$200 dollar bottle service in Vegas

[ryan850]

This has been an interesting convo regarding cost/benefit analysis. I was an econ major as well so this has been a fun read.

I would offer 2 points. First, your communication style and the way you suggest other options comes across as condescending towards the people that don't share your view point. I know you didnt mean it and communication might not be your strong suit since your an econ/math major (you could be a great guy, what do I know), but "warning" people of the costs to drink in Vegas doesn't seem the correct way to go about it.

In your mind, it makes sense to not pay that markup. However, you are discounting other's people value of that convenience. Some people, including myself, value quite a bit the convenience of buying drinks in the club and having a good time, instead of always analyzing where my money is being spent and how many times I need to leave the club to drink. even if it's only 2 or 3 times, that kills the vibe for me.

The second point, however, is to say thanks for offering your opinion on how you drink cheaply. Most people would not go to those lengths to figure out how to drink that cheaply, and I'm sure there are many on the board (maybe that don't post often) that find your suggestions helpful since there are many people on strict budgets.

Thanks for your help max, just keep in mind the way you communicate your opinion so more people will be receptive to it. If you're trying to help maximize other's happiness, a part of getting them to actually follow through will be how you communicate that message to them.

We all love Vegas! I can't wait to go back!

[bigsi26]

people go to vegas expecting spend money rooms dinners shows ect, my friend will complain about having to pay for sauce in some restraunts but not hesitate to throw down 350 in a club, why do you not just sneak in a hip flask it be so much easier then keep leaving the club

[Brooklyn Marc]

This has been an interesting convo regarding cost/benefit analysis. I was an econ major as well so this has been a fun read.

I would offer 2 points. First, your communication style and the way you suggest other options comes across as condescending towards the people that don't share your view point. I know you didnt mean it and communication might not be your strong suit since your an econ/math major (you could be a great guy, what do I know), but "warning" people of the costs to drink in Vegas doesn't seem the correct way to go about it.

In your mind, it makes sense to not pay that markup. However, you are discounting other's people value of that convenience. Some people, including myself, value quite a bit the convenience of buying drinks in the club and having a good time, instead of always analyzing where my money is being spent and how many times I need to leave the club to drink. even if it's only 2 or 3 times, that kills the vibe for me.

The second point, however, is to say thanks for offering your opinion on how you drink cheaply. Most people would not go to those lengths to figure out how to drink that cheaply, and I'm sure there are many on the board (maybe that don't post often) that find your suggestions helpful since there are many people on strict budgets.

Thanks for your help max, just keep in mind the way you communicate your opinion so more people will be receptive to it. If you're trying to help maximize other's happiness, a part of getting them to actually follow through will be how you communicate that message to them.

We all love Vegas! I can't wait to go back!

This was mainly the point i was trying to convey. Its hard to shut off the anlytical aspect (trust me i get that i really do) but yeah HOW you iffer advice and tone goes a long way. It's the internet dude context and objectivity are in short supply. In other words the margins between coming across as helpful or sounding like a dick are razor thin. To echo the above though by no means am i disparaging your input or opinions, i have no doubt they are useful to some.

[maxutilsperusd]

...I need to leave the club to drink. even if it's only 2 or 3 times, that kills the vibe for me.

I only do the reentry plan once in a night. Typically we'll be drinking all day and we'll have a double in a red cup in cab that we finish right before getting in the guest list line, so we get into the club around 10:30pm feeling great. By 12:30am that's warn off to some degree, so we'll take a 10-15 minute break, get a chance to talk a bit, and go get 2 more units of alcohol each during our reentry run. This is usually enough to stay good until 3am or hopefully when the headliner is done so we can get some sleep to repeat the whole thing the next day.

... "warning" people of the costs to drink in Vegas doesn't seem the correct way to go about it.

I warn people when their analysis is based on false assumptions. People often argue on this forum that bottle service is a great deal because an $871 bottle is pretty close to the same price as 22.5 drinks and cover for 4 guys. Usually they start out their analysis assuming drinks cost more than they do. A vodka cranberry costs $16, $17 with a $1 tip. 22.5 drinks (the number of 1.5oz units of alcohol in 1L of vodka) at a cost of $17 a drink for well single liquor drinks is $382.50 and lets say cover is $40 per person so $160 there. That's $542.50, making bottle service only $82.13 per person after discounting out the cover and alcohol, which is absolutely a great deal, one that even I wouldn't pass up.

But see the problem is that's working from a false assumption, and that's where I feel the need to interject. The $160 only applies if a group is made up of all guys, and none of them have the time or want to put in the absolutely minimal effort to find a girl to invite along during any of their pre-club time in Vegas. I've had girls join me and my girlfriend without even trying because I mention if you'er on the guest list you get a free drink ticket and inside faster and that's about all of a sales pitch one needs. So lets say you could get in for free, now it's still a pretty reasonable $122.13 per person after discounting out the alcohol.

