Las Vegas, Nevada to host 2019 Skate America!

[MacMadame]

I had a great time too. I’ve never been to a GP event, just the final, and I enjoyed not being run ragged trying to see everything. Plus the event being in Vegas meant I could convince family members to show up, even if they weren’t going to see the skating. Got to visit with my FIL for a bit and am now celebrating Mini-Mac’s birthday.

 

[sk9tingfan]

My only complaint about the Vegas location was the pervasive cigarette smoke no matter where you went. Really messed up my sinuses. I felt sorry for the casino and hotel personnel, a lot of whom will probably have secondary smoke-related illnesses over time.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

I had great time! There were a lot of good skates and a few stellar ones, the whole emotional range from horror to heartbreak to delight, and skaters and coaches in every elevator and hallway to chat up.

The smoke was nasty in the casino, but otherwise the arena/hotel was clean, comfortable, and convenient. Everyone on staff was pleasant and no-one blinked an eye at my bagfull of water and snacks. I'd come back without hesitation.

I think attendance exceeded expectations - the merchandise person told me they underestimated demand and sold out of all their Skate America branded merch very early and unexpectedly.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

and skaters and coaches in every elevator and hallway to chat up.

Then thats sounds like where I woulda spent almost all my time...

well, and the practice sessions...

what can I say? I need my alone time with them.....

 

[A.H.Black]

I liked the arena as well. Some good thought went into the design. Even in the corners you can see pretty much the whole ice surface without part of the audience cutting off the view. I loved the stairs - there were lots of them but each step had a lower rise so those who have a hard time climbing can manage them much more easily. I watched an elderly lady with oxygen and a cane climb them like a trooper. I bet they are much more safe as well, with a greatly lowered fall/tripping risk. I also liked a couple of small things - like lids for the containers for condiments.

The staff was helpful and friendly. Our seats ended up being obstructed and they were helpful in finding us other seats. In the process we found the seats we always want to sit in. I'm not a fan of having to go through the casino to get anywhere - too much noise, flashing lights, smoke smell etc. but I would be happy to go there next year.

 

[manhn]

Pros:

1. Vegas is a central location, near a major airport, finding a cab is easy (try it at other skating events), parking is free (try it at other skating events)
2. The arena and the hotel are one and the same; I didn't book a room, but I thought the place itself was okay; I can't imagine eating there for days on straight but for a one-off, its convenience is hard to beat
3. It's Vegas! Lots of things to do!
4. The concourse has A LOT of room. There was a long line-up to get autographs with the US skaters, but that hardly made a dent to the space. There is a ton of space to maneuver, even during breaks. I even think the line-ups for the ladies washroom were much shorter than normal, but I'm a guy, so I can't really vouch for that
5. The scheduling was practically perfect. Competition on Friday and Saturday only, with a decent break at reasonable dinner times. Because of the efficient cabbing situation, we could go to dinner on the Strip, and cab back in time for the rest of the competition, with time to spare.
6. Perfect weather

Cons:

1. My expectations of a Vegas skating event were different from the reality. I was envisioning a skating event at the NHL arena, which is in a very nice part of the Strip. The Orleans is not that. I am not a skating purist--I like to combine my skating events with exploring the city. I didn't do as much as I anticipated. But that may be a part of tempering expectations and amending how I plan a future trip to Vegas for a skating event.
2. The arena was freezing to me.
3. Not a ton of staff, so a lot of people were moving down to their seats in the middle of performances. Very distracting.
4. There is nothing to do right outside the arena/hotel. NOTHING.
5. Packing is hard. Weather was actually quite reasonable, but the arena was way too cold. And, yes, smoking is bad.

 

[nubka]

I had great time! There were a lot of good skates and a few stellar ones, the whole emotional range from horror to heartbreak to delight, and skaters and coaches in every elevator and hallway to chat up.

The smoke was nasty in the casino, but otherwise the arena/hotel was clean, comfortable, and convenient. Everyone on staff was pleasant and no-one blinked an eye at my bagfull of water and snacks. I'd come back without hesitation.

I think attendance exceeded expectations - the merchandise person told me they underestimated demand and sold out of all their Skate America branded merch very early and unexpectedly.

Did you stay at The Orleans? That's where I was.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

Did you stay at The Orleans? That's where I was.

Yes. We were happy with it - the room was spotless, smokeless, and quiet.

 

[allezfred]

I cannot believe there are work places in developed countries where you can still smoke inside.

 

[sk9tingfan]

I cannot believe there are work places in developed countries where you can still smoke inside.

Nevada generally bans smoking in all public places and places of employment, but exempts bars, casinos, strip clubs, brothels, and retail tobacco stores, and restaurants that do not allow patrons under 21 years of age. In all other restaurants, smoking is relegated to separately ventilated designated smoking areas.

