The Jeff Does Vegas Podcast

For the newest resort coming to the Las Vegas Strip, it's been a long and strange journey...

Fontainbleau Las Vegas sat completely dormant and roughly 70% complete for almost 15 years.  It's been through ownership changes, multiple bankruptcies, and lawsuits.  It's faced recessions, financial issues, questions about its structural integrity, and even a global pandemic.

But after all that, here we are...powering ahead towards the grand opening of what's shaping up to be one of the biggest & most luxurious resorts on the Vegas Strip.

For this episode, I'm joined by Eli Segall, Investigative Business Reporter and former Real Estate Reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal to talk about the past, present, and future of the Fontainebleau.  We went in depth on the history of the property - including the original ownership & concept for the property - and discussed the potential impact the new resort may have on revitalizing the north part of the Las Vegas Strip.

Check out Eli's articles on the Las Vegas Review-Journal website and be sure to follow Eli on X (formerly Twitter).

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

 

Joining me for this episode of the podcast is one of my favorite Las Vegas content creators, Sergio Portesan, the brains behind Viva Las Value, a website/blog all about how to do Vegas like high roller on a low roller's budget.

Last time I had Sergio on the show was a little over 3 years ago, shortly after Vegas had reopened following the big COVID-19 shutdown.  I was unable to go to Vegas due to various travel restrictions in place so I asked him to do a "Trip Report By Proxy" to talk about his Vegas experience.

It's now been almost 6 months since my last trip to the city, but Sergio just wrapped up a visit in the last few weeks, so I thought it might be fun to have him back to do it again.

Sergio shared his hotel experience staying both on the strip and downtown, we talked about what It's like attending a bachelor party with a bunch of Vegas virgins, and we discussed some of the same "challenges" Sergio ran into on this trip that others also seem to be dealing with on their own Vegas trips.

We also got a little serious during our conversation, as Sergio shared the epiphany he had during this trip and the blog post he wrote that's garnered a lot of attention.

Be sure to check out Viva Las Value for all the Vegas tips & tricks you could ever need and follow Sergio on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

 

 

I'm going to be totally honest with you...this episode of the podcast is very likely to upset a lot of people.  But everything being said here NEEDS to be said.

After my last trip to Vegas, I released the "NOT The May Trip Report" episode, in which I brought up several things that I didn't enjoy about the city and, in turn, my vacation.  I got a lot of a lot of feedback about that particular episode - some agreeing with me and some STRONGLY disagreeing with me.

I began to think that I was crazy...maybe it was just me.  Then, I started to see a lot of the same comments & complaints being made by people posting on Vegas-related social media channels and by several other Vegas content creators - including bloggers, vloggers and podcasters.

Then, it happened...

Sam Novak, the creator of Vegas Unfiltered (who's appeared on the show before) wrote an article for Vegas 411 titled, "This Is The Worst Time In History To Visit Vegas".

I asked Sam to join me for a conversation about the article as well as the current state of affairs in Las Vegas.  As expected, he was BRUTALLY honest about what's happening in the city.

We talked about construction chaos, skyrocketing costs, the overall state of the strip, and much more.  Plus, I asked the big question: What will it take to FIX things in Las Vegas?

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

 

So, you may have noticed this episode of the podcast is titled NOT The May Trip Report...and there's a very good reason it's called that.

Quite simply, there wasn't all that much to report from my most recent trip to Las Vegas.

As you may be aware, I had a trip planned to head to Vegas from May 29th to June 1st.  I had a lot of big ideas of what I wanted to do while I was down in Vegas this time around but, as the old saying goes, "The best laid plans of mice & men often go awry"...and that's exactly what happened on this trip and I ended up leaving town a a day and a half early.

That's not to say I have nothing to report though; I still had a great experience staying at The Horseshoe and I managed to (finally) get to Las Vegas Ballpark to take in a Las Vegas Aviators baseball game.  And, as per usual, I've got a few thoughts on what's happening in Vegas right now, particularly along the Las Vegas Strip.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

It's time for another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!

