Myth vs. Reality at the Rio
Written: Nov 27 '00 (Updated Mar 06 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The Room Service was cheaper than the buffet!
Cons: The free shuttle pick-up and drop off locations.
The Bottom Line: Go for the beads and gambling.
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| Secret_Shopper's Full Review: Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino |
After watching the Discovery Channel’s ‘On The Inside’ profile of the Rio and friends telling us how much they enjoyed their stay there, we decided to stay there for our annual anniversary vacation. Needless to say, we wish we had stayed at another hotel.
I feel the best way to write this review is in the Myth/Reality format. That way you can pair off what we heard versus what really occurs there at the Rio.
Myth: “All the rooms are suites and boy are they sweet!”
Reality: Yes, they are very large rooms and even have a make-up area separate from the bathroom. Now for the downfalls:
- Coffee pots and cups, but no free coffee. Even the Motel 6 gives you coffee for free.
- No bathroom fan. If you happen to stink up the bathroom, you stink up your whole room because there are no windows to open except for a small sliding vent on the frame of the window. (It took us three days to notice it)
- No hot water on two of the five days we stayed. The maintenance guy even said that the wing we stayed in had problems with hot water availability.
- Need ice? Prepare to walk to the center of the building on each floor to get it. The wings are spread out from a center point outward. If you are on the edges to view The Strip, expect at least a 2-3 minute walk to the ice machine because the fridge in your room does not have a mini-freezer.
- The water out of the tap stinks, but for $4.50 you can open the bottles of water that are in your room.
- No enough drawer space. There are only five 3 ft. long drawers. There are also two nightstand drawers but that is it! No dressers and the closet it about half the size of a normal closet.
- You need a lot of muscle to open the lock to your door. If there was a fire and you had to open that bolt on the door, you need the strength of Hercules!
- Most of the pre-programmed buttons on the phone do not work or are not the right number so you might as well call the operator.
- If you are trying to sleep after 10:30 p.m., forget it. The Club Rio starts up at this time and if your room has a view of the pools, you will be hearing the club's music till around 3 am. Just another reason they want you awake and downstairs.
On the plus side: The rooms do come with and iron, ironing board and hairdryer.
Myth: “The Carnival World Buffet is the best and the value is great!”
Reality: For $11 per person for lunch (more for dinner), you get to choose from a lot of items you probably won’t eat. The selection is great mind you, but this buffet is just too big and it’s the size of a small warehouse! By the time you get all your food you want and make it back to you table your food is cold. The service people are great, however if you are sitting in the boonies of the area (by the salads) you may find it hard to get a service person.
On the plus side: Believe it or not, we ordered Room Service and our meals were cheaper than the entire buffet!
WARNING: If you are not staying at the Rio, expect to be waiting in line for a table at least 2 hours if the line is all the way back at the cashier’s stand. Guests staying at the hotel go to the front via a special line for them.
Myth: “The best seafood buffet in town.”
Reality: Well I can’t say that it is because even as hotel guests, there was no special line for hotel guests (only VIP guests). This means we would have had to wait in a two hour long line. If you do plan on hitting this buffet, a family of four (two adults and two children) will be forking over at least $125. No kidding!
Myth: “Everyone can see the Show in the Sky.”
Reality: If it is not a weekend night, this would be a true statement. If you are on the ground level and you want to see the show, you better be feeding coins into the slots cause those are the only places you can “be” during the show at ground level. You cannot stand in the aisles and don’t even think about sitting at a slot and not put any money into it. The floor people will herd you off them so people who want to play can play. If you want to see the show from the second level, you need to find your spot at least 45 minutes prior to showtime and STAY PUT, seriously.
On the plus side: We each paid the $9.95 to be in the show after seeing the show and it was fun and I do recommend it. Do it only after seeing the show though, you will actually appreciate it better. We even bought the gift photos for $21.95 because they came out so well and were professionally matted.
Myth: “The Voodoo Lounge is a great place to relax and drink.”
Reality: If it is Fri or Sat, you first pay $10 each to ride the elevator up to the 51st floor. Next, if you are very lucky you can get a table to sit at. We went up just after being in the Show in the Sky (about 9:30 p.m.) and the place was PACKED. We got very lucky after 15 minutes and got a small table, by the door leading out to the patio. We see why this table was available. The cold breeze coming in from outside every ten seconds from the people going in and out of the door kept people from sitting at this table. We braved it because it was the only place we could sit at. Drink prices are at least $6 and I must say that they are well worth it because they use large glasses. Also be aware that there is a strict dress code. You must wear dress pants or dresses and for guys you have to wear a shirt with a collar. Sportjackets or sweaters are also OK.
On the plus side: It was the best view of The Strip hands down.
Myth: Convenient Free Shuttle to and from Harrah’s every hour and every half hour
Reality: Sure it is free but it is very inconvenient. The shuttle picks you up to take you to Harrah’s on the other side of the hotel (you have to walk through one half the casino to get to it) at FIVE minutes before the hour (we rode it a lot) and picks you up at Harrah’s to take you back to the Rio TEN minutes after the hour (not 30) so be aware of this. Even worse is when they bring you back to the Rio. They drop you off on the far side of the casino so that in order to go to your room, buffets, front desk, or for that matter anywhere, you must go through the entire casino and pass all the shops! This makes for a very long and probably an expensive walk if you are lured into playing the slots.
Myth: Room Service food is expensive at every hotel.”
Reality: Like I said before, the room service menu is very affordable and a better deal than the buffet! For $10.50 I got a large club sandwich and a bowl of potato salad. My spouse got a HUGE chef salad for $9.50 and it took two days and both of us to finish it. Get your drinks from the soda machine since they are half the price of the menu ones.
Myth: You’ll enjoy your stay at the Rio.
Reality: I’m sorry, but we just did not. We had so many problems with the room, the staff, the trams, and the services provided that I cannot sit here and tell you that I recommend staying at the Rio. Come to the Rio to see the shows, but I would not come for the food, the rooms, and especially the gaming.
Finally…
I would probably say our stay was filled with isolated incidents that’s why I covered only the things about the hotel and casino itself here. I am rating this hotel a 1 based on the fact that most of the myths I heard about this place were just that.
Also be aware of the timeshare people trying to lure you in as you walk through the lobby doors. We spent 3 hours on a supposedly 90 minute presentation. We got $50 cash for it, but unless you are desperate for the money, I would not recommend wasting your time.
S.S.
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For those traveling to Las Vegas, be sure to read my Epinion titled "Stripper's Guide". It will give you all the basic practical information for your trip down the strip!
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
Secret_Shopper
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Location: Anytown, U.S.A
Reviews written: 51
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