
The Rio is a nice casino
that attracts a younger clientele. Not as GenerationX as the Hard
Rock Cafe the Rio caters to the 20s-40s crowd. A number of factors
contribute to this fact. First of all, guests are discouraged from
bringing their children to the hotel and casino. The Rio actively
pursues a Mardi Gras / Carnival feel, and they feel children might
hamper this mood. Another contributing factor is that on the 41st
floor of the newly constructed tower, the Rio has opened the
Voodoo Cafe, the hippest joint in town. ( see attractions) The Voodoo
Cafe offers live jazz, dancing, a fantastic view and some of the
hottest people in Vegas. The nightclub in the casino, Club Rio also
packs in the pretty people in a video/techno, New York style dance
club. If you're still not sure, the cocktail waitresses outfits
will convince you that the casino is intended for adults only.
The Rio also features
"The Masquerade Show in the Sky", three different shows
that all have scantily clad performers lip sync a variety of songs.
Floats suspended from the ceiling in conjunction with dancers on
the stage below evoke a party atmosphere, and is more fun than we
make it sound. It's worth seeing if you're at the casino, but doesn't
deserve a special trip. Shows are conducted from noon to 10 pm,
Sunday through Tuesday and from 1 pm to 11pm Thursday through Saturday.
(Dark Wednesdays). Try to catch the show from the balcony on the
second level.
The casino itself is
designed like the French Quarter on an acid trip. There is plenty
of neon and swirling colors. The "Masquerade Village"
is open and airy, especially compared to the rest of the casino
which tends to be a bit dark and confined. However, the Masquerade
show is performed here, so it can get noisy and crowded during showtimes.
The Rio is a bit separated
from the other casinos on the strip, so to help bring people to
the casino they have Danny Gans as a headliner. He has recently
won many honors including "Entertainer of the Year", "
Show of the year" and "Comedian of the Year." Tickets
for his show are the most coveted in Las Vegas.
The rooms in the Rio
are purportedly the biggest in Vegas. Each room is considered a
suite complete with couch, coffee table, refrigerator, coffee
makers and other amenities. The windows in the rooms extend from
the floor to the ceiling and have a nice view. All this sounds nice,
but overall the rooms are nothing to write home about.