AccessVegas.com Insider Vibe

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Archive for December, 2011

December 21, 2011

Access Vegas Insider Vibe December 21, 2011

December 21st 2011 Posted to Las Vegas Newsletter

AccessVegas.com Insider Vibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! – We want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and pleasant whatever-you-are-celebrating. Normally, we have a new photo from the Bellagio Gardens holiday display in the newsletter leading up to the 25′th, but we’ve been so busy, I haven’t even been over to see it this year! Rest assured, I have Christmas music playing in my office here.

This will be the final issue of 2011. With many reading at work (and not at work many days until the end of the year), this issue could be read at any time over the next 10 days.

The Lion King Comes To A Close – We’d like to thank The Lion King for being a long-time sponsor and helping us keep the lights on around here. It had a fantastic run in a town where shows can be fleeting. Some fun facts they sent us over:

When THE LION KING at Mandalay Bay ends…

  • The cast will have performed a total of 1,078 performances.
  • 1.4 million guests will have seen the show.
  • The cast will have participated in 2,000 rehearsals.
  • Makeup will have gone through 34,000 makeup remover wipes.
  • Scar will have spent more than 800 hours in the makeup chair.
  • Wardrobe will have spent 500 hours fitting cast members.
  • 17,000 hours will have been spent in the puppet workshop repairing and maintaining puppets.
  • Rafiki will have climbed Pride Rock more than 2,000 times and walked nearly 6,400 miles up and down since the first show.
  • Timon and Pumbaa will have said Hakuna Matata more than 38,000 times.

Las Vegas New Years Eve Fireworks Info and Insider Party Tips – We published this last year, but we’ve updated it including a recent news video. You can check it out and http://x.co/bxm1 and make sure to repost the link elsewhere if you find it helpful (or feel that others will)!

Coupons – We occasionally get asked if we put out a coupon book. Not at this time. Las Vegas if full of so many deals (we publish ones we find, and tweet those that don’t make deadline) and the problem with coupons is the time burn you spend chasing them. We recently noted that (on average) your time in Las Vegas is costing you over $15 per waking hour. Is it worth going out of your way for a $5-10 coupon (if that) on something that you otherwise probably wouldn’t have thought about seeing or doing?

As previously noted, we do plan to do an amazing job of aggregating all the deals and specials out there once we go to a paid subscriber model (which will allow us to hire someone for that daunting task). No coupons needed!

Don’t Believe It – Men’s Health just ranked Las Vegas as the 10′th “saddest” city in America. (St. Petersburg, FL worst, Honolulu was best). There of the big factors used were unemployment, use of antidepressants, and suicides. No question that people in Florida and Nevada are more “pilled up” than the norm. Doctors are quick to write scripts. Also, with the number of visitors and new residents (who find out that living here isn’t the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow), we’re going to have higher suicide numbers. On a related note…

Another “Great” Showing – Las Vegas ranks 136′th (out of 143 cities) for having the worst credit! Why I won’t toss that into the “blame the recession” basket? Las Vegan’s have always had terrible credit (as a whole). When I bought my first condo in 1995, I was told “Wow, you have really good credit. That is unusual here”. The average Las Vegan who uses credit owes just under $25,000. Best credit cities? Wausau-WI, Minneapolis-MN, and Madison-WI. Interestingly enough, all cities within 300 miles of each other.

Condo City – The median price of a condo in Las Vegas is a paltry $50,000. This will generally get you around 1000 sq. ft. and two bedrooms, two bathrooms in a decent area. (If you want to go high-rise on/near The Strip or downtown, you’ll looking at low six figures for a smaller one bedroom). Bring your wallet for the cheaper places. Getting a mortgage loan for a place under $50k is almost unheard of and about 90% of the closings are cash sales.

International Traffic WAY Up – October saw a 31% increase in international traffic to McCarran (Las Vegas) airport. As usual, no surprise to me. This year, the percentage of visitors to AccessVegas.com from outside the U.S. has gone up from 25% to 29%.

We know it is a hassle flying such long distances and having to deal with security and immigration. We appreciate you reading and appreciate your patronage. Overall traffic to the airport was up 5%. Among the domestic cities showing big gains sending visitors here? My hometown of Portland, OR. All visitor numbers continue to climb.

I’m Shocked! (Not) – The company that blew up The Frontier (across from Wynn) has announced they are scrapping plans to build a hotel there. As it is, the name of the property was going to be The Plaza (as in the New York City hotel). That alone shows how brainless these people were. Las Vegas already has a Plaza and at the time plans were originally announced, the downtown Plaza wasn’t a property you’d want a high-end hotel confused with. The Frontier was a dump in its latter years, but it was a fun dump. And much preferable to empty real estate with will stay that way for years to come.

Strip Clubs In Casinos – Yet another topic which I couldn’t address before as it would have gotten stuck in email filters. Rumblings have been heating up again about the option of putting strip clubs inside casino resorts. Casinos hate to see their customers walk out the door, and all that time and money spend at off-strip strip clubs adds up to money not spent on site.

