Pool and a Pond; the pond would be good for you...

So I got this flight & resort offer from our good friends at Caesars Entertainment: July 11th thru 15th (which interestingly encompasses my birthday), two complimentary seats (which I think is much nicer than one seat and a set of hand grips on the wing), free hotel stay for four nights and round-trip ground transportation to and from der flughafen.

Only sticking point being that this is for the Harrah's Laughlin Beach Resort & Casino and not beautiful Las Vegas. The flight is from Orlando*, with nonstop service to visible-from-the-resort Bullhead City International Airport.

Am I to understand that Caesars sees me as Carl the Groundskeeper; rather than be invited to Vegas (the pool), the Colorado River (the pond) would be "better for me"?

Any of y'all have high-confidence intelligence information about this venue?



* Well, not really Orlando, so much as Sanford, Florida...'bout thirty miles distant from Orlando (two hours from the ranch here in TPA).

 

I believe @Gaggles went on a similar offer to Harrahs Laughlin, with a side trip to Vegas of course. He can probably fill you in.

 

Deany, the world needs ditch diggers too!

 

Please forgive me if I missed anything from your references, but as a frequent visitor to Laughlin who has stayed at Harrah's several times I think I can help you out a bit here.

To my knowledge, Caesars doesn't do charters to Las Vegas. Thus, the fact that you're "only" getting a charter to Laughlin doesn't mean anything negative in my opinion.

Laughlin is a bit of a unique town in that there's fairly little to do but gamble. What attracts me to it is the following...

1. Climate... in the summer, the dry heat which often goes over 120 Fahrenheit is one of the most enjoyable sensations to me. I like it in Vegas, but I LOVE it in Laughlin.

2. Scenery... most of the resorts and their amenities are configured to take advantage of the view of the Colorado River and the mountain range behind it on the Arizona side. That is a view I personally cannot get enough of. The fact that I can enjoy it even while gambling just adds to the appeal.

3. Lack of Pretentiousness... you'll notice a generally very "humble" vibe throughout the city. To my knowledge there are no high-limit table rooms (though a few slot corrals for the big bettors), no baccarat tables, no nightclubs with bottle service and other such things, and perhaps only one or two restaurants with an actual dress code. There's nothing extravagant or glitzy about Laughlin... and its regulars such as myself like it that way.

4. Water Taxi... you'll rarely ever be able to get an Uber or Lyft in Laughlin. You can indeed take a regular taxi... though for $5.00 each way you can take a water taxi from any of the resorts (except Tropicana as it is not on the river) to wherever you want to go. This is honestly so much fun and I have literally taken it for no reason just to enjoy the ride. Just a matter of personal preference... but the privilege of being able to do this is something I like about Laughlin.

5. Riverside... this is the "original" casino resort in Laughlin, and it really does have it all. Fair odds on tables at low limits, lots of old-school slot machines, very good dining with even better views (Prime Rib Room is somewhere I go every trip), and even a movie theatre. Although every resort is unique, as is the case in just about any destination, Riverside has to be one of the most charming resorts in Nevada... and although it's tough to get comp offers for rooms there, I tend to spend more time there than wherever I'm actually staying.

One thing about Harrah's is that it's very isolated. You can't really walk anywhere from there... so you're basically stuck on property. Although I love the aesthetic and all the staff are remarkably friendly, they've eliminated a lot of their table games and food options, and the ONLY good rooms are the suites (in any tower) or the South Tower rooms. I might stay in a Central Tower room in a pinch, and you could not pay me enough to stay in the North Tower.

I'll cap off this inadvertently long reply by saying that I know it's VERY common for passengers on the Laughlin charter to simply get a rental car and go up to Vegas... whether that's for a day or two or for the entire duration of their stay. Although I don't drive and I usually take the Greyhound to and from, I have been driven between the two cities multiple times and it is an absolutely glorious drive during the daytime if you're into desert scenery.

Hope this helps! If you have any specific questions about Harrah's Laughlin or Laughlin in general, I'd be happy to answer

 

NFC said covered things pretty well. I have been on a few of those Laughlin junkets. Laughlin is a much slower pace and it isn't for everyone. I happen to like it as a change of pace. I have become a fan of The Riverside to such a degree that I am staying there over the 4th of July rather than Harrahs cuz the standard rooms at Harrahs kinda aren't awesome and they are giving me a mini suite with a balcony straight up at Riverside. And the pay tables and gaming at Riverside is just far superior.

Literally every time I have had the 4 day charter, we have booked a car for two days and zipped into Vegas. While I am a big fan, four days in Laughlin might bore a guy. You can double comp a room in Vegas and Laughlin as they treat those as separate entities. Make sure you reserve your car in advance as the chances of one being otherwise available, may be slim. If you rent a car do NOT speed through Searchlight. You have been warned.

 

Laughlin Entertainer – Your complete guide to the Laughlin casino scene
New issue comes out on Wednesdays.

 

Thank you so much; greatly appreciate the background info!

 

We're not fans of Harrah's Gulf Coast. The casino is tiny, food options on property are limited (although there are plenty of great restaurants in the area) , the rooms need updating and are small. However, we love Biloxi and have been on many junkets to the Beau which is much more like a Vegas casino. We also love Laughlin and will be there on a junket in two days. On occasion we have driven from there to LV and flew home from LV on our own dime. Two trips in one for a one way fare.

 

Indeed, the Mrs. & I thought this smelled a lot like Biloxi 2.0. Years ago, don't know if they still do this or not, the same junkets ran from Tampa to Biloxi with a few nights at the Beau Rivage. I remember thinking it took longer to get to the airport than the flight itself.

 

I will just add to @NotFromConcentrate good info, that Harrah's is at the far end of the strip of casinos along the river, farther away from the next one than most of the others, and the riverside walkways don't extend that far, but it is one end of the water taxi line, so it's not like you're stuck there if you don't have a car. I believe they still have full day unlimited passes for the water taxi as well, but not sure what current prices are. You can also walk to the next casino, and it's not that far, but it's an inconvenient walk because there are some elevation changes between it and the next casino, and you have to make the walk out on the road side to get there. In my opinion, the only concern there is be aware of when the last water taxis head back that way for the evening so you dont get stuck on the far end after service stops. Also, Floridaman should not miss the car museum at Riverside...some very cool stuff there!

 

If you are into video poker, Riverside and Aquarius have the best pay tables. Check vpFREE2 for details.

 

We did one of these about 7 or 8 years ago and had a blast. Rented a car for 2 days and did Route 66 and the Grand Canyon.

 

I’ve done the Caesars Laughlin junket 3 times and liked it. In addition to what’s already been posted Harrah’s runs a free shuttle to the Tropicana which is close to the main group of casinos. The river is very clear and the beach is nice. Pin-Up pizza is good.