Pete R.
Yelp
I first set foot in Harrah's just about 20 years ago, and have made countless trips here. Although things have changed a lot from that first trip, not much has changed in the almost 10 years I haven't stopped by here to donate.
There is a small parking area on the side by the main road, but the valet and hotel parking are in the rear, along with the entrance to the parking structure. Although the casino itself may undergo a lot of maintainance and cleaning, one of the areas that is frequently neglected is the parking elevators, and Harrah's is no different from any of the other nearby casinos. There is a rancid stench eminating from the elevator walls and floor, and the buttons are nice and sticky. It wouldn't hurt to clean the elevators maybe once a year, eh?
Aside from that, the first thing you notice after entering the casino is the cigarette stench. It hits you like a brick wall. The only eateries where you won't get the smell is Hell's Kitchen and Rita's Cantina, and probably Salt Fin. Even the nonsmoking area [which used to be a tiny little area in front of the cafe] reeks. If you're staying at the hotel, bring an extra change of clothes for when you sleep.
Most of the restaurants will be on the north wall of the casino, with the Starbucks and deli sandwiched between the cashiers cage and rewards booth, and Rita's on the South end near the pool. There are a few drink bars that you can squat at along the walls too.
While all the restaurants and bars might be new, the layout is still the same. It's hard to get lost, but easy to lose someone nonetheless. The machines may have changed, but the overall layout, including machine setups hasn't differed.
Hotelwise, checkin is a breeze, with the main checkin booth on the South side of the casino, next to the South tower elevators. The North tower elevators are located between the promotion desk and the Cafe.
I'm assuming that the pool closing at 6pm is due to winter, but with sunset being so early, you have a chance to enjoy a few minutes next to the firepit (ask them to light it for you) in the evening. There was an overwhelming smell of gas after a while, which we did advise the attendant. The main pool was closed for maintainance, but there were a few smaller pools and spas bubbling away and a handful of brave souls were in the lazy river, which is on my list of places to visitl next time i stay here.
The room we had was very spatious, with a couple of chairs and a nice sized bathroom.
Pros: Refrigerator, multi outlets on the lamps, detaching hangars, spacy bathroom and separate toilet room. Easy checkout process.
Cons: Both chairs suck, spiders all over the outside of the window, no towelhooks, toilet bowl was rediculously low to the ground, and not only does the showerhead not adjust, but the shower is cramped and water leaks through the door.
I'd stay here again if it was cheap or free, otherwise a turnaround trip is always on the table. Watch out at the Starbucks though, the sticker prices for their merchandise is almost double a regular store.