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Is This The New Way to Get a Free Room in Vegas?

Where: 3570 Las Vegas Blvd S [map], Las Vegas, NV, United States, 89109

There are plenty of urban legends and myths about how to get free rooms, suite upgrades and other sorts of comps in Las Vegas but you may want to put all of those aside and consider a different (although drastic and permanent) route to your Vegas freebie---a tattoo.

Back in October over at VegasChatter we discovered that someone loved Caesars Palace so much that he tatted the logo on the back of his calf. Soon after, we learned that Caesars Palace was reaching out to him to give his something for this unbelievable act of devotion.

Today, Max Rudolph commented on VegasChatter how Caesars rewarded him---with a weekend stay in a suite and tickets to Cher. Amazing! Max also tells us that he's working on a new Caesars tattoo. We wonder what Caesars will reward him with next.

Which Vegas hotel would you tattoo on your body for a free room? Let us know in comments below. (Tattoo removal referrals are also welcome!)

Tags: Viva Vegas / Budget Hotels / Cheap Hotels / → All Tags

Who Knew? Imperial Palace is Not a Vegas Dirt Hole

Where: 3535 Las Vegas Blvd South [map], Las Vegas, NV, United States, 89109

Jacko and Justin dealing. Never thought we'd write that

However many times you’ve sauntered up and down the Las Vegas Strip, we can be fairly sure you’ve never made it into Imperial Palace. Mainly because of its unappetizing façade – dodgy lettering and a carpark, rather than a proper entrance, doesn’t really call to us.

But, having spent yesterday evening in there, we’re amazed to report that it’s actually not bad. At all. In fact, we’d go as far as to say that, for a budget casino, it’s actually rather good. We liked the decor (understated, no fugly carpets and with the Chinese theme kept to the ceiling), it was clean. The atmosphere was bustly but not rowdy. There was even a Sex and the City slot machine and celeb lookalike dealers. Who could want for more?

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Tags: Hotel Carpets / Viva Vegas / Hotel Bathrooms / Hotel Showers / → All Tags

Wear Your Sunglasses at Night at The PH Towers

Where: 80 E. Harmon [map], Las Vegas, NV, United States, 89109

Yes, it's another example of fugly carpeting in hotels. This time the offender is the new PH Towers by Westgate in Las Vegas whose hallway carpeting hurts our eyes. Although, we quite liked our stay the hallway rugs were rather garish, if not a blatant ripoff of the carpeting at Vdara, just in fuglier colors.

But it may not be fair to call this hotel carpeting fugly. Compared to the room's shower curtains, it looks quite lovely. Is our next series to be on Fugly Hotel Shower Curtains? We sincerely hope not.

Pic of offending shower curtain after the jump.

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Tags: Killer View / Viva Vegas / → All Tags

A Killer View That Looks Just as Good The Morning After

Where: 80 E. Harmon [map], Las Vegas, NV, United States, 89109

We are suckers for a room with a killer view.  We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.

Unlike the HRH Tower, the new PH Towers By Westgate actually delivered on a killer Las Vegas view. This was taken from room 3704 which was a tad on the small side for a Studio Suite. But thankfully, this sweeping view of the North South end of the Strip made it seem larger. Plus, we could even see the planes taking off from nearby McCarran Airport.

Now, we can't decide which view we like best--daytime or nighttime. What do you think?

Tags: Video / HotelChatter Reviews / Hotel Video Tours / Viva Vegas / → All Tags

Inside The PH Towers By Westgate in Vegas

Where: 80 East Harmon Ave [map], Las Vegas, NV, United States, 89109

Guess The Hotel revealed!!!

We braved the Super Bowl madness over the weekend and checked into the new PH Towers By Westgate, adjacent to the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.

Overall, we were happy with what we got for our money, especially since we read some awful reviews on TravelPost before we got there. And being a timeshare resort we were scared that we would be kidnapped by timeshare salesmen and forced to listen to a timeshare pitch in a windowless room below the casino. (Thankfully, that never happened.)

