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77 reviews for Eldorado Reno Hotel Casino
I got a special room rate this past weekend for a family reunion. My room was on the 5th floor facing the heat vents or whatever those things are. That said, the room itself was lovely for one person. There wasn't a lot of natural light, but there were two sinks, plenty of drawers and closet space, and it was far from the elevator which I always like.
Reno is such a far cry from Vegas. In Reno they are actually glad to see you. People like to chat and be helpful. Everyone is extremely friendly. There are very few massive lines. You can walk everywhere. The quality and prices are generally better. Vegas, while spectacular, is more hit or miss even in these economic times. In some ways there's no comparison, but overall Reno is more relaxing and "Wild West" for me.
The casino staff were all friendly and wanted to show you a good time. I"m glad the El Dorado is trying to make gambling fun. God knows it's hard work. Special props to the Poker Room staff. Very nice people.
The rooms are clean, standard rooms. The location is very convenient, right at the center of the strip.
The buffet is affordable and has a decent spread of good-quality food.
The Reno "strip" pretty much contains three huge hotel/casinos and a bunch of closed establishments. Definitely not the Reno I remember. The Eldorado still remains a constant reminder of the Reno glory days. Whats even better is that is is connected to Silver Legacy AND Circus Circus. So after winning a large stuffed pig at Circus Circus, you can bring it to the $1 margaritas in the closest bar. Atleast its a cheap date.
The staff there was super friendly. We got up graded to a huge room on the 23rd floor with a great view of the Reno sign and the Bowling Stadium. Who could as for more?! The room was spotless and it might have been the most comfy bed ever. Yeah...at the Eldorado.
The lobby is covered in tacky gold adornments which just adds to the charm. I especially love the mirrored hallway leading from the garage to the lobby because when I am drunk I love seeing myself multiplied a billion times or perhaps getting confused and thinking i have a twin and talking to it. After that embarrassment the best way to recover is in the buffet. Its great, and I am anti buffet.
I think this casino is okay. I went there to gamble for an hour and played black jack. The dealer did not say much to me nor was polite, he probably said what is this kid smiling at. But I won $15 dollars from the casino playing blackjack, but I lost some on the slot machines, oh well that is what you call gambling right. Hmm the casino is pretty small. I walked downtown for the most part and covered within an hour.
I'm bumping up my rating a notch based on the fact I just returned from the remodeled buffet. Tonight was the Tuesday Italian Extravaganza.
DEFINITELY TRY:
Shrimp ceviche
Calamari salad
Polenta in pesto (Note: That's how it was labeled, but clearly it was in a tomato sauce)
Porcini ravioli (Outstanding!)
Steamed mussels
Chocolate chip cannoli
Apple spice cake
SKIP:
Swedish meatballs (not enough flavor)
Sauteed squash and eggplant (too salty)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/13/2009
Long story short, two poker dealers seemed reluctant to put me on the 7-Card Stud List. I asked if… Read more »
I've stayed at the Eldorado twice in 2009; once in May and once in October. Both stays were on the weekend. In general, my stays here were excellent both times. Service was prompt and polite at all locations on the premises. Cocktail waitresses were very attentive in the casino itself. The restaurant selections in the casino were very good. La Strada in particular is an excellent Italian restaurant, on par with any other Italian food I've eaten, and for far less than most of the "fine" Italian restaurants located in more upscale cities.
I was especially pleased by the Eldorado when, during my last visit, upon arrival I was immediately upgraded from the standard room I had reserved to a spa suite for no additional charge. The room was spacious, the view gorgeous, and the spa itself quite relaxing. The bathroom was huge and had many perks, like a multi-angled mirror with a bench seat (great for the ladies to do their hair!) and a shower that doubled as a steam room. There was also a phone in the bathroom. The room was wonderful, and the hotel succeeded in making my girlfriend and I feel absolutely pampered. I would absolutely stay here again; in fact, I'm planning on it!
Old school get in your time machine and blast into the past of little downtown Reno here. Standard casino hotel connected to others. 3.5 stars.
Cost to worth it ratio: 4.5 (motel 6 prices at a full service hotel--can't really beat a room for $50 with 24 hr room service and a mini bar)
Highlights:
- Location: right in the center of the main drag on Virginia street. Convenient as it's connected to neighbor hotels so it's easy access to more bars and restaurants.
