2012 Trippies Discussion Thread
Started by Chuckmonster on Monday, 16th January 2012 10:08 am
For those who wish to discuss this years Trippies, here's a thread.
vespajet responded on Monday, 16th January 2012
There's definitely a love-hate thing going on with Caesars Palace and I tend to agree with the categories they won in.
Now as for their win for "worst value", most of the year that is true, but if you time it just right during the slower periods of the year, you can really get some good value for money there. What I paid for 3 nights in the Augustus Tower the second weekend of December most of the time would barely cover a weekend night there.
I do have to take some exception to the editors pick for worst restaurant. There are a lot worse places than Central. I tried a few things on their menu and while some of them were unspectacular (like the cheese puffs), some were alright (steak tartare) and some were good (bacon and onion tart), the place has only been open several months and needs to work the kinks out of things.
Misnomer replied on Monday, 16th January 2012
Several of us, including a quorum of VT editors, dined at Central after VIMFP. It was singularly the worst group dining experience I have ever taken part in. (Of course I mean service-wise. The company was phenomenal!)
I ordered a $14 blueberry martini, which turned out to be vodka and sweet & sour with three blueberries floating in it. We had the unspectacular cheese puffs you mention. My $24 crab burger was a dense lump of grocery store canned crab-grade seafood, with a burnt cheese tuile and virtually no remoulade. It was so dry, I couldn't finish it. It was served with a tiny fryer basket of french fries.
Blackjacker1979 had the steak and eggs. Except they didn't bring the eggs. The waiter came by the table several times, and was reminded each time that he'd forgotten the eggs. Finally, after BJ'79 and everyone else had finished their meals, the waiter came by with a white plate with a blob of scrambled eggs on it, and threw it on the table. It looked like something out of Mel's Diner.
During dinner, they kept coming by with an extra plate of fish and chips. Only one person had ordered fish and chips. They were insistent that the table had ordered two fish and chips. We told them repeatedly that we did not order the second plate of fish and chips. They'd go away for a minute, then return and insist we had. They even brought a manager over to insist we'd ordered the second plate of fish and chips. We told them emphatically that we had only ordered one fish and chips. They finally took them away, but when the bill came...we were charged for two fish and chips.
I could go on and on. It was awful. That's why I cast my Ed vote for Central.
vespajet replied on Monday, 16th January 2012
Thank you for the background behind the vote (If I would have been there, I would have had to concur with the vote.), and IIRC, the VIMFP wasn't too long after the place opened. Most places seem to have some sort of teething problem early on and it's not good if they're lingering. I ate at the bar and there were a few times in which I ordered another beer and it seemed as though I would be forgotten about by the bartender that took the order (but one of the other ones would ask if I needed another drink, so at least they tried to cover).
I've got an old college friend that's on the crew for Absinthe (He joined the crew right after the current run opened.) and he's had some similar experiences as the cast and crew tend to eat there a lot since it's so convenient to their venue (and is open 24/7).
I think I liked it simply because it was convenient to my room, as I would often swing by there on the way back to my room and grab a to-go beer or cider. It would probably make a better bar/lounge than a restaurant.
MinVegas replied on Wednesday, 18th January 2012
Central looks horrible to me just because the prices aren't $2 more than the typical coffee shop, but about $5 more.
I basically just came to accept that Caesars doesn't have a traditional value 24 hour spot anymore. While the Out of Towners went to Central after VIMFP and had what was apparently a horrible time, I dined alone at Vettro and thought it was adequate. This, I suppose, speaks to something.
blackjacker1979 replied on Wednesday, 18th January 2012
The allure of Central is just that, allure. It's overpriced, mediocre and often unpredictable. And that is the same thing that was the problem at Vettro (Mickey Mouse on the Menu aside.)
CWatts26 responded on Monday, 16th January 2012
Best value Monte Carlo ? It is somewhat of a nice Hotel, Casino. I'm surprised it wasn't Bills though. Being Mid-strip, clean rooms, cheap rates, easy walk from room to the strip. I guess its just me though compared to a resort fee, bland looking hotel. Location is ok... but Bills is better.
