TR, Rio, June 8-10

Quick two-night stay at the Rio on my way to a conference in San Francisco. TR in the reply.

TR, Rio, June 8-10

As I often do when work requires me to travel to the west coast, I made a quick stop in Vegas for two nights. Had a comp night at the Rio, second night was only $57. Had stayed at the Rio once before, but in the winter. Wanted to check out the pool scene.

SUNDAY, JUNE 8

I arrived at McCarran around 11:30 AM. Airport was crowded, but because it was Sunday, more people leaving than arriving. Claimed my bag quickly and headed out to catch the rental car shuttle.

Wanting to save money on this trip, I%26#39;d booked a rental car with Dollar instead of my usual National/Alamo. For the two days, Dollar was about $20 cheaper. Now, Dollar almost always has the cheapest rates in Vegas, I find. And because of that, their lines at the rental car center are often the longest.

This was no exception, there were at least 20 people waiting in line at Dollar. I decided to see if I could get a comparable (or close) deal, and headed over to Alamo%26#39;s self-serve kiosks instead.

Those kiosks at Alamo and National are a great invention. This was the first time I%26#39;d used one when I didn%26#39;t have a pre-existing reservation, and the process was just as quick and painless. I swiped my credit card, swiped my driver%26#39;s license, chose my car class, declined insurance and pre-paid fuel, and I was on my way to the parking garage in five minutes. I don%26#39;t think the line at Dollar moved during that time.

So, out to the parking deck to Alamo%26#39;s mid-size section, there%26#39;s a pretty silver Volvo S40 sedan waiting. The hang tag on the mirror says ';full size,'; but the attendant assures me I can take it.

Out of the deck in less than five minutes and on my way to the Rio!!! I chose not to drive up the Strip; instead, I exited the rental car facility, made a right on Gillespie and then a right on Warm Springs, taking it across the Strip. I then turned right onto Dean Martin (Industrial) and took it behind the casinos, hanging a left on Hotel Rio drive and crossing Flamingo Road onto the Rio%26#39;s property.

I chose to self-park in the Rio%26#39;s Masquerade parking garage, and left my luggage in the car for the time being. Feeling that familiar Vegas rush, I headed through the Masquerade Village and the casino to the check-in desk.

Like the other HET properties, Rio now has a separate check-in line for Gold Total Rewards members. Usually a little shorter and quicker than the general public check-in line.

In less than 10 minutes, I was at the counter. The friendly clerk welcomed me back to the Rio and found me a room on the 22nd floor, #22027. She showed me a floor plan of the Masquerade Tower, telling me that my room was near the east end of the tower, with a northeastern view. She said I%26#39;d be able to see the pools, the mountains, and a bit of the north end of the strip. I said that was fine.

She gave me my keys, and I headed back up through the Masquerade Village, intending to grab my luggage from the car. On the way, however, I was distracted by the wonderful smells coming from the RUB Barbeque on the 2nd floor of the Village, and decided to stop for lunch.

Glad I did. I had a boneless rib sandwich and a couple of beers, and the food was excellent. Sat at the bar and had a friendly chat with the bartender.

After lunch, I continued back to the parking deck, grabbed my suitcase, and headed up to the room. The room at the Rio was very large, like all of their ';suites'; (600 square feet, according to their website.)

A slightly different layout than the last time I stayed at the Rio. But all the essentials were there -- king sized bed, L-shaped couch, HUGE bathroom, refrigerator, mini-bar with booze and non-alcoholic drinks and snacks, and of course, a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows.

The view was as promised -- mostly the roof of the casino 20 floors below, the pool area, and the mountains beyond. Turning to the right, I could see the Wynn and Encore and everything north from there.

I scoped out the pool area, and could see the new adult ';Sapphire Pool'; at the back of the pool complex. Obviously, from 22 floors up, I couldn%26#39;t see any salacious details. :)

Changed into my swim trunks and headed down to the pool. They do check room keys at the entrance to the pool area, no exceptions, it seems. It was around 2:30 PM when I got down there, the pool area was fairly crowded, but it wasn%26#39;t difficult to find a single seat.

Compared to the Flamingo, where I usually stay, the Rio%26#39;s pool area has a lot less shade. As someone who%26#39;s had run-ins with skin cancer, I prefer to find shade where I can. Eventually, by going around the far side of the largest pool, I was able to find a chair in the shade, and I chilled out for the rest of the afternoon. The large pool was ice cold; the two pools adjacent to the sand ';beach'; were heated and quite comfortable.

When I went to the bar to get a drink, I found that the Rio requires a photo ID when using a room charge slip. This is different than at the Flamingo, where you don%26#39;t need your ID. I understood the bartender%26#39;s rationale that anyone could just find a room charge slip on the ground and use it. Still, I didn%26#39;t have my driver%26#39;s license on me, which meant a hike back up to the room.

