Vegas News | NoMad at Park MGM Rebrands, The Tavern at Fontainebleau is 24/7, And Bingo Is Back!
Zorkfest came and left Las Vegas in no time! It was great to see familiar faces and meet new people. The crowd was great, and it appeared almost evenly split between casino enthusiasts and those visiting to learn about general travel points and miles. Having been with TravelZork since almost day one, it’s great to […]
Vegas News | Caesars Palace and Flamingo Upgrades, Cosmo Flips To Pickleball And 3 Boring Updates
Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate. If it wasn’t already, it’s officially the holiday season and the most wonderful time of the year! Let’s start this edition of Vegas News with my favorite Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens display of the year. I’m always amazed that this is inside a casino. Read about it here […]
Vegas News | Aria and Cosmopolitan Renovations, Durango Expansion and Remembering Lion’s Share Slots
If you’ve been reading Vegas News regularly, you know that I listen to earnings calls to A) find out official news about what’s being planned for casinos and B) try to understand the mindset of a casino corporation. Casino earnings season started last week, but the most telling quote came earlier this week when MGM’s […]
Vegas News | Bally’s Has A Plan, Free Music Festival and More Cheap Gambling!
Before diving into the various Vegas News items over the past couple of weeks, I’m curious if anyone in the TravelZork fam took advantage of the big 5-Day Sale by the LVCVA. The deals weren’t great to me, and I’m curious if anything stood out to anyone. On a related note, the casino earnings season […]
Vegas News | All-Net 2.0 Moves Forward And Jimbo’s Back!
We’re well into the holiday season in Las Vegas. I hope to check out the Fontainebleau ice rink above next week. You can get a rundown of New Year’s Eve fireworks, shows, and parties from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority here. Pro-tip: The Vegas Strip is a blast on New Year’s Eve but […]
Vegas News | It’s the Holiday Season, F1 Wrapup, Plenty Of Dining And Show Info
Hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Hopefully, this edition of Vegas News will give you some entertainment while dealing with Black Friday sales, Small Business Saturday, or whatever you’re up to. Holiday weeks are typically a little slow on news but that’s ok, we have two weeks of news for ya! On top […]
Vegas News | Room Renovations, Go Karting And Swingers On The Vegas Strip And RIP Mr. Piffles
ZorkFest was a blast but now it’s back to the semi-regular Vegas News column. This week will be a mega-Vegas News catch-up. Buckle up, it’s been a while! Casino earnings We’re going to start with a quick recap of casino earnings. If the numbers bore you just read this and move down. The biggest news […]
Vegas Hits And Misses
Las Vegas is always changing. Some ideas work and some don’t. That’s one of the reasons why visiting Las Vegas regularly is appealing to so many people. There’s always something new to see or do. At the same time, many visitors find the things they like and continue to enjoy them. Chain restaurants and bars […]
Vegas News | BTS Invades Las Vegas And Botox Comps At A Casino?
We’re going to open today with a short tale of a low-mid roller (me) enjoying the casino fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. The past year of comps reminds me of getting the most out of the last great recession in the late 2000s.
Vegas News | Imploding The Tropicana And Mirage (Volcano), Adele Bails On Vegas, And A Virgin Resort Fee
Vegas 2022 – This year has gotten off to a strange start. Las Vegas is trying to get back to normal but it’s not quite there yet. Yes, this is annoying but the things we love about Las Vegas are still there – mostly.
Vegas News | New Caesars Taking Shape And “Imploding The Mirage In 2022” – The Killers
Vegas News is going to be a bit different this week. I spent most of the past five days on the Vegas Strip. My stay was for fun and work so I visited multiple casinos. When visiting Caesars properties I saw a lot of transformation (“New Caesars”) we’ve been discussing over the past year or so. When going through my weekly news blurbs it looks like I’m not the only one to see what’s happening.
Vegas News | Everything Is Back in Vegas, Pod Over + Resorts World Hilton Room Tour
Every week there’s something new to report about the Great Vegas Comeback (™). Things in Las Vegas are almost back to pre-COVID days. Clark County is removing all COVID restrictions on June 1. Las Vegas will essentially be operating at the same capacity of February 2020. It is worth repeating: Everything Is Back in Vegas.
