I have the numbers ending February of this year (2025), and they look bad. I gleaned them from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority. Here they are, all in %. visitors -12%, conventions -20%, hotel occupancy – 3.4%, average daily room rate – 24%, Rev.PAR – 28%, Room nights occupied -11%. Those are shocking numbers. We are talking about a city that is used to steady growths in visitations and revenue. I can’t tell if this is going to be at rend, or if it just a fluke. Is it because of this shameless price gouging that is finally catching up with the casinos, or is it a bigger problem, politics perhaps.Speaking about price gouging. Here is an example: advertise a room at let’s say $50 per night. The customer arrives a the front desk and checks in, the desk clerk adds a $50 check in fee, a $25 pool fee, a $45 cabana fee and on and on. Those are not real numbers, I made them up, but they could be more or less, and that is what is going on and has been going on for some time now. I know Canadians are cancelling, but I don’t’ know if that is a large percentage of visitors. The real large group of customers are Germans, and they bring a lot of Euros. They are the folks with the money at the moment and I think we scared them off. Two German women who were transiting via Hawaii to another destination were thrown in jail and after two days in jail they were put on a plane and told to get out of the U.S. The German press was all over that one. Not a good way to treat visitors.

This is a super deluxe hotel on the Las Vegas Strip at 3752 Las Vegas Blvd. S. Many Las Vegas visitors are unaware of the existence of this hotel. For a good reason, the cheapest room rate is about $700 per night going up to about $5,000.I mention it here because it is the only hotel I know of in the Las Vegas area that offers an English style “High Tea”. It formerly was the Mandarin Oriental hotel, a 47 story property. It also is a non casino and no pool parties property. Very strange /unique for Las Vegas. The front desk is on the 23rd floor, but is being re located to the ground floor. Some very strange features for a strip hotel. But, it has been in business for many years now, an indication that tactic works for them. Some Vegas visitors like it quiet. Here is another interesting fact. The hotel, as well as the better known namesake in NYC, is named after a Herr Astor. He arrived in the U.S. in the 17th Century from Germany from a town named Waldorf. He became very wealthy, actually the first American millionaire by engaging in the fur trade. His employees of the Northwest Fur Company fought battles with the Hudson’s Bay Comp. employees for the best fur areas. http://waldorfastoria3.hilton.com

The Station Casinos Corp. wants to build a new casino resembling the Red Rock casino/spa at Via Inspirada and Bicentennial Parkway. A lot of acreage has been acquired, but there does not seem any hurry. It has been in the planning stage since about 2014. I don’t know why the Fiesta was torn down. Apparently it was taking business from the Sunset Station which is only a couple of miles distant as the crow flies. On a personal note, I loved the Fiesta. Good buffet for a very reasonable price. I played bingo there often. http://stationcasinosllc

It is possible to walk to the Allegiant Stadium. I am not saying it is easy, but it is possible. The closest hotels are the Mandalay Bay and the Luxor. The Mandalay Bay is actually right across the I 15 from it. The problem is you need to get to the nearest overpass which is at Russell Road, about a block north of the hotel. Not a bad walk when the weather is nice, I would not try it during the summer. On the other hand I have seen people walking from the airport toting luggage. The airport is right next to the strip. The problem is the entrance is not. It used to be until a huge remodel some years ago. On the other hand the location is vastly better than let’s say the Denver Airport which is a least sixty miles out of town. I am guessing, it could be more. http://harryreid.com

The buffet at the Luxor hotel will be closing/or is closed already. I visited several times. Not the best, not the worst, just middling. http://luxor.com

Word is out about a $1.5 billion project to build a film studio in Las Vegas. About time I would say. From what is known the location will be in Summerlin, an upscale are of Las Vegas. That piece of property belongs to the Hughes Corporation. It has several large properties around the city that have been developed in past years. I think “The Lakes” is one of them Another close to the Wynn golf course and also close to the large hotel there. I also is very close to the convention center. So, all you aspiring actors and actresses, keep your eyes peeled and your ears pricked up for further news..

