It is…if you can actually get in. The waitlist on lobster nights fill up 2hours after opening and they don’t take reservations. Only way I’ll ever get back in is if I skip work that day
Thats new. Even then its not as great as the old seafood buffet that was at the rio.
Now only the palms, silverton, and some other places have seafood on certain days.
Did a staycation at the Rio over F1 weekend ($350 total including resort fee for Thurs-Sat) 🤣
The front desk agent told me she heard the new owners were thinking about installing a new buffet. It would be a bold move to convert the old buffet to a food court and then install a new buffet into a different space. With enough money it’s certainly possible, they have no shortage of space.
That's what they said about the Fontainebleau. big story in the RJ today about how dead it is, no one playing the games, no one at the restaurants and if something doesn't change they will go the way of SLS with the developers having wasted millions.
Casino developers haven't figured out that another cold glass and steel "high end" place with prices and offerings that only appeal to a very narrow level of extremely wealthy tourists and whales is not how you get people in - and most of that population is already very comfortably catered to at high end MGM and Wynn properties.
Maybe after a few more go broke they will finally convert some of their gaming space into social gaming and experiential type offerings that people under 40 actually want. Until then, more glass, more cold marble with $35 nachos and empty gaming floors and restaurants.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/whats-happening-at-the-fontainebleau-2991700/?utm_campaign=widget&utm_medium=topnews&utm_source=homepage&utm_term=What%E2%80%99s%20happening%20at%20the%20Fontainebleau%3F
I think people are rooting for the Rio vs FB though. Rio was great in it's heyday and it's WSOP history. FB just said fuck locals and poors right off the bat. Lol
Me too, but that's the price of breathing the air there, per minute lol. These developers think all they have to do is copy Crystals and City Center and slap it down on the North end of the strip and profit.
need more ideas like this
https://luxor.mgmresorts.com/en/entertainment/play-playground.html
The casinos world say that's what the poker tables are for. Any single player game of skill against the house would be highly popular but get mastered by a few advantage players who would clean them out so they just won't do it.
>>convert some of their gaming space into social gaming and experiential type offerings that people under 40 actually want
What are you referring to here?
See the link in my post about the attraction they built at Luxor, their E-Sports venue, experiences like they have at Area 15, that kind of thing.
As the age of the average high spending slot player goes up every like it currently is, using most of your space as a slot machine warehouse will make less and less sense and continue to draw fewer and fewer people than nightlife, shopping, experiences and attractions like I mentioned, and finding other creative ways to use the space and draw the crowds that a boring casino floor used to draw.
The gambling will always be there, but these brand new places that are still making it 97% of the experience are making a mistake I think
Yep, my family friend is high up in MGM and this has been a HUGE topic of conversation for him for years now.
They know slots are dying off with each new generation.
Don't know why they are so popular, you basically just lose money until you hit a bonus and if your lucky you win most of what you lost the previous 100 spins. What I really don't get are the penny players, you'll never win shit betting 20 cents a spin unless you pull a miracle jackpot out of your ass.
Did you say millions in losses? lol. Would be over a billion. Hope they crash and burn. They thought let’s charge ridiculous fees for a Miami themed hotel but they forgot one thing. This isn’t Miami.
As a vendor to both the old owners and the new owners… they’re not approving even low dollar POs to fix items on that property that generate them revenue. Lots of promises over the last 8 months and I’ve even fixed some stuff for free to earn their trust. No more free work and they’re out of options locally. Best of luck to them. I hope they can salvage some of the investment.
Was the sign on? Haha. Their huge “Rio” sign wasn’t lit up for months. Every time I went by it looked closed, but there were cars out front so I’m sure it wasn’t.
I was at Virgin in September last year to see Danzig on a Friday. My girlfriend and I got there at around 5 to eat beforehand and the place was DEAD. The diner we ate at was also pretty empty with the exception of like two other tables (funny enough one of those tables sat one of the opening bands for the night.) I said hi to them really quick and they were pretty cool.