Vegas News | Vegas Visitation Jumping and Virgin Opening
It is pretty fair to say that Vegas Visitation is jumping. It’s been a while since there’s been a supply and demand problem for visitors in Las Vegas, but here we are. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Association Executive Summary, visitation in February was up almost 19% from January. That should increase even more when March figures are released.
Vegas News | More Casino Openings, Higher Capacity Limits and Vegas Is Starting To Look Like Vegas Again
Before we start to celebrate and discuss Vegas higher capacity limits, you may have noticed that I’ve been taking advantage of monthly offers to enjoy a couple of complimentary nights at the Cosmopolitan. My visits have remained mostly the same. I’ve been spending most of the time inside the room.
Vegas News | Short Pouring Just Before Pool Season
This week Vital Vegas tipped us off to The Linq short pouring mixed drinks. This is useful to prep for future casino visits. A few years ago I wrote about the unintended consequences of drink monitoring systems at casino bars in Las Vegas. I don’t mind the practice because I usually play fast enough to not worry about getting complimentary drinks.
Vegas News | Reopening Continues
Vegas News June 14, 2020Vegas Reopening Continues Vegas Reopening Continues – The Sunday (TravelZork) Vegas News has required a lot of preamble over the past month or so to make sure that we’re sharing all of the information correctly. Hopefully, we accomplished that. I think we’re finally at the point where there’s plenty of news […]
Vegas News | Tropicana, M life Changes, Rumors and More
I’m always in awe of Las Vegas. There’s so much happening. There’s also a lot that’s almost happening. This week we’ll touch on both ends of the spectrum without even mentioning the possibility of All Net Arena being built or the Virgin train.
Vegas Vacation Observations
This year my summer break was a week on the Vegas Strip at Harrah’s. Usually, when I visit the Vegas Strip it’s for a meeting or checking out something specific. This Vegas vacation is especially fun because I spend the entire week (mostly) on the Vegas Strip like a tourist without a plan.
Vegas News | Cosmopolitan Gives, Circa Progresses and Downtown Grand Upgrades
I love this first bit of news in Las Vegas so much that I’m skipping the intro. If you’re not aware, I’ve had a crush on the Cosmopolitan for years. You’ll see in my vacation roundup when it’s posted. Here’s another reason to love the home to my favorite bar on the Vegas Strip. The […]
Vegas News | MGM 2020, Majestic, and A Million Dollar Football Contest
Lots of Vegas News — including: MGM 2020, Majestic, A Million Dollar Football Contest, Quick Hits, Rumors and all the Vegas Scoop!
Vegas News | Cosmopolitan On The Market, Caesars May Be and A Drew Delayed
When I was thinking of a fun way to summarize the Vegas News this week a lyric from the band Thursday came to mind. “It starts and stops and starts and stops again” is basically how the casino industry has been operating for the past few weeks…actually years. Have a look.
Vegas Dreams | Failed Las Vegas Projects
There were so many renovation and expansions of existing casinos that never got off the ground. It’s fun to take a stroll around the Las Vegas that never was.
Vegas News | Come For The Casino Drama, Leave With The News
Sometimes corporate drama can be fun. Then there are times when there’s so much casino drama that it overshadows what’s actually happening on the ground. With that in mind, I’m going to start with some corporate drama because it’s interesting and move on to things that might actually impact how you spend time in Las […]
Vegas News | MGM Grand Blowout, Super Bowl Parties and more
News often happens for a reason. Sure there’s news in Las Vegas all year long but there are a few times a year we hear official announcements from large casino companies. MGM Grand Blowout, Super Bowl Parties and all the Vegas scoop!
Vegas News | 18 Fremont Becomes Circa, Airbnb Growing, Downtown Grand Expanding
18 Fremont Becomes Circa – You may have heard that the official name of 18 Fremont is Circa. The new casino being built on the land once occupied by Las Vegas Club, Mermaids, and the unforgettable Glitter Gulch is scheduled to open in December 2020. Lots of Vegas News, Downtown Grand Expanding and all the Vegas scoop!
