Let me start out by saying I like Las Vegas. I like all of it, the Strip, the seedier casino’s in the Downtown area off Fremont Street, the multitudinous Hispanic men and women handing out flyers for escorts… all of it!
Vegas Marathon runners
Christmas time in Las Vegas is just more of the same for me. You’d hardly know it was Christmas in Vegas, apart from the Santa run, and the brand new Rock & Roll Las Vegas Marathon. The casinos, to their credit, don’t play Christmas music while granny is shooting craps with her Social Security check because that would be tacky.
I recently had the good fortune of staying at the Red Rock casino. It’s so far off the strip that it feels like you’re in another place entirely. The rooms at the Red Rock are very comfortable and spacious. My room on the 7th floor in the non-VIP section (ahem), had a lovely view of the pools. I believe there were 7 pools that I could see from my window. Unfortunately it was unseasonably cold when I was there, even snowed one day, so the pools were not a big draw.
One thing about Vegas casinos in recent years is the steep and precipitous decline in the quality of the food. Happily I can report that that is not the case at the Red Rock. With numerous food options from the Grand Cafe, an American style eatery with it’s huge portions and low priced yummies, to Hachi a Japanese Sushi and Yōshoku restaurant with small portions at high prices. If you’re in a rush to get to the one armed bandits, there’s a food court in the casino with great sandwiches from Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, and slices from Villa Pizza. Want to grab a beer with your pals? Let me highly recommend LBS, a burger joint.
Craps Table at Red Rock
Whenever I’m in Vegas I always think I see professional escorts in the company of men with more money then sense, and the Red Rock was no exception, however I have to say that the young ladies at the Red Rock, that may/may not have been hired to be there by their beau’s, were way more attractive than normal. In fact that’s why I suspected them of being escorts because they were super-model sexy with old fat guys. Could have been their nieces I suppose.
But back to Granny. She wants to roll those bones! At the Red Rock, like most casinos these days, the place is dominated by slot machines. The slots at Red Rock seem to me to be looser than most, I won $35 on a 50 cent bet, my colleagues would beg to differ, having the exact opposite experience. Red Rock does have table games though, including craps, roulette, blackjack, 3 card poker, and more.
Like Granny, I like to play a little dice myself. I once turned $200 into $40 in an hour, and that’s not easy playing dice. I had to really work at it. Fortunately for me, I’ve gotten better and the table at the Red Rock was pretty friendly. I turned $50 there into $120 in an hour, and when I was leaving the stick man said, “better luck sir.” At Harrahs or wherever I was when I lost $160, they didn’t wish me “better luck,” but here I won $70 and they wished me “better luck.” Anyway I appreciated it.
A Very Pricey Lamp
But that’s not why you called. You’re going to be there on business right? Well the Red Rock has it’s own attached convention center. The meeting rooms are spacious. It’s got a nice set up for AV, high ceilings to accommodate large screens the chandeliers aren’t hanging down far from the ceiling to block them either, (a pet peeve of mine). The loading dock for the convention center is quite small, but if you’re just there to attend a meeting, this won’t affect you in the slightest. Small loading docks are the norm in Vegas for some reason, and Red Rock’s is better than most.
Speaking of chandeliers, and I just was, in the lobby bar by the hotel reception there’s a chandelier that’s reportedly worth $7 million. American. No Frisbee playing in the lobby kids!
Red Rock does run a free shuttle to the strip, I never took it so I can’t tell you much about it, but I think it stops running pretty early in the night, like around 10 pm. The only real downside to the place is it’s distance from the rest of Vegas, and McCarran airport. A cab ride to the airport will run you about $65 bucks, or a limo $75.
Grab a limo, and head to McCarran, and I’ll see you on my Next Flight Home.
