Vegas News | Brothel Tours, Bellagio Changes, Free Booze At Golden Gate, And More!

Five times a year, I lead Vegas News with details about the newest display at the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden. As usual, the fall display is my least favorite. It’s beautiful as always, but not my preference. Christmas is my favorite if you’re curious. See pics below and read about it here. The process […]
Vegas News | M Resort Ahead Of Schedule, Bazaar Opens At Palazzo, And Deals-A-Plenty

M Resort is ahead of schedule with construction on its new hotel tower, and it will be open on Dec. 1. Yes, that’s in time for ZorkFest on Dec. 5. They’re also adding a restaurant from Emeril. BAM! See renderings below and read more here. Caesars has a $300 midweek deal that includes 2 room […]
Vegas News | Mirage Auctions Art, Golden Gate Dumps Human Dealers, And New Vegas!

The biggest Vegas News over the past couple of weeks has to be Hard Rock putting more than 300 art pieces from the Mirage on the auction block. The online part is underway with the live auction on September 20 at 10:00 a.m. PDT. You can see the full list of Mirage auction items here. […]
Vegas News | Chesney Coming To Sphere, MGM Grand Confirms New Rooms, And Circus Circus On The Market

The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden switched to its Lunar New Year display. It’s beautiful as usual although it looks more like Year of the Panda than Year of the Snake. Read more here and see pics below. You knew that MGM Grand was renovating its rooms since we shared it last year. They finally […]
Vegas News | The Venetian Goes Hyatt, Manilow For Life, And Plenty Of New Restaurants

Welcome to the first Vegas News of 2025! Growing up in New York City I was led to believe that Times Square is the best and only place to party on New Year’s Eve. I did it once and learned that it’s just not for me. I visited the Vegas Strip once for New Year’s […]
Vegas News | Swingers Opening, Resorts World Complaints, And Poolside Craps At Fontainebleau

The BetMGM App now allows players to use the same app and funds anywhere the app is legal in the US. Until this week, this was available everywhere except Nevada. This is a great feature but all players must sign up for new accounts in person at an MGM sportsbook due to Nevada gaming regulations. […]
Vegas News | Peppermill Closing, Celine Returning To Las Vegas, And The Cosmopolitan Finally Becoming Part Of MGM Rewards

We all know The Mirage is closed. I would love it if people stopped asking if Hard Rock is Imploding The Mirage. We all know that’s just a Killers song, right? PEPPERMILL IS CLOSING! The restaurant is closing for maintenance from Aug. 11 – Aug. 17. You can see the info here. TMZ says Celine Dion […]
Am I The Only Person With Mixed Emotions About The Mirage Closing?

The Mirage closed its doors for good this week and there have been many people mourning the loss. I feel strange because I’m not mourning the loss of The Mirage. I’m a moody person with big swings. This week the swings went from emotional to emotionless. I’ve had strong feelings about The Mirage closing for […]
Vegas News | The Mirage Closing Next Week, Trop Readies The Boom And Great Happy Hour At Palms

I visited The Mirage for the last time this week, before the Mirage Closing next week. I’ve had so many great memories at The Mirage but those ended before Hard Rock International purchased the casino from MGM Resorts. The property has felt dark and dingy for the past few years. The Mirage needs some TLC […]
Vegas News | The Mirage Closing! The Cosmopolitan Moving! (Games) And Hot Noods!

Hard Rock / Mirage Guitar Stuff We’ll get to Hot Noods in a moment, but first…..the sale of The Mirage to Hard Rock started in 2021 and was closed in 2022. In May 2024, the company finally announced its timeline to close, renovate and reopen. Read the press release here. I love that Hard Rock […]
Vegas News | Taxi Price Increase, July 4 Fireworks And The Golden Knights Win The Stanley Cup!

Welcome to a very special birthday edition of Vegas News! This one will be a doozy since it covers most of June and previews a little bit of July.
Vegas News | Fontainebleau Room Preview, Plaza Carousel Bar Opens And Spice Girls Tribute Is Coming To Excalibur

I like to change the format of Vegas News every now and again. This week will be all Quick Hits-style with a bunch of embedded tweets with pictures for visual interest. Also, pay close attention to the Fontainebleau Room Preview, which is making this new casino resort seem “more real.”
Vegas News | Hard Rock Guitar Approved, Dream On Hold, And The Plaza Looks Different

The biggest news in Las Vegas surrounds The Mirage/Hard Rock. Clark County approved Hard Rock’s (Hard Rock Las Vegas) plans to build a guitar-shaped hotel tower in front of the existing property.
Vegas News | Casino Earnings, New Places To Gamble And MSG Sphere Touts Opening + U2 Shows

