Review of the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, including history, room descriptions, amenities, shows, food, entertainment, location and prices.
The Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is located at 3700 W. Flamingo. It's one of the hotels that are NOT on the famous Las Vegas Strip. But, that doesn't mean you don't have access to the strip! The hotel provides shuttle buses from the Rio to Harrah's Las Vegas, right in the middle of the strip. Of course, if you're staying at the Rio Hotel and Casino, you really don't have to ever leave if you don't want to. There are plenty of great places to eat, great games to play, and great shows to see!
In 1937, Bill Harrah opened his first bingo parlor in Reno, Nevada. In 1946, he opened Harrah's Club in Reno. Beginning in 1955, he purchased several clubs at Lake Tahoe. The facility today is known as Harrah's Lake Tahoe. Expansion of this facility allowed the opening of a headliner room in 1966. Harrah's began public trading in 1971 and was placed on the American Stock Exchange in 1972. In fact, in 1973, it was the first casino company listed on the American Stock Exchange. Bill Harrah died on June 30, 1978. Upon his death, his estate was left with 5,930,301 shares of common stock valued at over thirteen dollars per share.
In 1980, Holiday Inn acquired Harrah's hotel casino company along with forty percent of interest in River Boat Casino, Inc. In 1983, Holiday Inn, Inc., acquired the remaining sixty percent of interest in River Boat Casino, Inc., in Las Vegas. In 1985, Holiday Corporation became the new corporation name. This reflected the expansion of the company's products, which included Harrah's Casinos, Holiday Inn hotels, Embassy Suites hotels, and Hampton Inn hotels. In 1990, stockholders of Holiday approved the transfer of Holiday Inn hotel business to Bass PLC and the spin-off of Holiday corporations remaining brands - which included Harrah's - and assets into the Promus Companies.
It was in April of 1992 that the conversion of Holiday Casino in Las Vegas to Harrah's Las Vegas was completed. In 1995, the Promus Companies spun off its hotel brands into a new corporation. It became Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. So, for the first time since 1980, Harrah's name was returned to the New York Stock Exchange. In January of 1999, Harrah's and Rio Hotel and Casino, Inc. completed a merger. Currently, although Harrah's owns the Rio Hotel and Casino, the hotel is simply known to most as the Rio.
The Rio Hotel and Casino boasts 106,971 square feet of casino floor. It also has 94,540 square feet available in the convention center area. The Rio Hotel and Casino is an all suite hotel. The hotel boasts over 2,500 suites and offers the following suites:
Standard Suite - 600 square feet
Amenities in this spacious first-class suite include a dressing area, couch, 32-inch television, table and chairs, hair dryer, in-suite refrigerator, iron and ironing board, and a complimentary in-suite safe.
Cariocas Suite - 1,100 square feet
This suite provides everything that the standard suite provides plus a few extras. The extras include a living room, a wet bar, and a walk-in closet. You'll also be able to enjoy the panoramic view that these suites provide.
Super Suite - 1,200 square feet
Amenities provided in this spacious suite include everything in the standard suite; and, concierge service is also provided to the guests that book these suites. And, there is an upgraded sound system as well as a Jacuzzi tub.
Masquerade Suite - 1,600 square feet
Guests that book a night in this suite will enjoy a 180-degree view of Las Vegas. Yes, it has everything that the standard suite has; however, it also has a formal dining room with a wet bar, a master bedroom with a Jacuzzi tub, and a walk-in closet.
Extravagant suite living is definitely something you'll find at the Rio Hotel and Casino. And, when you're ready you can head down to the casino floor where over 1200 state-of-the-art slot and video poker machines can be found. Look around some more and you'll be able to find over 80 table tames which include blackjack, craps, baccarat, roulette, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud Poker, and Mini-Baccarat. In fact, you can even find a Keno Lounge and a full-service Race and Sports Book room.
If you'd like to enjoy a show or two while staying at the Rio - you have some great choices! Here, you will find celebrity entertainment including Penn and Teller, The Scintas, Tony n Tina's Wedding, Ronn Lucas, Erocktica and the infamous Chippendales. But, there is one show you can see at the Rio that you don't even have to purchase a ticket for - and that is - The Masquerade Show in the Sky.
Penn and Teller is a mix of comedy and magic. In fact, Penn and Teller are known as the bad boys of magic. Bad because they supposedly tell the secrets - yet leave you shaking your head! They have had the honor of being Las Vegas Magicians of the Year.
