I will be going, but I have not received my tickets yet from Cal. Has anyone received their tickets?

I also am trying to decide on which hotel to stay. I have reservations at MGM, Sahara, and Flamingo. The MGM is close to the arena but more expensive. The Sahara has some nice room at a good price but is at the end of the monorail line. The Flamingo has the birds, and the Flamingo in Santa Rosa used the same architect.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Go Bears!

SonomanA1 said:

---

I will be going, but I have not received my tickets yet from Cal. Has anyone received their tickets?

I also am trying to decide on which hotel to stay. I have reservations at MGM, Sahara, and Flamingo. The MGM is close to the arena but more expensive. The Sahara has some nice room at a good price but is at the end of the monorail line. The Flamingo has the birds, and the Flamingo in Santa Rosa used the same architect.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Go Bears!

---

For a compromise between price and distance, the Excalibur has moderate prices and is still only about a 7 minute walk to TMobile Arena. That would be my recommendation.

Not going, but I like staying at Mandalay Bay, which has a tram that goes to Excalibur, then you can walk over the bridge over to New York, New York to T-Mobile Arena. I have comps/discounts through MLife so I try and stay with the family of hotels, which includes Mandalay, Aria, Vdara, MGM, Excalibur, NY NY, and the old Monte Carlo which is basically right next to T-Mobile.

RedlessWardrobe said:

---

SonomanA1 said:

---

I will be going, but I have not received my tickets yet from Cal. Has anyone received their tickets?

I also am trying to decide on which hotel to stay. I have reservations at MGM, Sahara, and Flamingo. The MGM is close to the arena but more expensive. The Sahara has some nice room at a good price but is at the end of the monorail line. The Flamingo has the birds, and the Flamingo in Santa Rosa used the same architect.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Go Bears!

---

For a compromise between price and distance, the Excalibur has moderate prices and is still only about a 7 minute walk to TMobile Arena. That would be my recommendation.

---

I've stayed at the Excalibur several times. It is close and good when prices are high at other hotels. Prices are pretty attractive this year at other places, so I want to stay somewhere else..

SonomanA1 said:

---

I will be going, but I have not received my tickets yet from Cal. Has anyone received their tickets?

I also am trying to decide on which hotel to stay. I have reservations at MGM, Sahara, and Flamingo. The MGM is close to the arena but more expensive. The Sahara has some nice room at a good price but is at the end of the monorail line. The Flamingo has the birds, and the Flamingo in Santa Rosa used the same architect.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Go Bears!

---

Just got back from staying at the Saharah on the cheap. $25/night (not including the $40 "resort fee") and $60 r/t air on Frontier. Newly renovated and quite nice, but as you say they are on the other end of the strip.

KoreAmBear said:

---

Not going, but I like staying at Mandalay Bay, which has a tram that goes to Excalibur, then you can walk over the bridge over to New York, New York to T-Mobile Arena. I have comps/discounts through MLife so I try and stay with the family of hotels, which includes Mandalay, Aria, Vdara, MGM, Excalibur, NY NY, and the old Monte Carlo which is basically right next to T-Mobile.

---

I don't gamble enough to get many deals through MLife, but I do play MyVegas online through which I have gotten deals on especially for meals. I have also stayed twice at the Peppermill in Reno for 2 nights for just fees through MyVegas as well as the Borgata in AC.

I did get a good rate this time at MGM but still higher than the other 2. I am hoping to get some opinons on the other 2 hotels since I have not stayed at them before.

I have been in Vegs for the tournament since it started except for last year. 2 years ago I stayed at The D downtown. I had a rental car to travel around some when the tournament stopped after the first day.

Civil Bear said:

---

SonomanA1 said:

---

I will be going, but I have not received my tickets yet from Cal. Has anyone received their tickets?

I also am trying to decide on which hotel to stay. I have reservations at MGM, Sahara, and Flamingo. The MGM is close to the arena but more expensive. The Sahara has some nice room at a good price but is at the end of the monorail line. The Flamingo has the birds, and the Flamingo in Santa Rosa used the same architect.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Go Bears!

---

Just got back from staying at the Saharah on the cheap. $25/night (not including the $40 "resort fee") and $60 r/t air on Frontier. Newly renovated and quite nice, but as you say they are on the other end of the strip.

---

I am leaning towards the Sahara. I got a deal without the resort fee, but my prices are higher especially for the Friday and Saturday which is typical and still pretty good. I don't mind taking the monorail, but it is a pain the first 2 days if I want to go back to my room between sessions.

I am flying from Oakland on SW on Wednesday and flying Allegiant back on Sunday. It is never cheap flying out on Sunday from Vegas but Allegiant is not bad. Do you really only pay $60 roundtrip. From where did you depart?

