As others have said, open a total rewards and Mlife account if possible and see if you can get any decent deals. Once in Vegas use your rewards card when playing so you can use the comps to offset some of the food/hotel costs.

If you gamble at all it never hurts to ask and see if they will knock any costs off at the end of the trip. Maybe that is the resort fee or a night in your room.

Playing poker will not do much in terms of getting them to knock anything off the hotel bill. But if OP does some time at the other tables then there’s definitely a chance of him building up some comps

Many would disagree. Additionally, there are times where the Orleans will be a far better option for some in terms of the games. While game selection downtown suffers by virtue of the Nugget being the only place with poker, the uncapped game has its advantages even being the low limit game that it is. Add in the lack of resort fee at Four Queens and it is certainly serviceable when all one needs is a bed and a shower. I am not one to break from a game and go nap...so the distance from the Strip is a nothing burger to the calculus. Whether it would be the same for the OP is another matter, especially if they have never been to Las Vegas.

Are there crappy rooms downtown? Sure. But there are also some less than stellar rooms even being center Strip. Would I want to do a week at 4Q? Probably not. However, being downtown also puts you within walking distance of 3:2 blackjack at low limits if one is into that...I liked the single-deck 3:2 that Binions used to run 24/7 since I tended to roll over and be awake before 6AM (I'm old...habits die hard and too many years of being awake before 7A mean no alarm is needed).

If you were happy with the view, then that's all that matters. Very few properties anywhere in Vegas have been problematic for me with respect to noise, even when staying downtown (always get a room that does NOT overlook Fremont Street).

Personally, beyond the first time to Las Vegas, I don't really get into the whole 'view' thing unless I happened to have someone traveling with me. But when it is just me, I am more concerned with function of the room than the view. This is what makes Vdara a viable option for me, especially with kitchen and W/D in the room...especially worthwhile on longer trips since it cuts down on what has to be packed.

Even with no play, OP will do well to get the Mlife and TR accounts opened online (if they still do that). There will be some decent rates, though, even without the players account.

If OP has an American Express card, then they should also look at some of the offers that come with AXP. Some are cash back on a $300 spend at MGM properties (usually $60 back on $300). Another potential option with AXP will be the Fine Hotels and Resorts program which has some occasional offers in Las Vegas. Sometimes it is just a spa credit but there have also been some food and beverage offers. Expect the offers to typically be something like Delano or Four Seasons but there are some others at different times that will include Bellagio or WynnCore.

24th floor, King suite. Got the deal on Hotwire, about 50% off.

https://twitter.com/VegasPokerShark/...91503397093376

Just seems like different approaches here.

Key is car. If you have a car, especially if you have high enough status, then places like Orleans and Palace Station are easy and places like Club del Sol are cheaper and also easy. Then there's cheaper for hotel rooms. The cheapest is bring a good roommate. $550/week/person at Encore ain't bad, particularly if you are getting laid and make use of the gym and pool. Also, don't overlook the Rio, Gold Coast and Palms. These are a one mile walk to Bellagio so you can enjoy the walk over then decide on the Lyft back if you win.

For food you can eat well and cheap if you plan it. Ronald's Donuts are excellent. Tacos El Gordo or whatever that place is near Stratosphere and Peppermill is good too. If you are easy to please and have a microwave, a $12 breakfast without coffee at Hash House in Rio or Peppermill will provide a full day of calories. Even better, share a room with someone you can split meals with. Nobody finishes a Peppermill or Hash House breakfast alone. Ramen is also your friend. $2 of donuts, free coffee at the casino, a huge late breakfast at Peppermill or Hash House for $17 with tip, and dinner at Soya or Monta for $18 followed by free beers while playing leaves room for tipping and you will eat well indeed and need that free gym time.

Some suites like most Rio suites have a fridge and a microwave. Learn to make microwave eggs or another dish. They're decent. Also you can bring a toaster and buy good bread and butter. Nothing says you have to take second rate. With a bit of planning you'll eat well on $40/day and can eat on $20/day no problem. Focus on drinks. Drinks are what you order when you are playing. When you aren't playing, tap water is your friend. ($2 survival straws will quell much of the chlorine issue.)