The CircusCircus Hotel/Casino is sold. It will be replaced by a new hotel/casino. Word on the street is the new resort will be named Bisney. Nothing is for sure yet. I had to be in that building several times a week. I was a vendor. The property is huge, with a huge parking garage, an even larger parking lot, and an adjoining trailer park and a series of low rise hotel buildings. Lots of room. It also is right at an off ramp of the north bound I-15. Good location, lots of room. An ideal spot. There also is a huge empty lot adjoining. I don’t know if it figures into the equation.

Parking fees at Las Vegas Strip Casinos are out of control. 25 -30- 40- 50- Dollars seems to be the norm now. Takes all the fun out of your visit. But wait, I know how to get around that. I know of at least three casinos that still offer free parking. But how to get that can be tricky. That’s where I come in. I can save  you substantial amounts of money because I know how to get that free parking. Send an email, to me, Rudi, and I let you in on it send it to.  webmeister@lasvegasvisitor.com

he South Point does a lot of horse shows, rodeos etc. It has indoor arenas, two of them in fact. I am local, I visit often. About the food. It may be cheap, but it is not the best in flavor. Still very good deal if you know how to pick. The steak house is real good. One draw back. It is about five or six miles from center strip. You can get there by city bus. Lots of free, repeat free, parking. It is not in Las Vegas at all, but in the city of Henderson. Hard to tell the difference. The famous Las Vegas strip also is not in the City of Las Vegas, but in the town of Paradise.

Claim Jumper, casual, large plates, steaks, Grotto, Italian, opens late. Vic & Anthony’s upscale steaks, traditional, Essentials, snacks, Charthouse, sea food. Red, Asian, Cadillac, Mexican

Lat’s start with Planet Hollywood. At the Ocean Bar and Grille every item is under $5.00. For example a French Dip Sandwich with chips, or a hamburger sandw. with fries. Now we move over to the Miracle Mile Shops. At Blondies sports bar are a few items less than $4.99. But the owners cannot resist to pull a fast one. There is a labor surcharge, and a 5% card surcharge. I know for a fact that cards only charge about 2,85% for use. So, let’s leave those crooks behind. They make sure it all is in small print on the menu. That way they cannot get sued. The meal isn’t bad though, even with the extra charges It is a full breakfast with 2 eggs, 2 sausages or bacon, and fries. There is still value. Let’s try the La Salsa Cantina. It also is at Planet Hollywood. $5.99 for a full breakfast which even includes southwest corn or a flour tortilla. There is a $1.29 card fee. Pay in cash and the fee goes away. The Earl of Sandwich is inside the Miracle Mile. It has sandwiches for $4.49, that come wrapped in foil and are mass produced. There is a hamburger for that price. Until 11 a.m. , after that there is a different menu. Long lines are usual. That price can’t be beat in this day and age. Very good value for a strip location with astronomical high rents.

This gigantic hotel/casino is finally open, after many years of delay. Here are some details. Total cost $3.7 billion, 737 feet tall, 3,644 rooms, 67 stories, 1,300 slots, 128 tables games, more than 36 bars and restaurants, 7,000 employees, It is close to Resorts World ($4.3 billion, 66 stories) , and the new expansion of the Las Vegas convention center ( $3. billion) All those numbers are just mind boggling. It also provides a huge boost to the long neglected north end of the Strip .http://www.fontainbleaulasvegas.com

The latest is three people dead, shooter in hiding. More I not made public. Nothing new here. I lived close by, one block east of Charleston and one block south of Flamingo, on Algonquin St. in a huge apartment complex. My upstairs neighbor was shot and killed, two weeks later my neighbor two doors down was shot and killed. After that I moved to a safer place, I moved to Boulder City.

This property will be redeveloped. A businessman from Chile had designs on it, but apparently the deal fell through. It would be a major boost for the corner of the Strip and Sahara Blvd. That corner has been left behind in the strip boom.Just a feww blocks from center strip makes all the difference in this town.

