Casino Reviews

We stayed at the new Aria City Center casino and hotel in May 2011. We like the hotel and overall complex, however it takes awhile to learn how to get around the entire area. This complex and we believe this is the correct word to use is huge. There are at least seven buildings complete with hotel, casino and a number of apartment style condo’s.

Contemporary is the key word to describe this casino, the hotel and really the entire property. For us, it was a bit too much, however everything is tasteful, elegant in a contemporary way and over the top with extras and overall design. The entrance to the hotel is off Las Vegas Boulevard and you end up parking in a parkade that is very secure and protected from the scorching sun.

Aria Casino Comp’s

We stayed at this hotel for two nights on a 2 night comp plan from our MLife casino card. I guess they wanted us to try the new hotel and casino since we had not stayed here before or even gambled here before. This is the value of the casino slot cards that most people do not even realize or get to take advantage off. We wrote about the Aria buffet on a previous post which we thoroughly enjoyed, so please check out this post as well. Comments are appreciated.

Slot Machines

There are over 150,000 square feet of slot machines space with all of the latest slots from penny machines to $5000 machines for everyone to try. They have some of the latest style machines with multiple lines and free games as well as some of the more traditional slots such as poker and keno.

We did not win at this casino so we are not as excited about it as we might be. We also found that the slot waitresses are not delivering free drinks as frequently as they used to. Seems that MGM has cut back in this area as they struggle to conserve cash and pay off some of the huge debt they have incurred at this complex and others that they have purchased.

Table Games

There are all of the traditional table games. Not much to say about them here. Nothing unique that we noticed about this area. Normally we will post the number of table games and kind of games, however the main web site for the Aria casino does not provide this information for the slots or for the table games.

Restaurants

There a loads of restaurants. We ate at the buffet one night and also at one of the restaurants along the casino floor. Very upscale and modern looking with the usual high prices for many of the casinos along the strip. Nothing too exciting to report about this restaurant. We enjoy the buffet very much, however the crab legs were cold. We like them warm and already split.

What We Liked

• Variety of slot machines
• Free drinks while gambling
• Buffet
• Pool area and spa free to hotel guests
• Hotel rates are very high unless you are there on a package or comp’d
• Covered garage parking
• Easy access from all highways
• Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas

What We Did Not Like

• Although contemporary in design, there is too much of it and it comes off being a bit cold to the senses
• Slot waitresses stingy on the free drinks
• Not a warm place to spend time in terms of the feel of the place.
• We probably would not stay here again unless offered free rooms

Slot Player Card

They are part of the MGM Mirage slot players card system. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at many Las Vegas hotels, as well as sister hotels in Tunica, Biloxi, Laughlin and Reno.

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 Aria hotel & casino in a large parking garage beside the hotel. There is no surface parking that we observed. 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: Entrance Right on the Las Vegas Strip

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Harrahs Casino Las Vegas hotel is one of the older hotels that has been modernized in recent times and like many of the other casino hotels boasts over 3000 rooms and convention facilities available for guests staying in Las Vegas.

Harrahs Hotel & Casino is in the center of the strip across the street from the Mirage hotel and casino. Harrah’s Hotel & Casino is also down the street from The Flamingo, the Imperial palace and the Venetian Hotel in the other direction. Within a 10 minute walk, you can visit at least eight of the primary strip hotels. Harrah’s Hotel & Casino is central and a great place to stay. Harrah’s Hotel & Casino boasts a great special all you can eat dinner of either chicken, beef or pork with all of the extra’s.

They also book top line entertainment as well. This casino is part of the Harrah’s Casino hotel chain, that spans the US and Canada. Participating in the Total Rewards program allows you to stay in any of their hotels around the country, often for free, depending on your play.

Harrahs Casino Las Vegas

Slot Machines

There is more than 87,000 square feet of casino space at Harrahs Casino Las Vegas. From blackjack to slots, you’ll find all the action going on 24 hours a day. Harrah’s Las Vegas has more than 1,200 slots and 80 table games.

Table Games

They have all of the usual games for you to play. Including blackjack, baccarat, mini baccarat, craps, roulette, Caribbean  stud poker, let it ride and pai gow poker. They also have a poker room were you can try your hand at Texas Holdem in either regular games or in tournaments from time to time.

Restaurants

There are eleven restaurants that you can choose from while staying at Harrah’s or just passing through. These include:

• Café at Harrah’s
• Carnaval Court
• Flavors, The Buffet
• IcePan
• KGB: Kerry’s Gourmet Burgers
• Ming’s Table
• Oyster Bar at Harrah’s
• The Range Steakhouse
• Starbucks Coffee
• Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill

What We Liked

Harrah’s Hotel & Casino is very nice with a lot of great slot machines, a pool area, show facilities and conference facilities, however it does not have family style attractions as some of the other hotels do.

These are some of the items or areas that we liked about Harrah’s Hotel & Casino.