TheVegasKing replied on Monday, 16th January 2012
Oh man if I didn't know CWatts26 personally I'd think he was a shill for Bill's.
You did forget the most underrated part of the Bill's experience, Cook E Jarr on the weekends.
Anybody can have a great time with the JARR but if you are a sports fan with a slight gambling problem it's a must!
At his current location inside Bill's, Cook E Jarr spends a lot of the show watching the TV screens broadcasting the games and informing the crowd on the various bets he has on the line in hilarious fashion.
fersure replied on Tuesday, 17th January 2012
The black mold that ringed my bathtub when I stayed at the Monte Carlo a year ago would preclude me from ever voting the Monte Carlo as a best value hotel.
parchedearth responded on Monday, 16th January 2012
Thanks again for putting in the effort each year on these awards.
While I am a huge fan of Cosmo, I think it got too much credit for the balconies and being different. Even assuming they fix the check-in and housekeeping issues, the obvious room design issues should have precluded it from ever getting best hotel/rooms.
While Peppermill is a decent place, I just don't understand what is "best" about it. There are at least a half dozen restaurants that beat it in almost every conceivable metric: quality, service, decor, breakfast, lunch, dinner, wait-time, parking, noise level... Personally, I rate their bar much higher than their food.
Obviously you make the rules, but I'm still not keen on Mandarin Oriental (i.e. non-gaming properties) being eligible for awards.
brandon responded on Monday, 16th January 2012
i like cosmo, but i dissagree with them being the best at anything. I think they are still a step behind in service. The casino sucks, i am 30 but i feel like im 90 when im in cosmo. too damn loud. i like the rooms alot but i still would choose a Wynn room or Aria suite.
Chuckmonster replied on Tuesday, 17th January 2012
Not sure what your gripe is as Cosmo didn't win for best service or anything in the casino category.
The room win is truly a balcony win.
JamesAt15 responded on Monday, 16th January 2012
Is there a story behind the Editor's Choice worst rooms award to Bally's? I am not disputing it, as I have never stayed there, but I usually hear it described as good value - a significant step up from IP for only a bit more cash. Am I missing something?
Misnomer replied on Monday, 16th January 2012
Ballys is the tale of two towers at this point: The sort of, kind of, recently renovated North Tower, and the decrepit South Tower. The South Tower is horrendous, and CET knows it, as evidenced by room rate disparities between the North and South towers.
RateVegas had blood on his Ballys' room curtains recently. Not, "Is that blood?" blood. More like, "DAMN, that's BLOOD!" blood.
JamesAt15 responded on Monday, 16th January 2012
Ah... that would do it!
That also explains why the talk seems to be to use the $20 trick to get an upgrade to the North Tower rooms whenever possible.
Drake replied on Tuesday, 17th January 2012
Yeah I'm a fan of Ballys but the North Tower is a must. I'm surprised they're letting the South Tower go to the dogs. It really drags down the entire property's reputation. They're large rooms with great strip views; you'd think they would upgrade to capitalize on it.
fersure replied on Tuesday, 17th January 2012
I do like the North Tower rooms and have stayed in one on many occaisons. However, last time I stayed at Bally's, I got stuck/cheaped out and stayed in a South Tower Room. Truly depressing.
I also learned the hard way not to hook up two different laptops (wife's/mine) to the internet, as Bally's will charge $15 + PER COMPUTER per day of use. One internet charge is too much: having to pay twice to use the same connection over multiple days is ludicrous. Will never stay or play at Ballys again.
(Yes I complained in writing to their customer service department and quoted their internet service policy that clearly stated that it was room charge not a per computer charge. I still didn't get my money back!)
brandon responded on Monday, 16th January 2012
my gripe is tied to the best hotel win. dont get me wrong, i think its a awesome addition to the strip and we always end up visiting cosmo, but when we stayed there, check in was a beast, when we have eaten there, even though the food is very good its just loud everywhere. we also saw some room service sitting outside a room by ours for 24hours. i know it sounds nit picky as shit, but i think cosmo is winning a best hotel award for just good bars and balconys. who knows, maybe i just feel like bitching, the more i write this, the more i feel like a nag on tripadvisor, my bad!
