Vegas Trip in April

Nice score-way to go! Not much better than leaving Vegas up a big amount! Hopefully this will spur another trip very soon. Looking forward to the recap.

Quick recap:

I definitely prefer Wynncore to Aria now. Room is much brighter, there is more room to move around, the play is a little softer, and the dealers, brush, and players seem friendlier overall. Rake is better, too.

Plus, the drink service is 10x better, and the dealers/brush actually help get them to your table. However, the Asian menu is more expensive with sub-par food, and the food options in general seem worse. (The sparkling wine is better at Aria, though.)

Would definitely go back to the Kimchi AYCE sushi before Ubering to one of the "popular" places, such as Gorilla sushi, or eating at one of the expensive sushi places on the strip.

I do miss being able to easily walk to Ellis Island (for breakfast/lunch) and the other casinos -- definitely sad I didn't see the Bellagio conservatory, which is always worth a visit.

Elara, which is where we usually stay, is nicer than the Hilton Grand on the Strip, but not enough that it matters. The Strip location also has grills, etc., and a pool area for owners, which we might take advantage of if we bring family. We also like the classier options "up north" now, including Fontainebleau and Resorts World, so I have no problem staying at that location in the future.

I think total we were up about $9, 700. Hubby ~$3, 400 in poker and $3, 800 in slots/gambling; I was up ~$2, 500 in poker. Feels good to come home with money 😉

If you have any questions, let me know. (I'll try to find the names of the comedians.)

We missed our connection in Detroit, so stayed the night. Sat at the Hilton bar with the newly retired president of Bosch U.S.A. Very nice guy! He managed to eat chicken wings with an ultra bright-white button down and not get a drop on him. Must be a trick of the uber-wealthy 😉

I'll leave you with the sunset at the airport in Detroit. I wish I could have gotten a better photo -- it was gorgeous:

thanks for the trip report and great that it was so profitable

congrats java, thanks for taking the time and effort to share it with the rest of us

Great TR and congrats on the profitable trip!

Thanks for sharing your poker experiences

Glad you had a winning trip. Wazuzu has always looked good when I've seen other people eating it table-side, but I guess your mileage may vary. I've never tried it, as I'm usually sick to my stomach from a bad beat any time I'm in the Wynn.

From an ambiance standpoint, I feel like Wynn and Aria are almost the yin and the yang of Vegas, with the bright and sunny vibe of the Wynn offset by the dark midnight aesthetic of the Aria poker room.

Great TR-thanks for letting us ride along!

I just caught up on this thread - thanks for posting and congratulations on the profit!

I'm curious: you mention Elara a couple of times. I have never stayed there but I have stayed in Vdara quite a lot of times and from what I understand they are similar: apartment hotels connected to casinos.

Have you stayed at Vdara, and if so, why do you prefer Elara?
(I note you play at Aria - or at least used to - and Vdara is right next to it.)

Elara is a Hilton Grand property, and we have a Hilton Grand timeshare, so that's where we usually stay. It's a fabulous property. However, we stayed at the Hilton Grand on the Strip last time and really enjoyed it. Different location (across from Fontainebleau), but we like that area and the walk to Wynncore is easy. The hotel isn't as nice, unfortunately, but it's fewer points and still has the amenities we enjoy. We've stayed at Cosmo, which was a lovely room, and many other properties over the years, but never Vdara -- and none have been as nice as the Elara.

FWIW, I used to think the Hilton Grand timeshare wasn't worth it, but with the prices of nice hotels today, it's very worth it. I think we pay an average of ~$150/night, and even at places like The Quin and Conrad in NYC, which are amazing hotels and would normally cost $300 - $500+ / night, we pay maybe $200. (I think the Conrad is $1, 500 right now!) Totally worth it.