• Great slot machines
• Coffee shop
• The Comps are very good at Harrah’s using their Total Rewards slot card
• Central location
• Variety of slot machines
• Free drinks while gambling
• Buffet
• Pool area and spa free to hotel guests
• Hotel rates are very reasonable
• Covered garage parking
• Easy access from all highways
• Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas

What We Did Not Like

• Salesmen selling timeshare units, just ignore them
• Pool is not spectacular
• Nice hotel, but does not have the glamor and glitz of some of the other strip hotels

Slot Player Card

They are part of the Harrah’s Total Rewards slot players card system. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at many Las Vegas hotels,  as well as sister hotels in Atlantic city, Tunica, Biloxi, Laughlin and Reno. This particular card has lots of benefits with express comps, casino room rates, and many locations to use your comps.

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 Harrah’s hotel & casino in a large parking garage behind the hotel. There is no surface parking that we observed. 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: 3475 Las Vegas Blvd South

From I-15 North/South

Take the Flamingo Road east exit. Turn left on Las Vegas Blvd. Harrah’s is located on the right, just past the Imperial Palace.

From I-95

From the 95 south, merge on to the I-15 south. Take the Flamingo Road east exit. Turn left on Las Vegas Blvd. Harrah’s is on the right, just past the Imperial Palace.

One of the best buffets in Las Vegas is at the Wynn Casino buffet. It ranks as one of the best because of the food, the service and the decor and of course it is part of the Wynn hotel which we happen to think is the number one hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

We had the fortunate circumstance to be treated to a free buffet the last time we were in Vegas by a friend of ours who had just won a large jackpot at the casino and we all love the buffet so that was our first choice.

Are Wynn Casino Buffets Really that Great?

Before we go on, when most people think of buffets, they think of long lines, of people crowding around the food which makes you wonder about the sanitary nature of everything.

The buffet managers at the Wynn have dealt with this issue very nicely simply by spreading everything out with island of food from various countries. If you would like Indian food, you go to one area, Italian another, Mexican to another and so on. It is very nicely presented and the variety of food available is simply outstanding.

Hours:

• Mon-Fri 8 am – 10:30 am
• Mon-Fri 11 am – 3:30 pm
• Mon-Thu, Sun 3:30 pm – 10 pm
• Fri-Sat 3:30 pm – 10:30 pm
• Sat-Sun 8 am – 3:30 pm

Attire:Casual

Accepts Credit Cards:Yes

Parking:Garage, Valet

Price Range:$$$ approximately $35 per person but well worth it

Good for Groups:Yes

Good for Kids:Yes

Takes Reservations:No

Waiter Service:Yes

Wi-Fi:No

Good For:Lunch, Dinner

Alcohol:Full Bar

Ambiance:Classy, Casual

Wheelchair Accessible:Yes

This is an outstanding restaurant and the waiters were excellent at clearing the tables, bringing drinks and ensuring that we had everything we needed. All we had to do is to decide what exotic food we wanted to try or desert. This is a warning for all visitors to this buffet – Save some room for desert, they are excellent.

The fashion view Mall in Las Vegas is one of the malls that everyone should visit sometime, while in Las Vegas. The mall is located on one of the best corners on the strip. The WYNN Casino, the Encore, the Palazzo, the Venetian, Treasure Island now called TI and the Mirage are withing easy walking distance. There are overhead walkways that will take you across the busy street so no concerns about getting there. In fact it is easier to walk than it is to take a cab. This central location makes it an excellent place to shop, to get away from the conferences to pick up a gift or just hang out for awhile. The address is Fashion Show – 3200 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109-2692 and the phone number is (702) 784-7000 .

The Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas is one of the nation’s largest shopping centers and it is Las Vegas’ premier retail destination. The distinctive saucer can be seen for miles around.

There is something for everyone from clothing to furniture to electronics. Apple has a retail outlet in this mall which is always busy.

The Fashion Show Mall offers six flagship department stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillard’s, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Nevada’s only Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale’s Home along with over 250 extraordinary shops and restaurants. There is also a food court and several coffee shops throughout the mall were you can relax while shopping.

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Saucer, Food Court and over 100 Stores

You cannot miss the fashion show mall Las Vegas with the huge flying saucer shape at the entrance suspended in the air for all to see. This new entrance with the space like futuristic design is enjoyed by everyone visiting. There’s a huge food court, and well over 100 stores to shop with many of them being designer labels. This fashion show mall Las Vegas is a pleasure to stroll through with its airy openness and easy access for both pedestrians as well as parking at the rear.

Starbucks

There are also two Starbucks stores, one on the strip under the saucer with an outdoor seating area and the other inside the mall. Both are the standard Starbucks with free Wifi access and they accept the Starbucks gift cards.

