Casino Reviews


Casino Windsor Hotel Deals

July 21st, 2012 ernie Posted in Windsor No Comments »

Casino Windsor Hotel DealsThe Harrah’s Caesar casino hotel offers great casino Windsor hotel deals to their Total Rewards customers. We are Total Rewards slot car members and as we have indicated many times on this site, it is valuable to have these cards since the casinos offer great comps. We were on a driving trip when my wife suggested that we give them a call to see what rate the casino might offer us for a 2-night stay at their hotel. I did not expect a lot since we have not been to this particular casino in Windsor Ontario for some time.

Casino Windsor Hotel Deals

Much to our surprise they offered us two nights free in their new tower which is attached to the casino. Basically, there are two towers one on either side of the casino with a parking garage on the side away from the river. The Casino and the hotels face onto the Detroit River with a great view of downtown Detroit and its towers.  We have already written a post about the hotel and the casino, their restaurants, etc, so if you need more information about Harrah’s Casino Hotel, we invite you to read the post-Caesars Casino Windsor.

Confusing Parking

We liked just about everything about the casino and the hotel except for the parking. Parking is free in a parking garage, however, it is a long walk through the casino up and down escalators to get to the check-in counter at the hotel. I suggest that you use the valet parking and let them also look after your bags. With your total rewards cards, it is free anyway, although they do expect a tip of course.

Rooms are Great at this Casino Windsor Hotel

The deal was really great especially when you consider the room was free. We stayed in the new tower which was very clean and modern with a brand new flat-screen TV. We had a great view of the cities of both Windsor and Detroit across the river. Although you do not spend much time in your room it is very nice to have a  nice clean room with a separate glass shower as well as a soaker tub. Everything of course is nonsmoking.

We walked around the area a little bit during the daytime and had no problems whatsoever. Three blocks away there are several coffee shops, where you can get a decent coffee etc and four blocks away is effectively downtown Windsor. The area is pretty safe however it is like any downtown area, there are people around that you may want to be careful about. We would not suggest that you go walking around at night in the downtown area or down by the water.

There are many hotels in Windsor, especially along the main road from the bridge, however, why would you stay over 2 miles away when you can get such a great casino Windsor hotel deal right at the casino? Not only do you have the distance to travel to get to the casino, but you would also have to pay for your room, which they are often comped for you when you stay at the casino hotel as part of your Total Rewards package.

Get a Slot Card

We will emphasize this again as we have many times. Always get a slot card and always use your card when you are playing the slots. When you receive two nights free and maybe some food or free play with the package, it is similar to winning a small jackpot! A room that costs maybe $90 plus tax per night, plus a meal and pretty soon it would add up to $250 for two nights. Why not stay free when you can you might just get lucky and win a jackpot besides!

That’s why we use slot cards and that is why we get free rooms when we have never even visited this particular casino hotel. You cannot get a better deal than free for a casino Windsor hotel deal! Harrah’s has hotels and casinos in all of the major gambling areas in the US. Chances are that you will be able to stay for free if you gamble in one of their casinos. I look at it from the perspective that I generally have to pay for a hotel room anyway, so the money I save using my total rewards card is available for gambling and I may also win a jackpot which has happened many times. For a video of the casino Windsor, click here

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Hotels Near Windsor Casino

July 14th, 2012 ernie Posted in Windsor No Comments »

Hotels Near Windsor CasinoThere are no hotels near the Windsor Casino. They are all several miles away on the road that heads to the international bridge and the United States. The picture on the left is of the Detroit skyline taken from the steps of the entrance to the Windsor casino. It is called Caesars Windsor. This is a two-level casino with two towers, one on either side of the casino. There is also a parking garage located behind the hotel. Unfortunately, although the garage is close to the casino, it is a long walk to the check-in counter for the hotel which is in the new tower.

We have stayed in the new tower and strongly recommend this hotel. It is modern, very clean and well-appointed with everything that you can possibly need. We were very satisfied with the new tower. Although we did not stay in the older tower, it is likely of the same caliber, just perhaps a little more tired due to it being several years older.

Hotels Near Windsor Casino

We mentioned that there are no other hotels close to the Windsor casino. There are several chain motels and small hotels in Windsor, however, they are located along the main road from the international bridge which is where most traffic enters or exits the US. you can easily drive to the casino, but why bother when you can stay right there? If you come across from Detroit via the tunnel the Windsor Casino is only a few blocks from the tunnel exit. The international bridge is several miles from the hotel.

Also, you may even be able to stay for free if you have a Total Rewards card with the Harrahs chain. The Caesars hotel and casino is part of the Harrah’s chain and you can use this card to make your reservations using your slot card.