But we made another assumption earlier. With a bottle it has to be some liquor (typically vodka) with mixer, but without a table you could just drink beer. So what does it cost for 22.5 unit equivalent drinks of beer in a club? With 16oz Heineken's at 5.0% ABV for $12 you are looking at $184.09 for 22.5 unit drinks. So now bottle service is $171.73 per person after discounting out what you could have spent on beer, a somewhat far cry from almost the same price as going out drinking at the club.

One last example, lets say you truly are a group of all guys coming in on a 11:30pm flight, going straight to the club. So the $40 cover charge is extremely hard to avoid, but you all could drink beer instead of well drinks. That ends up being $131.73 per person after discounting out the cover and what you could have spent on beer.

People pay $130 a person to see Beatles Love all the time, so bottle service isn't unreasonable at all when looking at it from an entertainment/$ perspective, but people should know that their rounding each drink to $20 and looking at it saying it costs the same as had they just bought all the drinks at the bar isn't true to start, and definitely isn't true if their assumptions of paying a cover or drinking liquor instead of beer aren't true, much less if they choose instead to take a 15 minute break once in the night and drink right outside the club.

people go to vegas expecting spend money rooms dinners shows ect, my friend will complain about having to pay for sauce in some restraunts but not hesitate to throw down 350 in a club, why do you not just sneak in a hip flask it be so much easier then keep leaving the club

Exactly, people on here are constantly trying for hotel deals, yet bringing up cheaper ways to drink and all hell breaks loose. With respect to the flask thing, I'm against doing anything that's getting me kicked out of a club. Everyone seems to think walking out of the club is some massively difficult task, it really isn't. Reentry usually literally involves flashing your wrist and walking right back in.

The whole idea came from a night at Light actually. Someone we went with wanted to get some air and sit for a second so we went right outside the club to the little rock and fountain area that the guest list line is usually next to. Right there, not 20 feet from the club entrance, there happened to be a store that sells 24oz cans of beer (including some at 6% ABV) for $6. So we sat on the rocks and drank for a nice break, and went back in.

That clearly wasn't a lot of effort, and what I was saying earlier might have sounded like a long complicated process, but it's literally, get dropped off by cab, drop off you drinks at the bell desk, go to the club, when you want more to drink return to the bell desk, drink, return to the club. So just think of the bell desk as your personal bartender that's a bit further away than the normal bar, but without a mob of people in front of it and he's the kind of bartender who never ignores you and serves the hot girl next to you first.

I'd say the funny thing is people all the time on here talk about location of their hotel so they can walk to the club and I wouldn't imagine doing that if you are spending the kind of money bottle service costs. Paying $5 a person for a taxi seems like a lot more value for the money, yet people are always trying to avoid transportation costs.

[maxutilsperusd]

I just want to add a thank you to everyone who's participated in the conversation, we're all in this to have a good time!

[ponch62]

Funny how this thread has continued on an off topic course for pages now, turns out there is definitely useful info here. While I don't ever see myself going to the levels you do Max to save cash, I think there is a lotta stuff here people will find useful. Great discussion, honestly after following your trip report Max, if I were in Vegas as long as you were, I would be looking for ways to cut costs too. Difference is, I usually roll in for 3 nights and blow the bankroll that you make last 10 days!

[sparadise]

As a non-math, non-Econ person : "It's all about supply and command, Bubbles."

[OmarLittle]

Wow you guys really know how to suck the fun out of the equation!

[maxutilsperusd]

Wow you guys really know how to suck the fun out of the equation!

The fun is found when you go a drink or 2 passed your threshold, the DJ plays your favorite song, and then you wake up next to an attractive girl. Luckily that's something I get to do without spending a ton of money.

[Chali2Na]

My head hurts....

[Tara Denise]

Which clubs offer prices like or close to this number per bottle? $625 and upwards per bottle seems hilarious to me that people would pay that even if you do get the real estate along with it (you tip for the service so that isn't included). So JC I ask where can a guy get some affordable bottle service in Vegas?

Have a sex change operation and book a bachelorette lounge package with Light Group. It's vodka, champagne, mixers, strawberries and chocolate for $200 (plus tax and tip). Or just assume that supply and demand is at work here and shell out the extra cash. Lol I'm willing to spend money for my own space and a place to sit down/put my purse. To each their own!

[cookie1892]

As a non-math, non-Econ person : "It's all about supply and command, Bubbles."

ha - my favourite show in the world, i would love them to do an episode in vegas