patrick.net

Kepi says

And, Downtown is really great for walking to another place. Let me give you a tip if you are in Downtown kind of late at night and are hungry. Binion's. Steak and eggs. Oh, I am getting hungry just thinking about it.

Never had good food in Vegas. Quantity over quality is how I took it. I'm also from Chicagoland where food is taken pretty damn seriously.

Seafood aside in coastal areas, Chicago as much as I hate it has some of the best food in the country, if not world. Compare Michelin rated restaurants with Chicago on a per capita basis. LA or wherever. If you bring in seafood, it's tough to get to a high level in Chicago. Needs to be caught that morning. Chicago ain't competing with Maine lobster.

My homie Raiders and A's left the Bay Area for Vegas because local government here wouldn't subsidize their asses with taxpayer subsidized stadiums.

Nevada politicians were stupid enough to give the taxpayer subsidies to rich sports team owners. Good for them. Good riddance to our formerly beloved teams. Our region has tons of other recreation and entertainment stuff. We won't miss them much.

Enjoy your subsidies, Nevada Taxpayers!

WookieMan says

Kepi says

And, Downtown is really great for walking to another place. Let me give you a tip if you are in Downtown kind of late at night and are hungry. Binion's. Steak and eggs. Oh, I am getting hungry just thinking about it.

Never had good food in Vegas. Quantity over quality is how I took it. I'm also from Chicagoland where food is taken pretty damn seriously.

Seafood aside in coastal areas, Chicago as much as I hate it has some of the best food in the country, if not world. Compare Michelin rated restaurants with Chicago on a per capita basis. LA or wherever. If you bring in seafood, it's tough to get to a high level in Chicago. Needs to be caught that morning. Chicago ain't competing with Maine lobster.

Food in Las Vegas is fantastic nowdays and has been for some time. I can’t speak to michellin rated restaurants although Vegas has those. The highest end places I’ve ever eaten at are very nice steak places. But all those transplants did wonders for the low end places in the suburbs, particularly in Henderson and North Las Vegas/Aliante, Spring Valley, and the southwest part of town. I challenge anyone to find a better quality and variety of eats in the <$30 range.

As to El Cortez, aka the Sweaty Spaniard, both my friend and I got backed off there playing blackjack because they think we were counting(we were). I didn’t use a player card and didn’t produce ID and they only said we couldn’t play blackjack so enough time has probably passed that it’s not an issue. I’ve gotten backed off there, friend got backed off at the Plaza, and both of us had been trespassed at the old Barbary Coast. BC and ElCo are infamous for having an itchy trigger finger in regards to suspected card counters. Ultimately it’s rather dumb as neither of us was betting any amounts of consequence.

FuckTheMainstreamMedia says

As to El Cortez, aka the Sweaty Spaniard

Haha! Ain't that the truth.

I never wanted to do anything questionable there because it was where me and the boys liked to hang out.

But, still, I got some actual heat betting single red birds at Blackjack (and I was playing rated). I did not get backed off, but, still, too much!!

I remember a report about a couple of dudes getting backed off before they even played. Just by the way they looked, apparently.

RC2006 says

I think what bothered me the most was the nickel and diming, it's really bad. Everything is over priced and I just felt ripped off.

Agreed. I will never go back to Vegas, or Honolulu, or Miami Beach.

https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/1964170875751846124

Las Vegas prices are beyond insane

American ordered this bowl of pasta at Park MGM. She shows the receipt, it’s $52.95 for this bowl of pasta and a water….

This is why nobody goes to Vegas anymore

Patrick says

Agreed. I will never go back to Vegas, or Honolulu, or Miami Beach.

Back in 2012 I stayed at The Palms (just off strip in Vegas down street from Rio)

Paid about $80 a night total, and it had a great breakfast/lunch buffet for $11

.

$53 for some noodles and a water at a food court? Why didn't they go someplace else? I would have.

For comparison purposes:

Late August in Atlantic City for 2 people:
Stopped off at the Egg Harbor Township Texas Roadhouse on my way in and spent $40 for dinner.
Spent $50 at the buffet in Hard Rock (was B1G1 free night for seniors, like it was every Monday night).
I paid $33 for two hamburgers at the food court in Hard Rock (I brought my own booze to the food court).
I bought a large pizza in South Jersey at a local place somewhere near-ish the Delaware Memorial Bridge. I forget what that cost, but not tourist prices.

I brought snacks, soda, and booze, and don't eat breakfast or lunch. I'm not sure if I could do that so easily if I flew in someplace, but most Atlantic City patrons drive in and can and will do that. The room refrigerators are always empty (no mini-bar), and parking is cheaper than Vegas too, because Atlantic City casino charges for parking by the trip and not per day. Now there are 2 hotels (Claridge and ShowBoat) that charge for parking by the day, and people often park at the casino next door to save on parking. Also, resort fees are lower in Atlantic City when compared to Vegas.