I believe this is a bad idea all around. A significant amount of Vegas visitorship comes from “conservative” middle America. They (perhaps this is you) will have a few drinks and cut loose and perhaps aren’t a prude. But putting the “Sin City” image over the top may take the playful nature of the image one notch too far. Also, we have to think of our convention traffic. Does the wife really want the husband running off to a hotel that has a strip club in it? Let’s keep the strip clubs over in the industrial area behind the hotels where they belong.

The Las Vegas Line – When you read a sports page or watch sports programs here in the US, you’ll hear them say “Las Vegas likes Team A by 6 points over Team B”. Believe it or not, no one here in town sits down and figures out how much a team will win by. The betting line is actually determined by the betting public. For any given game, the sports books want to get an absolutely even amount of money bet of both sides. They want to see (for example) one million dollars bet on Team A and one million on Team B. Because they make you bet $11 to win $10, they simply want to sit back and give the losers’ money to the winners, pocketing that extra $1 on each $10 bet.

To get an even amount of money on each side, they set the line (which team is favored and by how much) to a point that will draw bets on both sides. If one team is perceived by the public to be better, the line will reflect that to get people betting on the underdog. Bet the “dog” on a game where the point spread is 6, and you automatically get 6 points added to that team’s score at the end of the game (for betting purposes… whether you “win” or not). Bet the favorite, and you need to subtract 6 points from your teams score at the end of the game.

Using our original example, if Team A wins by 3 points, they may win the game, but the bets on Team B are actually the winning bets. Because although they lost by 3, they got to add those 6 points on for betting purposes.

A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis – This darkly funny novel describes Wendy Sinclair’s spin-crazy life in Las Vegas after she impulsively decides to not return to Houston following a bizarre girls’ weekend in 2005. I’m a guy, so can’t say it is my cup of tea. But some of our female readers may want to check it out for their Vegas fix. Click over to A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis

Enjoy This Issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Rick Ziegler

Skip the airport taxi hassles and arrive at your hotel in style: Check out driver and limo service availability now!

 Book A Las Vegas Limo Today!

PBR, Menu, Miracle Mile Shops, Planet HollywoodPBR Rock Bar And Grill Introduces Savory New Menu Selections – Known for an extensive drink menu and an endless array of hearty American comfort food, PBR Rock Bar & Grill announces the introduction of several highly anticipated new menu items which include cocktails, breakfasts, appetizers, entrees and desserts that are sure to leave your mouth watering for more. The wide variety of new menu additions include sweet potato tater tots, a hearty chili cheeseburger and bloomin’ onion sliders served inside an onion ring with sautéed onions, Swiss cheese, bacon and tomato on a warm onion roll.

Ring in the New Year at Miracle Mile Shops With Food and Drink Deals – Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve (Saturday, Dec. 31) and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on New Year’s Day (Sunday, Jan. 1).

Venetian, Palazzo, HELP, charity, Adopt-A-FamilyThe Venetian and The Palazzo Give Back to HELP of Southern Nevada – In the true spirit of the season, Team Members from The Venetian and The Palazzo adopted 55 families through HELP of Southern Nevada’s Adopt-A-Family program and donated more than 35 bikes. Please see attached photos of the Team Members with all of the donated gifts.

Old Homestead Steakhouse, Caesars PalaceOld Homestead Steakhouse’s Annabelle the Cow is now Welcoming Guests at Caesars Palace – Annabelle, Old Homestead Steakhouse’s celebrity cow, has completed her cross-country journey and was unveiled this morning at the new Old Homestead Steakhouse at Caesars Palace. During her trek, the iconic brown and white cow visited several major U.S. landmarks including Times Square, the St. Louis Arch, the Lincoln Memorial, Mt. Rushmore and the Alamo. She also found time to visit her family in Nebraska on the farm where she grew up and do a little shopping in Chicago. Before being placed at the entrance of Old Homestead Steakhouse at Caesars Palace, she made one last stop at the ”Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. Photo (L to R) Greg Sherry, Gary Selesner and Marc Sherry in front of Old Homestead Steakhouse.

Miracle Mile Shops Launches 2012 Caring, Giving, Changing Campaign With Fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals – Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino aims to raise more than $100,000 over the course of a year during its Caring, Giving, Changing campaign, which kicks off in January with a fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The year of Caring, Giving, Changing begins on January 1 with a month-long fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. All change tossed into Miracle Mile Shops’ fountain as well as the center’s indoor rainstorm will be donated to the children’s charity, which is dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children at its 170 member hospitals in North America.

Like And Tweet – Enjoy our information? Share it with your friends and followers (Click to Like or Tweet, hover over the share button for Email A Friend menu):

 

Maverick Helicopter Wind Dancer Air and Landing TourMaverick Helicopter Wind Dancer Air and Landing Tour – Landing tour with a Continental breakfast or Hors d’oeuvres on the Canyon Floor. Birds eye view of Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. Get a close look at the extinct volcano Fortification Hill. Keep an eye out for wildlife along the way. Descend deep into the Grand Canyon and land on the Hualapai Indian territory on the canyon floor for a champagne toast, beverages and hors d’ oeuvres in the heart of this spectacular wonder of the world.

