Rio
The Rio is a great place to stay in Las Vegas. The all suite hotel/casino has several restaurants, a terrific buffet, a carnival and Penn and Teller. My room, the last time I stayed, was in the Carnival tower. The room featured a large wraparound sofa and television area with an adjoined bedroom (no walls between), a well appointed and large bathroom, and spectacular view of the strip.
The casino has essentially two portions: the traditional casino and the carnival. The carnival portion features a large stage area where performers dance and a Mardi Gras style parade happens in the sky (complete with beads…) for free. I am not quite sure of the exact show schedule, but chances are if you are visiting for a couple hours on the weekend you will get to see the performance.
This is the home of the World Series of Poker in June/July every year.
Restaurants:
The Carnival World Buffet – Excellent – reviewed under the foods category
Gaylord Indian Cuisine – Good – We went for appetizers and drinks, everything we had was good
Voodoo Lounge – Located at the top of the Rio, the views of the strip are some of the best the town has to offer, there are several outdoor patios – Try What the Witch Doctor Ordered – if you arrive before the party crowd, you can usually visit the top without having to pay a cover charge – the view is worth the price of a drink
