Casino Reviews

Havasu Landing Resort and Casino is located on the western shores of Lake Havasu at Havasu Lake, CA. We took a short video while we were there to show you just what this small casino looks like so you can judge for yourself whether you want to spend time going there.  Click on this link to see it = Havasu Landing and Casino and the marina immediately beside the casino is a really nice little village that I am sure booms in the summer time.

We visited this location in March and most places were closed due to the fact that it was winter, even though the day boasted a sunny 70 degrees. Even though most cottages and trailers were closed up tight the casino was still open and there were a few people there. This place is probably very busy during the summer time.

The ferry comes over once every 30 minutes from the Arizona side of Lake Havasu, Lake Havasus City. The lake Havasu casino is actually in California. Around lunch time quite a few people got off the ferry that brings people over from the east shore or Lake Havasu City and headed straight for the small restaurant. They must get a voucher for lunch along with their ferry ticket. You can sit in the restaurant right along the water and have a basic pub kind of lunch which is fine as long as you are not expecting more than that.

You can also sit at a small bar in part of the casino and look out onto the lake a well.  We are not going to do our standard review of this particular casino since it is so small. We do want to manage expectations of anyone planning to go there. It is a very small casino with standard machines and we expect very low payout rates, although of course there is nothing to base this on other than they have no competition.

There are only two ways to get to this casino. One is via the ferry from the lake Havasu side, while the other is via car from highway 95. You can make a day out of it by driving to Lake Havasu city, visit London bridge and then take the ferry over to the casino.

This is not a place we would recommend riving out of your way to travel to , however you can spend a very nice day visiting the lake and the casino while have lunch in the casino if you are in the area.

If you have been to this casino and have comments, please leave them since our readers will appreciate the suggestions you may have.

 

The Palm Springs Spa Casino and Hotel is located in downtown Palm Springs within walking distance of many hotels and motels, as well as restaurants and the main shopping area in Palm Springs. There is lots of street parking as well as surface parking in casino parking lots.

Whether you want to play the slots, play the tables or play a little poker, the Spa Casino has it all. It is actually a very nice size as compared to the many gigantic casinos in Las Vegas and other areas. It is a nice way to spend an evening having a drink, gambling a little, having dinner or taking in one of the live shows that are offered from time to time.

For those of you who may have visited the former SPA Casino, which was under a tent attached to the hotel, you will notice a huge improvement when you visit the new casino. It is now a separate modern building with multiple restaurants, several bar areas and many slot machines. It is decorated in desert tones on the outside with lots of shrubs and colorful flowers that are well maintained.

This casino is now a high quality site for playing the slots. There are 860 slots and 22 table games with 3 lounges, buffet, deli and 1 restaurant at the SPA Casino. There are several areas were you can enjoy a drink and relax or play the slots away from the main casino. There is also a great nightclub as well. Their cafe is reasonably priced as is their buffet dinner and the buffet will feature different foods throughout the week at reasonable prices.

Slot Machines

There are over 860 slot machines of various types from penny machines to dollar machines and above for the high rollers. There slot machines built into the center bar were you can sit, watch the action, enjoy a drink and play one of your favorite games. The sports bar is one of the quieter places in the casino with approximately 20 machines also built into the bar. YOu can have something to eat here, watch the sports on a variety of televisions and play a little on one of the machines.

While they do not advertise this, you can ask the bar tender for free tortilla chips with salsa sauce. The service is friendly and the place is clean. The only negative is that sometimes you have to sit beside someone who is smoking!

There is also a high roller slot area which we have not been into. It is behind closed doors so we cannot even describe it.

Table Games

There are approximately 22 table games in the center of the casino with all of the popular games to play.

Restaurants

There is a deli beside the poker room were you can get a quick bite, there is a buffet which offers a great venue at reasonable prices with a combination of seafood, Mexican and standard American fare.  There is a steak house restaurant, a noodle bar and a small bar for drinks and munchies available for patrons.

What We Liked

Variety of slot machines

Very nice casino, very clean and a nice place to spend an evening

Free entertainment at the sports bar area on some evenings

Great Buffet at reasonable prices

Pool area and spa free to hotel guests.

Hotel rates are very reasonable

Lots of nearby surface parking

Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas

Other things to do in the area include:

Pool area

Surrounding Golf Courses

Palm Spring Shops and restaurants

Near by outlet shops

Desert Museum

Desert Zoo

Indian Canyons

Tramway

City Tours and history of Palm Springs

What We Did Not Like

There are no real complaints about the Spa hotel & casino, however you should be aware that  drinks are not free while gambling

It is a 3 star hotel in our estimation and quite adequate for our needs, however the casino is much more recent and is a first class casino, although smaller when compared to Vegas style casinos.

