May 20th 16 Trip

[artedm]

good research will help you get expectations in the right place

If you haven't been to vegas since 2009 its changed a lot.
There are around 20+ nightclubs open on friday/saturday and 10+ pool parties open on Saturday/Sunday
There are thousands of people who call themselves "hosts" understand direct who work for venues and independent hosts.
You can find table maps online for all the nightclubs/pool parties
pool parties open around 11am with headline dj on around 3pm going till around 6pm
nightclubs open around 11pm with headline dj on around 1am going till around 5am

A big question then becomes with so many choices where should I go?
Some people look to what the event is or DJ- is it David Guetta, Calvin Harris or a local DJ.
Older places will have cheaper bottles and on "industry" days Sunday-Thursday you can get lower mins/bottle prices.
Also keep in mind some bars have $20 all you drink draft and wells specials and all strip clubs do free limo/free entry and most do bottle specials between certain hours.
As an example
David Guetta is booked at EBC on Sunday May 22.
You can deal with a direct host and get a reservation with a credit card authorization locking location and min. You don't have to tip $1000 to the guy making the reservation. Remember the tax/tip to the waitress are already going to be pretty large.
Or you might deal with an independent host who says they can get you a table for x and call you the day before and say demand has increased you need to increase the spend and want a tip for not doing much.
Main point is just research everything. Have a rough outline and plan.

[tank77]

Cheers Art, I think we'll be looking for edm places and we'll prob chase the party rather than look for the best deals in the main. As long as we can get into where we want for agreed mins and decent locations we'll be happy. Last thing we want is hassle, bait & switch situations, unexpected costs etc so will likely deal direct with the place itself or a recommended Indy host from here.

Been doing Lots of research and the same hosts names come up so seemingly if you're up front about requirements etc it should be pretty smooth. Hopefully!

This site is a treasure trove of advice and information!

[tomm0]

So im from London and go 3 times a year and have this task. It's not easy right! Im at the other end of the scale where I book for 2 or 3 of us though. 19's a total bitch.

Your budgets and venues are on point. Omnia smashes Tuesday nights so def do that. Only one i'd change up is Marquee on Sat night. Its great but they charge silly money for their tables and youll pay BIG money for two spots in the main room there. They'll rape you on that i'd go elsewhere. Go Marquee on Monday if you must as only XS and Marquee are open Mondays..or just drop it.

Bare in mind Intrigue opens 28th April in the Wynn (where Tryst was) and Jewel opens in Aria.

Id shift your itinerary as the Wynncore clubs almost always are better value, and you are going there for XS and also EBC. If you can lock in a host like Bobby Yeadon who runs Intrigue and XS then you will get better deals. Maybe do ...

Fri: Intrigue
Sat: XS
Sun: Nightswim
Mon: Marquee
Tue: Omnia
Weds: Light
Thurs: Hak

That way Friday/Saturday/Sunday you are working with Bobby solely. He is one of the best hosts in Vegas and if you book two tables per night, 3 nights in a row - you know he is gonna look after you. He doesnt work for EBC but there's good hosts there like Trev Pickering or Andre.

Re: Your EBC booking. One day bed is nothing like big enough for 19 guys. Its not even big enough for 6 guys let alone 19. You need an upper or lower cabana. The lower cabana being the better choice.

As others have said, men will drop like flies, youll probably find you are at full strength probably only one or at a push two nights. I've done big big groups like this before and its never, ever as people say it will be. Youll probably find a core of 4 or 5 of you will go to each club/pool and those guys will be single and/or the ones on the chase for girls.

If you are taking peoples cash up front be ready for lots of disagreements, as although everyone now will say they'll go everywhere it just will not happen. 7 nights in a row anywhere is a push. In Vegas its a marathon. Ive done 8 in a row and I was a mess. One night I couldnt physically drink alcohol. Asking your mates for $700 or whatever to NOT go to a club is in my view a bit much. Thats a lot of money and youre gonna fall out with people and its gonna be drama. Just agree with your boys the cost of each night and then as people drop out you'll have to be handy with the maths.

[tank77]

Tomm0 - spot on pal, I very very much doubt as you say we'll have anywhere near a full compliment beyond Saturday night but I think you're onto it. I can foresee us doing a few presale nights tbh cos the lads can't handle it.

You've nailed it re wynncore and Bobby - see him recommended all the time. Much obliged mate

[Monty_carlos]

Hey Tank

I pretty much had exactly the same thing last May - from the UK organising the day/night clubs for my stag for 14 because if I didn't then God only knows what we would have ended up doing. It's always landed in my lap to organise things in the past so didn't mind but definitely felt a bit of pressure to try and get things right.

After countless emails, phone calls and worrying if things were going to work out we decided on Drais (Thursday PM and Saturday AM), Wet (Friday AM), Tryst (Friday PM), Hakkasan (Saturday PM) and EBC (Sunday AM). We had dance floor tables and cabanas and had planned on going to Nightswim but everyone was so hammered by then that no one had anything left in them.

We used Chris Traer at Drais, Bobby Y. at Tryst (and Nightswim had we made it) and Anthony at EBC. Can't speak highly enough of all three and will definitely use these guys again.

As we knew the mins. before we went we all whipped in and loaded pre-paid credit cards so there was no 'I didn't make it out of bed so I'm not paying'. Plus it gave some of the guys who were thinking of blowing a bit of encouragement to get up and out.

