Casino Reviews

The Aria Casino is located in the new City Center complex developed by MGM Grand. This is a huge complex and we will describe it in other posts, however this one will focus on the buffet at this casino. The buffet is open and bright, with windows along two sides. This is unusual since many casino buffet rooms are inside and enclosed on all four sides. One side looks out on to the pool area, two of the hot tubs while the other looks onto the pool area entrance. So you have some great views while dining at the buffet and enjoying your lunch or dinner.

Aria City Center Casino – Casino Buffet

We went to the casino and tried their buffet during May 2011 and found it to be excellent. Our overall top buffet is at the Mirage Hotel and casino, however this one ranks a close second. The price is reasonable and the decor and serving dishes are unique as you may observe in some of the pictures. The deserts are excellent, small portions which is ok with us since this means you can try a variety of deserts without wasting a lot of food.

The day we went they offered crab legs hot or cold and of course shrimp. They had all of the other main menu items along with various nationalities as well from Indian,, Mexican, Italian and Japanese. There is definitely something for everyone including the traditional meat and potatoes which many people love.

You definitely will not go hungry here!

Buffet Details

Price Range:$$ $30 to $35 range

Accepts Credit Cards:Yes

Parking:Garage

Attire:Casual

Good for Groups:Yes

Good for Kids:Yes

Takes Reservations:No

Waiter Service:Yes

Outdoor Seating:No, but some seats have a view of the pool

Wi-Fi:Paid

Good For:Dinner, Brunch

Alcohol:Beer & Wine Only

Noise Level:Average

Ambience:Casual

Has TV:No

Caters:No

Wheelchair Accessible:Yes

Visiting the Fremont Street Experience is one of the must things to do in Las Vegas. It is free, and the best time to visit is in the evening to experience the light show and the entertainment. If you are staying somewhere on the strip in one of the strip hotels, take a taxi, or the bus or drive down to downtown Las Vegas and see the Fremont Street Experience. The best time to go is early evening, just before it gets dark. Park at the Golden Nugget Hotel parking lot. Get your parking stub stamped at the cashier’s cage in the Golden Nugget. Then head out to the street.

The picture above is showing one of the shows that is done in lights on the ceiling. Of course, you can play a little in the casino or have dinner there or in any of the other hotels. But the main reason we are suggesting you want to make the trip down is to visit Fremont Street and take in all of the action.

What is the Fremont Street Experience?

The entire street, which is the original downtown Las Vegas mecca is covered over by about six city blocks. On the ceiling every 30 minutes at night, they put on a sound and light show for all of the tourists. The lights from the casinos shown in the picture on the left are turned off, and the show begins with a fabulous light and music show that really will enthrall just about anyone. There are no street lights on this section of Fremont Street since the casinos generate more light than any street light ever would. The street is closed to auto traffic, and there are literally thousands of people strolling along and watching the show on the ceiling.

This picture shows what the street looks like during the daytime. Nothing special, but you can see the supporting columns that hold the ceiling up and support the prominent speakers that deliver fabulous sound. When the light show is not on, many other activities are also taking place. It changes all of the time, so if you do not see what we saw, I am sure you will see other things as well that are equally interesting.

Entertainment

For example, there were two dance bands at either end of the street. These bands, the singers, and the dancers were excellent and worth spending some time listening to. You can also zip lining along the street for several blocks as well. They have this set up above the street level, and four people can go simultaneously. Usually, groups have races to see who can get to the other end the quickest.

Many people will pose for a picture. There are cartoon characters as well as characters from various TV shows. Of course, there is always an Elvis or two. You can take your picture with one of these characters. Note that they will always have their hand out for a tip. This is how they make their living. Although they initially make it look like something they do for fun, they have their hands out for a tip. There was even a mini Elvis, as shown in the picture on the left. And, of course, he wanted his tip afterward.

If you have been to the Fremont Street Experience, write a comment or two about your experience. It is well worth spending the time to go there. Make sure you hold tight to your wallet or purse while watching the show.

We really enjoyed Wynn Hotel Promotions in Las Vegas. Well, we just spent another fabulous two days at the Wynn Casino Hotel in Las Vegas! We had a Wynn hotel promotion, and we use these every chance we get. This hotel, in our opinion, is the best hotel in the area, and we always try to stay here when we come to Las Vegas. When you are the best, you can also charge higher rates. The only way we can stay at the Wynn is by being there on a Wynn Hotel Promotions coupon, which we have received quite often lately.