The casino biz was abuzz with casino earnings last week, with MGM Resorts, Red Rock, and Wynn reporting. As expected, all had very good financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year in 2022.
Vegas News | All About That Hard Rock Guitar Hotel, Expanded Casino And Museum

Last week in Las Vegas was a blur. This week will be as well, but that’s a story for another day… Hard Rock International was in front of the NGCB looking for a recommendation for the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) to approve the company to take over operations of the Mirage.
Vegas News | Vegas F1 Room Rates Are Through The Roof And MGM + Caesars Post Earnings

This was a fun news week in Las Vegas. Between the Las Vegas Grand Prix and casino earnings, there was a lot happening. Add that to the mix of a normal week of Vegas News and you have a busy week.
Vegas News | New Casino Games, The Venetian Is Changing And Bally’s Opens An Arcade

The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) blew through Las Vegas this week. As always, it was a fun time seeing new games, meeting new people, and connecting with others I don’t see very often.
Vegas News | New Players Club At Tropicana And Sahara And Maybe MGM Should Keep Cosmo Marriott Deal

The autumn display at the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is up. While beautiful, this is probably my least favorite every year. Tropicana has a new rewards program. This is not currently connected with Bally’s casinos around the country.
Vegas News | Las Vegas Earnings Season: Caesars Not Selling A Casino And MGM Giddy About F1 Revenue Next Year

We’re going to start the Vegas News by looking at casino earnings. Both Caesars and MGM Resorts released their information last week.
Vegas News | Vegas Monsoon And Earnings Season Underway!

Rain in Las Vegas is weird. It barely rains most of the year except in July and early August. When it rains, it’s a lot.
Vegas News | Plaza Updates, Vegas Vickie NFTs And Free Sigma Derby Shirts!

Vegas NFT ?? Circa has a Vegas Vickie NFT collection. The Plaza is making some changes to the historic downtown Las Vegas casino. The biggest modification to the property will take place before anyone walks into the casino.
Vegas News | Circus Circus Renovating Now, Hard Rock Debut May Be Delayed Until 2025

Last week I mentioned that I’ve been hearing more grumblings that the transformation of The Mirage to the Hard Rock might take longer than expected. Well, the same source of last week’s information has some specifics from a stock analyst that pretty much confirms this. Not really related, but you might have noticed our headline: Circus Circus Renovating Now? Yes, it looks like they will be renovating Circus Circus.
Vegas News | MGM Closes Deal To Operate Cosmopolitan And Lots Of Sports News

We set up the latest big Vegas News story a week ago with our first Monday Vegas News. MGM Resorts is now operating The Cosmopolitan. Ta-Da!
Vegas News | Sneak Peek At Palms Rewards Program And Inflation Can’t Stop People From Visiting Las Vegas

Nothing new to see here but this is a promo video for the opening of Palms on April 27. I found this while looking for information on the players club (Palms Rewards Program – CLUB SERRANO). Before we get to that, I need to remind myself about the property. Hopefully, it will help keep all of our expectations in check.
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 | Las Vegas F1 Rumors Heating Up And AVN’s Are Returning Next Year

There’s usually something particularly interesting happening in Las Vegas. Besides recovering from the first weekend of March Madness, things were relatively mellow.
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 | Double Wide Holiday Edition Featuring Hard Rock Imploding The Mirage and Palms Opening Soon

It finally happened! Last week was the first time we missed posting a Sunday Vegas News column. Thanks to people visiting Las Vegas and another fantastic ZorkFest we got a little behind schedule.
Vegas News | The Mirage Finally On The Market And Lots Of News From Casino Earnings

The day is finally here! MGM Resorts is finally selling The Mirage. + lots of casino earnings news and scoop!
Vegas News | Vegas Hotel Rates On The Rise and The Mirage May Finally Get Sold

Vegas Hotel Rates On The Rise, Spun Out Of Control, Mirage May Finally Get Sold, and all the Vegas News and Scoop for your week.
Vegas News | To The Moon! + A “big” Cancellation

NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Show was canceled earlier this week. It will return to Las Vegas next April. The cancellation of the broadcasting expo wasn’t much of a surprise, even if it is considered a “big” Vegas Cancellation. Sony and a couple of other large companies had already pulled out of the expo.
Vegas News | Cosmo On The Market, And Lady Gaga and Las Vegas Raiders Have Packages For You

Only a small COVID-19 update for Las Vegas during this long holiday weekend. There are no major changes to COVID-19 protocols when you visit a casino. You still have to wear a mask inside of casinos unless you’re eating, drinking, or smoking. The larger scoop of the week is that Cosmo Vegas is for sale.
Vegas News | Busy July In Las Vegas, Lady Gaga Returning And Robo Puppies At Resorts World