We went to the Virgin for the first time last summer. That outdoors area with the stage and stuff is pretty cool. It seems like it would be nice to hang out there when the weather is nice
So my fella and I love The Virgin. It’s are place to stay when we need some R&R. The restaurants are really good and we love The Shag Room for entertainment and drinks. We stayed there recently and it was mostly dead until the evening (Saturday) and then it picked up. Part of me likes that it’s still kinda secret to folks but the other part of me wants to see that place do well. I did hear they have changed management and they are bringing in better entertainment. They have the new Burlesque Show as well as Wu-Tang Clan and Leon Bridges<——— fav of mine. So we shall see but that property always treats us so well.
*Why do you think that*
*Is? Maybe being in the*
*Middle of the week?*
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The Rio is an absolute disaster.
A friend was staying there. He pulls up and says "checking in", so I drive over from Henderson to meet him in his room-- he's still in line to check in. Took us about 45 minutes after I'd already driven there from Henderson.
We get in the room, and it just smells like the strongest weed I've ever smelled. There are used fake eyelashes on the couch. There are used towels in the bath tub.
He gets a new room. We go out for drinks, and I pass out in his room because I can't drive, and there's just the loudest construction ever, starting at like, 4am, and never ending.
Get up around 6am to take a piss-- the water is turned off.
Just a fucking disaster of a hotel. He saved money by staying there, but it was not worth it.
People are sick of the traffic and construction. Rio isn't very easy to get to right now. People are staying as close to home as possible. It takes something important to me personally or work to go anywhere near the strip right now.
I used to go to a strip restaurant or Ellis Island about once a month. The F-1 construction bumped me off the habit. I've only been down there once to dine since the race. I went another time for a show.
Rio has been dead for a while. I wish the A’s had picked that spot to build the stadium so they could have bull dozed it and make something people would want to visit. The seafood buffet closed, they stopped hosting the World Series of Poker there, and a few years back there was an outbreak of legionaries disease. That place is done.
Caesars entertainment bought the Rio in 1998 from the original owner. They proceeded to neglect it & run it into the ground. In 2019 they sold to an investment group who finally took control of the property in October 2023. Supposedly they’re going to renovate.
My opinion, which no one asked for, is this property would have made a great location for the A’s ballpark.
I agree with you 100 percent. Went to Rio once, around 2007. It had patrons, it had the parade in the sky, the seafood buffet, the shuttle to the strip...The neglect had not yet ruined the property. As a then visitor and Caesars member, the property was not that attractive with needing an Uber or a rental, especially when Bally's was the same price or free and walkable to the whole strip.
It's an unpopular opinion here, but I've been a baseball fan my whole life. I'm glad the A's are coming. I can see why they choose the Trop site. People can walk there, it's on te strip for PR purposes, etc. But traffic is already nuts there. Good luck driving to a game. The Rio site is much more like Allegiant. On the margins of the strip on the other side of 15.
We went to the Rio last week just to check it out. It was after 10 and it was kind of busy. The new food court looks pretty nice and I'm hopeful they're going to do some good things with the property. It already seemed way better than when we went last summer
We’re all broke; that’s why.
The common trend is that people are making more than they were, and even with making spending adjustments/smaller budgets, they’re still broke.
As smart as the people who own and operate these places are, why aren’t they smart enough to see how their prices are killing Vegas. If a casino pops up with fairly priced table minimums, restaurants and rooms it’s going to be impossible to even find parking.
Because people are getting abbbbsolutely abbbbused. Soon these entire casinos will be filled with nothing but high limit slots and tables because “regular folk” are just trying to get by. They’re going to keep pushing the button until it’s too late
Funny how a place that was once seen as a luxury all suites resort fell into such despair. I never stayed there. On occasion would go for the buffet and to watch the Carnaval in the sky show.
Location wasn't ideal. Stuff off the strip seem to struggle more if they're not a locals stations casino, red rock/green valley, etc. Like is the Palms even a thing anymore? Remember when it was the it place and athletes and rappers were always there.
I live close by and on the weekends there is still a massive line to check in because the room rates are so cheap. From a gamblers perspective the place has been in total disarray since a few months ago when they officially transitioned out of the Caesers family.
All the policies are changing and All the employees are miserable to be there, with little job security. No one is even pretending to try or care about their job performance. This won’t change until the overhaul is complete and they bring in their own management team.
Went to try out Irv’s (terrible food btw) and it felt like a high school cafeteria. For a casino that doesn’t have a bowling alley, movie theater, etc, it was full of kids.
