insider’s guide to las vegas - flying adventures | flying adventures march/april 2010 march/april...

32 | Flying Adventures March/April 2010

It really isn’t a town like any other. The city fathers spent millions of dollars on an ad campaign

to convince you that what happens there stays there, not all that surprising for a place with the

nickname Sin City. If you do visit, statistics suggest you’ll spend an average of $254.49 on food

and drink, $108.87 on shows, $99.51 (though if you want to stay in the lap of luxury, you should

expect to pay more) on a hotel room, and you’ll leave an average of $555.64 behind on the tables,

all part of this town’s $10,868,029,000 annual gaming revenue and the $41,578,079,000 visitors

spend each year. Viva, Las Vegas!

There’s no shortage of deals to draw you near the flame. Planning a trip to Vegas can be much

like a Fabergé egg, with deals opening to reveal yet more deals...and more deals.... The bad news

is that it’s easy to get absolutely overwhelmed by the possibilities. But that’s the good news,

InsIder’s GuIde to

Las VegasYou don’t have to break the bank

to go first class!By Francois Lautreamont

The famous Welcome to Fabulous

Las Vegas Nevada sign was

created by Betty Willis in 1959.

factoid

34 | Flying Adventures March/April 2010 March/April 2010 Flying Adventures | 35

too. Las Vegas is a limited edition of one,

and it can offer an experience we definitively

can say you’ll get nowhere else. The secret to

success, like your cross-country plane ride

to get there, is all in the planning.

If you don’t mind wading through a

flurry of electronic flotsam, subscribe to

the newsletters and email services offered

by virtually every casino, resort and hotel.

(Example: Go to MGMGrand.com, and click

E-Mail Promotions on their home page.)

Picking through those mailings will give you

access to a variety of opportunities for lower

hotel and show rates. Las Vegas isn’t immune

to the economic slump we’re all enduring,

so good deals are currently plentiful. Often,

the deals and promotions you receive in

your inbox are unavailable elsewhere. Select

those of interest and investigate in the

comfort of home, not while you’re in line.

You always can unsubscribe when you’ve

had enough. It’s also well worth your while

to skim through the tidal wave of offerings

you’ll find after searching the Internet. Some

of the best deals can be found online.

Some tips for your hotel search:

• Check the convention event schedule.

If you try to visit Las Vegas during the

biggest conventions — the Consumer

Electronics Show, National Finals Rodeo,

100586 Indulge - Flying Adventures Size: bleed 8.25x11 trim 8x10.75 live 7x10 Insertion Date: March/April 2010 Ad delivery: ftp.flyingadventures.com user: clients pass: happy (email [email protected] when uploaded) Proof: none Type: PDFX1a

To receive exclusive offers on your mobile phone, text LUXURY to 50435, follow us on Twitter,

become a fan on Facebook or visit mgmgrand.com. 1-877-727-0007

INSIDER’S GUIDE TO LAS VEGAS

Everyone knows you can get free

drinks in the casinos while you

gamble, but did you know you also

can get free cigars? Ask the cocktail

waitress to bring you their best.

factoid

Las Vegas is internationally renowned as one of America’s major resort cities. In addition to gambling, shopping and fine dining, Vegas has sprouted a number of top flight hotels with some of the world’s finest accommodations like this room at the MGM Grand (above).



• Lion Habitat at the MGM Grand, home to

31 lions.

• Mandalay Bay Shark Reef. Lots of sharks!

• The Ethel M Chocolate Factory hosts a

tour and gourmet taste-testing.

• The Aquarium at the Silverton Hotel, with

117,000 gallons of saltwater creatures.

• CBS Television City Research Center. Your

opinions affect what’s on TV.

• The Fountains at the Bellagio. Every

evening there are spectacular water and

music shows filling the quarter-mile-long

lake in front of the hotel.

• Marjorie Barrick Museum, featuring

Western culture and the history of

ancient Mexico.

• Canyon Blaster roller coaster and

amusement park rides at Circus Circus.

• Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the

Mirage. From elephants to Siegfried &

Roy’s white tigers.

• The Bellagio Conservatory. Crafted by

100 horticulturists, you’ll see an amazing

collection of plants and flowers.

• The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas

Nevada sign, an unmissable icon.

• The Volcano at the Mirage. Every hour

NASCAR, etc. — rooms can be hard to impossible to come by, and

the hotels are less likely to deal.

• Prices on the luxury hotels have tumbled. If you’re interested in

staying at the Bellagio, the MGM Grand, the Venetian, etc., you’ll

be pleasantly surprised just how the good the deals can be.

• If you plan to gamble, don’t be shy about asking the hotel for a

comp room (or meals or show tickets). For example, if you play

$50 per hand times 10 hours at 60 hands per hour, the total

amount wagered is $30,000. The casino estimates it wins 2% of

that total, or $600. The casino likely will be willing to give you

back 40% of that $600, or $240. Deals are also available by joining

the casino’s player’s club.

• If you plan to stay more than a single night, search for multi-day

packages. They’re often cheaper than single-night deals.

Fortunately, there are about 140,000 rooms to choose from, ranging

from extravagant to spartan. The big hotels like the MGM Grand, the

Bellagio, CityCenter and others offer eye-blinking attractions and

amenities, while many simple hotels and motels serve up little more

than a comfortable bed. It’s a town where you can pay as little or as

much as you please for a place to sleep.

There are three major airports in Las Vegas, all happy to see your

airplane. The main aerodrome, McCarran International (LAS), is

closest to The Strip, though not always the friendliest spot to general

aviation. High rollers may not mind top-dollar ramp fees and services,

but if you do, investigate Henderson Executive Airport (HND) (by

the way, there’s a free shuttle to all the major hotels) or North Las

Vegas (VGT). The latter airports are practiced in taking care of smaller

airplanes and do so with a smile.