- Casino: inexpensive tables
- Parking: large structure in the back, free with validation
Lowlights:
- Super smokey downstairs: don't think that's unique to this Reno hotel however
Not sure how many trips I'll be taking to the biggest little city in the world, but I'd be ok staying here again.
Treasures of the Elllllldorado! I've never won anything better than a pack of cards off of the pyramid but I love the sound of the announcement!
Eldorado has a great video poker bar and that's what I need...somewhere that will keep my drinks flowing while I entertain myself.
Now my review binge on casino's would'nt be complete without doing this one. This was a one time venture this past year. I used to do this one all the time but never won anything there and didn't like their buffet. The food was always just warm or cold. Guess they were just to cheap to turn up the steam tables. Anyway I believe it was in July of 08 when I decided to try it again. It had been several years since I had been there and was amazed at the changes which had been made. I did my normal thing which is walking around looking at all the slots trying to make up my mind which one I was going to play.
I saw a circular bank of 5 quarter slots situated kind of by themselves with no one playing them. They were the kind of slots where if you got the lucky spin you could win additional coins. Sat down to one of them and inserted my money. Hit max bet .75, and knock me over I got the special spin right off. That spin won me 100 coins. Well now that I was playing with their money I continued playing. Every 3 bets I would win 50 to 100 coins. Now right away in my mind I'm thinking that there is something wrong with this machine and the maintenance people will be comming soon to put an out of order tag on it. So I just kept playing.
About 5 hours later someone did show up and told me that they had to perform their maintenance routine on that bank of machines. Now that was ok with me cuz I had won a little over $1,000.00.
I then went over to CC for some sushi. When I got back to ED that bank of slots were no longer there, oh well, I had my fun.
Oh Eldo. I have spent more time and money within your walls than I care to admit. The experience has always been solidly mediocre, yet I continue to spend time with you. Why? Perhaps its your central location, easy access....i dunno. Cant really come up with a compelling reason as to why I return time and time again. It's certainly not the food, the quality of the service and guestrooms, or even the gaming.
At least I have a reason now NOT to return. To wit:
I am putting together a large event in Reno in February. Having lived there for many years, and having worked very closely with many of the casino properties (including the Eldo) in a marketing capacity, I am not a novice when it comes to this sort of thing.
In any case...for this event that I am putting together: I wanted to book five or so suites, preferably within close proximity to each other. Additionally, I wanted to block out several guest rooms, also in the same general vicinity. It was at this point that I had the unfortunate experience of speaking with Jenna, who identified herself as an "admin", and Michelle who works in group sales. It has been years since I have been treated so poorly. By anyone. They were dismissive, distracted, and generally very unpleasant. Scratch that. They were a-holes, plain and simple. Worse, they seemed unable to answer basic questions about the guest rooms and property itself. Total amateur hour.
I was at the Eldo over this past holiday...played cards for a couple of hours... the place was D E A D. We literally felt like we were the only people in the casino. Some people might enjoy that feeling...for me, it was unsettling. Creepy.
What does that have to do with anything? One would think with business as bad as it appears to be, they would not want to turn away any possible business, especially a group that would, at worst, contribute upwards of ~20K to their bottom line in one weekend. We still have a significant budget for this event, including a great deal of gaming. Now I just need to find a place to take it. Grand SIerra is looking mighty good right now.
Pretty clean, decent place to stay & I played blackjack one night and won about 700 bucks. The dealers & cocktail servers were nice and seemed sincerely friendly. The next night I went to some Rum Beach Themed Bar in another nearby casino and got insanely drunk on very cheap but good & strong Tiki type drinks. I slept if off the next day. Fun time for a short visit. Would be a great long weekend place for a guys or girlfriend getaway. Don't expect anything like a "spa" here however. Seems to cater to Northern Californians that want a looser atmosphere then Cali casinos.
With the price we paid to stay here i shouldn't be complaining much, but i'm gonna vent anyways.
There was a strong stench of cigarette smoke in the room and it never went away, never. I think it was coming from the AC vent. I can understand the casinos being smokey but in the rooms??
The Tivoli Gardens food service seemed short handed and we waited way too long for the waiter to come around us. Who ever is managing that spot needs to get his/her head out the ass and put more servers on the floor... come on man, its Saturday!
The only thing excellent was the food.
As a local, I cannot rate the rooms, but I can say that they have the best comp system for their players club cards in Reno, I wish every casino in town would do it like that. For every hour you game, you get $1.00 on your card. A big plus also, is that you don't have to take your card to a help desk to get a meal comped, you can use your card at the restaurant itself. That is awesome.
