My TR - Wynn, Rio and Harrah's Jan. 12-16

Although I don%26#39;t post much, I do check in on this forum a lot, especially when our trip to Vegas is getting close! Some background: this is our annual mother/daughter trip taken each year in January for the past 10 years. Mom is in her later 70%26#39;s and I am in my EARLY 50%26#39;s, we are strictly slot players, definately not high rollers and always looking for bargains, whether on meals or hotels and flights. This is the first year we have hotel hopped, just to see if we would like it (along with some deals we couldn%26#39;t pass up!)

Flight from Buffalo was uneventful, our first glimpse of Lake Mead and the strip was breathtaking, something about leaving the snow behind and seeing the desert is always so exciting! We took a shuttle to our first stop, the Wynn. I had gotten a rate of $119/night with $150 on my red card, booked it as a birthday gift to my mom. It turned out to be the best gift I%26#39;d ever given her! We were given a room on the 55th floor, overlooking the golf course. The room was fabulous, floor to ceiling windows, 2 double beds, desk with fax machine, refrig, TV mounted on wall, another TV in the bathroom, which was also spectactular. Now this is living we could get used to! Unpacked a few things then went down to the casino. Our luck would go up and down but basically ended up ahead by the end of the night. We tried walking outside for a bit but my mom has some difficulty walking any distances (more on that later) that we decided to just stay at the Wynn. We had enough points to get 2 free dinner buffets which we have had on previous trips. I have to say I was somewhat disappointed this time. If you are a seafood lover, the buffet would be great but my mom and I are not. It seemed as though the selection wasn%26#39;t as good as previous years and I was not impressed by the desserts, which to me, are the highlight of my day. I always check them out first to see how much other food I should eat. Not a huge selection there either. We continued on with our gambling then up to our room where we found candy beside our beds with slippers and robes layed out - nice! We fell asleep in the most comfy beds I%26#39;ve ever slept on (after closing the curtains from my bed!) and woke to beautful sunshine. If you are from the East (specifically Buffalo) you%26#39;ll know how terrific it is to wake up to the sun shinning! We had earned enough points again for 2 free breakfast buffets which we enjoyed. We also enjoyed watching lots of people walking around in the complimentary slippers provided! Packed up our few things-but were sorry to leave, the hotel is beautiful, service is excellent, all staff were incredibly nice and helpful and we really enjoyed the atmosphere of the Wynn, no head banging music or drunken kids hanging around, but that%26#39;s my perspective. I%26#39;m sure 20 years ago I would have been looking for just that! Next stop: the Rio.

My TR - Wynn, Rio and Harrah's Jan. 12-16

More more more!!!! I%26#39;m considering switching to the Wynn after your explanation of the rooms-wow!~

My TR - Wynn, Rio and Harrah's Jan. 12-16

Don%26#39;t keep us waiting. :-)

Sadly we waved goodbye to the Wynn but were excited to see how the Rio was. Although we have been in the casino, we have never stayed there. We were able to check in right away and got a room in the smaller tower (can%26#39;t remember the name!) on the 18 floor with a view of the strip. We knew there would be no comparison to the Wynn but were a little disappointed-the room definately needed updating. Although very roomy, the TV looked like something from the 80%26#39;s (reception was, well, there really was no reception), couch had seen better days, bathroom was dark but the beds did seem comfy. Our view was somewhat limited behind the other tower but of course, we had a good view of the Wynn! The Rio rooms do have a refrig which you could use along with the one you have to pay if you take anything out of. But, this room was comped so we shouldn%26#39;t complain! On to the casino which again, seemed to need updating. Most areas seemed dark and the party atmosphere that I remember was gone. Slot machines are old too (but wait, so am I!). We decided to take a walk to the Gold Coast but we had only gotten 1/2 way there when my Mom stopped and said she didn%26#39;t think she%26#39;d make it the rest of the way. We ended up walking VERY slowly the rest of the way, with me panicking, wondering how I%26#39;m going to get her back to the Rio. She felt better after she sat down (at a slot machine) and we stayed there a few hours without much luck, I might add. I decided we should take a cab back to the Rio (yes, that%26#39;s right-a cab from the Gold Coast to the Rio!) but that was the only way she could manage. It was worth the $10 ride. We went back up to our room which seemed even darker than before and she rested awhile til the slots called us back downstairs. We ate at the sport%26#39;s grill, had a pretty good burger and fries and tried our luck again. We did alright for a while but I was somewhat bored with the choices of the slots, I%26#39;ve played all these years before! Went to bed before I put all my money back into the machine. Our next stop is Harrahs and finally the strip! Almost like coming home!

Hello Hazy!

Enjoying your TR very much! Looking forward to more, thanks for sharing!