Vegas New | New Craps at The Linq, Tent at The Strat and Renovations at SLS
Much of the news in Las Vegas for this week comes from the Global Gaming Expo (G2E). The casino business doesn’t entirely stop but it comes close.
Vegas News | Fremont Expanding, Park MGM Singing and Vegas LOL-ing
Boyd Gaming has been doing great business in Las Vegas over the past couple of years. The locals casinos and downtown casinos have been attracting locals and tourists alike. Their earnings call and report for the second quarter was further proof of that.
Vegas News | Taco Bell, Best Casinos and Deals at Caesars
The best of Las Vegas is different for everyone. My best of Las Vegas can be different depending on the time of day. Some casino experiences are best when the sun is out while others are more fun at night.
Vegas News | Much Ado About Caesars News
Caesars news dominates in and around Las Vegas this week. Last week they released an investors presentation and this week they held a meeting with investors at the 2018 Gaming & Lodging Conference.
Vegas News | Lego Las Vegas, Virgin, Sports Betting and More
The biggest news involving Las Vegas this week comes from another country (at least that’s what wikipedia says). The brand new LEGO Architecture Las Vegas is available to purchase on Amazon.
Vegas News | More Fees, Vegas Hacked, and Tea at The Waldorf Vegas
This was a rather interesting week in Las Vegas. There wasn’t as much major news as last week but there is a lot to know.
Vegas News | Mostly Casino Biz + Target On The Vegas Strip
Vegas News | We just finished a rather insane news week in Las Vegas. The quarterly earnings calls always offer insight into how casino corporations operate.
Vegas News | Exploring, Building and Loose Slots
One of the many benefits of living in Las Vegas is the ability to explore the different casinos whenever the mood strikes. Visiting and exploring casinos isn’t the same thing.
Vegas News | Hold On To Your Hat, Vegas Is About To Get Extreme!
There’s not much better than a week in Las Vegas without work. My summer Vegas vacation was really without a major flaw. Even gambling on the Vegas Strip wasn’t as awful as it’s been in the past. I’ll share some observations about Las Vegas over the next few weeks but today is for the Vegas News.
Vegas News | Park MGM Updates And Maybe A Delayed Virgin (Hotel)
Restaurant Week in Las Vegas is fantastic so I want to start with a reminder that it continues through at least June 29. Comp Drinks At Park MGM, Sounds Like There Might Be A Virgin Delay, Comp Drinks At Park MGM and much more Vegas scoop!
Vegas News | Plans, Rumors and a Sock Store
You may have noticed that we made an emergency news post during the week. We didn’t think that the news about 18 Fremont and Wynn Paradise Park plans should wait until Sunday. Having said that this news post will be a little shorter than some others.
Vegas News | March And Madness!
I try to keep my love of sports to a minimum for Vegas News. I know that not everyone who loves Las Vegas has the same passion for sitting in a sportsbook that I have. However, we need to begin with a little sports talk.
Skip The Strip To Save During March Madness In Vegas
The first weekend of March Madness is one of the best times of the year to be in Las Vegas. The long weekend of fun begins on Thursday, March 15, with 16 basketball games. However, there are some viewing options that offer a great viewings experience for little to no cost.
Vegas News | Parking, Slot Machines and Horses Oh My!
Happy Super Bowl Sunday! We haven’t missed a Sunday news post since starting. I’ve taken time out from vacation to write news while sitting at a bar drinking coffee. The streak will continue albeit a bit more brief than usual. Unfortunately, it appears as though the sick bug has caught me. Let’s get to it because this past week in Las Vegas was sort of all over the place.
Vegas News | Monte Carlo Sports Book Moving And Fortune Cup Should Be In More Casinos Soon
This is another big week for news in Las Vegas but I want to begin with something you can only do today in Las Vegas. First of all, you’re living life right if you’re on vacation and reading this to start your day.