Other hotels are charging less than one hundred dollars for the room. At the same time, the Wynn Hotel can charge over $200 per room per night. This is a basic room which is very elegant and well appointed. Our room faced onto the strip. We had a fantastic view of the strip, the mall, the western side of Vegas, and, of course, the mountains. At night, with all of the lights, we had a really fantastic view!

Wynn Hotel Promotions – Play Were You Want to Stay

Our motto has always been, play where you want to stay, and we always want to stay at the Wynn Hotel or its sister hotel, the Encore. We have full descriptions of each of these hotels on our website, but we just had to write this additional post because we just got back from staying at this fabulous hotel. The picture above was taken from across the street in front of the Fashion Show Mall, which is another place to visit while you are in Vegas.

Wynn Hotel Promotions are really valuable when you think about it. Not only are we staying in a room that they usually sell for $150 plus, but it is an extremely nice room, and they also gave us $150 in free play. I know some people get a lot more, but for us and the level of gambling we do, this is fabulous.

Visit the Wynn Casino – Get a slot Card.

If you are in Las Vegas and staying at some other hotel, at least walk through the casino, and I am sure you will be blown away. From the mountain out front with the waterfalls to the opulent shops on the promenade to the treeline walkway to the check-in and the bright red casino, there is something for everyone. They even have an eighteen-hole golf course at the back of the hotel, should you wish to play. We have not checked out the prices for a round of golf however I am sure they are expensive.

While you are there, sign up for a slot card and play for at least a little while. Depending on your amount of play, they may send you an invitation to stay at the hotel for reduced rates! For more information on Slot cards, check out our categories for more posts on this subject.

Always Tip the Waitress

You have to hand it to Steve Wynn. When you receive a Wynn Hotel Promotion inviting you to stay at their hotel and even give you free play, he knows you will spend money in his casino, in his restaurants, and maybe a show. You can do all of that easily and really enjoy yourself. Drinks while playing in the casino are free, and it would be easy to just take the drink and go on playing. We see lots of people doing just that. We believe that you should always tip the waitress. They have to make a living, too, and besides, once they know they are getting tips, you will have fantastic service.

We always tip a dollar, and although that is not a lot, we receive the best service and never lack a drink. Whether it is alcoholic, juice, coffee, or even hot chocolate, they can deliver almost whatever you offer. Just make sure you tip them each time.

Well, that sums up our trip to the Wynn Hotel this year on a Wynn Hotel Promotion card. We are looking forward to going again soon. If you like the Wynn as much as we do, let us know. Leave your comments, too.

We recently visited Searchlight, Nevada, and went to the  Nugget Casino in Searchlight for lunch. There are two casinos in this little village, one is the Search Light Nevada Nugget Casino and the other is called Terrible’s.

The village of Searchlight is at the intersection of routes 95 and 164 between Boulder City and Laughlin.  There is nothing around for miles. This old mining town is a great spot to stop for gas, perhaps a bite to eat, and also perhaps a bit of gambling.

The address is for those that need it is: 100 N. Hwy. 95, P.O. Box 187, Searchlight, NV 89406 . The phone number is (702)297-1201.

The Searchlight Nugget is a neat little casino with a bar and a small restaurant in the casino. Of course, there are approximately 90 slot machines. The town of Searchlight sports another casino, a gas station, and a school. Also, a small home development and the usual set of trailers make up the small population. People living in Searchlight either work at the local businesses or at the Lake Mohave park a few miles away.

Search Light Nevada Nugget Casino – Restaurant

The restaurant was busy when we stopped. We sat at the counter, since all of the tables were already taken and we also like to sit at the counter as a means of meeting people to learn about the surrounding area.  Well, the food was ok, however we were not overly impressed with the service. It took a long time to get our meal, perhaps because they were already busy when we arrived.

There was one major turn-off for us, and that was the waiters that served us. They were very nice people, friendly and offering good service. They talked to us and inquired where we were from since it was pretty obvious that we were tourists. The thing that turned us off was their teeth. They obviously could not afford a dentist, and as a result, some were missing teeth, and many of the teeth they still had were black. It is not a pretty site to look at when you have your meal and someone is talking and smiling at you with a mouthful of bad teeth.  Some may say we are being snobbish or overly critical; however, it was a shock to us. You just do not expect this when you are in a public restaurant that offers meals, etc. The waiters lived in Searchlight or in a small trailer park a few miles away.

