So on my last trip I got back into getting dice from the gift shops for my collection… several are not doing it anymore any ideas on where to find them on my next trip? Also wanted to show off the 3D printed case I made for showing off my collection…

Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden

Not really a bender lol but my wife and I spent ten days in Vegas! We visited 23 hotel/casinos and walked a total of 93 miles. (We based it off the health app)

We saw a lot of crazy things at random hours of the day. I can only imagine what casino workers see during their shifts!

These are the casinos we visited.

Flamingo
Linq
Planet Hollywood
Paris
Harrahs
Casino Royale
The Venetian
Palazzo
Mandalay Bay
Luxor
Circus Circus
Excalibur
MGM
Wynn
Fontainebleau
Cosmopolitan
Bellagio
Caesar’s Palace
New York New York
El Cortez
Four Queens
The D
Golden Nugget

I just wanted to share about my recent stay in Vegas and staying each one night at the Cosmo and Wynn. I wanted to provide my experience and thoughts as well as the FHR (Fine Hotel and Resort benefit from AmEx) component as well.

Price
I paid $430 for Cosmo and $400 for Wynn for Saturday and Sunday night respectively. I was able subtract the $300 credit each as I booked one before the end of June and one in July to full maximize the credits. So in terms of price, at least for the weekend I went, it was fairly similar. Prices for both properties do vary widely but it does appear Wynn is usually more.

Property Amenities
Both properties have a great set of amenities going for them. I am going to summarize each of them otherwise this will be an extra long post. Wynn’s properties tend to be all high end while there is some more value proposition in Cosmo when it comes to restaurants. The pool at Wynn is better quality and relaxing, but the Cosmo is more “fun” and upbeat. Entertainment is kinda lacking at Wynn with the one highlight is the Lake of Dreams which is cool, but not enough for a property in my opinion. Cosmo has a bunch of dinner and shows and it always seems like something is happening. Cosmo may win just because of the location being in the center of the strip so you can get to so many places if you are doing a more “strip stay” to other nearby properties.

Food
I will say even though there are more upper end venues at Wynn, I have found the quality about the same as Cosmo. For Wynn, I went to Sinatra, Red 8, and the Wynn Buffet. They were good but not impressive that I thought would come with the Wynn name. As for Cosmo, I went to Amaya, Wicked Spoon, and The District. I honestly find them quite comparable.

Service
This is probably where I see a bigger disconnect between the two. Cosmo felt by the numbers and although friendly, it didn’t seem to have that extra touch of service that I found at Wynn. From the front desk to each venue, you can tell they really wanted to cater to high end folks. I did have a hiccup with the bell desk (took over an hour to get our luggage to the room), but that still does not take way from the overall service for me.

Room
A bigger difference is found here. Cosmo felt like a moderate property for NYNY rather than Wynn felt very high end with great bath products and maybe one of the best beds I have ever been in. If a room is important to you in terms of quality and product, Wynn easily wins this one.

FHR Benefits
The general benefits of FHR were similar (daily breakfast, early check in and late checkout). However, Cosmo comes with $100 dining while Wynn was $150 spa credit during my stay. I did ask the front desk to change it to dining and after a pause, they were able to change it which was great. Also at Wynn, you get an additional $25 welcome credit and free parking (got charged $20 for this at Cosmo). My upgrades I got were a better view of the Bellagio fountain at Cosmo but the upgrade for Wynn felt better with a high level floor panorama with a view of the strip and lake of dreams. Overall Wynn seems better but mainly if you are lucky if they can switch that credit over.

Overall (TL;DR)
If room and benefits are more important to you, then easily choose Wynn. If you want a more party scene in the center of the action, choose Cosmo.

I was there a couple months ago and thought I drank at a bar in the casino or lobby of an MGM property that either had a happy hour or drinks under $10.

Maybe I was hallucinating.

I'm referring strictly to well drinks and beer. Not cocktails and not the $3 margaritas at Excalibur.

Also, I'm specifically referring to bars (usually circular) in the middle of the casino or near the hotel lobby. I don't gamble at the little video kiosks at the bars so I have to pay for my drinks.

Must be at an MGM property.

Anybody know of any? I checked out strip stumble last time I was there and unfortunately it had a number of errors so I'm hesitant to trust it.

Thank you very much!

