Going to WSOP suggestion for hotel?

[winky51]

After 3 years of playing poker I decied to go to the WSOP and play in their 1st 3 NL holdem events. I am researching hotels to stay at. Any suggestions?

I dont care what it looks like, just something close that has comfortable beds and I can't get robbed in the middle of the night. Inexpensive of course since I am a cheap bastard.

Right now I am looking at the Flamingo. Seems to have the least expensive WSOP rates.

Going to be playing these events
Sat 12PM 6/2/2007 $1500 NL 3 day event #3
Wed 12PM 6/6/2007 $2000 NL 3 day event #10
Sat 12PM 6/9/2007 $1500 NL 3 day event #15

[playersare]

flamingo is considered Harrah's lowest-priced property in LV, but it a good value with its location, pool and storied history. plus you can probably get a free shuttle to the rio for the WSOP, since it's the same parent company. it's walking distance to all the other good poker rooms on the strip too.

you can do a lot worse for the money. if it was me I would probably go ahead and lock it up for now, even if I was still shopping around (you can always cancel it after the fact). the only other places I might look at comparatively would be Trop and maybe Orleans, but both are farther away from the action and probably won't save you much money proportionally. I would also take the Flamingo over next door neighbors like Imperial Palace and Barbary Coast, but others may disagree on that.

some rack rates I punched in (based on 6/2-6/9):
Monte Carlo - 909.25
Flamingo - 899.25
Excalibur (ugh) - 697.00
Gold Coast - 646.37
Barbary Coast - 643.10
Tropicana - 605.65

also note that you can get better rates if you are an existing member of their players club. Harrah's/Flamingo in particular are very generous with discounts even if you have just a small amount of play history there (my Total Rewards Diamond rate for the same Flamingo room is 436.00). also inquire about possible poker rate discounts.

[pig4bill]

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also note that you can get better rates if you are an existing member of their players club. Harrah's/Flamingo in particular are very generous with discounts even if you have just a small amount of play history there (my Total Rewards Diamond rate for the same Flamingo room is 436.00). also inquire about possible poker rate discounts.

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How small is small? I only have a few hours of $1 video poker, which a friend of mine told me should get some sort of acknowledgement, even if it's only a discount coupon to a buffet, but I haven't heard a peep from them.

[Fletch46]

Unless you're planning to spend every minute at the Rio, don't stay at the Gold Coast. I did last year and it was a pain getting over to the strip. You either have to wait for the shuttle or get cabs which adds up quickly.

[TheStation]

I have been out the last 3 years and will be returning once again this year and staying at the Imperial Palace - it has the best of both worlds between the Harrahs-Rio shuttle and the Barbary Coast - Gold Coast shuttles. I have also cabbed it between Rio & IP, $10 each time, I also always use the backdoor to Rio by the convention center so i dont waste 20 min walking through the casino to get back there

[PanRains]

I've stayed at the Flamingo, and it's decent. What the others have said has been my experience: close to Harrah's shuttle to Rio/Barbary Coast shuttle to Gold Coast; relatively inexpensive; accessible to other casinos on the strip.

Two years ago my brother and I stayed at Harrah's for the WSOP which was fine. I thought the walls were a little thin, but I'm a light sleeper - YMMV.

Last year we stayed at Gold Coast, which was decent and cheap, and right across the street from the Rio. One thing that was a surprise was that there was no honour bar; this doesn't mean that we were upset at not being able to spend $5 for a coke, but that we had no refrigeration.

This year, we've made reservations for an extended stay hotel (Emerald Suites) about 2 miles from the Rio for $56 a night for one bedroom, 2 double beds. We felt last year that we really wanted to be able to eat somewhere other than a casino or fast food. We got a rental car last year, and plan to do the same this year, even if we were at the Gold Coast, so if you don't plan to get a car that may change your decision.

Of course, if we're in at after we reach the money we're moving to the Rio.

I think there's a very good argument to staying at the Rio if your finances can handle it (it's a little steep for us, even with the WSOP discount), so you may consider that as well. Those rooms are nice; also, as the name implies they are suites.

[Witzo]

Look into the Orleans. It's clean, cheap and has decent shuttle service.

[playersare]

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How small is small? I only have a few hours of $1 video poker, which a friend of mine told me should get some sort of acknowledgement, even if it's only a discount coupon to a buffet, but I haven't heard a peep from them.

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well for harrah's-owned casinos, you can just log into their web site and see how many points you have earned so far and calculate your approximate VP coin-in for YTD ($10 VP = 1 point). then when you try and make a reservation under your card number, the rates will reflect a discount proportional to your play. I have friends who have played in their casinos just once or twice ever playing very light 25c VP and still gotten $20-50 off a night online vs. someone with no players card.

as for waiting for mail or phone offers, that depends on the property and/or parent corporation of where you play, and there will be cases where you're not deemed to receive any postcards (or they somehow have your mailing address wrong - this happens more than you would think). but harrah's website is extremely automated and you should definitely give it a whirl if you play there. I think MGM/Mandalay's playersclub.com can also give automatic player discounts on reservations.

[MicroBob]

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Unless you're planning to spend every minute at the Rio, don't stay at the Gold Coast. I did last year and it was a pain getting over to the strip. You either have to wait for the shuttle or get cabs which adds up quickly.

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I spent half my trip paying my own way at the Gold Coast and half at the Treasure Island which were the accomodations from PokerStars.


If you stay at the Gold Coast then you're at a cheap but decently clean (albeit unspectacular) place.
You are right next-door to the Rio.
You have to cab or shuttle to the strip which is a pain.


If you stay on the strip then you are right there and can walk to Venetian, Bellagio, Mirage, Wynn fairly easily.
You pretty much have to cab/shuttle over to the Rio which is a pain.


Either way I think it's a pain.
Personally, I recommend renting a car which is what we did on my 2nd trip.

[winky51]

What about parking. Ive been to AC and I have to pay every where I park. I lived in Baltimore for 6 months till my NC house was built.