Click To Book Maverick Helicopter Wind Dancer Air and Landing Tour Now!

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Both Members Mania and What We’re Watching (two very popular segments) will return in 2012. With the attention of most focused on family, friends, and the holidays, we’ve decided to keep this issue more brief than most.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Want to comment on a current reader post? Use the comment box on that particular web page. Many of the stories we post also have comment boxes at the end of the story. Make your voice heard!
  • Drop us an email at AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Shows – Events

Comments(0)

December 14, 2011

Access Vegas Insider Vibe December 14, 2011

December 14th 2011 Posted to Las Vegas Newsletter

AccessVegas.com Insider Vibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! – We’re inching toward Winter Solstice (Dec. 22) and I’m looking forward to the days starting to get longer again. The fact that Las Vegas is sunny just about every day means nothing when the sun goes down so early! As we get toward the end of the year here, the news cycle has slowed down a little bit. The next couple of issues will be “kitchen sink” issues (everything but the kitchen sink). A mish-mash of news and thoughts that haven’t made previous issues, but should be interesting to most nonetheless.

New Years Eve – Next week, we’ll have all the details but expect business as usual with a nearly 9 minute fireworks show going off from The Tropicana to The Stratosphere. (Be warned that no hotels between Venetian and Strat will have displays). Let’s hope for better weather than last year when midnight temps were slightly below freezing. I’m getting too old for that! Tip for locals: One of the best “up close” views of the show is from the top of Palace Station parking garage. They close off the top floor and welcome everyone up for the look-see.

Celebrating All The Holidays – We know that Las Vegas goes “boom” in a big way for New Years Eve. Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day also result in big weekends. The LVCVA (Convention and Visitors Authority) is now suggesting turning more special event days into “Vegas Holidays”. As usual, the LVCVA is just sobering up and way behind what is actually already happening. I’ve been screaming about this for years!

Halloween has morphed into a Vegas Holiday with the nightclubs really stoking that fire. Cinco De Mayo has turned into a pretty big celebration. Not because of the LVCVA, but because of various casinos and bars doing events. Check out this video of Harrah’s 2010 Cinco de Mayo outdoor celebration. I’m completely floored that we don’t do Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday here. Are you kidding me?!?!? We could out-do New Orleans (and The Strip doesn’t smell like urine). Better late then never. More events for our visitors!

All Drinks $2 – Once again this year, the South Point is serving all drinks at their casino bars for $2 through December 24. I know that some of you gasp in horror at the thought of leaving The Strip, but this is quite the excuse to see how the locals eat, drink, and play at one of the city’s newer properties. (South Point is known for loose slots and good payback on video poker). They have a shuttle (schedule) for $8 round trip or the 6 mile cab fare will run you about $15 each way.

Tour Helicopter Crash – I like to focus on the good news and fun involving Las Vegas. However, I’d be remiss in mentioning the helicopter crash that took the lives of two couples and the pilot. One of the couples was celebrating their 25′th wedding anniversary, the other were newlyweds, and the pilot himself was a newlywed. Without singling out any particular tour companies (including the one involved in this horrible accident), let me note that when it comes to tours, you often get what you pay for.

We’ve been happily associate with a certain helicopter company (which I won’t name in this instance because this isn’t about capitalizing on tragedy) for well over a decade now. They are pretty much the most expensive. They also fly some of the newest equipment and can afford some of the best pilots. Guess what: They have an amazing safety record.

This extends to other aspects of your visit as well. The 1/2 price ticket booths are very popular. But keep a couple things in mind: At any given time, any show can end up for sale that day. Even the top shows rarely sell out every seat, every night. BUT… some shows end up there day in and day out, and with good reason. They aren’t great shows. And since you’re the last one to buy tickets, guess where you’ll be sitting? Don’t get me wrong, if you just want to kill 90 minutes (shows are often cheaper than gambling), what the heck. But if you want good seats to the better shows, go ahead and book well in advance.

The Defenders – For those who blinked and missed the Jim Belushi/Jerry O’Connell Vegas-based show called The Defenders, Netflix is streaming all 13 episodes.

Special Christmas Menus – Similar to Thanksgiving, many of the restaurants in the hotels will be featuring a special holiday menu (in addition to their regular menu). If spending Christmas here in town (many families do), you might inquire with the restaurants that catch your eye to check options for Christmas dining, reservations, etc. ASAP upon your arrival.

Like And Tweet – Enjoy our information? Share it with your friends and followers (Click to Like or Tweet, hover over the share button for Email A Friend menu):

 

Enjoy This Issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Rick Ziegler

Skip the airport taxi hassles and arrive at your hotel in style: Check out driver and limo service availability now!

 Book A Las Vegas Limo Today!