(Also, I came back down to the pool with a beer in my hand and was told by the attendant that no outside beverages are allowed. This is not what it says on their sign; it says only that outside food and beverages in glass containers are prohibited. And my beer was in a can. Still, I obeyed the rules and slammed the beer into my system before he let me through.)

I stayed at the pool until 5:30 or so; since the pool complex closes at 6, most people were packing up by then. Up to the room to shower and change, and then back down to the casino. I stopped in Masquerade Village to see the newly-revamped ';Show in the Sky;'; since it is dark Monday-Wednesday, Sunday night was my only chance to see it on this trip.

I was not impressed. Rumors had said that the new Show in the Sky would be ';sexier,'; ';more risque.'; I didn%26#39;t find it to be that. What I saw was a shorter show, with less music (at least, songs I didn%26#39;t know), and a LOT more men in the show.

If that appeals to you, great. Go see it. But personally, I was disappointed to have more men, less women in the show, and the men taking a more prominent role. The guys even mingled with the crowded afterwards and had their pictures taken with people; yet the girls from the show were nowhere to be found. Sigh.

I walked over to the ';Sports Deli'; next to the sports/race book to grab a couple of pieces of pizza and a beer, and sat down to watch the second half of the Celtics/Lakers Game 2 on the huge TVs at the sportsbook. I expected the book to be packed for the NBA Finals, yet there was hardly a person there. I was confused by this, until I saw the following notice on the odds board:

';Harrah%26#39;s Entertainment properties are unable to take any wagers on games involving the Boston Celtics, due to a Harrah%26#39;s executive holding an ownership interest in the Celtics franchise.';

Ah. That explains it then, I guess.

Anyway, I watched the Celtics hang on to win Game 2, then headed into the casino to lose some money. Played mostly Rapid Roulette that night, and didn%26#39;t do too badly; didn%26#39;t quite go through all of my gambling budget for that day.

Called it a night and crashed out around 1:30.

MONDAY, JUNE 9

I woke up around 8:30, cleaned up, and headed down in my pool clothes to the ';Sao Paolo Cafe,'; Rio%26#39;s coffee shop. It%26#39;s located near the convention facilities, down the hallway a bit from the pool entrance. I%26#39;d never been there before, never even seen it. I had eggs %26amp; bacon, food was fine, nothing spectacular or awful about it.

In the convention center, they were getting ready for another day of World Series of Poker qualifying. The crowds at the WSOP were quite large, making the Rio seem pretty crowded the whole time I was there, and lots of young people (younger than my 34).

I had briefly considered hitting the Sapphire (adult) pool today, but decided against it. For one, I wasn%26#39;t crazy about the $20 cover charge for guys ($30 on weekends!); and also, I could see from my room that the Sapphire pool didn%26#39;t have much shade. So I passed.

Instead, I found a shady spot near the sandy beach and proceeded to spend the rest of the day in paradise. A good book, my iPod, and frequent drink service made me a happy camper. The Rio%26#39;s poolside waitresses will keep a tab open for you all day, holding on to your guest card and photo ID, which is nice. Nice to sign for everything at the end, instead of for each drink.

I had lunch -- a grilled cheese and chips -- from the Rio%26#39;s poolside cafe. Quick service and tasty food. The sandwich was HUGE!!

Around 5:00 or so, I hit the room, cleaned up, and headed downstairs to catch the Rio%26#39;s shuttle to the Strip. I figured I%26#39;d just take whichever shuttle came first, as they all head to the center Strip, which is where I wanted to be. The Harrah%26#39;s and Paris shuttles came at the same time, so I took the Paris shuttle.

I hopped off at Paris and walked next door to the Miracle Mile at PH. Made a quick stop at Sin City Brewery to grab one of their delicious Amber beers, then walked back over to Paris and tinkered on the Rapid Roulette for a while. Left with the money I arrived with after about 90 minutes, which I was quite pleased about.

I then cut through Bally%26#39;s and out to the Strip, walking next door to the Flamingo for dinner at Margaritaville. I had to hover around the bar for a while before catching a seat; the upstairs bar and patio was closed for some private function.

I sat at the bar, had a few Landshark beers, the quesadillas, and chatted with a couple next to me from Phoenix.

Afterwards, I played some more RR at Flamingo, then crossed over to the Bellagio. I saw two fountain shows, ';Hey Big Spender'; and ';Viva Las Vegas.'; Outstanding as always. Made a quick trip through the Bellagio, marveling at the lobby ceiling and taking a quick glance into the conservatory.