The only thing we do not care for is the smoking which many of the Indian casinos all over the US allow. Sometimes it can get pretty bad, so if this bothers you , it is best to stay away from the casino all together.

Slot Player Card

They are part of the Agua Caliente slot players card system. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at several Palm Springs area hotels.

If you have not taken advantage of slot player cards, there are a number of benefits that many slot players should consider. Free or discounted rooms, email mailing list of promotions, free or discounted meals, access to entertainment, and a tax report outlining your losses and wins for tax claim purposes.

Parking

There is ample parking at the Spa hotel & casino in a large  surface parking lot across from the hotel as well as across from the main casino entrance. You can access the hotel from the parking area as well as a street entrance on the south west side. The surface parking is also patrolled on a regular basis with officers on bike patrols on a regular basis.

Directions:

The Spa casino is located at 301 East Amado road in down town Palm Springs. It is easy to get to and in most cases just follow the signs, however if you have trouble finding it, just ask someone along the street. This is a safe town, very friendly and easy to park in. They cater to the tourists which is their main business.

There are so many casinos across America and also in Canada, that we know we will not finish our reviews for some time. However we like to break it up a bit and inject a post about places we really like and also have Casinos nearby or even in these areas. One of our favorite places to stay is Palm Springs, California. If you have not spent  some time there you really should. Palm Springs has a little bit of everything for almost everyone.

From many fine restaurants, to over 115 golf courses, some of the best shopping ever, to many farmers markets throughout the area to some of the best hiking available in California. All of this with scenery that encompasses snow covered mountains, desert vistas and a hot temperate climate. They get over 340 days of sun! With so much to offer we could not resist on doing a post about Palm Springs California and also talk a little bit about the 5 or 6 casinos in the area as well.

Farmers Market

Every thursday night, they close the main street in Palm Springs for about 6 or 7 blocks and folks from all over the valley come to sell thier products. You purchase of course just about every kind of vegetable and fruit, all fresh and often just picked that day. There are also preserved foods available and many of the vendors will offer samples to try before you buy.

Purchase corn on the cob, hamburgs from the barbecue, and many more varieties of foods virtually from all over the world. Forget supper at home, come and try some of the fresh foods at the Palm Springs Thursday night farmers market. There are also many artisans selling their products.  You can purchase paintings of the desert, sunsets and the native flours and plants of the desert. Others will carve carvings from the trunks of trees. You can purchase colored stones in singles or part of a necklace. There are so many different products at this market, many people make this a part of their weekly schedule because there is always something new!

Shopping in Palm Springs

If you stay downtown or a few blocks away in one of the many motels or condo properties you can walk easily to the downtown area and take advantage of the many small shops. We particularly like going to either Starbucks or across the street at the Coffee Bean for a coffee, sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and watch people as they stroll along. The shops in the downtown area of Palm Springs have suffered from high taxes over the past few years and many of the old shops that have been there for many years have closed.

Many people now go out to the outlets to shop with over 200 stores to chose from and excellent prices and quality. You can also go the high end stores at El Paseo further south in one of the other desert cities.

There are so many restaurants to chose from, you will never be bored or run out of places to try. Many will offer happy hour deals from 4pm to 6pm or some as late as 7pm. These usually include half price on drinks and appetizers.  During the summer months, happy hour is really a good deal , while during peak season, some locations will not offer happy hour at all. If you like champagne, try all you can drink brunch deals on Sundays. Some places will charge an additional $2 over your breakfast and you can drink all you want. One couple we know has a record of 5 bottles during brunch on Sunday!

Hiking and Biking around Palm Springs

There are bike routes around Palm Springs with well marked signs for you to follow which will take you around some of the main areas of the city and sites that you may want to stop to look at.

Hiking is also a great pass time in the mountains around Palm Springs. There are many well marked trails for beginners and also for hikers who like more of a challenge. You can even link up with the Pacific Coast Trail which runs from the Mexican Border all of the way to the Canadian Border. Go out to the White Water conservation area and speak to the ranger on duty. You can obtain a map which shows the trails you need to take t hike in the general area as well as join up with the pacific coast trail.

You can also take the gondola up to one of the local mountains and hike around the mountains at the 8000 foot level. With the elevation, the temperature drops so make sure you go prepared for snow even in June and tougher trails. Take a compass with you since you are now really out in the wild and far from easily accessible rescue sites.

Gambling around Palm Springs

The Spa Casino is right down town in Palm Springs. If you live or rent a motel or condo in the area, it is an easy walk to the casino. They offer all of the standard slots and table games, a great buffet and also entertainment every weekend. This is a very attractive casino to visit, however like many Indian run casinos it can be very smoky at times so if this bothers you, at least you know what you are getting into.