However, the biggest drawback for this hotel is that it's really attached to the Miracle Mile shops rather than Planet Hollywood. Which means, you have to walk through the mall to get to the PH casino. And then you have to walk back through the mall to get to your room. Do it five times on Super Bowl Sunday and it gets old real quick.

Check-In: We rolled up on Saturday afternoon at 2pm to the PH Towers entrance where valet (it's free!) helped us carry our bags out of the car. NOTE: If you're arriving by taxi, specify that you are going to PH Towers, not Planet Hollywood. Otherwise, you will be dropped off at the Planet Hollywood entrance and will be forced to schelp through the mall to PH Towers.

The check-in line was no less than five minutes and we were on our way to the 37th floor.

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Tags: Snapshot / Hotel Technology / Viva Vegas / Hotel WiFi / → All Tags

The Sad Scene That is The Flamingo's Internet Junction

Where: 3555 Las Vegas Blvd S [map], Las Vegas , NV, United States, 89109

It's 2010, right? That's what we thought. But during a recent visit to Vegas, this is the sad sight we were confronted with when we needed to print something. It is, friends, the Internet Junction at the Flamingo Las Vegas.

We can't decide what's worse: That we had to pay $13.99 for in-room WiFi here or that it cost us $6.41 to print a couple of pages at the Junction. (Then, of course, there's the matter of that name. Wordplay can be cute, but "Business Center" would work just fine, wouldn't it?)

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Tags: Viva Vegas / Hotel Transport / CityCenter / Hotel Cabs / → All Tags

Inside the Vdara Vacuum—Where Peace and Quiet Means Long Waits for Cabs

Where: 2600 W. Harmon Avenue [map], Las Vegas, NV, United States, 89109

Ah, waiting for cabs in Vegas. In the past we’ve found this mostly a simple affair: walk out of your hotel-casino and there they are, lined up and ready to go. We did expect to wait longer than usual when in town for CES this past Thursday to Saturday, but what we didn’t expect was a phenomenon we’re going to call the Vdara vacuum.

It began when we checked out of the Flamingo and decided to be lazy and cab it over to CityCenter. (Who wants to schlep their bags down the Strip in the middle of the day?) “Vdara, please,” we told our cabbie, who promptly replied “Huh?”

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Tags: Hotel WiFi / Viva Vegas / Free Hotel WiFi / HotelChatter WiFi Guides / CES Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags

Where to Find Free Hotel WiFi in Vegas

We hope you brought your wireless card with you.

If you're headed to Vegas this weekend for CES or the Adult Entertainment Expo, chances are you're gonna need a WiFi connection for all your uploading, downloading, Twittering, Facebooking, blogging, and other, ahem, recreational activities.

The bad news is that in the privacy of your hotel room, expect to pay at least $10 a day to sign on. Sadly, there really no hotels where in-room WiFi is free. There are, however, plenty of public options. You just have to know where to look.

We've culled together a list of tried and true WiFi hotspots on the strip based on our own experience as well as the knowledge of Vegas expert @24K aka Chris Rauschnot, who is constantly up and down the Strip reporting on the scene--all from his cellphone.

So the next time you find yourself in Vegas for a conference or just some good old debauchery, here's where you can get connected.

Skip on over for VegasChatter for free WiFi that's not limited to hotels.

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Tags: HotelChatter 2009 Awards / Best Hotel Scene / Viva Vegas / → All Tags

Best Hotel Scene: Long Live Las Vegas

The Strip has seen from the Mandarin Bar at the Mandarin Oriental

It's what you've been waiting all year for--The 2009 HotelChatter Awards! We'll be bringing you the best and worst of the year (and the decade) all day today and part of tomorrow. Agree or disagree with our picks? Air your thoughts in comments below.

The year started off bleak for Las Vegas--at least from a tourism industry perspective. But for travelers, it was awesome! The room rates on the Strip dropped to unbelievable prices, even on the weekends, and we couldn't create a hotel deals list without including Vegas on it somewhere.