Casinos in the US

There are casinos in the US, however, there are several great advantages to staying at the hotel-casino in Windsor. There is a lot of concern about safety in Detroit. Windsor has its share of people who hang around the downtown area, however, during the day we experienced no problems and did not feel unsafe at all.

When you stay at the casino hotel, you have another advantage that other hotels near the Windsor Casino cannot offer. That is the view from a high floor in one of the towers. You can look to the North West and see a view similar to the one shown in the picture above or look to the Northeast and see a view of the river and the urban areas of Detroit and Windsor. And yes, Detroit is north of Windsor. if you do not believe me, just look at a map!

We hope this post helps you find a great deal at the Windsor casino. Stay there instead of a hotel near the Windsor casino. For more information about hotels near Windsor casino, click here.

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Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino

December 21st, 2011 ernie Posted in Ottawa 2 Comments »

The Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino is located in Ottawa on Albion road. This is a combination race track, casino and sometimes exhibition and show venue.  The original post can be found by Clicking Here. We thought we would provide an update to this original post that we made about this particular casino. There have been some changes we wanted to make people aware of.

The Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino is still the same configuration, restaurant and bar area. However they have added three electronic tables for patrons to use. There is a blackjack electronic table, a Baccarat, Roulette and Sic-Bo! The black jack table has the usual video dealer that is a very shapely dealer for you to be amused by while you are gambling and possibly be distracted by.

Multi-line Slots

They have moved many of the slot machines around to accommodate these tables. The process has installed many new slot machines of various themes and denominations. There are many more 1 cents and 2 cent machines with multiple lines where you bet a maximum of $2 and $4 on a penny machine. These have become very popular all over North America and the Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino is following suit with these machines. Many of the popular traditional machines have had to make way for all of these new slots.

Very Busy

If anything this casino is becoming more and more popular. No matter what time you go there, there are always people there and it seems that even at 1 am in the morning it is crowded with people. If you want your favorite machine, you are going to have to wait until it is vacated before you can use it or you arrive at 9 am in the morning. Even then sometimes you have to wait until someone is finished.

Comp’s

Comp’s are still bad compared to other casinos, so no change there. Payouts are ridiculous. If you win more than $200 on one press of the button, someone has to come and pay you instead of just printing a ticket. Not sure of the reason, but the slot attendants still have their hands out looking for tips. Service is slow so most don’t bother tipping anymore. Why tip for bad service.

Slot Attendant Service

In fact we recently won a nice little jackpot which we wanted to have a check instead of cash. First I was able to get the attention of the attendants. It only took about 10 minutes to have a check printed. However, I had to wait at least 30 minutes before I could even get someone to come and process the win. I think they know that a check will be required and there will be no tip, so why stop and process the jackpot. Pretty bad service in my opinion.

Anyway it is still a great place to spend an evening, provided that you limit your losses and control your gambling. Have a drink , maybe something to eat and play a little bit for an enjoyable evening!

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Casinos In Ontario, Canada

October 7th, 2010 ernie Posted in Ontario 2 Comments »

Casinos In Ontario CanadaMany governments all over the United States and Canada have started up casinos as a means to raise much needed tax revenue. Also to provide jobs in areas that could use a boost.  Casinos In Ontario are run by the OLG, which is an arm of the provincial government.

We have traveled a great deal across the US and also across Canada and without a doubt we find that the casinos in Ontario provide the worst service, the worst food and although we do not have a scientific study to back us up, we also feel the they have the worst odd’s. The OLG casinos are busy with lots of people going to visit them on the weekends and even through the night when they stay open 24 hours. The reason they are so busy is that they really have no competition. People all over love to gamble, and if you are the only game in town, well that is where they will go.

Casinos In Ontario

Why do I feel that Ontario casinos are the worst in the industry? There are many reasons:

  • Variety of Machines – Generally small casinos, no room for more
  • Cost of Drinks – full price drinks compared to inexpensive or even free
  • Pay Out from the Machines – walking around the casino you quickly see there are not many winners
  • Quality of food in the Casino – sandwiches wrapped in saran wrap, limited variety, not even a deli
  • Quality of food in the Restaurants – very large quantities of poor quality food seems to satisfy many people
  • Intimidation at the entrance – have to pass by uniformed guards at the entrance. All casinos have guards, but most are dressed in civilian clothes. They do not make you feel welcome.
  • Location – never in a central area, you generally have to take a long drive to get to the casino
  • Employee Attitude – They do not know the meaning of customer service and have their hands out for a tip when you win a jackpot!
  • Places to Sit – there is no were to sit and relax away from the tables or slots, not customer friendly
  • Entertainment – limited to touring old timer bands that sign off key and play too loudly to mask their mistakes.
  • Comp’s – it is almost a joke when we talk comp’s. A few dollars is not going to entice us to keep coming back.