If you can resist heading right for the blackjack table, a great place

to start a visit to Vegas is where the town itself started, Fremont Street,

the original downtown Las Vegas “Glitter Gulch.” Five blocks have

been set aside as a pedestrian mall, and you’ll find yourself in a neon

canyon of dancing lights. Several years ago, Fremont Street put on

steroids when it was covered with a towering canopy of more than two

million more electric lights. Highlights include The Neon Museum,

The Golden Gate Hotel (circa 1906), the Golden Nugget, the Sahara,

the Riviera, the Tropicana and the Flamingo. Add tourists, some street

performers and loud heart-beating music, and you’ll have the Vegas

that originally captured the attention of the Rat Pack. Best of all, the

experience is free.

In fact, there’s a surprising abundance of great things to do that

won’t cost you a thing. Here’s a list of teasers, and you can find plenty

of others:

The largest gold nugget in the world, weighing almost

62 pounds, is on display at the Golden Nugget. It

originally was discovered in Australia in 1980 and

purchased by the casino for a cool one million bucks.

factoid

Vegas is amenable to virtually any travel budget, offering lots to see and do for free, form the massive fountain at the Bellagio (above right) exotic animals like this white tiger.


after dusk, see a Vegas-style eruption.

• M&M’s World. A delicious attraction.

While only about 5% of Vegas visitors say they come to Sin City for

the games of chance, more than 80% admit they succumb to the lure

of the tables before they leave. If you’re a veteran gambler, nothing we

say here likely will impact your program, but if you’re a novice, here’s

some good beginning advice:

• Most casinos offer free lessons for many of the table games,

including blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat.

• Check books and the Internet to determine which games give

you the best odds of winning and which variants of the game

increase those odds. For example, if the house uses a single deck

for blackjack, the casino’s odds of winning are reduced. Same

with roulette. A 0 and 00 on the wheel give the house more of an

advantage than a wheel with just 0.

• Generally, slot machines, video poker and roulette are tough wins,

while craps, baccarat and blackjack give you the best odds of

leaving the table with more than you started with.

Vegas wouldn’t be Vegas without food and drink, of course. Keeping

up with the myriad of buffets is practically impossible as they’re

constantly shifting to catch consumer attention. Check the Internet,

or ask the hotel concierge or a local. Buffets are among the best deals

in town as they offer the most food for the least money. But if you’re


coming to Vegas for a world-class dining experience, you’ll find that,

too. Consider the 16-course tasting menu at Joël Robuchon at the

MGM Grand. Mamma Mia! Other fun options include:

• Rosemary’s Restaurant. Every bottle of wine is half-price on

Sundays.

• FiAMMA Trattoria & Bar at the MGM Grand features modern

Italian cuisine served in sleek, sexy surroundings. Features an

award-winning wine list with over 400 selections.

• Ellis Island Casino & Brewery offers a $6.99 steak and beer that’s

not on the menu. Tell ’em Flying Adventures sent you!

• Go to RockNRollWine.com to discover the next location

of their perpetually shifting soirees. Nearly 1,000 people

follow and gather to taste wines from as many as 50 visiting

wineries and groove to the live music. There’s even a shuttle

bus to take you there from The Strip (888.424.6896).

Second only to gaming, the shows in Vegas are a prime reason

to visit. Billing itself as the Entertainment Capital of the World has

given rise to disappearing elephants, hypnotizing stunts, scantily

clad women and big-name performers. Many of the big-ticket shows

like The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil, Barry Manilow or David

Copperfield can be sold out months in advance. When you lock in

your travel dates, it’s smart to immediately try to find tickets. The web

is full of opportunities. If you’re still unsuccessful, consider many of

the smaller shows in town. There’s always a great act to catch in Vegas.

Before you give up completely on a show you really want to see:

• Log on to travel agency websites, which sometimes have special

access to tickets.

• To increase your chances of obtaining hard-to-get tickets, stay

at the venue where the show is based. For example, if you want

to see KÀ by Cirque du Soleil, plan to stay at the MGM Grand.

Remember, this is Vegas. A little palm-greasing can sometimes do

the trick.

• If you end up going to any of the smaller shows, ask your hotel

for a coupon book that likely will end up saving you money.

Las Vegas, Nevada, is a town without peer in every sense. You

may or may not want to start a long-term relationship, but one thing

is certain: Visiting Vegas is a must-do at least once because there

honestly isn’t anything quite like it. Über-developer Steve Wynn

describes it this way: “Las Vegas is sort of like how God would do it

if he had money.”

Start planning your trip at VisitLasVegas.com.

Year first casino was licensed: 1931 • Number of slot machines in the city: 197,144 Percentage of visitors who say they come to Vegas mainly to gamble: 5

Percentage of visitors who end up gambling during their stay: 87 Average price of an acre of land in the Valley (in thousands of dollars): 161

Price for a prime acre of land on The Strip (in millions of dollars): 11 Miles of lighted neon tubing on The Strip & downtown: 15,000 • Average pillowcases washed daily at the MGM Grand: 15,000

Number of conventions hosted annually: 3,749 • Average number of Vegas weddings per day: 315 Cost of a Nevada marriage license (in dollars): 40 • Average cost of filing for divorce in Nevada (in dollars): 450

In 1930, only 5,165 lived in Las Vegas. Now, the

current population is 1.1 million people.

factoid

fun facts about las vegas

FAYou can get your adrenaline pumping in the casinos or at the amusement parks (facing page). The all new CityCenter in Vegas is also a great place to explore.

More destinations at FlyingAdventures.com/destinations

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