Been to Vegas 6 times in the past 5 years. Have stayed at Treasure Island, Imperial Palace, Harras, The Marriott Suites, The Vadara, and even rented a house off the strip. I don't even know where to begin! If you guys got questions, feel free. Now for some quick info.
Its way better to go with your guys and if you are on a budget, this is the ONLY way to go. Going with a chick, makes it hard to be cheap. But going with your guys is great cuz you can be cheap and not have to front, lol. You can stay at one of the cheaper hotels like Imperial Palace for around 500-600 a week, including airfare.
Speaking of airfare, fly Southwest if you can. Cheap flights, bags fly free and if you use their Southwest Vacations site, you can find really exceptional deals. They also have coupon codes which can take anywhere from 50 to 100 bucks off their listed price. So be sure to search for them before you book. Me and two of my guys are going out for the Mayweather/Cotto fight in May. Staying at Treasure Island aka TI (4 star hotel, prime location on the strip) from Wednesday till Monday and have two regular rooms that are connected. Two queen beds in each (one bed for each of us and a "smash" bed for when we come up on chicks lol). All for $708 (including resort fees). That's an incredible deal for a nice location on the strip and a hotel that you wont feel embarrassed to bring a chick back to! If any of you guys are trying to get out for the fight, I suggest you book your trip like yesterday because as it gets closer to that date, the prices are gonna go through the roof!
If you haven't been before and want a good and simple explanation of the hotels check out this site:
http://www.cheapovegas.com/vegas_casino_chart.php?sort=name Click on the hotel name for a more in depth description. One cool thing about Vegas is if you stay on the strip, things are technically within walking distance. If you go with a girl, be prepared to spend major money on cabs because they wont be able to walk long distances in those heels and will probably bitch and moan about the heat. But if you are going with the fellas, you might be able to get away with walking once you figure out how far you need to go. Just get some comfortable shoes, a drink and gets to stepping. As an added bonus, this is also a great way to come up on chicks!
Weather will probably be at least in the very high 80's or low 90's in late spring and early fall. If you go in the summer months, be prepared for 100 plus temps daily. The heat is different however. Its more like being in an dry oven in Vegas compared to Midwest and Southern heat which is hot and sticky. At the end of the day, hot is hot though so be prepared! Most people stay inside during the day and start to venture out during the evening hours once it cools a bit.
Concerning food, you can find some cheap eats all over the strip. That is if you don't mind eating hotdogs, McDonald and your other typical fast food fare. You can also get some nice deals on some of the better restaurants by doing some research ahead of time and finding coupons. One such place is a Brazilian style steak house in the Planet Hollywood mall called Pampas. Its expensive as hell if you pay full price but using places like Tickets4Tonight.com you can get half price entry into the spot. They also have show tickets there for the low if that's what you like. Of course you have buffets all over the place as well. Hit the Rio for a great seafood buffet and avoid the Excalibur buffet like the plague if you don't want to get sick. Got food poisoning there once.
Drinks can be expensive. Especially in the clubs and high end restaurants. But in some places you can find pretty good deals on slushy drinks in those cheezy, themed bottles. Some are crazy huge, others are shaped like the Eiffel tower and other random things. You will know what I'm talking about when you see them. The good thing about them are some spots will let you refill that same container for a pretty good discount. One time I had a giant margarita slush in an Eiffel tower themed bottle at the Paris hotel mall for 12 bucks. I was sipping away pretty fast because I was thirsty and it didn't seem overly strong with all the lime flavor and ice. Then before I knew it, I was completely white boy wasted. The next day, I came across the same spot and asked the chick who made my drink, how much alcohol was in it and she said any where from 10 to 12 shots....smh. Then I knew why I got blasted so quick lmao. So be careful!
If you are looking for free entertainment, there are plenty of random street performers on the strip. If you really want bizarre, hit up "Old Vegas". Old Vegas use to be the spot before all the major attractions and hotels moved to The Strip. But if you happen to venture to "OV" one night be prepared to see the lowest of the low. Its dirty, seedy, and the smell of smoke and stank pussy is constantly in the air. It can be a lot of fun but i wouldn't suggest spending more than a night there. If you want to pay, there are also tons of comedy, magic and music shows. Cirque Du Solei has several expensive shows there as well and I would recommend "O" or "Ka" but stay far away from the Kris Angel show because it is complete trash. If you are looking for rankings on all things Vegas, check out
http://www.ratelasvegas.com/
As far as women and go, you can find just about anything you like. All types, colors and sizes lol. Also plenty of "working" girls if you trying to pay to play. If you are looking for non black girls, here is a word to the wise. Most of the young niggas go to Vegas on Fridays and Saturdays. It will be almost impossible to pull a decent white or asian chick on those nights because the hood niggas will be out and fuck up everything for use normal black dudes lol. Loud as fuck, cheap and gaudy clothing, and bootleg Jordan's will be everywhere and make it very tough for you to pull anything over a 6 unless you are flashing major paper. This is why Tuesday's, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are some of the best days to go pussy hunting. Also if you can come up on some "locals" of the female variety, hang with them because they probably only fuck with the strip to find dudes and can also give you the low down on some good kick it spots off strip.
Clubs can be hit or miss. Especially if you aren't ballin. You can use the passes that random people pass out all over the strip but a few words of advice. 1. NEVER pay for them because you can almost always find a person giving them away for free at some other spot on the strip. 2. If you use those passes, be there with them as soon as the club opens because once it gets crowded, they wont let you in with them. 3. If you are rolling with more than one other guy, you may not get in. So your best bet is to get with a group of chicks outside the club and see if you can roll with them into the spot. The door guys don't like to let groups of dudes in unless they have girls with them as well. Keep at least a one to one ratio. 4. Dress to impress. Leave the Jordan's and Timb's at the hotel. Slacks, loafers and a button up almost always works. 5. If you got a little extra to spend, get table service. Nothing compares to being able to sit and relax and people watch with a drink in hand. Having a table almost assures you of getting some pussy that night as well since chicks will flock to those tables in hopes of getting a seat and a free drink or two.
Ok, I think i have wrote enough. Vegas is a fucking blast and it usually gets better each time you visit. If you got specific questions, hit me up and ill be happy to help. The biggest piece of advice i can offer is research the places you want to see and the things you want to do. Be sure to have a plan if this is the first time you are going. It can be quite overwhelming the first time you go and you can waste tons of time just wandering around if you don't have a plan and you aren't prepared.