Entertainment

The Searchlight Nugget has 99 slot and video machines, including an old western-style “Mills Black Beauty” cowboy slot machine. The Searchlight Nugget has three gaming tables, a small bar/lounge with an old-time Rock-Ola music box, and a cashier’s cage for change and to pay your restaurant check.

You can also take a 20-mile drive over to Lake Mohave. The area – which is warm year-round – has some of the best water sports and outdoor adventures in the state. You can enjoy nature hikes, cycling, and horseback riding along the shore, or you can rent a Jet Ski, sailboat, motorboat, canoe, or kayak and get on the water. This is a state park, and you will have to pay an entrance fee to enter. The Searchlight Nugget Casino Bar has live entertainment every weekend in the form of local and regional bands.

Reviews of the Nugget Casino in Searchlight

Although we have visited the Nugget Casino in Searchlight, we were also interested in what other people thought of the casino and the restaurant. Many found this to be a quaint little place with good food and a place to spend a few dollars at on the slots.

No one mentioned bad service or any major negatives. It is not a Las Vegas casino, that is for sure, but it is a nice spot to stop over on your way to Vegas, Laughlin, Nevada, or points further south along Route 95. For information and links to Las Vegas casinos, click here.

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The New York New York Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas is truly spectacular. Emulating the New York skyline with a roller coaster ride that runs through the casino and outside as well there is lots to see and do in this casino hotel in Las Vegas. The picture on the right was taken from one of the bridges that crosses the strip from the New York Hotel to the MGM Grand Casino on the other side of the road. This is one of the best panorama views that I have been able to take of this hotel.

We have stayed here several times and although the hotel is not our favorite, it is a very nice hotel to stay at. Personally I like the casino more than others due to its action orientation and night life atmosphere. You can roam the streets of downtown New York, visit a bar with dueling pianos or visit a pub were they dance on the bar.  The casino is in and around of this and they also have some really great slot machines. I have won a few jack pots as well here on slots and on video poker machines.

An Exciting Win

One time we were just walking by and my wife needed to use the bathroom. We went inside and I decided to play a video poker machine. Before she returned, I had hit a royal flush and earned a cool $1000. Now this is the way I like to gamble.

The picture on the left shows the skyline of the hotel at night. Again taken from one of the bridges crossing the strip You can see the wire fence in the foreground.  It really is a spectacular view and as we have already mentioned there are lots to do at this casino. Read on for more details about our New York New York Casino and hotel review.

New York New York Casino and Hotel – Slot Machines

There are over 1,500 slots in varying denominations including:

• Wheel of Fortune
• Megabucks
• Jackpot Party
• Blazing 7’s
• Top Dollar
• Sex & the City
• Monopoly
• Goldfish
• Wizard of Oz

Table Games

There are 84,000 square feet of space with more than 67 gaming tables including:

• Blackjack
• Craps
• Roulette
• Mini Baccarat
• Let It Ride
• Big Six
• Three Card Poker
• Texas Hold’em Bonus
• Crazy 4 Poker

Restaurants

• Nine Fine Irishmen
• The Sporting House Bar & Grill
• Gallagher’s Steakhouse – Great steaks here!
• II Fornaio
• Chin Chin Café
• Gonzalez Y Gonzalez
• America
• Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs
• New York Pizzeria
• Broadway Burger Bar
• Quick Bites

What We Liked

• Variety of slot machines
• Free drinks while gambling
• Free entertainment at the bar
• Dueling Pianos bar, you need to line up to get into this one
• Buffet is great
• Pool area and spa free to hotel
• Hotel rates are very reasonable, especially if you use an M-Life card while gambling
• Covered garage parking which is very secure
• Easy access from all highways including Interstate 15
• Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas

What We Did Not Like

• It is a 4 star hotel in our estimation and quite adequate for our needs
• Rooms in the hotel are getting a bit dated as of 2011
• Getting to your room can be confusing, due to the many different elevator banks

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 New York 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:

Located across from the MGM Grand and at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard & Tropicana.

From McCarran International Airport

• Head east from Wayne Newton Blvd – go 0.5 mi
• Bear right at Swenson St and head toward Airport exit – go 0.9 mi
• Turn left at E . Tropicana Ave. – go 1.2 mi
• Cross Las Vegas Blvd, turn right into New York-New York off East Tropicana Ave

From Interstate 15

• Exit 1-15 and head east onto E. Tropicana
• Turn left into New York-New York off East Tropicana Ave