Steve
09-22-2005, 03:04 PM
Steve and Eileen's Trip Report
August 17th-23rd.
Steve Speaking -
A no hassle/no delay on American Airlines especially if you're connecting in Chicago is always a great start to a Vegas trip.
Eileen Speaking -
We were with our friends Noreen and Billy which made it a nice trip also. And I'm happy as long as I have a book, or two, to read!
Steve Speaking -
Our first three nights were to be spent at Wynn Las Vegas with all nights comped due to an offer we got in the mail. (different members were getting different offers) The last three nights were at the Las Vegas Hilton.
We arrived at Wynn just a little after 1 p.m. and that was a little too early to have our request of a nonsmoking room ready. We were told we could wait or try a "smoking optional" floor. Being a little tired from the trip form New York, we decided to try it.
Eileen Speaking -
Speak for yourself. I just wanted to get to a slot machine!!
Steve Speaking -
Now I am very sensitive to cigarette smoke and I have to say there was not a trace of it in the hall or in our room.
Speaking about the room, it was beautiful. (Eileen is better at describing the room) The Flat-Screen TV was on when we entered the room with a "welcome" to us on the TV screen. The same "welcome" message was on the phone LED readout also. We didn't have a Strip view. Our room was over the golf course/pool area which was OK.
Eileen Speaking -
I absolutely LOVED the room! I told Steve I wanted to move there, especially the bathroom. It had a huge tub that when you turned on the water, it came out like a waterfall. And a built into the wall plasma TV. I spent three mornings taking a bubble bath and watching GMA and Regis & Kelly. The bedroom was very comfy. The bed the kind you just want to cozy up in with thick comforters and lots of wonderfully fluffy pillows. At night the bed was turned down, the radio turned on to a light music station, chocolates left on the side table and soft little mats (not really mats, more like big handkerchiefs) on each side of the bed for our feet. Is this how the rich live? I want to be rich.
Steve Speaking -
The hotel in general is very nice and very customer friendly. I spent most of the day at the Racebook which is now managed by my friend Johnny Avello and his very friendly staff. I want to particularly mention Racebook Supervisor Martha Smith. What a nice lady! She always had something nice to say to Eileen and me and always asked if we had any questions about the day to day operations of the Racebook.
We sat in the VIP section of the Racebook. There was "touchscreen" TV's where the name of all the track appeared on the screen and all you had to do was touch the name of the track you wanted to bet and the track instantly came up on the monitor. Another feature we liked was that the horses former races and statistics were also available on the TV's, a really great handicapping feature. The racebook also has a nice bar area and a Sportsbook area. There is also a deli located directly outside in case you get hungry.(Sandwiches are $9.95)
I never thought I would see the day that Johnny Avello would leave the confines of Bally's but it looks like he found a nicer home where he is now. He is a Wynner. (Eileen... groan!!!)
And so is the Race and Sportsbook.
The casino itself is very nice and comfy and customer service as you would expect is top notch. We only played the slots at Wynn and didn't do very well (which was the way it was for the entire trip) with the biggest amount that we cashed out at one time being $200.00.
Prices as you would expect are above normal. For starters, a large coffee or tea is $5.00, a bagel is $6.00 and a breakfast sandwich is $9.95. (That is a popular price at Wynn) All Gourmet restaurants are very high in price except for Red 8 an Asian restaurant where the prices were very reasonable. The buffet prices are $14.99 for breakfast, $20.00 for lunch and $27.99 for dinner and weekend brunch. The buffet was so good we ate there three times. (more on this below)
All-in-all we enjoyed out stay at Wynn very much. So much so that Eileen wants to live there, permanently! The one thing we missed was being close to other hotels as we like to hop from casino to casino. We also missed the "fast food" option, especially at night. It was nice when we stayed at the I.P. (I am not comparing the I.P. to Wynn) that if you got hungry late at night or in the middle of the day there were many options at the hotel or you just had to go outside to other hotels to get an inexpensive snack. You can't do that at Wynn.
Eileen Speaking -
Like Steve said, we like to be able to just go next door to another casino. I don't like sitting in the casino all day long. I have to get out in the sun - even if it's just to go to another casino! So I dragged Steve to the Frontier. We were pretty lucky on a penny Hollywood Squares machine there and played for about an hour before losing it all.
Steve Speaking -
The last three nights were spent at the Las Vegas Hilton. Now I like the Hilton a lot but I have to be honest with my members with my reviews.(even if I were kind with this, Eileen's comments would have made up for mine) The check-in process was the worst check-in process we ever had. I will leave this up to Eileen to explain. I was mad, she was livid. The room we eventually stayed in was an older room. Not what we wanted but for the amount of time we spent in it, it ended up being OK.
