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SO HOW TERRIFIC IS THE RELATIVELY NEW CIRCA RESORT IN DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS?

 I haven't been to Las Vegas for around 5 years.  I have historically stayed at the California Hotel, or sister properties of Boyd in the past because the price was low and food was essentially free.

I'm here for five  days this time and picked the almost new Circa Resort and Casino.  When it opened late in 2020, it became the first all-new hotel in downtown Las Vegas in 40 years.

  • Is only for adults.
  • Has 777 rooms.  The adjacent California Hotel has 325 rooms.
  • Said to have attempted to have the feel of hotels of the original Vegas, in that there are no kitschy themes, waterslides, and so forth, but has the technology of today.
    • So much so that there is no phone in the room.  They rightly assume everyone coming to their hotel has a functional smart phone.  You need to use what looks sort of like an iPad to do everything.  No good for people like me.
    • For example, I wanted to talk to the front desk to send someone up to show me how to plug in a device.  It took me half an hour to do this because no one--security, concierge, etc.--knew that number.  Eventually, someone came, and he had a device that changed the outlet to accept ungrounded plugs.  My guess is that he is a very busy person.
    • Catching the elevator is an experience.  Everyone seems confused.  After a while you get the feel of what to do.
    • I need to wear shoes and long pants to get into restaurants at night.
    • Glitzy place, but things seem not to work.  You'd think they would work out the kinks after more than two years.
    • There is also a wide mix of staff attitudes.  On the Seabourn Odyssey everyone was nice and accommodating, while at the Circa that percentage must be around 50%, if that.
  • Is now a key front piece of the Fremont StreetExperience, which welcomes more than 24 million visitors annually, which is more than Disney World and 2.5 times the number of Hawaii tourists.
  • You must show a guard a picture ID every time you enter the building because this an adults-only place.  There might be other reasons.
  • Restaurants are very expensive.  Of course, I'm comparing with the California Hotel.
  • They don't validate parking for anyone but higher level gamblers.
  • Our first room had a view of the pool area, the one with large TV screens for sports events.  Loud music played all day and late into the night. We could feel the thumping beat of music, all the time.
  • So we asked to be moved, we did, and that was a huge relief.  Both have two king-size beds with a very large TV screen.  The view is not much, with the California Hotel and Main Street Station.
Gambled a bit and lost money.  My best win
Most memorable meal of the day was at the California Hotel.  We worked out a deal with the management to allow us to bring to Market Street Cafe our own wine for no corkage charge.
While standing in line, for no apparent reason, a lady gave us two of those coupon books that still had a a lot of free meals, including the featured prime rib with all kinds of stuff.  They were leaving for home in a few hours.  Note that, for free, our wine glass was a plastic Pepsi cup.
The prime rib was truly great, with baked potato and all the trimmings, etc.
They had no cherries jubilee, so I ordered some chocolate ice cream.
Meal cost?  Totally free, but of course we brought the wine.  After dinner, noticed that the line was around the corner to the noodle shop.  That would have been around a one hour wait.  I think this was by policy.  Most of those waiting had free dinner coupons, and a long line would send people back to the machines or tables.  The restaurant itself was only about two-thirds filled, if that.
Want to go to a Las Vegas show?
  • Shin Lim, that magician from America's Got Talent, at the Mirage.  Typically, from $50 to $250, and the expensive seats sell out first.
  • What about O by Cirque du Soliel at the Bellagio?  Starts at $115.  Cirque du Sole has six different shows:
  • KÀ MGM Grand All Year. View Details.
  • MAD APPLE. New York New York All Year. View Details.
  • Michael Jackson ONE. Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino All Year. View Details.
  • Mystère. Treasure Island All Year. View Details.
  • O. Bellagio All Year. View Details.
  • The Beatles LOVE. The Mirage All Year.
  • Old reliable David Copperfield at the MGM Grand?  Seat price begins at $100 and goes up to $884.
    • He started more than a quarter century ago.
    • Makes around $50 million/year for 515 shows.
    • Is a billionaire.
    • Is the richest illusionist by far.
    • Shin Lim is only worth $7 million.
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