This property is off strip, about ten miles west on the 95, in an upscale part of Las Vegas. I think it is part of the Marriott Chain of hotels. This pretty nice casino, with a lot of amenities and lots of free parking made the news in a poor way. Two of its dealer were caught cheating. One was an oriental woman, the other we have no info on at the moment. They were dealing table games. It is one of the most foolish thing a dealer can do, because now their names will be on the list.the gaming control board keeps. There will be no more casino jobs for them in the state of Nevada. As far as I know, anywayhttp://www.theresortatsummerlin.com.

A lot of action to report here. It will add four floors of tech. entertainment. What exactly that will be we have no info on yet. There will be news shortly. So, hang in there. If it is anything like the stuff on top of the tower we will be in for a treat. http.://www.thestrat.com

This new property is set to open on Dec. 3, 2023. It is not a strip property. It sits off the 215, about ten to fifteen miles west of the strip. Take the Durango off ramp. That makes a lot of sense. It is one of the Station Casinos group of properties. It closed three of its properties and put the money to work on something new. Let’s hope it works out. Their hotels always feature nice and very reasonably priced buffets and restaurant.:http://www.durangoresort.com

We visited on the 23 of December and here is a report. The first impression is LOTS of parking, acres of it , and also a multi story garage with direct access to the casino. It is one of the things the Station Casino owners do so well. I have never been to a Station Casino that had a parking shortage. The second impression is: everything is color coordinated, real impressive look. Subdued in beige’s and muted colors. The third impression is: lots of dining venues in all price ranges. The fourth, and last are big negative which is: there is no buffet. In the past, for many years, I used to patronize various Station Casino properties just because of the excellent buffets that were offered at a decent price. We will see how that works out. There is no poker room. Poker is big business at the strip and other off strip properties, There is no Bingo room. I consider that a huge negative. Many older people play bingo, not to make money per se, but to socialize. In Las Vegas there is a lot of competition among casinos and hotels. This place is off strip, around ten to twelve miles north on the 215. It may work, I don’t know. I am just another customer. For me the Durango is out, off my list. I can just as easily park at the MGM and dine at their buffet. The slot machines are all the same all over Las Vegas. Even better is the Railroad Pass casino where I can dine for pennies so to speak. My over all verdict is: and it is only my opinion. This casino is too fancy and pricey for the neighborhood it is at. It is busy now, whether it will be busy one year from not remains to be seen. I checked a couple of the restaurants. Onr was an Italian place. As an experienced chef I can tell you it has too few tables and too many employees. It needs to be better organized. The food was OK, but high in price for what you get. I would not be surprised to see big changes coming up. at the Durango. http://www.durangoresort.com

It will be a multi million dollar job. Just in time I would say.. It wasn’t exactly run down, but close to it. It is not a strip property, it is at 3700 W. Flamingo Rd.

Looks like F1 will return next year. What we hear is around November ’24. I guess it was a success, judging by that.

315 000 paid attendance it is claimed. If that is true, I have no reason to doubt it, it could be said it was a smashing success. Benefit to the Las Vegas economy is measured at over one billion dollars. A very good return on the money that was invested. Now there is talk to keep some of the structures that were built for the race. Especially that overpass.

Verstappen was the winner. After the race he declared the race a “wonderful”(?), experience. My words. The day prior he did not like it at all.

Dining in Las Vegas does not have to break the bank. You, dear visitor, have options. There are a few of them out there. Competition for the dining dollar is fierce in Las Vegas. Here are a few. There are more and you may not agree, but I will tell you any way. A word of caution here. Most of the cheap dining options involve a slice of pizza. Just like a lot of people I like pizza. But I do not recommend it as a steady diet. Most American pizzas are just a doughy crust with a lot of cheese. Not a single vegetable anywhere. I am talking about the budget pizzas I am listing. For a decent dinner option, without breaking the bank there is always Ellis Island. About two blocks east of the strip off Flamingo. Very decent meals for around twenty bucks ( even a small steak dinner), and very good beer that is brewed in- house. Anyway, let me give you a few options at the strip and on Fremont (down town)

Tony Roma’s Entree $ 8.99, drink and tip total about twnty bucks.