This time around, we're re-capping my most recent trip to Vegas, from March 4-11, 2023.  This was trip #2 of 2023 and was easily one of the busiest trips to Las Vegas that I've ever had!

I combined work and play for this trip; my wife joined me for a mini-vacation for the first few days of the trip, then I attended the Podcast Movement Evolutions conference at the Westgate Las Vegas Hotel & Casino for the last half of the trip.

Take a listen for reviews of my hotel experience at Luxor Las Vegas, our amazing meal at Mayfair Supper Club at the Bellagio, the time we spent seeing Mat Franco - Magic Reinvented Nightly at the Linq, and much more!  I've also got tips & tricks for anyone planning on attending a conference/convention in Las Vegas, as well as some thoughts & opinions about what's happening in the city.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I always LOVE having other Vegas fanatics on the podcast to chat about the latest happenings in "Sin City".  Back in Spring of 2021, I was joined on the show by Adam Bauer aka "Travel Fanboy" to talk about some of the big changes coming to Las Vegas.  We discussed the sale of the Cosmopolitan to MGM, the sale of the Mirage to Hard Rock, and the impending re-branding of Bally's to Horseshoe.

A year has passed and all of those changes are either complete or well underway, so I decided to reconnect with Adam so we could share our thoughts on those projects as well as some of the upcoming openings and big events coming to the Vegas Strip.

Check out the official Travel Fanboy website for lots of great travel tips & tricks, as well as Adam's latest venture, Cheapskate Vegas, where you can learn to live like a high-roller on a low-roller budget.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Here comes another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!  This time around, it's a recap of my most recent trip to Vegas from January 23-26, 2023.

I've got reviews of my stay at Planet Hollywood plus meals at Flight Club in the Venetian, Ramsay's Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay at Harrah's, and the famous Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge at the north end of the Strip.  I'll also share thoughts on The Carroll Shelby Heritage Center and the Atomic Saloon Show at the Venetian.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Get ready for another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!  This time, we're recapping mine & my wife's most recent trip to Vegas from December 11th-16th, 2022.

This episode includes reviews of our stay at Paris Las Vegas as well as meals at Roy Choi's Best Friend in Park MGM, Yellowtail Restaurant & Lounge at the Bellagio, The Steakhouse at Circus Circus, and others.  Plus, I share our experiences at Cirque Du Soleil's Mad Apple, Reckless In Vegas and Bat Out Of Hell - The Musical.

I also discuss the latest at The Mob Museum (including drinks & food at The Underground) and share a few thoughts & observations on recent goings-on in Las Vegas.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

On November 21, 1980, the Las Vegas Strip was the site of what would become the third-worst hotel fire in modern U.S. history and what to this day remains the biggest disaster in the history of the state of Nevada.

Early that morning, a small fire broke out in a restaurant on the ground floor of what was - at the time - the MGM Grand Hotel.  The fire quickly spread, engulfing the casino level and sending thick black smoke & toxic fumes to the upper floors of the hotel.  In the end, 85 people were killed and hundreds more were injured.

But what exactly caused the fire and led to such widespread fatalities & injuries?  And what changes were made to ensure that something like this could ever happen again?

As we mark 42 years since this horrific event, these are the questions we aim to answer with this specially re-mastered edition of Sin City Stories: Inferno At The MGM Grand.

If you want to learn more about the history of the original MGM Grand Hotel, the fire that claimed the lives of 85 innocent victims, or any of the other incidents covered in this episode, check out the shownotes for Volume 2 of Sin City Stories featuring photos, videos, articles and more!

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Time for another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!  This time, we're going over my most recent trip to Vegas from July 25th-27th, 2022.

This episode includes reviews of my stay at The Mirage as well as meals at Village Cafe at Ellis Island, Ri-Ra Irish Pub in Mandalay Bay, Home Plate Bar & Grill off the strip, Otoro Robata Sushi & Grill at The Mirage and my not-so-awesome dining experience at Mabel's BBQ at The Palms.

