Cranberry Coolers like the Cape Codder

Cosmopolitan is confirmed.

Although it has been described as "Life from inside a chandelier." , the Cosmo has plenty of talent and lots of hidden penny slots. You may get lost trying to find a blackjack table but there's a comfy modern chair nearby to watch the scenery. Oh, and we might as well become part of the Identity Club. Maybe we will take a break and hit up the hot pool party at the Marquee Dayclub.

The blacklist award goes to the MGM Grand. Not much to explain here. It's not on the way to Ellis Island, like the Westin is. The lion is never around when you want to check him out. And it's kinda of like being on an endless yellow brick road walkway. Too long!

-Roberto

Thank you, Silverton!

Ellis Island responded immediately to our e-mail, and it seemed like we had had a good thing going. Then came the silence. Efforts to contact Four Queens and Hooters were met with no reply. We faced similar bad luck with Treasure Island, The Cannery, and Bill's Gamblin' Hall. Was BZA not good enough for Vegas? Flashbacks to Bellagio suddenly entered our minds. We had presented our player's card to the dealer at a $10 minimum table and were told that we wouldn't be rated unless we wagered at least $25 a hand. That's akin to saying our money is not wanted there. Take the damn card and say thank you! Go ahead and mark down that we're not betting enough, but don't say it to our face. What if we had a streak, good or bad, that ended up in our betting $50 a hand? Are you going to ask for our card then?

Silverton has come through and restored our beliefs in all that is good about Las Vegas. We are about to blow $2k of our hard earned money on the farce that one can win big in this town, and the least a paid communications director can do is send us a thank you note ahead of time. They were told that "esteemed" members of BZA were heading their way. Did we have to mention that one of us is coming on the heels of receiving a fat $100k+ check? All we asked for were "any helpful tips or recommendations for our stay." Melinda Filstrup at the Silverton was kind enough to oblige us.

Neil,

That's great news! Please check out the following.

• Twin Creeks Steakhouse.  Great food.
• Mi Casa Mexican restaurant. We have a large selection of Tequilas and a new menu (menu launched last week).
• Seasons Buffet
• Mermaid Lounge
• Sundance Cafe
• SWAY - June 4th we have a pool party with a special performance by Haleamano featuring The Mighty Diamonds.
• Silverton Rewards - We just launched a new and improved Players Club on April 1st.  Sign up for a players card for dining and gaming offers.

I hope this information helps and we look forward to your stay.

The My Morning Jacket concert at my house was fantastic, and I'm ready to announce my final Monday selections, but I would like to thank the Silverton one last time for the satisfactory reply I received. As you can see, all it takes is a boilerplate cut and paste job to please BZA.

Wynning...is for losers

What is this blog about? Is it only about choosing Casino's to visit or blacklist on the upcoming BZA Vegas Vacation? I would venture to say that the answer is no. Instead this blog also serves as tool to unveil Vegas for what it is. It allows the BZA perspective to be heard and brings the Vegas experience to others. After all, Las Vegas is a general "Life Lesson" described through a series of events by BZA members' experiences. To that end...of course we all would love to hit jackpots but it isn't always about Wynning. The quality of the experience will linger in our thoughts far beyond the material Wynnings.

I recall a story from BZA Neil and his brother. They were guests at the Wynn Casino one lovely summer. They decided to eat 7-11 hotdog sandwiches on the front steps of the Wynn while they gawked at the other guests. Without any hesitation the Wynn security staff immediately picked them out as ruffian vagabonds intent on harassing all the Wynn Hotel guests. When stopped and questioned by Security, Neil whipped out his Wynn hotel key and left them so disillusioned. Security could not believe how such a dynamic duo could actually be guests at the Wynn.

This story, "Dantasy", makes it utterly clear that BZA is not to return to the Wynn. Instead BZA may consider visiting the bastard son, The Encore, next door if time permits.

Wynn is Blacklisted

Hacienda Casino is Confirmed

Despite a few poor reviews and some really positive comments "Tristan, August 2010, Location good...The Hacienda Hotel is located very close to Lake Mead. That's the nicest thing I can say." The Hacienda Casino has made the BZA list. We are not going to stay at the Hotel but rather pass by on our trip to Hoover Dam. This means we will hit up the Casino and Restaurant. We can sign up for the Matador Club card and try our luck on Mr. Lucky's Big 6 Wheel. This will be the Gem in the desert!
-Roberto

Silverton by a Soda

BZA selects: Silverton

I was set to select M, but the locals have ruined the M resort's main attraction, the free soda fountains. From LasVegasVegas.com:

And that's the reason they were removed, with locals coming in with their families and abusing the perk by filling up Big Gulp cups with free soda and wandering the casino. Or patrons not purchasing a drink at the restaurants because they could grab a free one just a few yards away.
But players can still get free drinks via the cocktail waitress, just like other casinos.

Sorry, but "free drinks via the cocktail waitress" means $1 drinks via the cocktail waitress, and no Dr. Pepper is worth a golden coin. M Resort still has a shot, but the guarantee goes to Silverton, and here's why.

• "Best Free Attraction" in Las Vegas.  Silverton boasts a 117,000 gallon aquarium, and unlike Mandalay Bay, it's free.
• The Silverton is nicely situated off the strip, not too far off-course from the Hoover Dam.
• Silverton Rewards is a membership club that I haven't joined yet.
• Starbucks coffee available to casino patrons.