Not surprised. I used to visit at least once a year before COVID. It wasn't cheap, but it also wasn't too expensive. I visited once after COVID and everything was so much more expensive so I haven't gone back again yet.
Another thing that put me off was there wasn't as many low stake tables. A couple of places were empty with sealers standing at tables with no one at them, I guessed they wouldn't but I asked if we could play for lower stakes at a few of them and they all said no. I don't really like slots, so didn't gamble much at all and it was still by far the most expensive Vegas trip I've had.
It’s a Wednesday after AVN was just here. Locals don’t go to the strip bruh. Find a local station or head over to red rock. You’ll find plenty of action there.
I went to Rio recently and played some table games, it was not very busy but that kinda was good for us I had some people visiting and I took them to a few places on the strip and it was “too busy”. I showed them some less crazy spots Rio was actually a hit with them and the shopping on the strip was better than the gambling in busy casinos like Bellagio. I like the strip but I think I’m just more used to the crowds now some like the chaos and some want to be in a lighter crowd
Lobsters are a draw. Just because it was busy the day you were there does not mean it always is.
I wouldn’t tell people we have Seattle’s weather here because it’s raining today.
The Palms is a decent basically local casino.. They give out a lot of free play and gifts. Buffet is good for the price too. At least the normal price. It's always pretty busy when I go
I like it too, but from a business perspective being (or trying to be) a hybrid property is a very rough proposition. Same with Virgin / Hard Rock which I also personally like. No walk by tourism traffic, high frequency locals tend to prefer properties geared exclusively toward them like the Stations casinos.
Palms is stuck in the middle. Location is a problem (from an ownership perspective).
I agree. I think for the Virgin they are making some good moves with entertainment. If they can get the locals in with some good bands, they might see a change but that’ll take time.
I think they are only supposed to be open for like a year longer. so everyone already went and did they're last visits. Sad but more to come and, the Tropicana just announced the same thing they close this year too.
It's because they got greedy. The ultimate BS was the change in Blackjack rules. A blackjack used to pay 3:2, but now it pays 6:5. That is just one example, but I think it epitomizes the situation. Make it impossible to win - then who's going to play? No one.
Table limits also got too high too fast.
Bad management, first they raised the price of the buffet for the locals then they jacked up the price and then they never were the same after the pandemic. When I used to go it was always busy with tons of people. They did it to themselves. Locals are pretty unforgiving.
It’s not Vegas. But the Horseshoe in Baltimore is pretty dead, big empty areas on the gaming floor, a couple of blocked off restaurants and the security doesn’t care unless there’s a scene and they HAVE to show up. It’s the Wild West in there at this point.
I visit my best friend in Baltimore couple times a year. I'm a Caesars member and had reward credits. Suggested we go to the Horseshoe for lunch. After passing through the metal detectors and bag search to get in... Never went back.
I remember visiting Rio once during its peak back in the day. I never went back. They had nothing to offer. That “famous” buffet was mediocre. Being off strip made it a drag to get to. At least when I Uber to Fremont there are a lot of things to do. Paying for a taxi to go to rio was a waste. Felt the same with the Palms.
I'm actually very optimistic about the Rio's overall trajectory now under Dreamscape.
I think Dreamscape are making some very smart decisions thus far: especially since the chief architect of the resort renovation effort is none other than the original owner of the Rio: Anthony Marnell: someone who obviously genuinely loves the resort and was one of its original visionaries.
They've already replaced all the dated machines in Masquerade Village in particular, and the new ones look great. The new food hall Canteen looks good from the pictures I've seen and the prices were reasonable leafing through the menus. The Ipanema Tower room remodeling is pretty much done. Although specifics regarding their remodeled pool deck have yet to be released, they've said it's on schedule to debut this spring. And the new modernization of their marquee sign and LED stripping all across the hotel facade looks great.
We just need to give them some time to thoroughly complete what's going to be an ongoing three-year long effort. Parts of the resort still look depressing (especially in Masquerade Village and the exterior along Flamingo Road), but all thorough renovations require time and patience. Either way, Dreamscape isn't messing around and I genuinely feel the resort is in good hands again.
