Just got back from three nights at Sams Town followed by 2 at the Rio. Lucked out and got a room (they say they are "suites", I say they are "rooms") in the Ipanema Tower with a dynamite view of the Strip. I posted a photo I shot out the window in another thread. No obvious cutbacks in the room, however ... First sign of cutbacks was the Buffet. They used to have a nice separate entry for Diamond and Platinum (like us) toward the rear of the buffet. Well, that's closed now, but not torn down (yet). They now have a separately marked "Diamond and Platinum" line which kind of snakes behind the hoi polloi line. NBD, but ... The big change is that they obviously reduced the size of the serving area. They removed (not only removed, but it looks like the area is walled off) two steam table lines toward the east side of the serving area, kind of behind the hoity toity seating area. I couldn't see what ended up going in there, but the area is GONE! The food is still very good for the most part but the selections are obviously reduced. Now the price! Sitcker Shock to the Max! The cost for 4 of us came to $120-something! No, I am not kidding. This wasn't any kind of special "holiday brunch" or special theme night, just a plain old evening buffet! I wasn't buying, but still ... I was afraid they cut back on drink service as well. The first day they just had servers taking the drink orders and then returning with the drink, the way most places do it. I kinda figured they did away with the guy with the tablet who punched in your order, but no, they redeemed themselves Friday evening. The guy was out there with his tablet, making the rounds frequently, and the drinks did not take more than 5 minutes to arrive! Thank {diety} they did not cut that out! Now if there were only a few more machines worth playing! They obviously took out MANY of the machines I like! There were gobs of so-called "penny" machines where the minimum spin is the better part of a dollar! Gone were the IGT and Wms game I love, well, almost all of them. I found a John Wayne machine way back, which seems to be the last of the "Spinning Streak" machines there. After a few $5s is was obvious that it was not paying so I got up and just as I yanked the card out the guy over a ways turns to me and says "It didn't pay for me either!" I finally found an Enchanted Unicorn (I usually do well on these) up by the registration desk, but it didn't pay either! I ended up playing mostly VP there and walking across to the Gold Coast for more of the machines I like. Those are the only cutbacks I noticed. Oh well ...
Sad! The Rio use to be a fun property and the buffet was a must on several trips, but now there is no longer the show in the sky and you cannot sit outside at the Voodoo lounge, even when they have nothing going on. So just another property that CET has run down!
I just posted something, while different, is similar in theme in another topic but more pertaining to rooms with CET. Called Harrah's AC to get a room on a Friday (also Platinum with around 120 avg bet per hand of BJ) and am getting this 59 dollar 'offer' per night shit. I'm beginning to think that CET is already started, or will continue to ramp up the penny pinching in a litany of markets and areas. From rooms, to more ancillary things like buffet space and the like. So disappointing.
If you have to stay at the Rio (comped rooms plus the resort fee), I think you should consider spending your gambling dollars at Gold Coast or even the Palms...both easily walkable.
I heard the Rio was closing and not taking reservations past March of 2015. I don't know if this is true. I heard it from a cab driver who picked us up from a trip to the Rio.
This is probably the recycled rumor that was going around a few months ago. I kinda scoffed this off when the Casino Death Watch did not pick up on it. Besides, why would they spend good money to wall off a section of the buffet if they were closing in a few months?
I love the Rio, stayed there last year. The rooms are over sized compared to Strip standard rooms. I loved the pool, i had a Strip panoramic view, the Rio shuttle was quick and painless. The Rio would be my home in Vegas if it was located on the Strip where i spend most of my time however. I do take the Rio shuttle to eat at Gold Coast every time, usually at least twice a week. For me personally, i think Rio is far too expensive to dine. When i stayed at Rio, even then, i dined at Gold Coast and off Strip, or FSM. From what i heard, Rio is going nowhere. I expect once the LinQ is finished and the other CET properties like Bally's Bazaar and Harrah's, then CET will focus on Rio. Maybe it's just cosmetic and minor, but IMO Rio is a great outlet for people who want to be close to the Strip, but far enough away to enjoy the non hustle and bustle of a resort out in the "country". The Rio Vegas reminds me of Pechanga..........a place to get away from LA for a day or two, but still close enough to venture out to Temecula's wine country, old town, inland San Diego County etc. CET wants to keep Rio because that's the only property in Vegas that is not on the Strip...........but still being Caesar's and the many TR card members that inhabit both the Rio and Mid Strip, is far too beneficial.
I wouldn't count on them spending money on the Rio. That will keep their attention on strip. Flamingo is showing its age and Paris needs a spruce up if they want to keep it as one of the top choices in the lineup. Rio doesn't have the same value to CET as it did before the Park Place merger. It would be better for all involved if it had an owner who could make it it's flagship Vegas property.
I am booked in for August 2015 at the Rio for the Star Trek convention, and they are already heavily promoting the August 2016 50th Anniversary Star Trek convention to be held there. I like the big rooms at the Rio with the very handy 'hooker porthole' in the shower wall so that you can catch the girls when they make a move for your wallet.
I believe that the Rio's dinner buffet price has been about $30 for at least a couple years. When I have stayed there I've gone across the street to the Gold Coast where the dinner buffet is not bad at all and costs about $12 with the players card.