Casino Reviews

We recently visited the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino and decided to stay the night at the Comfort Inn next door. Note that the Comfort Inn was purchased by the Akwesasne Casino and renamed “The Players Inn.” Visiting the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino in Hogansburg, New York is so easy when you also stay at the Comfort Inn located next door to the casino. Many casino patrons will arrive around 2 p.m. or later, park at the Hotel, check-in, and then head over to the casino, which is less than a 2-minute walk from the Hotel.

Not only is the casino fun to play, but the Comfort Inn is also clean and close by. We have stayed there a few times and always come away satisfied with the deal we received and having fun as well.If you are planning to go to this area on the weekend and stay at the Hotel, it is a good idea to make your reservation ahead of time since they are often full on the weekends.

For more information on the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino, click here.  For more information on the Comfort Inn, click here or at this location as well. The picture shown above is the main entrance to the casino, and the Hotel, which is not in the picture, is located just to the left of the casino.

Akwesasne Mohawk Casino – Things We Like

We thought we would list some of the things we like about the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino and, later, the Comfort Inn Hotel.

• $2.25 beer prices at the slot machines
• $3.50 wine prices at the slot machine
• Smoking area
• Lots of different as well as popular slot machines
• Tables as well as poker room
• Sticks sports bar
• Buffet restaurant
• Steak house
• Fast Food area
• Free help yourself soft drinks
• Friendly and helpful staff

Comfort Inn Hotel (The Players Inn) next to Akwesasne Mohawk Casino

• Right next door to the casino
• Hot breakfast included
• Very clean
• Free WiFi
• Clean rooms
• Well-appointed rooms at competitive rates
• No Federal or State taxes are charged on rooms
• Friendly and helpful staff

Note: As of this writing, the Hotel is undergoing some remodeling, which is supposed to be finished by the end of March 2025. When you make a reservation, they do not always tell you about the construction that is going on.

The casino has also opened its Hotel, which is filled on the weekends. Call ahead to make reservations at either of these locations. They are both very lovely and well worth the money. Note that there is no sales tax when you are staying at either of these hotels.

If you have been to the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino or the Comfort Inn (The Players Inn) beside it, leave your comments so other readers can benefit. Good quality constructive and helpful comments will be approved along with a link if you provide it. Generally speaking, spam comments are deleted by an auto-delete system.

This is just a short post to talk about our stay at the Comfort Inn in Hogansburg, New York just beside the Akwesasne Casino. This is a fairly new hotel built for guests going to the casino. You can park at the hotel and walk easily over to the casino across well lit parking lots with no concern about your safety.

The hotel is very clean and has everything you will need including WiFi (which I am using at this moment to write this post) and free breakfast in the morning. They have a quality breakfast consisting of hot and cold dishes along with fruit and cereal as well as yogurt. Lots of coffee is available all day long.

They even have hot chocolate chip cookies when you check in, in the evening around 5 to 7 pm. The cookies will all be eaten by 7 for sure so get there early if you want one.

Comfort Inn – Akwesasne Casino

The staff is friendly. Every time I meet someone from the hotel, they say hello or good morning, or how was your stay etc. Very friendly and very helpful.

If you are looking for a place to stay the Comfort Inn  is a great place to stay while you are playing slots or poker at the casino. It is convenient, with free parking and as we mentioned within very easy walking distance to the casino itself.

Oh and I forgot the best part. There is no tax since you are on Indian land and they are not charging New York State tax on your hotel stay. There is no tourism tax or city tax or anything of that sort when you stay at this hotel. This is really a bonus since many hotels are now charging not only state and city taxes, which they have no choice with, some are also charging resort fees. So you $100 a night room can suddenly balloon out to $125 or even higher for a one nights stay.  They do not tell you this when you check in.

Breakfast at the Comfort Inn includes both hot and cold items, fruit cereal, eggs, yogurt, toast and waffles. Of course you have to help yourself bu that is fine since you can take your time and enjoy your breakfast without waiters bothering you. They usually serve breakfast from 6am to 10 am in the morning.

Definitely a must stay, and do not forget to ask for a senior discount or Triple A discount. It will save you approximately $10 on your stay each night! We also ask to stay in the new section which is only one year old. The old section is  maybe 5 years old which is not very old either.

Comments welcome and don’t forget to read our review of the casino.

We visited the Vernon Downs Casino Resort Hotel one day for a few hours only. We would definitely go back if we were in the area. Unfortunately it is a bit out of the way as most racetrack style casinos are. They have done a good job of combining a racetrack with a casino and adding a hotel for guests who are staying over.  The Vernon Downs Casino also must compete with the nearby Turning Stone casino which is only a few miles away and much more elegant. Competition is a good thing and we think that the odds of winning might be slightly better at this casino as a result. Let us know what your thoughts are in this regard and any comments you might have regarding this property.

Vernon Downs Casino Resort Hotel is 100% smoke-free with spacious guest rooms and suite accommodations. It is conveniently beside the casino with inside access to the adjoining 750-game casino, with live entertainment delicious fare, and only a short walk away to enjoy exciting racing action. There is also and Indoor Heated Pool.