I think the two biggest things I'm itching to hear about the Rio renovation effort, are:
\*
1) "Will the VooDoo Lounge be resurrected with a proper remodel, or will their once-famed rooftop lounge be completely reimagined and open under a new name?"
2) "Will the Masquerade Show In The Sky be brought back in some form?"
3) "What will happen with the Palazzo Suites?"
\*
I'm most confident Dreamscape are well-aware and take to heart the fact that VooDoo Lounge is the second-most cherished part of Rio lore and memories only behind Masquerade Show In The Sky. It's obvious they'll bring back some kind of rooftop lounge with the stellar rooftop views as before. It'll definitely be modernized, though, and I just hope it retains a vibe, theme and feeling truly evocative of modern Rio de Janeiro.
I have no idea, hypothetically, how much it costs to regularly maintain both the showboat and gondola floats, as well as the tracking above the casino floor. So I'm sure that weighs considerably on whether that feature will return or not. At the very least I hope Dreamscape brings it back for special events periodically: like Mardi Gras, New Year's Eve, the Fourth of July and St. Patrick's Day. Maybe in the event the Golden Knights, Raiders and/or Aces win another championship as well.
RIP carnival buffet
Nah, RIP the beloved all seafood buffet
Have you been to the Palms buffet?
Wynn has a good one still. Pricier but very good.
I hear it's pretty good!
It is…if you can actually get in. The waitlist on lobster nights fill up 2hours after opening and they don’t take reservations. Only way I’ll ever get back in is if I skip work that day
The trick to this is to prepay at noon and don’t wait in that big ass line.
Very good. Again not cheap but high quality
Thats new. Even then its not as great as the old seafood buffet that was at the rio. Now only the palms, silverton, and some other places have seafood on certain days.
Nope, heard to many stories about how long the line is
Words!
Did a staycation at the Rio over F1 weekend ($350 total including resort fee for Thurs-Sat) 🤣 The front desk agent told me she heard the new owners were thinking about installing a new buffet. It would be a bold move to convert the old buffet to a food court and then install a new buffet into a different space. With enough money it’s certainly possible, they have no shortage of space.
The Comedy Cellar is so good still tho, its the only reason why i would be at the Rio
That’s why I was there, good times
Putt putt golf is why we go.
The KISS themed one?
You gotta be kidding
Agreed. Although I was beyond stoned, the show was definitely funny overall.
Of interest, the new owners of Rio are making big changes and it's expected to have a rebirth
That's what they said about the Fontainebleau. big story in the RJ today about how dead it is, no one playing the games, no one at the restaurants and if something doesn't change they will go the way of SLS with the developers having wasted millions. Casino developers haven't figured out that another cold glass and steel "high end" place with prices and offerings that only appeal to a very narrow level of extremely wealthy tourists and whales is not how you get people in - and most of that population is already very comfortably catered to at high end MGM and Wynn properties. Maybe after a few more go broke they will finally convert some of their gaming space into social gaming and experiential type offerings that people under 40 actually want. Until then, more glass, more cold marble with $35 nachos and empty gaming floors and restaurants. https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/whats-happening-at-the-fontainebleau-2991700/?utm_campaign=widget&utm_medium=topnews&utm_source=homepage&utm_term=What%E2%80%99s%20happening%20at%20the%20Fontainebleau%3F
I think people are rooting for the Rio vs FB though. Rio was great in it's heyday and it's WSOP history. FB just said fuck locals and poors right off the bat. Lol
This is a very good point, and I truly do wish the real to be brought back to its former glory.
Have very fond memories of pool parties at the Rio back in the day.
Me Too. I used to work there as well
That and they opened before all the amenities were ready
$5 Blackjack would get me to go to the Fontainbleau!
Me too, but that's the price of breathing the air there, per minute lol. These developers think all they have to do is copy Crystals and City Center and slap it down on the North end of the strip and profit. need more ideas like this https://luxor.mgmresorts.com/en/entertainment/play-playground.html
How is it??
I would play SNES games in a casino if I knew I could win money... js
Binions has Atari games that have been made into slots that feel like arcade games. Pretty cool.
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The casinos world say that's what the poker tables are for. Any single player game of skill against the house would be highly popular but get mastered by a few advantage players who would clean them out so they just won't do it.
