Bob
06-24-2004, 11:51 AM
Hello All,
The APA event is Vegas at The Riviera Hotel is coming up very quickly.
Just a few short hints for all of you and mostly for those who have never attended before.
1. When making your airport reservations VIA Internet, always check all available times of flights. Just because they either give you the option of a certain flight, doesn't mean that's the cheapest flight there is. EVEN if you put in find by cheapest fair. ALWAYS look at the different times coming and going for best prices.
2. The check in wait the day before the event's are brutal If you can come in a day before, I suggest it. You will end up spending hours in line to check in the day before. Be prepared to rotate pushing luggage in line. When you get to the hotel, check your luggage with the Bell cap when you are dropped of. They will give you a claim check and it can sit safe and guarded by camera's while you wait. It makes it easier to maneuver the lines, your luggage is safe and the norm for a tip is about $2.00 pr bag. They will then bring it directly to your room.
3. IF the Riviera Hotel is sold out, the Westward Ho has the cheapest rooms that are the closest. The rooms are nothing special similar to a low end Super 8. Circus Circus is next but be prepared to stay at the farthest tower in the casino for the cheapest rate. Again, check in is Brutal, so be prepared to wait in line.
4. If you plan to gamble, ALWAYS sign up for a "Players Card." The more you use it, the more comps you get. Comps are points that you accumulate while playing the machines or sitting at the tables.
The Riviera has added PENNY machines to Nickel Town. They are at the front of Nickel town by the street. They have a lot of really fun games you can play for a penny a spin. That is the lowest limits, I know of. The tables tend to change larger antes when big groups come in. I don't play many table games, but I have heard that tables that were once $5.00 ante are now $10.00. Go across the street to Slot's of Fun. They have low limit table games and penny machines. You do have to go into Circus Circus to the Ringmaster Club to get your players card for Slot's of Fun.
5. Stay away from Katy's Coffee Shop in the Riviera during peak times. It is expensive, and a Pepsi will cost you $2.50. They do have some specials like a T-bone steak for $9.95 or BBQ Rib Dinner for $5.95. These they run non stop. The coffee shop is not open after midnight on Sun ~ Thurs., but is open on Fri and Sat Nights.
After Midnight, you can go to the World Buffet at the Riviera for around $10.00 pp. I suggest getting there around 1 AM for the best selection. Otherwise, it can be a limited selection. In addition, ask them to make you a hamburger, it is the best thing out of the grill that time of night. I have also heard that the omlett's are good, but again from experience, ask them to use fresh eggs not the pre made egg mix. If you go to the $40 for $20 booth at the front of the Riviera, you can get a coupon book with a coupon for all the Riviera's restaurants.
6. NEVER, NEVER Leave any money or expensive items in your room. There are safes in most of the rooms for a nominal charge or you can use a safe at the front desk. As far as safety for your cue, you have a couple of choices. During the BCA and Valley events, they have a cue cage located directly off of the 1st main ballroom. This is always a good place to keep it. You can rent it for the entire time or by the day at a nominal fee. Or, you can check it with the Bell Captain and lastly, write me privately at windycityopen@aol.com and I will give you a few other suggestions. For obvious reasons, I don't want to post it.
7. Confirm your reservation. The hotel is SOLD OUT and sometimes over booked. Get names and confirmation numbers when confirming! Airplane reservations are always a good thing to confirm, but I was mostly referring to the hotel. I have heard horror stories of lost reservations, no reservations, wrong reservations. In one case a nasty ex girlfriend of a friend of ours, new that this guy was going to Vegas and called the hotel and canceled his hotel reservation. When the guy and his room mate (the new girlfriend) got there, they had no room.
8. NEVER, NEVER let your cab driver take you the "expressway route". The expressway circles around Vegas and it costs you $30.00 or more to get to the Riviera. The cabbies are notorious for trying this stunt. ALWAYS, tell them to take "Paradise road" the back way, and the trip should not cost more than $15.00 for 2 people with airport fees and time. DO Not let them take you down the strip, unless you want to pay to see it. It can be especially nice at night when it's lit up, so that's your call. It will cost you twice as much too. For those of you coming as a group, you can rent a limo at the airport which is cheaper than several cabs.
9. Circus Circus has the BEST steak house in Vegas.
10. Getting married in Vegas can be a hoot or the boot. Make reservations at where you want to get married at and be prepared to wait. The chapel at the Riviera is beautiful, I managed to pull off a last minute wedding for a friend there a couple of years ago. They planned to get married when they got to Vegas in-between matches, but when they got to the Little Chapel next to the Riviera hotel, the wait was so long it was impossible. So, from the many years that I have been going to the Riviera, I have made a friends, who managed to squeeze my friends in last minute at the Riviera chapel, got them married and back for their next match just in time!
Have fun, dont loose your a&&, and look us up during your stay!