I recap my experience touring Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, talk about some of the changes I saw happening along the Vegas Strip, and I share a few observations on Vegas becoming the new "family vacation destination".

I also briefly discuss the homelessness situation in Las Vegas.  If you want to help support this vulnerable population, please check out the following charities:

• Las Vegas Rescue Mission
• The Shade Tree
• Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada
• Shine A Light

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

"In Vegas, everybody's gotta watch everybody else. Since the players are looking to beat the casino, the dealers are watching the players. The box men are watching the dealers. The floor men are watching the box men. The pit bosses are watching the floor men. The shift bosses are watching the pit bosses. The casino manager is watching the shift bosses. I'm watching the casino manager. And the eye-in-the-sky is watching us all." - Sam "Ace" Rothstein, "Casino", 1995

Since the days of Sam Rothstein and the Tangiers - or Frank Rosenthal and the Stardust, if you will - casino security has come a LONG ways.

The industry has moved on from binocular-carrying staff, wandering catwalks in the ceiling to a world of digitally networked video recording and facial recognition software...and my guest for this episode of the podcast is here to take us behind the curtain and into that world.

Charles H. Barry is an expert in casino and corporate security, surveillance & investigations and currently runs his own consulting firm.  He has over 30 years in the field and has worked with several major gaming companies.  Mr. Barry is also a former law enforcement officer, having worked as a detective with the Phoenix Police Department and as a Special Agent with the FBI.

Charles and I discussed the evolution of casino security over the last several decades, emerging threats to casinos & hotels, and the major event that forced gaming corporations to re-examine their security procedures from top to bottom.

If you'd like to learn more about Charles and the services he currently provides, be sure to visit his website.

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Welcome to another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!  This time around, we're chronicling my most recent trip to Vegas, from March 20th-23rd, 2022.

This episode includes reviews of my stay at Bally's as well as some of the great food I was able to partake in at Ri-Ra Irish Pub in Mandalay Bay, Tilted Kilt at the Linq Promenade, Village Cafe at Ellis Island, Makers & Finders in the Arts District, Home Plate Grill & Bar at the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard, and Water Grill at the Forum Shoppes at Caesars Palace.

I also share a few observations on the cost of ride share, restaurants & shops closing early, and how Vegas is "back".

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Anyone who's a frequent visitor to Las Vegas knows it's a city in a constant state of flux and, thanks to some changes in resort ownership along with a few re-brands & major overhauls, the Vegas strip is likely going to look very different in the coming years.

Joining me for this episode to discuss some of these upcoming changes is fellow creator and travel blogger, Adam Bauer - aka "Travel Fanboy".  Adam got his start blogging about Las Vegas and has since expanded his horizons to include travel in general.

Adam & I shared our opinions on what we think the effects of these changes will be, what a volcano-less strip would look like, and we even dove into unfamiliar territory - rumours and speculation - regarding potential changes at the Tropicana.

Make sure you go ahead and follow Adam on Twitter & Facebook and be sure to check out the official Travel Fanboy website. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Shortly after I launched this podcast, I put together an episode called Vegas FAQ, where I gathered together some of the more common questions that I saw being asked about Las Vegas and attempted to answer them.

It's been over 2 years since I released the original Vegas FAQ and in that time, the city has gone through some big changes.  As such, some of the information covered in that episode is no longer accurate & the LAST thing I want to be doing is sharing incorrect advice.  Plus, with the easing/removal of COVID-related restrictions, there's a large segment of the population that might be making their first ever trip to Vegas and I'd love to help make that trip a little more enjoyable.

I go over A LOT of material in this episode - including money & budgets, getting around the city, how to choose hotels, restaurants & shows and I'll also be covering the "sin" in "Sin City" (alcohol, drugs & prostitution).

And because there's so much information jammed into this episode, I've made my notes available to you to as a downloadable PDF file.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Welcome to another world famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!  This is an episode that's been almost 2 years in the making, chronicling my & my wife's most recent trip to Las Vegas, from December 11th-18th, 2021.  This was also my first trip to Vegas since January 2020, which was right before COVID-19 shut down the world.

