South Point/Rio 5/7-5/15

Ratings between 1-5 :evillaugh

Air: evillaugh
Booked through Bookit.com(best value)
USAIR direct from PHL to LAS (flight was packed. Uneventful as hoped for.)
Continental connecting through Cleveland on return flight (Also uneventful for us - there were people on our flight who could not fly out the day before and they had lived @ McCarran for the past 27hrs.)

Car: evillaughevillaugh
Rental car was booked through Priceline.com
$14/day for full-size car
Nissan Altima Hybrid (drove everywhere and only used over ¼ tank)

Hotel#1: evillaugh:evillaugh
South Point



Wanted to try staying at this property. We got a good weekend deal w/ some freebees, so we decided this would be the trip. South Point is a really nice property. One of my favorite casinos. The pool area is nice. The late night bowling ($1/game) is a great idea when you’re up at 4am.
If there’s a Hotel where I’d take kids in Vegas that is not decked out in a gaudy kid’s theme, it’s gotta be South Point. That’s the only problem I had with the place. There were a lot of kids.(not overwhelming, but still a lot)
Overall, we were very happy with our short stay at South Point.

Hotel#2: evillaughevillaugh
Rio

Discussed staying here in the past, but this would be our first stay. Comped room for six nights 34th floor strip view. Very nice space allocation in the room. Loved the way the closet is set up as well as the large changing/vanity/refrigerator/storage area.
Rio pool did not disappoint. Very nice. Great weather for lounging by the pool also.(high 70’s -80’s)
Always thought the layout of this place was a little screwy. After staying there, it makes a lot more sense.
We received great service at the Rio and wish to appreciate our room attendant on the 34th floor. Thanks, Pat, for taking care of us during our stay.

Eats:
Coronado Café(South Point) - When it’s 4am, there’s nothing better than the graveyard specials(2.99-3.95) at this place. evillaugh:evillaugh
Baja Miguel’s(South Point) - Great place. 8.95 lunch special is a great value (even better w/ the 2-1 ACG coupon) I think our server’s tip was more than the bill.(great service, Juan)(Really good margaritas also)evillaughevillaugh
Champagne Brunch@Garden Buffet(South Point) - Ok, we’re not buffet people. But, free is the right price and this place was actually above average as Vegas buffets go.(reminded me of the Flavors buffet @ Harrahs)evillaugh:evillaugh
Maggiano’s Little Italy(Fashion Show Mall) - We love this place for the food quality and the service. The one’s in Philly are good, too. Too windy to sit outside on this trip. Mid-range prices for higher quality Italian.evillaughevillaugh:evillaugh
Todai Sushi(Miracle Mile Shops) - Second visit was as good as the first. I love sushi, but am nowhere close to being a sushi snob. This place is great if you like to try a large variety of sushi. Very fresh. There is also a selection of other items for the non-sushi fan.evillaughevillaugh
In-N-Out Burger(Tropicana Ave) - The burgers are great. It’s a must visit each trip given we don’t have them in PA. evillaugh:evillaugh
Carnival World Buffet(Rio) - Like I said, we’re really not buffet people. But, free is free. What an amazing Mecca of gluttony this place is. Food was good quality. If you can’t find something you like to eat here, you are passed out.(Call a doctor) We tried really hard not to eat too much here. Guess how that worked.evillaughevillaugh
McFadden’s(Rio) - Fish&Chips and wings. Everything prepared well. Service is lacking, but it is an Irish pub so don’t expect too much. ($25 Restaurant.com GC)evillaugh:evillaugh
Famous Dave’s BBQ(Flamingo Rd) - If you are fortunate enough to live near one of these places, you are lucky. If you’re not, visit one in Vegas. Great ribs and brisket.evillaughevillaugh:evillaugh
Mr.Lucky’s(Hard Rock) - You will not find a better milk shake in Vegas. Pizza was just so-so.evillaugh:evillaugh

Shows:
Sin City Sinners(GVR,VooDoo,MB) - This is a great rock show. We saw them @ three different venues and all three shows were great. If you are a fan of bands like BonJovi,Aerosmith,Poison,Ratt,Kiss,etc. you have gotta see one of their shows. evillaughevillaughevillaugh *!*!*!FUNFUNFUN!*!*!*