Eileen Speaking -
I always leave the reservations and checking in to the hotels up to Steve. I wait with the luggage off to the side while he checks in and gets the keys. When we first checked into the Hilton it took a while because Steve wanted to make sure that when our son and daughter-in-law checked in the next day they would not know that we were already there. We were going to surprise them and the clerk was kind enough to put some kind of "blind" on our name. But then he sent us up to our room. It wasn't clean. We go back down. We go back up to a room across the hall. It wasn't clean. We go back down. They want to send us back up. I have a fit. I start to yell. We get a clean room. But a really old room where the sink isn't even in the bathroom. I want to go back to Wynns. Oh, well.
Steve Speaking -
Despite the check-in debacle, I do enjoy the Hilton, especially the racebook. The racebook is continually being renovated and improved. They have a new VIP section with very comfortable oversized chairs. They have added new TV screens and lighting at all of the racebook seats. The staff is the friendliest in Las Vegas, headed by Jay Kornegay. I missed seeing my friend Ruth this time as the dates I was there encompassed her days off but Mary was very nice to me and the catalyst in setting up the surprise dinner we had planned for my son and his new wife who were going to be in Las Vegas on their honeymoon.
We didn't do very well with the slots at the Hilton but Eileen did OK playing Pai Gow and she even qualified for the upcoming Pai Gow tournament in January 2006. I did something I never did, I played Pai Gow at a $25.00 table. I started with $100. I held my own for a while but was getting tired and I was down to $45.00. (you pay commission in Pai Gow so thus the $45.00 amount) So I bet the whole $45.00 and won giving me a net loss of $10.00. I could never be a high roller as I had the shakes just betting $45.00. Maybe that's a good thing?
Eileen Speaking -
I had a lot of fun playing PaiGow and won $125 the first night at the Hilton. The next day I qualified for the tournament coming up in January. The only thing you have to do is bet the bonus and get at least a flush. Steve will not bet the bonus. I will never again NOT bet the bonus since I was dealt a royal flush at the IP with no bonus bet up! I also taught my daughter-in-law to play (always bet the bonus - you are in Vegas - bet a dollar!) and she also qualified for the tournament. So maybe we will have a girl's trip out in January.
The Big Surprise:
Steve Speaking -
As I mentioned, we had planned in advance to be in Las Vegas the same time my son Elliot and his new wife, Mirella, were going to be there on their honeymoon. I had pre-arranged for them to have dinner at the Las Vegas Hilton Steakhouse so all Eileen and I had to do was to get there before they did.
Mary, from the racebook had informed the receptionist what was going on and when we got to the Steakhouse, the receptionist was almost as excited as we were. There was a table behind the reception area where the table was hidden by a wall, a perfect place to hide. The wall had very small openings so I could keep watch for my son and his wife when they came in. Of course, they were late and we started to get nervous, along with the receptionist. Finally I saw them walking in. Eileen and I covered our faces with the menu and my son and his wife were escorted over to the table. When they got to the table, we dropped the menu's and they were really surprised to see us.
Eileen Speaking -
I was a little nervous about surprising them like this. After all, they were on their honeymoon! They might not want us there. But they were so happy to see us and glad we were there. They even tried to talk us into staying a few days more with them. We had a great time!
Steve Speaking -
The dinner at the Steakhouse, as always was excellent. We both had the Bone-In Filet Mignon special that included potato and vegetable for $40.00. My son even remarked that this was the best Steak he had since he left New York which was over three years ago. Mirella got the fish special and Eileen got the pork chops.
Eileen Speaking -
The Steakhouse is fabulous! And we all had dessert. They twisted my arm.
Steve Speaking -
I don't think Eileen enjoyed the Hilton as much as I did. Maybe the check-in debacle left a bad taste in her mouth or maybe it was staying away from the Strip. But the Hilton is a very nice place to stay and I do recommend it to my members.
Eileen Speaking -
I liked the Hilton. I like the casino. I did not like the room but for three nights it was ok. I did miss the strip but I missed it at Wynn's too! And Wynn's is on the strip! I just like having another casino right next door, just in case. In case of what? you ask. Well, just in case!
The Shows:
Le Reve at Wynn Las Vegas.
Steve Speaking -
I thought this show was excellent and I was amazed from start to finish. It is really indescribable. It is a combination of Mystere, Ka and "O" all rolled into one. The showroom itself is amazing. The floor is 90% water with just a small walkway that allows the performers to move about. There are "canals" that lead the performers into the main showroom so all you see is a water entrance. Nothing is done on "dry land."
The walls and ceiling of the showroom are constantly alive during the entire show. Visuals and changing scenery are constant and for the most part go unnoticed as one is concentrating on the show. The show itself has to be seen to be believed. The segments that they do with the water are unbelievable. The acrobats, both men and women jump from everywhere in the showroom and I do mean EVERYWHERE.
