The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, better known in town as The Rio, was opened in 1990 on January 15th. The opening entertainment was from Sergio Mendes ‘99 of Brazil, and Henrietta Alves of New Orleans. The hotel is located close to the Strip in Clark County.

This marvellous hotel has 2,563 suites. They range in size from the modest, though not too small, to the not so modest, and not at all small: 600 square feet up to 13,000 square feet. The windows in The Rio are all floor to ceiling offering a great view of Las Vegas.

“This hotel doesn’t lack for creature comforts. Just check out the 2,563 spacious suites, sprawling 120,000-square-foot casino and the 18-hole championship Rio Secco Golf Club. The highlight is the lush, sandy Ipanema Beach at the edge of a tropical lagoon encircled by waterfalls, swimming pools and Jacuzzi-style spas. Each suite has all the basic amenities plus spectacular views of Las Vegas.” www.gayot.com

An interesting trivia fact about The Rio Hotel and Casino is that it has a wine cellar holding 50,000 bottles. That’s one big cellar! It also has 16,000 square feet of space in its Rio Pavillion Convention Center. And then it has a huge casino area too.

This is a casino and hotel that is not on the Strip. “Oh my god!”, I hear you cry, “Not on the Strip?” Well, not everything revolves around the Strip in Las Vegas. The Strip is great, but it’s not the beginning and the end.

Boulder Station Hotel and Casino, for example, is ten to fifteen minutes drive from the Strip – yes, FROM the Strip, and it’s still within civilization as we know it! Some people actually prefer to go away from the hustle and bustle. And did you know that Boulder Station Hotel And Casino offers better odds than on the Strip? It’s true!

“Surrounding the casino, a 7,000-square-foot hardwood walkway is crowned by a hand-painted ceiling featuring billowing clouds and blue skies. It takes guests to non-gaming attractions such as The Broiler, Pasta Palace, Guadalajara Bar & Grille and the 270-seat Railhead Lounge, where legendary performers entertain.” www.gayot.com

This is a place that is serious about gambling. The casino has over 2,900 slots and video poker machines. There are 42 table games. This includes favorites like, blackjack, baccarat, pai gow poker, craps, and roulette, and more.

There’s a ten-table poker room. You will have the choice of smoking, or non-smoking. The sports and race book has no less than 300 seats available, and there’s also a 30-seat keno lounge. Add to that the fact that you will get better odds at Boulder than on the Strip, and it’s a no-brainer!

Las Vegas is a city that constantly changes. Many of us who don’t regularly frequent the place may still have an image of bright neon lights, clicking chips, The Rat Pack, or Elvis, and the chance to win, win, win!

Is it still like that? Not really. Las Vegas has gone more and more mainstream. The glitzy image is fading. Casinos still abound, but they are increasingly the less attractive attraction in this city. Sin City? That’s a name it got from an earlier time. The city fathers have tried to erase that image, but maybe Las Vegas is now living up to it better than before!

“A brief sojourn in the new Las Vegas, where growth is booming but you have to search a bit to find the blackjack tables, raises a few questions. Is gambling played out in its historical capital? Now that it has gone mainstream, is gambling a discretionary spending industry, tethered to the flagging fortunes of the American consumer? And, really, just how much of Celine Dion can one city take?”

These are some of the questions asked by www.slate.com. Eugene Christiansen notes:

“Bugsy Siegel opened the Flamingo casino in Vegas in 1946. For virtually all of history, there’s been more demand than supply.”

Has that changed? Is the “new” Las Vegas becoming a gambling-less city? Will the attractions, the pseudo Parisian streets and Venetian gondolas, become the major reason for people to visit the city that carved its reputation on casinos and gambling? Maybe…

“As the strip fills up with condos and veteran casino operators tout their malls and variety shows, Native American tribes and states are seeking to provide local residents with gaming options. California now has 55 Indian casinos, whose combined haul now rivals that of Las Vegas.”

Maybe Nevada’s claim on being the gambling state is receding. It begins to look as if other parts of America are providing gambling to its eager residents. Kansas has started to open the doors on gambling. Massachusetts too. Maybe it won’t be long before all of America looks a bit like las Vegas.

