Casino Reviews

This is the main entrance to the Beau Rivage Hotel and the casino located in Biloxi, Mississippi. Beautiful grounds that are well kept and very pleasant to walk around. The only negative about these grounds is that they are usually in the shade. Until later in the spring when the sun has moved further north and temperatures warm up. We stayed at this hotel in mid-January. We were fortunate to find sunny skies with warm temperatures. The hotel is located along the Gulf of Mexico along the shore with a 3rd-floor swimming pool on the south side looking out over the Gulf of Mexico.

The Beau Rivage is part of the MGM Resorts group and that means that your M-Life card works here as well and so do the comp’s that you may be eligible for.  We were fortunate and receive one night free and the other night at the casino rate which saved us a lot of money. The drinks are free while you are gambling as usual and they have several very nice restaurants that serve really great food in their restaurant and their buffet.

Beau Rivage Casino – Elegant

This hotel although smaller than the Las Vegas hotels has all of the elegance of these hotels. Marble floors, high ceilings, very clean and nicely decorated. We like visiting this hotel for its ambiance and for the area that it is in. We enjoy walking along the beach which has lots of sand and really is a beautiful place to spend time when the weather is great. Unfortunately, some buildings along the coast still show the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Some are being rebuilt and many still have not been reconstructed.

They still allow smoking, but at least there is lots of air movement so that you do not notice the smoke as much unless someone is smoking a cigar. Why do they still allow smoking in these casinos? Who knows? The cost of cleaning and the cost of dealing with repairs caused by the buildup of ashes and nicotine is monumental.

There are more and more nonsmoking areas. Even with these areas, the smoke drifts around especially when someone is smoking a cigar. These people are really ignorant and should never be allowed to smoke inside a building.

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Can you imagine being at this pool? Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and enjoying the sun! This pool is on the third floor of the hotel at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi with a large gym to work out in as well. There is a bar and restaurant in the pool area. We took this particular picture in the middle of January during a time when the weather was a little colder than it normally is. In warm weather the pool would be crowded, the bar is open and music is blasting out. You can also eat on the pool level on sunny warm days, where you are protected from the wind.

Beau Rivage Hotel  – Spa

The spa and gym are also on the third floor facing out onto the pool. The treadmills in the gym even have their own personal TVs for each machine which you can tune to your channel and listen to as long as you have earbuds. If you are a guest at the hotel, hotel patrons can use the gym. The Spa will cost extra. We found that the gym and the spa were really not used that much. People just like to spend time at the pool or in the casino, rather than work out in the gym. Can’t say I blame them.

Beau Rivage Hotel – Restaurants

The service is great, the food is excellent and the portions are large. We enjoy staying at this hotel and will come back again. We ate at both the restaurant as well as the buffet. The buffet was a bit expensive for the food that was served. This was a seafood night with crab legs and the crab legs just did not measure up for us. However, all in all, this is a great place to spend a few days and be on the ocean.

We recently dined at the Carson Street Cafe at the Golden Nugget in downtown  Las Vegas on Fremont street. All of the casinos face Fremont street, which is enclosed with a glass ceiling for approximately six blocks. There are street performers. There are bands and there are zip lines at various locations along the street as well to entertain everyone. Also every 30 minutes or so at night they dim all of the lights of the casinos. A light show on the underside of the glass ceiling accompanied by music entertains everyone.

Golden Nugget Las Vegas – Shows

There are some really good shows and it is of course free to the public. This post is about the Carson Street Cafe. However, when we saw this great picture of  Fremont street and the Golden Nugget, we just had to include it as part of this post.

The Carson Street Cafe at the Golden Nugget is a nice reasonable place to eat. Prices are pretty much average and the food is plentiful and presented well. The tables are clean and the food is very good. We also found the service to be on par with most other restaurants in Vegas for cafe-style locations. This is a place to catch a quick meal. While you take time off from gambling or visiting the pool area of the Golden Nugget.

We always stay on the strip at one of the strip hotels,. But we usually also come downtown to visit the Golden Nugget and take in the Fremont Street Experience. If we have friends with us and they have never seen this spectacular show, then we will make the trip downtown as well to show them.

Park at the Golden Nugget Parking Garage

When you travel downtown to the Golden Nugget, we suggest that you park at the hotel’s parking lot. Then walk across the street to the hotel. You can have your parking ticket stamped to receive a few extra hours of free parking, however, there will be a charge for parking if you stay for any significant length of time. It is convenient and  the charge for parking is not that high. All parking along the strip used to be free, however, they are now charging a fee. However, like all downtown areas, space is at a premium and I guess they feel they need to charge for parking.

Visitors can also take the bus downtown or take a cab. If you split the cost between several people it is not too expansive and you do not need to be concerned about a designated driver.

Always be careful when you are in any city downtown at night. Stay on the main streets where there are lots of people and beware of pickpockets, especially when you are looking at the light show and perhaps are distracted from what people might be doing near you. Ladies should hold onto their purses and men should keep their wallets in their front pockets or in zippered pockets for proper security.

Golden Nugget Casino

This is an older-style casino that has been given a facelift and presents itself very well. The casino is always crowded and the machines are crammed everywhere so you may feel a bit claustrophobic while you are there particularly if it is busy.