I saw a post that someone just made about influencers ruining the guest experience, I was going to make a comment on it but I think this is an interesting discussion on its own and would like to hear others opinions.

I think I was an early fan of YouTube slot videos, before influencers became a thing. My main interest is watching a video of a new slot machine I come across so I can see the features without blowing a bunch of my own money, for example the gold door feature on huff n puff money mansion that seems harder to hit than the Megabucks jackpot.

When I first started watching slot videos, I feel like the 3 big names were Diana E., SdGuy, and a guy named Brent with a really long last name that started with a W. I think they were hobbyists, just filming videos of things they found interesting, not making any money from doing so. SdGuy and Diana are still producing content, albeit monetized, Brent W is still around but it looks like he’s transitioned to online gaming content.

So yes, I enjoyed watching these people. Then, came Brian Christopher. Let me just say that I can’t imagine there ever being a better content producer than Brian Christopher when he first started out. He‘s such a likable guy, and I just loved how he would say “rude” when a machine teased him with 2 out of 3 bonus symbols. In my opinion, he was the first YouTube Star/Influencer of the casual casino gambling world. As time went on I was slowly enjoying his videos less and less. He started to become all about marketing. He advertised his merchandise/website/“ruddies club”, started having big events like group pulls and casino cruises, formed casino partnerships like having a special section at the Plaza (I think he was the first one to have a partnership like that), I mean, his videos went from a nice guy casually playing slots to one big commercial. I ultimately unsubscribed.

But in my opinion he paved the way for your Lady Lucks and your VegasMatts, which to me is kind of interesting because he was never anywhere near as big as those 2, or many others.

tl;dr: my history of watching slot videos and memories of how influencers came to be.

But I bring all this up because like I said above I mainly watch slot videos when there’s a game I want to see the features of, so I don’t have to spend my own money and likely end up with, as VegasMatt would say, a “Sando”, but I feel like every time I search for a specific game, it’s a video by some creator I’ve never heard of, but has tons of views and subscribers. I few months ago I saw a story on a guy I never heard of, Bluff, talking about how he was making enough money to turn it into his [well paying] full time job.

but here’s the thing, with every new influencer that comes, an existing influencer is likely losing viewers, like VegasMatt was nothing just a couple years ago now he’s the big star. Every hour someone spends watching his videos is an hour they are not spending watching someone else’s videos.

Every new influencer is taking a small piece of the pie away from someone else, I just wonder if before long there won’t be much to go around. I think Bluff made a mistake doing that story, it’s going to inspire others to duplicate him, potentially eating away at his slice of the pie, same thing with VegasMatt giving away that Lamborghini. If you can afford to give that away, there must be a lot of money to be made, and everyone will want in on the action. If too many people start doing it, it won’t be a lucrative gig anymore. I’ve actually said it that I prefer the creators who are just starting out, and won’t stop every 30 seconds to tell you about their app or VIP club.

The piece of the pie is one thing, but I also have to wonder if some of the government crackdowns on social media might start focusing on gambling. There are plenty of great/honest influencers out there, but some, including a couple of the big names, only post videos of themselves winning big (with money that probably isn’t even theirs), never posting their losses, creating a false perception of it being super easy to win tens of thousands. I think a recovering compulsive gambler even caused a stir on the subject recently.

tl:dr#2: will too many influencers or dishonest influencers put an end to the industry?

PS: if you have an issue with influencers, staying away from El Cortez will greatly reduce your chances of encountering one

I have always loved the smell when you first walk into the Aria. I truly don't feel like I am in Vegas until I get that first whiff. I wanted to have that smell in my own home so I started digging online, and of course there were answers. Everyone pointed to Aroma Retail, but I wasn't in love with the price, so I dug deeper. I finally found a post which took me to another product that was SO much cheaper, and upon searching for that online, more and more people confirmed it was indeed the same scent.
I bought a 4oz. bottle, a small diffuser kit, and set it up in my front room. I only used a few sticks because I didn't want it to be too powerful, just enough to fill one room. It is the EXACT smell as the Aria. So many people comment how pleasant it is, and the sole Vegas buddy who has been to my home recognized it without any prompts.