Yellow Brick Road(GVR) - The front man and the guy who plays the sax(and everything else) are simply awesome. evillaughevillaugh
Zumanity(NYNY) - Great show like most Cirque shows. I could’ve done without certain parts that were more disturbing than sexy. Still a good show. We both liked Love better.evillaugh:evillaugh
Vinny Favorito(Flamingo) - Great show. You won’t hide from this guy. He is every bit as funny as you’ve heard. We’ll definitely see him again.evillaughevillaugh

Gambling:evillaugh
What seemed like a brutal gambling trip(for a couple of low rollers) actually didn’t end up too awful. Another trip with no big wins to speak of. Part of the reason for this is my system for doubling up and pocketing the winnings. I did this enough to almost cover what my better half lost. Net loss was only around $200. Not bad for a full week in Vegas. We were able to return home with almost our entire gambling budget for next trip. I’ll happily consider that a win.
We had a lot of fun at South Point, Tropicana, and Rio. Downtown was disappointing this trip. We didn’t stay long due to the large sucking sound the casinos made as they drained our pocketbooks.
The highlight was watching the Philadelphia Flyers make history by beating the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Lots of Philly fans in the Rio sports book. Very fun to celebrate with fellow snowball throwers and made some $$ on the win.

**All in all, another fun trip. Got a chance to check out some new/old places. Didn’t do everything on the list, but that’s what the next trip is for. Got a chance to check out one of the newly refurbished Tropicana rooms(pretty nice).



Can’t wait until they get the place done next year.
Watched the lights go on on the strip, watched the lights go off on the strip.

Enjoyed the spectacular Vegas sunset.

Was upset that they turn off the Luxor light at 2am.

Got a chance to meet some crazy locals and have breakfast with a Bi-coastal Rock-n-Rolla. Slept very little. Drank way too much. Can’t wait for the next trip!!! evillaughevillaugh:evillaugh

More pics...

 

AWESOME PICS!!!! we'll be staying at southpoint for the first time this summer, stoked about it!

 

Very enjoyable pictures, thank you.

 

Been to Vegas so many times....never saw South Point.....looks beautiful. so do the pis.

Thanks!

 

great report, thanks for posting, good photos too.

 

Good report and I enjoyed the pics!

Thank you,

Tony

 

Good report. Thanks for posting. Enjoyed the pics.

later, GVJ

 

We stayed at South Point this last visit.............Agree, it is very nice, seems to have everything on site ya do need transport though unless you want to be stranded...

 

"there were people on our flight who could not fly out the day before and they had lived @ McCarran for the past 27hrs"

Gotta say, if I'm stranded in McCarran, I'm not staying there, I'm going to the strip. Or at least Terribles. Sounds like a dream come true to me, sorry sir, next flight is at 5PM tomorrow. YIPPEE!

Thanks for the Southpoint room picture, the room looks nice, and cheap eats at a casino are a blessing nowadays.

Edit: See that the room picture was of the Trop, my bad.

Do you have any pics of the southpoint room?

 

I've heard that South Point stubbornly clings to its only 2X odds on craps ... this is what would turn me off. Even if I play at that level, I think they should be generous and atleast offer more.

 

No kidding.........When I was standing in line waiting (praying!) for a bump we didn't get, I was already on the phone making sure we had a bed to sleep in that night!!! NO way would I be sleeping at the airport. I would be happy with an Ellis Island Super 8 room if I had to or back to Sahara, but I would NOT be sleeping on the airport floor or hard plastic chairs.

 

Here ya go...

 

Looks like an okay room.

SouthPoint often holds these three day half-price sales on their room so being alert might be in order.

Casino has, I'm told, none of those 6:5 blackjack games, only 3:2 with decent rules.

 

Thanks for the pictures, one of those room sales starts 6/1 @ noon pacific time. Starting price is $35/night, at those prices, don't need to worry about it being comped.

 

I had the same thought. Might be staying there again soon. And I can't think of a worse time than spending a full day at the airport when Vegas is right outside the window.:evillaugh

 

I booked that sale. Shoot a crappy super 8 in little town anywhere is more expensive then the rate I got.