If you plan to stay at the hotel, book early. We tried a last minute reservation and found the hotel was full. Rates on the weekends are expensive, however on weekdays they are much more reasonable.

Vernon Downs Casino Resort Hotel Business Meetings

Meeting Space & Business Center For Business & Social Events: with business-friendly amenities such as spacious suite accommodations, complimentary WiFi in the lobby area and computer with 24-hour Internet access.

Vernon Downs Casino has 761 gaming machines featuring some of the hottest games around including in house progressives and Video Poker, they range from 1¢ to $5.00 in denomination. Vernon Downs Casino has a  Wide Area Progressive link with other NYS Lottery Casinos making Vernon Downs Casino the home of one of the largest  Wide Area Progressive Jackpot Winners to date .

This is one of the typical racetrack style casinos and an ok place to visit.

Hours of Operation: Sunday – Thursday: 9 AM – 2 AM, Friday and Saturday: 9 AM – 3 AM

Slot Machines

There are over  761 gaming machines featuring some of the hottest games around including in house progressives and Video Poker, they range from 1¢ to $5.00 in denomination at Vernon Downs Casino

Table Games

There are no table games at the Vernon Downs Casino.

Restaurants

Restaurants at the Vernon Downs Casino Resort Hotel include Champions Buffet For Great Food: Savor our signature Champions Buffet, Triple 7 Cafe, Ring Eyed Pete’s Sports Bar and Lucky’s Bar & Grill. Kids under 5 eat free.

What We Liked

• Variety of slot machines
• Hotel rates are very reasonable on weekdays
• lots of surface parking
• Easy access from all highways
• Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas
• Enjoy the horse races as well as the casino

What We Did Not Like

• There are no real complaints about the Vernon Downs Casino Resort Hotel
• It is a 3 star hotel in our estimation and quite adequate for our needs

Slot Player Card

Vernon Downs Casino has a Player’s Club which you can sign up for a “Your Club” rewards card. It’s FREE! New members receive 3x’s the points earned on the day you sign up and as a member of “Your Club”. You can become eligible to receive rewards such as invitations to special VIP concerts, Lesley Gore, Joan Jett and Clint Black just to name a few as well as invitations to VIP tournaments and VIP parties.

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 Vernon Downs Casino Resort Hotel. There is a large parking lot in front of  the hotel and casino. This casino does not provide garage parking.

Directions: 4229 Stuhlman Rd., Vernon, New York 13476

Click here for another posts about Verona Downs.

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We recently visited the Finger Lakes Casino & Racetrack while on a shopping trip to the Syracuse area. We had finished shopping at the Waterloo premium outlets. I entered casino into our GPS to find out if any were near and it turns out the Finger Lakes Casino & Racetrack was only 30 miles away. Since we had not been there before we decided to give it a try before heading back to our hotel in Syracuse.

It is easy to get to, just off I90 and there is also a Comfort Inn close by if you decide you want to stay overnight, however I would suggest that you make a reservation, since it look like it is pretty busy on the weekends.

The Finger Lakes Casino & Racetrack was better than most racetrack casinos that we have visited. It has a definite Las Vegas flair to it with high ceilings and lots of machines. Beer prices are reasonable at $3 per glass of draft beer, and there are lots of machines to choose from. There are a few too many penny slot machines for our taste, however penny machines seem to be the trend for many casinos. They also use ticket in and ticket out machines making it easy to move from machine to machine.

I had a hamburger at the deli and found it to be better than many I have had in similar casino deli’s. We did not try the buffet, however pretty much all buffets at these casinos are great. I am sure this one is as well.

Overall we found this to be a nice casino to visit and will definitely go back sometime to visit. Probably combine a shopping trip with a little gambling as well. Note that there are no table games at this casino, however you can also play the horses if you prefer.

Finger Lakes Casino – Slot Machines

Finger Lakes Casino & Racetrack offers nearly 1,200 slot machines for your enjoyment. With a spacious, 30,000 square foot gaming floor there is enough room for you to move around in comfort even during the busiest times. Open from 10am – 4am daily, you can play all of your favorite games, including video poker, progressive jackpots, penny machines, and more!

Customer-friendly features include comfortable seating, touch screen play, cash/ticket in – ticket out machines, and free beverage service while playing.

They also feature seasonal coat check, valet parking, and ample safe and free parking. The Cashier Cage provides personal check cashing and credit card advance services. They also have four ATM machines.

Table Games

There are no table games at the Finger Lakes Casino & Racetrack.

Restaurants

Enjoy the Tuscan atmosphere at their 10,000 square-foot “All You Can Eat” Vineyard Buffet! Mediterranean and Southwest cuisines, All American and regional favorites, fresh carved selections, and tempting salad and dessert bars. The Vineyard Buffet is open daily from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. for lunch and 3 p.m. – 10 p.m. for dinner featuring prime rib.

They also offer a variety of dining options to suit your tastes. From fine dining at our buffet, to “grab-n-go” sandwiches and snacks at the Platinum Grille, there is something for everyone! They also have casual dining overlooking the racetrack in the Terrace Dining Room.