Being that this was our first trip in a very long time, we covered a lot of ground on this trip - meaning this is a king-sized trip report!

This episode includes reviews of our experience staying at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas as well as meals at Hussong's Cantina in the Shoppes at Mandalay Bay, Noodle Den at the Sahara, District and Lardo at the Block 16 Urban Food Hall at the Cosmo, Yardbird Southern Table & Bar at the Venetian, Maxie's at the Linq Promenade, Ri-Ra in the Shoppes at Mandalay Bay, The Henry at the Cosmo, Village Pub & Cafe at Ellis Island, and Oscar's Steakhouse at The Plaza in Downtown Las Vegas.

I've also got reviews on the shows we checked out including Fantasy at the Luxor, the Magic of Jen Kramer at the Westgate, the Bronx Wanderers at the Westgate, America's Got Talent Las Vegas Live at the Luxor and the Mondays Dark 8th Anniversary at the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

And, as always, I've got a few extra thoughts to share as well as a few tips & tricks that might make your next Vegas vacation just a little more enjoyable!

__________________________________________________________________________

Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Admittedly, this episode is a bit of a "cheater", in that it's not a really a new episode per se; it's a slightly repackaged version of one of my favorite episodes from my spin-off podcast, Sin City Stories, where I take deep dives into Las Vegas history.

So why am I doing this?  Well, I'll tell you...

December 26, 2021 marks the 75th Anniversary of the opening of one of the most iconic resorts in Las Vegas...The Flamingo.

Part of the Vegas landscape since 1946, it was the brainchild of a LA-based nightclub owner, restaurant owner and entertainment news publisher who wanted to create one of the most luxurious hotels & casinos Las Vegas had ever seen.

But that's not what legend & pop culture would have you believe.  And, as you're about to find out, sometimes the truth is WAY more interesting than fiction.

If you want to go more in-depth on the history of The Flamingo, visit the official Sin City Stories website for photos, news articles and more!

__________________________________________________________________________

Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I love having other Vegas content creators on the podcast.  It's always a blast having conversations with people are as equally - or even more - passionate about Las Vegas as I am.

My guests for this episode are Jordan & Ashden, the creators of Show Me Vegas on YouTube.

Hailing from Missouri, the couple makes frequent trips to Las Vegas, sharing their adventures with their 3500+ subscribers.  They do live streams, room & hotel tours, restaurant & show reviews, and have recently launched a weekly Vegas news video series titled, This Week In Vegas.

We talked about what sparked their love of Las Vegas, what inspired them to start vlogging their Vegas trips, some of their favorite spots to stay & play, and much more.

Subscribe to their videos on YouTube and follow them on Facebook for exclusive content.

And, check out Jordan & Ashden's video review of Aria that got them a whole lot of attention!

__________________________________________________________________________

Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

"VEGAS BABY!!!"

That's the battle-cry heard in pretty much every airport around the world, as groups of guys get set to board their flights for what they hope will be the ULTIMATE guys' trip to Las Vegas.  But will it be a trip to remember for all the WRONG reasons?  My guest for this episode is here to help make sure that's NOT the case.

David Demontmollin is a 20-plus-year casino industry veteran, star of Discovery Channel's series "American Casino" and the author of "The Las Vegas Little Black Book: A Guys Guide To The Perfect Vegas Weekend".

David and I discussed how to plan an amazing trip to Vegas for you and your pals, covering everything from the perfect time of the year to travel, to picking your hotel, to how to get into nightclubs and much MUCH more.

Order "The Las Vegas Little Black Book: A Guys Guide To The Perfect Vegas Weekend" on Amazon (along with David's other book, "Classic Vegas Mistakes") and be sure to follow Classic Vegas Mistakes on Twitter.

Also, check out David's past appearance on the podcast on Episode #16 - "Classic Vegas Mistakes".

