360 Vegas

When some people think of Vegas, they think of over the top opulence.  Elegance unlike you've ever experienced. Fine dining, lavish suites, lush pool areas and larger than life themes are just some of the amazing options you can expect to enjoy during your Vegas vacation. You can expect none of these when you visit Harrah's.  That isn't meant to insinuate that Harrah's isn't a nice property because it is. Adequate might be a word that best describes it. It has clean rooms, decent food options, entertaining shows and a pool. The table limits are low, gaming options are many and it has a nice location on the strip. There are far worse places to stay in Vegas.  Unless you are looking for lavish amenities, odds are you won't be disappointed. What Harrah's lacks more than anything is an experience.  Sure they do make something of an effort to have a Mardi gras theme but there isn't much holding that vibe together.  What Harrah's offers is reasonably priced amenities. It’s the kind of place you store your st

When you think of downtown Vegas, value is the first thing that comes to mind. Even the Golden Nugget's dining options are largely chains. High end in most cases but chains all the same. However as one would expect to find in any major cities downtown area, diamonds are among the rough.    Take Andiamo’s at the D. You wouldn't expect anything stellar from the Italian Steakhouse located on the second floor of the property next to all the coin operated vintage slots.  Reflection on the experience gives a new appreciation to the words of wisdom your grandparents gave you that newer isn't always better.    Please don't misunderstand. Andiamo’s is not old. It exemplifies the word classic. It shows that some people are so far ahead of the curve, it takes a lot of time for everyone to catch up. The food, the staff and the atmosphere make it yet another experience to be had in Las Vegas. 

Originally introduced to the market as the SunDance hotel & casino by Moe Dalitz, the D renovated the properties 2nd incarnation as the Fitzgerald from the bottom of the options barrel into something Fremont St desperately need, a cool option. You can feel the difference the moment you walk in the door. The energy is palpable, young and extremely alluring.     When plans were announced and the name unveiled, shows like this venomously hated it. When we were told the name didn't have one meaning but 3; Downtown, its location in Las Vegas, D, the nickname of new owner Derek Stevens as well as for Detroit, his hometown, it didn't help. The name and theme were called everything from unimaginative & dumb to the worst property name in Las Vegas history. We said that.  We were so wrong.     What Derek Stevens and company did to the Fitzgerald is nothing short of remarkable. It's hard to believe its even the same property. How someone was able to take that unique casino layout, erase all the bad memorie

Mandalay Bay, or as some have referred to it as, the Mirage south, is a property that very much earns that comparison.  From the gold tri-point tower, aquatic animal encounter, iconic pop cirque show and quality high-end dining, Mandalay Bay needed to be the Mirage 2.0 to overcome the tremendous disadvantaged of being the southernmost property on the Las Vegas Strip.  Fortunately, it was successful.   Mandalay Bay is exquisite without being pretentious, high-end without being snobby.  It is simultaneously the culmination and, inadvertently, the downfall of Circus Circus enterprises, but we’ll save details about that for Vintage Vegas.  Like the Mirage before it, MGM took it over and also like the Mirage, they’ve taken good care of it.

Vegas has evolved many times in its history.  Sawdust joints were replaced with luxurious accommodations, the western theme was surpassed by a more worldly version and the 99 cent buffet met its demise with the introduction of fine dining. In fact, it can be said that fine dining was the first non-gaming evolution the city experienced.  If history has taught us anything it’s that evolution is good.  Everything in Vegas is meant to be an experience. Preferably one you can't get anywhere else. Dining is no different. While some succeed more than others, some change the way you define what that word even means. Heritage steak is the latter.  Located next to the atrium in the Mirage, Tom Collicio's Heritage steak is an example unto itself. Food prepared over wood fueled flame is a unique enough concept but like any experience that transcends others, its about more than the meal. Heritage has an environment that is completely open yet feels like you're in a warm mountain cottage with one hell of a wine cell

360 Vegas Vacation 3 update, George Strait Playing Las Vegas Arena, Speed Vegas breaks ground & the Fremont Freak Strike

360 Vegas Vacation 3 News, Wahlburgers Vegas, 2016 Planet Hollywood Residencies, Big Rig Jig Coming, Card Counter Sues Hard Rock, Fish Bodies Exhibit, Fremont Freak Restrictions and Wayne Newtonland.