Winter in Venice, Christmas, Venetian, Palazzo, WinterThe Venetian and the Palazzo Las Vegas First-Ever Winter in Venice Holiday Celebration Continues – The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas are hosting Winter in Venice, the first true celebration of the winter season on the Las Vegas Strip. Winter in Venice is the ultimate destination for an unforgettable holiday experience through Jan. 8. The whimsical festivities features an enchanting ice skating rink above The Venetian’s picturesque outdoor Grand Canal, welcoming skaters to make figure-eights or glide hand-in-hand with loved ones. Surrounded by snowflakes, strung overhead holiday lights and an awe-inspiring 65-foot LED holiday tree sitting atop the Doge’s Palace fountain, guests are entertained by strolling candy cane stilt walkers, puppets, jugglers and magicians.

Odgen, Pool, Downtown, Upscale, kitchen, living room

The Return of Upscale Living in Downtown Las Vegas with The Ogden – Renovations to Streamline Tower Reveal Premium High-Rise – Located in the heart of Las Vegas’ flourishing arts and entertainment district, The Ogden offers an unparalleled experience with front-row seats to the downtown revitalization effort along with an alternative solution for residents that prefer a chic lifestyle paired with a convenient leasing option. The new Ogden will offers contemporary living without the long-term commitment.

Cabo Wabo, Sammy Hagar, I can't drive 55, dollar nachosCabo Wabo Ups The Ante With Sammy Hagar’s ‘I Can’t Drive 55′ Dollar Nachos – Cabo Wabo Introduces its Most Extreme Menu Item – Everyone knows the Red Rocker can’t drive 55, so Cabo Wabo has decided to up the ante with its newest extreme dish, Sammy Hagar’s ‘I Can’t Drive 55′ Dollar Nachos. This colossal appetizer includes Cabo Wabo’s signature tortilla chips piled high with 20 tasty toppings, available for $55. And because the Red Rocker is certain that this dish will take an entire army to finish, he invites guests to take his ‘I Can’t Drive 55′ Dollar Nacho challenge. Cabo Wabo threw just about everything in the kitchen, minus the sink, into this massive mound of nacho goodness.

Ice Skate, The Villiage, Lake Las VegasThe Village Lake Las Vegas Kicks off the Holidays with Skating on The Lake – Bringing back an annual tradition with the world-famous floating ice rink – It wouldn’t be the Holiday season without a spin around one of Las Vegas’ most celebrated attractions. The one-of-a-kind floating ice rink has become a quintessential Vegas winter experience among locals and tourists alike. Guests bundle up and head to this destination attraction to skate on the unique platform that holds up to 75 skaters at one time with the picturesque back drop of The Village Lake Las Vegas.

Yoga, Spa, Mirage, DolphinThe Mirage Nurtures Nature – Offers Yogis One-of-a-Kind Yoga Class With Dolphin Views – The Spa at The Mirage is taking downward-facing dog to the dolphins with a new, one-of-a-kind class, Yoga Among the Dolphins, offered in a serene, underwater viewing area within Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. ”Guests from all over the world cherish the dolphins at The Mirage,” said The Mirage Spa Director Stephanie Doud. ”When I looked at adding yoga to our spa menu, it only made sense to take advantage of the property’s exotic, wondrous dolphin world and the atmosphere of relaxation provided by the animals.”

Maverick Helicopter River Rafting TourMaverick Helicopter Combo Adventure with River Rafting Tour – Our Wind Dancer Flight with an added thrill of rafting the Colorado River through Black Canyon. An adventure of a lifetime! You will begin your day with complimentary hotel pick-up and your jet helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon. Your pilot will bring you back to the Boulder City Airport to be greeted by the river rafter team for a motorized 10-mile float.

Click To Book Maverick Helicopter Combo Adventure with River Rafting Tour Now!

What We’re Watching – Vegas Videos You’ll Enjoy

  • Motley Crue Residency At The Hard Rock – In 2012, the world’s most notorious rock band will take on the world’s most notorious city for the first ever hard rock residency in Las Vegas. Enjoy this ”barely safe for work” preview.
  • Book Tickets Now: Motley Crue
  • Historic Railroad Trail At Lake Mead National Recreation Area – The historic railroad trail was a railroad right of way originally used to haul equipment and materials for the construction of Hoover Dam. The railroad was decommissioned in 1961 after the last power generator was installed in the dam. The trail is 3.7 miles one way and goes from the trailhead near the Lake Mead NRA Alan Bible Visitor Center to the Hoover Dam visitor parking structure.
  • Pahrump Valley Winery – Not far from the strip is Nevada’s most award winning winery, Pahrump Valley Winery. You heard me right, our neighbors out at Pahrump are growing their own grapes and turning them into award winning wines. And if that isn’t enough for you to make an easy hour drive, well, you can also stroll their beautiful grounds and grab a bite to eat at their gourmet restaurant Symphony’s, named after their Gold Medal winning wine of the same name.
  • Las Vegas in Kodachrome c.1962 – 16mm Kodachrome home movies from a group of Chicago Police officers and their wives while they visit Las Vegas in the early 1960s. The opening sequence takes place in a bus with long curved plexiglass windows (which makes for easy viewing of the Nevada / Arizona country) and is perfectly clear and in focus – incredible stuff.