The Scintas combine music, comedy and impressions. They have the ability to entertain and make you laugh. They use stories of their own hilarious family during their performance. You're sure to enjoy a wonderful production!
Tony n Tina's Wedding is promoted as the wackiest, wildest and most talked about wedding in Las Vegas. As they take you through the evening, you get to join in on the celebration - which includes an Italian buffet, champagne, and even a piece of wedding cake!
For some afternoon humor, go see Ronn Lucas. He performs a mixture of improvisation and stand-up comedy. He's also an extremely creative ventriloquist. Don't miss out on seeing this very funny guy!
Erocktica is definitely adult entertainment. Sex, Sweat, and Rock and Roll are the words used to promote this nightly show. The star of this show is Gabriella Versace. Guests receive two beers during the show and free admission after the show to either the Voodoo Lounge or Club Rio.
Chippendales is without a doubt the ultimate girl's night out! Chippendales features 12 male dancers. These dancers are sure to seduce and entertain you with their sexy routines and hot dance moves!
The Masquerade Show in the Sky is the one show that does not require you to purchase a ticket. The show is free daily, although if you wish to ride in one of the floats, you will need to purchase a ticket. The performances take place in the Masquerade Village. If you're not sure where that is - just listen for the music to start. Promoted as experiencing the excitement of the Brazil's Carnivale where performers in costume will entertain you with music and dance. And, if you stand in the right place, you might just get some shiny beads!
If you're looking for a hot nightspot, the Rio Hotel and Casino is home to the famous Voodoo Lounge. The Voodoo Lounge can be found on floor number 50! Here, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the city of Las Vegas. Or you can go over to Club Rio, which boasts 30,000 square feet of clubbing space. The Rio also has the Flirt Ultra Lounge and the IBar Ultra Lounge.
As far as dining experiences go, you can find the very best at the Rio. For an exquisite meal, try the Fiore Steakhouse. They offer traditional steakhouse classics with a Mediterranean flair. They also have a cigar terrace and offer premium cigars. If you'd like to sample a variety you might enjoy one of the famous buffets at the Rio. The Village Seafood Buffet offers a seafood extravaganza. The Carnival World Buffet with more than 300 dishes prepared daily offers a variety of food choices for your palette. If you enjoy wine tasting, you can do that at the Rio too! The Wine Cellar and Tasting room showcases over 50,000 bottles of wine at a value of more than 10 million dollars.
Sixty thousand square feet of shopping area is what you'll find at the Rio. Spa and salon services are also available as well as fitness centers for both men and women. You can also relax at Rio's famous Ipanema Beach - a real sand beach. Cascading waterfalls, five swimming pools and five Jacuzzi spas are available for your enjoyment at the Rio!
Oh - you want to get married? You can do that at the Rio too! In fact, they have a variety of wedding packages to choose from -- and they'll even dedicate an entire floor for your very special day!
If you do want to get outside, you can enjoy golfing at Rio Secco Golf Club. It is an 18-hole championship course and is located just 12 minutes south of the Las Vegas strip.
Wow! You can find spacious suites, extra amenities, delightful dining, hot nightspots, grand entertainment, spa services, fitness centers, shopping, state-of-the-art slot and video games and so much more right here at the Rio Hotel and Casino!
Listed below are comments from reviews about the Rio Hotel and Casino:
The Rio provided great accommodations. All of the accommodations were terrific. The casino was as fun as the ongoing entertainment.
Bring your golf clubs - you won't regret playing at the Rio Secco!
The staff, service, casino, and shows were all excellent; however, the buffet was GREAT!
The hotel was a lot of fun. It had a really fun theme.
The floorshow was crazy and fairly extravagant - being it was free.
We visit twice a year and always stay at the Rio Hotel and Casino. We just love it there!
All in all, we really enjoyed the Rio.
As with the rest of Las Vegas, the hotel is huge. You have to establish landmarks inside the casino to avoid getting lost.
It was a fun and festive atmosphere. It had a beautiful pool area.
The bed was great for sleeping - if you are able to sleep in Las Vegas.
A true FIVE STAR HOTEL!
If you are looking for a fun hotel with a great casino it's the Rio.
It was my first time at the Rio and I was treated great - I am going back.
The Rio Hotel is an excellent place to stay in Las Vegas
The feedback that these reviews provide certainly emphasizes the commitment that the Rio Hotel and Casino has made to their customer. But, when you stay at the Rio, you are not just a customer - you are a very important guest!
