Jeffrey S.
Yelp
Look, there's no two ways about it: Buffalo Bill's has fallen on some hard times.
The entire Primm area never really took off. I'm not sure if it was ever designed to, but you have to be real about what this area is and not what it might be, was, or could have been: it's a convenience stop. Just over the Nevada border from California, it's for people who don't want to go the next 40 miles to Vegas, or who want to push past Vegas but not head out into the California desert. Maybe some Vegas residents would head out here for a little vacation and outlet shopping experience, but with so many new shopping options in that town and the state of the outlets in Primm, it's dried up like a short-lived rain in the southern Nevada desert.
Well, that's the context. As for the resort and casino itself, it certainly is far past those glory days of the '90s. I didn't expect much for my stay. It ran me $39 when booked through work +$29 for the resort fee.
The signs start out front, where the parking lot was nearly empty. The valet is all blocked off (no valet service anymore) and the entire front pavilion is blocked off in caution tape, where a single light flickers like a strobe in a bad post-apocalyptic movie scene.
The gaming floor is actually in pretty good shape, with plenty of new games. The sports book looks to have been redone at some point over the last decade. Check-in was pretty quick as there was no one else checking in, but there was only one clerk on duty, which seems about right given the traffic.
Oh, the days of the Desperado roller coaster are over--it's closed, likely for good. The log flume ride is also closed, drained, dry, and defunct. The food court is dark and abandoned entirely, save for a sign boasting a Mrs. Fields and TCBY space that has also been vacated, leaving behind just the signage. The latest health permit showed a 2022 date, so it seems they have recently left. But the Chinese fast food seemed to have been gone longer. There's still a 24-hour Denny's inside the property, and a few other dining concepts, (steakhouse, buffet, Mexican food) that are indeed open.
The room was a mixed bag. Again, you don't expect much in the sub-$40 category. Cracked mirror taped up with masking tape, stains on the comforter, furniture that has long outlived its use, no fridge, and an air conditioner that sounded--no joke--EXACTLY like a cricket. I know what a cricket sounds like, because on the first floor there were crickets in the hallway. One was in the room with the ice machine and it was very loud. They have redone the rooms in the last decade, and the decor was up to date. And though the shower was old and had hair wads strung up on the wall (why do you do this, ladies? and why wasn't it cleaned?) it was very hot and the pressure just about put me through the wall. In a world of pressure reducing showerheads, this was a rare blast of pure PSI.
Is this any better than the other properties in Primm? I dunno, the last time I stayed in the area was probably 15+ years ago. My guess is they're all on hard times now that gaming has eased in CA. But when it came time to sleep--truly the only reason I came here--the sheets were clean, the room was quiet (in a cricket kind of way) and I got some rest before getting out of there.
What will the future hold? There's plenty of speculation in this desert, from airport plans to competition a few miles north, to talk of more renovations. For the ownership, and for you as a customer, Buffalo Bill's seems like a roll of the dice.