The show is over 90 minutes long and I didn't want it to end. It was THAT good. Like all the other CIRQUE shows, it is advised you get there early as there is a lot of pre-show entertainment.
Eileen speaking -
I had no idea what Le Reve was about before we went. Steve just said "We're going to go see Le Reve" and I said "OK!". Then the night we got to Vegas I saw the previews on the screen outside the hotel and I said "Uh oh, it's a water show.." I didn't really like "O" and I'm not a big fan of watching diving for 40 minutes and I don't like contortionists. There always seems to be a contortionist in these shows. Well, I really liked the show! There were no contortionists and very little high diving. It was very entertaining and I laughed a lot and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
SPLASH..The newsletter get-together show.
Steve Speaking -
I have seen Splash many times but not with 50 people. That's how many members were at the show. Everything went fine except for some guests that had to be split-up due to only 7 people being allowed to sit at one table.
We met at the Splash bar before the show and as always, it was fun meeting all the members. We had a few drinks and some great conversation. I do have to mention a special gift that Eileen and I got. One couple presented us with Matchbooks that had a mint inside of them with our names and the name of the newsletter on the cover of the matchbook along with a photo of the Strip. The same couple also took the small Hershey Bars, the "single bite" ones, rewrapped the candy in another outer sleeve with our names and the name of the newsletter on it.. This was so thoughtful and we passed them out to all them members. We did manage to save some to bring home. We also got a $20 Slot Voucher from another couple. Thank you!!
We all had a good time at the show which I think all the members enjoyed.
Eileen Speaking -
I always complain about being taken away from my gambling to have these meets - but I always end up having a wonderful time. This time was no exception. We have met some very nice people through these meetings. A special hello to Angela and cutie guy, Curtis. Splash was a blast and the company was great!
Steve Speaking -
Here is a review on the show I did during my last Las Vegas visit. The show was the same except for a lot less nudity this time around.
Splash: The New Edition at the Riviera.
Bravo to Jeff Kutash, who triumphantly returns as Director of Splash. The shows new version is the best in the 20+ year history of the show. Take a deep breath when the nostalgic photos first appear on the screen because from then on it's hard to catch your breath. The show is nonstop from start to finish.
There are four remaining acts for the older version of the show. Los Latin Cowboys, Hugo Latorre and Eduardo Lome are funnier then ever as the comedians in the show. They interact perfectly with the audience throughout the show. They are also masters of the conga drums and the Spanish Bolos.
The Richard Brothers are the second remaining act and are simply fantastic jugglers. Some of the stuff they do is unbelievable. They juggle just about anything and everything they can get their hands on.
The ice-skating team of Mikhail Panin and Margarita Barber also remain and to see what they do in such a limited amount of space is phenomenal.
Bela Tabak's Riders of the Thunderdome have been with the show for many years and this is the highlight of the show. The act features up to four motorcycles inside a globe all going in four different directions.
New to the show is Vitale who does what I would have to call a "silk curtain" routine. He actually wraps himself up in this curtain like material and free falls from different heights in the showroom.
There is an adultish "Sin City" routine inserted into the mix and it is tastefully done.
I also liked the tributes to Elvis, Ann-Margret, Tom Jones and Mama Mia.
In other words, I liked the entire show from start to finish. The nostalgic photos between the acts gets to be a little too much but other than that the show is flawless. This show no longer makes a SPLASH, it hit's you like a TIDAL WAVE!
Legends In Concert
Steve Speaking -
I think this was the 7th time I saw this show and it was one of the best. We saw the show with my son and his wife who were seeing it for the first time.
The show started off with "Buddy Holly" who really got the showroom rocking.
Next were "The Righteous Brothers" who were also very good.
They were followed by "Aretha Franklin" who had a wonderful voice but I did not see anything that resembled Aretha and she was onstage just a little too long. Next came "Bruce Springsteen" portrayed by Matt Ryan that was so good, it was scary. His impressions were dead on. His rendition of "Rosalita" brought me back to my younger days when I saw Springsteen in his first appearance in New York at Central Park. I talked to Matt after the show and he was really interested in what I was doing with the newsletter and the websites. Next came "The Temptations" who were also excellent doing all the Temptations # 1 songs including my personal favorite "My Girl." As with all Legends shows the finale was ELVIS. I was delighted to see that Graham Patrick is back in the show as "Elvis" as he is awesome. Since I had seen the show, I knew when he came into the audience with a scarf, he was looking for a lady to wipe his brow so he could give then the scarf in return. I told Eileen and Mirella to go wipe his brow but they were chicken. Patrick was all over the showroom during "Viva Las Vegas" and when I say "all over" I mean just that. He was on the tables, in the booths, walking over tables and up and down the entire length of the showroom.
