Our new Travel Helper: BOOKING WIZ

[Steve]

Our new Travel Helper: BOOKING WIZ

Hunter and I have associated our website with Booking Wiz.com.

This is a site that once you put in your travel destination it will bring you to a page where you can select your travel options. You can select "Flight, Hotel, Car or Cruise." You can also select a combination package if you prefer that. After that, just click on FLIGHT ONLY or FLIGHT AND HOTEL.

Then all you do is enter your dates and Booking Wiz will bring up 10 TRAVEL SITES. You can then click on the site banner and it will give you the lowest price for your trip that they offer. Sites include: Travelocity, Priceline, Expedia, Cheapo Air, Hot Wire, Smart Fares, Kayak and others. You can toggle back and forth between sites and you never need to type in your travel dates again. This is really a great feature.

The Booking Wiz banner is located at our main site just below the ad for the American Casino Guide.
http://everythinglv.com

It is also located at the forums main page which is here:
http://www.everythinglv.com/forums/

I have tried this feature and I think it is awesome. It saves you a lot of time searcing the web for low prices.

[GREGRIO]

I was curious about this site...
Airline flights aren't an issue for me, so I just checked their hotel offerings.
I used my September trip dates for the RIO...IN 7th/OUT 11th.
Out of the 10 listings, 7 had prices for the RIO.
(Prices are per night)
1. ORBITZ: $90.01
2. EXPEDIA: $157.00
3. HOTWIRE: $59.00
4. HOTEL-BOARD: $131.07
5. KAYAK: $90.00
6. BOOK IN HOTELS: $136.91
7. HOTELS COMBINED: $90.00

The multiple listings does save time in looking each service up one by one...
EXPEDIA was the only site that offered a STRIP VIEW as a price option.
None of the other sites offered a 'view' option in their price. I would bet these
RIO rooms were 'MOUNTAIN VIEW ROOMS'...no STRIP/no POOL views.

I've been a loyal RIO guest for the last 13+ years, and I'm totally out of touch with what room rates in Las Vegas are these days...
The advantage to sticking with one property, using their CLUB CARD and building a history in level status and points is always in your favor. You can
usually find the best deals booking on your own.

BOOKING WIZ.com gives you a good over view of most of the more popular
services. I didn't expect to see such a wide variety in prices...AND remember, when you book with a 3d party provider you 'usually' ARE NOT subject to upgrades using the $20.TRICK etc. or any promotioal offers the hotel might be giving out to guest unless they're included in the offer...NONE were
mentioned in the BOOKING WIZ.com offers.

For first timers, once or twice a year visitors, or our U.K. members, a service like BOOKING WIZ.com can be quite handy!
For regular VEGASJUNKIES, you'll probably still do better by watching your Players Club offers or even just the regular/fluxuating offers from any given property...like Harrah's 'HOT DEALS' for example.

I'm a Harrah's Total Reward Platinum member and found my best deal for my September trip through 'HOT DEALS' by entering my Total Reward and PIN number in the 'HOT DEALS' calendar...NOT MY PLATINUM OFFERS.
Sept. 7-11...ALL FREE and that offer is still there for Platinum members to
find and book on your own.

BOOKING WIZ.com is a good/convenient tool for those folks who have no other options or the time to hunt for deals...
THANKS STEVE and HUNTER!, I'm glad I checked it out.

[Steve]

Thanks for the endorsement Greg. I did a lot of legwork before signing on with Booking Wiz. I also found it to simplify search options and a BIG time saver.

Steve

[MailGirl]

I will try this site next year. I had heard over and over that when booking through a 3rd party the $20 trick didn't work. It did for us we were upgraded into a North Tower room from the South tower at GN and the clerk told us it would've been a $43 per night extra.- Hey it doesn't hurt to ask

[GREGRIO]

Thats right 'MailGirl', IT NEVER HURTS TO ASK.
Every property/policy/reservation desk clerk can be different.
Checking in morning, afternoon, late at night...lots of different
personalities out there...IT NEVER HURTS TO ASK.

[beach3993]

I agree with Gregrio if you have to book sounds like Booking Wiz is good but really try to develop a relationship with one Property - I never pay for a room and I have been with Harrah's for 5 years now and I always stay with Harrah's you just can't beat their offers. Why have that extra added expense when you don't have to - really look at the different properties MGM, Harrah's, Station Casino and so on and try to develop a good relationship with them - it pays off big time in the end. Even Wynn has comp me. Give some thought to this.

Oh also the $20 trick works even on Comp rooms and asking "Do you have a comp upgrade" worked really well for me. Someone wrote in one of the Trip Reports great way to do it.

[HawgKlr]

Unfortunately, for us, the "recession" has dealt us a crappy hand. If and when we go back to LV...we'll definitely be using the cheap seats and coupons. Thanx for the link, Steve.