Trip Report | Las Vegas Winter Vacation
Trip Report | Las Vegas Winter Vacation — I’ve been vacationing in Las Vegas during December almost every year since I turned 21. The trip has gone through many iterations since it started. I’m happy that the “December Trip” still exists with the same group even though I’m living in Las Vegas.
Vegas News | There’s Always Something New
Vegas News | There’s Always Something New – All the Vegas News and scoop every week at TravelZork.
Unintended Consequences | Casino Drink Monitoring
My feelings on the casino drink monitoring systems at the Cosmopolitan, Caesars Entertainment, and MGM Resorts International casino bars are mixed. I generally don’t mind the systems, especially at the Cosmopolitan, but I’m not entirely happy they have to exist.
Vegas News | More Casino Renovations, Name a Soccer Team and More
More Casino Renovations, Name a Soccer Team and More. Be sure to visit TravelZork every week for the latest travel and Vegas News!
Blackjack and Brews At The Linq Las Vegas
If I am at The Linq and someone wants to play low limits blackjack and won’t go to another casino, I’d steer them to the pit that offers better beer. At least I’m getting good suds and more alcohol with each drink than I would in the rest of the casino.
Vegas News | Park MGM, Boyd Gaming Crushing, Free Show By The Killers And More
Park MGM, Boyd Gaming Crushing, Free Show By The Killers + much much more. Count on TravelZork every week for all the Vegas News!
Vegas News | Caesars, Cosmopolitan, And Resorts World Making Moves
May has been a busy month for the corporate entity Caesars Entertainment. You can see all of the press releases here but I’ll try to share the interesting information in easily digestible bites. Let’s roll!
Vegas News | There’s A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On
I usually go into the weekend with one or two pages of notes with the Las Vegas news. There are three pages of fun today. There’s a lot of information this week, so buckle up! I’ll try to keep everything short, sweet and easy to read.
Vegas News | Las Vegas Sports World, Pac-Man Slots, Money And More
I thought that following up all of the news and rumors from last week is going to be difficult. There’s so much happening in Las Vegas that I actually had to break out a section because the article would have been impossible to read. I probably should have done that today, but I didn’t. There’s a lot happening in the Las Vegas sports world, so let’s start there.
Sometimes Ya Just Need A Hot Bowl Of Matzo Ball Soup…In Las Vegas
On this awful day that picks me up came in the form of a hug from a delicious bowl of Matzo Ball soup at Siegel’s 1941 inside El Cortez. This was the first time I visited the new restaurant so I was hoping that the soup was the hug I wanted. Thankfully, it was as good, if not better, than any Matzo Ball soup I’ve had in Las Vegas
March Madness In Vegas Is Fantastic
The first weekend of March Madness is one of the best weekends of the year in Las Vegas for a sports fan. If you’ve graduated from college recently, it’s probably the very best weekend of the year in Las Vegas
Vegas News | Big Rooster, New Restaurants, Las Vegas Business and More
It’s the Year of the Rooster! The Palazzo decked out their atrium to celebrate the Chinese New Year. This big guy is huge and quite a sight. I prefer the display from the previous Year of the Rooster display.
Vegas News | Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! The last week of the year is traditionally the busiest of the year in Las Vegas. Officials expect that there were somewhere between 300,000 and 350,000 people on the Vegas Strip celebrating the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017. News and visitation don’t usually meet together. Even though there were a lot of people in Las Vegas, there wasn’t too much news looking forward into the new year.
Vegas News | New Restaurants, Fees And Maybe The Walking Dead
Las Vegas has evolved in ways that you would have never expected 10 years ago. Restaurants and dining are now generating almost the same amount of revenue for casino operators as gaming. Today, the action in Las Vegas takes place in more locations than just casinos.
