Las Vegas Timeshare
 

About 10-15 years ago we sat through 2 timeshare presentations in Florida. Earlier this year, we went to Las Vegas on a discounted stay at the new Hilton Las Vegas Strip timeshare.

On our stay there we also were hijacked by a timeshare salesman and saw a presentation for a wildly overpriced renovated motel timeshare in addition to our planned Hilton presentation. Apparently, Las Vegas has cleaned up it's act so that instead of being propositioned by hookers and pimps on every streetcorner, you are instead being propositioned by timeshare salesmen. This is not an improvement.

At our choice, we stayed 3 hours at the Hilton presentation. In the end, we asked about the Hilton Flamingo timeshare, since we did not like the location of the one where we were staying. They made an offer, we made a counter-offer, they said "we don't negotiate", we walked away and bought the same timeshare on the resale market for 1/2 the price.

We just mailed back the papers for a 1 bedroom suite at the Hilton Flamingo during the 'gold season'. Hilton has declined their 'right of refusal' to buy back the property for the price we arranged, IMO because they are trying to sell the new properties and the $5500 price was close to their wholesale price, minus the sales commission.

Next Fall we start vacationing in Vegas.

Renting the 1 bedroom villas for 7 days costs $1700 plus hotel tax (%10?). We are paying $5500 plus closing costs in order to pay about $600 per year in fees and real estate taxes.

BTW, there is a picnic area with BBQ grills. Forks Vegas, anyone? :D

Used to be everything in Vegas was cheap...gambling subsidized everything from food to entertainment.
I saw a TV show recently that claimed that's no longer true. Gambling revenues are now gravy and the shows and entertainment are the big draws and money makers. :)

Airfare: 200
Hotel: 500
Meals: 150
Show tickets: 500

Gambling: winnings pay for the trip :lol:

Losing doubles the cost....or worse. :mg:

You can get good half-price show tickets. We paid about $30 each for the $45 Platters/Drifters/Coasters tickets. The woman we sat next to paid $60 through an online broker for the same tickets.

If we had gone to the half-price ticket outlet, we could have gotten them for $25 each.

You can get a room for $85 a night in Vegas if you shop around. I like the Bedroom/sitting room combination, though.

you can still get rooms for $19-29/night at places like the sahara, palace station, stratosphere, etc. i've stayed at the Aladdin for $49/night within the last year.

Our ownership information came in. A beautiful faux leather briefcase stuffed with brochures, directories, and a video. I guess that's what my $200 transfer fee was for.

BTW, the next time I visit Vegas, who live near there? We will probably be passing through Denver if anyone wants to meet for lunch at the airport (I'll buy).

Well, I live 60 miles south, but getting up to DIA and parking is a nightmare. Although if Perth wanted to share the driving, I'd be game. Now if your plane were to stop in Colorado Springs... ;)

i'm 5 hours from Vegas, but you never know when an itch to visit will appear. let me know when you are going to be there, and if feasible we'll gtg.

I'll send my itinerary to you guys when I go. I do have a question. My membership includes 7 days during most of the year, but I can stretch it to 11 days if I go in the first two weeks in December.

Is this simply because of a pre-Christmas travel slump or is there really something undesirable about Las Vegas in early December? Is it the rainy season, killer bee migration, etc?

i've been there during every month of the year and i've never experienced anything to make me hesitant to go back during that timeframe. probably a slump in attendance - sort of like Disneyland on Superbowl sunday.

My first and second LV trips were during that time frame. It's a good time to go, cooler and less crowded. I think traditionally some shows go "dark" during the pre-Xmas phase.

The only convention/event in town is the "National Finals Rodeo". But that's OK, Jeff Foxworthy is a funny guy.

Cool, the only thing that made me pause was that weather.com says the average hi/lo temperature during that month is 57/37. Not exactly outdoor pool with scantily clad women weather.

if you are coming from Philly, you might be willing to hang poolside during that timeframe. coming from phoenix, i will be wearing jeans and long sleeves. it is all relative to what you are used to.