SonomanA1 said:

---

I am flying from Oakland on SW on Wednesday and flying Allegiant back on Sunday. It is never cheap flying out on Sunday from Vegas but Allegiant is not bad. Do you really only pay $60 roundtrip. From where did you depart?

---

Flew out of OAK mid-week (Tu-Fr). They charge a bundle for carry-on and checked luggage, but they do allow one free personal bag if you can fit it under your seat. Ended up checking in one bag for the whole family!

I always rent a car in Vegas, but that is because I look forward to visiting many of the good off-strip restaurants.

depends on what you want

for inexpensive, the Excaliber is good and close, although an older hotel. I also recommend the tournament of kings dinner show. Kinda a kids show but anyone can enjoy it and it comes with a tasty dinner.

for moderate but nice, I agree with KoreAm. Nice hotel with one of the best pools, and also close by with the tram

for more expensive, our favorite hotel is the Venetian, which is an all-suite hotel. Great restaurants, shopping and shows in the center of the strip, but much farther away and would require a taxi or taking the Las Vegas train which requires a fair walk

then there are the luxury hotels like the Bellagio if that's you're type of thing

Excalibur, MGM, Sahara, Mandalay Bay?

Goodness. This board is starting to show its age

Starting?

lol x 1,000,000

We're lucky if there are two students on this board...

(I'm not sure why, though...). Maybe the mods should play piped-in music to attract them.

Chapman_is_Gone said:

---

We're lucky if there are two students on this board...

(I'm not sure why, though...). Maybe the mods should play piped-in music to attract them.

---

OK. That may be post of the day!

BeachedBear said:

---

Chapman_is_Gone said:

---

We're lucky if there are two students on this board...

(I'm not sure why, though...). Maybe the mods should play piped-in music to attract them.

---

OK. That may be post of the day!

---

But it needs a sound track to get me interested.

ducky23 said:

---

Excalibur, MGM, Sahara, Mandalay Bay?

Goodness. This board is starting to show its age

---

Ducky, while I admit I'm an older guy, I only mentioned Excalibur because its within a short walking distance to T Mobile and its inexpensive. You made the age reference, but you didn't offer a hotel suggestion. Would would be your good "young persons hotel" that is close to the basketball venue and has a reasonable rate?

I'll be there. Have a suite at the Luxor. Get my points through MGM so only pay resort fee and taxes.

BeachedBear said:

---

Chapman_is_Gone said:

---

We're lucky if there are two students on this board...

(I'm not sure why, though...). Maybe the mods should play piped-in music to attract them.

---

OK. That may be post of the day!

---

Bahahahaha................or bring on a Live Rapper and fanny pack give aways.

I decided on the Sahara and will be arriving in Vegas at 9 am on Wednesday. I hope they have early check-in. Who else will be there? If I want a break from basketball, I may see the Chancellor at the reception put on by CAA on Friday at 6 pm and maybe the AD too.

I aways go because it is Vegas. I like watching the better teams play, I enjoy the tourney atmosphere - believe it or not the Pac does a good job. There is a lot to do. There are many other tourneys going on at the same time, and Vegas becomes collegiate and it is fun to hang with people from different schools. Unfortunately this year rehabbing my spine from surgery is interceding, but I encourage everyone that can fit it in their schedule to go and have a good time.

RedlessWardrobe said:

---

ducky23 said:

---

Excalibur, MGM, Sahara, Mandalay Bay?

Goodness. This board is starting to show its age

---

Ducky, while I admit I'm an older guy, I only mentioned Excalibur because its within a short walking distance to T Mobile and its inexpensive. You made the age reference, but you didn't offer a hotel suggestion. Would would be your good "young persons hotel" that is close to the basketball venue and has a reasonable rate?

---

The young crowd typically hangs at the Cosmopolitan, Vdara and surrounding hip hotels in the same complex. There is a walk way btw, to T. Mobile from this area. We stay at the Cosmo and feel ancient compared to the crowd.

wifeisafurd said:

---

RedlessWardrobe said:

---

ducky23 said:

---

Excalibur, MGM, Sahara, Mandalay Bay?

Goodness. This board is starting to show its age

---

Ducky, while I admit I'm an older guy, I only mentioned Excalibur because its within a short walking distance to T Mobile and its inexpensive. You made the age reference, but you didn't offer a hotel suggestion. Would would be your good "young persons hotel" that is close to the basketball venue and has a reasonable rate?

---

The young crowd typically hangs at the Cosmopolitan, Vdara and surrounding hip hotels in the same complex. There is a walk way btw, to T. Mobile from this area. We stay at the Cosmo and feel ancient compared to the crowd.