Eydie Romano
The APA event is Vegas at The Riviera Hotel is coming up very quickly.
Just a few short hints for all of you and mostly for those who have never attended before.
1. When making your airport reservations VIA Internet, always check all available times of flights. Just because they either give you the option of a certain flight, doesn't mean that's the cheapest flight there is. EVEN if you put in find by cheapest fair. ALWAYS look at the different times coming and going for best prices.
2. The check in wait the day before the event's are brutal If you can come in a day before, I suggest it. You will end up spending hours in line to check in the day before. Be prepared to rotate pushing luggage in line. When you get to the hotel, check your luggage with the Bell cap when you are dropped of. They will give you a claim check and it can sit safe and guarded by camera's while you wait. It makes it easier to maneuver the lines, your luggage is safe and the norm for a tip is about $2.00 pr bag. They will then bring it directly to your room.
3. IF the Riviera Hotel is sold out, the Westward Ho has the cheapest rooms that are the closest. The rooms are nothing special similar to a low end Super 8. Circus Circus is next but be prepared to stay at the farthest tower in the casino for the cheapest rate. Again, check in is Brutal, so be prepared to wait in line.
4. If you plan to gamble, ALWAYS sign up for a "Players Card." The more you use it, the more comps you get. Comps are points that you accumulate while playing the machines or sitting at the tables.
The Riviera has added PENNY machines to Nickel Town. They are at the front of Nickel town by the street. They have a lot of really fun games you can play for a penny a spin. That is the lowest limits, I know of. The tables tend to change larger antes when big groups come in. I don't play many table games, but I have heard that tables that were once $5.00 ante are now $10.00. Go across the street to Slot's of Fun. They have low limit table games and penny machines. You do have to go into Circus Circus to the Ringmaster Club to get your players card for Slot's of Fun.
5. Stay away from Katy's Coffee Shop in the Riviera during peak times. It is expensive, and a Pepsi will cost you $2.50. They do have some specials like a T-bone steak for $9.95 or BBQ Rib Dinner for $5.95. These they run non stop. The coffee shop is not open after midnight on Sun ~ Thurs., but is open on Fri and Sat Nights.
After Midnight, you can go to the World Buffet at the Riviera for around $10.00 pp. I suggest getting there around 1 AM for the best selection. Otherwise, it can be a limited selection. In addition, ask them to make you a hamburger, it is the best thing out of the grill that time of night. I have also heard that the omlett's are good, but again from experience, ask them to use fresh eggs not the pre made egg mix. If you go to the $40 for $20 booth at the front of the Riviera, you can get a coupon book with a coupon for all the Riviera's restaurants.
6. NEVER, NEVER Leave any money or expensive items in your room. There are safes in most of the rooms for a nominal charge or you can use a safe at the front desk. As far as safety for your cue, you have a couple of choices. During the BCA and Valley events, they have a cue cage located directly off of the 1st main ballroom. This is always a good place to keep it. You can rent it for the entire time or by the day at a nominal fee. Or, you can check it with the Bell Captain and lastly, write me privately at windycityopen@aol.com and I will give you a few other suggestions. For obvious reasons, I don't want to post it.
7. Confirm your reservation. The hotel is SOLD OUT and sometimes over booked. Get names and confirmation numbers when confirming! Airplane reservations are always a good thing to confirm, but I was mostly referring to the hotel. I have heard horror stories of lost reservations, no reservations, wrong reservations. In one case a nasty ex girlfriend of a friend of ours, new that this guy was going to Vegas and called the hotel and canceled his hotel reservation. When the guy and his room mate (the new girlfriend) got there, they had no room.
8. NEVER, NEVER let your cab driver take you the "expressway route". The expressway circles around Vegas and it costs you $30.00 or more to get to the Riviera. The cabbies are notorious for trying this stunt. ALWAYS, tell them to take "Paradise road" the back way, and the trip should not cost more than $15.00 for 2 people with airport fees and time. DO Not let them take you down the strip, unless you want to pay to see it. It can be especially nice at night when it's lit up, so that's your call. It will cost you twice as much too. For those of you coming as a group, you can rent a limo at the airport which is cheaper than several cabs.
9. Circus Circus has the BEST steak house in Vegas.
10. Getting married in Vegas can be a hoot or the boot. Make reservations at where you want to get married at and be prepared to wait. The chapel at the Riviera is beautiful, I managed to pull off a last minute wedding for a friend there a couple of years ago. They planned to get married when they got to Vegas in-between matches, but when they got to the Little Chapel next to the Riviera hotel, the wait was so long it was impossible. So, from the many years that I have been going to the Riviera, I have made a friends, who managed to squeeze my friends in last minute at the Riviera chapel, got them married and back for their next match just in time!
Have fun, dont loose your a&&, and look us up during your stay!
Eydie Romano