There was hype beyond what was normal for a casino, for the “New” Rio Casino resort located a mile off the famous strip. The flashy advertisements bragged about total refurbishments, loose slots and a new management team guaranteed to make your stay memorable. The wife and I bought into the hype like moths to a flame.
Our entrance was more of a Circus/Circus type atmosphere than an elegant one because the food court greeted us with hotdogs and pizza. After a long walk, which is standard for casinos, we made our way through the slot machines to registration. The four o’clock check-in and the ten o’clock checkout, which shortens our stay by six hours, is basically the reason to book a two-day stay. Just another way a casino will “nickel and dime,” their customers.
As we soon found out, the Rio has two towers and only one had been refurbished. Not our room. The carpet had stains and the bathroom vent looked like it had been there since the Bush administration, the older one! You can typically tell the modernization of the casino hotel room by their technology. The push button phone and the tv was from the last millennium. A room that hasn’t been refurbished since the invention of the cell phone.
The heavy curtains used to block out the sun was inadequate and the flat screen tv looked like an ad on. From inside the shower a small glass window was blocked off, as if they were too cheap to either take it out, or do the drywall so you can see through it as was originally intended. The AC was adequate but considering the 100 degree weather conditions outside, it did its thing. By 4 Am it was cold in the room that overlooked the massive pool.
Overall it was a fun experience with the usual “sex, drugs and rock and roll” two day stay with the smokin’ gamblin’ dancin’ and eating that comprises a Las Vegas stay. Off the strip means just that. Without an uber you’re basically stuck at the resort. The Palms was close, but considering the heat, it wasn’t worth the trip.
The Rio? I’d give it only 3 out of ten. The bait and switch tactics worked on us, but now were more savvy than ever before. New management? Maybe, but we couldn’t tell. Refurbished? Maybe, but not in tower we stayed in. The oldest and worst casino hotel on the strip? By most accounts, Circus/Circus which was featured in the James Bond movie Diamonds are Forever, way back in the 70s! The Rio is basically Circus/Circus with a paint job and a hyped-up advertising campaign.
The best rule when considering a Casino/Hotel in Las Vegas? When it was built. The Rio was built in the 70’s and still looks like it. Without a fantastic deal, $29 a room, which when adding in the deceptive resort fee and taxes comes out to $100 a night, try a newer hotel.
Brent Lee Kendell, JD, CPA
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