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Note From Ted: This week (only) we’ll be featuring some of the feedback toward our decision to move to a paid subscriber newsletter model. Should you wish to chime in, you can use the contact information at the end of this segment. You know that I’m always transparent in addressing reader thoughts and concerns.

Next week, we return to the normal format for this section with lots of reader reports, tips, and questions answered!

We will be so sorry to lose this e-mail from you. Being retired and on a fixed income, and everything still going up, we cannot pay for anything that is not essential. I do save a bit for vacations, etc., and hope to visit once in a while. Just have to watch our pennies to do so. Perhaps we are two of your oldest subscribers as we have been long time readers. Good articles!!.

We thank you for a great newsletter and appreciate all the news about one of our favorite towns. Good luck in your new venture. Will miss you!!

Kay G

 

Ted Responds:

Thanks for the note. The bottom line is that we can’t continue to publish with the current scope for free at the expense of properly maintaining and upgrading our website, which is capable of reaching far more people.

Just as you would not want to work for free, I certainly can’t ask my small crew to put in extra hours off the clock to maintain both the site and the newsletter. Nor can I do it all by myself.

I crunched some numbers: Let’s say that the average cost of a Las Vegas vacation is $1000 a couple just for room, air, and food. Let’s say that it is a four day, three night stay which comes to around 60 waking hours here. That right there is $16.67 per waking HOUR while you are here. Just to be here.

If our information just saves you 1.5 hours of otherwise wasted or wandering time (because you know what is going on), it has paid for itself. Add to that deals we scour the web for that you can take advantage of on your trip, and you’ve more than covered the modest fee we’ll be asking.

Add into that the hours and hours that someone would spend trying to look up and find all this info on their own, and a couple of bucks a month to save all those hours turns into something that actually saves you, not something that costs you.

I appreciate that you may not be able to spare $2 per month for what we do. I respect that and thank you for being a long-time reader. Understanding that the economy is bad, I purposely kept the price as low as possible. To put it in perspective, another long time Las Vegas newsletter (which I have immense respect for) only publishes monthly and charges upwards of $40 per year.

But the simple economics are to cut way back on the information in the newsletter (an option I don’t find acceptable), or to ask readers who find it of value to help us out with $1.99 per month.

Thanks for your feedback,

Ted Newkirk
CEO, Managing Editor
AccessVegas.com

Your newsletter indicates that you are start charging in a few weeks. I can not find where to sign up. Help!!

On another note, I’ve returned from a trip mid November, stayed at the Aria. Used the $20.00 upgrade move and got a wonderful room. Two suggestion when staying there. One, request a room near the elevators, I need a pack mule for supplies to get from the elevator to my room. Two, be careful in the showers, the floor are polished smooth and of course, get them wet, they get slippery.

I have trouble using the electronic to operate the TV but that was probably my fault.

I agree with one of your readers in that they need to install a moving sidewalk to get the general public into the casino. And also for the guests for the Aria that want to go out and wander the Strip.

Dennis Hall

 

Ted Responds:

We’re still getting everything prepped. Don’t worry, we’ll provide plenty of advance notice. I’m so excited about the great, new things we’ll be able to do in 2012 once we’re able to better staff our little operation here! I can’t count the number of great ideas we come up with that we just don’t have the manpower to implement.

We have to keep most of them under our hat, but one is video: The internet is flooded with Vegas video, but 95% of it is unprofessionally produced and you have to sift through so many videos to (for example) find a good walk-through of a hotel room or an attraction you may want to know more about. If you find the “official” video for something, it is usually a 60 second advertisement that does not help much.

We’d love to shoot a series of 3-4 minute videos covering much of what Las Vegas has to offer, well produced, no BS. This would be invaluable to our members, as you could take a nice overview of something from the comfort of your home, and then decide whether it is up your alley. As opposed to coming here, trying it, and maybe finding it wasn’t for you (which wastes your time and money). As you can imagine, that takes time my present crew simply does not have.

Another example: Las Vegas is flooded with deals. I don’t mean a couple of ongoing steak specials. I mean happy hours, limited time prix fixe meals, much more. We’ve had endless requests to make a part of the site featuring all of this and we simply don’t have the resources to do so (it requires so much research to stay on top of it all as deals change weekly and even daily). Once we’re able to increase staffing, we’d like to keep this updated information in (what will be) our members area. That alone will save everybody the cost of the yearly subscription!

Thanks for the feedback on Aria. I agree and we’ve suggested in the past that in really big properties like Aria and MGM, the rooms can be quite a hike if you are don’t get put near the elevator banks. You aren’t the first to struggle with the Aria features. Cutting edge, but perhaps they should come with an operations manual!

We’ll keep an eye on what CityCenter does once The Harmon comes down. They’ll have a second chance to make the property more friendly to those walking The Strip.

Love your newsletter and don’t mind helping out with the paid subscription. This route certainly makes sense. How will it work? Will you send out e-mails to let us know the new newsletter is off and running with the address to which the check should be sent? Just want to know so that I won’t be left out or miss the info. Thanks again for this helpful newsletter and your attention to detail.

