TR (kinda long) Platinum Hotel and Nite Tours club crawl

Just got married last year so this was our first trip back to LV as Mr. and Mrs. It was so last minute since we planned it like 2 weeks ago.

Friday: Hopped on the 2-hr PDX-LAS flight, got in at 9:30PM and rode the shuttle to the rental car center (I don’t normally rent a car but the cab lines have been insane lately) There was a big line at Alamo, oddly no one was at the self service kiosks so I was out of there in 5 minutes flat . Got a red Pontiac Grand Prix with 600 miles on the odometer and a dent in the driver’s door. Was sure to let the attendant know when I drove off the lot (tip: they did notice the damage upon return so check your rental car before leaving the lot if renting)

Put in a Vegas mixed CD with “Viva Las Vegas” as the first song (also had some Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Clubstrophobia, Body Rockers, Dirty Vegas, etc.) Checked into the Platinum and got cleaned up (see my review with pictures)

…tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g45963-d610…

Was very pleased with this hotel because it was only a block off-strip and because it was non-smoking (smoke does not bother me but it’s easy to end up with a smoking room in this town)

Walked up through Bally’s and into the Paris Hotel (about 10-12 minutes, much faster than a cab if there is traffic) We got an outside patio table at Mon Ami and had dinner and drinks while watching the last Bellagio fountain show. Temperature, around 82F, perfect since it was raining and cold when we left Portland (tip: eat here late and there are often no lines)

The rest of the night was a blur of the strip and casinos but we managed to turn in before 3 so that we could get an early start the next day. Picked up some Gatorade, water, and Rockstar at the AM/PM conveniently located next to the hotel.

Saturday: Slept like a rock but got up too early since I foolishly left the blinds partially open. Went downstairs to the 5th floor restaurant for breakfast. There were only 2 couples there probably because it was so early and we got served quickly. Basic eggs, toast, fruit, etc., nothing fancy. Menu had a bunch of choices but I just wanted toast at that time of day. Wanted to lay out by the pool but the building blocks out the sun until about 11AM so decided to head out.

Went downtown to show Mrs.G the freaks on Fremont since she had never been. I had never been there during the day either and it looked…different. Cocktail #1 happened at about 11AM and gambled a bit at the GN.

Drove to Caesar’s afterward, temp gauge on the car showed 104F –nice. Had lunch at the Mesa Grill (wife is hooked on the Food Channel) I envisioned Bobby Flay grilling up my lunch…yeah right. Wife got the ceviche which was spicy and delicious, my grilled something was just okay –nothing to write home about. Carrot/mango juice as well as the pear/cactus iced tea were both really refreshing since I was starting to feel really dehydrated.

Wandered into the Forum shops for a bit, was too crowded so we decided to bail and drove back to the hotel for an afternoon snooze. Closed the blinds and tried to set up the alarm clock for 1-hr but gave up. Took an hour nap, wife sat in the sun on the balcony since the pool was pretty packed at this time of day (about 3:00PM) however there were a lot of loungers available.

Woke up in a panic since we had a 6PM dinner reservation and I had no idea what time it was or where I was for that matter. It was completely quiet, found my wife passed out on the couch, it was only 4:30 so we got cleaned up and pimped out, ready for dinner.

Drove out to THE Hotel, took 10-minutes up Koval (gotta love the off-strip location) valet parking was full, grrrrrr (only for hotel guests at that point since it was Saturday) looking back, I’m sure that $20 would have changed the valet’s mind. Just used the self-park lot and walked all the way through the Mandalay to get to THE Hotel. They had a dedicated express elevator for MIX right at the entrance to THE Hotel from Mandalay Bay and it was well marked so it’s hard to miss.

The elevator ride was quick, zipped up to the 64th floor in no time, no stops. Walked through the MIX lounge to get to the MIX Restaurant. Had dinner --awesome open-air vertigo inducing views as the sun went down (see my review with pictures)

…tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g45963-d554…

Drove back to the Platinum after dinner to drop off the rental car and got a cab to the Bellagio. Wife almost walked into OJ Simpson as we walked in the front door! He’s a big guy so was pretty hard to miss, he was walking out with 2 other big guys in suits. (he got arrested the next day so not sure if they were bodyguards or cops)

Met up with the Nite Tour/club crawl (around 8:45PM) at Caramel. Sat at the bar and got a drink, we thought we were late but others arrived after us. Met our hostess who was already sitting with a bunch of guys and handing out waivers, wristbands (for club entry) and 2-for-1 drink coupons. Met her and the hostess-in-training, both were very pleasant, however we soon realized that they were the only females in the group. Other than my wife.

Yes, sausage fest, not a great start to the evening but we’re pretty open-minded and they seemed like a nice bunch of guys. Met most of them were from Chicago, the other group was from NY originally while 2 were locals showing a friend from NY the town. It was a bachelor party + 4 other guys not part of the group, exactly the kind of thing that I wanted to avoid since we were the only couple. The tour could have been so much better if they made the male/female ratio a bit more even –I guess it’s a great deal if you’re a single female…or the hostesses. They do work on tips alone. I feel bad because we ended up bailing later and did not find the hostess to tip her (not her fault the tour sucked) more on that later. The itinerary was announced (Voodoo, OPM, and House of Blues) so 3 clubs, 1-hour each. Anyone can stay at any club if they choose.

