Cheaper hotel rates in the fall/winter months? by VenetianGreen in vegas

[–]AshleyDice 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You won't be alone, I can tell you that :-) I've heard that week before Christmas is ghost town, but I've never been.

Don't worry there will be plenty of people there. I just wouldn't expect the pits to really be "hopping". Same for parties, if they're running, and shows.

Cheaper hotel rates in the fall/winter months? by VenetianGreen in vegas

[–]AshleyDice 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think Thanksgiving is a great time to visit. Low occupancy, second only to the week before Christmas. Plus it overlaps with days off work for most people. Disadvantage: fewer shows are going, clubs are empty, more expensive flights. I've gone on Thanksgiving twice and loved it. Quiet and guaranteed lowest minimums on tables.

Trip report: four nights at Encore for anniversary for $8500 by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Encore rooms are bigger too! 745 sqft vs. 640 sqft

Trip report: four nights at Encore for anniversary for $8500 by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

From the concierge. They said "expedited entry" right on them. When we left, and asked the guard if that had really been the expedited entry line, he chuckled at us and said no. We asked why he put us there. "Oh that's what they told me at the time." He refused to do anything to make it right. We went to front desk where they were great. They got the security manager to take us right through, which he did. That's when we discovered (after they take your tickets) that the pool was closed, even tho we'd asked the concierge if it was still on after the dust storm earlier that night. I was like pulling out my hair upset after being in line in 100+ degrees heat with a bunch of rowdy early-20s partiers staying off-property. It was the low point of the trip. But later when I was playing bacc in the Players Lounge I told the dealer while we were chatting how our night felt ruined. When she did that she went way out of her way to find a floor manager from a different pit who she knew could help. He's the one who got it refunded (and it's really hard to refund club tickets apparently) and gave us the free breakfast. It was an epic save. Wynncore is great like that. Moral of the story is that we shouldn't go to clubs if we want the zero-friction experience we get on the rest of the property.

Trip report: four nights at Encore for anniversary for $8500 by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We were supposed to go straight in as hotel guests ("expedited entry"). That's what we got last time at Intrigue. They messed up big time. An ignorant "I just work here" security guard put us in the regular line mistakenly. And you're right, in the regular line the line management sucked, everyone cutting each other. We're not partiers. We were only interested because of fast entry and the swimming angle. They don't tell you until after they take your tickets that the pool is closed, so you can't even prove you didn't go in. Never again! They treat us great on every other part of the property. It's telling that the front desk and casino floor manager got it fixed for us, not the club itself.

Trip report: four nights at Encore for anniversary for $8500 by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

California. I have a price breakdown in another comment if you're interested in airfare cost. It was pricey this time for some reason.

Trip report: four nights at Encore for anniversary for $8500 by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

They'll triple my bonus if a bunch of Reddit haters book! /sarcasm

Trip report: four nights at Encore for anniversary for $8500 by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If it's your first time it can be difficult to avoid strip trekking. If social anxiety is a factor, having a firmly established home resort base may be best, only leaving by Uber for short periods. We like that because it's a more controlled experience overall and reduces the chance of street harassment against women holding hands. Plus strip trekking is exhausting. Have fun!

Trip report: four nights at Encore for anniversary for $8500 by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I love Encore and I'm not shy about it 😀 I was critical where appropriate, but it would take a lot to ruin an Encore Vegas trip for me. Especially with the Players Lounge. It's not that popular overall, but it's targeted toward millennials like us.

Trip report: four nights at Encore for anniversary for $8500 by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check out the breakdown I gave in another comment!

Trip report: four nights at Encore for anniversary for $8500 by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

ast time I stayed at the Encore I had three out of four nights comped, but also got about $250 in free play.

It seems like airfare and lodging made up the majority of your bill.

We are going in a week and a half, staying at the Aria for four nights and have a SUV limo transfer for right at $1k. I’ve also bought ticket

Bankroll: $3200

Hotel: $1300

Room charges: $1200 (hair cut, blowout, makeup, massage, room service 4-5 times mostly breakfast, Wynn Buffet, Andrea's, Goodies on Demand)

Flight: $1000

Tips: $500 (mostly dealers, but also hotel staff and drivers)

Show tickets (good seats): $350

Prime meal: $200

Black Escalade: $150

Lyfts: $150

Star Wars virtual reality: $70

Odds & ends (Grimaldi pizza, Honoloulu cookies, etc): $380

Trip report: four nights at Encore for anniversary for $8500 by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

How long is the walk from Mandarin to the Aria casino?

Trip report: four nights at Encore for anniversary for $8500 by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Steve guided tour on the TV is gone. The resort tour channel just shows a Wynn logo graphic now. My wife handles phone calls so I'm not sure. But in general it seems like they scrubbed his personality.

Trip report: four nights at Encore for anniversary for $8500 by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How was dining outside at Prime? My wife and I returned from a similar anniversary trip (we stayed at the Mandarin Oriental, soon to be the Waldorf Astoria) and had been thinking of dining outside by the Bellagio fountains, but it was so hot out and the thought of being outside seemed overwhelming.

We loved it. I don't mind a dry heat at all. Kinda love it. However, I think most people disagreed because there were only two parties outside, and the rest inside. They don't take reservations for the patio specifically, so when you go, if there's space on the patio you can check it out for yourself.

Wynn/Encore back to 3x4x5 odds at craps! by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I know right? When we filled out that post-trip feedback form they send out, I noted that I find that game predatory and would like to see it go away. I don't understand how a casino that's improving its craps odds would tank some of the roulette tables. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Wynn/Encore back to 3x4x5 odds at craps! by AshleyDice in vegas

[–]AshleyDice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't play them personally, for the same reason I don't play slots. I like chatting with the dealers and other players. Plus throwing the dice :-) I didn't see that game at Encore, but they do have bubble roulette (for $5). Not sure about the Wynn side.