BZA rejects: Mirage

Can it be that another top-notch casino makes the Blacklist? Before BZA is branded as a bunch of lowlifes, let me explain. Dinner is at 10:00. The Mirage volcano is at 11:00. Sexy Sirens is at 11:30. There simply isn't enough time to go to the casino. A mirage may play tricks on the eyes, but it cannot stop time. Drinks at the Mirage are terrific, and the waitresses are pleasant and prompt, but the casino is unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Pardon me Roy, is that the cat who chewed your new shoes?

You're right...it fits perfectly

Final Saturday Blacklist is...The Plaza Casino.
The website says the Plaza will be under renovations and the rooms are closed. The casino floor will be open but they even suggest visiting their sister casino, The Vegas Club, next door. BZA will only visit the Plaza when it is completely remodeled and up to our standards!

Oh, and next door is the Golden Gate Casino that apparently has Du-par’s famous pancakes (named ‘Best in America’ by Esquire magazine). So there is no need to cross the street to the Plaza Hotel.

Neil posted a $39.99 guide to Vegas earlier this week. Here is a last thought for your to consider. If you follow his guide you will have about 20 drinks in one night. So be prepared to tip the golden coins!

-Roberto

Wonders of the Ancient World

Luxor Casino makes the Friday Blacklist.
I've stayed at the Pyramids before. I remember Neil and I crashed one of the hotel rooms and had to sleep on the floor. The Pyramid is a member of the Buffet of Buffets and actually gives back some decent room comps and drinks but as Karl Pilkington says "The floor space, the square footage, is massive, but the upstairs bit is tiny. What's that all about?" BZA will pass on the Luxor this go around.
BZA likes Main Street Station CasinoThis place has a Triple 7 Restaurant and Microbrewery. It is part of the B Connected Card Club. It is a couple of blocks off the main Fremont Street so I hope it will be more authentic. BZA can't wait to add this Casino to the visited list.

-Roberto

There is no Geneva Convention for kids

Let's take a look at some of the conventions in Vegas during our upcoming visit. Paris and Mandalay Bay are hosting the Antique Jewelry & Watch Trade Shows. The Las Vegas Convention Center is hosting the American Craft Retailers Exposition and the Laundering & Dry-cleaning Convention. And the last convention of note is the International Association of Insurance Women Convention at the Flamingo Casino. I guess that means we will encounter several well dressed, stylish, artsy, highly-insured women making the most of Sin City. I think BZA can handle that!

Once again it is time to pick a lucky casino that we will visit. Neil beat this cookie to the punch and he already chose Planet Hollywood (PH, "FFFHH") as a confirmed visit. I will indulge you with my thoughts then pick another...This place has a lot going on. When you walk in the casino, the atmosphere is hip with music blasting great tunes all throughout. The table games (blackjack, poker, etc) have special Pleasure Pits. These Pits have go-go dancers dancing on small stages near the table and showing you their skills as they twirl on the stage pole. PH is a member of the Buffet of Buffets which means we can visit the buffet as many times as we can with our 24hr pass (what a deal!). Finally PH has the Pleasure Pool. I have never been to the pool but it's summertime and the pool is the place to be, especially with the name Pleasure Pool. I'm all about PH. See you there!









My pick for the Monday list is Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon. How can you not choose Bill's? It is like a dive bar but has a casino in it. Look at all the great products you get a Bill's:
-Karaoke
-Cheap Pitchers of Beer
-A Hot Dog Cart
-Electronic Craps
-Recommendation by Tankersley

Bill's is now on the confirmed visit list!
And the Blacklist addition is...Monte Carlo Casino. It was under renovations a few times that we visited but even after all the work it's just not that cool. Yeah they have electronic roulette but I don't think Neil won anything on it. Not only that but Neil always forgets to cash in his sports bets which means we end up driving back to Monte Carlo last minute. I know BZA Wes is all about Fantasy Baseball and would probably like the Monte Carlo but from what I understand Neil has not even changed his Fantasy team in 4 years. Therefore there is no need to go to the Monte Carlo.
Please vote in the gentleman's poll and comment on our posts.

Thanks,
-Roberto

1st Blacklisted Casino for the BZA Friday June 3rd 2011 Vegas Trip

Mandalay Bay has officially been blacklisted. The website describes things to do at the Mandalay Bay "At Mandalay Bay, you can do as much or as little as you like." well, obviously the BZA team will not be doing anything near that place anymore. BLACKLISTED

I am not the most eloquent writer so I decided to use technology to help me explain and detail my first Blacklisted Casino. The google voice translator did a great job at expressing my feelings about Mandalay Bay " I do not like Mandel, A, hey. Because, it is 2 far, away. Even so. It has 8monorail. Also, the casino gambling the area, has very high ceilings. It looks very open. And like there is very few tables. It is not very inviting. They're not many people there except for those that stay at that hotel. The only attraction. It's a short grief aquarium, which I've seen before. And it was expensive and is not that entertaining. The drink. And the clubs We're not appealing. And it is. Not much of a draw. At this point in time there for my vote. If this is a NO and we can choose closer, more interesting, and higher end in casinos. As a result. Thank you for your time. "

I think that sums it up. -Roberto (BZA)