Tivoli Gardens is the best 24 hour restaurant I have found in Reno, I have never walked away from their disappointed.
I only game in the poker room, no slots, no blackjack, no craps, just poker. I like it because it is walled off from the rest of the casino, so there is not as much smoke, and they usually have a seven-card stud game going, which a rarity around town as well.
Dude I kid you not about the Pent House Suite. I happen to be able to get into one of the pent house suites and was like DAYYYYMMMN!
As you walk in there is a big panoramic window of the mountains, it includes a large dining area and personal bar station. This Suite I ran into had 2 bedrooms which included hot tubs in both rooms.
Flat screen, IPOD dock to play your beats, blu ray player and all the channels!
Forreals I think this is the suite for a ROCKSTAR!
Room seems much more crappier than Peppermill and Silver Legacy.
I went to a blackjack table. The dealer was a "jabber-jaw" and gets two face cards and blackjack without drawing more cards.
Therefore, I lost a bunch of money and quickly left the casino.
(No "cool" votes, please).
We went to Eldorado while they were having their 2 for 1 special. So our room for 3 days, 2 nights was $40 during the weekday! Can't beat that!
The room is clean -- and small. We reserved the standard room instead of the deluxe. The deluxe would have been much more comfortable. But no one is complaining about the room -- for that price!
They also gave us $75 worth of coupons. But for a budget traveler, that coupon book is fairly worthless. You're required to dine or shop at the hotel and it's over priced items. Although they do provide $10 in drinks @ Cin Cin or 2-1 chip money.
Wireless internet in the hotel is acceptable. It's just not free. But who goes to a casino to browse the Internet, right?
The staff is extremely friendly. We were greeted daily by the security personnel who guards the elevators to the towers.
To celebrate the Chinese New Year, the buffet theme was Chinese food. If you're going just for the Chinese food, don't bother. Go for what they they are known for -- steak, pot roast, fried chicken, shrimp, salad, especially dessert!
I actually worked here in 1982-83 while in college, good food here and good prices for room. For under $50 it was great. Recommended. Food at this casino/hotel is probably the best in Reno - try a pastry or desert and you'll be surprised
I love the choices of three casinos in one, there are choice of restaurants. three buffets, two sushi many restaurants and three 24 hour restaurants. Because Silver Legacy is joint venture of Circus Circus' and Eldorado's joint venture. And They are all connected together it is alike all three casinos in one. I don't even have to go outside. I also alike when you stay here and if you want to eat at Silver Legacy or Drink at the Silver Legacy. You can bill to your room since El Dorado own the Silver Legacy. I love that.
I came here for a friend's bachelor party and the price was great for a summer. 2 rooms for one night, around $150 is good for me. The rooms were pretty nice but the pillows are horrible! Get some new pillows and do it now! The other thing that I would like is somewhere for late night munchies - just a slice of pizza or nachos or something. I don't really want to sit down and order a club sandwich at 5:00 am, I just want to grab something quick that I can eat in my boxers back in the room! Will stay here again if I can get those same rates, the rooms are really just storage for your bags you know.
Ok, so lets talk bars.
The reason I say that is because I feel like that's all El Dorado really had to offer me ... yet I keep going back? Honestly I think everything here is really mediocre like one of the other reviewers said. The rooms I have visited (but not stayed) have been just ok, decent, do-able ... and the rest of the place, the casino portion as well as the bars are maybe average at best. So in the end you really are getting what you paid for, which for the most part I hope was a mediocre to cheap price to stay at the El Dorado.
With that said, for some reason I find their bars to have a surprising selection of alcohol, some of which are not necessarily offered anywhere else! Well, anywhere else in Reno ... so if you're looking for a good time with drinks, cheap and pronto, then this place is for you!
Since I am a local I do not go to the casinos that much unless to have dinner or see a show or for a special event. This is the hotel to stay at.
My husband offered to get me and my friends a room for my bachlorette party, so we all will have a place to crash instead of going home. We booked on-line. It was a Thursday night the price was a but high but it was a gift. He checked me in and said that when at the front desk the man there gave him a deal on the room and lowered the price to about 60 bucks! We got a spa suite. It was very nice and had a great view.
We barely were in the room that night but we all enjoyed it. Then my husband suggested that I stay one more night there with someone before the wedding day. So he got it for another night and again they were very friendly and gave him another discount, he even tried to get it again for our wedding night but they were booked.