We said good-bye to the Rio without much sadness. Not that it was terrible or anything like that, just seemed drab. Was it because we had just left the Wynn? We shall see as our next and final stop is Harrahs. Took a cab there (so far we%26#39;ve seemed to have spent a lot in cabs and tips, seems like everyone has their hand out but I guess it%26#39;s to be expected). Although we couldn%26#39;t get into our room right away, we were advised to wait just a bit as we would be on the 29th floor of the Carnival Tower with a strip view. As these 3 nights were also comped, we have no complaints. Stored our stuff with the bell guy (more tipping!) went to eat at the buffet, which was not bad for the price (using coupons) and did one of the most brillant things we%26#39;ve ever done - rented a scooter for my mom! Wow, did that change her whole outlook on our trip. I think she was getting depressed because she could only walk a short distance and then be in so much pain that she needed to sit down immediately. If anyone has any hesitation as to renting a scooter for whatever reason, don%26#39;t!! We rented right at the belldesk for $75 for 3 full days. Although you might think that is pricey, believe me, for the look on my mom%26#39;s face, I would have paid 100x more! The guy showed us how it worked and off we went! I was afraid that other people might get annoyed with this scooter weaving it%26#39;s way along the strip but most people were very helpful. I%26#39;m sure it also helped that she didn%26#39;t bang into anyone%26#39;s legs too. She got the hang of it right away, including getting into the elevators and turning around with ease. (Well, maybe she banged into the walls a few times but so what!) We waited about an hour and then went up to our room. Although not as large as the Rio, it was much brighter and we looked directly onto the Mirage volcano. I guess they figure that if you can see any landmark on the strip, it%26#39;s considered a strip view! But we were pleased with our room, especially at night, it was really beautiful. We then proceeded to gamble our time away and really get out and see the other hotels since my mom could now get around. We have stayed at Harrahs before but this was the nicest room we%26#39;ve had, must have always been in the other tower in previous years. Our time there was much too short and we soon found ourselves in another cab, on the way to the airport headed for weather that was 60 degrees colder than what we had. Flight back to Buffalo was again uneventful, took myself outside and almost fainted from the cold. My only thought: what the heck am I doing here?? Ha!

I will post my final observations in just a while if anyone is interested!!

Nice trip report. I understand about the sun being from the Buffalo area too. Glad your mother got the scooter, great idea. Going in May for my sons 21 birthday, staying at the Golden Nugget. Going for 5 nites. What airline did you take. We are taking Southwest nonstop. That nonstopping is hugh to me. What side of the plane did you sit on and which side would you recommend on the way out there for the view. Thanks again for the report.

thanks for the TR. so what were your final thoughts about hotel-hopping? you definitely got to see a lot of different places with all the hotels!

We spent some time over at Rio on our last trip, and I have to agree with you that the casino is looking very old and tired.

Am glad to hear that renting the scooter really lifted your mom%26#39;s spirits!

Definitely interested, try to use a couple of paragraphs, makes it easier to read please!!

Final thoughts:

Mom and I both felt that the crowds were definately smaller until about Thursday. We never waited in line for anything and never got hung up in crowds walking down the street - the slower economy is really showing. But that worked out good for us!! And we make this comparison with the past 10 years of vacationing in Vegas in January.

Best:

THE WYNN!!! I can%26#39;t say enough about it! Too bad we couldn%26#39;t have stayed the whole week - oh well, maybe someday. Definately a 5 star hotel, we wouldn%26#39;t have missed this for the world.

Planet Hollywood casino and buffet. Great vibe in the casino, again no blasting music just good old rock %26#39;n roll. I believe the music should be part of your experience not the main focus. PH does a great job of that. And although the buffet was pricey, worth it. The desserts are the yummiest I%26#39;ve ever had and can%26#39;t wait to go back. We also saw the Miss American contestants as they walked by to go outside, kinda neat!

Slots at Paris - wow, finally won at Paris and had a lot of fun too.

Rental of scooter - highly recommend for anyone worried about taking an ';older'; relative or friend - it%26#39;s the way to go!

Taking a stroll down the strip on a warm, sunny afternoon in January - if you are from the East, you know exactly what I%26#39;m saying!

The lovely gentleman who helped my mom with the wheelchair at the airport. The nicest manners ever.

The 2 chippendale guys standing outside of Harrahs - YUMMY!!

Sorry, this should be on the top of the list - vacationing with my Mom, who is never crabby, always game for anything, loved her scooter, loved her birthday present of the Wynn%26#39;s night stay, and can%26#39;t wait to get back to Vegas next year.

Not so great:

The Rio - just not too impressed with it. Unless we got a comped room again and had no other choice, we wouldn%26#39;t stay again. Although the rooms are not that bad, it is a little too far away from the main action of the strip. Maybe this is more of a place for younger 20 something%26#39;s?

Harrahs drink service - whew-I was so thirsty and couldn%26#39;t get a drink of anything, ended up buying water at the store, somewhat annoyed with that!

On the flight home, just after we had taken off, the sun was setting over the rockies which just blew me away. We worry everyday over the economy, world wars, the homeless, etc. One look at that and I remembered what is truly important, just appreciating all the little things I have, including the wonderful Mom that just shared this great trip with me!

Hi Bosoxfan! We took Southwest, the nonstop flight, both there and back! We got in the B line (my computer crashed trying to check in). But B line is fine anyway, we just headed for the back of the plane. We sat on the right side of the plane (right side if you are facing the front of the plane). We saw the strip as we were coming into Vegas. Sat on the same side on the way out, didn%26#39;t see the strip but did see the Hoover Dam! I hope you have a great time! I think nonstop is truly the way to go, especially when you arrive early in the morning Vegas time!