The days of the $4.99 buffet may be over but there are still ways to save a lot of money on meals during your next Vegas vacation. The easiest and best way to start saving is using coupons! Vegas is a coupon wonderland and just about every casino has coupons to give away. I sometimes look in the tourist magazines when I get there but the best coupons are generally not found in those. Sure you might find a $1 off here or a 10% discount there but overall you are not going to save too much.
Instead, I suggest asking at the front desk when you check in. See if they have a casino funbook. Many times they do have them but may only give them out to people who ask. Also be sure to look carefully through the little folder they give you with your key in them. Sometimes they stuff those with coupons. I was recently at Planet Hollywood and they included a $5 off coupon (good for up to four people) for their excellent Spice Market Buffet. Also, check the concierge desk and see if they have any brochures or flyers on display. I once found coupons at the bell desk at Bally’s for $5 and $10 off the Rio’s Carnival World and Village Seafood Buffets. Those were excellent coupons you wouldn’t find in the tourist magazines.
Next I would hop on over to the slot club booth. If you don’t already have a slot card, be sure to sign up for one. It’s free! A lot of casinos offer some kind of bonus for new members, whether it be free money (in the form of free play), a funbook with coupons or some sort of souvenir like a t-shirt or key chain. Now you can always use your slot club while you gamble and earn points for food comps but that can be kind of risky and I don’t advise that… unless you do a lot of gambling anyway. But losing $200 to earn a free buffet is not fun!
Most people don’t want to or don’t have time to search for coupons once they get to Vegas. An easy way around this is to just buy the coupons! You can usually find them real cheap at online auctions and these sellers have already done the leg work as far as finding the very best coupons. One of the better sites to find these coupons is online at Big Vegas Buffet. You can buy some coupons direct or simply bid on the hundreds that are available. This is a big time saver and you never know what gems you might find.
So on your next trip to Las Vegas, have fun and never pay full price for a buffet again!
Coupons are available for Las Vegas gambling, dining (buffets, restaurants, fast-food), shows, attractions, spa treatments, drinks, car rental, nightclub cover charges, and transportation. Pick a legal Vegas activity and you can likely obtain a coupon for it. As expected, often the best coupon sources (defined as overall value) require varying yet modest levels of investment. If one performs a Google search for Las Vegas coupons they will be inundated with sources that may or may not provide legitimate coupon sources or coupons. Some of these search results will direct to sites that only offer hotel promo codes for room rates. These can still be worthwhile or potentially valuable but there might not be one coupon per se offered on the entire site.
The following outlines general coupon tips, sources for free coupons (some downloadable / self-printable), and sources for purchasable coupons for use in Vegas.
General Las Vegas coupon tips:
- Make certain of exactly what you’re getting when obtaining coupons; specific property for redemption, denominations, specific uses, and length of time they’re valid.
- Check expiration dates; There’s some internet sites that are still offering Las Vegas coupons that expired in 2005.
- Plan and acquire as many selected coupons as possible before your trip (both “free” or purchased coupons) because this allows for more efficient planning and organization. Allow at least two weeks if workable for your situation. Follow up on all initial orders with e- mail / calls through available source contacts.
- After receiving the coupons, organize them with a system that allows for efficient visual ID and access; one system is to make a master list of all coupons that outlines specific property and specific coupon uses. Subsequently, place all coupons for a specific property / property group in a legal size envelope labeled for that property and specific coupons for redemption there. This simple coupon organization allows for quick and easy visual access. Also, consider alphabetizing these envelopes by property and securing with a large rubber band if you accumulate a large number of coupons. Note that some bulk coupon sources require that coupons are NOT to be removed from printed booklets until at time / locale of redemption; don’t cut them out if you’re directed not to as they won’t be valid / redeemable!
- Multiple coupons from the same source are just another means to accrue further cost savings. Visitors have to plan and use common sense to redeem more than one identical coupon at the same locale. Many coupons have restrictions for use such as one coupon per customer per year. Use of family members and purchasing bulk coupons under another name are excellent means to get around this restriction. For gambling coupons, just be savvy enough to not attempt to redeem more than one identical coupon at the same table with the same dealer or pit crew. Just wait until a shift / personnel change occurs.
- Select coupon sources / coupons that best cover the activities you enjoy most.
