Eating competitions.
Circus Circus (MGM Resorts)		$49	Skytower – Standard Room 2 Queen - NS	Opened in 1978 with around 1600 rooms in the Circus theme.	Free Circus shows throughout the day. Carnival Games.
Club Cal Neva		$39	Standard NS	Opened in 1962 with over 300 rooms.	Most historic casino still open in Reno. Its sports betting book is one of the largest including satellite participants. La Tomatina en Reno (take on tomato fights in Spain) in its second successful year (August 28 & 29 2010).
Eldorado (Eldorado Resorts LLC, Carano Family)		$56	Standard – 2 Queen - NS	Luxury hotel opened in 1973 with over 800 rooms.	Broadway productions and other stage shows at the 800-seat theater. A variety of food related events through out the year.
Grand Sierra Resort (JPM Morgan Chase’s CreditMarkets Real Estate Firm)		$111	Standard – 2 Queen - NS	Located 3-miles East of downtown, the luxury themed hotel has over 2000 rooms. Opened in 1978. Largest hotel in the entire Northern Nevada area.	Laser Tag arena. 50-lane bowling alley. Shopping Center.
Harrah’s (Harrah’s Entertainment)		$85	East Tower Classic – 2 double beds	Luxury resort opened in 1937 (first Harrah’s hotel) with 950 rooms	Events & Shows at Sammy’s Showroom.
John Ascuaga’s Nugget (John Ascuaga and Family)		$127	West Tower – Deluxe – 2 Queen Beds	Sparks, NV resort opened in 1955 with 1600 rooms.	Celebrity Showroom with regular shows. Nugget Rib Cook Off festival held every September.
Peppermill (Peppermill Resorts)		$66	Montego Bay Room – 2 Queen Beds - NS	Opened in 1971 with around 1600 rooms in the Tuscany theme	Casino Cabaret – the lounge hosts free, live entertainment every night.
Sands Regency (Herbst Gaming)		$38	Standard – 2 Queen Beds - NS	Opened in 1970 with over 830 rooms
Siena (Barney Ng)		$80	Deluxe – 2 Queen Beds - NS	The newest boutique hotel casino in Downtown Reno opened in 2001 with over 200 rooms in the Siena, Italy theme located alongshore Truckee river	Spa at Siena. The hotel is undergoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings as of July 2010, but remains open.
Silver Legacy (MGM Resorts)		$102	Standard Queen - NS	Opened in 1995 with over 1700 rooms in the 19th century Victorian theme	Laser and Light Shows. Considered the crown jewel among Reno’s downtown casino resorts – Silver Legacy is a big sponsor of Reno area events and also hosts events such as “Climb the Legacy” for charity. They also sponsor a fireworks show on the rooftops on New Year’s Eve.

Reno holds several major events through-out the year. Hotel occupancy rates approach 100% during these events. Reno Hotel Deals and Casino Offers are hard to come by during these periods. The major events are:

Event	Thumbnail	Attendees	Dates	Description
The Great Reno Balloon Race		150,000	September (10-12, 2010)	In its 29th year, the balloon race is the nation’s largest free hot-air balloon festival. It is held at the Rancho San Rafael Park at 1595 N. Sierra Street. The event is free.
Hot August Nights		800,000	August (1-8, 2010)	In its 24th year, Hot August Nights is a very popular car show held in seven different venues over the course of a week with associated music and other entertainment events. Some events are free while others are not.
Best in the West Rib Cook-off		500,000	September (1-6, 2010)	In its 22nd year, scheduled to coincide with labor day holiday, the event is held at the Victorian Square, Sparks, NV between 14th street and Pyramid Way. Free entertainment on five different stages. Main event is the competition held at the Main Concert Stage (Wednesday 9/1/2010 at 6PM). Admission is free.
Reno Air Races		100,000	September (15-19, 2010)	In its 47th year, the event is held at the Reno Stead Airfield. Six classes of aircraft – two of them reaches speeds over 500mph. General admission for Adults at $10 to $19 on a sliding scale tied to the dates. Parking extra.
Street Vibrations		40,000	September (22-26, 2010)	In its 16th year, Metal, Music, and Motorcycles form the theme of this event. Free Admission. Many downtown Reno locations, Harley Davidson dealership, and in historic Virginia City.