My mom and I stayed there, the bed was a bit lopsided but still comfortable. I could barely sleep only because I was getting married the next day. But I ordered room service for breakfast the next morning. It was very tasty.
Overall very nice people and great room. We will definitely will be going back, or recommend this place to any visitors.
I booked 2 luxury hotel rooms on the El Dorado website for the weekend of 1/2-1/4 and when I arrived they told me that they had overbooked and there were no more rooms available...
WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAATTT?!?!!? Ready to throw shit down I mustered up my best "uh...wtf" voice and was about to start yelling when they told me that they would pay for our rooms at the nearby Siena and also pay for comped rooms for a stay in the future.
Now...that's more like it! 5 stars for excellent customer service!! Don't get your hopes up though, the lady at the desk said that this only happens like once a year. Will amend once I get the opportunity to actually stay there...
The boyf and I decided to gamble here for a bit to let the effects of the two martinis at the Roxy subside before heading back to our own hotel. We somehow managed to lose $20 in about 2 minutes, when we'd been winning consistently elsewhere. Lame.
Cocktail waitress comes over, who couldn't possibly be more than 15 years old, and asks if we want anything to drink. I ask for just a diet coke. She asks for my id. I assume she's just misheard me and say, "Oh just plain diet coke, no alcohol." She explains (like she's talking to a four-year-old) that she has to see my ID because I'm sitting at a slot machine. This has not been the case ANYWHERE ELSE. I apologize, show her the ID, and she leaves. When she returns, she practically throws the diet coke at me, I try to tip her, and she runs away before I can give her the money, clearly PUT OUT by having to do her job.
I would not stay here if this is the prevailing attitude of the staff.
Stayed here in a regular room and it was no better than a run of the mill hotel. The room was small and our view was overlooking the outdoor hotel employee's lounge. The maids did a decent job cleaning the room. They do have a good casino, won more here than any other casino we went to. Their restraunt Tivoli Gardens which we ate at one night was awful. I do like that they are connected to Silver Legacy and Circus Circus and that there are a variety of restaraunts of all price points within a short walk.
I prefer Silver Legacy, especially their Spa Suite, that was awesome and quite cheap when we went. If I could get a spa suite here, then I would stay again.
looks kinda outdated but semi well kept, didnt game just walked through.
My BFF and I decided to take a girls trip to Reno for my 23rd birthday and the Eldorado had the best deal, we wanted more money to gamble so we took it. Wish we hadn't though, our trip would have been much better if we had decided to pay a little extra to stay elsewhere.
We stood in line to check in for about 15 minutes, when we finally got to the front desk clerk she upgraded our room at no extra cost. (we got a table with two chairs...yay)
The room was nice, the tv was ancient, the beds were so lumpy I couldn't sleep very well, there were no fitted sheets so that added to the lumpiness. The bathroom was nice, the floor looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a very long time. Room service was fast, but for the price and quality, Dennys is a better option, to bad there weren't any around.
The staff was rude for the most part. Didn't know anything about other departments, we went on a wild goose chase to find someone to give us cashback but no one in the whole hotel new what "Cash-Back" ment. Finally after 3 stops I was really peeved, and spoke to the management who finally confirmed that no where gave cash-back. Room service personal were very rude except one woman but I can't remember her name, she had a southern accent and called us doll. lol. Isis however should be renamed ice queen, man that woman must really hate her job!
Anyway to sum it up, I will not return and would not reccomend it, the only plus of this place is the Restaurant Roxy.
Came here for my 24th Birthday eariler in the year...
The room was clean and spacious. My BF booked us for the low end economy room, but the concierge upgraded us to a nicer one (it had a table...*ooohhh* lol). The room as I recall what also very afforadable.
I love how the Eldorado is connected to both the Silver Legacy and Circus Circus. It makes it nice to be able to go through the three casinos without having to step outside.
Also very cool, my BF went to his first *real* poker turny here and ended up last man standing. So we went out to the Chinese restaurant there. Very nice. Also, try Roxy's, they have some really good martinis.
Overall, nice place, the casino is large, and plenty of machines paid out well for me (I actually got really excited when one gave me triple what I had put in). Also, sign up for their comp cards, got me and the BF cash to spend later.