- Note that very few coupons are available from the upper tier, “high-roller’ properties or upper end shows and that many coupons are offered from off-strip locales. Offering coupons are a means for those casinos with less kitsch or demand to attract patrons and thereby compete with the big dogs. The current economic downturn in Vegas may change this traditional element regarding coupons and whom they are offered by. There is already a slight trend in this direction.
- Player’s club members or visitors who have signed up for casino e-mail lists are in a good position to receive coupons attached to great room comp offers; this trend is already occurring.
The following are sources for either free printed or downloadable Las Vegas coupons. Note that many of the free coupons from these sources are available in many casino-hotel lobbies, rooms, or taxicabs after you arrive but there is an advantage to obtaining these prior to the trip as previously discussed regarding trip planning and organization of obtained coupons. Be advised that a few of the following sources require a subscription fee (single issue or annual) to obtain the so-called “free” coupons. These magazines do provide an additional Las Vegas info source, however.
Free or downloadable Las Vegas coupon sources / coupons :
- What’s On Magazine; A large volume free coupon source. They have a page within their website that allows downloading and printing of free Vegas coupons. The website is being updated as I write this and is not functional presently (I assume they’re renewing their 2009 coupon sources and will be available soon). Subscriptions for the magazine are available and you can obtain coupons from monthly issues (for a fee, of course).
- 24/7 Magazine; They offer many second-tier show 2 -for-1 discount coupons and tour discount coupons. There’s a plethora of advertisements and assorted abbreviated guides for Las Vegas shows, buffets, gaming, etc. This source also publishes Vegas Values below.
- Vegas Values; This coupon booklet is actually the true coupon book offered from 24/7 magazine above. Visitors can obtain a free current copy of Vegas Values by sending an e-mail on the above 24/7 subscription page online.
- Las Vegas Leisure Guide ; This source has downloadable discount coupons from their site. As of this writing, this source is also in the process of updating / renewing their coupon site and the site states that it will be completed and functional in 1 – 2 weeks.
- Las Vegas Insider; There’s a very limited listing of downloadable coupons presently ( they may be updating as well but there’s no such reference online). There is a link to the purchasable “Casino Perks” source listed below on this site.
- Vegas 4 Locals; This is a downloadable / printable free coupon source. This source is particularly strong for mid and low tier show coupon discounts but lacking in gambling coupons.
- Las Vegas Funbook; Most if not all of the free coupons here can be obtained from previously mentioned locales once in Vegas. The kicker here is that they charge $19.95 for shipping and handling if you want to obtain and organize them at home prior to the trip.
- Today In Las Vegas Magazine; This source offers printable free coupons including one for $5 off on a fully automatic machine gun rental. There are some more common coupons as well.
- Las Vegas major local newspapers, the Las Vegas Review Journal and Las Vegas Sun; At times these newspapers have free coupons or promotions and the Friday “Neon” section of The Review Journal is particularly noted for these.
The following depicts Las Vegas coupon sources / coupons that can be purchased for varying amounts.
Purchasable Las Vegas Coupons:
- Las Vegas Advisor (LVA); If you purchase one single coupon source for Las Vegas, this is our recommended site. You’re required to become an LVA member and there’s 2 options. A full membership costs $50.00 and you receive the Members Rewards Book (formerly Pocketbook of Values), a monthly printed newsletter via mail, and full online access to their site. An online membership costs $37.00 and you receive everything but the printed newsletter item (but you can access it online). There’s an expansive amount of current and updated Las Vegas info such as news, forums, polls, guides (gaming, hotel – casinos, buffets,wedding chapels,etc.) and other pertinent issues. Do not remove the coupons from the booklet when you receive them as these are to be removed only when redeeming them at assorted venues in presence of staff at time of use. The booklet is easy to tote around and is alphabetized by property for easy use. All coupons are redeemable through December 2009.
- American Casino Guide (ACG) by Steve Bourie; If you gamble (in or outside Las Vegas) this is a decent coupon source (it includes coupons for
activities other than gambling, too). This annually published gaming guide and coupon source has been around for years. I recently found an exceptional purchase price on this source at the Discount Book Sale website (link on the blog) for less than $8.00. The guide is also available at the American Casino Guide website ($12.95 )which also offers a Vegas Values Report section that provides weekly updated Vegas casino – hotel promotions and discounts information. Within each purchased ACG in the coupon section, there is a proof of purchase card that should be removed and presented at each redemption locale in Las Vegas. You can remove the assorted applicable Vegas coupons from the book but you’ll need the ID card for valid redemption. Place this ACG card in a safe locale because you’ll need it to redeem the coupons. Check the ACG website for potential changes in coupon conditions throughout the year’s use of available coupons (most coupons are redeemable until late December, 2009).
