Where to Stay during DLV2015

[annie]

> This might be the year I finally stay downtown ... Could we have a
> official DLV recommendation downtown as our budget option?

We've mentioned this a few times in ORG.

Question to all? What are your thoughts and feelings about staying downtown for DLV?

The obvious "pro" is cost. Midscale hotels are cheaper downtown and some of the nicer downtown hotels are about the same as the midscale hotels on the Strip. The obvious "con" is transportation convenience and cost.

As for properties we suggest, the obvious answer would be those downtown properties rated good for satisfaction and comfort on the recent years' surveys.

[Bev]

I am very torn about where I will be staying for DLV this year. The strip hotels where I have stayed in the past have higher rates plus resort fees tacked on this year. I have had great rates at Harrah’s the last two years. This year it’s double what I’ve paid.
I am entertaining the idea of staying downtown for the early part of the week (Sunday, Monday, maybe Tuesday) then moving up to the strip to perhaps Flamingo. I really hate the idea of moving hotels but cannot see an advantage to staying downtown all week other then cost. Of course if several other attendees were staying downtown then it might be more fun. There are very good rates at 4 Queens and pretty good rates at Golden Nugget, so if I were to stay downtown I would stay In one of those.
The other option I am considering, again do to costs, is staying at the Riviera. It would be splitting the distance from downtown so I would still be closer to the strip action. It has a decent casino and cost is good.
Bev

[annie]

> I am very torn about where I will be staying for DLV this year. The strip
> hotels where I have stayed in the past have higher rates plus resort fees

Unless things change, I will probably be at the Flamingo. It's a "least of evils" thing, actually. I definitely want to stay in the center Strip area, not really for proximity to DLV activities, but because I enjoy that area best.

> I am entertaining the idea of staying downtown

I've thought of staying downtown, but I figure that the added taxi expenses (I've found that I enjoy DLV more if I do not have a car) would quickly cancel out the room rate savings.

> then moving up to the strip to perhaps Flamingo. I really hate the idea of moving hotels

For a couple of years I tried to save $$$ by staying at cheaper places (Holiday Inn Express and Ellis Island) on the weekend and then the Sahara during the week. Moving was such a pain in the @$$ that I gave up on it and just held my nose and paid the weekend rate at wherever I was staying during the week.

> but cannot see an advantage to staying downtown all week other then cost.

Cost is really the only reason I would stay downtown. Parking is also more of an issue downtown than it is on the Strip.

> The other option I am considering, again do to costs, is staying at the
> Riviera. It would be splitting the distance from downtown so I would still

The talk on the LV chat boards says that the Riviera is in sad shape, losing money and lots of deferred maintenance and such. If I were to split the difference I would probably choose Stratosphere, mainly from good reports from our people. Still, it's inconvenient for me. It is an easy walk to the Monorail during the day, but the area is a bit dicey and I would probably end up doing a taxi ($$$) at night which would negate the savings.

Our corporate travel office (I can use them for personal trips) was showing some great rates for the Westgate (nee' LV Hilton) for a while but those seem to have dried up, for now that is. They have gotten me great rates at Bally's in the past, but this year that place is astronomical! The only decent corporate rates they are showing now for Strip hotels are at the Excalibur and Luxor, which are both farther away from where I want.

One thing I have sure learned, from trial and error at Pinkfest, is that I enjoy things far more by spending more for a convenient downtown hotel than by going for a bargain and commuting. For Pinkfest, the difference is far more than for DLV. Downtown hotels are typically three times or more the price of similar scale properties in the 'burbs. For DLV the price difference seems to be about 1.5 times.

[External Poster]

This posting is from: bea-f
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I have a friend that is a member of the local LGBT community and is also
the Assistant Manager of the Casino Royale on the strip (between Quad
and Harrahs). It's a Mom and Pop, the only one left on the strip.

It has about 160 rooms recently remodeled. He was going to work on a
special price for DIVA, but he is currently out of town on a family
emergency. I will check with him when he gets back. Even at their
advertised rates, it might be a good alternative and good location. I
will let ya all know if he can work out a special for DIVA.


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(This posting was entered by bea-f, an external user of MyDLV.)

[Bev]

Just to show an example of the volatile prices on the strip, a few years ago I stay at Casino Royale next to Harrah's for $40/night. During the DLV2015 week the rates there are $134/night. I doubt that they did that much work to the place to warrant that kind of increase in rates.
I agree with you Annie about the downtown casino costs verses extra travel, time, and costs. Those out-weigh any advantage that downtown offers. However, if several of the gals decided to stay downtown it might be fun and worth those disadvantages.
Like you Annie, I am leaning towards staying at Flamingo because of the better rates being quoted ($78/n).