Once again, we’ll start with a quick COVID-19 update since it isn’t going anywhere quickly. Plus it has been a busy July in Las Vegas. Businesses are choosing to give priority to those who are vaccinated against the virus. Last week we told you that the Las Vegas Raiders requiring proof of vaccination for entry to watch games at Allegiant Stadium without a mask. This is a team policy as Allegiant Stadium will allow all guests – vaccinated or not – for other events like the Guns N Roses concert on Friday.
Vegas News | Resorts World Open and So Much More

The big news in Las Vegas this week was the opening of Resorts World Las Vegas. This wasn’t a “grand opening” despite the ribbon-cutting, fireworks, celebrity appearances, and so on. This was a big deal since it’s the first casino built from scratch to open on the Vegas Strip in a decade. Having said that, consider this a “soft opening.”
Vegas News | It’s Hot and Resorts World Goes Cashless

It’s that time of the year again. We’re reminded that Las Vegas can get hot. It’s so hot this year that two daily high-temperature records have already been broken. If you don’t love the topic of Vegas Weather, we have some news about how Resorts World goes cashless.
Vegas News | Openings, Closings, More Of The Same and News!

It’s been a strange week in Las Vegas. Coronavirus numbers are going the wrong way throughout Nevada. You can see the data here—also, Vegas openings, closings, and lots of news for this week.
Vegas News | The Mirage Gets Ready To Open, T-Mobile Selling Tickets Again, Maybe Park MGM Opens For Halloween and More

No major Vegas COVID-19 update again this week. It hasn’t gone anywhere, and casinos remain under the same protocol. Read this if you’re curious about the local bar situation. Layoffs seem like they’re about to hit some non-gaming hotels too. You can always visit the Nevada Independent for Nevada COVID data. Perhaps, our most significant news is that Mirage is ready to open.
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 | Mostly CoronaVegas

Coronavirus is now a national emergency. As you’d imagine, the travel and live entertainment industries are getting crushed since people are trying to stay away from each other. Las Vegas is a vacation and entertainment town and there’s a lot happening…and not happening.
Vegas News | Hard Rock Closing, Vegas is Sustainable, and Lots of Sports News

Sometimes the calendar (and Vegas News) moves so quickly and it takes some time to adjust to. It feels like we were just saying goodbye to 2019. Now we’re just weeks away from the Super Bowl and the year is almost over!
Vegas News | The Calm Before The Storm

Let’s call this week the calm before the storm. It was a relatively quiet week in Las Vegas aside from the Palms Casino Resort drama (details on that shortly). The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) is in just over a week. Casino operators and gaming manufacturers will have lots of news for us around the gaming conference.
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 | Caesars Drama Continues and More

This is a different kind of earnings season for the casino corporations. It’s both boring and intriguing. (Hint: Caesars Drama) + All the Vegas News scoop!
Living the Mlife: An Introduction – MGM M life Rewards Loyalty Program

This is the first in a series that will introduce you to MGM Mlife Rewards Program. How to earn points, how to use points to your advantage, and even some things..
Vegas News | CES Room Rates are Bananas and Lady Gaga Flies into Park MGM

The holidays always make life interesting. Whether the time is spent celebrating with friends and family or working there’s always something out of the norm. I’ll share some of the interesting information I found shortly. Let’s get to the Vegas news.
Vegas News | Waldorf Vegas Goes Boom, NoMad Las Vegas Available, Lucky Dragon No More

More than a few people I know are noticing the increased number of promotions for Caesars that we mentioned last week. I saw comps almost across the board in my Total Rewards app and decided to book a night at Planet Hollywood. I had to shoot some video of the new Block 16 Food Hall at the Cosmopolitan so I figured I’d get a room and work in my room instead of driving back home. Lazy? Sure. Fun? You bet!
Vegas News | Vegas Dining Prices and New Identity at Cosmopolitan

There’s so much talk about fees being out of control in Las Vegas but only one financial issue. There are plenty of price increases happening in Las Vegas beyond the fees.
Vegas News | Full Steam Ahead

I’m always looking forward in life and in Las Vegas. Dealing with the current moment and what’s ahead makes life easier to handle than wallowing in the past.
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.
Vegas News | The Las Vegas Holiday Season Begins

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The Las Vegas Holiday Season is upon us. This week everyone will be eating turkey and in a couple of weeks we’ll all be breaking out our winter clothes and celebrating whatever holiday works for you.
Vegas News | Caesars Raises Parking Prices, Wynn Building Paradise And Adele Hates Las Vegas

The news in Las Vegas never ends. This week Caesars waited until Friday night at 11pm to release news that locals could no longer self-park for free at most of their properties. That’s not entirely true, Total-Rewards members that are Platinum level or higher can valet or self-park for free. You can read about that at […]
Las Vegas Sports Books Are No Longer Just For Gamblers