We stayed in the Player's Spa Suite at the Eldorado and was very satisfied with the room. We were on the 19th floor which gave us a good view of the city as well as the mountains. The player's spa suite was very spacious... and like it's name, it came with a spa. The California King sized bed was super comfortable and soft... especially after a long week at work.
You would think that a suite would come with a fairly large LCD or plasma for your enjoyment. Well then again, this IS Reno. There was a large cabinet at the foot of the bed and with a push of a button, an old school 27 inch tube style television would rise out of the cabinet. Total James Bond like. That's the old school James Bond kids... not the Bond of the 2000s. Oh well... who's really there to watch hours of TV anyways?
The buffet was average here. It's very modern/Vegas looking. Worth the 12 or 15 dollars. I didn't expect much paying that little for a buffet.
Sportsbook was pretty small but I did find that the odds are a bit better. I don't mind betting here just wouldn't spend much time watching the games here. Go to Atlantis if you want to watch sports.
As for table games, it's only of the only few places in Reno that I saw Baccarat.
Would definitely stay in the Player's Spa Suite again!
When I arrived our check in was delayed. They couldn't find my reservation because they had mixed it up and put my last name first and first name last. They felt bad when they discovered their error and gave us a free upgrade which was nice.
Our room was okay. It wasn't big but for the price it an okay size and it wasn't tacky. Shortly after we got to our room I washed my hands and the first towel I went to use was not clean and it had a hair on it. The rest of the towels were clean. Strange.
Our room had a view of the pool which wasn't a plus. In LV the Hard Rock has Rehab, Venetian has Tao Beach, Palms has Ditch Fridays. If the Eldorado had a pool party it would be called... Ditch Hospice, Geriatric Rehab, or Elderly Swim. We saw one woman in a polka dot swim suit that didn't close in the back enter the pool with the aide of a walker. Dude.
The worst part about staying here was the noise level. OMG. If you need to get sleep do not stay here. The walls are very thin. You can hear everyone in the hall and the rooms adjacent. It is ridiculous. I bought ear plugs but I have a pierced tragus on one side so I can only plug one side without irritating it. At one point there was a dog barking incessantly across the hall. Down at the desk we learned they have a no pets policy.
Don't order the room service here. It is awful. It doesn't come from any of the restaurants. Room service has a separate kitchen. We ordered the following items chef salad- the only thing which was edible was the meat and cheese, strawberries and cream- you will get a glass of half and half a bowl a strawberries; we were perplexed, pizza- good grief how can you f* up pizza? Well these folks did it.
Perhaps the most annoying thing I experienced here was being charged a random $3 some odd cent per day "resort fee" upon check out. When I asked what it was for at the desk the lady they said it was for parking, airport shuttle and security. Now, parking is supposed to be free when you stay at the hotel. It is just a junk fee they throw on. I was annoyed because I felt they were making up fees but I paid it. In the elevator I was complaining about it and some other guests leaving heard and told me that they had it removed from their bill. They said that they stay here all the time and its a new thing that the casino is adding to your bill. It's silly and shady. It's not like they tell you this upfront.
The last time we were here we had a romantic view of "the orb" the dome across the street at Silver Legacy. The air was sharp and the streets barren. This time was different we had a tiny room with no orb view and the snow was a week and a half away from total disintegration. The local paper did a feature on bears that would soon be out of hibernation. Although many streets on the way to Reno have signs that warn of bear crossing the only bear I saw was on the cover of that paper.
I will say that I have had a much better time in Reno than I have had in Vegas and there are various reasons for this. The first time we came here we were broke, still youthful not so self conscious and Reno was a perfect balance of kitsch and just far enough away to feel like we went somewhere.
El Dorado is cheaper than the more popular Silver Legacy but compared to other regions any place you stay in Reno is going to be a steal.
After extended prodding, I managed to finagle a dear friend, usually averse to planning, into organizing a Tahoe snowboarding trip -- my first time snowboarding ever. We decided upon staying in Reno -- too few for a cabin by the slopes, and Reno has more to do at night, right?
She picked the Eldorado, because another thought Circus Circus would be too ghetto -- hey, it wasn't me, I'm not a snob, I lurve the games, and I usually make out like gangbusters. Anyone want a 4' Taz?
I'm glad we stayed at the Eldorado. For the price, the digs were clean, new, and well-kept. Within the $100-150 price range, I've stayed in much worse dives in Vegas. The Eldorado is definitely nicer than its Vegas equivalents.