---

I was only half joking, but what wiaf says is true. You're not going to find a single person under 40 at any of the hotels mentioned in this thread. For that area, the young "hip" crowd is in the Aria/cosmo area.

Personally, I prefer staying in fairly nice hotels when in Vegas since the casinos are subsidizing my hotel bill. Plus the aria/cosmo area is just nicer, the rooms are cleaner, there is better food, more to do, gaming experience is better and more than anything, there is way less smoke the more upscale you go. I typically stay at the Vdara when in that area. It's all suites. It's roomy. You get a kitchenette. And it's a completely smoke free hotel. And it's $70 for tonight.

I used to go to Vegas 2 to 4 times per year...I don't disagree with much of what is said above. I happen to like mid-strip area hotels the best, just for location. Generally, Bally's is your cheapest option and it doesn't take many rewards to start getting ridiculously cheap rooms, if not free (except the pesky "resort fee."). The rooms have been remodeled, but definitely the hotel is dated. However, considering I don't spend more than 6 hours in the room, hard to justify paying $100 to $200 per night more to stay at Bellagio.

One hotel not mentioned is Park MGM (former Monte Carlo). You can't always get a good rate, but it's literally next door to T-Mobile arena. The makeover is decent, the rooms are nice, huge food court area, but it's still not Aria. Aria is super nice, no doubt, love staying there. Best rooms probably are the Wynn/Encore, though. Stayed at Venetian/Palazzo many times, it's fine, huge rooms, good for splitting, but not many deals to be had at times. Without question, the worst hotel I've ever stayed at (in the 90s) was Excalibur. I refuse to believe that it's much better now. Close second is Luxor, but rooms may have been re-done there over the years. TI is one option I've also used in the past, decent rooms and rates, non-ideal location for my needs.

I'm going for March Madness (finally!) but one of these years when Cal decides to get a higher seed, I'd like to go for two weeks to see the P12 tourney and then stay through the following week. MM with friends is a blast there.

sandiegobears said:

---

I used to go to Vegas 2 to 4 times per year...I don't disagree with much of what is said above. I happen to like mid-strip area hotels the best, just for location. Generally, Bally's is your cheapest option and it doesn't take many rewards to start getting ridiculously cheap rooms, if not free (except the pesky "resort fee."). The rooms have been remodeled, but definitely the hotel is dated. However, considering I don't spend more than 6 hours in the room, hard to justify paying $100 to $200 per night more to stay at Bellagio.

One hotel not mentioned is Park MGM (former Monte Carlo). You can't always get a good rate, but it's literally next door to T-Mobile arena. The makeover is decent, the rooms are nice, huge food court area, but it's still not Aria. Aria is super nice, no doubt, love staying there. Best rooms probably are the Wynn/Encore, though. Stayed at Venetian/Palazzo many times, it's fine, huge rooms, good for splitting, but not many deals to be had at times. Without question, the worst hotel I've ever stayed at (in the 90s) was Excalibur. I refuse to believe that it's much better now. Close second is Luxor, but rooms may have been re-done there over the years. TI is one option I've also used in the past, decent rooms and rates, non-ideal location for my needs.

I'm going for March Madness (finally!) but one of these years when Cal decides to get a higher seed, I'd like to go for two weeks to see the P12 tourney and then stay through the following week. MM with friends is a blast there.

---

our fav is Venetian which is an all-suite hotel with huge rooms, great restaurants and good location (middle of strip)

we haven't stayed at Aria or Wynn, but the Wynn buffet was the best we went to (pre-pandemic)

don't like Caesars, although they have a nice theater, shopping mall and spa

walked through a new hotel, but don't remember the name ... the casino had a different modern look ... seemed like they rethought the casino experience (a good thing)

wifeisafurd said:

---

I aways go because it is Vegas. I like watching the better teams play, I enjoy the tourney atmosphere - believe it or not the Pac does a good job. There is a lot to do. There are many other tourneys going on at the same time, and Vegas becomes collegiate and it is fun to hang with people from different schools. Unfortunately this year rehabbing my spine from surgery is interceding, but I encourage everyone that can fit it in their schedule to go and have a good time.

---

I agree going to the tournament in Vegas is a good time. But I preferred it when the games were at the MGM. It was cool that all the teams and fans were staying at that one venue, and that you could go to the game without leaving the casino. I remember running into Monty in the elevator. Kinda cool.

When they switched it to the T-Mobile, I thought the whole experience lost something. Sure, T-Mobile is really nice, but I preferred the MGM, more simplistic and more intimacy with a smaller capacity. Just my two cents worth.