I recently got back a trip to Vegas. I went in mostly blind, with a vague idea of the hottest clubs, plus some tips from Christian McQueen and it was definitely a learning experience. Apparently summer is a low period for Vegas, aside from the holiday weekends (memorial and labor day weekends).
Getting in: If you're in LA, you can get to Vegas for ~$50-60 round trip by bus. LA yuppies think buses are for broke minorities, but there's a new generation of coach busing companies that offer a comfortable, convenient ride. Look for Boltbus or Megabus. American Lion, LuxBus (waste of money IMO), and others. Here's a Groupon for one for $35 http://www.groupon.com/deals/las-vegas-express-5 . Didn't use that company, so I can't comment on it.
When you book a bus ticket, make an account with the respective company. You'll get priority seating and frequent rider benefits, i.e. free tickets when you get enough full price rides. You can also drive in, but it'll be pricier after you account for everything. Flights run about $100-200 I hear.
Total estimated cost: $60 (about what I paid)
Where To Stay: I stayed at the Trump. Very nice hotel, fairly close to Wynn and Encore, but a little ways from the rest of the strip. The hotel had a free shuttle that ran until midnight, to Wynn and Caesar's Palace, which was super handy for going out to eat and getting to clubs. Never more than a few minute wait for it, definitely a great hotel perk. Overall though, the hotel was very family and couple oriented and I would not stay there again. If you want a premium hotel at a great price, Trump is impossible to beat though - I suspect it's cheaper because it has no casino.
As others have said, the Cosmopolitan was packed with girls running every which way inside.
Definitely look into booking with Priceline Name Your Own Price - I saved about $30-50 a night per room using NYOP, depending on how you slice it. NYOP requires that you prepay for your hotel with no option for a refund, so buyer beware. I may not use NYOP for my next visit though, if I want to stay at a specific hotel. If you pick the North Strip area five star option for NYOP, you'll almost assuredly get the Trump, and the other options, Wynn and Encore, are even better. If you want to know how much NYOP will cost without completing the transaction, use a debit card with a limit too low to complete the transaction (otherwise your card gets charged automatically if your bid is high enough).
Hotwire and Priceline Express deals are little less opaque, as in you can sometimes suss out which hotel the deal is for, so give those a look too. Those are prepaid, nonrefundable as well so do your research before booking it.
For my next Vegas visit, my wing and I thought it would be a good idea to pick a hotel with a great nightclub and a good pool party, and stay at that hotel all day more or less, to avoid all the cabbing and logistics headaches.
Candidates for my next stay include Encore/Wynn, MGM Grand, The Cromwell and SLS which has yet to open. All of these, if my research is right, have great clubs and pool parties in the same spot. It might be a little sentimental, but I feel like a hotel is one thing not to scrimp on, if the right opportunity comes along. Also you may get your cover comped or other privileges if you're staying in the hotel hosting the club you're attending. I've heard from the general public that the Hard Rock is a party hotel, but the more seasoned voices seem to suggest it's trashy and undesirable.
I booked my own room, but I think I could have managed with splitting a room with my wing. I'd rather make more visits to Vegas with a split room than fewer visits with my own room.
Estimated Cost: if you're splitting a room on a weekend, $70-150 a night.
But hotel prices vary a lot among days of the week, time of the year, holiday weekend, and other factors, so don't look for a hard number. My attitude is find the right hotel whatever it is, and split the room with your wing.
Clubs: I hit up two clubs, Marquee and XS, both clubs that I had heard were top tier in Vegas.
Evidently, buying tickets to the clubs beforehand is the best way to go. You'll usually get put in a tickets line, and the tickets are pricier at the door. Unless you have a vagina, or have lots of vaginas with you, or a solid hookup, go the presale route if you know where you're going to go. Cover is about $20-40 this route. I also recommend getting to venues at 10 PM or so, to give yourself more time to work the crowd. I've never been one to think I'm cool if I arrive later and then deal with line hassles. It's not difficult to show up early if you plan for it.
Marquee: Has a semicircle dance floor in front of the DJ, surrounded by tables with aisles cutting through them. The indoors are surprisingly cool despite being packed with bodies. It gets loud and I'm more of a talker, so I spent little time inside. I macked outside, and kissed a few girls here, but no bangs. The crowd was actually weak - definitely some stunners, but a lot of low class, ugly people. All you needed to get in was a few dollars, no face control or anything. My wing noticed that too. LA is a lot more segmented, where many people at a given venue come from a similar background - here, it was a very broad mix.
