Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Are They Nuts in Vegas?
We used to go to Vegas a lot. Now, not so much anymore. Well, I still go there a few times a year, but mostly for work and not for fun anymore.
Now my parents are bout to come and visit us, and I know they like to go to Vegas, so I checked out some options. Flights are a bit on the pricey side ($350-$400 from Houston when we used to be able to go for $200 or $250), but the real kicker are the rooms! I remember going to Vegas and staying for $49 a night at the then brand-new Treasure Island hotel. "They just want you to come and gamble" everyone said, "they do not care to make money on the rooms". So I stayed at a really nice hotel with the best show in town (Mystere) for a really reasonable price.
But I guess something has changed and now they do care about making money with the rooms. A lot!
I can get a room at the "TI" (the new branding for the Treasure Island) for $299 a night. That is the cheapest room they have. And make no mistake: The TI is not a top property anymore. We have not stayed there in quite a few years (although we stop by on occasion) because it is such a rundown dump, and the whole re-branding didn't do it any favors either. We feel the same way about the Mirage, which was almost scary the last time I was there. The cheapest room available at the Mirage now goes for $329 according to Expedia. And other hotels really aren't that different. Even the Circus Circus is now over $100 a night, and I wouldn't stay there for fear the thing might just collapse on me!
There just is no way I am going to spend $1,200 or $1,800 just on hotels for 4 people for a weekend, even though I really like Vegas. Not by a long shot! Add the flights, dining, and other expenses, and I could fly to Greece and charter a boat for the same money. Who wants to go to Vegas to see the Venetian, when going to Venice is cheaper? Don't get me wrong: When I stay in a nice hotel, I do not mind paying for it. But the hotels in Vegas do not even have mini bars in the rooms for crying out loud!
I suppose I could look up some of the advertisements I keep getting all the time, with special offers for former guests and all that. But in a way, I do not even want to anymore. What happens in Vegas can just stay there for all I care. At this price, I am not interested anymore...
Posted @ 10:27 PM by Egger, Markus (markus@code-magazine.com)