Here is the review of my latest stay at the Rio Las Vegas.

I made my reservation over the phone and the prices were in the $300 range for the weekend, but as a frugal shopper I checked the web the day I was supposed to arrive and the prices had dropped to $145 a night. They tried to say that we could not switch because of the cancellation policy within 72 hours. I had to argue a bit but finally got them to give me the new rate and not treat it as a cancellation. This is pretty much rule #1 check the rates periodically before you leave to see if there is a better deal. During my reservation I specifically asked for the Masquerade Tower on a high floor, strip view and a king bed. I even made sure the reservationist had all that information in my record, by calling back to make sure the first agent had put this in.

When I arrived at the Rio and checked in, I did the $20 trick (if you don’t know what this is just ask us). The lady behind the counter was oblivious on what the $20 meant, which is another story all together. So we started to complete our transaction and she had us down for the wrong tower and I asked her to check for any notes in our reservation, she found them and fixed the reservation and I was off to my room, The room ended up being the wrong side of the building giving me a mountain view, so I traversed back to the front desk to get the room I requested, but they only had a room with two queen beds and the front desk lady said she would put us in the queue for a room change the next morning. Rule #2: Always get what you asked for and complain if you do not or the New Vegas will take advantage of you.

As a side note:
I personally like the Masquerade Tower. The Masquerade Tower is shaped like a crescent moon and I like staying on the outside curve of the building facing the Las Vegas Strip because of the view and the rooms are bigger.

When I finally got in my room here is what I found:
The TV didn’t work
The phone didn’t work, it only had the old pulse dial (There was no way to fix it)
Many lights were burnt out in the bathroom
The bathroom was in need of a good cleaning
The door-jam near the shower was rusting very badly
The Bathtub grout needed a good cleaning also
The sectional couch had no support, the cushions were flat.
They have an advertisement for Jim Beam on the side of the building, like they really need any more money. This helps for privacy but takes away from a clear view out the window. It felt like I was looking out a very thick window screen

Right away I called maintenance, wait the phone doesn’t work, but the phone by the elevator did. So I called about the TV and a maintenance person was dispatched and showed up an hour later only to come in my room and literally bang on the front a/v ports on the TV until the message “please insert the a/v device” went away. So I turned the TV off and back on and the same message appeared, so he proceeded to beat on it some more, yes he was hitting it with his palm. The message went away again, I turned it off and on, and viola it was fixed. I said to the maintenance person, “I would never of thought of beating on the TV to get it work, but at least I know how to fix it in the future”

The other two items, the phone and burnt out lights, I addressed with the front desk. They said they would get a maintenance person up there to fix it, it was never fixed but we found a new toothbrush on our counter, go figure…

We did receive a message from the front desk about our room upgrade, but the phone didn’t work so we couldn’t get to the message without some assistance, but it was all for not since the Rio was now sold out, yea right!

Another Side Note:
Earlier this year I stayed in the newly renovated rooms in the Ipanema after the front desk guy said the rooms were much better since they were renovated, I still wasn’t impressed. For those of you that have stayed at the Rio: They upgraded the TV from a standard tube TV to a 42 flat panel which now hangs on the wall on the opposite side of the room over the table, the picture quality was horrible because they were sending standard def to a high-def screen. They upgraded the Beds and Bedding, which are really nice. They also spruced up the bathroom and I think they changed out the sectional couch. Other than that I didn’t see much difference. One really bad thing was the shower was stopped up and wouldn’t drain, so a call to maintenance was required.

The Rio still needs help and here is why
Customer service. The staff on the casino floor are an unforgiving lot. While cruising the casino, this includes the casino floor, the buffet, shops etc… I was always being cut off by the Rio staff. They were very unapologetic, they would just cut you off or make you get out of their way. If this only happened once I would not gripe but every time I would venture out they seemed to have the right of way. This is total CRAP, what happened to customer service and the customer is always right? I am not sure who is training these people but get a grip. Vegas was founded on customer service and thank you, and yes sir, no sir.

The Rio is faltering and has been since Harrah’s took over. They have made it just another “Hotel in Vegas”. I am sure Harrah’s is making money with their template but the Rio Hotel in Vegas used to be a great place to have a great time and enjoy the experience.

The World Carnival Buffet used to be one of those experiences until Harrah’s changed that also. Though it has gotten better the quality is not back to where once was. When Harrah’s bought the Rio the first thing they did was remove the sushi, got rid of the quality and went with easier food to prepare. The Rio World Carnival Buffet was about quality and quantity, now it is quantity and a little quality. Every time I have eaten here the same food always tastes different. How can you have multiple batches of eggs benedict, ribs, mashed potatoes taste so different, this goes for anything they prepare by hand and not “store bought”. I am also really disappointed in the size and preparation of the crab legs. The crab legs have gotten way smaller than they once were. (Yes, I know the seafood buffet is better but lets stick with the Carnival World Buffet, and the Seafood Buffet is closed for renovations. Back to the crab legs, I would not give these things to my worst enemy, they are so watered down you have to squeeze them so they will drain and I they are soaking in regular water and not brine. Also they are over-cooked so badly you cannot get any meat because it sticks to the inside of the shell. This tells me the person cooking them doesn’t know what they are doing. The Rio also used to have steamed crab in the World Carnival Buffet but now it is only iced. I have done my homework on this and have eaten at the Rio Carnival World Buffet for a decade and more times than I care to let on, trust me I am a card carrying member. One redeeming quality for the Rio is our waiter, he has been there for twelve years and I try and make sure we sit in his section, because he will make sure everything is right, there is only one waiter who has been there longer and only by two years.