Legends in one of the best shows in Las Vegas. I suggest you see it now as it may be gone when Harrah's takes over.
Eileen Speaking -
I always love this show. And, as usual, Steve and I disagree on the performances. I thought Aretha Franklin was FANTASTIC - and she didn't stay on stage long enough! Also the Righteous Brothers were not on long enough for me. Mirella's favorite performance was the Temptations.
DINING:
The Wynn Buffet:
Steve Speaking-
I thought the buffet was excellent. We went there once for Lunch, once for Dinner and once for Brunch. The buffet as is now the custom in Las Vegas has different areas that served specialized ethnic foods.
You start with the Salad and Soup stations where there is a choice of many hand-tossed salads or you can make your own. There we three kinds of soup with the Chicken Noodle being my choice and it was very tasty.
Although I don't eat Seafood, the selections at that station looked plentiful, lead by Jumbo Shrimp and King Crab Legs.
The Italian section features indescribable Kobe Beef Meatballs. Also as with all other stations, there was a featured "Chef's Selection" which changes on a daily basis. There is also a fantastic pizza station with about eight different kinds of pizza.
The Chinese section was very good also with made to order soup..you pick the ingredients and the chef mixes it up for you. There were two different kinds of Spare Ribs along with a few other normal Chinese selections.
The Carving Station featured Prime Rib, Ham and Turkey.
There are also the traditional foods such as Rotisserie Chicken, Beef Ribs, Fish, Middle Eastern selections and lots of other goodies.
The Dessert Station was OK, but I have seen better ones. The station had some very interesting selection of Jelly Apples which I didn't try.
The best thing I liked about the buffet was the rotation of foods between lunch and dinner and day to day food rotations. The service was excellent and friendly.
I would rate the buffet in the top five Las Vegas buffets.
Eileen Speaking -
While I agree that this buffet is very good, I really didn't see too much difference between lunch and dinner. Maybe different fruits and a couple of different entrees but nothing stood out. I don't really like the fact that a lot of the new buffets, like Wynns, do not have ice cream anymore. They have gelato. Yuck. Give me ice cream. I love Harrah's dessert bar because they have sugar free ice cream and then I can have M&Ms on top of it to make up for no sugar.
Kady's Coffee Shop at The Riviera:
Steve Speaking --
Finally after four years I was going to meet John Neeland the P.R. Director of The Riviera. Since our members meeting was at 6:30 John picked Kady's as opposed to the wonderful gourmet restaurants at The Riviera so we could make the meeting time.
This was a very nice place and the food is reasonable and quite good. There are some specials on the chalkboard that included a T-Bone dinner for under $10.00 and Beef Stew for $5.95. John and I had the Baked 1/2 of chicken that came with salad, veggie and potato for about $11.00. There was so much food, I couldn't finish it.
The coffee shop was very crowded and it's easy to see why if you're looking for good food at a reasonable price.
Eileen Speaking -
John Neeland is a very nice man and we had a good time talking over dinner. And I can talk. John can keep up. I can hardly remember what I ate two months after I've been to a restaurant but I'm sure it was good. I don't remember complaining.
Embers at the Imperial Palace:
Steve Speaking -
I have reviewed Embers many times so I will just say it's one of the top five Steakhouses in Las Vegas. Prices have gone up a bit since switching to an Al La Carte menu but prices are still far below most of the gourmet Steakhouse's in Las Vegas. My son and his wife joined us for dinner and everything was perfect..as usual.
Eileen Speaking -
I think I had chicken. I KNOW I had a cream puff for dessert! Yummy!
The Las Vegas Hilton Buffet:
Steve Speaking --
I was a little disappointed with the Hilton buffet this time but it was still OK. Reasons for being disappointed were that there were no cucumbers for the salad, the Chinese section contained only two items and one of the items was Fried Rice, there was Macaroni and Cheese as a MAIN ITEM (not too classy) and the Fried Chicken was fried too long. The Broiled Steak was very good and so was the Prime Rib.
Eileen Speaking -
I like this buffet. They have salad, chicken and ICE CREAM.
Gambling:
Steve Speaking --
I didn't do well with the horses. I didn't do well with Pai Gow and I didn't do well with the slots. We came close on a couple of slots but never won more than $200 at any time.
Eileen Speaking -
I did very well with the horses! Steve doesn't like that because I don't know anything about handicapping, I just pick a name or sometimes even a number. I once won over $100 on a horse because the number 3 horse was 14-1. My birthday is 3/14. I also did pretty good with Pai Gow and I have a lot of fun playing that... except for the lady who told Mirella not to listen to me when I was teaching her how to play. GRRRR.. Unfortunately, my slot radar was definitely off this trip. Oh, well, there is always next time.
Steve Speaking -
As always, we had a great time. We always enjoy hosting the members meetings as it is nice to put a face to the emails.
