Ten good things about the Riviera

A couple of days ago, I posted a bit about the problems the Riviera.  But God help me, I'm an optimist. As I said in my previous post, I still like the place and visit every time I'm in town. The Riviera still does a few things right that keep bringing me back.  Here are ten of them.

   1. Good gambling. The new owners are promoting the place as a destination for "real gamblers", as opposed to a place for the high fashion, go-there-to-be-seen, nightclub crowd. They have good table game rules, and I've never had a bad dealer there. They also treat low-rollers (such as myself) with respect and welcome their business. This is not true of all places in LV.
    2. The Queen Victoria Pub - A real British pub. Well, OK, a fake British pub, but as real as anything in Vegas. I thought putting this place in was a great idea, and whenever I go, there is a good crowd(unlike in the casino), so maybe it's paying off for them. The Brits show up to watch the European sports, I show up because they draw a good pint of Guinness (surprisingly hard to find in Vegas), and because it's a relaxing place with great, friendly service. There is a niche here, and I think they did a good job of filling it.

   3. They have a good cheap food court. They also put in some cool old pinball machines here. If they put in some skeeball lanes I'd settle in for a few hours.

   4. It's next to the Peppermill, maybe the last good(not great, but close) restaurant/lounge on the strip. Believe the hype, it's worth the trip. Good food, big portions, decent prices, strong drinks, weirdo lounge decor, and a rare cast of characters make this place a real find.

   5.  The staff has always been friendly to me. This is a big plus.

   6. They send out a lot of comps if you have their players card. I get them regularly. I haven't used any yet, but one day they will get to me. 6.They have a bingo room. Bingo is not my thing, but a lot of people get terribly excited about bingo.

    7. They seem to have a good convention space. I know nothing about conventions and less about convention space, but it seems pretty big to me.

    8. They have a good (and affordable) comedy club. I'm a big fan of comedy clubs. Usually, I'd rather go cheap and see new faces rather than pay big bucks for a headliner.

    9. Roller Derby. Yes, roller derby. And I've heard the girls go drinking at the Queen Vic afterwords. Sipping a Guinness and watching a rugby game in a bar full of vacationing Brits and roller derby girls? How cool is that?

  10. The old school neon.  Every remodel or update on the strip means less of the classy old neon.  Maybe you haven't noticed.  Outside of downtown, the Riviera has the coolest of the old neon.  You'll miss it when its gone.

What's wrong with the Riviera?

Recently there was an article in the Las Vegas Sun about the Riviera investing a bunch of money to renovate, which, IMHO, is welcome news anywhere. 

I'm a regular reader (and sometimes contributor) to the Las Vegas board on tripadvisor.com, and every now and then someone asks about staying at the Riviera.  The board is quickly inundated with dire warnings and horror stories about the place, which seem to have the desired effects of scaring people away.  Even my Frommer's guide lists this place as "not worth your time or your money."  They officially have a "bad reputation".

I'll admit to having a soft spot for the place.  It's certainly "old school", after all the great movie Casino was filmed there.  I also have a particular annoyance at people who complain that "Vegas hates it's history" and "Big corporations are destroying Vegas", and yet never venture down to the places that are trying to hold on to "the old vibe".  But I digress a bit.

Some years ago, never mind how long precisely, I stayed there.  It was my second ever trip, and I found the place perfectly acceptable.  Even then it was long past hip, but I've been past hip for a while myself.  There was nothing about the place that really wowed me, but I don't remember anything being particularly bad either.  When I make my wee jaunts out to the desert paradise, I always make a trip to the old Riv.  And every time I go, it seems more dated, more rundown, and less busy than the last time, which makes me a bit sad.  Yes, I'm a bit of a weepy sap about such things, but the Riviera was where I learned craps, thanks to the helpful, polite and terribly patient dealers.  The staff, overall, was really great - friendly bartenders, helpful dealers, and the guy that hailed my cab and gave me directions to a couple of places.  After quite a few years, I remember the good service.  There is a lesson there somewhere.

Now back to the headline of my little post, "What's wrong with the Riviera?" 

1.  It's old.  Built in 1955, which makes it very old by Vegas standards.  Old isn't really a bad thing.  Outdated is a bad thing.  The Riv is outdated, and it takes a good bit of money to fix that.
2. It's run down.  Again, a lot of money can fix that.
3. It has a very bad reputation.  Vegas is a town where such things can change though - not too long ago the Tropicana, the Plaza, the El Cortez, and the Gold Spike had terrible reputations. All have made something of a comeback since undergoing big redevelopments.
4. The north strip is dead.  When I stayed at the Riv, Stardust, Circus Circus, the Sahara, and the Stratoshere were all within walking distance.  Now only Circus Circus and the Strat are left and the Strat is too long of a walk for many people.  The Fontainebleau and the Echelon sites sit half finished and will not be finished for years to come.  There is no foot traffic and no big money anywhere in the area.  This is probably the Riviera's biggest problem, and the one the new owners won't be able to fix.
5. The casino is way too empty, and the few people there are low-rollers. As a low-roller myself, I'm not complaining, and you can certainly run a good business if you get enough of them in the door, but that just isn't happening right now.

I'm still optimistic since the place has new owners, and maybe a bit of money to spend.  They've sold the sister casino in Colorado, so it seems like they are all in on Vegas.

Good luck to you fellas.  If you go away, the people who never visited will cry.