Hey! Took awhile to start my trip report- Part One

Have No idea where the time went- We have been back in NY since late Monday night- thought I%26#39;d finally sit down and give a trip report for what it%26#39;s worth- here goes...

We had an uneventful flight out from Long Island- non-stop and on time. We arrived in Vegas at about 1:15 Wed afternoon. Our luggage didn%26#39;t take a ridiculously long time to come out so that was a plus.

First stop was the ';new and improved rental facility';- after boarding the waiting bus outside the airport terminal we got to the center in a few minutes. We rented from Dollar and have the express members card. Our paperwork was waiting for us- I saw the charges and questioned them as it was higher than I reserved at- the rep explained that my actual charges will be adjusted upon return of vehicle. (the final price when we returned on time was even less than I booked at-came to $133 total with all fees and taxes from 5/2-5/7 for the midsize we got-had booked a compact)

Getting to the Monte Carlo didn%26#39;t take to long and the entire process had us at the MC in just under an hour from landing.

We parked outside in the small lot-no problem finding a space. Waled in-ahhhhh-that wonderful smell in the lobby.... went to the ';invited guests'; desk and check-in took under 5 minutes- asked where our room on the 32 floor was and had it moved to the side nearest NYNY to help eliminate any construction noise. I also had an envelope waiting for me -it contained the slot tournament info and our line passes in case any of the food lines were long- I will now say that our 5 nights and all meals and drinks from the Brew Pub, Cafe, casino bars, and buffet were also comped -a nice thing to know-(thanks host) Nice to know this ahead of time too-BEFORE ordering -LOL!

Our room was fine- roomy enough and clean. I did immediately notice that things up on the 32nd floor were changing since our Oct visit- more updated look to the entrance- also Club Monaco (the concierge club) was not open- seems they were finishing up a (needed) decoration renovation. It was reopened Fri morning so it wasn%26#39;t a problem. In the meantime they did have a bar and light food offerings set up in the hallway- The new look of the club was very nice- more modern, with earth tones, flat screen tv and nice seating areas- the service counter and bar were more attractive and there was a waiter on hand to serve drinks during happy hour and to keep things neat and well stocked at all times.

Ok- so we quickly unpacked- yeah I am one who has to unpack first- then downstairs for a light lunch in the cafe as we were both hungry.

The cafe has also been redone -we had seen the new look in Oct and liked it-again a big improvement over the old cafe. We saw a waitress from our last trip and she immediately came over and welcomed us back again- must say the service at every meal was very good.

FINALLY!! We now had full stomachs and I was ready to hit the casino floor- had to revisit all my favorite machines to see if any would treat me nicely. Right outside the cafe is a Coyote Moon machine- one that I hit nearly $700 on the last trip on an 80 cent pull.

No luck yet- I walked around and played a few different machines- also taking note of the new MVP Player%26#39;s Club under construction- also to be opened by the next day.

Other construction inside included a new hight limit slot area, and the announcement of a new Mexican reataurant which would be opened in a few months- it was located in the far right corner closest to the strip and eliminated one of the strip exits.

Late afternoon we headed back up to the room- a dozen HUGE chocolate dipped strawbrries awaited us- along with a welcome note from our host- YUMMY!! I%26#39;m now officially going to start gaining back some of the weight I worked so hard to lose before the trip-

We relaxed for awhile, then headed back to the casino- back to ';my'; Coyote Moon machine- put in $100- five minutes later pulled out $347-not too bad! Could this be the beginning of a prosperous trip???

Had a very good dinner in the Cafe- we paid all tips in cash and charged everything else to our room-

My husband was exhausted and went up about 10 which was 1 east coast time- after being up early and not sleeping well the night before I thought I%26#39;d be tired too but I stayed in the casino for a few more hours- basically held my own.

When I got back up to the room it sounded like there was a blizzard outside- the wind had been howling at nearly 50 mph and it was htting the hotel almost head on- closing the heavy drapes helped some but it was LOUD! Nevertheless, I managed to doze for a few hours and then I was up and ready to go!!

I%26#39;ll continue this later - next up- more playing, the slot tournament,the Kentucky Derby hat contest and how the judges didn%26#39;t read their own rules.....

Hey! Took awhile to start my trip report- Part One

Thanks for a good beginning looking forward to more.

Hey! Took awhile to start my trip report- Part One

At Dollar car,,, did you go direct to the car gate or process inside the bldg???

Since we belong to the Express club thru Dollar, we took the elevator right to the garage-there is a counter there and there was no line- all paperwork was waiting- (it has our preferences, fueling options, insurance wiaver refusal, etc all ready- just initial and sign)

I%26#39;ve had good luck on Coyote Moon also. It has become one of my favorite penny machines.

Nice comps you received. That%26#39;s always fun!

Good score oin the Bule Moon, and I just finished dinner so those chocolate dipped strawberries sound very good right now!

Whe I was at MGM last wed and thurs the winds were howling pretty well too....

Will look for part 2.,...

Wow good job! how much slot play do you have to give to get rooms, food and bars comped for 5 days??

Hi Jan! I%26#39;ve been waiting oh so patiently for your trip report! Been thinking about you and hoping you had a wonderful time! haven%26#39;t looked through yet to see if you%26#39;ve posted part 2 yet, but I am HOPING! Want to hear about the slot tourney, your hat, the pool, meeting up with 2B, your gambling and how MC is now.

good report, nice win..

OK Jan enough suspense. I can%26#39;t stand it. Did you win both the slot tourney and the hat contest. Let%26#39;s have it.

Great so far, can%26#39;t wait to hear more!!!!!