TheCooler's Sunday jaunt to the Horseshoe in Hammond, IN.

Ameristar is a few miles down the road and apparently the hotel is decent, four star I believe. I've only been to the casino once. It's not bad, but the Shoe is much better.

 

Yeah, that casino isn't too hot...it's still a damn boat unlike the floating barge setup like most chicagoland casinos are. It's amazing that Hammond doesn't have an attached hotel... another terrible CET decision I guess. Was still gambling beyond last call at Blue Chip last night...quite a few Bell's Two Hearted...

Can't speak for the hotel, and the casino is meh (except for the all non-smoking part), but CET players could also get a hook up for Harrah's Joliet.

 

Harrah's joliet hotel is not that nice. I think ameristar other than the boat thing is a good casino. The buffet is good as is the sports bar. My parents liked the steak house. I have not stayed at hotel as I am like 10 mins from there, but I know they have no pool.

Majestic star sucks but only reason I go is they have 99% vp. Also the steakhouse there is fantastic and is on Restaurant.com making it an awesome deal. I go to steakhouse every blackout Wednesday with buddies and we either gamble there or go to ameristar. Buffet is dog food.

No idea why the shoe has no hotel. Maybe they thought and were right they would draw people in from chicago no matter what?

 

I've never actually been to Ameristar, so I can't really say.

And I don't know why the Horseshoe doesn't have a hotel. The one they opened recently in Cincinnati doesn't have one either. I guess they wanted to focus on the casino operation rather than the hotel.

I've been to Blue Chip a few times. The casino is so-so, but the Spa Tower Hotel is nice. They always comp me there, but I've been there at busy times and had to wait to play at a table.

 

Blue chip used to be crazy busy on weekends.... cause they were only casino near by but then 4 winds happened.

I never stay at 4 winds but that spa tower at bc (I am friends with an exec there so I usually get upgraded there) is the best casino hotel around.

 

I think Harrah's had a bad run with the hotel at East Chicago. When they had to divest a property as part of the Park Place merger, they dumped East Chicago (which I liked better) and kept the Hammond license.
Given the proximity to Joliet and area around Hammond, not to mention some of the issues in building a hotel on that property they passed. Plus I don't believe CET owns the casino license there. Cincy and Cleveland are shared licenses
meaning Rock gaming holds the license, and CET operates the casino and footed the capital. Given their financial position over the past few years, I don't think they see operating hotels in the local markets as a profitable venture.

They struggle to fill rooms in the Midwest properties on non weekends.

 

Interesting. This makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing.

 

Ameristar's hotel is awesome. It was built when it was a Harrah's but was remodeled by Ameristar. The casino used to be my fave but something changed with the new ownership and I haven't been back in awhile. I think they have the best buffet in the region and I like the sportsbar. I will probably go back but not anytime soon. I also wish that Harrah's had kept it and ditched Hammond. I believe the reason they kept Hammond is because it is the closest casino to Chicago and the location off the Skyway. Considering the business they do at Hammond, there is no good reason they haven't built a hotel there. I think they could do one on the marina site but even something further afoot with shuttle service would have been smart. There are so many players who like Hammond but don't play there because there is no hotel and they know it. Joliet has been the default choice for many of those people but they haven't kept the hotel up (there was a half-ass remodel) and the service has declined property wide. Weekdays are soft for the hotel but they don't exactly make you want to come there.

For the other players that direction, Majestic Star has nothing special to recommend for it but It's where I go more often than not. I feel luckier there but there is virtually no drink service, the employees have crappy attitudes and the food at every outlet is pretty mediocre. There is a hotel. I have no idea if it's nice. I am scarred to stay there as I don't know if anyone has done anything to keep it up. If the owners renovate it, I will give it a try.

Blue Chip has a great hotel but the casino is tight as hell. The buffet is okay but they have an awesome deli and steakhouse. The real draw is the proximity to the beach, the outlet mall and the spa, which is outrageously affordable. When I go, it's for a staycation that's more than about the gambling.

I haven't been to Four Winds yet but I hear it's great. We will probably make it there at some point soon.

 

You said it. If there was a hotel there I would spend a lot more time there. I think something comparable to the spa tower at Blue Chip would do quite nicely.

You're right about the deli. Grilled cheese and fries is where it's at.

 

thanks for report cooler. i liked reading it

 

Congrats on the win....

I was supposed to be going to a conference @ McCormick Place this weekend but it fell through (Maybe it's a sign cause I had my eyes on this place)

 

Too bad, that's a real quick drive on the skyway.