Grad students can enjoy Vegas too, right?

[gobos08]

Hey all,

So I've been lurking on these boards for a while now, picking up a lot of useful information but with my first Vegas trip coming up this week and stuff still in flux I figured it best to finally post myself.

I'll be in a group of 6 guys in our early 20s going to Vegas for the first time from 7/23-26. Between work and impending grad school (see: end of fun) we wanted a real memorable weekend, but we also didn't want to break the bank seeing as pretty much all cash has to go towards tuition.

Do any of you guys have tips or suggestions for some slightly less expensive ways to go big in Vegas? For instance, we've decided to do Rain on Friday night with the hosted bar package (~$100 for an open Ketel One bar). We looked into table service a bit but it seemed too pricey, so I was hoping there were other "hosted bar package-type" deals out there that you guys might be able to turn me on to. Thanks!

[madscientist]

of course we can

well, i don't know much about bottle service or hosted packages because every time i go to Vegas I'm solo, so I just prime in the room and drink at the tables, maybe sneak a flask into a club with me. However..... I'm a third year phd student and i was in LV no less than 5 times last year, so it's definitely possible for ya'll to have fun on our paltry student incomes. To save money for the debauchery, get some alcohol and snacks at the ABC store to keep in your room and if you're not able to get a table, be sure to have your "greasing the bouncer" money ready and go early cuz it'll take 6 guys FOREVER to get in a club.... better yet, find at least 10 girls to roll with ya'll

[nyc2vegas]

you can def accomplish this.....you will have a great time on friday with the vip package, and madscientist had some good ideas too. I would also suggest just roaming around all the casino bars, you can really have a great time and meet lots of people by doing this and its rather inexpensive and headache free, and you will certainly discover alot of vegas.....I actually used to do this often before the exsistence of the huge nightclub scene, and I still do it for a nice chnage of pace

[gobos08]

madscientist - I remember reading somewhere on the site that a party of our size should split into 2-3 smaller groups to have a better shot of getting in. If we got to a club right at the start of the night and did that, do you think we'd be able to pay the cover and get in relatively quickly or would we need to buy passes from one of those hosting companies?

nyc2vegas - The casino bar suggestion is interesting. What's that scene typically like? Do you think we'd be better off there than trying to get into a club "the regular way" on Thurs, Fri, or Sat?

[gobos08]

Haha, it's that voice in my head that makes me want to go big this weekend. I know I won't be back here for at least a year, probably a few.

[Mr.Vegas]

Hey all,

So I've been lurking on these boards for a while now, picking up a lot of useful information but with my first Vegas trip coming up this week and stuff still in flux I figured it best to finally post myself.

I'll be in a group of 6 guys in our early 20s going to Vegas for the first time from 7/23-26. Between work and impending grad school (see: end of fun) we wanted a real memorable weekend, but we also didn't want to break the bank seeing as pretty much all cash has to go towards tuition.

Do any of you guys have tips or suggestions for some slightly less expensive ways to go big in Vegas? For instance, we've decided to do Rain on Friday night with the hosted bar package (~$100 for an open Ketel One bar). We looked into table service a bit but it seemed too pricey, so I was hoping there were other "hosted bar package-type" deals out there that you guys might be able to turn me on to. Thanks!

You should definitely just hit up Vegas without getting tables and go to at least one major club (XS, TAO, PURE, TRYST, etc.) while you are down there.

I'm working on my second masters degree right now and don't worry the tuition is not going anywhere. I just paid off the loans for my MBA and now I'm working on my second haha. One thing I can tell you is that have a healthy balance moving forward ... enjoy the free time because you will be heavily loaded with research!

Enjoy Vegas bro!

[madscientist]

splitting your group

yeah, i would definitely recommend splitting your group into at least 2 or 3 smaller ones. Even then it might be somewhat difficult to get two guys in with no chicks, so I would definitely recommend

1)going very early. hopefully you can hand stamp or something, then you can just come back out into the casino, hit the tables and drink free or hit the casino bars and drink cheap(er)

2)search the crowd around the entry to the club for small groups of girls, like 3 or 4 together. if you're nice enough and you don't seem like you're coming on to them or are going to follow them around all night, all you have to do is HAVE THE CHICKS tell the bouncer they're part of your group (like 4 girls + 2 guys) and you shouldn't have to wait too long. The important considerations for this are to have a group of slightly good looking chicks do this for you, have at least 2 girls for each guy, and have the guys stand at the back of the group so the bouncer can see all the girls first. You MAY still have to grease the bouncer if he doesn't move to let ya'll in right away, in that case a 20 should do. And please, buy the chicks a shot or something when you get inside, be gentlemanly

Obviously, i'm not a guy so there may be other tricks of the trade that'll get you in relatively quickly. As a solo chick though, I have "helped" many groups of guys get in and as long as the chick is the one propositioning the bouncer, it usually works out great

[nyc2vegas]

nyc2vegas - The casino bar suggestion is interesting. What's that scene typically like? Do you think we'd be better off there than trying to get into a club "the regular way" on Thurs, Fri, or Sat?

well friday night it sounds like youre already set with the rain vip package which is def a great choice for a friday with a bunch of guys. If I was in your shoes I would do this; I would get to tryst on thursday at 10pm, youll get right in when they open at 1030 party there for thurs, friday stick with the rain vip and sat id start off at hardrock center bar then head to the strip and hit up nyny paino bar and ninefine irishmen, the go hotel to hotel from there.

[gobos08]

Thanks so much for the suggestions. As far as Sunday night goes, I've been getting this Body English or bust vibe. Is that really the case? Are the hotel/casino bars still pretty busy on Sunday night?

[nyc2vegas]

Thanks so much for the suggestions. As far as Sunday night goes, I've been getting this Body English or bust vibe. Is that really the case? Are the hotel/casino bars still pretty busy on Sunday night?

sunday night BE is good, but I also think Bank puts up a good fight.......there is a bar right next to the entrance at Bank that you could hang at and have a few drinks bout an hour before they open and you could be the first ones in the place no problem, and it WILL be a good time.

[gobos08]

You mean hang out at the bar around 9 and then hop in the line before it gets too long around 10 or is this one of those hand stamping tricks? That'd be like a $30 cover for each of us, right?

[aria]

Circle Bar @ Hard Rock also has BOGOF drink offers a lot on well drinks. I can't remember if it's Happy Hour specific or runs all night. Last time we went it seemed to be all night.

[nyc2vegas]

You mean hang out at the bar around 9 and then hop in the line before it gets too long around 10 or is this one of those hand stamping tricks? That'd be like a $30 cover for each of us, right?

yeah but dont get a hand stamp cause it gets crowded quickly, at 10 you will see the crew getting ready just meander over make small talk ask what time they open and I think its 1030 and at 1030 just go over you will most likely be the only people there and they will let you right in!

[Guest]

Hmm open ketel bar huh? Reminds me of partying in China. They really make you buy the whole bottle out there.. too bad the best stuff they had was Smirnoff though.

[gobos08]

Think I found another "student special" open bar - this one is at VooDoo Lounge at Rio. $60 on Sun-Wed or $100 on Thurs-Sat gets you an open bar of beer, wine, basic liquors, and mixers (including Red Bull). Anyone know what this place is like? Especially on a Sunday night? Seems like the $60 open bar might be a good last night for my group's trip, but I want to make sure the scene isn't a complete bust.