After a week of this you'll have enough for the $80 omakase at Kabuto and a bone-in ribeye at Delmonico with a couple of sides. Thank me later. Now if money is super tight,you walk everywhere, pick up mostly supermarket food except Ronald's Donuts, and plan your week around a Ramen trip or taco trip or if flush a whatever-replaced-Chada-Thai trip. Never eat in a Strip restaurant. For young'uns there are plenty of all-you-can-eat sushi places and Tofu Hut for you to show the world how much you can eat in one extended sitting. Glory days. Good luck and don't call the tight player with a weak draw.

Or just download all 4 MyVegas apps, put spins on autoplay while at work or watching TV and earn bunch of free rewards. I have put 0 effort into it and have 4 dinner buffets at 4 different properties for totally free + a week of Monorail pass.

A car can be a problem, depending on where you stay. Most Strip hotels charge you to park.

Status changes that...even living outside of the US, OP may still be eligible for either Mlife or TR credit card (although TR sticks you with Comenity which is damned near the nut-low of issuers).

MLife CC not available outside US (otherwise I'd get one)

re food, sure its possible to go 10-40 a day but would you really want to? its vegas and its vacation so why eat something you could basically get at home that costs $5 more?

say you do go super cheap and boring all week. if its 2pm and you are walking down the street, does that $2 bottle of water count towards food? that $6 beer?

for just one, 60-100 a day budget will leave you with extra a lot of the time and you wont feel bad if you take an afternoon to get some wings and beer at a bar, decent meal somewhere etc. and only a couple hundred extra overall, where you'll probably leave with some of it, rather than plan to be cheap and spend extra.

Oh hell yes. Nice one.

ahhh this feels like an epic time to link to the spa thread. ;-)

more seriously,

sign up for the Total Rewards credit card for instant platinum membership, and then wait for offers for 2 nts free mid week, then go! :-)

If you're paying ANYTHING beyond fees/taxes to stay at Ballys you're doing something wrong.

I am currently logged in and checking flexible rate calendar in Total Rewards web page. I can´t see any comped nights in ANY of the hotels between March-June.

What am I doing wrong? Cheapest rooms are between $10-$20 plus resort fee plus taxes per night.

My Tier Status is (only) Platinum because I don´t do any other gambling than Poker.

Pretty simple. Playing poker (only poker, no other games) won’t get you free nights. It will get some reduced rates, but it won’t get you the comped nights that even a low roller pit gambler would get

Please share where you’re getting a $6 beer in Vegas! I go regularly and $6 is on the very low end.

totally not true. i only play poker and i've been getting free mid-week nights for the last 10 years, even when i was just a platinum status

This is exactly what I think too. And I definitely do not plan to start playing -EV games to get better rates.

I just find it strange when people claim that registering to TR or MLife will automatically get you free nights.

That’s like saying the best time for a beach vacation in Thailand is rain season because room rates are super low during those months..
Since he was talking about “walking down the street”, you don’t have to pay $6 for a beer at Walgreens/CVS/ABCStore.

Yeah, you don't know what you're talking about. I reached platinum in 2016 strictly through WSOP buy-ins and a little cash and managed to score free rooms at the Rio the next two summers.

I was reading through this thread and wondering when someone would start making sense....ding, ding, we have a winner!

Easy to earn a free room + resort fee (for a night at a time, if OP doesn't mind moving hotels) this way at MGM properties. On the Wynn Slots app you can earn a legitimately free room with no resort fee, up to four nights at a time. (My phone is literally spinning the slots there now as I type on my laptop.)

For free or cheap food, again myVegas works for it.

And OP should also get a copy of American Casino Guide and a membership to Las Vegas Advisor to get the member rewards book. You get not only cheap eats this way, but lots of free slot play and match play so you can play the table games and VP and actually leave a winner, potentially.

You're not doing anything wrong. I'm Diamond and I don't have any rates that low. I've played a fair amount of video poker besides.

Really? That is weird, I am Gold and have a bunch of comps coming up.

Probably the biggest gamble of that weekend

Yeah, but you post great trip reports.