Episode Description
The big news of the week is that #MGM Resorts has now completed their purchase of #Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. We let you know how the transition will take place, what will stay for now and what you should expect as Cosmo fully becomes part of the MGM family. On the good news (for some) front, Marriott will stay in place for now despite MGM’s Hyatt partnership & Blackstone gave every Cosmo employee $5K on their way out!
In other #news the Lovers & Friends festival happened in Vegas with crazy crowds, a scare & $18 hot dogs! Las Vegas also announced they are planting 60K new trees to combat the warming caused by urban sprawl, Vegas Loop detailed their plan to partly open in 2023 and how they will build their tunnels & we compare cruise ship casinos on the two most popular cruise lines Carnival & Royal Caribbean.
Produced & Edited by: Shawn Coomer
Episode Guide:
0:05 Crazy crowds and prices at Lovers & Friends festival
2:41 MGM has officially taken over Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
4:20 One big holdover from the old Cosmo
6:35 Cosmo’s old owners gave a huge $27 million gift to all employees
9:25 Vegas Loop Resorts World line is only one way and is still not open
11:03 How they are going to build out Vegas Loop – Partly open in 2023?
13:54 Circus Circus to join Choice Hotels upscale Ascend Collection!?!
16:30 Las Vegas is going to plant 60K new trees because the city is warming rapidly
18:30 Vegas is struggling mightily with the rapid growth – Water shortage, urban sprawl, traffic
20:44 Cruise ship casinos – Carnival vs Royal Caribbean
24:25 Triggering free drinks and comp cruise offers on Carnival & Royal Caribbean
26:10 Low ceilings and no free drinks when gambling? Vegas type vibe?
Relevant Links:
Lovers & Friends crowds –
Crazy prices –
MGM Cosmo Marriott –
Cosmo $5K gift –
Vegas Loop Resorts World tunnel –
More Vegas Loop details –
Circus Circus Choice –
60K trees-
💳 Founderscard (Get Caesars Diamond Status!) – Exclusive MtM Offer –
🙏 Don’t forget to 👍 our videos, subscribe and hit 🔔 to receive notifications!
🛒 Support MtM when shopping on Amazon by using this link –
Travel
🔥 MtM Patreon – Private communities & miles/points content –
⛲ Book Caesars Member Only Hotel Offers –
🏨 Book Vegas hotels on Expedia –
🏠 Get up to $35 off your first booking on Airbnb –
Social Media
Facebook Group –
Twitter –
Podcast –
Website –
Host – Shawn Coomer – @MtM_Vegas
Host – Mark Ostermann – @DetroitMark
Advertiser Disclosure: This site/channel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site/channel (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.
45 comments
This is a way underrated podcast. Always good stuff here well done
We will talk about it more in next week's video but an FYI that the Chase Sapphire Preferred card's increased offer ends at the end of this month. The current offer comes with 80,000 points worth $800 in cash, $1000 in Chase's travel portal for flights, car rentals and hotels or $1200+ if you take advantage of their transfer partners. That could help make your next Vegas trip (or any travel) that much cheaper. Details in our post on the site – https://milestomemories.com/chase-sapphire-preferred-80000-points-bonus/. Thanks for watching! Have a great weekend everyone.
Great coverage once again.
Here's a scoop for you.. J. Pappas .
Lake Las Vegas is water coming from waste treatment plants. Any water coming out of the lake goes to Lake Mead.
13:36 to 13:50 Mark is skeptical and Shawn is optimistic – whats new. Seems like every topic these guys talk about that is usually the case. It's like watching an old couple talk about stuff. But I still subscribe and watch.
Hope MGM does right with Cosmo, it is my favorite on the strip. Don't know about the travel tunnels , that's a big challenge to do as much as they have planned. I don't understand the tree's situation to be planted in the future and the 4 million people. Only going from my hometown the more the territory and it's problems and growth wore on the infustructure
The more people moved away. I predict the same for Vegas , there is only so much room there in that valley. I think it's been proven in most our big city's in America. Too many people and some bad things happen like that concert in the beginning of vlog. Great Vlog as always guys. I'm not a person that cares to go on a cruise but I really enjoyed your information and that portion.
Every time I hear about Vegas prices which is all any influencer talks about is the reason I will never go to Vegas again. Vegas greed is now absurd!!!! No longer a gamblers paradise only stupid idiots are going here to make the casino executives even more rich and greedy!!!! I used to go to Vegas 3 xs a year NO MORE.
Circus circus w/ choice? What the hell?? Seen it all now….
People with mobility issues like me, will welcome the new tunnel to the Convention Center. It is too far for me to walk, and I hate using cabs. The rideshare area at Resorts World is a long trek from your room…
I miss the old opening jingle lol
Las Vegas still has over 20 golf courses. I wonder how long they will survive.
Thanks for the info as always. Wonder what the crowd will look like at the EDC event this weekend compared to the Lovers thing? Have a great week!
Rio is worse
In my younger days I was a big festival guy. But all the points you make are valid. I definitely couldn't do it. I struggle at general admission concerts. Body to body,rude people and no oxygen. Even back then I expected price gouging on concessions. Just ate well before and didn't drink much if any alcohol. Working thru that crowd to bathrooms and expecting to get back to your spot was a losing proposition.
It says a lot about Choice Hotels that Circus Circus is upscale for them, I thought you might get a kick out of the press release.
Is there a second MTM podcast?