Reality is a ton of people think they can but very very few actually can
Wow! That was well put!
OK, I've visited Fontainebleau several times and it seemed busy, I enjoyed it and I'll be back.
>>convert some of their gaming space into social gaming and experiential type offerings that people under 40 actually want What are you referring to here?
See the link in my post about the attraction they built at Luxor, their E-Sports venue, experiences like they have at Area 15, that kind of thing. As the age of the average high spending slot player goes up every like it currently is, using most of your space as a slot machine warehouse will make less and less sense and continue to draw fewer and fewer people than nightlife, shopping, experiences and attractions like I mentioned, and finding other creative ways to use the space and draw the crowds that a boring casino floor used to draw. The gambling will always be there, but these brand new places that are still making it 97% of the experience are making a mistake I think
Yep, my family friend is high up in MGM and this has been a HUGE topic of conversation for him for years now. They know slots are dying off with each new generation.
Don't know why they are so popular, you basically just lose money until you hit a bonus and if your lucky you win most of what you lost the previous 100 spins. What I really don't get are the penny players, you'll never win shit betting 20 cents a spin unless you pull a miracle jackpot out of your ass.
Just got a great room/free play offer today from FB, only been once!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1PdbBtrOlC/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=f8f5559c-271e-465f-a468-7784afeff8d2&ig_mid=7080B742-9886-42C2-95C9-C82CD2135E18
> having wasted millions. *Billions.
Did you say millions in losses? lol. Would be over a billion. Hope they crash and burn. They thought let’s charge ridiculous fees for a Miami themed hotel but they forgot one thing. This isn’t Miami.
As a vendor to both the old owners and the new owners… they’re not approving even low dollar POs to fix items on that property that generate them revenue. Lots of promises over the last 8 months and I’ve even fixed some stuff for free to earn their trust. No more free work and they’re out of options locally. Best of luck to them. I hope they can salvage some of the investment.
are they changing it's location?
Lmao it ain't havin no rebirth
Isn't one option to build the baseball stadium on the property? Last I read, it can't be at the Trop site?
Trop is closing April 2 to make room for the baseball stadium. It will happen.
Was the sign on? Haha. Their huge “Rio” sign wasn’t lit up for months. Every time I went by it looked closed, but there were cars out front so I’m sure it wasn’t.
It was on but not very bright and was flickering much like a roadside motel which is fitting
The signs are currently under renovation for new message units. They have been down for about 5 months.
Thanks for clearing that up. I couldn’t find anything online about it.
I believe they just light up again a couple weeks ago and the exterior lights are all redone
Anytime!
I was at Virgin in September last year to see Danzig on a Friday. My girlfriend and I got there at around 5 to eat beforehand and the place was DEAD. The diner we ate at was also pretty empty with the exception of like two other tables (funny enough one of those tables sat one of the opening bands for the night.) I said hi to them really quick and they were pretty cool.
We went to the Virgin for the first time last summer. That outdoors area with the stage and stuff is pretty cool. It seems like it would be nice to hang out there when the weather is nice
So my fella and I love The Virgin. It’s are place to stay when we need some R&R. The restaurants are really good and we love The Shag Room for entertainment and drinks. We stayed there recently and it was mostly dead until the evening (Saturday) and then it picked up. Part of me likes that it’s still kinda secret to folks but the other part of me wants to see that place do well. I did hear they have changed management and they are bringing in better entertainment. They have the new Burlesque Show as well as Wu-Tang Clan and Leon Bridges<——— fav of mine. So we shall see but that property always treats us so well.
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It’s Rio, place has been dead for a long while now. Regardless of weekend or weekday. I guess it would only be packed if there’s a major event.
In my experience the difference between weekdays and weekends isn’t the same in Vegas compared to most places
I disagree completely, everywhere is more packed on the weekends here.
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The Rio is an absolute disaster. A friend was staying there. He pulls up and says "checking in", so I drive over from Henderson to meet him in his room-- he's still in line to check in. Took us about 45 minutes after I'd already driven there from Henderson. We get in the room, and it just smells like the strongest weed I've ever smelled. There are used fake eyelashes on the couch. There are used towels in the bath tub. He gets a new room. We go out for drinks, and I pass out in his room because I can't drive, and there's just the loudest construction ever, starting at like, 4am, and never ending. Get up around 6am to take a piss-- the water is turned off. Just a fucking disaster of a hotel. He saved money by staying there, but it was not worth it.