Crossed over to Caesars and briefly played some slots, then continued on down the street to Harrah%26#39;s, where I caught the shuttle back to the Rio. Played a little more RR before calling it a night around 2:00 (I think).

(On my way back to the room, I stopped at the front desk and asked to have my Total Rewards credits applied to my room/beverage/food charges. This knocked my bill down by around $60.)

TUESDAY, JUNE 10

My last day in Vegas, and not even a full day, as my flight to San Francisco left LAS around 2:30 PM.

I repacked my suitcase, checked out of the room via the TV (total charges, around $120), and headed down to the parking deck. I made the short drive over to the north Strip and headed for breakfast at the Peppermill.

I made my first visit to the Peppermill in April, and I really like this place. Breakfast here was just as awesome as last time. Big portions, cheap prices.

On my previous trip to Vegas, I%26#39;d had some good luck gambling at the Red Rock Casino, so I decided to head out there. My plan was to spend a few hours there, then jump on the 215 and head to the airport.

That was my plan, anyway.

When I got to RRC, I made several laps of the casino looking for the machines that had been good to me last time. I like the machines that have a ';bonus wheel'; on top -- ';Fortune Finder,'; ';Cash Time,'; ';Diamonds and Sevens,'; ';Monte Carlo,'; etc. Although they are similar, I%26#39;m not a big fan of the WOF machines, if only because I find the chant of ';Wheel.....of......FORTUNE!'; incredibly annoying.

I knew exactly where the Cash Time machine I%26#39;d played for several hours had been last time, in a bank with other, similar quarter slots. But it wasn%26#39;t there -- replaced with a whole row of $1 slots instead. I had a limited budget for the day, and $1 slots were not really an option, especially playing on machines that reward max betting -- that would have been $3 per spin. Too fast for me.

I wandered the whole casino, looking for quarter machines like these. I eventually found a couple of ';Party Time'; machines near the northwest casino exit, not far from the sportsbook. This was on the periphery of the casino, and a cocktail waitress was not to be found.

After playing on this machine for 20 minutes or so, I realized I wasn%26#39;t really having any fun and this was a waste of time and money. So I headed back out to the car and hit the road, driving back on Charleston, not really sure where I was headed. Too soon to go to the airport.

I decided I%26#39;d return to the Rio, see if the RR table was open yet. (Red Rock doesn%26#39;t have Rapid Roulette.) Since it was only 10-10:30 when I got back to the Rio, the RR table was not open. So I played some Cash Time slots, won a little money, had a couple of drinks.

Bored with the Rio, I hopped back in the car and headed to the Flamingo, still with about an hour to kill before heading to LAS. I went straight to one of the Flamingo%26#39;s two RR tables, pleased to find it open. I dithered away for the last hour, hitting some small jackpots but never the big one. I was up over my initial investment for a while, should have walked away, but didn%26#39;t. Oh well.

Finally, it was time to go. I claimed my car from the valet and headed to the rental car facility, making a quick stop to top off the gas tank. Turned the car in, headed to the airport. Bag check and security were quick, and before long, I was on my way to San Francisco.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The Rio%26#39;s pool area is nice, but I like the Flamingo%26#39;s better. More shade, adult pool cover is cheaper, drink service is a little quicker.

I%26#39;d stay at the Rio again; the rooms are beautiful and huge. Restaurant choices are plentiful and tasty. Didn%26#39;t even get a chance this trip to hit the buffet, which I love.

But the off-strip location is a minus, even though the shuttles are quick and easy. Still, not the same as just stumbling down the sidewalk.

Disappointed in the Show in the Sky, was expecting an improvement from the previous version. Instead, it%26#39;s not as good.

Also disappointed that Red Rock Casino seems to have replaced some quarter slots with $1 slots. Obviously, there are still plenty of quarter and nickel slots to be found, but seems that the percentage of $1 slots is slightly higher.

Still love the Rapid Roulette. Easily my favorite casino game now.

Already missing Vegas, of course, and looking at the calendar for a September trip. If only the darn airfares weren%26#39;t so high....

TR, Rio, June 8-10

';I was not impressed. Rumors had said that the new Show in the Sky would be ';sexier,'; ';more risque.'; I didn%26#39;t find it to be that. What I saw was a shorter show, with less music (at least, songs I didn%26#39;t know), and a LOT more men in the show.';

haha, YES! Finally us girls get some eye candy since there%26#39;s half naked women just about everywhere in Vegas. Surely you saw some pretty girls at other places besides the Parade in the Sky :)

Of course. But I%26#39;m greedy, I want it all. :)

thanks for the TR - I%26#39;ve been cuious about Rub, since I have this fixation with barbecue, but I never really hear it mentioned on this forum. Glad to hear some feedback!

Very good TR you got a lot accomplished in 2 days very good.Thanks for sharing.