List of smoking bans in the United States - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

In NYC, smoking in public spaces began in 1988 and workplaces often banned inside smoking well before that. When I worked in midtown, if I wanted to find certain individuals, I would find them in front of the corporate headquarters and often got more done there because they were captive audiences.

 

[sjs5572]

Delete

 

[overedge]

I cannot believe there are work places in developed countries where you can still smoke inside.

I believe the Culinary Union (which represents the casino workers at nearly every major hotel) has tried for years to get no-smoking rules written into the collective agreement - or at least to have designated non-smoking areas in the casinos. The hotels and casinos refuse to agree to it because they think no-smoking rules will drive customers away.

 

[Carolla5501]

Pros:

1. Vegas is a central location, near a major airport, finding a cab is easy (try it at other skating events), parking is free (try it at other skating events)
2. The arena and the hotel are one and the same; I didn't book a room, but I thought the place itself was okay; I can't imagine eating there for days on straight but for a one-off, its convenience is hard to beat
3. It's Vegas! Lots of things to do!
4. The concourse has A LOT of room. There was a long line-up to get autographs with the US skaters, but that hardly made a dent to the space. There is a ton of space to maneuver, even during breaks. I even think the line-ups for the ladies washroom were much shorter than normal, but I'm a guy, so I can't really vouch for that
5. The scheduling was practically perfect. Competition on Friday and Saturday only, with a decent break at reasonable dinner times. Because of the efficient cabbing situation, we could go to dinner on the Strip, and cab back in time for the rest of the competition, with time to spare.
6. Perfect weather

Cons:

1. My expectations of a Vegas skating event were different from the reality. I was envisioning a skating event at the NHL arena, which is in a very nice part of the Strip. The Orleans is not that. I am not a skating purist--I like to combine my skating events with exploring the city. I didn't do as much as I anticipated. But that may be a part of tempering expectations and amending how I plan a future trip to Vegas for a skating event.
2. The arena was freezing to me.
3. Not a ton of staff, so a lot of people were moving down to their seats in the middle of performances. Very distracting.
4. There is nothing to do right outside the arena/hotel. NOTHING.
5. Packing is hard. Weather was actually quite reasonable, but the arena was way too cold. And, yes, smoking is bad.

I’m pretty much with you on everything except the complain about people moving down. I had every skating event I’ve ever been to that’s been a problem. Very rarely do arena people make people arriving late wait and even then people are constantly moving. And some of the worst actually the skaters and their families. They will go camp out really good seats and just wait to see what happens. So you always have them moving around

Personally I still think this is a great location a lot better than some of them. I’m never going to make the impossible journey to Lake Placid for example

And after the first day I figured out how to get to and from the arena with that ever setting foot in the casino. So the smoking was pretty easy to avoid

 

[Kasey]

The hotels and casinos refuse to agree to it because they think no-smoking rules will drive customers away.

And sometimes it does. There was a strictly no-smoking casino in Carson City a few years ago that belly'ed up in a pretty short period of time. Smoking in casinos just seems to be the norm that isn't going away soon.

 

[peibeck]

I believe the Culinary Union (which represents the casino workers at nearly every major hotel) has tried for years to get no-smoking rules written into the collective agreement - or at least to have designated non-smoking areas in the casinos. The hotels and casinos refuse to agree to it because they think no-smoking rules will drive customers away.

There was a "non smoking" section of slot machines between the food court and the poker venue at the Orleans. It wasn't a particularly large area, but that's where I found the loosest slots.

 

[manhn]

I’m pretty much with you on everything except the complain about people moving down. I had every skating event I’ve ever been to that’s been a problem. Very rarely do arena people make people arriving late wait and even then people are constantly moving. And some of the worst actually the skaters and their families. They will go camp out really good seats and just wait to see what happens. So you always have them moving around

My experiences with American skating events tend to be on the west coast, which was pretty good in making sure people don't move down to their seats in the middle of performances (I'm thinking last year in Everett). I also thought Boston Worlds was good at that too.

I should have also mentioned the more comfortable chairs and even wider spacing between rows. The arena was a very comfortable one, cold temps notwithstanding.

 

[aftershocks]

I guess as Terry Gannon quipped: "Vegas and figure skating go together" (addendum) like gambling casinos and cigarette smoke...

ETA:
Final thoughts: "What happened in Vegas won't stay in Vegas"

At Skate America, what happened in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas

Skate America showed that quads are separating the top women, but one U.S. man is faring well without them.

olympics.nbcsports.com

 

[Willin]

I believe the Culinary Union (which represents the casino workers at nearly every major hotel) has tried for years to get no-smoking rules written into the collective agreement - or at least to have designated non-smoking areas in the casinos. The hotels and casinos refuse to agree to it because they think no-smoking rules will drive customers away.