And I'm not just talking about the rooms. The lobbies are clean. The gambling floor is heated -- though maybe a bit too warm. And even the waitresses aren't so long in the tooth -- one or two might even turn your head...
And before I forget... For the love of all that's Yelp, people -- do not eat at the buffet. Save yourself the pain and go to a regular restaurant. Their late night cafe serves up decent prime rib for cheap, and the service is great.
Enough about the atmosphere. Nobody goes to Reno to look at the statues and eat the cheap steak and eggs. What about the gambling, you say?
I gamble only the second night. I trade in two hundred dollars for nickel chips at my favorite game: roulette. Too bad they're not single zero tables. But it's okay. I'll still make my money.
$200 buy in, just after midnight. The pit boss hands me back my new player's card. I start with a few gin and tonics. I never dip below $140. Double up, double up... I like the electronic ticker. I like looking at the numbers. They don't help you win money. They help preoccupy your mind. I'm not lucky. It's not about luck. The gin's meh, I switch to iced teas. The dealers rotate. I don't pay any attention to the table, just listen to when the ball stops. It's too much of an emotional commitment otherwise. I just line up my following bets, sip my drink, collect my winnings.
I go to Vegas only on two occasions: either when I start dating a girl, or when I break up with one. This isn't Vegas. It's a little different. I've sat at a roulette table for sixteen hours straight before... This time, not so much. I set a time limit, not a money limit. Tomorrow morning is day two of snowboarding. Much face planting and busted toes to experience.
The last hand is at two in the morning, on the dot. I've got $200 on even odds and $200 on two-to-one. The ball spins. No more bets. Tick, tick, tick. I sip my iced tea. If I lose it all, I still walk out with around double my money. A smile on my face grows before the ball stops. Winner, of course.
I tip the dealer $50 and call it a night. Not bad for starting with only $200. She lets the pit boss know I'm cashing out just shy of a grand -- and in that instant, not only his face, but his whole body seems to curl up in pain for just a moment, grimacing...
That pain is why I'm giving Eldorado five stars. Thank you. I'm looking forward to more.
P.S. My friend said to mention craps. She taught me how to snowboard AND how to play craps -- the latter at the cost of about $145 of charity to the casino... Fun game, but I'll stick to rap...er, cleaning house with roulette. ;)
Stay here last spring for 3 nights during a long weekend. They messed up and gave us a smaller room not what I reserved. But they made things right by giving us a much better room for the next couple of nights. I think it evened out in the end. The front desk people were super helpful.
For the amount of money you spend staying here here, you should not have to be harassed by people selling timeshares. They are everywhere in the lobby and you can't avoid them. If you are walking by, they try to flag you down and interest you in timeshares. Once you make eye contact, you're dead. They don't stop. You just have to be rude and walk away because they don't understand "No." For us out-of-towners, they are they only ones available to ask questions so you suck it up, ask them for directions and hear their sales pitch. :(
The El Dorado is connected to Silver Legacy and Circus Circus so you get to see all the attractions in those hotels too without ever setting foot outside. Great for when the weather is bad.
The buffets and restaurants get so packed that there is usually a line snaking out into the lobby. So if you have plans to eat there, come early and be prepared to wait.
Overall, I think I might try them again.
The walls are thin, the tv is TINY (13inches?) and there is no vent in the bathroom... the decor looks like it's from the 80's too... Although location is very convenient to the main street of Reno hotel/casinos and connected to Silver Legacy and Circus Circus with many restaurants to choose from open all hours of the day.
Mom and I stayed at this hotel a few years ago due to a free room offer she received in the mail for Super Bowl weekend. It is a nice atmosphere with decent rooms. And the free Super Bowl buffet was not bad either.
I used to enjoy staying at Eldorado Hotel but my last experience here may very well be my last experience here.
Mom and I stayed here instead of our usual Holiday Inn since we made this trip sans felines. I was impressed with the security detail (must show your room key to go up the elevators). I was a whole lot less impressed with the rest of my experience however.
It's not busy when you stay midweek and they had plenty of vacancies. I actually don't remember much about the room itself, except for the awful experience I had in it. I know it was nicer than the rooms at the Holiday Inn, but not that nice.