At the time, MGM Grand (now Bally's) was the largest hotel casino in the world. However in that incarnation, MGM is better known as the location of the deadliest fire in strip history. In 1999, it opened, once again at the time, the largest hotel casino in the world with the least appealing entrance to Asian gamblers ever created.  It was a giant lion that you walked under. These are just a couple examples that make the MGM Grand a complex property to eloquently summarize.  When it opened, the emerald green building and the experience within was meant to pay tribute to the studios all time great movie the wizard of oz. Complete with a yellow brick road that lead to an amusement park studio attraction meant to celebrate all of the studios history.  Less than 10 years into the properties existence, both are a different kind of history.  MGM Grand challenges the notion that bigger is always better.  The largest hotel in the city frequently has guests complaining they need a cab just to get to their room. The cas

Comp Drink Tickets @Lobby Bar @Mirage, Radio City Pizza sold, Beer Garden details @the Park, Celine Returns, Downtown Grand and the future of Fremont, Hooters Casino rebranding, Canal Swimming at the Venetian, Clique Bar @Cosmopolitan, New Dining options Coming Soon, MNF @Legasse's, Beer Park @Paris and listener review of Yardbird from Neil and Sara Mitchell.

It’s steak, the pinnacle of protein.  Ask anyone what they would want for their final meal before shifting off this mortal coil and 100% of the time they’ll answer steak, and if they don’t, they’re gay.  What! Gay people are awesome and love them so tube steak so that does work.  They’re Hitler.  Right, no one likes Hitler.  Whatever, its steak and its goooood. This time around, Michael Mina steps up to the plate to see if he can impress our pallet and dethrone STK, which I totally agree is the best steak in Vegas. But who is this Michael Mina guy.  Well, he’s a James Beard winner, whatever that means, as well as being declared chef and restaurateur of year multiple times from multiple people, what-evs.  He’s got 18 restaurants in the US and 4 in Vegas.  We tried Strip Steak at Mandalay Bay

Las Vegas Club Deal Details, MyVegas Online Redemption, Ka's New Free Attraction, LAVO Casino & 360 Legal Lounge.

Boardwalk Playground Kickerstarter, Las Vegas Club Sold, Downtown Grand for Sale, Vegas Sports History, MGM Resorts Update, Steve Wynn Fights for Boston and the Future of Vegas Gaming.

It's almost unfair. Because Vegas has so many dining options that are stellar, good just isn't good enough. In fact good can often be considered bad. That very well might be the case with Center Cut at Flamingo.   Unarguably the nicest space in the property, Center Cut's decor congers up memories of Tender @ Luxor. The vibe and the fact that they both serve steak is unfortunately where the comparison ends. Despite enjoying virtually everything else the property has to offer, Flamingo has given us a rather remarkable streak of disappointing dining experiences.  Center cut would did not buck that trend. 

Cosmopolitan Fire, Mirage Rumors, Goodbye Vegas Chatter & the rambling of two idiots...more than usual.

New becomes Vintage, Fountains of Kabuki, More Downtown Closings, Las Vegas Advisor exaggerations and 360 Vegas Vacation 3 taglines

Hologram Elvis Residency, BLVD Food Court Coming, Las Vegas Dr Video Library, Sin City Sex Survey, Eclipse Theater Coming Soon, SLS Still Sucks, Alon Update, Hooters devalues Palms Brand and Listener Feedback

Smoke-Free Macau, Blarney Stone Stolen/Recovered, Jerry Weintraub Passes, Big Elvis isn't Healthy, MGM Shuffle, Las Vegas Bucks and listener feedback

Palms invented the Vegas nightclub.  Posh, over-the-top environments where the beautiful people congregate to see and be seen.  Many mocked the financial viability of creating a diversion that keeps people from gambling for extended periods of time.  Not only did Maloof prove them wrong, he did it so well, it drew people away from the strip at night. Now, nightclubs are one of the most profitable amenities Vegas properties offer. Eventually, as happens so many times in Vegas, the idea was replicated all over the strip and is now another Vegas staple.  They’ve become so popular that it gave birth to the idea of day clubs.  Despite breathtaking views of the strip from the top of their towers, Palms are no longer a major player in the game they invented.  That brings us to the present The clubs that once caused long lines nightly, advertising exclusivity have become displaced in the market.  Retheming and renovations are underway in an attempt to return to glory but his has them in a period of transition. 

It's finally here.  Enjoy our misadventures from #360VegasVacation2 while recall and learn about them for the first time.

The Flamingo. The property that changed everything. The 3rd hotel/casino built on highway 91 introduced luxury to it.  It created one of the cities most famous, all be it the most inaccurate, story of a mobsters involvement in a casino and made Bugsy Segal the cities unofficial father of the strip.    The Flamingo has grown and expanded to the point that its original exterior design is unrecognizable in its current incarnation. It's said that virtually nothing remains from the original construction however stories of found hidden underground tunnels and bullet proof rooms live on in order to keep the legend of Bugsy alive.  While it is true that the Flamingo has fallen all the way to the low end of the market, it has outlived many properties that came after it including icons like the Sands, the Dunes & the Desert Inn.   Standing as proof that location, along with a well run property that adapts to its environment and evolves to cater to it, is truly how you survive in the implosion era.  When you con