Drake responded on Tuesday, 17th January 2012
Great job Chuck! Thanks for all the hard work you put in here.
Oskee2001 responded on Tuesday, 17th January 2012
Also don't know that I agree with Cosmo being best overall. They are very good at a lot of things (bars, clubs, ambience, dining), but best overall? not sure about that. For one their casino is cramped and good luck finding blackjack tables for less than $50 a hand on weekends.
But my biggest gripe is the Peppermill for best dining overall. Seriously? That place hasn't been relevant since the 80s. Fun place to hang out and drink, but not sure i'd say its the best dining overall. In a town with so many better dining options, I can't believe the Peppermill is what gets voted.
saharalv responded on Tuesday, 17th January 2012
This Cosmo thang is getting quite controversial!
I guess if you don't think it's "the best" then you are in the minority, at least according to the Trippies results.
I think it's funny that people complain that "it's loud". Vegas IS loud. If you want quiet, go to the Encore casino (heyooooo!).
I am starting to think that the Cosmo is the epitome of the New Direction in Vegas. I am willing to bet that most people stay there because they think it's "hip", it has great restaurants, good nightlife and offers fab views. Sounds like any other vacation spot. But it doesn't sound like Vegas. To me, the casino is an afterthought. With the $$ that the casinos are pulling in on the clubs and celebrity chefs, I think that the Cosmo is the sign of things to come. See what happens if they start showing some major profits anytime soon.
TIavEN responded on Tuesday, 17th January 2012
Thanks a lot for doing this, Chuck! I'm really surprised by the amount of positive feedback Cosmo got on the Trippies...the poor service and rather discriminating atmosphere would suggest otherwise. My loyalties still remain to Wynn and Aria, but I do enjoy Cosmo every once in a while.
HedgedBettor responded on Tuesday, 17th January 2012
Allow me to join the army questioning the Cosmo and especially the Peppermill. I mean, the Peppermill?? In a town full of amazing, amazing restaurants the plurality picked a coffee shop with neon?
/foodsnob
bigdaddyj replied on Tuesday, 17th January 2012
^+1.
If the plurality of voters on this site picked Peppermill as the best restaurant, should any of us be surprised that the Cosmo got picked as #1?
I think the results of the voting this year more than ever reveal that the majority of visitors on this site are not the die-hard old-school Vegas visitors who like to gamble, but the new school hipsters who are more concerned with clubs & obsessed with "design"...otherwise, there's no way a place with such a bad gambling vibe & horrible customer service (particularly on the casino/hosting level) could possibly ever win best overall...best rooms? If terraces are your thing, sure, I guess...though personally not a big fan of Cosmo's room selections overall...best dining? Absolutely could see this one, they've got a great stable of restaurants over there...Best nightlife (or whatever)? Not a clubber, to me they all suck, but sure, I'll go with that...but best overall? If we're judging Vegas resorts, I'd like to think the gambling & the customer service still matter, and on those counts the Cosmo rates a big fail...
Hell, even though I've been vocal in my displeasure with the direction Wynncore has gone over the last year or two, I can still see the logic how it could be considered "best overall", even if the vibe has changed a bit and the restaurants aren't as good as they used to be, there's still some great ones there (Bartolotta, SW, Country Club), the hotel portion is still top-notch, and the casino(s) staff & vibe are still some of the best in town (At least when the clubbers aren't hanging all over the tables not gambling or, even worse, acting like drunken loudmouths while hitting 17's in the anchor seat at the blackjack table)...but that's what makes a best overall, a whole package where altogether all the parts are at least good, some great...not a place where some aspects are great and other aspects are a complete fail, and in the case of Cosmo, the aspect that fails is what many still consider to be the most important aspect of all in Vegas, and that is the gambling...
levans responded on Tuesday, 17th January 2012
I have never been in the Peppermill since everyone I know who has been there gave me less than an enthusiastic review of the place. I think I will try the place to see if they are right.
vinnievegas replied on Wednesday, 18th January 2012
Go to the Peppermill for the lounge - great place to enjoy some cocktails. I have never ate there, but I do find it hard to believe it could be the "best" with so many other great places in town. Decent food, huge portions seem to be the majority of reviews I have seen about the place.