I think the difference here is that if places in AC tried to do some of the onerous Vegas crap, people can and will walk down the boardwalk and eat at a local place. People will park someplace else nearby to not get reamed on parking (Trump Plaza parking garage is still open and has cheap rates). One hotel that charges excessive for parking by the day is even connected indoors to a casino hotel that charges for parking by the trip. I have to wonder about their business model??

I haven't seen room rates go up much, or at all since I have been going to Atlantic City in 2009. what I have seen go up is the resort fee and parking. Resorts fees are as high as $35/night at some places (was $26/night in August at Ocean) and parking that used to be $5 per trip is now $10 (really up $5 across the board). Food and booze prices have gone up, obviously.

I did not gamble, however I did make good use of the bill breaker in the casino. I did make good use of the indoor/outdoor pool at Ocean Casino Hotel, as well as the beach and boardwalk. My next trip to Atlantic City will be to go to the Borgata to use the indoor adult only pool all day in the winter.

There is no beach or boardwalk in Vegas, and I have no idea why people anyone would go to Vegas now, unless you just like really hot weather and like to gamble (can't most people gamble locally now)??? So unless you really like to pay too much casino hop, I don't see the appeal to Vegas.

I also wonder if a lot of the overpricing on everything that we see today is because during covid everything got price jacked and people paid anyway. I mean if you were a business and discovered that you could jack prices and people simply paid more and kept coming, you would be incentivized to keep prices high because why not. I know in some sectors (Vegas, Disney, fast food) business is down, but is it really down enough yet?

Patrick says

RC2006 says

I think what bothered me the most was the nickel and diming, it's really bad. Everything is over priced and I just felt ripped off.

Agreed. I will never go back to Vegas, or Honolulu, or Miami Beach.

https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/1964170875751846124

Las Vegas prices are beyond insane

American ordered this bowl of pasta at Park MGM. She shows the receipt, it’s $52.95 for this bowl of pasta and a water….

This is why nobody goes to Vegas anymore

I have no sympathy. Prices are posted. If someone paid $52 for pasta and water at Eataly, they are a moron. Wife and I had breakfast there about a year ago. It was fantastic and everyone passing by was commenting how great it looked. Total without coffee(which we got elsewhere beforehand) was about $30 and no need to tip.

It required walking to a couple stands…there’s about ten stands at Eataly…before placing our order. Simpleton idiots of course just think “me hungry” and go to the first place they come across. Actually happens to the wifey on a low level and she’ll wind up doing something dumb like paying $8 for a bottle of water at the hotel gift shop rather than wait 10 more minutes for us to walk by the CVS and getting the same bottle under $3 while I pay $4 for my tall can of Modelo Negra instead of $10-25 in the casino($10 at gift shop, $25 for two bottles of a beer I don’t want at a casino bar).

FuckTheMainstreamMedia says

If someone paid $52 for pasta and water at Eataly, they are a moron.

I agree.

Actually happens to the wifey on a low level and she’ll wind up doing something dumb like paying $8 for a bottle of water at the hotel gift shop rather than wait 10 more minutes for us to walk by the CVS and getting the same bottle under $3 while I pay $4 for my tall can of Modelo Negra instead of $10-25 in the casino($10 at gift shop, $25 for two bottles of a beer I don’t want at a casino bar)

I'm also guessing that this walkable CVS charges higher prices when compared to a normal CVS as well.

In my in basket from MGM today:
Subject to up to $55 Daily Resort Fee

Currently $30/night at Borgata Atlantic City (the only MGM property in AC).

zzyzzx says

There is no beach or boardwalk in Vegas, and I have no idea why people anyone would go to Vegas now, unless you just like really hot weather and like to gamble (can't most people gamble locally now)??? So unless you really like to pay too much casino hop, I don't see the appeal to Vegas.

Humid at times, but Biloxi, MS is a good alternative in the winter or fall and spring shoulder seasons. Usually not humid that time of year. Beaches, but not the greatest, you'd need to drive 2 hours east, but that's what my dad would do in the Panhandle of FL. My mom would watch us and he'd disappear usually 1 or 2 days over to Biloxi during a week trip and gamble for 10 hours and drive back to where we were staying. Or he'd golf.

Vegas can get cold in the winter too, but in Biloxi if you do October and November it's pretty perfect. Keep an eye on hurricanes in the fall. If you fly Pensacola would be the best landing spot. Could do NOLA but usually more expensive though slightly shorter drive. As someone in the Northeast(ish) area it would be an alternative in the winter if you want to gamble and have warmer weather.

With Vegas, every thing you book is cheap until you get there. Don't know if it's changed but you can gamble and get free drinks. Go to the bar and you'll be broke. That's why they give free drinks, keep you gambling. Cheaper on their end as they're probably getting 20-200k bottles of beer a day at something like .50¢ while almost any bet is gonna be $10 on average for gamblers. Again don't know if they still do but indoor smoking was a huge boon to gambling when most states outlawed it. Free booze and you can smoke. Not popular with the younger crowd, but was big when I was growing up.

Smoking and free booze while gambling are still a thing in Las Vegas.