Not as many cute white down girls as I'd like. Try posting up next to the outdoor clothing shop, it did me some good. Otherwise, it's lined with tables and cabanas - you want a spot where you can post up and reel girls into your orbit without other guys flowing through and crimping your frame. I paid $50 to get in, after about a half an hour wait. There was a hip hop dance area too, but not as popping as inside.
XS - Physically, the venue is amazing. McQueen is effusive about the bones of the place (http://www.rooshvforum.network/thread-27760.html ), and I share his enthusiasm. Fuck, I even heard Frank Sinatra singing on the way into the club. Between my vodka red bull pregame and my natty suit, I felt like a G just walking around this spot and strolling up to girls eyefucking me - my wing and I got way more eyefucked in Vegas than in LA. Sounds a little toolish, but that's how it felt. There are tons of girls just sitting along the path everywhere, very easy to stop and mack.
![[Image: xs-nightclub-4.jpg]](http://yourvegasholiday.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/xs-nightclub-4.jpg)
![[Image: xs-nightclub.jpg]](http://www.vegasvip.com/nightclubs/images/xs/xs-nightclub.jpg)
![[Image: 2_610_XS_Nightclub_Pool_Barbara_Kraft.jpg]](http://images-pc.wynnlasvegas.com/content/img/nightclubs/xs/2_610_XS_Nightclub_Pool_Barbara_Kraft.jpg)
There's a large pool in the middle of it all, with a gambling peninsula in the middle, with intricate, pretty walkways surrounding the perimeter of the pool, and even second floor cabanas above it all. The indoor section felt much bigger than at Marquee. I got in within a few minutes, thanks to an early arrival (10:30 PM) and my prepurchased tickets.
As for the patrons, they too were an improvement over Marquee. A lot less trashy, a better kept crowd. Rather Asian - I'd guess 50% or more. Still, lots of white girls due to sheer volume. My wing and I as the night wore on, wondered why the girls were seemingly so prude, and why we saw almost no one hooking up. Turns out, we had spent almost all our time outside, and the real party girls were inside, on the dance floor. No self-respecting raver chick is cavorting outside while a world famous DJ is playing inside. When my wing went in towards the end of the night, he grinded with several girls and got opened easily, although didn't get the bang with any (I don't think his game was at issue, more just a timing momentum thing perhaps). So wherever you go, definitely give the dance floor a good hard look, even if you wouldn't in your hometown (I often don't).
At XS, I actually met up with a girl I met the previous night. I invested a lot of time in her only to find she was not down to come home with me. I kept approaching after that, but I apparently hunted in the wrong section.
Pool Parties: I meant to go but didn't make it to any, just lounged at the Trump pool for a bit which was fruitless (not many girls around).
Getting around Vegas It's hot, so unless stuff is close, cabs are your first choice. If you're dressed comfortably and not in a time crunch, walking around the heart of the strip works just fine too. When I left the club Saturday night, there was a huge line at the cab stand. I didn't have a girl then, but if I did, I'd wonder how the line would affect my chances of pulling. Another reason to mack at your own hotel.
Estimated Cost: $10-15 per cab ride.
Eating: I love buffets and Vegas definitely delivers on that score. I ate enough that I was fine with eating one meal a day. The heat in the summer at least pacified my appetite. Go hit your hotel's gym, and then roll up to the buffet and eat a ton - go easy on the sweets though, and leave some time between the buffet and the clubbing.
The buffets were at dinner for $40 a pop, but you can go during lunch and get them for $20-30 instead. Bring some meal replacement protein bars along if you get hungry later.
Estimated Cost: $25 a day. You can go cheaper than that, but I like good buffets.
Suggested venues: Wynn, Wicked Spoon @ Cosmopolitan, Caesar's Palace, Bellagio (haven't been to all of these, but they're the most highly touted).
Drinks: Bring your own liquor and mixers, and pregame. I didn't bring a flask, but I easily could have and none would have been the wiser. I only bought two drinks in Vegas, and one was for a girl (total cost - $30). But I don't drink that much to begin with, so most guys even on a budget will spend more.
Estimated Cost: $5-50 a night.