And you ignored the $18 CHURRO???
To hell with the environmental problems build baby build. Smh.. Vegas will be a literal hellscape.
Food and drink prices at concerts, festivals, sporting events and more will only keep rising. Even the PGA Championship has $18 beers and $6 Aquafina waters.
A one-way tunnel under Resorts World is ridiculous, and I am becoming more skeptical of a successful underground transportation on the Strip as time goes on. While Elon Musk is bold and a visionary, he is also, in my opinion, eccentric, petulant when he doesn’t get his own way, unreliable and self-destructive. Will definitely be watching the news on this project over the next few years.
Circus Circus as a Choice Hotel partner is hilarious! I will say their steakhouse is nice… and that’s about it. Oh, the McDonalds next door must have sealed the deal. 😂🤣🥲
I will judge the MGM takeover of Cosmopolitan, good or bad, by one factor: if MGM takes out the free mini-refrigerators from the Cosmopolitan rooms. That would be the clearest signal of penny-pinching and corporate greed. That said, I look forward to getting comp offers for Cosmopolitan eventually. Their rooms look great and I like their selection of restaurants. I suspect I will eventually prefer to keep staying at Bellagio for a more sedate, comfortable environment and visit the Cosmopolitan next door for dining and some casino play. Luckily, I’ve never had a bad room or cleaning issues at Bellagio, unlike both of you.
Thanks for another interesting update!
Your right on point from what I've heard about casinos on cruise ships. I traveled a bunch but cruises definitely not my thing. I can say I've been to Aruba a few times and it's one of my all time vacation spots. Their casinos were the pits. Just didn't have that vibe. I dunno even the ones of been to in the Pocono mountains or Philadelphia have a airplane hangar/warehouse feeling. Great show as always fellas!
I was going to mention the lack of water In Vegas but you told me not to say anything…….so I won’t.
The Loop is so pointless. There is NO WAY they can move as many people that they want to. Make it a true loop and put rails in there.
A worse hotel than Circus Circus?
The Cromwell.
We did a Baltic Sea cruise back in 2019 on the NCL Getaway. The machines seemed new, but I didn't play much at all. (That's an intense cruise.)
MGM is a great business if you want to turn the TV off of your customers, give bad customer service, bad food, unclean rooms. Basically they destroy businesses. Those suits there are terrible at business or are getting orders from the top of the pyramid "satanist cabal". Looters and PewPew'ers. Always look at the demographic of any festival and you will know if it will be civilized or not. The darker it gets, the more you should stay away.
Guess it was a good run while it lasted. Expect videos about how the place has gone down in a year.
If you are looking to get "free" cruises, it would be better to accept a cruise voucher from your local casino and then gamble on that ship no more than what you would have to as if you paid full price for that room. After that, especially on Carnival, you will be offered "free" rooms for future cruises. Yes, sometimes I end up paying the same as full price because I lost in the casino, other times I win enough to truly get a free room. Sometimes in the middle.
Either way, I get Interior rooms to Caribbean or European ports for about $1500 – $1700, with a credit of $500 or $1000 to spend on the cruise or as cash back. So, I'm paying around $700, including taxes, port fees & travel insurance (gratuities not included) for two for 8 / 9 day cruises. Not too bad. Free drinks always follow the 2nd day of the cruise for me. Unlike Vegas, a dollar tip keeps the waiter coming back every 15 minutes (Carnival requires this time between drinks) to see if you want another ( my wife doesn't gamble much so I'll get a free drink for her, since it will take me more than 15 minutes to finish mine). Cruise lines mixed drinks are excellent: flavorful, packs a punch & a good value (unlike restaurants) even if you paid the $15 per drink.
I consider myself fortunate to have lived on this earth 53 years and never been hungry enough to buy an $18 hot dog.
A key question for earning points when playing machines is….. How many dollars in equals 1 point. Thanks
If we lose the MGM/Hyatt partnership we also lose the relatively easy path to MGM gold
I would love to see something scientific stating the 6 degree temperature increase ( since 1970) is because of new construction and concrete. Most of LV is still a desert
The more info that comes out about the Vegas Loop, the more I question its existence….😅
I agree, it will only take a couple of years before the Cosmopolitan looks like every other MGM property in terms of disrepair.
If they were smart they would put a special team in place to maintain the quality of the property.
Answer to question about low end property that is both a casino and hotel on strip… casino royale
ty for all the news
An 18$ Glizzy?? nah…. no thanks.
MGM will ruin Cosmo.
I listened to the podcast first. So I’m here for the comments
So about the trees. I think it’s a nice idea. But I feel like when you have new trees you have to inforce them. I live up on the mountain on horizon and the trees here in my complex are so young and new they never stand a chance against the wind. The last dust storm rippped a few of them out and crack them down the middle. I love greenery but they need more Mature trees planted.
Forget footlongs, for $18 those hot dogs better be yardlongs. At least then, you could by a yard of beer to match.
Gone are the days of the 1/4 pound hot dog for a dollar…burp!
Look for the cosmopolitan to become short staffed.
About the 30,000 new trees what Las Vegas should consider is a ban on new pools and lawns in new residences.
If Cosmo starts going downhill, I'll just have to look for a new spot. Had a good run of stays from 2015….hope it keeps up until at least March 2023.
I am with you Mark – Packed events are not my cup of tea….I hate and avoid anywhere that has big crowds in standing room only areas….