Archive for the 'Las Vegas' Category
Travel Channel’s Samantha Brown advises how to enjoy your weekend
August 6, 2008 4:00pm
Samantha Brown doesn’t believe in “staycations.” There’s no point in taking a few days off from work only to stay at home, argues the energetic hostess of multiple Travel Channel series such as “Passport to Europe” and “Passport to Latin America.” Stay at home and you’ll only end up cleaning out the garage.
“In order for it to be a real vacation, you have to leave your home,” says Brown. But that doesn’t mean you have to leave your city. “You can always stay in a little B&B or a cool, hip hotel” and explore another part of town, which is the reasoning behind the New Hampshire native’s new show, “Samantha Brown: Passport to Great Weekends.” Read the rest of this entry »
JetBlue: Last-minute airfare sale ends tomorrow
August 5, 2008 3:55pm
Aren’t they funny? JetBlue is having a sale because its chief financial officer is away. Clever, guys. But the real reason I’m mentioning this sale is because our readers can get up to Portland, Oregon (pictured) or over to Austin, Texas, for $79 each way, pre-tax from Long Beach. That’s not too shabby. Long Beach to San Jose starts at only $39 one way.
Tested fares out of Long Beach (LGB):
Round trip, including taxes.
Las Vegas (LAS): $129 (Aug. 26-29)
San Jose (SJC): $99 (Sept. 8-10)
Oakland (OAK): $129 (Sept. 12-15)
Portland (PDX): $179 (Oct. 23-28)
Austin (AUS): $163 (Oct. 29-Nov. 1)
Salt Lake City (SLC): $159 (Sept. 4-9)
Las Vegas: free ‘dive-in’ summer movies at Mandalay Bay’s Beach
August 4, 2008 6:08pm
There are plenty of free things to do in Las Vegas such as see the MGM Grand’s lions, check out the Fremont Street experience or admire the Conservatory at the Bellagio, but this summer deal is too cool to miss. Mandalay Bay is offering free Friday night movies at the beach to anyone, even if you’re staying at a different hotel, even if you’re a local, even if you’re just passing through town — anyone. Come on over and laugh along in the waves to these comedy classics.
Free Friday night movie lineup:
Aug. 8, “Animal House”
Aug. 22, “Swingers”
Sept. 5, “Old School”
Last minute: Orbitz giving away 301 free trips to Las Vegas, Orlando, Fla., or Aruba
July 31, 2008 11:14am
Here’s your chance to give your friends — 300 of them — a free vacation. Orbitz is challenging you to fill a virtual airplane. All you have to do is choose your destination: Las Vegas, Orlando, Fla., or Aruba, and start asking your friends to pick a seat on your plane. Don’t sweat it if you don’t have 300 friends; just ask your friends to tell their friends: “Hey, we’re going to Aruba, wanna come?” Hurry, though, the contest started Wednesday so start rallying your troops for the best chance to win.
Deal: The first team to fill a plane with 301 seats wins a flight from their hometown plus three free nights at the chosen destination. If your plane is going to Aruba, you’ll be staying at The Westin Aruba Resort; Orlando planes stay at Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando; and Vegas planes will stay at the Luxor Las Vegas. Each passenger will need to sign up for a free Orbitz membership.
Las Vegas: MGM Grand $300 “Flyback” offer
July 26, 2008 2:41pm
Buffet coupons and slot machine credits are no longer enough to attract visitors to stay at one hotel vs. another in Las Vegas. “Flyback” offers might not be new to the Strip, but they are attractive these days, and MGM Grand has a hot summer special going on. Why not come the first time for the free pool drinks, and a second time for the Lion Habitat.
Deal: Stay two nights at the MGM Grand and get a Flyback voucher for $300 (maximum) airfare credit for a return trip by the end of 2008. The offer also includes $25 credit towards food or entertainment (restrictions apply), 15% off spa services and select retail outlets and two free poolside cocktails. Rates start at $100 per night midweek but can be $190-$300 per night on Saturday.