To be fair, this is probably true. There are a lot of US states where smoking is still allowed in hotels (parts of the midwest and the south) and those people probably go to Vegas as well. I know a lot of guys from even smoke-free-hotel states like to go and smoke cigars in vegas to be fancy. Vegas also has a lot of international tourism including increasing shares from places like China were smoking is a lot more accepted. No smoking in hotels might hurt those markets, unfortunately. And if it doesn't they may be fighting a losing battle given all the people that may break the rules anyways.

Making hotels nonsmoking would save them a lot of trouble and money (probably mostly in the decreased need for cleaning and less frequent need to replace stuff in smoking rooms), so they'd probably do it if they thought it wouldn't hurt business.

 

[NinjaTurtles]

There was a "non smoking" section of slot machines between the food court and the poker venue at the Orleans. It wasn't a particularly large area, but that's where I found the loosest slots.

My MIL had a theory that the non-smoking slot machines payout slightly better as a measure to keep people playing/not leaving to take smoke breaks.

 

[overedge]

Making hotels nonsmoking would save them a lot of trouble and money (probably mostly in the decreased need for cleaning and less frequent need to replace stuff in smoking rooms), so they'd probably do it if they thought it wouldn't hurt business.

There are two completely non-smoking hotels in downtown Las Vegas: Hilton Grand (which doesn't have a casino) and Vdara (which does). So there already are non-smoking hotels, but there aren't any completely non-smoking casinos.

 

[SkateSand]

I was very happy with this location, hotel, and venue for Skate America. First, it met all my criteria for any skating event I attend: venue within easy walking distance of hotels and restaurants, or at least a quick and easy tram/subway/train ride away, good airport access, good access from airport to the hotels/venues. Second, the site itself was great. The venue was clean, great seating, decent concession choices, and clean and modern bathrooms. The host hotel was clean and quiet, loved my room. There were also plenty of restaurant and food court choices. While there was nothing outside the hotel/casino, there was a free shuttle to and from the strip, which I took to see a Cirque du Soleil show on my first night, although most people simply used Uber. The staff in the casino, hotel, restaurants, and venue were all friendly and helpful. I'd go back to The Orleans and Las Vegas for a figure skating competition in a heartbeat.

 

[AnnM]

I was very happy with this location and venue. I'd happily go back.

I agree with pretty much all of @manhn's post, and can confirm that the lines for the ladies' room were the shortest I ever experienced at a skating competition.

I stayed on the central portion of the Strip, which was a 10 minute/$10 Lyft ride each way, except for Saturday night post-event which had a bit of surge pricing. The arena's rideshare area was right outside the credentialed entrance, which made for some good skater (and Terry Gannon!) spotting.

The arena staff was probably the friendliest I ever encountered. I didn't utilize the concession stands, but they didn't seem to have very long lines and the security staff seemed lax about bringing food in.

 

[MacMadame]

I had a great time too. And apparently our part of the arena had reasonable temps. I guess that means I have to get those seats again next time.

My husband gambled at the "non-smoking" slots. Of course, since they are right next to the smoking slots, I could smell cigarette smoke the whole time we were there. (It makes little difference in the smoke if the non-smoking section is on the same ventilation system as the smoking section.) I did somewhat get used to the smoke eventually but I'm home now and I can still smell it. It's embedded in my nose, I think. And definitely in our clothes.

We used the shuttle to the Fashion Show Mall several times. It was reasonably convenient and saved us some money.

I was pleasantly surprised by how clean and fresh the Orleans was. I was expecting it to be a bit run down and shabby and maybe slightly dusty. Our room was very spacious, which came in handy when my daughter and her boyfriend showed up and there were 4 of us in there.

I would definitely go to SkAm again if it remains in Vegas.

 

[Lizziebeth]

I cannot believe there are work places in developed countries where you can still smoke inside.

Casinos are notorious for this. In my state, they are all owned by tribes and they generally have nice hotels and it is fun to go once in a while. But I hardly ever go because the entire place smells like smoke - even the non smoking hotel rooms, non smoking gambling areas and the restaurants, where there is no smoking. Apparently, most people who like casinos are smokers.

 

[skatesindreams]

If Skate America is in Vegas next year, I plan to be there.
I missed all of you!

 

[Japanfan]

I believe the Culinary Union (which represents the casino workers at nearly every major hotel) has tried for years to get no-smoking rules written into the collective agreement - or at least to have designated non-smoking areas in the casinos. The hotels and casinos refuse to agree to it because they think no-smoking rules will drive customers away.

Casinos make a ton of money off of gambling addictions, and people with one or more addictions (i.e. booze, tobacco) are more likely to have multiple addictions.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

If Skate America returns to Vegas next year, with smoking allowed everywhere, maybe they could get the event to be sponsored by Phillip Morris.

 

[jamesy]

Kiss & Cry & Smoke

 

[alchemy void]

Cartons of cigarettes for medalists on the podium!

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Kiss & Cry & Smoke

The Huff & Puff