__________________________________________________________________________

Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

 

When it first opened on July 1, 1971, at the corner of First and Main in Downtown Las Vegas, The Plaza Hotel & Casino was billed as "the largest hotel & casino in the world" with more than 500 rooms on the property.

Over the last half-century, in addition to cementing itself in Las Vegas pop culture, the property itself has seen a variety of changes.  It's been through renovations, upgrades, and ownership changes.

And as the Plaza celebrates it's 50th Anniversary, I'm joined on this episode of the podcast by Jonathan Jossel, the CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino.

We talked about his pre-Vegas life & what brought him to Las Vegas, what's behind the recent uptick in interest in Downtown Las Vegas, his plans for the future of the Plaza, and much more.

Be sure to follow Jonathan on Twitter & Instagram and make sure you check out the Plaza's official podcast, "On the Corner of Main Street" by heading to the Plaza's website (or wherever you listen to podcasts).  While you're there, book yourself a stay and take in some of their 50th Anniversary celebrations!

__________________________________________________________________________

Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I do A LOT of solo traveling, particularly to Las Vegas - but I've also done solo trips to other cities including Seattle, Toronto and Los Angeles.

People often ask me what the appeal is of traveling solo. 

Don't I get bored?  Do I worry about my safety?  What does my wife think about me traveling solo?  (The answers to those questions are, in order: no, no and she's fine with it since I'm usually doing stuff she doesn't like)

A lot of folks won't take the jump and book a solo vacation, but I'm hoping my guest for this episode of the podcast might help change a few minds.

Janice Waugh is the founder of Solo Traveler World, a website & online community devoted to people who love to travel solo.

Janice & I talked about the inspiration behind her creating Solo Traveler, the best ways to plan a solo trip, the mistakes to avoid while traveling solo and how to stay safe & out of trouble when you're on your own in a strange city.

If you'd like to connect with Janice & the Solo Traveler community, visit their website at SoloTravelerWorld.com, follow them on Twitter & Instagram, or join the Solo Travel Society on Facebook.

I always love having other "Vegas fanatics" on the podcast, and my guest for this episode definitely falls into that category!

Joining me from "across the pond" is Steve White, better known on Twitter as @LasVegasUK.  If you've ever listened to the ZorkCast presented by TravelZork, you'll recognize Steve as the British half of the show.  Steve is also extremely well-versed in all things Vegas.

Steve & I chatted about everything from our predictions on potential changes coming to Las Vegas, to our very first trips to Vegas, to the unique Vegas guide that Steve is in the process of writing.  Also, being that Steve is in the UK under full-on lockdown and I'm in Canada facing extremely strict rules surrounding travel, we thought it was worth having a discussion about travel restrictions & the impact they're having on international travellers.

Start following Steve on Twitter right now and be sure to check out ZorkCast, the official TravelZork podcast, for great Las Vegas advice - and travel advice, in general.

Back in September 2019, I released an episode titled "Vegas FAQ", which was essentially a round up of the Vegas-related questions that I was seeing posted over and over again on Twitter & Facebook as well as the questions that I personally was being asked most often.

I covered a ton of material in that episode; everything from money & budgets to booze, week & prostitution laws.

Here we are, a little over a year later, and the world is a VERY different place.  And, thanks to "the 'Rona", the questions being posed now have changed A LOT.

As such, I thought it might be useful to release an updated version of "Vegas FAQ" with answers to several of the most popular Vegas/COVID-related questions.  This episode covers everything from mask guidelines & mandates to capacity restrictions in restaurants to transportation options and much more.

I'm also going to share my opinion on whether or not it's possible to "have fun" in Las Vegas right now - which seems to be the #1 most-asked question.

This episode does come with a bit of a caveat: All the info presented here is accurate & correct as of the time of recording/publishing.  However, if the last 10 months have taught us anything, it's that things can change - literally - overnight.  If you do decide to take a trip to Las Vegas, I'd highly recommend doing your own research into rules, restrictions & guidelines.

