Two ways to save hundreds of travel dollars at SND Vegas
- Easy, get a roommate to split the costs.
- Stay somewhere else, anywhere else.
Click on this interactive map to see the alternate travel bargains I found in minutes.
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A couple of international clients of mine have been twisting my arm to come to Las Vegas for APME and SND events and I think I probably can accept their invitation soon but I cannot accept the hotel rate for the conference. (I am scheduled to be directing a film documentary in Alexandria, Egypt but may finish in time to make the APME congress.)
I take saving my client’s money very seriously and I have found a couple of ways to save thousands of dollars on this visit to sin city. I have published travel stories on touring Las Vegas before, including a cover feature on the Thrill Rides of Las Vegas for the Chicago Sun-Times a few years ago.
Hopefully I can pass on ideas to save you some money as well.
Consider first the official hotel “deal.”
Red Rock Casino - $860.40
(Does not include airline flights, transfer or rental car)
$179 a night plus a $19.99 resort fee, as well as 9% hotel tax.
The price for the hotel bill for four days at Red Rocks comes to: $860.40.
Add in a five day car rental ($250) and return flight to Chicago ($317) and you would be spending over $1,400+ just to be there breathing the desert air.
I did 20 minutes of combing the travel offers that frequently come to me and I found some really sweet deals that might tempt you to sleep somewhere other than Red Rocks each night.
Renting a car is a bargain in Vegas and will save a load of money on cab fares as well as providing you the best control over your travel plans - esp if you plan on touring The Strip or the fabulous Red Rocks National Park. Las Vegas is pretty suburban and car-centric.
The conference resort is planted at the edge of the far west suburban Summerlin, about a 25 minute drive from the airport and 12 miles from the Strip.
The savings for staying at an alternate site are staggering. You could, for example, stay instead at The Flamingo - a very hot Strip location right across from The Bellagio and Caesar’s Palace for several hundreds of dollars less.
All of the packages I found include one round trip (return) airline ticket, one room for four nights, and a five day car rental. The packages below are priced for return airfare from Chicago and for the four nights 6-10 September. (Your offer details may vary)
I found these deals on Hotwire and Cheap Tickets.
UK and Europe friends may want to try Kayak to find bargain packages.
Sahara - $685
($685 total price including all taxes and fees)
Package price includes: One roundtrip airline ticket, one room for four nights, rental car for the entire period.
Circus Circus $718
Circus Circus Hotel & Casino package is $718 on Hotwire and the price includes all taxes and fees. Package price includes: One roundtrip airline ticket, one room for four nights, rental car for the entire period.
Stratosphere $778
Package price includes: One roundtrip airline ticket, one room for four nights, rental car for the entire period. You can zoom up the lighted spire at night for a stellar thrill ride.
Flamingo $910
(includes car, roundtrip ticket and hotel room)
For $910 you can get a four night package plus round-trip ticket and car rental. Package price includes all taxes and fees. And you are in a great location - right across way from Caesar’s, The Bellagio and many other up market attractions.
Luxor - $979
Found on Cheap Tickets and includes rental car from Avis, non-stop return tickets on American and a Pyramid hotel room with King bed.
The total price of $979 includes all taxes and fees.
