Oh Vegas, What Happened To You?

                                                                                                                          

What has happened to Vegas?  Used to be exciting, fun, sexy, even

misbehaved. I used to look forward to my next trip there knowing

that it will be like a mini vacation, filled with adventure, discovery

and of course some gambling.  I knew I was going to leave some

money behind and that was part of the deal.  And I was OK with it.

I still look forward to my trips to Vegas (although not as often), 

possibly in the stubborn hope that maybe, just maybe, they will

wake up from their lethargic, boring, over-hyped and annoying

sleepwalking.  I don't know what is going on in the private clubs,

VIP lunges and the like.  And frankly, I don't care.  I am talking

about the average person, someone who wants a clean,

reasonably priced room, a good buffet, lots of fun and to feel

special. Instead, all you get nowadays is tasteless, three days old

food at most buffet type eateries, cocktail waitresses covered up

like Siberian babushkas in the middle of winter and the stingiest

slot machines in recent memory.  I mean, there are no "hooters"

even at Hooters, for crying out loud.  Add to that the rude and

dismissive attitude of some employees  (hint, Winn Buffet

Hostess among them)  and people will think twice before driving

for 5 hours to get there.  Out on the Strip, there is trash everywhere

and annoying  people harassing passersby with fliers.  Not exactly

making one feel special on a great vacation.  The magic is gone.

So here it goes Vegas:

      -  Put the Sexy back in Vegas: hire some good looking girls and let 

          them show some skin. There is a difference between sexy and 

          promiscuous. Besides, Vegas is not, nor should it try to be,

           Disneyland.

      -  Motivate your employees to make the guests feel welcome and 

          special. I can't tell you how many times I've had to get out of 

          the way of absent  minded employees, just lumbering around,

          busy with their cellphones or just oblivious to others around. 

           Sure, I can get out of their way all day long, but that is not the

           way to make someone feel special.

      -   Fresh, tasty food and no dirty looks when you go back for more.

          After all, it's called an "All You Can Eat Buffet". I doubt you'll 

           loose money on that. 

          Honorable mention: the Buffet at the M Resort. Great job.

      -   Pretty good job on the rooms. Keep it up. Internet access          

           however, should be free anywhere in Vegas. Create a portal if you

           must and make money from ads and referrals.

      -   Clean up the Strip of both trash and peddlers. It cheapens the 

           whole place. Hey, keep the whole city clean while you're at it.

      -   Ideally, a completely non-smoking hotel and casino, or at least a 

           real non-smoking area.  Imaginary partitions do not keep the 

           smoke out.

      -    Don't try to become like other places, or people will see no 

           reason to fly or drive for hours all the way to the middle of the

           desert, for the same thing they can get where they live. The 

           whole idea of Vegas is a unique and exciting, even sizzling 

           experience. 

      -    Loosen those machines a little. And if you do take people's 

           money, at least entertain them in the process. Most slot 

           machines have kid's level themes. Dinosaurs, bugs, fruits,

           cute little characters from children's bed time stories and so on.

           Yet children are not allowed anywhere near the machines. So 

           bring out some new and exciting games for grown-ups, before I 

           fall asleep.

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