Visit the Fashion View Mall For Fun and Relaxation

Everyone should visit the fashion show mall Las Vegas at least once and take in some of the many stores and attractions located inside the mall. This is a great opportunity to purchase some unique gifts for friends and family back home for your return trip from Las Vegas. I like to visit the mall during every trip. While my main purpose is to go to the Apple Store, I also enjoy walking through the mall to see what new trendy stores have opened up.

Visit the fashion show mall Las Vegas while you’re in Las Vegas attending a conference or just need some time away from the casinos and all that is going on along the strip.

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The Venetian Casino and Hotel is another one of the most beautiful and elegant hotels in Las Vegas. As you enter the Venetian Hotel & Casino from the strip at street level you cross one of the canals. Consequently ou can take a ride in one of the gondola’s plying the canals. There are indoor and outdoor canals both with gondola’s to ride. You enter the Venetian Hotel & Casino on the main floor from the strip. In addition vacationers can also take the moving walkway to the second floor. The moving walkway runs from the strip to the canal shops area. Most noteworthy this is also a must see with many beautiful shops and restaurants including the artificial ceiling

There are 19 restaurants in total in the hotel. The Venetian Hotel & Casino provides excellent service and is a full service hotel with all of the services that anyone could require. These include of course the casino, restaurants, fine dining, coffee shops, gorgeous pool, shops, large conference facilities, and ample parking. The Venetian Hotel & Casino also has several bars with entertainment. As a result the rooms are a bit more expensive, with every one of them offering a suite style accommodation.

A new tower and casino has been added recently to the Venetian complex. This new vacation resort is called the Palazzo and is situated immediately beside the Venetian Hotel. We have only toured the palazzo casino as well as stayed at this hotel. However it is much the same as the Venetian, i.e. Elegant! You will not be disappointed.

Venetian Casino and Hotel – Slot Machines

The Venetian features Megajackpots® machines. They range from $1.00 Megabucks® (with jackpots that have gone higher than $30 million) to Wheel of Fortune®. As a result there is  something here for everyone.

The Venetian proudly offers a luxurious high-stakes slot experience. Denominations range from $1.00 all the way up to $1000.00 games. In addition jackpots go as high as $1,000,000.00 with progressives slot machines.

They also have a wide variety of video poker games with denominations ranging from $0.25 up to $25.00.

Table Games

The Venetian offers a full range of table games in lavish and friendly surroundings. With over 139 casino games, there’s sure to be something for everyone. They also offer a high-limit salon. Which includes 20 table games including Baccarat in a gaming area. Hence casino table games include:

• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• Craps
• Roulette
• Pai Gow tiles
• Pai Gow poker
• Caribbean Stud™
• Big Six
• Three Card Poker™
• Spanish 21
• Casino War
• Texas hold’em Poker
• Let it Ride

Restaurants

In addition all of the restaurants are excellent and include the following:

• AquaKnox – Seafood
• B&B Ristorante – Italian
• Bouchon – French
• Canalette – Italian
• Delmonico Steakhouse – All American Steakhouse
• Pinot Brasserie – French Steakhouse
• Postrio Br & Grill – Contemporary American
• Tao – Asian Bistro
• Vaentino – Italian
• Zeffirino – Italian Seafood
• Canyon Ranch Cafe and Grill – Healthy Spa Cuisine
• Eniteca Otto Pizzeria – Italian
• Grand Lux Cafe – Global Cuisine
• Noodle Asia – Pan Asia
• Quick Elite
• Riva Poolside – American
• Taqueria Cafionita – Mexican
• The Grill at Veneation – Italian
• Tintoretto Bakery Italian bakery
• Trattoria Reggiano – Italian

Major Points of Interest

If you are just passing through the hotel, you will want to take a moment to see the following areas:

• Canal shops
• Gondola rides inside and outside in the canals
• Open and bright almost cheery casino
• Live entertainment beside the casino
• Great pool area

What We Liked

These are some of the items or areas that we liked about the Venetian Casino and Hotel.

• Free entertainment
• Canal shops
• Great Casino with good comps
• Suite style rooms
• Large Convention Space
• Elegance everywhere
• Free drinks while you are playing the slots or the tables
• Central location, close to several other excellent hotels and the Fashion Show Mall

What We Don’t Like

These are some of the items or areas that we did not like about the Venetian Casino and Hotel.

• Could not think of anything

Slot Player Card

They are part of the Venetian slot players card system called Grazie. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at the Venation and the Palazzo.

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

Parking

There is ample parking at the Venetian hotel & casino in a large parking garage beside the hotel. There is no surface parking that we observed. You can access the hotel from the garage via an elevator from all levels. Also the parking garage is patrolled on a regular basis. In addition it also protects your car from the weather.

Directions:

The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109. The Venetian hotel is near Spring Mountain and Las Vegas Blvd. Hence it is across the street from Treasure Island the Mirage Hotels. Down the street you have the Palazzo, the Wynn and the Encore and the Fashion Show Mall.