Edith

 

Ted Responds:

We’ll have numerous payment options including the ability to send in a check. We’re in the process of working it all out.

Thanks in advance for the support. With everyone pitching in just a little bit, we believe that we’ll be able to produce the most amazing resource out there for Las Vegas visitors!

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Want to comment on a current reader post? Use the comment box on that particular web page. Many of the stories we post also have comment boxes at the end of the story. Make your voice heard!
  • Drop us an email at AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Shows – Events

Comments(0)

December 7, 2011

Access Vegas Insider Vibe December 7, 2011

December 07th 2011 Posted to Las Vegas Newsletter

AccessVegas.com Insider Vibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! – I’d like to personally apologize if you visited over the weekend into the early week. Temperatures struggled to make it to 50 degrees F and we had numerous overnight lows below freezing. If you are a regular reader, you know that I’ve reminded everybody over the past few months that our average Dec. and Jan. low temps are 57 (for both months). Fortunately, we’re pretty much getting back to those numbers. And, that the actual temperature can easily be 10+ degrees of average.

Working Pretty Well – Posting the newsletter online (instead of delivering it in email) is a nice step forward. So many more are enjoy it because it doesn’t get caught in spam filters. Additionally, the look and feel stays intact for ease of reading. Even more importantly, I don’t have to kill myself trying to censor it. We have to use words like strip (as in Las Vegas Strip), casinos, gambling, poker, topless (as in shows) and similar. And those are some of the exact words which spam filters use to keep email from getting to you.

Sahara Officially Renamed – A Bloomberg interview with Sahara owner Sam Nazarian indicates that he will be changing the name of the property to SLS Las Vegas and the property will be remade as a trendy, boutique hotel. Which (as I’ve stated before) won’t work in that location in a million years. In related news…

Fon-Tain-Blu-(Goes-Boom)? – The Fontainebleau (spelled phonetically in the blurb title) is seeing quite a bit of hard hat action lately. As exclusively reported by Scott Whitney on Living in Las Vegas #133, discovery is being done to figure out whether it is cheaper to implode the building or take it apart and sell the steel. However, given the resurgence of the Las Vegas economy and solid projections of visitor growth over the next few years, I have to think that finishing the property is still an option.

I have mixed emotions. The building is very out-of-place for the location, boring looking, and and way too tall. Having said that, demolition would be a black eye on Las Vegas at a time things have really turned around. As always, we’ll keep you posted! Speaking of Las Vegas turning around…

You Don’t Say – Analysts are noting modest revenue increases for Las Vegas tourism in 2012 on the heels of gains in the past few months. We didn’t need analysts to figure this out. How about you walk around downtown or The Strip and look with you own eyes. Las Vegas is jammed again!

Biggest growth for 2012 will be in the affluent traveler segment. For those of you complaining that Las Vegas is becoming just for the rich (completely not true, and we give examples of room and food bargains on a regular basis), certainly the segment catering to the wealthier visitor will increase. Look for every steepening rates at places like Wynn/Encore, Venetian/Palazzo, CityCenter, and even Bellagio.

Regardless of the level of your accommodations, prices are on the rise. If you are even thinking about a 2012 Vegas vacation, I’d strongly suggest clicking over to visit our friends at i4Vegas Discount Hotel Reservations and enter some dates looking to lock something up. Waiting will only bring higher prices.

Many of you saw an article titled Is Nevada recovering? Depends on who you ask in your local papers. Considering that the article was written by someone from out-of-state, they actually did a pretty good job of nailing it. If you are on tourism, you’re probably doing fine. The sector is starting to return to normal. For those in construction, forget about it. Years will go by before the foreclosure housing is absorbed (prompting new home construction), no resorts are on the drawing board, and we have a glut of commercial space.

Thank You Steve Wynn – According to a recent published report, it was Steve Wynn who at a routine meeting with Clark County (Las Vegas) Sheriff Doug Gillespie brought up the issue of how intimidating the pornslappers (adult escort service handbill distributors) were to visitors. Gillespie and the companies who do the “handbilling” have evidently come to an agreement.

Police won’t harass the pornslappers (who are protected under their right to free speech) if the distributors agree to doing things like not slapping the cards (which makes a noise and gets people’s attention), not shoving them in people’s faces, cleaning up after themselves and similar. We’ll see how this is going. As I’ve always noted, the best advice is to literally ignore them. Treat them like they don’t exist.

50/50 – Las Vegas is now attracting just as many female visitors as male. This is a sharp cry from when I first moved here in 1993 and Vegas was a “boys vacation” town. Lots more things for girls to do to get in trouble then there was back then…

Take A Ride On The Wild Side – Motley Crue is slated to do 12 dates at the Hard Rock during the months of February. This is an experiment to see if a hard rock act can make a residency work in Las Vegas a la Celine Dion. This won’t be a typical Motley concert date (which are pretty theatrical to begin with). They promise to use the fact that they’ll be in one spot (they don’t have to break the show down each night) to add all kinds of twists and turns to the show. Tickets are now available: Motley Crue Las Vegas Tickets

Enjoy This Issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Rick Ziegler

Skip the airport taxi hassles and arrive at your hotel in style: Check out driver and limo service availability now!