The Orleans has 1,886 rooms and suites. They are all unbelievably comfortably and luxurious and perfect for the casino lover to relax in and count all the winnings after a gruelling session at the tables.

The Orleans is not on the world famous Strip, but it’s pretty close by.. In fact, there’s a free shuttle service to take you there – but who wants the Strip when you have the Orleans Hotel and Casino!

The casino at the Orleans is spacious. There are fun and games a-plenty with over 3,000 fabulous slot machines to tinker with, video keno and video poker machines too. And on the subject of keno, don’t forget the weekly Big Easy Sunday Night Keno Contest. Entry is free with no minimum buy-in.

At The Orleans casino you will find all your favorite table games. there’s blackjack, pai gow, baccarat, three card poker, craps, poker, roulette, let it ride, and more – much, much more. Check out the fast and friendly action to be found in the sports book and race area. They cover all the popular action. There’s also a 24-hour keno lounge with 60 seats, and don’t forget the 23-table dedicated poker room!

This is a casino with lots of exciting action to be had. Get off the Strip and discover the real action going on elsewhere in Las Vegas, especially at the Orleans at 4500 West Tropicana Avenue.

The Plaza Hotel and Casino In Las Vegas is located on South Main Street. It offers accommodation in any oneof its 1,000 suites and rooms. This is a hotel that tries to cater to all comers, whatever their budget.

“We offer standard and deluxe rooms, as well as petite, one- and two-bedroom suites. If you have special needs, just let us know. We also offer rooms and services for the disabled, including the hearing impaired. No matter what room you choose, you’ll get a good night’s sleep or, for our night owls, a good day’s sleep.” www.plazahotelcasino.com

There’s a swimmimg pool on the rooftop where you can relax and chill out. Or you can be made up beautiful at the Beauty Salon. The entire hotel is a wireless hotspot, so you can access the Internet at any point of the hotel, regardless of where you are.

When you arrive you can abandon your car to the Valet Parket service and know that it will be well looked after. If you’d prefer to leave your car and travel in style, then the hotel can arrange for you to trave in a limousine.

This is the hotel that has the longest running show in Las Vegas – Viva Las Vegas! The show lasts 30 minutes and should not be missed.

The Rio casino is housed in what may be the most hectic, noisy, and party going hotel in town. Here they talk about a “carnival atmosphere” and they are right. They have the most scantily vclad waitresses in town too. They can deliver a beer to you and sing and dance more or less at the same time. Bewildering!

This is an adult paradise. The management discourage children on the premises, and when you go there you’ll understand why. It’s not hard core and heavy, but a bit risque at times, to say the least.

The Rio is off the Strip on Flamingo Road The casino boasts 120,000 square feet of space to indulge yourself in. There’s all the usual stuff: blackjack super megabucks, stud poker, let it ride, Caribbean poker, Baccarat, pai gow, roulette, craps, keno and more. They also have 1,621 slot machines.

The Rio Casino has an excellent race and sportsbook. It has a 170-seat race and sportsbook area. there are no less than 120 TV’s and three huge screens to watch. They offer daily action on all the major sports events.

You can also get future odds placed on most of the large major events. When it comes to the big annual stuff like the Kentucky Derby, the Super Bowl, the Breeders’ Cup, etc, get in early if you want some action.

Bally’s is located on the Strip on Las Vegas Boulevard South. It looks really spectacular when you see it all lit up at night. If you saw the movie, Honeymoon In Las Vegas, then you saw Bally’s in the Flying Elvis’ scene.

The hotel has some 2,814 rooms and suites of standard quality. The standard room are larger than normal for this city at 500 square feet. If you are booking in to Bally’s, you should request to be put up in one of the rooms that has been newly renovated. You will enjoy the difference.

“…you can get a room for a ridiculously low rate these days, and those rooms, which are larger than average, have been redone to an admirable degree, with some swell touches, including modern curvy couches, big TVs, wireless Internet access, and marble this and that.” www.frommers.com

Bally’s is connected to the Las vegas monorail line, which means that you are but a short ride away from most of the centrally located attractions. This alone makes Bally’s an attractive place to base your Las Vegas stay.