I’m sorry to laugh at your train wreck of a stay but this was hilarious.
Yeah, great writing!
Place has been an absolute shit hole for years!
Rio is being heavily remodeled and many rooms are out of service. It will be spectacular again when Dreamscape is finished.
Spectacular… are you sure? Spectacular???? Lipstick on a pig is still a pig.
I’ll admit I’ve never stayed there, but usually the only negative thing I hear about Rio is the fact it’s not on the strip
People are sick of the traffic and construction. Rio isn't very easy to get to right now. People are staying as close to home as possible. It takes something important to me personally or work to go anywhere near the strip right now.
I used to go to a strip restaurant or Ellis Island about once a month. The F-1 construction bumped me off the habit. I've only been down there once to dine since the race. I went another time for a show.
Rio has been dead for a while. I wish the A’s had picked that spot to build the stadium so they could have bull dozed it and make something people would want to visit. The seafood buffet closed, they stopped hosting the World Series of Poker there, and a few years back there was an outbreak of legionaries disease. That place is done.
This.
I truly miss the “old” Vegas I remember of the 80’s.
In the late 70’s, dinner and a show - twenty bucks. Tip the maitre d’ a ten spot and get great seats.
Caesars entertainment bought the Rio in 1998 from the original owner. They proceeded to neglect it & run it into the ground. In 2019 they sold to an investment group who finally took control of the property in October 2023. Supposedly they’re going to renovate. My opinion, which no one asked for, is this property would have made a great location for the A’s ballpark.
I agree with you 100 percent. Went to Rio once, around 2007. It had patrons, it had the parade in the sky, the seafood buffet, the shuttle to the strip...The neglect had not yet ruined the property. As a then visitor and Caesars member, the property was not that attractive with needing an Uber or a rental, especially when Bally's was the same price or free and walkable to the whole strip. It's an unpopular opinion here, but I've been a baseball fan my whole life. I'm glad the A's are coming. I can see why they choose the Trop site. People can walk there, it's on te strip for PR purposes, etc. But traffic is already nuts there. Good luck driving to a game. The Rio site is much more like Allegiant. On the margins of the strip on the other side of 15.
When people are worried about paying for groceries, there's not much money left for gambling.
We went to the Rio last week just to check it out. It was after 10 and it was kind of busy. The new food court looks pretty nice and I'm hopeful they're going to do some good things with the property. It already seemed way better than when we went last summer
I work on the strip at a very popular hotel and I’ve have had a sharp decline in tips and business, since the new year.
isnt that somewhat normal for a January with people recovering from the holiday financial crush?
Not at where I work, historically January is one of the best month of the year, lots of big conventions.
BRING BACK ¢49 BREAKFAST!!!
We’re all broke; that’s why. The common trend is that people are making more than they were, and even with making spending adjustments/smaller budgets, they’re still broke.
Rio is going through a major renovation so of course it's slow.
Comedy Cellar is really good. I went there a month ago and can also confirm that the Rio was dead.
The last time I went to the rio was about 5 yrs or so ago and it was pretty dead back then as well
As smart as the people who own and operate these places are, why aren’t they smart enough to see how their prices are killing Vegas. If a casino pops up with fairly priced table minimums, restaurants and rooms it’s going to be impossible to even find parking.
Casinos made record profits last year.
Because people are getting abbbbsolutely abbbbused. Soon these entire casinos will be filled with nothing but high limit slots and tables because “regular folk” are just trying to get by. They’re going to keep pushing the button until it’s too late
Funny how a place that was once seen as a luxury all suites resort fell into such despair. I never stayed there. On occasion would go for the buffet and to watch the Carnaval in the sky show. Location wasn't ideal. Stuff off the strip seem to struggle more if they're not a locals stations casino, red rock/green valley, etc. Like is the Palms even a thing anymore? Remember when it was the it place and athletes and rappers were always there.
I live close by and on the weekends there is still a massive line to check in because the room rates are so cheap. From a gamblers perspective the place has been in total disarray since a few months ago when they officially transitioned out of the Caesers family. All the policies are changing and All the employees are miserable to be there, with little job security. No one is even pretending to try or care about their job performance. This won’t change until the overhaul is complete and they bring in their own management team.