The proximity of the Ski resorts in the Sierra Mountains along with the presence of several major water bodies allows visitors to enjoy both Summer & Winter recreational activities in the area. Many visitors bound for the major ski resorts around Lake Tahoe fly into Reno and choose to stay there for a few nights – when mountain passes from Northern California are closed, excellent deals can be found in the Reno area hotels as their California clientele disappears. Some visitors also choose to be in the Reno area for their entire stay, sticking to the smaller Mt. Rose Ski area just 30 miles shouth of Reno in the Carson area. The recreation options during the rest of the year is concentrated around the major water bodies around Reno – The Truckee River, Pyramid Lake, Washoe Lake, and Lake Tahoe. Each of these provide opportunities to swim, fish, water-ski, and parasail. Truckee River is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe and drains into Pyramid Lake after covering 120 miles of terrain - it is popular among Kayakers, Fly Fishers, and River Rafters. Washoe Lake on the other hand attracts wind-surfers as well as Kiteboarders as the area has very high wind speeds. Lake Tahoe is a major landmark and tourist attraction in the California border – about two-thirds of the shoreline is in California – King’s Beach area around North Lake Tahoe and the South Lake Tahoe areas border Nevada and are dotted with casinos – the former is around an hours drive from Reno while the latter is 90 minutes away.

A sample of the Hotel Deals and Casino Offers as of early 2010 from a variety of properties in these border towns follow:

Property	Thumbnail	Best Rate Including Taxes	Room Type	Description	Entertainment options
Cal Neva Lodge & Casino (Canyon Capital Realty Advisors)		$78	Standard – 2 double beds	Opened in 1926 at North Shore – Crystal Bay, Nevada	Legendary resort with huge celebrity presence over the years – Frank Sinatra had part ownership in the early 60s. Casino Temporarily Closed as of 3/2010 till end of year. Restaurants, lounges, showroom and wedding facilities open.
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort (Hyatt Hotels)		$208	Mountain View – 2 double beds	Four Diamond Luxury Resort & Casino opened in 1972 at North Shore – Incline Village, NV with over 400 rooms	Lakeside Ballroom, 20,000 square foot Stillwater Spa and Saloon, 500 feet of private lakefront beach and pier with cruises, rentals. Seasonal Floating Bar. Year-Round Lagoon Style Pool.
Harrah’s Lake Tahoe (Harrah’s Entertainment)		$185	Executive Room – 2 queen beds	Opened in 1955 with over 500 rooms at the South Lake Tahoe Stateline, NV	First Hotel to earn five-star diamond rating in casino history. Prime Entertainment at the 750-seat Shouth Shore Room.
Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Casino and Resort (Harrah’s Entertainment)		$141	Deluxe Room – 2 queen beds	Opened in 1944 with over 700 rooms at the South Lake Tahoe Stateline, NV	Wedding Chapel, Convention Center, and full-service health club.
Horizon Casino Resort (Tropicana Entertainment)		$60	Alpine Deluxe – two double beds	Opened in 1965 with over 400 rooms athe South Lake Tahoe Stateline, NV	Elvis Presley performed here from 1971-76 and the suite he stayed is available to book.
MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa (Tropicana Entertainment)		$70	Spa Room – two queen beds	Opened in 1978 with over 400 rooms at the South Lake Tahoe Stateline, NV in the Nature theme	AAA 4 Diamond Restaurant Ciera Steak + Chophouse.

Related Posts:

1. Atlantic City Hotel Deals and Casino Offers.
2. Vegas Hotel Deals and Casino Offers.
3. Reno Hotel Deals and Casino Offers.

Last Updated: 03/2012.