If you found your travel budget slashed in any way and that big trip to NYC or Hollywood or even Europe was just too expensive, you knew you could still get a great deal in Vegas as not only room rates were dropping but hotels were throwing in dining credits, spa discounts, show tickets and even gambling credits. It was practically a free for all in Sin City.

Of course, it didn't last and things began to level out again by the summer but room rates in Vegas are still much, much lower than they were at the start of 2008. And resort credits are still very much alive.

However, we're loving Vegas for a whole new reason in 2010 (and it's not because of our new baby sibling, VegasChatter.com, although that helps!)

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Tags: HotelChatter 2009 Awards / Hotel Video Tours / Viva Vegas / → All Tags

Best Hotel Video Tour: Inside Encore Las Vegas

Where: 3131 Las Vegas Blvd S [map], Las Vegas, NV, United States, 89109

It's what you've been waiting all year for--The 2009 HotelChatter Awards! We'll be bringing you the best and worst of the year (and the decade) all day today and part of tomorrow. Agree or disagree with our picks? Air your thoughts in comments below.

Each year our video library grows and each year it becomes harder to pick the best one of the year. We've gone all over the world to shoot these videos, from Vienna to New Mexico to London, Paris, Montreal, Kuala Lumpur, Cartagena, Sydney, Hong Kong and Dublin.

In fact, we've filmed over 75 videos in 2009 and put them all right here for your viewing pleasure.

But interestingly, the most watched video of the year was found in Las Vegas at the Encore Las Vegas, which opened in January. Then again, Las Vegas was a great destination for hotel deals this year. We even spent two nights at the Encore this September for just $99 a night (mid-week.) In the boom years of '05, '06 and even '07 that was unheard of.

We'll have more on Vegas later but for now, check-out the runner-ups.

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Tags: HotelChatter 2009 Awards / CityCenter / Hotel Openings / Viva Vegas / → All Tags

Best Hotel Opening: The Risky Gamble of CityCenter

It's what you've been waiting all year for--The 2009 HotelChatter Awards! We'll be bringing you the best and worst of the year (and the decade) all day today and part of tomorrow. Agree or disagree with our picks? Air your thoughts in comments below.

BEST HOTEL OPENING: CITYCENTER IN LAS VEGAS

While 2009 was a brutal year financially for everyone, ironically it was the year that hotels conceived in the boom years began to come to fruition. The biggest hotel project dreamed up (that almost didn't make it because of money troubles) was the massive CityCenter complex in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.

After just five years of construction, CityCenter finally began to open on December 1st with the first of its three hotels--Vdara. Soon after that, followed The Mandarin Oriental and two weeks later, the piece de resistance that is called Aria opened with a sparkling new casino, high-tech guestrooms, the Viva Elvis Cirque du Soleil show, a plethora of nightlife options and an orgy of restaurants from top chefs like Jean-Georges, Michael Mina and Julian Serrano.

Keep reading for more on CityCenter, videos of the hotel rooms and the runner-ups for the Best Hotel Opening award.

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Tags: Video / Pitch Your Hotel / Hoteliers That Matter / CityCenter / Paul Berry / Hotel News / Viva Vegas / → All Tags

How Aria Is Different from the Rest of the Hotels in Vegas and Probably, The World

Where: 3730 Las Vegas Boulevard [map], Las Vegas, NV, United States, 89109

Welcome to our regular feature, Pitch Your Hotel, where we let hoteliers, general managers and other hotel execs tell us on-camera what makes their hotels so different from all the rest. And believe us, the competition is fierce these days. So sit back, relax and listen to them explain why their hotels are worthy of your hard-earned dollars or rewards points.

The other day during the madness of opening day for the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, we were able to track down the vice president of hotel operations, Paul Berry and have him do an on-the-fly Pitch Your Hotel with us.

We asked Mr. Berry what made Aria so different, not just from the rest of the hotels in Vegas but also within CityCenter. His answer? "Everything is different." According to him, the genesis of this entire project was to create something different that people had not yet seen before. "We're changing the paradigm, the rules and the landscape" here in Vegas.

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