I now have 16 or 17 years of regular visits to Las Vegas. Much has changed. If you ask most longtime Vegas visitors, these changes have been for the worse. I don't know. I try to be careful not to be an old man yelling at clouds when it comes to change. I'll just say it is definitely different. About 15 years ago, sports-writer Bill Simmons made the keen observation that there were three places in the U.S. where you felt like you were in a movie just by being there. One was Manhattan. Another was the French Quarter in New Orleans. And the third was the Vegas Strip. I agree with Simmons; back then it was true that those places made you feel special.
It's probably still true of Manhattan. Although I haven't been in several years -- mostly due to it costing an arm and a leg to get a hotel room or even a cab from the airport -- it's hard to imagine it changing so thoroughly as to be any less exciting. The French Quarter is probably even better than it used to be since it is cleaner and perhaps a bit less scary since Katrina, without a corresponding drop in party madness.
Vegas, on the other hand, just doesn't give me that feeling any more. I will acknowledge up front that it could simply be familiarity that's causing that. But I remember on my first trip, around the turn of the century, I was standing in the sports book at Bellagio and a pretty waitress brought me a complimentary beer, just because I was standing in the sports book. I hadn't even placed a bet yet, I was just watching a game. There was nary a Resort Fee to be found. Anywhere I went I could park free, or valet if I was willing to tip -- which I always was. I'm no high roller, but little things like that made me feel special. It made me feel like the town was happy I was there and they just wanted me to have some good, maybe not-so-clean fun while not having to sweat the small stuff. It made me feel like the leading man in a movie.
You can still get free drinks in the sports book, but they do it by giving you drink tickets only if you wager enough money and even then, only if you are bold enough to ask. Resort fees, our old enemy, are everywhere and can almost double the cost of a mid-week room at times. Parking fees, our new enemy, are the most recent degradation -- almost all the major properties charge for parking now. Of course, you can get some nice perks by signing up for M-life or Total Rewards and such, because we all go to Vegas for that sweet Costco-type experience. Nobody ever handed Danny Ocean an M-life application.
And if I hadn't sworn off table games years ago, I probably would today over the state of blackjack.
None of this is monumental. I still have fun every trip and I still look forward to my visits, but that old feeling is gone. I used to feel like Vegas was there to have a great time and I needn't worry about the nickel-and-dime details -- park wherever you want, score a free drink now and then; it's cool, you're the leading man. Now I feel like Vegas is trying to see how much it can squeeze out of me to get that same great time. I have to be on guard or they will take me to the cleaners faster than a used car salesman.
I still visit Vegas regularly and will likely continue to do so until the day I die. It's a world class destination, not to be missed. But I certainly don't feel like I'm in a movie anymore. Maybe I should try Macau.
Anyway. Highlights:
Prestige level at Palazzo is pretty sweet. Free breakfast and free booze for happy hour in the exclusive lounge. Huge, opulent room. Worth the money, I think.
Dinner at Carson Kitchen. The menu, mostly small plates, is very creative. Which is to say it's hit or miss. Some of it is "meh" -- the veal meatballs, the watermelon & feta salad. The good stuff -- Devil's Eggs, Flatbreads -- is very, very good. And the signature dessert -- Glazed Donut Bread Pudding -- is without peer.
Fremont Street is the most fun area in Vegas. I'm still not sold on it for a multi-day stay because I prefer a at least a bit of luxury in my life and Golden Nugget doesn't count. But for an evening or two of revelry, it's the best.
The High Roller happy hour is a sweet deal. It looks to get crowded at night, but a good strategy is to try to catch sunset from on high. You may have the bar pod to yourself.
"O" is quite a spectacle and is immensely impressive from a technical standpoint, but the actual performances left me a bit cold. This is the second time I have seen it -- the first was nearly 15 years ago and it left the same impression then.
Peter, the barber at Palazzo spa, is an ace with the straight razor. I say this as someone who has occasionally been butchered by the random Sweeny Todds at Art of Shaving. That said, the Canyon Ranch spa doesn't measure up to Qua at Caesars, or the Encore spa.
I'm on the fence about Bouchon Bistro (possibly because I am on the fence about French food in general). The food is impeccable, of course, but I don't feel comfortable there for some reason and the noise level prevents quiet conversation, which seems a bit at odds with the reputation of the place. That's for dinner; maybe the famous breakfast would be different.
A weekend bug out to Red Rock Resort in Summerlin. It's a great place; it really does have everything and it's remarkably easy on the wallet by comparison to the Strip. Strong restaurant selection, above average rooms, good gambling facilities with reasonable blackjack, an active poker room, even bingo (I didn't check the VP payouts). If you're the type to just stay in one the property your whole trip it would be hard to imagine anything better. If you must bring kids, it would be good choice, unless you are keen on getting them the advanced education they would get from a walk on the Strip or Fremont.
Managed a couple of forays into State parks, including hikes at Valley of Fire and Mt. Charleston. Both are true gems and less than an hour's drive away. Highly recommended when you need a break from a VP beatdown and your Verbena buzz turns sour.
So like I said, despite my above gripes, it was a good time. It always is.