Thanks for reading,
Steve and Eileen :)
August 17th-23rd.
Steve Speaking -
A no hassle/no delay on American Airlines especially if you're connecting in Chicago is always a great start to a Vegas trip.
Eileen Speaking -
We were with our friends Noreen and Billy which made it a nice trip also. And I'm happy as long as I have a book, or two, to read!
Steve Speaking -
Our first three nights were to be spent at Wynn Las Vegas with all nights comped due to an offer we got in the mail. (different members were getting different offers) The last three nights were at the Las Vegas Hilton.
We arrived at Wynn just a little after 1 p.m. and that was a little too early to have our request of a nonsmoking room ready. We were told we could wait or try a "smoking optional" floor. Being a little tired from the trip form New York, we decided to try it.
Eileen Speaking -
Speak for yourself. I just wanted to get to a slot machine!!
Steve Speaking -
Now I am very sensitive to cigarette smoke and I have to say there was not a trace of it in the hall or in our room.
Speaking about the room, it was beautiful. (Eileen is better at describing the room) The Flat-Screen TV was on when we entered the room with a "welcome" to us on the TV screen. The same "welcome" message was on the phone LED readout also. We didn't have a Strip view. Our room was over the golf course/pool area which was OK.
Eileen Speaking -
I absolutely LOVED the room! I told Steve I wanted to move there, especially the bathroom. It had a huge tub that when you turned on the water, it came out like a waterfall. And a built into the wall plasma TV. I spent three mornings taking a bubble bath and watching GMA and Regis & Kelly. The bedroom was very comfy. The bed the kind you just want to cozy up in with thick comforters and lots of wonderfully fluffy pillows. At night the bed was turned down, the radio turned on to a light music station, chocolates left on the side table and soft little mats (not really mats, more like big handkerchiefs) on each side of the bed for our feet. Is this how the rich live? I want to be rich.
Steve Speaking -
The hotel in general is very nice and very customer friendly. I spent most of the day at the Racebook which is now managed by my friend Johnny Avello and his very friendly staff. I want to particularly mention Racebook Supervisor Martha Smith. What a nice lady! She always had something nice to say to Eileen and me and always asked if we had any questions about the day to day operations of the Racebook.
We sat in the VIP section of the Racebook. There was "touchscreen" TV's where the name of all the track appeared on the screen and all you had to do was touch the name of the track you wanted to bet and the track instantly came up on the monitor. Another feature we liked was that the horses former races and statistics were also available on the TV's, a really great handicapping feature. The racebook also has a nice bar area and a Sportsbook area. There is also a deli located directly outside in case you get hungry.(Sandwiches are $9.95)
I never thought I would see the day that Johnny Avello would leave the confines of Bally's but it looks like he found a nicer home where he is now. He is a Wynner. (Eileen... groan!!!)
And so is the Race and Sportsbook.
The casino itself is very nice and comfy and customer service as you would expect is top notch. We only played the slots at Wynn and didn't do very well (which was the way it was for the entire trip) with the biggest amount that we cashed out at one time being $200.00.
Prices as you would expect are above normal. For starters, a large coffee or tea is $5.00, a bagel is $6.00 and a breakfast sandwich is $9.95. (That is a popular price at Wynn) All Gourmet restaurants are very high in price except for Red 8 an Asian restaurant where the prices were very reasonable. The buffet prices are $14.99 for breakfast, $20.00 for lunch and $27.99 for dinner and weekend brunch. The buffet was so good we ate there three times. (more on this below)
All-in-all we enjoyed out stay at Wynn very much. So much so that Eileen wants to live there, permanently! The one thing we missed was being close to other hotels as we like to hop from casino to casino. We also missed the "fast food" option, especially at night. It was nice when we stayed at the I.P. (I am not comparing the I.P. to Wynn) that if you got hungry late at night or in the middle of the day there were many options at the hotel or you just had to go outside to other hotels to get an inexpensive snack. You can't do that at Wynn.
Eileen Speaking -
Like Steve said, we like to be able to just go next door to another casino. I don't like sitting in the casino all day long. I have to get out in the sun - even if it's just to go to another casino! So I dragged Steve to the Frontier. We were pretty lucky on a penny Hollywood Squares machine there and played for about an hour before losing it all.
Steve Speaking -
The last three nights were spent at the Las Vegas Hilton. Now I like the Hilton a lot but I have to be honest with my members with my reviews.(even if I were kind with this, Eileen's comments would have made up for mine) The check-in process was the worst check-in process we ever had. I will leave this up to Eileen to explain. I was mad, she was livid. The room we eventually stayed in was an older room. Not what we wanted but for the amount of time we spent in it, it ended up being OK.