For the latest information on Las Vegas & COVID-19, visit the following resources:

City of Las Vegas - Coronavirus Update

Southern Nevada Health District - COVID-19

Clark County - COVID-19 Updates

Nevada Health Response - COVID-19

For information regarding travel restrictions, testing requirements or guidelines for entry to the United States, please visit the US Department of State's Travel page and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention website for the most recent updates.  If you are planning to visit Las Vegas from outside the United States, be sure to consult your own country's travel guidelines for any restrictions or requirements to re-enter your home country.

If you have questions regarding hotel closures or limitations on reservations, please reach out directly the property affected as they will have the most recent & updated information.  If you've booked through a third-party or you've booked a package (including air & hotel reservations) you may need to contact the booking agency.

For information on transportation options in Las Vegas, visit the following providers:

Uber

Lyft

Nevada Taxicab Authority

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC)

 

One of the things I've enjoyed the most about doing this podcast has been helping people plan their own trips to Las Vegas, and I've been able to do that in couple of different ways.

Firstly, with my "trip report" episodes; I've loved being able to share my Vegas experiences and provide reviews of hotels, restaurants, shows, attractions and anything else I've gotten up to during my time in the city.

Secondly, through the various conversations I've had with Vegas-related experts who I've recruited to help answer questions on a variety of topics.  Over the last couple of years, we've covered tipping etiquette, where to find the best late night eats, how to plan an "epic girls trip" and even what not to do on a Vegas trip.

As you start making plans for potential trips in the coming year, I thought it might be a good idea to re-share some of these tips & tricks.

And if you'd like to listen to the complete episodes, here you go:

EP#16: Classic Vegas Mistakes

EP#53: Girls Gone Vegas

EP#56: Mid-Night Munchies

EP#59: The Tipping Point

If you've ever been to Las Vegas, you're well aware of the unique scents of the various casinos & hotels up and down The Strip.  In fact, if you ask people what one of their favorite parts of Vegas is, they'll tell you "it's the smell inside the casinos".  And it seems that everyone has their own preferred scent - so much so, that there are thousands of posts online from people asking how to either purchase or duplicate their favorite casino scent.

But what's the big deal about smell?  Why is the scent of a casino so important that the companies that own them spend MILLIONS of dollars on creating these so-called "signature scents"?

To get the answer, I decided to talk to an expert...

My guest for this episode is Dr. Rachel Herz, a world-renowned expert on the psychological science of smell.  Dr. Herz is a cognitive neuroscientist, a TED-X speaker and a published author of both numerous research publications and several books on the topic of the science of smell.

We discussed what piqued her interest in the psychology of scent, the connection between scent and emotion & memory and how businesses use scent to affect customer behavior.

To learn more about the science and psychology of scent, visit Dr. Herz's website or follow her on Twitter.  You can also pick up one of her books:

• "The Scent Of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense Of Smell"
• "Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind Our Relationship With Food"
• That's Disgusting: Unraveling The Mysteries Of Repulsion"

And if you want your home to smell exactly like your favorite Vegas casino, visit Aroma Retail's website and check out their "Resort Collection" which includes scents from the Bellagio, Aria, the Cosmopolitan, Luxor, the Flamingo, Mandalay Bay, Wynn and many others!

December 15, 1952 saw the opening of one of the most iconic hotels in the history of Las Vegas:

The Sands Hotel & Casino

During its heyday, it played host to some of the biggest names in entertainment of the day, most notably the legendary "Rat Pack" featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Sammy Davis Jr.  And although that might be what the Sands is best known for, there's way more to the story than that - and that's where my guest for this episode steps in.

David Schwartz is the author of "At The Sands", a new book that takes readers on a deep dive into the history of The Sands.  Dave and I talked about inspired him to write a book about The Sands, how "mobbed up" the Sands was compared to other Vegas hotels, Frank Sinatra's involvement in the project, Howard Hughes' purchase of the famed resort & his plans for the future, and what led to the eventual downfall of the Sands (both figuratively and literally).

"At The Sands" by David Schwartz is available in both Kindle and Paperback formats on Amazon.