There are 13 restaurants in Bally’s. Don’t miss the excellent Sterling Sunday Brunch they offer. It rightly famous and well worth it. They also have eight tennis courts that are lit up at night, a health and spa club, a shopping arcade, a video games archade, a car rental desk, a laundry and dry cleaning service, a showroom featuring the highly thought of Jubilee!, and of course, a casino.

They were rated the best of Las Vegas in 2004, according to Review Journal, and their casino is still one of best around. They have poker games to suit people of all levels, and expect all your favorites – Seven card Stud, Texas Hold’em and a whole lot more. Win bonus cash with hands like, four-of-a-kind, straight flushes or royal flushes.

There’s free poker tournaments on most nights with a $3,500 free roll on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays, as well as a free $1,100 Giveaway on Monday nights and Friday mornings. But that’s not all this casino has to offer.

The Luxor has an excellent sports book offering odds on horse racing, pro and college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, baseball, golf, tennis, auto racing, the NBA Championship, the World Series, the Super Bowl and a whole lot more.

If you prefer the slots, the Luxor has over 1,700 machines offering as many games. Perhaps you like tanle games better. The Luxor has plenty of action there as well. You can enjoy craps, roulette, pai gow poker, baccarat, big 6, lucky lades and more.

If you really feel lucky, then perhaps the High Limit area ids for you. Here you can play double deck blackjack or six deck shoe blackjack. Here you can up the stakes to suit your style. And you will receive special attention in this part of the casino too, so enjoy it.

Harrah’s hotel and casino in Las Vegas is right on Las Vegas Boulevard. It stands between Flamingo Road and Spring Mountain Road about the middle of the Strip.

Harrah’s tries to keep up to the ever-changing pace of Las Vegas, but often fails. However, it depends what you are looking for. This is still an excellent hotel that is not over-priced like some others. The service is friendly and prompt, the rooms are comfortable and clean, and the front desk will make you feel important. All that can’t be bad.

“…the 17.3-acre resort is an icon, offering the festive atmosphere of Carnaval in Rio. Adorned with souvenir stands, the outdoor Carnaval Court fronting the Strip presents wine, spirits, salads and sandwiches, and live entertainment from mid-morning ’til late at night.” www.gayot.com

The rooms in Harrah’s are larger than most you will find in the city. In fact, they are noticeably bigger and mores pacious, which is definitely a plus point.

Harrah’s has several good restaurants – nine in fact – such as the Range Steakhouse. This is one of the few restaurants that actually overlooks the Strip. There’s entertainment too, though perhaps not notably so.

At Harrah’s you can see the Carnaval Court, which is a shopping plaza right on the Strip and entirely outdoors. There’s also a massive Olympic-sized swimming pool with a great pool area surrounding it. There’s a health club at the hotel with a full range gym and spa and all the equipment you could want.

The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino is located on West Flamingo Road in Las Vegas. This is a place that considers itself to be a kind of Rio de Janeiro type of atmosphere. It is too, most of the time. The waitresses often burst into song at the drop of a hat, and they will drop the hat themselves if they feel like it!

They are scantily clad, to say the least, but that is probably to be expected in any “Rio” type atmosphere. Check out the “Masquerade Village” and be impressed. This is a pretty good place to be in! This is party world, to be sure.

Do you like wine? Good! For the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino has an impressive Wine Cellar Tasting Room. It considers itself to be the “the world’s largest and most extensive collection of fine wines.” Maybe… But even if it’s not, it is still very impressive and certainly worth a visit.

The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino has a pool area in the rear of the place:

“Three whirlpool spas nestle amid rocks and foliage, there are two sand-volleyball courts, and blue-and-white-striped cabanas (equipped with rafts and misting coolers)…”

All in all, the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino is an interesting place. The casino is a dark and heavy area, and not at all in kkeping with an image of Rio. But that’s life!