I admit to heavy bias. It’s only a few hours drive. Wife maintains ok comps at lower end places mindlessly playing slots. Vegas to its credit has improved the comps as of late by including a small amount of free play as well as a $50 to $100 resort credit which buys us a breakfast or two. Can’t complain really but yeah costs will get out of hand if you don’t pay attention to what you are doing or if you have a family.

Reason enough not to go to Vegas:



Atlantic City doesn't do this.

Exactly.

Vegas hates you.

Never been to Atlantic City.

https://rudy.substack.com/p/the-increasing-economic-fragility



Wow, three mandatory tips, all of different names, adding up to more than 50%.

How could anyone possibly be so stupid as to even set foot in Vegas anymore? Or is it all newcomers getting ripped off? Or people who have so much money they just don't care?

zzyzzx says

In my in basket from MGM today:
Subject to up to $55 Daily Resort Fee

Currently $30/night at Borgata Atlantic City (the only MGM property in AC).

Not bad if it is $85 a night before taxes

Quick Answer: The free amenities at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City include access to the indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center (Pump Room), whirlpools, and gardens, along with standard in-room features like Wi‑Fi, flat‑screen TVs, and luxury toiletries. These are covered by the daily resort fee, so guests don’t pay extra at the property.

Those should be covered by the price of the room, the way it used to be until like 10 minutes ago.

No one with any self-respect should stay anywhere that openly insults its customers with "resort fees".

Patrick says

Those should be covered by the price of the room, the way it used to be until like 10 minutes ago.

No one with any self-respect should stay anywhere that openly insults its customers with "resort fees".

I guess they want to somewhat demonstrate price transparency to show what you are paying for during a visit.

Vegas should rethink their business model such as the Hilton use to have Star Trek exhibit about 25 years ago. They could now charge $3 for a coffee (add a $1 tip) that costs 50 cents in making (coffee grinds and life cycle cost for coffee machine) to have patrons visit the Star Trek exhibit.

Call me crazy, but I don’t get it. I don’t understand why anyone would ever take a vacation and go to Vegas. I suppose it’s great for city folk. I prefer nature settings and no sounds coming from human beings.

SharkyP says

Call me crazy, but I don’t get it. I don’t understand why anyone would ever take a vacation and go to Vegas. I suppose it’s great for city folk. I prefer nature settings and no sounds coming from human beings.

Agree. But you can't forget addiction and dreams of winning big bucks. I hate Vegas. I gamble once every 2-3 years. I've been to Vegas I think 12 times and have only gambled once there. Most of it was when I was underage and mom would take us to shows or something.

There can be some entertainment, but it's completely degenerate otherwise. Go to the Grand Canyon or hit the Utah NP trail up to Salt Lake City (Moab, Zion, etc.) if you're out that way. Hike the Narrows at Zion and get as far as you can and crack a few cold ones as a reward. The extra weight is extra exercise as well. I lose anywhere from 3-10 pounds on vacation usually which doesn't make sense.

SharkyP says

Call me crazy, but I don’t get it. I don’t understand why anyone would ever take a vacation and go to Vegas. I suppose it’s great for city folk. I prefer nature settings and no sounds coming from human beings.

Deprived people addicted to total depravity. There was a time in my life when Vegas had an appeal of fun. Glad those days are long gone.

Blackstone sold an $800 million preferred equity stake in Las Vegas’s CityCenter (home to the Aria Resort & Casino and Vdara Hotel & Spa) to Realty Income Corp. in December 2025. The move wasn’t an exit — Blackstone retains full common equity ownership and MGM Resorts continues to operate the properties — but rather a way to raise capital, lock in returns, and bring in a long‑term partner while keeping control of the assets.

FortWayneHatesRealtors says

Deprived people addicted to total depravity. There was a time in my life when Vegas had an appeal of fun. Glad those days are long gone.

The Vegas hotel resorts each should have their own attraction like Hilton with its Star Trek Experience, the Bellagio with Italian Art exhibit, Mandalay Bay with its aquarium, etc. Make it diverse like Disney World and include educational experience as part of it. Then offer visitors a pass to go to at least 5 resort exhibits.

That is one way Vegas can resort itself and make it affordable like $3 coffees and $13 brunches.

.

AD says

I guess they want to somewhat demonstrate price transparency to show what you are paying for during a visit.

Resort fees are the opposite of price transparency.

They took one clear price, the cost of staying at the hotel, and broke it into random parts to deliberately obscure how much it really costs.

Patrick says

Resort fees are the opposite of price transparency.

The problem with some fees is you don't know them until you arrive. I don't know how they get away with it.

I do all my travel shopping online. I always go to the checkout screen and see the bull shit. Takes more time, but on a week long trip not just to Vegas (hell) that could be $500-1k. Gotta do your due diligence when traveling now. Don't trust a travel agent either unless it's across an ocean. Even then I'd self plan. Spend 4-6 hours and you'll save solid money and it's fun like bull shitting here. Vegas or beach vacation usually all the sites have soft porn of scantily clad women to sell you so it's a win win.

Everything Millennials touch turns to shit.