Binion’s, complete breakfast $10. That is what I call a bargain.

The 4Queens has the same deal, but it starts after midnight.

Aloha Specialty Foods (Fremont) . Sweet and sour ribs. Not bad if you like that flavor. Dirt cheap at $10.75, it also has a spam musubi (rice roll) for, believe it or not $2.60.. Very cheap and better for your health than all those pizza slices.

Nacho Daddy. Has a couple of specials. I am not fond of the place, but you may like it.

Pizza Rock, also on Fremont. It has a daily pizza special at $6.50. I had the sausage and pepperoni pizza Very good for the price.

White Castle, Fremont St. $1.40 for their famous sliders.

Shake Shack, down town their burgers are $6.15, not a bad price.

In and Out Burger. This is the famous burger chain out of California, run by a lady who treats her workers real well. Burgers from $3. to $6. definitely worth it.

Earl of Sandwich. This one is inside the Miracle Mile Shops, at the lower level. Center strip, in the middle of all the action. This place is extremely popular and you can expect to wait in line. But it is well worth it for you on a budget. Their sandwiches range (the last time i checked a couple of weeks ago) from $7 to $8. Just imagine, a real nice sandwich for that price. And the selection is huge.

As a parting gift for you beer lovers try the Triple 7 Brewing Company. It is inside the Main Street Station down town. Only open on week ends so far. The Ellis Island Brewery that I mentioned earlier also has excellent beer at a good price.

I only posted those for now. I will do more as soon as I research them. They are out there, I know it.

The first F 1 race in Las Vegas was held at the Caesars Palace parking lot. I had the privilege of being able to watch it without having to pay an admission fee. It gives you an idea how large that parking lot was at the time. All that land is now filled with buildings. I had a job at the Dunes on the 20th floor buffet. I was sitting in a comfy chair, with a glass of wine, and watched it all. For me it was boring, watching cars go round and round. Not my bag.

Is completed. Let the race begin.

The grand stands are up, and the curbs have been painted, with playing card designs. I like it a lot. And that bumpy strip has been replaced with pavement that is smooth as silk. The smoothest road I have ever used.

It looks like it has been settled. The workers got what they wanted.

He was a well known, you might even say infamous rapper, I think it was gangsta rap, but I am not sure about that. Someone put a hit out on him a long time ago. But I remember it well. He was killed in broad day light in front of a major casino while driving his Beemer down the strip. Now, many years later, I make it about forty years, a suspect by the name of Duane Davis (spelling?) is in custody. Remarkable how the cops were able to do that.

The original Waldorf Astoria is in NYC. Here is a little information about the name. Mr. Astoria arrived from Germany , way back in the 1800″s, from the little town of Waldorf. http://www.hilton.com

The family became wealthy in the fur trade (Northwest Fur Comp.). its trappers fought ruthless battles over furs with the Hudsons Bay Comp. out of Canada., and by buying massive pieces of land in early NYC. Mr. Astor was regarded as being the first multi millionaire in the U.S. The hotel in Las Vegas is managed by Hilton and is unique because it only has a few rooms, around 250 only, the rest are condos. The lobby is an the 23rd floor. It is the former Mandarin -Oriental. It has 47 stories and is part of CityCenter.

I drove the boulevard yesterday, on 11/4/23. It is as smooth as a baby’s butt.Smooth as silk. It is race ready. I don’t know about the bleachears and grandstands. I was not able to look at them. By the way, I was able to drive it. I did not notice any traffic jams that were worse than before. Some people make a big fuss over nothing.

A new hotel where a small shopping area now is. 20 stories, 530 rooms. Real small for the strip. It will be hard to make money on a property that small. I never thought I would ever say anything like that, but it will have to compete with properties four or five times larger, plus it will need to pay union wages. It will be a tough haul. Probably will have to take the left overs.