Travel Ticker website from Hotwire focuses on bargains
July 21, 2008 12:01am
The unemployment rate in California is up to a five-year high, and that tells you nothing good about the economy in the Golden State or anywhere else.
So the timing for Travel Ticker (www.travel-ticker.com), a new bargain website from the Hotwire people, probably couldn’t be better. It makes its debut today.
“We love to read about deals so we wanted to have something that was enjoyable to read and peruse and would inspire travel among enthusiasts,” said Barbara Messing, vice president of Travel Ticker.
Unlike some sites that suggest bargains that aren’t bargains for West Coasters, Travel Ticker uses “geo-targeting,” meaning you’ll see bargains appropriate to where you live. Read the rest of this entry »
Last-minute summer hotel deals on CheapTickets.com
July 16, 2008 9:30am
We’re nearly halfway through summer. So, if you’ve been putting off booking getaways, the “Last-minute Summer Sale” on CheapTickets.com might just persuade you to start planning. The site is advertising significant hotel deals internationally, with rates as low as $29 per night (pre-tax). That deal is for the Sunstyle Suites in Orlando, Florida, by the way, for the night of July 31, 2008.
And, yes, many of the best deals are date-specific, many for midweek and Sunday-night stays. Following are a few examples, though you’ll want to explore the site’s promotion pages for full offerings and details. Prices are pre-tax, and the sale is going on now through Aug. 24, 2008.
Las Vegas survey: lowest hotel prices in five years
July 11, 2008 4:00pm
Room rates have declined so far that visiting Las Vegas is becoming less of a gamble, especially if you stay away from the tables.
A new survey by LasVegasAdvisor.com shows that rates are lower than they’ve been in five years. The website, which tracks Sin City room prices and discounts, found that half of the 84 casino hotels surveyed offer July rates of $49 or less per night; 30 casinos have rates of less than $40/night. There’s even a super-cheap rate, $19.99/night, offered by Palace Station.
Luxury hotels are slashing their prices too, according to the survey. Among the low nightly rates found (similar rates may no longer be available) were: Monte Carlo $60, Hard Rock $69, Treasure Island $76, Mirage $81, Rio $99, Loews Lake Las Vegas $103, Caesars Palace $110, Bellagio $159, Palazzo $159, Trump $196, Venetian $199, Wynn (shown above) $199 and Four Seasons $275.
Vegas.com giving away gas cards with hotel bookings
July 4, 2008 1:03pm
Recently we’ve run a bunch of gas-friendly deals (CA coastal hotels, San Diego, Hotels.com) and now Vegas.com is joining the menu of fuel-attractive travel options. Get a $50 gas card when you spend at least $250 on accommodations. In some cases, that’s one weekend night at a luxe Strip resort. Otherwise you’ll need two-to-four nights at a budget or moderately priced Las Vegas hotel.
Deal: Look for the “Cash In and Top Off” promotion in the hotels section of Vegas.com starting July 7, 2008. Enter the promo code “GAS” at check-out when you make a hotel booking for $250 or more to get your $50 gas card. Note: You will need to pick up the gas card at a Vegas.com concierge location. The deal also includes $10 off your hotel booking.
Las Vegas: Get a Venetian suite for a weather-based price
June 18, 2008 4:04pm
Summer announced itself in Vegas this week with temperatures above 100. For those who aren’t acclimated, it can be a shock to the system. For others, the air conditioning in the hotels and the chance to take a dip in the pool offer plenty of distraction. The Venetian is doing travelers a favor by turning summer’s scorching temps into sizzling hotel room deals.
Deal: Use promo code “EVTMP08″ to grab a suite for only $101 per night when the weather forecast is expected to be 101F. The Venetian has a calendar of forecasts and has highlighted certain dates with weather forecast-based rates. My favorite part of the deal is that there are Friday nights in July as low as $104 per night and in August for as low as $101. The lowest rates of the whole special are $98 per night Sept. 1-4, 2008.
