Comments on the Riviera review
January 2nd, 2010 at 5:12:25 AM
permalink
Nice review on the Riviera, and as a relatively frequent visitor I thought I'd add my own comments.
There are no table games, but I believe there is a high-limit slot/vp room located directly in front, (as viewed from the strip), of the host area.
I'd have to agree that "in and out quickly" is the best attribute to this buffet. I had dinner there about a year ago and breakfast this past November and both were meals I'd rather not repeat. Of course you get what you pay for and since mine were free I can't complain too much.
I find Kady's to be ok, but I'm not too thrilled with having to pay a "take out" charge, (I believe it was either 50 or 75 cents), to get a cup of coffee to go in the morning. And while the coffee was comped, the take out charge wasn't. I also found the $4 for a side of bacon to be a little excessive, but 1) it was at least a heapin' pile 'o bacon and 2) I didn't have to pay for it.
Actually, I believe they have recently remodeled most of the rooms. As a smoker they always put me in the rooms that had yet to be remodeled, (at least that is what they have told me at the front desk), that smoking rooms were only in one tower, and those rooms had a dramatically lower rate, (about $30 v. $70). First I was in the Monaco Tower a couple years ago, then the Monto Carlo last winter, and in my last stay in November the San Remo Tower. I think that some of the problem may be that the infrastructure, (windows, doors, etc.), can't be changed easily and these tend to drag down the rooms. I've experienced problems with windows that wouldn't completely close and air conditioning units that had huge amounts of daylight that showed through.
Or, you had one of the ones that had yet to be remodeled.
A word of warning for those that might consider staying there in... I dunno, perhaps 2012 or so. Once IF the Fountainblue starts going up again the noise in the rooms on the north side of the Monte Carlo tower can be somewhat unbearable. I was in one in January of '09 and while most of the construction stopped around 10 or so there was still someone scraping something in the construction side until the wee hours of the morning.
As a relative low roller I've found the comps to be decent. I get rooms whenever I need them and frequent offers that include rooms, some food, and $50-$75 in free play. As a misanthrope I find the lack of other patrons to be a major benefit. For variety its an easy hop across the street to Slots 'o Fun and Circus Circus, and its only 15 minutes or so to walk out the back door to the Hilton. If I want to see how the other half lives and ogle things I can't afford its not all that far to walk down to WynAzzo.
Like the Sahara, this isn't for everyone but if you want a less expensive alternative on the strip where it isn't too difficult to get free rooms the Riviera might be worth a try.
Quote:Not surprisingly, there is no high-limit room.
There are no table games, but I believe there is a high-limit slot/vp room located directly in front, (as viewed from the strip), of the host area.
Quote:World's Fare Buffet: The selection was pretty meager, with nothing high-end like bagels with lox, shrimp, or berries. My waiter was cheerful and fast, so at least I was in and out quickly.
I'd have to agree that "in and out quickly" is the best attribute to this buffet. I had dinner there about a year ago and breakfast this past November and both were meals I'd rather not repeat. Of course you get what you pay for and since mine were free I can't complain too much.
I find Kady's to be ok, but I'm not too thrilled with having to pay a "take out" charge, (I believe it was either 50 or 75 cents), to get a cup of coffee to go in the morning. And while the coffee was comped, the take out charge wasn't. I also found the $4 for a side of bacon to be a little excessive, but 1) it was at least a heapin' pile 'o bacon and 2) I didn't have to pay for it.
Quote:I'd love to say a remodeling is long overdue, but they might never recoup the investment, given the economic slump Vegas has been in.
Actually, I believe they have recently remodeled most of the rooms. As a smoker they always put me in the rooms that had yet to be remodeled, (at least that is what they have told me at the front desk), that smoking rooms were only in one tower, and those rooms had a dramatically lower rate, (about $30 v. $70). First I was in the Monaco Tower a couple years ago, then the Monto Carlo last winter, and in my last stay in November the San Remo Tower. I think that some of the problem may be that the infrastructure, (windows, doors, etc.), can't be changed easily and these tend to drag down the rooms. I've experienced problems with windows that wouldn't completely close and air conditioning units that had huge amounts of daylight that showed through.
Or, you had one of the ones that had yet to be remodeled.
A word of warning for those that might consider staying there in... I dunno, perhaps 2012 or so. Once IF the Fountainblue starts going up again the noise in the rooms on the north side of the Monte Carlo tower can be somewhat unbearable. I was in one in January of '09 and while most of the construction stopped around 10 or so there was still someone scraping something in the construction side until the wee hours of the morning.
As a relative low roller I've found the comps to be decent. I get rooms whenever I need them and frequent offers that include rooms, some food, and $50-$75 in free play. As a misanthrope I find the lack of other patrons to be a major benefit. For variety its an easy hop across the street to Slots 'o Fun and Circus Circus, and its only 15 minutes or so to walk out the back door to the Hilton. If I want to see how the other half lives and ogle things I can't afford its not all that far to walk down to WynAzzo.
Like the Sahara, this isn't for everyone but if you want a less expensive alternative on the strip where it isn't too difficult to get free rooms the Riviera might be worth a try.
