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We just got back from Las Vegas last night. We went there on a comped offer from the Paris for accommodations and free tickets to the Barry Manilow show Saturday night. We stayed at the Paris Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. We were going to stay 5 nights at the Paris but decided to try out the South Point so we stayed there Wednesday and Thursday nights.
First the South Point. We were very pleased with our stay there. The rooms are nice and quite large at 500 sq. ft. They upgraded us to an upper floor with a view of the pool. The casino has a great variety of slot machines and more penny machines that I have seen at 1 casino. The slots are loose and they have full pay video poker. We did very well coming out ahead and we play a lot. My wife won a Royal Flush on video poker for $1,000.00 and we won on several other machines. We played a lot of Star Trek including 5 straight hours on the same machines. For you Trekkie's, my wife and I both have over 1,000 medals each on playing Star Trek at Agua Caliente and South Point. We ate lunch at the buffet and it was pretty good and cheap. They had barbecue brisket, and ribs that were very good. We ate a few times at the café for breakfast and dinner. They have a 24 hour special for 10 oz Prime Rib or 16 oz Porterhouse steak for $12.95. We had the Porterhouse and it was pretty good and the dinner included salad/soup and everything. I can't say how busy they were as we didn't have any experience there. I talked to a casino host before checking out and they comped us for our accommodations and food so our stay was free and we made money. Such a deal. We will definitely go back to the South Point again. South Point also has a 16 screen movie theater, 64 lane bowling alley, and equestrian center and event center. They have a nice pool and jacuzzi that we used.
Now, on to Paris. The high point and our reason for going was the Barry Manilow show. My wife is a big fan and I promised her we would go whenever we got an offer. The show was totally awesome. The best show we have seen and we have seen a lot of shows. Barry was great and the show is very electric. We had excellent seats in the front balcony. We were going to get front orchestra but were advised to get balcony. Boy were they right. Everybody in the front orchestra was standing throughout the show so you wouldn't be able to see the show if you are short or not standing. We saw right over them so we had an awesome view. The show was full.
The Paris was very dead on the weekend. We stayed in a Premier Red Room with a great strip view. There were very few people in the casino playing and few people in the restaurants. The restaurant hostess told us that it was dead and they are laying people off. The Ile de St. Louis restaurant has a great dinner special of fillet mignon with crab for $16.99. We ate at the buffet and as usual did not like it very much but it was quick. They have cut back a lot of things. The Diamond lounge for Diamond members used to have sandwiches, finger food etc. for lunch and some hot items for dinner. Now all they have is chips, desserts and drinks. Everything is free in the Diamond lounge. It used to be packed but is now empty.
We lost a fair amount at the Paris as they, as all strip casinos, are pretty tight. Their video poker is better than most strip casinos but not great.
I don't walk very well so I rented a scooter from the concierge at the Paris for only $40.00 for 24 hours. Boy it was definitely the Cadillac of scooters. In any event, we then went on a tour. We first went next door to the Planet Hollywood to eat Kobe beef cheese burgers at the Cheeseburger Las Vegas in the Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile of Shops. It is a full service restaurant small chain that started in Hawaii. We ate at the one in Waikiki Beachwalk in April. Cheeseburger Las Vegas is basically the same but is cheaper. It was very good. We then played for a few hours in the PH casino and didn't do very well. The casino was not busy at all.
Next, we went on a tour of the City Center and the Bellagio. We did a loop entering from the south side and exiting on the north. The Aria is beautiful but was virtually empty except for looky loos. Nobody playing and restaurants were empty. Same at the Bellagio. We stopped in front of the Bellagio water show at the street level to watch it a couple times. It is nice to watch it from our room but nothing like being right there to hear the music and feel the spray.
In summary, we had a great time mainly because of the Barry Manilow Show and our stay at the South Point. There is no question that Las Vegas is hurting big time. I have never seen it that dead in the many many times we have been there. There were quite a few people just milling around but very few people in the restaurants or playing in the casinos.
First the South Point. We were very pleased with our stay there. The rooms are nice and quite large at 500 sq. ft. They upgraded us to an upper floor with a view of the pool. The casino has a great variety of slot machines and more penny machines that I have seen at 1 casino. The slots are loose and they have full pay video poker. We did very well coming out ahead and we play a lot. My wife won a Royal Flush on video poker for $1,000.00 and we won on several other machines. We played a lot of Star Trek including 5 straight hours on the same machines. For you Trekkie's, my wife and I both have over 1,000 medals each on playing Star Trek at Agua Caliente and South Point. We ate lunch at the buffet and it was pretty good and cheap. They had barbecue brisket, and ribs that were very good. We ate a few times at the café for breakfast and dinner. They have a 24 hour special for 10 oz Prime Rib or 16 oz Porterhouse steak for $12.95. We had the Porterhouse and it was pretty good and the dinner included salad/soup and everything. I can't say how busy they were as we didn't have any experience there. I talked to a casino host before checking out and they comped us for our accommodations and food so our stay was free and we made money. Such a deal. We will definitely go back to the South Point again. South Point also has a 16 screen movie theater, 64 lane bowling alley, and equestrian center and event center. They have a nice pool and jacuzzi that we used.
Now, on to Paris. The high point and our reason for going was the Barry Manilow show. My wife is a big fan and I promised her we would go whenever we got an offer. The show was totally awesome. The best show we have seen and we have seen a lot of shows. Barry was great and the show is very electric. We had excellent seats in the front balcony. We were going to get front orchestra but were advised to get balcony. Boy were they right. Everybody in the front orchestra was standing throughout the show so you wouldn't be able to see the show if you are short or not standing. We saw right over them so we had an awesome view. The show was full.
The Paris was very dead on the weekend. We stayed in a Premier Red Room with a great strip view. There were very few people in the casino playing and few people in the restaurants. The restaurant hostess told us that it was dead and they are laying people off. The Ile de St. Louis restaurant has a great dinner special of fillet mignon with crab for $16.99. We ate at the buffet and as usual did not like it very much but it was quick. They have cut back a lot of things. The Diamond lounge for Diamond members used to have sandwiches, finger food etc. for lunch and some hot items for dinner. Now all they have is chips, desserts and drinks. Everything is free in the Diamond lounge. It used to be packed but is now empty.
We lost a fair amount at the Paris as they, as all strip casinos, are pretty tight. Their video poker is better than most strip casinos but not great.
I don't walk very well so I rented a scooter from the concierge at the Paris for only $40.00 for 24 hours. Boy it was definitely the Cadillac of scooters. In any event, we then went on a tour. We first went next door to the Planet Hollywood to eat Kobe beef cheese burgers at the Cheeseburger Las Vegas in the Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile of Shops. It is a full service restaurant small chain that started in Hawaii. We ate at the one in Waikiki Beachwalk in April. Cheeseburger Las Vegas is basically the same but is cheaper. It was very good. We then played for a few hours in the PH casino and didn't do very well. The casino was not busy at all.
Next, we went on a tour of the City Center and the Bellagio. We did a loop entering from the south side and exiting on the north. The Aria is beautiful but was virtually empty except for looky loos. Nobody playing and restaurants were empty. Same at the Bellagio. We stopped in front of the Bellagio water show at the street level to watch it a couple times. It is nice to watch it from our room but nothing like being right there to hear the music and feel the spray.
In summary, we had a great time mainly because of the Barry Manilow Show and our stay at the South Point. There is no question that Las Vegas is hurting big time. I have never seen it that dead in the many many times we have been there. There were quite a few people just milling around but very few people in the restaurants or playing in the casinos.
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