One of the grand old dames of 'The Strip', built in 1955, The Riviera was originally designed to emulate the opulence of its French namesake. But while many of the other hotels that have survived for decades have gone to great lengths to stay current (ie: Caesars, Circus Circus), The Riviera hasn't gone through a lot of upgrades and changes lately. That's both a good and bad thing.

Much of the hotel's stasis comes from the muddied history of the last few years that has seen it be the target of multiple takeover and purchase attempts. There were rumors it would be torn down, remodeled, turned into an Elvis themed hotel... Donald Trump was rumored to be angling for it at one point, but all of it failed and the hotel soldiered on pretty much unchanged for years.

The good part is that this is Vegas history, baby. Smoky mirrors and ornate chandeliers in the public areas evoke a 70s Dan Tanna vibe that you just don't see anywhere on The Strip except for here. It's kind of groovy in a retro kind of way even though I doubt that's what they were really going for.

The bad part is that the hotel feels plain old, well, old. In the public areas and in some of the rooms, the furnishings are a bit worn and chipped, carpeting is fading, and there's a general feeling of decline that I had never felt at The Riviera during previous visits. Maybe it's because I've gotten used to the almost obsessive sparkling corporate clean of the newer Vegas palaces, but whatever the reason, this hotel reminds me of a once beautiful woman who isn't aging very gracefully.

Of course that's nothing that a fresh coat of paint, some new furniture, and a couple of rolls of carpeting wouldn't fix, as is evidenced by the multi-million dollar renovation of many of the hotel's rooms. More on that in a moment.

The casino itself is enormous and wanders the length of the property so quiet and intimate is not exactly The Riviera's forte. There is no discernable theme - at least not as obvious as in other casinos - but to be honest, if all you care about is pumping those quarters into those slots, what difference does the decor make? I did feel a little claustrophobic in the gaming area, primarily because of the signage which with it's blinding visuals and blaring noises make the room kind of overwhelming. But there are quieter portions to the casino so finding a less stressful place to spend your money is possible.

The remodeled rooms are simple but nice with clean modern lines and upscale amenities such as flat-panel televisions, iPod docking stations, pillow-top mattresses. Other necessities thrown in include hair dryers, irons and boards, Internet, and more.

The older rooms are tasteful but again, showing their age. I got to visit a standard room in the oldest section of the hotel and the furnishings were worn and chipped and the carpeting showed some stains and threadbare patches. It's absolutely no worse than what you'll find at your local Holiday Inn but it is miles from the level of cleanliness and comfort that you'll find at most of the big Vegas hotels.

They have many of the typical hotel amenities like a TV, air, safe, iron and board, and the like but items like hair dryers and data-ports are missing. It should be noted that the room I saw had two double beds instead of two queens so you better make sure that if you're sharing one of these things that you know your bedmate quite well.

I also have to mention that much of the hotel smells like people have been smoking in it for forty years, which is fair since that's pretty much the reality of the situation. The guest hallway and room I visited were strong with it but these were in the smoking section so I guess that's to be expected.

Scattered throughout the property are a variety of restaurants, several bars, a bunch of shows (mostly adult in nature), a pool, and a health club.

The Riviera's forte these days seems to be in the price category. It used to be one of the more expensive hotels in the city, but these days you can get rooms here at rates that compete with places like Circus Circus and the Imperial Palace, two of the cheapest places on the Strip. I've seen it as low as $49 weekdays and as low as $79 on the weekends and for that kind of dough I'll put up with some chipped furniture.

I can't recommend the Riviera too highly unless you can get a room for the low rates I mentioned above. If you can't, there are definitely better places to stay in Vegas.

Related Reviews

back to the top