Compare to Other Locations

Admittedly I am comparing the casinos in Ontario with those in Vegas, however even if you go over to the province of Quebec, you quickly see that the Quebec casinos are high class entertainment venues compared to any thing the Ontario government can offer.

We just do not have anything good to say about these casinos. The first marketing mistake they made was to locate the casino with racetracks around the province. The tracks were loosing money and going out of business. Adding a casino made them profitable again although racetracks are no were close to tourist areas or to downtown.

I would rather go to Akwesasne Mohawk Casino than go to the race track in Ottawa, even though it is an hours drive, you have to cross the border and pay tolls.

A beer costs $1 dollar, an excellent buffet is only $10, it is a much larger casino with a comparably larger number of slot machines as well as table games as well. They also offer better comp’s to entice you to come to their casino and the staff are very friendly and treat patrons as customers! What a concept!

If you do not believe what we are saying here, try going to a few of the casinos outside the province and you will quickly see how great they are compared to the OLG casinos.

Well I have done enough griping for now. We would love to hear your comments and also whether you agree with us or not. Maybe the OLG will take note.

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Casino Niagara

March 28th, 2010 ernie Posted in Niagara Falls No Comments »

Casino NiagaraNote: We have not visited the Casino Niagara in some time. As a result your comments are welcome to help us update this review. Of course it will help our readers decide if this casino is a place they want to visit. Canadian casinos as a rule do not provide the same level of comp’s that their American counterparts do. Hence this is one of the reasons that we do not frequent this location as much as some others.

Casino Niagara

This includes the Niagara region, and the tourism community. Subsequently Casino Niagara has consistently delivered in full on its corporate and community mandates.

They strive to provide with more down-to-earth, round-the-clock fun than you can imagine! They have over 1,700 slot and video poker machines. In addition there are also 60 tables of gaming excitement, three restaurants and three bars.

Slot Machines

Casino Niagara features over 1,700 slot and video poker machines on two action-packed levels. Denominations range from pennies to $100! And with more than 350 progressives, Casino Niagara players have a wide selection to choose from. This includes  Megabucks® progressive machines – the jackpot starts at $1,000,000!

Table Games

There are 40 tables of fast, friendly excitement. Casino Niagara has a  wide selection of easy-to-learn games. Which let everyone get in on the non-stop action and fun. Choose from blackjack, craps Caribbean stud poker, roulette, poker , Spanish 21. In addition play in the poker room to participate in various tournaments.

Restaurants

Casino Niagara features a wide assortment of dining venues to satisfy every taste and budget. These include the Market Buffet, Lucky’s, Quench Bar,and the 24 hour Perks Cafe.

What We Liked ( Note we have not visited this Casino)

Your comments are welcome.

What We Did Not Like ( Note we have not visited this Casino)

Your comments are welcome.

Slot Player Card

They are part of the Casino Niagara slot players card system. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at the Fallsview Casino resort as well as at Casino Niagara.

There are a number of benefits that many slot players should consider. For example free or discounted rooms, email mailing list of promotions. Also free or discounted meals, access to entertainment. In addition a tax report outlining your losses and wins for tax claim purposes.

Parking

There is ample parking at the Niagara Falls hotel & casino in a large  surface parking lot . For more information about New York State Casinos, click here.

Directions:

Casino Niagara is located at 5705 Falls Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

From the Peace Bridge

Follow the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) to Niagara Falls, Canada. Take the HWY-420 exit- EXIT 30- toward NIAGARA FALLS/BRIDGE TO U.S.A. past Stanley Ave to Victoria Ave. Turn right on Victoria and left at the next lights @ Bender Hill. The entrance is located on the right.

From Rainbow Bridge

Turn right onto Falls Avenue. Left at next street @ Hiram St., Left on Ontario, Straight through lights to Casino Niagara

From the Queenston/LewistonBridge

Follow Hwy 405 to Niagara Falls, Canada. Follow the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) to Niagara Falls , Canada . Take the HWY-420 exit- EXIT 30- toward NIAGARA FALLS/BRIDGE TO U.S.A. past Stanley Ave to Victoria Ave. Subsequently turn right on Victoria and left at the next lights – Bender Hill. The entrance is located on the right.

From Toronto

Follow the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) to Niagara Falls , Canada . Take the HWY-420 exit- EXIT 30- toward NIAGARA FALLS/BRIDGE TO U.S.A. past Stanley Ave, to Victoria Ave. Turn right on Victoria and left at the next lights @ Bender Hill. The entrance is located on the right.

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