[annie]

> It has about 160 rooms recently remodeled. He was going to work on a
> special price for DIVA, but he is currently out of town on a family
> emergency. I will check with him when he gets back. Even at their
> advertised rates, it might be a good alternative and good location. I
> will let ya all know if he can work out a special for DIVA.

Thanks Bea. This sounds like it may be promising.

We'll continue the discussion over on the ORG list. I'll copy this note over there.

[RobynB]

Are the suggested hotels the same as the list for 2014? I don't see a 2015 list, and it is getting to be time to book. I want to stay at a suggested hotel because it is my first meeting.

[annie]

> Are the suggested hotels the same as the list for 2014?

No. Completely new slate and we've done some further research on what our people are looking for in a hotel for DLV, so we're going to be very sure we get a good fit.

Target date for announcing suggested hotels is the first week in December.

> I want to stay at a suggested hotel because it is my first meeting.

We will most likely be suggesting one hotel in the main center Strip area, using the criteria of thrift, companionship, and comfort for the selection.

We MAY be suggesting one downtown hotel this year, but it will be up to the ORG group as to whether or not that happens.

[Bev]

I have not reached a definite plan on where to stay for DLV. I like being on the strip but also like the relaxed atmosphere of the Fremont Street area. It’s so easy to walk around and slip in and out of the various casinos. It’s just that added driving and time it takes to get from downtown to the strip or other areas that concern me. There are pros and cons each way.
I had thought of splitting my week with staying downtown during the first part and on the strip during the second. I really hate the idea of moving midweek as once I’m settled into my hotel room I don’t want to have to move. The only good time to be downtown is on Sunday because it looks to be where the action is going to be. Monday I will want to spend the afternoon getting ready for BB. So the idea of changing hotels then doesn’t work because I couldn’t get into a strip hotel until 4:00 and that doesn’t leave enough time to get ready for BB (I want hours for this as I would like to go to a salon for makeover and pampering). Tuesday I will be golfing and hosting the Ruth’s Chris evening so that doesn’t give me time to change hotels then and being on the strip close to Harrah’s just makes sense to me. Wednesday would be the best day to move as I don’t have any hard plans that day, but again being on the strip for Tuesday evening would be best. And if I were still downtown on Thursday it wouldn’t make sense to move up to the strip that late in the week.
So all that being said I guess I am leaning on biting the bullet and spend the extra money to stay on the strip. I had looked at possibly staying at the Riviera as a compromise between downtown and mid-strip but reports I’m hearing is that it is in bad shape. Right now the best rates I am finding for on the strip are at Flamingo at $75/night + resort fees. That’s more than I have spent in LV in many years. Guess I have just been lucky up till now.
Pros on Flamingo are they are very LGBT supportive, which would be nice, good restaurants like their buffet, nice casino with a great poker room (biggie for me), shopping is good, very nice salon for my pampering, would build up more Total Rewards point there, and close to Harrahs and The Linq. Easy walking to most of the activities in that area is nice.

[annie]

> So all that being said I guess I am leaning on biting the bullet and
> spend the extra money to stay on the strip.

I'm leaning that way too. I too am astonished by the rates I'm seeing. This will probably be my most expensive DLV hotel bill ever!

> Right now the best rates I am finding for on the strip are at Flamingo at $75/night
> + resort fees. That’s more than I have spent in LV in many years.

Unless Bea's friend can beat the Flamingo prices, I'm sure that the Flamingo will get the majority of the DLV business this year. The place is actually very decent. I've never had a bad room there. It's kind of interesting that the Flamingo is now cheaper than the IP/Linq. We had one of our people stay at the Flamingo for our second DLV of all time back in 1998. The rates at the Flamingo were then more than double that at the IP next door.

> Pros on Flamingo are they are very LGBT supportive, which would be nice,
> good restaurants like their buffet, nice casino

I enjoy the Flamingo buffet. It's not the fanciest one in the area, but quite decent.

The part of the casino I seem to gravitate to lately is the Margaritaville Casino on the northwest side of the property.

I really enjoy the atmosphere and the vibe of the center Strip. Great for casino hopping, almost as convenient as downtown WRT variety of casinos within walking distance.