I do enjoy the buffet at this casino and that I will review separately. So, after eating and gambling for the evening it's time to turn in. I don't sleep well in the best of circumstances and I am often up several times a night to use the bathroom. On this particular evening I had more than one reason for that middle of the night need. Imagine my utter surprise and dismay to get up and discover that all of the water had been turned off in the middle of the night! What??? Can't flush the toilet. Oh terrific. Can't wash my hands? Just great! Can't clean up things that needed cleaning up - no, not priceless. Horrible!
I called the front desk. They acknowledged that the water had been turned off in several of the rooms in my area for some weird maintenance reason, and said that I should've been told upon check-in. Well, I wasn't. They offered to come up and give me a key to a room several doors down the hall if I wanted to go in there and use that bathroom. Are you kidding me??!!! Um, no! Not walking down the hall in my nighties to use some other bathroom. Why wasn't I booked into that room in the first place if it was available??
The whole experience left a really bad impression on me. When I checked out, I had intended to ask for compensation and was hoping they would half price my room or something. They had already logged my middle of the night call and did immediately offer up compensation without my asking. One star for that. And one more star for comping my room; so no charge. I later received a coupon in the mail to come and stay with them again, for free, but I don't know if I'm willing to try this again. I've had a few other bad hotel experiences but this was certainly one of the worst.
They would have four stars, but they always seem to give me a room with no windows, until after I see it and asked to be moved. Their "e-suite" is one example of a windowless room. Very nice room with excellent bathroom, separate bedroom, dining area, big flat screen TV and bar area. However, the no-windows thing is not something that I can handle. They gave me some other windowless rooms, too (I forget the other room names). They don't have many floors, so now I am sure to request a higher floor, with windows when I book.
Do yourself a favor and sign-up for their free players card. This is a must, even if you gamble very little. They are very good at regularly sending out free room offers to players card members.
Buffet area has been remodeled. The food is also a notch up from before. Overall in the reno area i would recommend El Dorado buffett. Breakfast/Lunch was under $12 and well worth it. Selection was great and they put time in cooking the food. Not like Circus Circus please need I say more. Harrah's buffet and El Dorado the best in Reno.
Surprisingly WONDERFUL experience! I went with another adult and a 7 year old. This was a last minute invite (as in SAME DAY PLANNING & BOOKING!!!) around the holidays this past December and I figured that because of the last minute nature, we'd stay at a dive that would be pseudo scary. The result was surprising and in a good way. We're non-smokers and the room actually didn't have any smoke smell to it at all. The rooms were facing the main strip on the 8th floor on the first night & the 9th floor on the second.
I'm sure you're wondering, "WHAT?!!....2 different rooms??!!" Well, that's where the lack of that last star comes in. The first room we stayed in had some other guests booked for it on the second night, so we were told that we had to change rooms. Apparently there's a very minimum amount of non-smoking rooms.
Either way, they were very accommodating as were we, and the rooms were quiet, smoke-free and luckily we didn't have "active" couples that we could hear around us...Imagine explaining that one to a 7 year old!!!
Food-wise, we enjoyed diverse dining at Tivoli Gardens, as they feature Mexican, Chinese, American and Italian foods!!! Sounds scary, but refreshingly, it was really good - both in my opinion and the other guests I sat with. On the times we went there, I had their Cobb Salad (HUGE portion, so go in with an appetite) and their crab cakes (very nummy!).
If you've seen my other Yelps I've posted, you'll see that COFFEE plays a large part in my life. That being said, I went to the Eldorado Coffee Company that's located right off of Tivoli Gardens. This was not my first time at this cafe even though this was my first stay at the hotel. I made sure to find my way through the long line...as it is TRULY WORTH THE WAIT!!! I drink a mocha hot or cold. They made it with Ghiradelli chocolate (YUMMMMMM!) and they made it perfect all 4 times that I went there. - Be wary of the temptation of sweets in the cold case as you wait in line, as they look to be bad, but in a GOOD way. I was not swayed, but then again, I don't have a really big sweet tooth.
All in all (yes, I know this one was rather wordy) I enjoyed my stay whole heartedly and even when I asked for extra towels to be brought up, I didn't have long to wait.
You'll definitely enjoy your stay here!
THE best buffet in reno / south tahoe area. I've been to quite a few of these buffets at the major casino hotels. Eldorado's buffet is my favorite. Mont Bleu from South Tahoe is my second favorite. Harrah's is third. Eldorado buffet is about $20 per person for dinner on saturday. Very good price for the variety of food they offer. The mindblowing good meat selection and crab legs. Plus gourmet icecream.... about 10 flavors to choose from.