There are at least 5 other casinos in the area that we are aware of all within easy driving distance of Palm Springs. The Agua Caliente casino at the intersection Ramon road and Interstate 10 is a really nice spot to spend some time. Lots of parking, large casino, nice rooms in the hotel and an excellent pool area with a tropical environment. If you are looking for a nice spot to spend the weekend this one should definitely be on the list.

Feel free to leave comments about your experiences in Palm Springs.

The AVI resort casino and hotel is a rather nice place to visit as well as stay at. Although it is a bit far from the other Laughlin Casinos, it is definitely worth the 30 minute trip. The casino is lively , the restaurants offer good value at the right prices and there is always some form of entertainment at the AVI.

Patrons who book a room at the hotel will find then very reasonable both on the weekend and during the week. You can also enjoy the pool area, which is fabulous or actually swim or boat in the Colorado river. There is actually a nice sandy beach to take advantage of. Take in a movie at the movie theater or some of the live entertainment that is booked there on a regular basis.

RV owners can find lots of room to park their RV’s while enjoying the Casino , the restaurants or just takeing in a movie in the middle of the desert along the Colorado River. We had dinner at the buffet one night and found the food and the service to be excellent. We also had the 99 cent breakfast which is available to all slot card members and found that to be excellent as well. The restaurant also offers free coffee to any veteran that comes into the restaurant for breakfast, which we thought was a nice patriotic thing to do.

Slot Machines

There are over 1,100 slot machines of all types in the Avi Casino, with more than 530 penny and 2¢ slots, including over 80 penny GameKing multigame machines, plus we have all of your favorites in reel slots such as Double Diamonds, Red White & Blue, Five Time Pay and Blazing 7’s.

Video Poker is one of the most popular forms of machines, with all the most entertaining versions of poker available; Bonus Poker, Double Double, Triple Double, No Aces Pay the Faces, White Hot Aces, and hundred play machines that let you play one hundred hands at once.

Table Games

There are 27 table games at the Avi Casino,  including Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Let it Ride, Three Card Poker, Hold’Em Fold’Em and Pai Gow. Avi has some of the most liberal table odds offered in Laughlin, triple odds on craps and double down on first two original cards in Blackjack.

Restaurants

Feathers cafe, Moonshadow Grille, Restoriante  Avianos, Native harvest buffet, a fast food area and several bars including the poolside bar.

What We Liked

Variety of slot machines

Free drinks while gambling

Buffet

$.99 breakfast with your AVI slot card

Pool area and spa free to hotel guests on the Colorado River

Take your pick, swim in the cool waters of the Colorado or lounge by the adult pool or spend time with the kids at the pool dedicated to the children

Fabulous pool as well as swimming and boating on the Colorado River

Multiple pools with palm trees and lots of lounge chairs to relax on.

Drinks and food can be obtained at the poolside bar

Hotel rates are very reasonable

Covered garage parking and surface parking

Easy access from all highways

Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas

Movie theater showing current movies

Fast food area for a quick meal

Huge RV parking area

What We Did Not Like

There are no real complaints about the AVI Resort hotel & casino.

It is a 3 star hotel in our estimation and quite adequate for our needs

As usual with Nevada casinos, the quality of the air can be pretty bad at times due to the heavy number of smokers that seem to enjoy this casino as well as other Nevada casinos.

Slot Player Card

They are part of the AVI Resort  casino slot players card system. Slot members can take advantage of benefits offered by the AVI Resort hotel & casino.

If you have not taken advantage of slot player cards, there are a number of benefits that many slot players should consider. Free or discounted rooms, email mailing list of promotions, free or discounted meals, access to entertainment, and a tax report outlining your losses and wins for tax claim purposes.

Parking

There is ample parking at the AVI Resort hotel & casino in a large parking garage beside the hotel. There is also surface parking that we observed for cars and there is also a large RV parking area as well with full hookups. You can access the hotel from the garage via an elevator from all levels. The parking garage is also patrolled on a regular basis and it also protects your car from the weather.

Directions:

Kingman :

Take Hwy 68 South 35 miles to Hwy 95 South, BullHead City. Continue South approximately 11 miles to Aztec Rd. and turn right. Continue on Aztec Rd. 2.5 miles to the Avi.

Laughlin & Las Vegas:

Take Needles Hwy South 11 miles to Aha Macav Pkwy. Look for the AVI sign. Turn left and continue 3 miles to the AVI.

Needles :

Take I-40 to River Road Cutoff , which becomes Needles Hwy, North 14 miles to Aha Macav Pkwy. Look for the AVI sign. Turn right and continue 2 miles to the AVI.