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Holly Madison, Birthday, Chateau Nightclub, PeepshowHolly Madison Celebrated her Birthday at Chateau Nightclub and Gardens – The gorgeous Holly Madison wowed the crowd on the red carpet as she celebrated her 32nd birthday at Chateau Nightclub & Gardens inside Paris Las Vegas, Saturday night. The Las Vegas ”PEEPSHOW” star dazzled in a gold sparkle dress by Versace for H&M collection and red sparkle Christian Louboutin stilettos with gold spikes. Photo Credit: Denise Truscello/WireImage

Railroad Pass, Gingerbread, ChristmasRailroad Pass Hotel and Casino Announces Gingerbread Houses Display – It’s Holiday time at the Historic Railroad Pass Hotel & Casino. And, as part of the year- long 80th birthday celebration, they are bringing back a tradition from the 1800′s with the artistry of Gingerbread Houses.

The Hard Rock Store Supports The Salvation Army – Donate And Win! – ‘Tis the season for giving and The Hard Rock Store inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino supports The Salvation Army of Southern Nevada by encouraging guests to make donations between now and the end of the year. Suitable items include non-perishable food and cold weather attire.

winter cocktailThe Waterfall, Atrium and Gardens Of The Palazzo Transform Into A Majestic Winter Utopia – Guests are invited to enjoy one of the resorts’ festive Winter in Venice cocktails – As part of The Venetian and The Palazzo’s (click link to book) inaugural Winter in Venice celebration, the resorts’ horticulture team put the finishing touches on its unique winter displays in the resort’s Waterfall, Atrium & Gardens this morning. Guests are invited to enjoy one of the resorts’ festive Winter in Venice cocktails while enjoying the distinctive scenery including the popular Gondolier Blanco served at The Venetian and The Palazzo’s bars and lounges.

Dream Catcher Sunset Grand Canyon TourDream Catcher Sunset Grand Canyon Tour – Landing tour with beverages, snacks and Extra Flight Time in the Grand Canyon! Experience the journey of a lifetime. Your journey begins with a flight out of Las Vegas to Hidden Valley to see the arches. Continue your journey to the Valley of Fire, were you will see red rock formations and some of the most remote, desolate, and fascinating desert landscape.

Click To Book Dream Catcher Sunset Grand Canyon Tour Now!

What We’re Watching – Vegas Videos You’ll Enjoy

  • Las Vegas Cashes In on Reality Television – Las Vegas is famous for its glitz and glamor. The vibrant city oozes sex appeal. Increasingly, the characters on reality television programs set in Las Vegas provide fascinating scripts not even Hollywood could create. From the young, wild and hot on the E! Channel’s ”Holly’s World”, to big spenders indulging at the Hard Rock’s Rehab pool party, to oddballs getting locked up on Tru TV’s ”Las Vegas Jailhouse”, it all adds up to free promotion for the entertainment capital of the world. Read More…
  • Las Vegas’ Over-the-Top Bathrooms – Any self-respecting traveler knows the importance of finding a clean public bathroom. It’s a place not only to take care of “‘business,” but a place to regroup and take a break from the masses. But in Las Vegas some public bathrooms are giving new meaning to the term royal flush. From over-the-top decor, to wall art that keeps customers lingering (maybe a bit too long) –even free language lessons, a trip to the bathroom can be as exciting as hitting the jack pot. Read more…
  • Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat – Living in Las Vegas certainly has many perks… one being the amazing access you get to activities usually planned for vacation trips. One great example that we’ve come across is the Dolphin Habitat at Mirage. Eight magical Atlantic bottlenose dolphins just waiting for you to join them as a “trainer for a day…” You’ll get to feed the dolphins, learn to train the dolphins, and dine with the dolphins.
  • Red Rock Canyon Time Lapse Scenic Drive – Last week, we presented the Red Rock Casino to Blue Diamond time lapse drive. Now see what happens when you take the ultra-scenic Red Rock Canyon loop. A fast drive though the 12.5 mile narrow road of Red Rock Canyon Park just outside of Las Vegas.

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

I live in South Florida and visit Vegas every year, sometimes twice. If they build a huge casino complex in Miami it would not change my visiting Vegas. I don’t come to Vegas for the gambling but for the shows, restaurants and fun. The gambling in second. Before I moved to FL (2 years ago) I lived in MD and seldom went to Atlantic City. Not a fun place. No matter how many casinos/resorts they build in the country there is still only one Vegas!!!

Doris Osborne

 

Ted Responds:

A recent pretty lengthy article in our newspaper was examining this, and the consensus agrees with you. The Miami developers are quoting crazy numbers when they refer to the visitors they’ll steal from Las Vegas. The same point as yours was also made: Las Vegas isn’t just about gambling. It is the excitement of the entire destination!

Don’t get me wrong: People from the east will take the shorter flight for a quick Miami vacation that involves gambling. But most likely not as a replacement to their Vegas trips.