Around 9:30PM we piled into a stretched Ford Excursion with rusty running boards. Was not so fun in close quarters, there were about 18 in the tour and my wife was afraid someone would puke on her shoes later in the night. MGD in cans, champagne, and bottled water provided in the limo. Hostess stuck in her hip hop/rap CD that skipped badly. First stop was Voodoo Lounge, no lines, views spectacular as always. Debated if we should just stay (we really should have) but decided to go to the next club (OPM) when I knew that my wife would hate it (it’s a hip hop club in a mall)

Bad choice of club to take a bunch of guys and I already predicted a fight or someone getting kicked out. Now I like hip hop and most rap, wife listens/tolerates it but prefers techno/house. Can’t please everybody but it would have been great to know the actual clubs they go to on their tours beforehand. The lady I spoke to on the phone was raving about Tryst and I had hoped this was one of the stops since we have not been (have been to most clubs in this town already)

Got back in the limo, more beer/champagne. Got dropped off at a side entrance (pretty far from OPM since you have to walk into the Forum shops to get to it) Walked in, walked out and wandered around Caesar’s debating what to do/where to go. Taxi lines were long so couldn’t cab it outta there. Saw other guys from the group also outside the club since they thought it was really lame too.

Decided that the limo ride to Mandalay/House of Blues was the best option since we could go to the Rum Jungle if HofB was really lame (never know with that place either) Met up with the group outside OPM, the natives were already getting restless and just wanting to get out of there.

There was some confusion with the limo and the pickup spot which resulted in a lot of waiting and eventually walking waaaaay back to where we got dropped off. Trying to do this was difficult with a bunch of drunk and impatient dudes –poor hostess.

Got back in the limo finally, driver got stuck in some dead-end and had to do a 10-point turn to get out. Beer ran out. Guys decided to throw water bottles at each other, I was waiting for one to hit me so that I could return the favor. My foot in their face. Luckily the ride was short and uneventful except for the ear-splitting rap coming out of distorted speakers (radio at this point since the CD did not work)

Got to the Mandalay and walked into the House of Blues. It’s not a very big place and it was pretty full, much better vibe. Stayed for a bit and later could not find our hostess and ended up leaving. So, I’m not a fan of the tour and cannot recommend it. Maybe they had an “off” night since others have raved about it. I imagine future tours will consist of all guys since they do not allow groups of guys into clubs and the tour is cheaper than bottle service.

Cab lines were ridiculous so got on the tram to Excalibur and walked to the MGM. Had a hot dog at some point, yes, debauchery. The rest of the night was a blur after that. Ended up at the Paris and cabbed it back to the hotel in the wee hours.

Sunday: Slept in and checked out late. Drove out to the new/remodeled Planet Hollywood hotel, it looked really cool on the inside, not quite done though. The shops looked unchanged. Had lunch at Oyster Bay and then went to the Wynn, I want to come back to try Daniel Boulud%26#39;s restaurant after checking out the menu. Headed over to Canaletto (Venetian) for dessert.

Left the Venetian and headed to the airport, stopped at a gas station and filled the tank and dropped off the rental car at the giant rental car center. Lot attendant commented on the dent/scratched door and I showed him the notes that were scribbled by the lot attendant when I picked up the car so it was all good. Got on the shuttle to the airport.

My culinary adventure of Vegas was not complete without the obligatory Whopper at the airport. With the fake cheese of course. Always a happy ending…

Flew out at 9:30PM (one hour delay) so got into PDX shortly before midnight and was home and in bed by 1AM.

TR (kinda long) Platinum Hotel and Nite Tours club crawl

Thanks for the great report, generx. Holy smokes.... you packed a lot into a couple days! And I appreciate your sense of humor.

Since I%26#39;m guess you%26#39;re a lot younger than I, and apparently travel to LV more often....... Next year, son turns 21, and I%26#39;ve promised him a ';coming of age'; trip to LV as a celebration. Not that I have anything to teach him about what goes on there.... In fact, the reverse is probably true. But, I would at least like to pick a place to stay where he will feel like he fits in. Bonus if I don%26#39;t feel too out of place. Any suggestions?

TR (kinda long) Platinum Hotel and Nite Tours club crawl

And I really appreciate your review of the Platinum hotel! I%26#39;ll be there myself soon!!

Great TR thanks for the info!

Sounds like a busy weekend:)

A whopper though??? You should have hit the In %26#39;n Out instead!

Nice review!

I did the NiteTours thing the night before you did and my experience was almost identical, right down to the clubs and the sausage-fest bachelor party. Had I stopped and thought about it, I shoudl have realized there wouldn%26#39;t be a lot of girls on Nite Tours because they can get into all the nightclubs for free anyway.

Enjoyed reading your trip report. You certainly get around!

Thanks all, I just hope it%26#39;s helpful to some since I get lot of info here from the regulars.

mistletoe:

That%26#39;s awesome that you can actually go to LV with your son, I imagined you to be a lot younger (I%26#39;m in my 30s) and yes I%26#39;ve been lucky to come here often due to work (CES, COMDEX/Interop, NAB) it%26#39;s just different when you are coming for fun though. He won%26#39;t feel out of place and neither will you. I%26#39;ll PM you with some recommendations.

Mtngrl:

Unfortunately BK (and Sbarro) were the only choices at the SWA terminal (there was also the Wolfgang Puck to-go stand with their wilted salads and soggy sandwiches --no thanks)

Stratton:

Looking forward to your thoughts on the Nite Tour. The scotch BTW, is it the 18r old Glenmorangie? Kinda wish I met you and Spike now...

generx - My NiteTours review is coming up in the next installment of my trip report, so stay tuned. Wrong guess on the Scotch, also. If you want to make any more guesses, better PM me, as I%26#39;m not about to divulge my secret in public!

Awww C%26#39;mon Stratton. I always wanted to try a good scotch and coke, LOL!