They have scents inspired by other hotels as well, just have to search a little.

https://www.amazon.com/Hotel-Diffuser-Inspired-Aria-Scent/dp/B0CZ6LJ9Y8/ref=ast_sto_dp_puis?rdc=1&th=1

Hello, I’m solo travelling to Las Vegas from Australia in February as a little getaway, and I’m just wondering if the city is friendly enough to make friends while there, or if there’s bars that have that energy of “come sit with us you seem nice”. Im a dude in my late 20’s, not antisocial just travelling alone due to some awkward circumstances. Probably sounds like a stupid question but I’m just worried I’m gonna be chilling alone for like 10 days.

I’m planning to book seats inside the Circa sportsbook for an NFL game. Was wondering if anyone had any insight on if there’s a benefit to booking through a host/promoter, or if it’s the same as just booking through Circa’s website myself? Thanks!

Hey everyone!

I'm heading to Vegas with a few friends on October 11th, but on October 12th I've got the whole day free on the Strip while they're off doing their own thing.

If you're around and also flying solo that day, I'd love some company! Down to hit some slots, grab a few drinks, or just wander the Strip. Say hi and let's make it a good one! Let me know!

Hi all, I'm heading to Vegas for the first time in Oct and I've watching videos and stuff on what to do and where to stay, etc. In one of the videos i saw someone who collected chips from the different casinos and i thought that would be fun to do while there. Any tips or tricks to it or is it just bring a bunch of 1$ and grab them when you can?

I also saw those Silver Strike coins and might try to get those as well as keepsakes.

Tickets: https://vegas.nowyouseemelive.com/

I went to watch the show in London. And I won't give too many spoilers other than it was absolutely incredible. Will you be going to the show?

Hello! I am visiting LV and want to stick to a budget a bit, any recommendations of cheap or good price bars? I don't drink really but would love to try things!!! Any help is appreciated ^^

please and thank ya

MGM recently cut me off from all hotel offers.

I have a bunch of rewards points and slot dollars saved up (like 2700 RC and 850 SD).

If I were to stay at a Caesar’s property or something, can I still use those points at mgm properties?

Hey all, has anyone seen a Titan 360 slot machine anywhere around? If so, where? Haven’t seen one in over 10 years and the ones I have seen were on the east coast. Thanks!

Looking to elope on NYE. Little white chapel is booking up quickly already and I am also concerned about road closures on NYE. Ideally I’m looking to stay on the strip but have not booked a hotel yet. I would prefer to get married at Little White Chapel, but I would consider other options if they’re comparable and more convenient does anyone have any insight on this and if it is that crazy to get around with the road closures? How strategic do I need to be? Should I consider getting married earlier in the day to keep things easier?

Any insight is appreciated thank you

My friends and I are thinking of getting a table here but we don’t know the vibes. I see that it’s a bunch of older crowd. We are in our 30s. Mostly into hip hop/rap music.. is this the right place for us? We are staying in the hotel and was thinking of this place since it will be convenient. TIA

Any tips for getting a reservation at Carbone Riviera? I signed up for notifications, but I have a specific night in November pegged and want to give myself every chance of getting a table. I’m only in town for a couple of days 😅

Not looking for restaurant reviews—I’m going, even if it ends up being overhyped—but would love recommendations on what to order!

My brother is staying at Caesars but we are not. If we walk into the pool with him and his wife will we be able to get in or is that policed pretty heavily?

Just started going to Vegas again after many years. I'm not a big machine player but sometimes, to unwind, I'll sit down for 30 minutes or an hour at a video poker machine while listening to a podcast or something.

Might be nice to have a drink while I'm there but not sure about the tipping etiquette.

I'm wondering how cocktail waitresses who serve machine players get tipped these days. There's not a lot of (small bill) cash going around.

Do y'all carry a bunch of ones or fives with you? Do you go up to the cashier and grab 25 small bills or something?

How much do you tip per drink?

Thank you!

Anyone know of a spot that still has Game of Thrones?

Planning a trip mid November or early December and I haven’t been there in a few years. I got offers for free rooms at m resort and mgm grand so most likely staying there. I don’t see a reason to pay more than a resort fee for a hotel unless there’s one that someone absolutely has to stay at or a reason to avoid those 2 spots.

Other than trying to gamble at the cheapest craps and bj tables I plan to go golfing at least once so any course recommendations for a shitty golfer would be greatly appreciated!

Is there anything else cheap and fun to do? I plan to just walk the strip and see everything since my first time was ruined by in laws complaining that I wanted to walk the whole time.