My main gripe nowadays are these stupid ac units that don’t really get that cold. We typically sleep wh the temp down to 68 and I sweet this thing doesn’t go below 72. I know it’s summer and 100° out. It argh!
That’s all. End rant lol
Back again from another fun weekend!
We've been going to Vegas a bit this year, rooms are cheap and the times are fun. As such we've been doing more than just drinking/gambling and I'd like to share some of my recent experiences.
Hotel - COSMO
Check in- there is no MGM "invited guest" line at Cosmo like there is at Aria ( mgm credit card holders and higher tier checkin (excluding noir).. they have a Marriott platinum or whatver line.. so we ended up waiting in the general line- about 20 people.. they had 6-7 check in desks open tho... the only room they had ready was a very low floor, lady suggested we wait for a higher room and she gave me a fountain view. - went to the bar to get $ to come back to tip her and she was gone!
Cosmo, like Aria is starting to show its age. I booked the cheapest room there (no balcony) BUT it was fountain facing... now I will say, last year we had a city/mountain view in the summer with a balcony and it if you know Vegas, peak heat hits around 3/4pm... so our room was COOKING AND if you know the A/C's in these rooms dont always feel like they go down to where they say... (this has always baffled me)... so in hindsight, while we didnt have a balcony, we escaped the heat! So that was nice.. i jsut wish these rooms had bigger windows.
Room was decent, nice big shower, it was kinda dimly lit but it was fine oh and an extra fridge.. this was a nice touch.
Amenities
We went to the gym here and while it was nice'ish, it too was a little dark... no view (unlike the Aria which has a TON of natural light and is adjacent to the pool)
Aria gym feels like a true resort, blows cosmos out of the water IMO. My wife went in to work out the next day and one of the New Kids on the Block was in there working out! She was pumped about that.
We skipped the pool this time because, honestly there's really no reprieve from the sun compared to the Aira pool which is nicely lined wth trees. The non-party Chelsea pool on the 14th floor is kind small.. and the other choice was Marquee/Boulevard Pool
Gaming
Good selection of slots and tables per usual. High Limit room is still under construction. They actually have TWO sections of HL slots, one in room adjacent to the HL Card games.. and one up in the Talon Club ( i think its upstairs somewhere near elevators) but more high limit slots (old three reels are found there also)
We went to the KNOTB concert at Park MGM.. wife was a big fan and we found super cheap tickets.. they put on a great show.. LOTS of women in there so that was nice lol.. I'm along for the fun.
TLDR
Cosmo still delivers with the party vibe and people watching, food is all top notch. Rooms are starting to show age but the views are unmatched ... for. a more resort like experience, we prefer the Aria.
We still like drinking/gaming at the Cosmo but will be staying at the Aria come next trip, all things considered.
this is one of those half windows, where it doesnt go all the way across OR down.
$40 tickets for KNOTB at Park MGM
View from the room.. Chelsea Tower, no balcony fountain view..
We used to go there almost every time we stayed and it seems to be about the time they shut down the show OPM, that the restaurant was kinda undergoing some changes in our experience wasn't that great. That was probably a couple years ago. We haven't really been back since instead of we have been going to Best Friend over at Park MGM and China Poblano, curious to know if anyone has been there recently and if so, what their experience has been like?
bonus pic of Elvis shooting dice LOL saw this guy earlier at Caesars ... he gets around!
I have never participated in an IPO of any sorts even as an institutional investor, but these next few weeks will be a case study IMO... forget the world cup! lol
Maybe this is known, but I've been going to Vegas for 20 years now, we LOVE it.. always have a good time to just let loose...
We typically fly and so this last time we drove and I've been really into fitness and working out so I thought to myself to bring my insulated water bottle - you know the metal types.
Before bed each night, i filled it with ice and water ... and LET ME TELL YOU.. when you wake up in the middle of the night after drinking and being at the pool all day... that ice cold water hits like no other.. my god!
I cant believe its taken me this long to realize, but I will never go to Vegas without my water bottle from now on! LOL
some pix for posterity
We usually stay at Aria and have for many years. This trip, had a really good, different experience.
Checking In
For starters, I always try the $20 trick - its the first bet I place when I arrive. I'm only Pearl because I have the MGM credit card, and I'm not a huge gambler (1k bankroll for the weekend), but I am rather loyal to the property. Upon checking there were no 'complimentary' upgrades, but the lady did get me a higher floor and i wanted something decently close to the elevator cause those hallways can be loooong .. she also gave me a $40 resort credit... so that was a W
Resort
Aria is definitely showing its age, the padded walls in the elevator banks starting to puff out, the dark wood accents wearing..bathroom sink had oddly low water pressure - odd... even then, the bed was SUPER comfortable as always, view of the city was amazing, especially during sunset- it looked like a painting.
Pool
First time ever going to the pool here and we REALLY enjoyed it - drinks were oddly enough reasonably priced, i think we paid $27 for a miami vice.
There are three sizes, 12/16/32 - only the 16 comes in the aluminum cup.. pro tip after consulting with chatgpt- put the plastic cup in the aluminum and it is kinda insulated.. in the summer heat this will save your drink - we had a caesar salad added chicken and fries- the fries $10 came in a huge container.. almost too much to finish
Gym
Never in my 20 years of going to the strip have I considered working out...lol we go to Equinox at home but the gym here is SO NICE.. wow.. Pro Tip - Do not make the mistake of going ot the cardio room on your way TO the gym or fitness center as they call it.. the cardio room is sad..literally a closet with no windows..
Night Activities/Food
We watched Michael Jackson One - AMAZING show (Mandalay Bay)
Ate at Eatly and had a really good lunch here and at Best Friend ( this place is tied wh my fav spot China Poblano) Park MGM
Anyway, wanted to share a different report on this resort cause it was so much more than I had expected... enjoy!!
add'l pro tip- i brought a refillable water bottle with me.. before bed id fill it with water and ice and we all know that feeling of waking up and takign a sip of water after drinking and being in the sun all day.. WHAT A GAME CHANGER - i will NEVER visit vegas again without a water bottle lol
View from my dads room at Caesars was better lol
* EDIT * we did have a fking barking dog next to us... I love my dogs more than anything, i got a freaking tattoo of my dog on my chest -BUT i would NEVER bring them to vegas... Wife handled this by calling the front desk multipl times.. dogs stopped but it took until the next day.. Front desk removed all resort fees so that was a nice savings @ $55/day!!
Just got back from a trip and couldnt hit jack shit (not my first rodeo ) this is actually my 4th trip this year for one reason or another.
I'm going to change my strategy for my baby bankroll this up-coming trip.. I'm just gonna go $30/spin on either Pinball or Top Dollar (the older the cabinet the better) and only play in HL rooms..
Instead of feeding these machines a bunch of $, I'm going for a boom/bust approach...
$150 - $30 spins on a $10 x 3 credit machine = 5 spins... smack it 5x and walk away lol idk what this is gonna do to my comps but who cares i dont gamble that much, most of my $ is on site eating/drinking/shows...Maybe 1k/trip for the entire weekend.
Was also thinking $25 x 2 credits = $50/spin - thats only 3 spins haha maybe thats the thing to do.
I know thats not even enough time to get a " free drink" but if nothing else, I'll use the nice bathroom in the HL room haha ...
Obviously there's no rationale for playing longer when a bonus doesnt hit, so knowing its all RNG, instead of 'its gotta hit soon' gamblers fallacy, set a limit, be prepared to blow it lol
boom or bust
this is a fun bonus to get when it hits- but I'm going back to 3-reels
this ended up being $400 5¢ denom.
