Casino Reviews

The water has surrounded the casinos in Tunica as well as the surrounding areas. It looks like they will be closed for another few weeks. This occurred in May 2011 and the casinos have obviously reopened since then. They re-opened about the middle of June, 2011.  Originally we were told that they would reopen sometime around May 23rd. However based on the level of the water, the damage that it is causing and the fact that it will slowly recede, these casinos were closed for sometime.

We have included a picture of Harrahs in Tunica, which we have visited several

Thanks to WMCTV Action News

times. This picture is courtesy of  WMCTV Action News. Pictures are worth a thousand words. It is certainly true in this case. Based on this picture the main lobby area, the restaurants and perhaps even the casino is flooded. Rooms at the hotel will be find. However before guests can come back to the hotel a thorough cleaning is required. In addition, repair to the building, electrical systems is needed. All furniture that could not be removed prior to the waters appearing on the scene has to be replaced.

Tunica Casinos Still Flooded (2011)

At the present time there is over 7 feet of water covering the parking lot and the hotel entrance. The casino itself is supposed to float which will protect the slot machines. The casino operations should be ok. However there is a limit to how far up they can float.

As more information is made available we will include an update on this blog regarding the rising flood waters at the casino hotels in Tunica.

While this blog focuses on casinos and information about them for our readers,  we also want to acknowledge the hardship that many people in the Mississippi delta are experiencing. We have traveled to Tunica, to Memphis and Helena many times and our hearts and prayers go out to these people.

We once had car problems in Helena and the people at the garage were extremely helpful and friendly to us. They drove us to a hotel were we stayed the night while we were waiting for parts for our car and then picked us up the next morning to bring us back to the garage. this was service that we have never experienced before and we appreciated very much. The repairs were completed on time and the price was very reasonable as well. We compared the cost of repairs with our own garage at home and found them to be less expensive at this garage in Helena. Great people, very helpful!

They sure do not deserve this huge flood and the damage it causes to land , to buildings , to families and the ability to earn a living to support your family. Our prayers are with you!

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.

Click here to visit our latest version of the Las Vegas Hotels Web site

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.

For lots more information about Las Vegas, click here.

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Apparently the casinos in and around Tunica will be closing from May 3rd 2011 until approximately May 22nd 2011 due to the rising flood waters  from the Mississippi. This picture shows the Gold Strike Casino with their parking lot under water and the casino itself flooded. Lots of damage to the floors and the machines. Not only that if your car was in the parking garage it was going to have to stay there until the waters receded.

We had reservations at the Gold Strike Casino in Tunica for May 5 and 6th. We received an email advising us that this casino along with all others in the area were closing. This is due to the expected rising flood waters cresting as much as 60 feet above normal. This is an unprecedented flood level! We are glad that they warned us that the casino was closed. We would not want to be there when the waters were coming into the casino! Who would not like being stuck in our rooms with nothing to do.

We wish all of the employees and the residents in the area good luck. They need to take special care that they and their families are safe during this difficult time. We have watched the weather over the past week. Although the rain has stopped, the swollen river will not crest in this area for another few days.

Tunica Casinos closed

Several articles have that we have read indicate that employees will continue to be paid during this time while the casinos are closed. Hopefully all of the casinos will do this, so that employees can meet their financial obligations. This will also ensure employee loyalty and return to their jobs when the casinos reopen. The entire area appears to be depressed from an economic perspective and they really need the money they do not need to be losing their jobs or dealing with floods like this.

We will be back to Tunica, perhaps in the fall when hopefully all repairs have been made and everyone has recovered from the Mississippi river floods.

Note that the Tunica Casinos reopened a few weeks after we wrote this post. There was little damage to the casinos and what there was, was quickly cleaned up by the staff. One of the things we really liked about this set of casinos is that they continued to pay all of their staff while they were closed to make sure they had jobs to come back to and did not go looking for new jobs.

While we could not confirm this story, we did hear it from a reliable source and felt that this was a really nice gesture on the part of the casino owners. This was in one of the online papers that we keep an eye on when we are in the area. Reading online news is a great way to stay in touch with the world as well as local news. Most of the casinos will have WiFi available for their customers.

All casinos were reopened shortly after the waters receded and the clean up was completed.

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.

The Palazzo  Hotel & Casino is another one of the most beautiful and elegant hotels in Las Vegas and a sister hotel to the  Venetian Hotel & Casino. You can enter from the strip at street level . There are indoor and outdoor canals both with gondola’s to ride. You enter the Palazzo Hotel & Casino on the main floor from the strip. Vacationers can also take the moving walkway to the second floor from the strip and enter the canal shops area. This is also a must see with many beautiful shops and restaurants including the artificial ceiling. There is a pedestrian walkway across Spring Mountain road to the Wynn hotel and Casino, with direct entry into the Palazzo hotel.

Palazzo Casino & Hotel – Restaurants

There are 15 restaurants in total in the hotel. The Palazzo 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 PalazzoHotel & Casino also has several bars with entertainment. The rooms are a bit more expensive, with everyone of them offering a suite style accommodation. This is a brand new hotel with the last few years. Everything is spectacular, with beautiful rooms, great views of the strip and the mountains.

We have toured the Polazzo 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.

Slot Machines

The Palazzo features Megajackpots® machines from $1.00 Megabucks® (with jackpots that have gone higher than $30 million) to Wheel of Fortune®. There’s something here for everyone.

The Palazzo proudly offers a luxurious high-stakes slot experience. For example with denominations ranging from $1.00 all the way up to $1000.00 games. And 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 Palazzo 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. 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

All of the restaurants are excellent and include the following:

• Carnevino – Steakhouse
• Cut – Steakhouse
• LAVO – Italian
• Moreles French Steakhouse and Bistro – French
• Table 10 – New American
• Sushisamba – Japanese, Peruvian & Brazilian
• Zine Noodles Dim Sum – Pan Asian
• Canyon Ranch Grill – Healthy Spa Cuisine
• Dal Toro Ristorante – Italian
• Dos Caminos – Mexican
• Expressamente Illy – Italian Cafe
• First Food & Bar – American
• Grand Lux – Global Cuisine
• Solaro – American
• Lagasse’s Stadium – American

Palazzo Casino Major Points of Interest

If you are just passing through the hotel, you will want to take a moment to see the following areas of the Palazzo Hotel & Casino.

• Shopping area joining the Venetian and Palazzo Hotels
• 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 Palazzo Hotel & Casino.

• 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 Palazzo Hotel & Casino.

• Could not think of anything

Palazzo Casino Slot Player Card

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

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. As well as a tax report outlining your losses and wins for tax claim purposes.

Parking

There is ample parking at the Palazzo 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:

The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109. The Palazzo hotel is near Spring Mountain and Las Vegas Blvd across the street from Treasure Island the Mirage Hotels. Down the street you have the Venetian, the Wynn and the Encore and the Fashion Show Mall.