The Wynn has it to the nines:
The customer service training is very apparent here. After you get up from either the tables or the slots there is a customer service agent to push in your chair and to clean up the mess you left behind. They hold the door for you anytime they can, they are always very friendly and will make sure you are taken care of. Not to leave out the Bellagio but they are a close second.

Players: Me

I flew out with a friend for a day trip a while back and did the mandatory 40-mile march up and down the strip. So we proceeded to gamble and have a swinging time. The day grew short and we needed to head back to the airport to catch a lift home. So we proceeded to the corner and flagged down a cab. I was asked by my dame “do you have enough dough.” I checked my wallet. Puzzled by the vacancy, I asked her “how much you’s got?” I got the look of puzzlement from her too. She began reminiscing about all of my money she lost playing slots. We were down by the Circus Circus with no bread. I had 35cents to my name. I could’ve swiped my card, but being the player that I am, I bet 25cents of my last 35 and hit. Needless to say I am not stranded.

Players: Shepherd

Lucky me, I was sitting in First Class (FC) and was feeling a bit spry. So I went back to see the boys in coach, to find out what shenanigans they were up to. After a short visit I felt compelled to go back in first class ask the flight attendant to fill a drink order for my mates back in coach. She thought that was a nice gesture and rounded up some Bloody Mary’s, and delivered the goods. Minding my own business I reclined and put my phones on and started dozing off. WHAM, the next thing I knew my right headset was covering my right eye and the FA gave me the dirtiest look I have seen in a while, and said, “They didn’t know you!!” Found out later that Shepherd told the FA that I have been stalking them ever since they were in the men’s bathroom in our departure city. WOW, that FA was MAD! As a side note she realized the prank after we all boarded the plane after our layover.

The Player: Shepherd

The Listeners: Me, lil’ Markie

Our hotel caters to the buffet lover who loves to eat through breakfast and lunch, mind you we are not, overweight Sloth (** Disclaimer** No animals were harmed in the writing of this story, and we are sorry if we offend any living Sloth or remaining ancestors or evolutionary evolvement of the aforementioned Sloth). Back to the story at hand, Shepherd who loves his buffets, (and who can blame him), ate too many fruit cups and had to make a pit-stop back in the room. While we walked hurriedly back to the suite, we kept the “running joke” going that after his evacuation he will lose enough of what he ate to equal a “BackStreet Boy.” After arriving in our room, Shepherd with his tail between his legs rushed, ok ran to the “WC” and let out a noise that was worthy of a courtesy flush after the first 10seconds, all along singing BackStreet Boys tunes like they were falling into the water.

The Players: Me, Shepherd, lil’ Markie

When:One hour before departure

Again, DV8R has to Rest before departure time; we loaded up his carryon bag with the small leave-behinds the hotel places in the room for your reading enjoyment and all of the street smut we could bear to carry. So the departure and the ride home went smooth, he never noticed that his bag was so packed with crap that the zipper about busted. Well anyhow he gets home and his momma is waiting up to hear all about this Vegas Vacation, so he unzips his bag looking for the obligatory knickknack dice and shot-glass but, starts pulling out all of the binders, paper, magazines, TV-guides, and doesn’t really know why or how they got in there so he shows off anyway until. He gets to those little escort cards they hand out on the strip personally signed DV8R, had a great time last night, call me! I will end the story there, oh yeah, try to imagine his moms face!

The Players: Me, Shepherd, DV8R and lil’ Markie

When: One hour before our departure.

DV8R had to Rest before checking out, so quiet as mice we gathered all of the furniture that wasn’t nailed down and barricaded the bathroom door with it. I know, I know the bathroom door swings in! But non-the less we thought it was clever. Now for the coupe-de-grace we sneak out of the room to leave DV8R to his business. So time passes, the boys and I are in the lobby waiting and mulling over all the different scenarios of what DV8R found after his visit to the library, when low and behold the man emerges and man was he mad. Come to find out while he was Resting the service maid walked and saw the dismay in which we left the room and began swearing like a sailor on shore leave. DV8R still on the porcelain bus, started yelling through the door that he was still occupying the room, so hurriedly he cleaned up and tried exiting the Water Closet and about broke his will trying to climb over every thing to get out. True to his upbringing, he put everything back in its proper place. We still giggle like schoolgirls when some one tells the story.