A friend of mine was comped 3 nights for Riviera so I will be crashing here in June. I've walked by but never went in. Any cool bars, games, pool, etc?
I went in there about 10 months ago because they had an Extreme Midget Wrestling Federation bout that my friend wanted to see in their convention center. On the back of the ticket, there was a free play offer but the player's club did not accept it, claiming the offer was expired (even though I bought the ticket that day). So that left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth regarding the Riviera. I ate at the Wings place in the food court. The food was fine, about on par with any other average Wing-based restaurant. There is a bar there called Queen Victoria's Pub, but we never made it in there. There is an ABC store inside, just off the casino floor. So that's nice for when you want convenience items, and their liquor and beer prices aren't unreasonable. We walked past the hotel check-in counter (it was about 11pm) and the line was quite long. I was surprised by that. There isn't a ton of stuff near the place (as I'm sure you know, having said you've walked by it before). But the Deuce does stop right in front of the place if you want to head downtown, or walk across the street to Slots o' Fun and catch the Deuce to head further south on the strip. Eating and drinking at Riviera will certainly be more affordable than many other strip hotels, but if you're looking for high-class quality and service you won't find it here. There was an article in the Las Vegas Sun recently that talked about how the Riviera is bringing back some "classic" rules back to their table games. For example, they have low-limit, single-deck blackjack (at least one table, not sure if it's more than that) where blackjack pays 3:2 (many places on the strip only pay 6:5 now). In terms of nightlife, I am not aware of any clubs at the Riviera. However, there are a few shows housed there. They have a couple of comedy shows, and Crazy Girls plays there. Also, Pat Dinizio (not sure if I spelled that right) has a one-man show there. Overall, since the room will be free, it's probably worth staying there. I know I certainly would if it were free.
thanks for the hefty reply. the abc store will be key. i'm also planning on a 3-day bus pass so the stop outside will be great. probably won't be eating much here, though.
I stayed at the Riviera last October for a trade show at the convention center, there are 5 hotel towers and I'm not sure which one I stayed in. My room was very nondescript, like a Holiday Inn. Furnishings seemed older, but the room was clean and the ac worked fine. I didn't have a meal here, but there is a food court and a few other restaurants. The buffet seemed expensive, but I think they have a dinner and show package deal. When leaving I saw a promotional poster for $1 oysters at happy hour, but I was too late to partake. The Riviera featured single zero roulette and the strip's only Bingo room, however, some will argue this is not the strip. Since you will be getting a bus pass, your first ride could be on the Route 108 from the airport to a stop near the LVH (formerly Las Vegas Hilton). This puts you at the rear entrance to the Riviera if you have rolling luggage and don't mind a short walk. The Riviera has a small pool, but I didn't use it. You will get a fun book with a $10 match play, which I won, and a $25 match play, which I lost. There is a resort fee of $11 per day. If your rate does not include wifi, there's a McDonalds across the street with good coffee, good piped in music, and free wifi. The Peppermill is just a half block away. Overall, I would stay here again, but my main criteria was a hotel within close proximity to the convention center, accessible to public transportation, cheap, but not a s**t-hole, and this fit the bill. I'm self employed and pay my own expenses so I am always looking for value but I don't want to stay in a dump. I booked a package through Southwest Air and the next cheapest choice was Circus Circus.
I've had a few drinks at the Riv. I would check out Queen Victoria's British Pub. It's a pretty cool place to chill. It can get crazy when a English football game is on. Grab a pint and kick back! Cheers!
I went to The Riv a few times in the 6 or 7 trips to vegas ive gone on . first 3 times we loved it ... we even got comped the buffet once when we signed up to the players club... but recently is sucked... i think they are starting to cater more and more to club members. No promos for new players no bonuses nothing... and that new Bingo they put in ? why ???? it also stinks of smoke .... the last few times... its sucked
Manaco Tower is the one which has been remodeled. The rooms are fine, the beds are extra nice. The bathrooms are Holiday Inn Standard. We stayed in March of this year and enjoyed the small fridge and safe in the room. The pool is small, but nice. The Casino is ok, with great cocktail service. They do have a bar with a live band on one end of the casino, so it adds to the ambiance. By all means the bus is convenient. Either catch it right in front of the Riv to go downtown, or cross the street for a ride to the middle or south end of the strip. There are worse places to stay, and hey, the price is right.