What We Liked

• Variety of slot machines
• Drinks are not free while gambling, however at $3.00 for a draft beer they are reasonable
• Buffet
• Easy access from all highways including I90
• Safe environment in the casino and parking areas
• Great stopover point on your way to Buffalo, Rochester or Syracuse or points west

What We Did Not Like

There are no real complaints about the Finger Lakes casino & racetrack

This a typical racetrack style casino with a touch of Vegas . We are not fond of racetrack casinos so would not rate this one very high, however compared to other racetrack casinos, it is near the top of tat sub list.

Slot Player Card

The Finger Lakes casino & racetrack has their own slot card which provides you with cash discounts on meals as well as cash in the form of free slot play.

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 Finger Lakes casino & racetrack  in a large  surface parking area, which is ample for all casino and racetrack patrons.

Directions:

From Rochester:

I-490 East to the end

NYS Thruway (I-90) east to exit 44 (Route 332, Canandaigua)

South on Route 332 approximately 1 mile to Route 96

Left on Route 96 , ½ mile on the right

From the West (Buffalo)

NYS Thruway (I-90) east to exit 44 (Route 332, Canandaigua)

South on Route 332 approximately 1 mile to Route 96

Left on Route 96, ½ mile on the right

Note: They are about 1/2 hour from Rochester International Airport. From the airport, just travel south on 390 to I-90, and you can take I-90 East from there.

From the East (Syracuse, Utica, Albany, etc.)

NYS Thruway (I-90) west to exit 43 (Route 21, Manchester)

South on Route 21 a short distance to Route 96

Right on Route 96, 5 miles on the left

OR

NYS Thruway (I-90) west to exit 44 (Route 332, Canandaigua)

South on Route 332 approximately 1 mile to Route 96

Left on Route 96,½ mile on the right

The Turning Stone Casino and Resort Hotel is not one of our favorite places to visit. The grounds and the hotel as well as the casino are immaculate, well designed, nicely laid out and on par with even some of the smaller Las Vegas hotels and casinos. There is a hotel, in both a tower format as well as a lodge format along with a professional looking business center. On the surface it really looks great!

The problem for us came down to 3 issues. We went to a really nice bar and ordered a drink with the intent of also grabbing something to eat. We expected bar food, which would have been ok.  However when we ordered we were told it would be similar to what you would get if you ordered food to your room. We thought well this should be ok. Instead it was delivered in a plastic bag and everything was crushed at the bottom of the bag. To make matters worse, the delivery girl plopped it on the bar and walked off. Talk about bad service.

Your Slot Card Works Like a Debit Card

The other issue that bothered us was that you must add money to your slot card, place your slot card in a machine, punch in your pin number and play. No ticket in , ticket out and the only way to get your money is to go to the cashier. We do not favor this concept at all.

Lastly the machines are not the popular ones and we did not see a single winner while we were there including ourselves. We got the impression that this casino does not pay well.

We will not be back to the Turning Stone Casino Resort Hotel, however in case you want to go, here is a summary of the hotel etc in our usual format.

Slot Machines

There are over 2,400 Instant Multi-Games machines including Keno. poker slots, and many penny and nickle slots. Enjoy the thrill of competition on today’s most popular Multi-Game machines (similar to slot machines and video poker machines) or at your favorite gaming table.

Table Games

There are   over 80 table games and also buy-in to win tournaments and walk away with a fabulous cash payout!

Restaurants

There are 10 restaurants including Wildflowers; Forest Grill, Peach Blossom; Pino Blanco; Rodizio; Emerald; Season’s Harvest; Delata Cafe; The Corner Market;  and Opals.

What We Liked

• Pool area and spa area
• Grounds very neat and well kept
• Very Clean every
• Hotel rates are very reasonable
• Covered garage parking as well as surface parking
• Easy access from all highways
• Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas
• Starbucks Coffee shop

What We Did Not Like

• No Free drinks while gambling
• Not a good mix of slot machines
• Poor bar service
• No ticket in , ticket out slot service
• Cannot deposit cash or bills into a slot machine

It is probably a 4 star hotel in our estimation and quite adequate for your needs as long as you over look some of the issues we identified

Slot Player Card

The slot card will provide you with benefits, however this is the first time we have encountered this type of slot card and we have been to a lot of casinos across the US and Canada. Basically you must go to the cashier or to a special machine were you insert your slot card, enter your pin and deposit your money into the machine. Your slot card really becomes a debit card at this point and the only way to play a machine is to insert your slot card. Also if you want to move from machine to machine, all you need to do is remove your slot card and re-insert it into the next machine.

If you want to cash in, you must go to the cashier to collect any balance that may be left on the slot card. It seems to us that this is a sure way to lose all of your money!

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 Turning Stone hotel & casino in a large parking garage beside the hotel and casino. There is also lots of 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:

From Syracuse Hancock International Airport: Take I-90 (NYS Thruway) East to Exit 33 (Verona); through the tollbooth, travel straight to the stoplight. Take a left onto Route 365 and the next left into the Resort.

From Albany, NY and points East: Take I-90 (NYS Thruway) West to Exit 33 (Verona); through the tollbooth, travel straight to the stoplight. Turn left onto Route 365 and the next left into the Resort.