Second tier clubs - I see some people on the forum recommending these for actually closing girls, and avoiding the prestige ho's that don't put out. I didn't go to any second tier clubs so I can't comment on that, but I'd love to hear the opinions of others on that. Would also love to hear about local lounges that are solid.
All in all, you can do Vegas without too much compromise for about $150-200 a day, and less if you go during the week. I'd have been in that ballpark I think if I had split a room.
I'm not looking to put in the last word on anything, just recounting my experiences.
Getting in: If you're in LA, you can get to Vegas for ~$50-60 round trip by bus. LA yuppies think buses are for broke minorities, but there's a new generation of coach busing companies that offer a comfortable, convenient ride. Look for Boltbus or Megabus. American Lion, LuxBus (waste of money IMO), and others. Here's a Groupon for one for $35 http://www.groupon.com/deals/las-vegas-express-5 . Didn't use that company, so I can't comment on it.
When you book a bus ticket, make an account with the respective company. You'll get priority seating and frequent rider benefits, i.e. free tickets when you get enough full price rides. You can also drive in, but it'll be pricier after you account for everything. Flights run about $100-200 I hear.
Total estimated cost: $60 (about what I paid)
Where To Stay: I stayed at the Trump. Very nice hotel, fairly close to Wynn and Encore, but a little ways from the rest of the strip. The hotel had a free shuttle that ran until midnight, to Wynn and Caesar's Palace, which was super handy for going out to eat and getting to clubs. Never more than a few minute wait for it, definitely a great hotel perk. Overall though, the hotel was very family and couple oriented and I would not stay there again. If you want a premium hotel at a great price, Trump is impossible to beat though - I suspect it's cheaper because it has no casino.
As others have said, the Cosmopolitan was packed with girls running every which way inside.
Definitely look into booking with Priceline Name Your Own Price - I saved about $30-50 a night per room using NYOP, depending on how you slice it. NYOP requires that you prepay for your hotel with no option for a refund, so buyer beware. I may not use NYOP for my next visit though, if I want to stay at a specific hotel. If you pick the North Strip area five star option for NYOP, you'll almost assuredly get the Trump, and the other options, Wynn and Encore, are even better. If you want to know how much NYOP will cost without completing the transaction, use a debit card with a limit too low to complete the transaction (otherwise your card gets charged automatically if your bid is high enough).
Hotwire and Priceline Express deals are little less opaque, as in you can sometimes suss out which hotel the deal is for, so give those a look too. Those are prepaid, nonrefundable as well so do your research before booking it.
For my next Vegas visit, my wing and I thought it would be a good idea to pick a hotel with a great nightclub and a good pool party, and stay at that hotel all day more or less, to avoid all the cabbing and logistics headaches.
Candidates for my next stay include Encore/Wynn, MGM Grand, The Cromwell and SLS which has yet to open. All of these, if my research is right, have great clubs and pool parties in the same spot. It might be a little sentimental, but I feel like a hotel is one thing not to scrimp on, if the right opportunity comes along. Also you may get your cover comped or other privileges if you're staying in the hotel hosting the club you're attending. I've heard from the general public that the Hard Rock is a party hotel, but the more seasoned voices seem to suggest it's trashy and undesirable.
I booked my own room, but I think I could have managed with splitting a room with my wing. I'd rather make more visits to Vegas with a split room than fewer visits with my own room.
Estimated Cost: if you're splitting a room on a weekend, $70-150 a night.
But hotel prices vary a lot among days of the week, time of the year, holiday weekend, and other factors, so don't look for a hard number. My attitude is find the right hotel whatever it is, and split the room with your wing.
Clubs: I hit up two clubs, Marquee and XS, both clubs that I had heard were top tier in Vegas.
Evidently, buying tickets to the clubs beforehand is the best way to go. You'll usually get put in a tickets line, and the tickets are pricier at the door. Unless you have a vagina, or have lots of vaginas with you, or a solid hookup, go the presale route if you know where you're going to go. Cover is about $20-40 this route. I also recommend getting to venues at 10 PM or so, to give yourself more time to work the crowd. I've never been one to think I'm cool if I arrive later and then deal with line hassles. It's not difficult to show up early if you plan for it.