Gambling was once the main revenue generator for Las Vegas casinos. Along with food and beverage, hotel rooms, and amenities, it’s just part of the revenue mix today.
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.
My Favorite Las Vegas Sports Books

In my eyes, there’s no such thing as a bad Las Vegas sports book. There are only degrees of how good a sports book is. You won’t find the same kind of environment where anyone can watch and legally wager on sports anywhere else in the United States.
Vegas News | Cromwell Changes Confirmed, Cosmopolitan Rocking, Wynn Parking And More

Vegas News | The Cosmopolitan Is Rocking. It’s been impressive to watch the casino evolve without changing too much. Self-Parking Fees At Wynn Set To Begin August 7th and much much more.
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.
Vegas News | So Many Vegas Rumors And So Much News!

This week will be a bit different format for Vegas News. The article begins linking to another story because you love parking and jumps right into rumors. There was so much news last week that I’m just giving a bunch of quick hits for you to read directly from the sources.
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
Vegas News | Gambling On The President And More

You might have heard that there was a presidential election this week. There will be a new President next year and some people are happy while others are sad. I’m less concerned with the politics than the gambling. Go figure. This was a record-breaking year for a US presidential election around the world – but not in the country where the election was actually held. Sports books outside of the US saw record amounts of money wagered on who would become the next President. Some gamblers won bigly as Donald Trump was a long shot for much of the time.
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 […]
Sunday News | More New Slot Machines And The Backstreet Boys Come To Vegas

I don’t know about you, but one of the best feelings I’ve had in Las Vegas was seeing all of the slot machines as soon as I walked off the airplane at McCarran Airport. Most of the slot machines just sat there quietly. However, there was one slot machine that would actually greet the visitors. The chants of “Wheel. Of. Fortune” would be ingrained in my head before even getting to the baggage carousel.
Las Vegas | Free Drinks Were Flowing At The Mirage Lobby Bar

You may know the Mirage Lobby Bar as one of the first bars in Las Vegas to install a free drinks ticket system for their video poker/slot machines.
Park MGM To Bring A Little More New York To The Vegas Strip

Park MGM will be the new name of the hotel currently known as Monte Carlo. NoMad Hotel will occupy 292 (approximately 10%) of the rooms at Park MGM.
Where To Watch Baseball In Las Vegas This Summer

Watching and wagering on baseball in Las Vegas is a great way to spend a hot summer morning, afternoon and night in a casino.
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 | Update: Recent Changes at Mirage

Mirage Las Vegas Finds New (Yet Old) Ground Don’t be fooled by the article’s headline. The thatched pits are still gone, the ceiling is still stark white and the carpet electrically colored tropical madness. But much like the good things The Mirage Las Vegas has been doing with their restaurants, including reintroduction of a 24 […]
Las Vegas | MGM Resorts Announces Self Park and Valet Parking Fees Beginning in April 2016

First the bad news: MGM Resorts International announced that they will be the first Las Vegas hotel operator to charge for parking. Now the good news: Most of you will never pay for parking. MGM Resorts International has announced that they will begin charging visitors and hotel guests for parking beginning April. Exact fees haven’t […]
Earn Or Use Mlife Rewards While Watching Football

As I wrote recently Fantasy Football Has Changed Watching The Games In Las Vegas. That can be either good or bad depending on your point of view. There are more options than ever to watch football in a casino and that’s a wonderful thing. Even better than having more choices on where to watch the […]
Las Vegas | Aria’s Continuing Transformation

Aria, MGM’s self-chosen jewel property despite those loyal to Bellagio, is continuing to improve what is broken in all the right ways. Since the property opened, many issues and problems have been continually fixed, with underperforming restaurants swapped out, and boutiques replaced with pressed juicerys and bar names changed. One of the more recent changes […]
Living the Mlife: Points, Partners, and Payouts – Earning Outside of Gaming

If you’ve been keeping up with our posts exploring the Mlife program, you’re up to date on what the program is and what exactly it takes to earn points..
Living The Mlife: The Basics – Earning Tier Credits

As we mentioned in the first post in our series on Mlife and its benefits, this series will help you as a player utilize and understand Mlife and how it..
Hotel Review | MGM SKYLOFTS Las Vegas

This is a guest review by my good friend Mike from frequentflyermiles101.com, a site for those just learning the points game. One of the smartest miles+points people that I know, Mike is also obsessed with getting amazing value on luxury experiences. Also, be aware that we also have a Review Version 2.0, that covers a few additional […]
The Mirage Cabanas | A Summer Retreat

Summer At The Mirage Cabanas There’s nothing quite like Las Vegas in the summertime. The oppressive heat causes people to stream inside the casinos getting off the 110°F (43°C) pavement for respites at the blackjack tables, shopping or to one of the many differing resort pools located throughout the city. Each one has its own […]