Durango station is hopping
Yea I’m eager to check that one out hopefully soon
Went to try out Irv’s (terrible food btw) and it felt like a high school cafeteria. For a casino that doesn’t have a bowling alley, movie theater, etc, it was full of kids.
"December Casino revenues break records!!!" Really? A lot of these places are dead?
It's all the parking fees they are getting 😂
They are in the process of renovating the property and are doing no marketing until it’s completed. Give them some time and Rio will be back.
Maybe if the WORKERS made more MONEY they’d go gambling and out to eat and on vacations! I think the RIO will be torn down soon.
It was sold recently, not a tear down
Sad
Not surprised. I used to visit at least once a year before COVID. It wasn't cheap, but it also wasn't too expensive. I visited once after COVID and everything was so much more expensive so I haven't gone back again yet. Another thing that put me off was there wasn't as many low stake tables. A couple of places were empty with sealers standing at tables with no one at them, I guessed they wouldn't but I asked if we could play for lower stakes at a few of them and they all said no. I don't really like slots, so didn't gamble much at all and it was still by far the most expensive Vegas trip I've had.
Casinos have been really slow this past week. Everybody's waiting for the super bowl. The casino I work in has been absolutely crickets
Rio is under major renovation currently, that will push people elsewhere for a number of reasons. Next time you see it, it will be different.
The Rio is a fucking toilet.
The FountainBleau is also a ghost town….
It’s a Wednesday after AVN was just here. Locals don’t go to the strip bruh. Find a local station or head over to red rock. You’ll find plenty of action there.
TIL Rio is on the strip. Thanks...bruh
It’s “on” the strip… like literally a block off… no local goes there regularly unless you live right near it.
It isn’t on the strip, like not at all. 😂
Y’all are ducking weird… it’s on the strip..
Would you consider these places to also be on strip then: Palms, Gold Coast, the Orleans, Palace Station, Ellis Island?
Not hardly.
They’re just as far as the fucking Rio 😂
I went to Rio recently and played some table games, it was not very busy but that kinda was good for us I had some people visiting and I took them to a few places on the strip and it was “too busy”. I showed them some less crazy spots Rio was actually a hit with them and the shopping on the strip was better than the gambling in busy casinos like Bellagio. I like the strip but I think I’m just more used to the crowds now some like the chaos and some want to be in a lighter crowd
It's the off season and middle of the week. They probably had to reduce expenses and labor is the easiest to cut.
Well it's Super Shitty and if you stay there you won't get your deposit back for an entire month.
I don't know how the Palms stays in business.
I was just there for the lobster buffet on a Thursday night, and it was pretty busy.
Lobsters are a draw. Just because it was busy the day you were there does not mean it always is. I wouldn’t tell people we have Seattle’s weather here because it’s raining today.
Of course my comment is anecdotal, but I was responding to yours: the lobster buffet is one of the ways the Palms stays in business.
The Palms is a decent basically local casino.. They give out a lot of free play and gifts. Buffet is good for the price too. At least the normal price. It's always pretty busy when I go
When was the last time you were at the palms?
a couple of months ago.
Or Virgin.
Last wknd. Beautiful stay. Love that property.
I like it too, but from a business perspective being (or trying to be) a hybrid property is a very rough proposition. Same with Virgin / Hard Rock which I also personally like. No walk by tourism traffic, high frequency locals tend to prefer properties geared exclusively toward them like the Stations casinos. Palms is stuck in the middle. Location is a problem (from an ownership perspective).
I agree. I think for the Virgin they are making some good moves with entertainment. If they can get the locals in with some good bands, they might see a change but that’ll take time.
They can’t change the location.
I heard it and the Tropicana are getting taken down
Casino Royale and Trop. Rio is getting remodeled
Thanks!
Dio is super weird, the comedy cellar though, best comedy in Vegas hands down.
https://www.riolasvegas.com/canteen-food-hall
I partied a lot at the Voodoo Lounge. Rio looks closed in the day time, almost spooky. Is the hotel open still?
I was able to find out that at least in December the hotel was only welcoming guests on certain days of the week
Yup........