- Casino Perks; There are coupon book options here for separate dining, show, attraction, gambling packages or the complete deluxe version coupon booklet (which costs $49.95 plus shipping). It’s an OK source but many of the coupons are available for free from other previously mentioned sources plus there aren’t many gambling coupons. Coupons (valid for a year’s time) are to be removed only at time of redemption.
- Las Vegas Entertainment Discount Book; For $16.95 you can order this somewhat offbeat coupon source. It doesn’t offer many Las Vegas strip coupons and virtually no gambling coupons that I could locate. Some attraction coupons might render it worthwhile for some or for those who like to dine off-strip. Check coupon expiration dates prior to purchasing as some of the coupons appear outdated.
- eBay coupons; eBay offers lots of Vegas coupons up for bid. You’ll find the good, mediocre, and questionable here. Check all sources and verify specifically what you’ll be receiving prior to purchase. On perusal of the available coupons here, many are available for free but at least they’re all in one place.
There is real cost-savings associated with coupon use in Las Vegas. Acquiring, organizing, and redeeming the coupons does involve some time, effort, and a modest investment for the better value bulk coupons. I calculated that coupon use (many blackjack matchplay coupons and dining 2 for 1 discounts particularly) saved / earned us about $600.00 on our most recent 9-day trip. We obviously redeemed a thick stack of coupons but the results were more than worth it from our perspective.
Cheers..
Charles Higgins
All desirable locations all over the world draw millions of visitors and tourists annually to hundreds of different hotels and motels in each particular locale creating hundreds of millions of dollars for the local community; however, competition between local hotels and motels, changing seasons, and local situations create changing and fluctuating hotel prices – Las Vegas hotel prices are no different. Over the last two decades, Las Vegas has developed into one of the fastest growing tourist towns in the United States – if not the world.
Dozens of high end hotels, each more involved and dramatic than the last, have been constructed with at least a dozen more in the planning stages of development. All of this construction has created an atmosphere that has driven a huge increase in tourism. However, like other tourist cities, competition has created wildly fluctuating hotel prices. Figure in the dramatic climate changes in Las Vegas and action associated in gambling, and hotel prices can vary by hundreds of dollars for identical suites.
With the construction of huge, high end entertainment facilities that combine hotels, casinos, restaurants, entertainment facilities, retail space, and dozens of other high end amenities under the same roof, the associated competition has created a dramatic local economy. Each facility tries to under price the other while trying to ensure the highest profit margin possible. Thus, each hotel wants to offer a lowest enough price to guarantee a steady stream of customers while maintaining a high enough market value to guarantee a profit. It is a tricky balancing act to master.
Added to this balancing act that every other business must truck through is the tough atmosphere that surrounds Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada is a city associated with gambling, big players, and big spenders. The city has worked hard to create an atmosphere that caters to these big spenders. After all the more money a person spends within the city limits, the more money is invested into the local economy. Therefore, local hotels offer high end amenities including name brand retail fronts, five star dining options, and world case entertainment in order to draw these wealthier tourists to town.
Surprisingly, these whales (as they are locally known) often pay next to nothing for their hotel accommodations. This is true because the big spenders often come to Las Vegas only to gamble. Since the house holds a huge advantage over every gambler, they often end up on top. Sometimes a single gambler can lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single night. Therefore, each hotel, which also contains a casino, wants these whales to stay at their facility. Because of this, these hotels offer these big spenders huge discounts on suites because the count on them to spend ten times the value of the suites at their amenities. Thus, hotels want to attract both the discount spenders and the big spenders thereby creating huge variances in Las Vegas hotel prices.
On top of these complications is the added discomfort of the local climate. Las Vegas is located in the middle of one of the hottest deserts in the United States. Thus, hotels offer huge discounts during the hotter summer months in order to draw tourists to the uncomfortable climate.
For all of these reasons, there are huge variances between Las Vegas hotel prices.