Eileen Speaking -
I always leave the reservations and checking in to the hotels up to Steve. I wait with the luggage off to the side while he checks in and gets the keys. When we first checked into the Hilton it took a while because Steve wanted to make sure that when our son and daughter-in-law checked in the next day they would not know that we were already there. We were going to surprise them and the clerk was kind enough to put some kind of "blind" on our name. But then he sent us up to our room. It wasn't clean. We go back down. We go back up to a room across the hall. It wasn't clean. We go back down. They want to send us back up. I have a fit. I start to yell. We get a clean room. But a really old room where the sink isn't even in the bathroom. I want to go back to Wynns. Oh, well.
Steve Speaking -
Despite the check-in debacle, I do enjoy the Hilton, especially the racebook. The racebook is continually being renovated and improved. They have a new VIP section with very comfortable oversized chairs. They have added new TV screens and lighting at all of the racebook seats. The staff is the friendliest in Las Vegas, headed by Jay Kornegay. I missed seeing my friend Ruth this time as the dates I was there encompassed her days off but Mary was very nice to me and the catalyst in setting up the surprise dinner we had planned for my son and his new wife who were going to be in Las Vegas on their honeymoon.
We didn't do very well with the slots at the Hilton but Eileen did OK playing Pai Gow and she even qualified for the upcoming Pai Gow tournament in January 2006. I did something I never did, I played Pai Gow at a $25.00 table. I started with $100. I held my own for a while but was getting tired and I was down to $45.00. (you pay commission in Pai Gow so thus the $45.00 amount) So I bet the whole $45.00 and won giving me a net loss of $10.00. I could never be a high roller as I had the shakes just betting $45.00. Maybe that's a good thing?
Eileen Speaking -
I had a lot of fun playing PaiGow and won $125 the first night at the Hilton. The next day I qualified for the tournament coming up in January. The only thing you have to do is bet the bonus and get at least a flush. Steve will not bet the bonus. I will never again NOT bet the bonus since I was dealt a royal flush at the IP with no bonus bet up! I also taught my daughter-in-law to play (always bet the bonus - you are in Vegas - bet a dollar!) and she also qualified for the tournament. So maybe we will have a girl's trip out in January.
The Big Surprise:
Steve Speaking -
As I mentioned, we had planned in advance to be in Las Vegas the same time my son Elliot and his new wife, Mirella, were going to be there on their honeymoon. I had pre-arranged for them to have dinner at the Las Vegas Hilton Steakhouse so all Eileen and I had to do was to get there before they did.
Mary, from the racebook had informed the receptionist what was going on and when we got to the Steakhouse, the receptionist was almost as excited as we were. There was a table behind the reception area where the table was hidden by a wall, a perfect place to hide. The wall had very small openings so I could keep watch for my son and his wife when they came in. Of course, they were late and we started to get nervous, along with the receptionist. Finally I saw them walking in. Eileen and I covered our faces with the menu and my son and his wife were escorted over to the table. When they got to the table, we dropped the menu's and they were really surprised to see us.
Eileen Speaking -
I was a little nervous about surprising them like this. After all, they were on their honeymoon! They might not want us there. But they were so happy to see us and glad we were there. They even tried to talk us into staying a few days more with them. We had a great time!
Steve Speaking -
The dinner at the Steakhouse, as always was excellent. We both had the Bone-In Filet Mignon special that included potato and vegetable for $40.00. My son even remarked that this was the best Steak he had since he left New York which was over three years ago. Mirella got the fish special and Eileen got the pork chops.
Eileen Speaking -
The Steakhouse is fabulous! And we all had dessert. They twisted my arm.
Steve Speaking -
I don't think Eileen enjoyed the Hilton as much as I did. Maybe the check-in debacle left a bad taste in her mouth or maybe it was staying away from the Strip. But the Hilton is a very nice place to stay and I do recommend it to my members.
Eileen Speaking -
I liked the Hilton. I like the casino. I did not like the room but for three nights it was ok. I did miss the strip but I missed it at Wynn's too! And Wynn's is on the strip! I just like having another casino right next door, just in case. In case of what? you ask. Well, just in case!
The Shows:
Le Reve at Wynn Las Vegas.
Steve Speaking -
I thought this show was excellent and I was amazed from start to finish. It is really indescribable. It is a combination of Mystere, Ka and "O" all rolled into one. The showroom itself is amazing. The floor is 90% water with just a small walkway that allows the performers to move about. There are "canals" that lead the performers into the main showroom so all you see is a water entrance. Nothing is done on "dry land."
The walls and ceiling of the showroom are constantly alive during the entire show. Visuals and changing scenery are constant and for the most part go unnoticed as one is concentrating on the show. The show itself has to be seen to be believed. The segments that they do with the water are unbelievable. The acrobats, both men and women jump from everywhere in the showroom and I do mean EVERYWHERE.