saharalv replied on Wednesday, 18th January 2012
The Fireside Lounge is the real draw of the Peppermill. There is nothing like that spot in Vegas. Besides the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, I cannot think of a more unique place in these parts.
brandon responded on Wednesday, 18th January 2012
I agree with all of the peppermil comments. When my wife and I went they goofed up our order. Dont get me wrong, the place is nice, but it reminds me of a nice local breakfest spot that we all have in our hometown-minus the big ass drinks. Yes the servings are big and decent, but when I go there in the morning I dont really consider the lounge when im thinking about reviewing it. But I do think service there is very good even with the order mess up we had and I think that makes up for alot. I guess I have a tough time giving any food award to mainly a breakfest spot.
BillDonovan responded on Wednesday, 18th January 2012
Love the Trippie Awards. Thanks for doing these.
Am sure this has been suggested before, as we have only been viewing this site for the last few years.
But for single guys going to Vegas, these are the things that we evaluate most when trying to decide what resort to go, where to stay:
- best sportsbook
- best beer on tap
- best singles bar to meet women
- best good looking cocktail waitresses
- best stripper bar
Maybe a Sin category could be part of the trippies. It is called Sin City for a reason. cheers,
Chuckmonster replied on Wednesday, 18th January 2012
we had 'best sportsbook' 'best place to get laid' and 'best looking waitress outfits' in previous years but the low or diminishing number of votes in those categories didn't justify keeping them in the list.
See the previous awards and categories here: http://www.vegastripping.com/trippies
MinVegas replied on Wednesday, 18th January 2012
Problem with categories like these is they're pretty much locked into the male perspective, and I'd bet that VT increases it's female readership every year.
MinVegas responded on Wednesday, 18th January 2012
Most Improved: Aria?
Really?
It's the same place it was in 2010, just the room rates are higher. I think some Cosmopolitan-induced stockholm syndrome has taken over at Chuck's baseme--I mean, the VT offices.
blackjacker1979 replied on Wednesday, 18th January 2012
I think you should really take a good long look at the property as a whole since it opened. I stayed opening weekend, then consistently since then. I can say without a doubt that the property has improved tenfold since.
New signage, improvements to the casino to make gaming a bit more attractive, improvement to menu and dining options, and general tweaking of the property have been going on since day 1. The result is without a doubt a property that is only second to Bellagio in MGM's portfolio. And you can still snag a room there for a very affordable rate.
I think all of us in Chuck's basement agree on this, not to mention Chuck himself.
StudiodeKadent replied on Thursday, 19th January 2012
I've had great times at Aria, but I actually think one of the changes hasn't been an improvement... specifically, the brighter lighting. I LIKED that Aria was dark and suave and mysterious.
That said, I think the signage change helped somewhat, since it fits into the Aria color scheme (Brown/Silver + Gold, Purple, Blue). Still, yeah, I wish they'd dim the lights just a little. Then again, that's me.
Wrinklebottom responded on Wednesday, 18th January 2012
Peppermill is where all the drunkass brahs & Hos who are staying four to a room at Wynncore for the clubs but are too cheap to pay to eat in any of Wynncores restaurants stumble to in the morning for Jersey diner comfort food to make them feel like theyre back in their homeland after a day at EBC & a night at XS or Surrender.
Vice43 responded on Monday, 30th January 2012
I thought the food at Central was very good. However, the prices were insane for what you got. $23 for two fried chicken breasts over some mashed potatos is just too much. Maybe if they threw in a salad and a veggie it would have been worth it.
Vice43 responded on Monday, 30th January 2012
I don't understand why Caesars gets such bad ratings for VP. I can always find decent paytables such as 9/5 DDB. If you want bad VP paytables wander over to the Mirage or Venetian.
moondoggie71 responded on Sunday, 4th March 2012
Best Community is listed as Five Hyundai by Midnight? What happened to Five Hundy as in $500? Five Korean Cars by Midnight?
Chuckmonster replied on Sunday, 4th March 2012
I guess you had to be there.