Unless or until Miami or Cuba builds their own version of the Las Vegas strip with miles of gaming resorts, single casinos in various locals a round the country just wet people’s appetite for Las Vegas. I hate to sound like a broken record, but we’re on pace to tie the record for visitors this year and pass it next year. That’s not exactly a sign that other gaming destinations are keeping people away!

Just back from a two-night, three-day stay in Vegas, our first trip to Sin City in two years. We stayed at MGM Grand. No room matching our reservation for non-smoking and one king-size bed was ready upon our arrival, and my wife wasn’t feeling well after the flight, so we had to spend an hour in a bar waiting for a room (our paperwork, by the way, guaranteed our room by 3 p.m., but we didn’t get ours until 4 p.m.). After that, though, we had a great trip, with time poolside, a nice first-day hit at video poker, and an outing to Fremont Street.

My wife had never been to Fremont Street; I’d seen the same shows there a few times and would have skipped it myself. However, the new (to me) Fremont Street Experience shows (we saw the “American Pie” and “Tribute to Queen” shows, plus one more) were a pleasant surprise to me, so we both enjoyed the outing.

During our stay, we enjoyed fine meals at the Wolfgang Puck and Diego at MGM, and a nice lunch at an outdoor table at Trader Vic’s at Planet Hollywood. We thought we’d have a nice view of the Bellagio fountains there, but the view is better from the outdoor tables at Mon Ami Gabi at Paris.

We were very impressed by our first visit to Planet Hollywood. I’d never been impressed by the former Aladdin, but very much like what they’ve done with the place. I spent some time at the Planet Hollywood sports book and found it to be comfortable, with a nice variety of big TVs for football.

The only show we saw on this trip was “Zumanity”, which we thought was great. We hadn’t known about the comic relief in this show, and that really added to our enjoyment of the show. Maybe we just got lucky, but the audience members roped into the show were cooperative and funny…I imagine not everyone would be!

One final point about a merchant we’ve come to feel offers unique, beautiful jewelry at reasonable prices and with unmatched service: Bernard Passman’s black coral jewelry store at Venetian. On top of what I’ve just said, I can add that they stand by the quality of their jewelry without hesitation.

I enjoy the newsletter and look forward to each issue; I also look forward to returning to Vegas sooner next time, as our package at MGM included an airfare credit for our next trip!

Scott from Dimondale, MI

 

Ted Responds:

First of all, I need to note that we just found a bunch of great trip reports from 2008 that got orphaned in our system. This was one of them. Over time, we’ll be running those which are still relevant.

When you have issues with a property, I still highly recommend sending a polite but pointed snail mail to the hotel in question. I realize that complaining on social media is becoming more popular, but the ease of it often makes business more dismissive of it. For a long time I remember Wynn’s Twitter feed getting filled with complaints. And the response to each was “call us”. I mean… they can’t very well fix things over Twitter (or even Facebook). Do one better and write them and you might be surprised at how they’ll work to make it up to you!

Membership Update – We’re a few weeks away from going to a paid subscriber model for the newsletter. Unquestionably, our information and advice improves your Las Vegas vacations. When you know what is happening, where the deals are, how not to get ripped off and similar, you maximize the time you have here (which doesn’t come cheap when you factor in air and hotel costs). The price will be less than $2 a month ($23.95 per year). That’s less than the price of a soda and candy bar at your local mini-mart.

Why this change when we’ve been free for so long? Simple: When I started in 1999, there really wasn’t that much Vegas news to sift through (and the newsletter was much shorter). Over the years, the time it takes to read all the papers, magazines, blogs, news feeds, press releases and similar and distill it all for you has grown intense.

AccessVegas.com has suffered because of our attention to the newsletter. (For example, we just finally got a mobile version going, something we should have done two years ago). While we keep the site updated, the look and usability if more 1997 (when we launched) then 2011. We can’t do a really great job at both the site and newsletter with present staffing, and the site is our flagship.

This left me with two options:

1. I could radically reduce the scope of the newsletter and quit writing my parts so I can work on the revitalization of Access Vegas. You can get generic Vegas news from a million places now (if you have a zillion hours of free time on your hands each week to sift through it all). But, your feedback indicates that the key reasons you read are for my sections and because we distill down to all the important info. Or…

2. We can ask everyone to pitch in a couple of lousy dollars per month and not only continue what we do, but expand on it with special “members only” features we’d like to add over the course of the next year. We’d like to better address many of the common questions you have (which takes research time). We have a killer idea for a specialized app that will save you tons while you are in town. It will be free to paid subscribers. (If you aren’t an app type of person, you’ll have access to the information online in a members area so you can print it out and bring it along, or surf it on your phone or iPad).

We’ll also promise a personal response when a paid subscriber writes us with a Vegas question, which we don’t have the staff to do now (especially on stuff that has to be researched). We have the connections to get the right answers on stuff we don’t know off the top of our head. But not always the time to do so.

Hence, we’re going with option #2. We love helping you guys out. We just need a little help from you to do it properly.

Thanks in advance for your support!

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

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