The show is over 90 minutes long and I didn't want it to end. It was THAT good. Like all the other CIRQUE shows, it is advised you get there early as there is a lot of pre-show entertainment.
Eileen speaking -
I had no idea what Le Reve was about before we went. Steve just said "We're going to go see Le Reve" and I said "OK!". Then the night we got to Vegas I saw the previews on the screen outside the hotel and I said "Uh oh, it's a water show.." I didn't really like "O" and I'm not a big fan of watching diving for 40 minutes and I don't like contortionists. There always seems to be a contortionist in these shows. Well, I really liked the show! There were no contortionists and very little high diving. It was very entertaining and I laughed a lot and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
SPLASH..The newsletter get-together show.
Steve Speaking -
I have seen Splash many times but not with 50 people. That's how many members were at the show. Everything went fine except for some guests that had to be split-up due to only 7 people being allowed to sit at one table.
We met at the Splash bar before the show and as always, it was fun meeting all the members. We had a few drinks and some great conversation. I do have to mention a special gift that Eileen and I got. One couple presented us with Matchbooks that had a mint inside of them with our names and the name of the newsletter on the cover of the matchbook along with a photo of the Strip. The same couple also took the small Hershey Bars, the "single bite" ones, rewrapped the candy in another outer sleeve with our names and the name of the newsletter on it.. This was so thoughtful and we passed them out to all them members. We did manage to save some to bring home. We also got a $20 Slot Voucher from another couple. Thank you!!
We all had a good time at the show which I think all the members enjoyed.
Eileen Speaking -
I always complain about being taken away from my gambling to have these meets - but I always end up having a wonderful time. This time was no exception. We have met some very nice people through these meetings. A special hello to Angela and cutie guy, Curtis. Splash was a blast and the company was great!
Steve Speaking -
Here is a review on the show I did during my last Las Vegas visit. The show was the same except for a lot less nudity this time around.
Splash: The New Edition at the Riviera.
Bravo to Jeff Kutash, who triumphantly returns as Director of Splash. The shows new version is the best in the 20+ year history of the show. Take a deep breath when the nostalgic photos first appear on the screen because from then on it's hard to catch your breath. The show is nonstop from start to finish.
There are four remaining acts for the older version of the show. Los Latin Cowboys, Hugo Latorre and Eduardo Lome are funnier then ever as the comedians in the show. They interact perfectly with the audience throughout the show. They are also masters of the conga drums and the Spanish Bolos.
The Richard Brothers are the second remaining act and are simply fantastic jugglers. Some of the stuff they do is unbelievable. They juggle just about anything and everything they can get their hands on.
The ice-skating team of Mikhail Panin and Margarita Barber also remain and to see what they do in such a limited amount of space is phenomenal.
Bela Tabak's Riders of the Thunderdome have been with the show for many years and this is the highlight of the show. The act features up to four motorcycles inside a globe all going in four different directions.
New to the show is Vitale who does what I would have to call a "silk curtain" routine. He actually wraps himself up in this curtain like material and free falls from different heights in the showroom.
There is an adultish "Sin City" routine inserted into the mix and it is tastefully done.
I also liked the tributes to Elvis, Ann-Margret, Tom Jones and Mama Mia.
In other words, I liked the entire show from start to finish. The nostalgic photos between the acts gets to be a little too much but other than that the show is flawless. This show no longer makes a SPLASH, it hit's you like a TIDAL WAVE!
Legends In Concert
Steve Speaking -
I think this was the 7th time I saw this show and it was one of the best. We saw the show with my son and his wife who were seeing it for the first time.
The show started off with "Buddy Holly" who really got the showroom rocking.
Next were "The Righteous Brothers" who were also very good.
They were followed by "Aretha Franklin" who had a wonderful voice but I did not see anything that resembled Aretha and she was onstage just a little too long. Next came "Bruce Springsteen" portrayed by Matt Ryan that was so good, it was scary. His impressions were dead on. His rendition of "Rosalita" brought me back to my younger days when I saw Springsteen in his first appearance in New York at Central Park. I talked to Matt after the show and he was really interested in what I was doing with the newsletter and the websites. Next came "The Temptations" who were also excellent doing all the Temptations # 1 songs including my personal favorite "My Girl." As with all Legends shows the finale was ELVIS. I was delighted to see that Graham Patrick is back in the show as "Elvis" as he is awesome. Since I had seen the show, I knew when he came into the audience with a scarf, he was looking for a lady to wipe his brow so he could give then the scarf in return. I told Eileen and Mirella to go wipe his brow but they were chicken. Patrick was all over the showroom during "Viva Las Vegas" and when I say "all over" I mean just that. He was on the tables, in the booths, walking over tables and up and down the entire length of the showroom.
Legends in one of the best shows in Las Vegas. I suggest you see it now as it may be gone when Harrah's takes over.