If you want to jump into an outdoor pool that time of year, you probably should jump into Lookout's. Actually, out here in the West, that's very pleasant winter temps. We don't have the humidity you guys back East do, so 57 degrees is pleasant weather requiring only a long sleeved shirt, just as Lookout says. Now if you want to invite us Western folk out to your time share, why me and Perth could probably pick up Lookout somewhere near Green River... ;)

40 minute flight, a 40 minute flight.

Coward! :lol:

Say, we are planning on going to Vegas for the first time this fall. Does anyone (Lookout) have any recommendations/:2cents: about visiting?

I have been trying to get info online, but there is SO MUCH and frankly it's a little overwhelming. I was just going to go to my AAA store and get some info. What's a must see? Anything I shouldn't waste my time on? Your experience welcome !! Thanks in advance.

1) what interests you? gambling? shows? raunchy stripclubs? :headshake
2) what have you heard about that sounds interesting?
3) do you want to spend a little more and stay on the strip, or is something just a touch down the road more to your liking?
4) how long to you plan on being there?

my wife and i like to stay at the Aladdin. it isn't the fanciest or the most plush, but it is comfortable, affordable, and the service has always been excellent. the table minimums are generally a little lower than the rest of the strip, which i like. not to mention that it is right in the middle of everything.
for a quick tight budget trip i recommend something along the lines of Stratosphere or The Sahara. The Sahara is quite a bit more... historic than some of the others. it just hasn't been updated in a long time. they had $.50 minimums on Roullette to make up for it though. :D The Palace Station, (and the other Stations) are good for a budget, but you quite a few of the homeless wander around there and it isn't unusual to get propositioned by an extremely low dollar street walker. (that isn't a plus in my book).
For dinner the Monte Carlo has a nice steakhouse and they also have an Italian-ish cafe that we took everyone to after our wedding - very very good food. I hear the Rio has a great steak, but i've never gone to find out. there are so many choices for dinner that it is hard to even recommend anything. i would suggest talking to your concierge, or even the doorman (NEVER A TAXI DRIVER) about good places to eat. they get kickbacks from different restaurants(good for them) and give excellent discounts (good for you). they generally steer you right.
For shows... of course, Cirque de Solie, O, ... i don't really get into the rest of them. Some of the less glamorous shows are the places i like. Palace Station usually has a couple of really good comics every night at 7PM. two drink minimum, @$12 bucks. we saw Richie Medevidi there. (King of Queens, Everybody Loves Raymond) i laughed so hard i nearly had to change my shorts.

The taxi you take from the airport to your hotel will have coupon and ad books for you. grab one, flip through it and see if anything catches your eye.

Onyxcougar lived there, so if she is checking in to the cellar she probably has better insight into what the less touristy sights are.

PS. make sure you grab all of the "trading cards" you can - you and your husband should get a good laugh from them. collect them all, i always say. ;)

Must-see shows are Mystere, Penn & Teller, and the Bellagio fountains.

Second tier: O, Blue Man Group, Lance Burton, Amazing Johnathan, Fremont Street.

soooo much better than the 5 hour drive through such beautiful places as Barstow and Needles.....
All you can eat seafood buffet at the Rio rocks.
My boss just saw the Queen show "We Will Rock You" and said it was great. I saw Lance Burton a couple of years ago - cheaper than the big shows, easy to get tix, and great close up slight of hand work.
Comedy Club at the Tropicana usually easy to get into, and pretty big names too.
Just don't go on New Years Eve unless you are a 20 something insane alcoholic with a penchant for crowds.

And the casino/restaurants/clubs/pool at the Hard Rock Hotel are great for celebrity sightings.