They have all of the usual machines of course and although we do not know if this is true or not, rumors have it that the downtown casinos pay much better than the casinos along the strip. They have to have an edge to get people to come downtown and gamble at any of their locations including the Golden Nugget.

Rooms are also inexpensive and if you have a slot card and play a little bit, chances are you will receive invites to stay at the Golden Nugget for free next time you are in Vegas. We have not stayed at this hotel, however, we would expect them to be comparable to other mid-range hotels on the strip.

Next time you are in Vegas, make sure you head downtown for a few hours to see the Fremont Street Experience, visit the Golden Nugget and have dinner at the Carson Street Cafe. We believe that you will not be disappointed by the trip downtown. Always go in the evening so that you can see the light show as well.

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MGM Resorts International has joined the ranks of many other hotel chains. As a result, it is now delivering free WIFI on its properties in public areas. Many casinos have now joined the ranks of WiFi available in Vegas Hotels. They finally have gotten the message that not only was this an irritation to their guests, it was also a missed opportunity. As a result, they now can advertise their services and activities that are taking place on the property.

In a statement, and we quote, “MGM Resorts said the system is currently live at Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, and The Mirage. The system is expected to be installed this year in the Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor, and Excalibur”. They join other casino properties across the US that have been offering WIFI on their properties for some time.

WIFI Available in Vegas Hotels – Competition

In many Strip casinos, Wi-Fi is only available to hotel guests or convention attendees. With the new MGM Resorts system, basic Internet access will become available to anyone who comes into public areas. Areas such as the lobby, pool area, casino, and restaurants. The system, developed with Cisco Systems, doesn’t require a password. MGM Resorts hotel guests will pay for and receive upgraded service. Convention attendees can upgrade to a higher-speed system.

WIFI Available in Vegas Hotels – Service

Experience with this type of service suggests that the speed will not be fantastic. But will be useful and suitable for email and light browsing. MGM Resorts officials believe that the Wi-Fi system will turn their entire properties into a hot spot. It will support tens of thousands of guests with multiple Internet-enabled devices.

Apps developed for these casinos will advertise their services, and allow for reservations and other activities. We expect that over the coming years these services will develop into a rich set of services. — Paul Richardson 613 298 6297

The writer happens to think that the best casino in North America is the Wynn Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada, with a close runner up The Bellagio Casino and Hotel, also in Las Vegas Nevada. They both have something in common. They were both designed and built by Steve Wynn who has literally transformed the entire Las Vegas strip introducing sophisticated high-class casinos and hotels with top-of-the-line entertainment and restaurants.

All of the hotels in Vegas pretty much have the formula down pat. They have lots of rooms, they have a buffet, they have many other high-end restaurants and they cater to conferences, weddings, and people on vacation. They have lots of glitz, they cater to the high rollers and they have a lot of glimmers. But what really sets these two hotels apart from the others in Las Vegas, Tunica, or in Atlantic City?

Best Casino Never Looks Tired

In our opinion, these hotels are maintained at a high standard of cleanliness, employees are constantly polishing and vacuuming, they are trimming the plants and keeping them pristine looking, they update furniture and rooms and carpets as soon as they get the least bit tired looking. You know when you walk into a place whether it is beginning to look a little tired looking. The Bellagio and the Wynn casinos and hotels are maintained at such a high standard that they never look this way. This is all based on a first impression when you walk into these hotels and perhaps stay in one of their rooms, but there is a lot more to why they have the best casino designation.

Service Level

The employees treat you as an honored guest and try to make sure that everything is done to perfection. Whether it is the maid making up your room or the blackjack dealer they all understand that Las Vegas is all about the competition they plan to be the best to encourage you to return many times to their casino.

This is where the Wynn Casino is slightly above the Bellagio, as the best casino. We have never had to wait for a drink while playing the slots at the tables at the Wynn Casino. They were always prompt and courteous and accurate with drink orders. The Bellagio on the other hand has not always provided the best service.

Perhaps someone called in sick or they did not schedule sufficient servers that day, however, we had to literally put our service light on at the slot machine to call a slot repair person to ask them to call a server. Eventually, we spoke to a manager and they fixed the problem for us. The next time we visited the Bellagio, service was back to what we have come to expect from the Bellagio. Some might say this is a small thing; however, it is an indicator that can turn some customers away.

Décor as the Best Casino

Both casinos have very special attractions that literally bring thousands of people into their casinos every day. The Bellagio has sound, light, and water displays. They run during the afternoons and evenings on a man-made lake outside the front of the casino. It is massive and truly an entertainment spectacle. The Wynn has its mountain in front of the casino with waterfalls and lakes with elegant dining around the lake.

They also have a Maserati car display and a champion 18-hole golf course at the back of the casino. There is a very posh 19^th hole to relax in. The Wynn is somewhat tropical while being contemporary. The Bellagio is elegant and located in a prime location. They both have all of the top stores that sell clothing and accessories that cost far beyond what the normal person can afford.

These two hotels qualify as being the best casinos in North America and even if you are not staying at the hotel, they are definitely worth a visit to them just to take in the design, the elegance, and the pleasure to the eyes. These are truly great places to visit.