We'll be back there this May for 4 nights staying at the Cosmo and we've just started discussing where we'd be looking to go. Omnia hadn't opened when we were there so I think we'll definitely be looking to go there - probably on Sat Night - and I'm determined to make Nightswim this time round. Will probably do Marquee AM & PM at some point as its on our doorstep.

When you thinking of contacting hosts? Would be interested in what kind of mins/shakes you get when you do - maybe swap notes???

[tank77]

Hello Monty

Yeah mate I'm looking on contacting hosts about 4 weeks out, as per the advice from the guys on here. Gonna take Tomm0's advice (and yours) and contact those guys dependant on where we end up going. I can defo see lads running out of steam but prepay credit cards is a boss shout and I'll look into them.

100% will share what I get told, more than happy to help you out. Yeah my stress is taking the boys - all early to mid 30's - 6000 miles from their families and it falling flat. So will let you know what I come up with. Much appreciated!

[Monty_carlos]

Sounds good Tank

I'll drop you a message nearer the time mate.

Good luck with the organising!

[ryan850]

Leave that stress at the doorstep! there is no way it will fall flat, regardless of what happens. It's Vegas. It's a bachelor party. You're with your best mates. Everything could go wrong and you'd still have a fab time.

Since your into planning and I'm sure you've got your spreadsheet with like 5 sheets ( What I'm doing right now for my buddies bachelor party for May as well), I would figure out a couple of options if different amounts of people drop out and then when you chat with the host, ask them about mins for each option. At least that way, you'll know what you're looking at if people bail.

[tank77]

Ha it's like you've logged on to my laptop remotely Ryan!! Im confident now it'll all run smooth! 👍🏻

[ryan850]

Good man! at the very least, you get presales for that night and still have a great time. It can only get better from there.

[Jdf]

Tank/Monty/Ryan I'm there in May as well for a bachelor party as the best man...hopefully it's not a sausage fest for all of our sakes! The advice on this thread is solid and I don't mean to hijack the thread but....we will be a group of 10 and I'm concerned about getting into a wicked club while not breaking the bank (travelling from Canada and our dollar is getting slaughtered right now!). Bottle service seems too pricey for us (ideally 100/guy is the budget, will be pregaming for sure!) and getting 10 guys into the club (likely Thursday night) sounds like it will either be a ridiculous wait in line and/or we'll be shit out of luck. I was toying with the idea of joining a club crawl so that we can at least get in as a large group of guys with hopefully a shorter wait time....lots of moxed reviews though. If we do presale and show up at a decent hour do we stand a chance of getting 10 guys in no problem? Ps if it sounds like I'm a vegas newb it's because I am! Thanks in advance!

[sodimm]

If you do presale and show up the first half hour, there should be minimal wait to get in. If it's too early for you guys, just get in early and get your hand stamped and go back later. Depending on the club and what DJ is playing that night, you want to get back in there 11 - 11:30PM, you won't get back in if they're at capacity.

[tomm0]

Tank/Monty/Ryan I'm there in May as well for a bachelor party as the best man...hopefully it's not a sausage fest for all of our sakes! The advice on this thread is solid and I don't mean to hijack the thread but....we will be a group of 10 and I'm concerned about getting into a wicked club while not breaking the bank (travelling from Canada and our dollar is getting slaughtered right now!). Bottle service seems too pricey for us (ideally 100/guy is the budget, will be pregaming for sure!) and getting 10 guys into the club (likely Thursday night) sounds like it will either be a ridiculous wait in line and/or we'll be shit out of luck. I was toying with the idea of joining a club crawl so that we can at least get in as a large group of guys with hopefully a shorter wait time....lots of moxed reviews though. If we do presale and show up at a decent hour do we stand a chance of getting 10 guys in no problem? Ps if it sounds like I'm a vegas newb it's because I am! Thanks in advance!

Firstly. Never ever do a club crawl, they're total shite and a rip off. Youll end up in LAX.

Secondly - $100 per man will barely get you out of the hotel let alone into a club in Vegas. You need to seriously re-think your budgets. I hate to sound a downer, but even to get in will be 50 minimum. How do you propose to get to the clubs?! Taxis arent free. Getting there and back is another 50. So youll go to a club and have no drinks!!!

I usually tell me friends to go out and have a good one in vegas is gonna cost you $500 a night. It may sound stupid and extravagant but its not - its reality. Each drink is $20 minimum. Getting in, getting cabs, food etc.

The town is designed around extraction of the dollar. 100 dollars is quite literally childs play in vegas. Even a sandwich will set you back 20 bucks.

[ryan850]

I understand Tommy's point above, however I would say you guys can by on a budget. I did MDW last year with my younger brother and his college friends and they are definitely on a budget.

Presale will be just fine, we did presale for 10 guys and as long as you get there by 1130 (Omnia I'd get there closer to 11) then you'll have no problem getting in.

Also, presale will be 50 minimum so figure you're going to spend another 50 easy on drinks if not more. Don't pregame too hard though or you won't make it to the end of the night.

[Jdf]

Tomm0 absolutely agree with you, $100 isn't the limit and I know some of the group will crush that budget while others wont as they have a strict budget (so they say) for the trip. Overall the guys aren't interested in spending money on bottle service (which in my understanding will be around 200 or more per head, which right now in Canadian dollars is close to 350/head), so as long as it still makes sense to presale vs bottles then I guess that's ultimately what I'm trying to determine. I'm sure once the drinks and girls enter the picture any plans/budgets will go out the window lol.

That timing makes sense though. I think we'll be heading to Drais but we'll figure it out closer to when djs starting being announced.