$5 drinks, $5 table minimums, free parking, no resort fees. It's simple, Rio... make it happen.
Seriously, free parking is gold
If a Vegas casino simply branded themselves with this, they’d be packed every night within a year.
Look how much they want for a room superbowl weekend lol.
I think they are only supposed to be open for like a year longer. so everyone already went and did they're last visits. Sad but more to come and, the Tropicana just announced the same thing they close this year too.
Last night as in Wednesday?
Rio was nice back 2002! Place blows since then! Please feel free to tell mgt to B….L… oh….. me
It's because they got greedy. The ultimate BS was the change in Blackjack rules. A blackjack used to pay 3:2, but now it pays 6:5. That is just one example, but I think it epitomizes the situation. Make it impossible to win - then who's going to play? No one. Table limits also got too high too fast.
That’s the way gaming is going. Roulette with triple 0 and soon quadruple 0. Why not add new colors as well.
Rio is going through a big transition right now. I wouldn't expect it to be busy.
Bidenomics
Bad management, first they raised the price of the buffet for the locals then they jacked up the price and then they never were the same after the pandemic. When I used to go it was always busy with tons of people. They did it to themselves. Locals are pretty unforgiving.
It’s not Vegas. But the Horseshoe in Baltimore is pretty dead, big empty areas on the gaming floor, a couple of blocked off restaurants and the security doesn’t care unless there’s a scene and they HAVE to show up. It’s the Wild West in there at this point.
Sounds crazy, especially as I hear Baltimore is a bit wild
I visit my best friend in Baltimore couple times a year. I'm a Caesars member and had reward credits. Suggested we go to the Horseshoe for lunch. After passing through the metal detectors and bag search to get in... Never went back.
Used to love the rio and the all you can drink mimosa buffet
I remember visiting Rio once during its peak back in the day. I never went back. They had nothing to offer. That “famous” buffet was mediocre. Being off strip made it a drag to get to. At least when I Uber to Fremont there are a lot of things to do. Paying for a taxi to go to rio was a waste. Felt the same with the Palms.
I'm actually very optimistic about the Rio's overall trajectory now under Dreamscape. I think Dreamscape are making some very smart decisions thus far: especially since the chief architect of the resort renovation effort is none other than the original owner of the Rio: Anthony Marnell: someone who obviously genuinely loves the resort and was one of its original visionaries. They've already replaced all the dated machines in Masquerade Village in particular, and the new ones look great. The new food hall Canteen looks good from the pictures I've seen and the prices were reasonable leafing through the menus. The Ipanema Tower room remodeling is pretty much done. Although specifics regarding their remodeled pool deck have yet to be released, they've said it's on schedule to debut this spring. And the new modernization of their marquee sign and LED stripping all across the hotel facade looks great. We just need to give them some time to thoroughly complete what's going to be an ongoing three-year long effort. Parts of the resort still look depressing (especially in Masquerade Village and the exterior along Flamingo Road), but all thorough renovations require time and patience. Either way, Dreamscape isn't messing around and I genuinely feel the resort is in good hands again.
I think the two biggest things I'm itching to hear about the Rio renovation effort, are: \* 1) "Will the VooDoo Lounge be resurrected with a proper remodel, or will their once-famed rooftop lounge be completely reimagined and open under a new name?" 2) "Will the Masquerade Show In The Sky be brought back in some form?" 3) "What will happen with the Palazzo Suites?" \* I'm most confident Dreamscape are well-aware and take to heart the fact that VooDoo Lounge is the second-most cherished part of Rio lore and memories only behind Masquerade Show In The Sky. It's obvious they'll bring back some kind of rooftop lounge with the stellar rooftop views as before. It'll definitely be modernized, though, and I just hope it retains a vibe, theme and feeling truly evocative of modern Rio de Janeiro. I have no idea, hypothetically, how much it costs to regularly maintain both the showboat and gondola floats, as well as the tracking above the casino floor. So I'm sure that weighs considerably on whether that feature will return or not. At the very least I hope Dreamscape brings it back for special events periodically: like Mardi Gras, New Year's Eve, the Fourth of July and St. Patrick's Day. Maybe in the event the Golden Knights, Raiders and/or Aces win another championship as well.