Marquee: Has a semicircle dance floor in front of the DJ, surrounded by tables with aisles cutting through them. The indoors are surprisingly cool despite being packed with bodies. It gets loud and I'm more of a talker, so I spent little time inside. I macked outside, and kissed a few girls here, but no bangs. The crowd was actually weak - definitely some stunners, but a lot of low class, ugly people. All you needed to get in was a few dollars, no face control or anything. My wing noticed that too. LA is a lot more segmented, where many people at a given venue come from a similar background - here, it was a very broad mix.
Not as many cute white down girls as I'd like. Try posting up next to the outdoor clothing shop, it did me some good. Otherwise, it's lined with tables and cabanas - you want a spot where you can post up and reel girls into your orbit without other guys flowing through and crimping your frame. I paid $50 to get in, after about a half an hour wait. There was a hip hop dance area too, but not as popping as inside.
XS - Physically, the venue is amazing. McQueen is effusive about the bones of the place (http://www.rooshvforum.network/thread-27760.html ), and I share his enthusiasm. Fuck, I even heard Frank Sinatra singing on the way into the club. Between my vodka red bull pregame and my natty suit, I felt like a G just walking around this spot and strolling up to girls eyefucking me - my wing and I got way more eyefucked in Vegas than in LA. Sounds a little toolish, but that's how it felt. There are tons of girls just sitting along the path everywhere, very easy to stop and mack.
There's a large pool in the middle of it all, with a gambling peninsula in the middle, with intricate, pretty walkways surrounding the perimeter of the pool, and even second floor cabanas above it all. The indoor section felt much bigger than at Marquee. I got in within a few minutes, thanks to an early arrival (10:30 PM) and my prepurchased tickets.
As for the patrons, they too were an improvement over Marquee. A lot less trashy, a better kept crowd. Rather Asian - I'd guess 50% or more. Still, lots of white girls due to sheer volume. My wing and I as the night wore on, wondered why the girls were seemingly so prude, and why we saw almost no one hooking up. Turns out, we had spent almost all our time outside, and the real party girls were inside, on the dance floor. No self-respecting raver chick is cavorting outside while a world famous DJ is playing inside. When my wing went in towards the end of the night, he grinded with several girls and got opened easily, although didn't get the bang with any (I don't think his game was at issue, more just a timing momentum thing perhaps). So wherever you go, definitely give the dance floor a good hard look, even if you wouldn't in your hometown (I often don't).
At XS, I actually met up with a girl I met the previous night. I invested a lot of time in her only to find she was not down to come home with me. I kept approaching after that, but I apparently hunted in the wrong section.
Pool Parties: I meant to go but didn't make it to any, just lounged at the Trump pool for a bit which was fruitless (not many girls around).
Getting around Vegas It's hot, so unless stuff is close, cabs are your first choice. If you're dressed comfortably and not in a time crunch, walking around the heart of the strip works just fine too. When I left the club Saturday night, there was a huge line at the cab stand. I didn't have a girl then, but if I did, I'd wonder how the line would affect my chances of pulling. Another reason to mack at your own hotel.
Estimated Cost: $10-15 per cab ride.
Eating: I love buffets and Vegas definitely delivers on that score. I ate enough that I was fine with eating one meal a day. The heat in the summer at least pacified my appetite. Go hit your hotel's gym, and then roll up to the buffet and eat a ton - go easy on the sweets though, and leave some time between the buffet and the clubbing.
The buffets were at dinner for $40 a pop, but you can go during lunch and get them for $20-30 instead. Bring some meal replacement protein bars along if you get hungry later.
Estimated Cost: $25 a day. You can go cheaper than that, but I like good buffets.
Suggested venues: Wynn, Wicked Spoon @ Cosmopolitan, Caesar's Palace, Bellagio (haven't been to all of these, but they're the most highly touted).
Drinks: Bring your own liquor and mixers, and pregame. I didn't bring a flask, but I easily could have and none would have been the wiser. I only bought two drinks in Vegas, and one was for a girl (total cost - $30). But I don't drink that much to begin with, so most guys even on a budget will spend more.
Estimated Cost: $5-50 a night.
Second tier clubs - I see some people on the forum recommending these for actually closing girls, and avoiding the prestige ho's that don't put out. I didn't go to any second tier clubs so I can't comment on that, but I'd love to hear the opinions of others on that. Would also love to hear about local lounges that are solid.
All in all, you can do Vegas without too much compromise for about $150-200 a day, and less if you go during the week. I'd have been in that ballpark I think if I had split a room.
I'm not looking to put in the last word on anything, just recounting my experiences.