1)Hubby= gambling, food and naked ladies;
me= food, shows, naked people and people watching
2)Cirque for sure, and comedians. What's the best way to get decent to good tix? I don't mind paying for good seats but I don't wanna get ripped off.
3)Not sure I care, just want a good experience. Eveyone I have talked to has stayed at a different place, and no one had anything bad to say except that it was expensive...How do you usually book your rooms?
4) Min of 3 nights, I want at least 2 full days. Better to go in on a Wed, come home on a Sun, or come in on a Fri and stay till Tues?

Picked up the travel book from AAA, and some info on the monorail, which was recommended to me by one of the grad students here who has gone a few times.

Thanks for the replies. Ooohh I am so excited!:jig:

Sometimes lasvegastripreport.com can give you good information, but you have to remember that the people giving the report may not be like you. But it's fun to read the trip reports anyway.

well, there is plentyof nudity in vegas if that is what you want. but for my money, if you want nudity, Tuxedo's in Davenport is better than anything in Vegas - and it's only about 45 minutes from you.

we usually book through travelzoo, orbitz, or our timeshare service. you can easily go to the website for your desired hotel and book directly as well. stick with a name you know for your first trip. on future trips you may want to be more adventurous.

RichLevy most likely has better insight into cheap tickets. i'm the guy that just calls the concierge. or i make my decisions out of the little booklets from the taxi.

it doesn't really matter when you are there, everyone is there to party. the table minimums go up on the weekends and IMO the payouts go down, so the casino may be a little more expensive.

make sure you go to the M&M store. i love that place.

If one drives from the Colorado Springs area, its almost 12 hours. You do get to go through some beautiful places in the desert southwest, though. I've heard stories about Barstow and Needles... :worried:

Yes, I do know about cheap tickets.


Tix4tonight has same day, half price tickets for most shows. During the week, you can get almost any show, except maybe headliners in town for short engagements. You have to show up in person since they do not take phone or Internet orders.

I couldn't find the North Strip kiosk. Go to the Fashion Mall location. We used a different source to pay $30 for the Platters/Drifters/Coasters tickets with a full price of $41. The lady sitting next to us used an Internet broker and paid $60.

Here is a list of Las Vegas shows.


My sons friends enjoyed Bite at the Stratosphere. Topless vampire babes. Technically, it's a love story, so maybe there's something for women.

The Village Seafood Buffet at the Rio hotel was the best buffet I've ever had. It's pricey but worth it.

Have fun.

I found the Tix4tonight website yesterday and was wondering about the selection, thanks for the info!

I know about the club in Davenport, tho I thought it was called Daisey dukes or something. Haven't been there myself, but hubby has a couple of times. I'll let him know your opinion, and maybe we'll save a few bucks. The new one that opened up in Cedar Rapids, Woody's, was a pretty big let down. Very small, and there is much hotter girls wearing only slightly more walking in the ped mall in Iowa City every day. And don't bother with the ones in Waterloo either, unless your into cellulite or crack whores. Ugh. I actually saw a girl I went to school with and lived a couple blocks from dancing the time we went to one in Waterloo. Wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, but I NEVER expected her to be a (bad) dancer. Who knew?

Tuxedo's - all nude. very beautiful girls. clean. BYOB.
Southern Comfort - all nude. hit or miss on the talent. BYOB. not very clean.
Daisy Dukes - all nude. Big. Lots of girls. hit or miss on talent, but there are lots of choices. the joint is clean, the girls are drrty.
Chorus Line - topless. cheap drinks. cheap chicks. somewhat clean.


you are better off going to the clubs near you than strip clubs in vegas. they are very overrated IMO. expensive covers, expensive dances, expensive drinks. the dances are a lot better in Iowa unless you want to drop $$$$.

YMMV.

Hey, lookout, where do you get such cheap room rates for the Sahara? My wife and I love that place!

orbitz

KÀ - Cirque Du Soleil cost $185,000,000 to stage, according the the owner, Guy Laliberté. I think I'd like all the Cirque shows. :)