Testing Caesars Comp Drink Monitoring System In Las Vegas
Caesars Comp Drink Monitoring I recently met up with a friend who was staying at The Linq and wanted to watch football. After checking into the hotel we didn’t get out to catch the games until noon or so. This was when the 2nd half of most of the early games were beginning. The second half […]
Long Live The Appetizer! 3 Great Apps In Las Vegas
Appetizers are the great equalizer when you’re looking to save money but eat quality food when dining in Las Vegas. A single appetizer can often be filling enough for one person. Likewise, appetizers are usually large enough to share. They’re the perfect size for flexible dining. Many times these dishes are as filling as a main […]
Sunday News | Holiday Edition With Mostly Vegas Hotel News
There was a lot of hotel news last week but not all of it is relevant to your visits to Las Vegas. With that in mind, let’s start with the hotel news that actually matters in the near future. When the Blackstone Group purchased the Cosmopolitan in 2014, they detailed very specific plans to turn around the casino which didn’t have a profitable quarter since opening.
Sunday News | From Corporate Speak To Sharknado 4
This week’s Sunday News takes you from MGM Resorts International and the latest Wynn Resorts stories to the important things in life like Sharknado.
A Walk Through The Park Las Vegas
..And with this anchor as the grand plan, The Park was born, and on my recent trip to Vegas during a severe bought with the hangover demon, I got to explore this little piece of open space nestled between New York New York and the Monte Carlo..
Are You Ready For The Next Sigma Derby?
The love for Sigma Derby will never cease to amaze me. The jittery electro-mechanical horse racing game is only available in two Las Vegas casinos but has an amazing cult following. The following of Sigma Derby is both fascinating and understandable
Las Vegas | MGM Resorts International easyPLAY® Pushes Gaming Forward
MGM Resorts’ EasyPlay takes mobile wagering another step forward and is one of the ways traditional casino gaming is evolving.
Sunday News | Booms, Britney and News From All Over Town (Vegas)
Before heading into Las Vegas news, I want to take a minute to wish my father, Joe, and all the other dads a Happy Father’s day. Summer begins this week and that means temperatures in Las Vegas will be rising. An Excessive Heat Warning actually starts tonight and continues until at least Wednesday. Temperatures will […]
Sunday News | Lucky Dragon To Open, Flamingo May Get Makeover, The Linq Gets Bunky And More
This was a particularly newsy week in Las Vegas. This is the kind of week that people who constantly crave Las Vegas love. Let’s get to it.
Sunday News | In-N-Out Is Coming To The Las Vegas Strip, The Riviera Gets 2 Implosions And 4 Free Concerts On Fremont Street Revealed
There really isn’t a need for a deep introduction to this week’s Sunday News. There was only one piece of news out of Las Vegas that matters. Well, at least, it seems that way. First, Ikea announces that Las Vegas will be getting its first store, then it’s announced that Las Vegas is getting 2 Cracker […]
Las Vegas | Sunday News | The Strip North End’s Possible Developments
Welcome to the first week of a new Sunday column at TravelZork. This will be a synopsis and analysis of recent news, rumors, openings and closings in Las Vegas. This column won’t cover everything in Las Vegas but will analyze and speculate about some of the bigger bits of news we see or hear about. North […]
Las Vegas | How Casinos Are Reacting To Revenue Trends
How Casinos Are Reacting To Revenue Trends The UNLV Center For Gaming Research recently released a report looking at historical departmental revenue in Nevada casinos. The report shows annual revenue trends in casino-resorts from gaming, hotel rooms, food, beverage and other (shows, retail, etc.) from 1984 through 2015 by dollar and percentage of revenue. The report […]
Casino Review | Let’s Take A Closer Look At The Linq
Linq Las Vegas Casino Despite its lack of an overt 1980’s theme and overly simple logo, The Linq casino is really unlike most that you’ll find in Las Vegas. Remember, this is a casino-hotel designed specifically with millennial casino customers in mind. Creating a property for younger customers while still satisfying the older core customer […]
Hotel Review | Deluxe Room At The Linq Hotel
Deluxe Room At Linq Las Vegas Hotel Even though I live in Las Vegas now I still take my annual winter vacation on the Vegas Strip. This vacation usually means minimal work and lots of fun. This vacation was once again a success. The original plans for this vacation had half of the group staying at […]