Eileen Speaking -
I always love this show. And, as usual, Steve and I disagree on the performances. I thought Aretha Franklin was FANTASTIC - and she didn't stay on stage long enough! Also the Righteous Brothers were not on long enough for me. Mirella's favorite performance was the Temptations.
DINING:
The Wynn Buffet:
Steve Speaking-
I thought the buffet was excellent. We went there once for Lunch, once for Dinner and once for Brunch. The buffet as is now the custom in Las Vegas has different areas that served specialized ethnic foods.
You start with the Salad and Soup stations where there is a choice of many hand-tossed salads or you can make your own. There we three kinds of soup with the Chicken Noodle being my choice and it was very tasty.
Although I don't eat Seafood, the selections at that station looked plentiful, lead by Jumbo Shrimp and King Crab Legs.
The Italian section features indescribable Kobe Beef Meatballs. Also as with all other stations, there was a featured "Chef's Selection" which changes on a daily basis. There is also a fantastic pizza station with about eight different kinds of pizza.
The Chinese section was very good also with made to order soup..you pick the ingredients and the chef mixes it up for you. There were two different kinds of Spare Ribs along with a few other normal Chinese selections.
The Carving Station featured Prime Rib, Ham and Turkey.
There are also the traditional foods such as Rotisserie Chicken, Beef Ribs, Fish, Middle Eastern selections and lots of other goodies.
The Dessert Station was OK, but I have seen better ones. The station had some very interesting selection of Jelly Apples which I didn't try.
The best thing I liked about the buffet was the rotation of foods between lunch and dinner and day to day food rotations. The service was excellent and friendly.
I would rate the buffet in the top five Las Vegas buffets.
Eileen Speaking -
While I agree that this buffet is very good, I really didn't see too much difference between lunch and dinner. Maybe different fruits and a couple of different entrees but nothing stood out. I don't really like the fact that a lot of the new buffets, like Wynns, do not have ice cream anymore. They have gelato. Yuck. Give me ice cream. I love Harrah's dessert bar because they have sugar free ice cream and then I can have M&Ms on top of it to make up for no sugar.
Kady's Coffee Shop at The Riviera:
Steve Speaking --
Finally after four years I was going to meet John Neeland the P.R. Director of The Riviera. Since our members meeting was at 6:30 John picked Kady's as opposed to the wonderful gourmet restaurants at The Riviera so we could make the meeting time.
This was a very nice place and the food is reasonable and quite good. There are some specials on the chalkboard that included a T-Bone dinner for under $10.00 and Beef Stew for $5.95. John and I had the Baked 1/2 of chicken that came with salad, veggie and potato for about $11.00. There was so much food, I couldn't finish it.
The coffee shop was very crowded and it's easy to see why if you're looking for good food at a reasonable price.
Eileen Speaking -
John Neeland is a very nice man and we had a good time talking over dinner. And I can talk. John can keep up. I can hardly remember what I ate two months after I've been to a restaurant but I'm sure it was good. I don't remember complaining.
Embers at the Imperial Palace:
Steve Speaking -
I have reviewed Embers many times so I will just say it's one of the top five Steakhouses in Las Vegas. Prices have gone up a bit since switching to an Al La Carte menu but prices are still far below most of the gourmet Steakhouse's in Las Vegas. My son and his wife joined us for dinner and everything was perfect..as usual.
Eileen Speaking -
I think I had chicken. I KNOW I had a cream puff for dessert! Yummy!
The Las Vegas Hilton Buffet:
Steve Speaking --
I was a little disappointed with the Hilton buffet this time but it was still OK. Reasons for being disappointed were that there were no cucumbers for the salad, the Chinese section contained only two items and one of the items was Fried Rice, there was Macaroni and Cheese as a MAIN ITEM (not too classy) and the Fried Chicken was fried too long. The Broiled Steak was very good and so was the Prime Rib.
Eileen Speaking -
I like this buffet. They have salad, chicken and ICE CREAM.
Gambling:
Steve Speaking --
I didn't do well with the horses. I didn't do well with Pai Gow and I didn't do well with the slots. We came close on a couple of slots but never won more than $200 at any time.
Eileen Speaking -
I did very well with the horses! Steve doesn't like that because I don't know anything about handicapping, I just pick a name or sometimes even a number. I once won over $100 on a horse because the number 3 horse was 14-1. My birthday is 3/14. I also did pretty good with Pai Gow and I have a lot of fun playing that... except for the lady who told Mirella not to listen to me when I was teaching her how to play. GRRRR.. Unfortunately, my slot radar was definitely off this trip. Oh, well, there is always next time.
Steve Speaking -
As always, we had a great time. We always enjoy hosting the members meetings as it is nice to put a face to the emails.
Thanks for reading,
Steve and Eileen :)