Harrah’s Las Vegas

Today’s blog entry comes with no attempt at a clever turn of phrase as I have run out for the month. I am going to give my impressions on my stay at Harrah’s. Other than spending a night on someone’s floor many years ago, I had not stayed here before. I had enjoyed many fun nights at both Carnaval Court and the Piano Bar so I had high hopes for my stay. One feature of Harrah’s branded properties I have noticed is that the employees are friendlier than in most other hotels and not in that, “I want a tip” kind of way. Most everyone I had contact with was helpful and seemed to care. The room itself was fine, one of the fairly recently remodeled Valley Tower rooms. Had a nice view and a comfortable bed and everything worked, even the half-door style shower. No fridge but there was a coffeemaker. The room did seem to pick up a lot of hallway noise though I didn’t notice my neighbors at all. Perhaps I didn’t have any? The casino was always busy and did feature the only Fortune Cup game I have seen at a Caesars property. Average drink service on the floor but the bartenders at the main casino bar were friendly and fast. Tomorrow, some thoughts on life center Strip.

Middle of the Road

Once you clear the Venetian, the sidewalk starts to get very interesting and crowded. If you want to avoid the worst of the congestion, you can cross over to the Mirage and enjoy a more scenic and arguably more pleasant walk. But I wouldn’t go that way. Despite the noise and the jostling and the delays, the next half a mile or so are what you came to Vegas to see. It feels a little bit like Downtown. The casinos are much closer together and it is easy to walk in and out if you are so inclined. If you stay outside, you will have to navigate around the perimeter of Harrah’s and through the construction going on at the Linq Promendade. (They are building another zip line.) You could make the walk longer but even more enjoyable if you walked down to the High Roller and just soaked up the atmosphere. There are also outdoor bars at both Harrah’s and the Flamingo if you want to stop and people watch for a bit. Past the Flamingo is the small Cromwell casino and then you have reached Flamingo Road. Your trip is at the halfway point and now the scenery changes. Tomorrow we navigate down to City Center.

Harrah’s

Harrah’s started out as a Holiday Inn back in the day and it still kind of feels like one. If you dropped it down somewhere in the Midwest, it would fit right in and so would the clientele. The rooms are a little small by modern standards but, like every other Caesars property, they are in the process of refreshing them and they are fine. The casino is old school with low ceilings and it snakes around and seems to go on and on forever. It may not be particularly exciting but it’s a decent place to hang out. Carnival Court is a fun bar that you need not be 22 to enjoy. There’s also one of those piano bars. Big Elvis performs there and so can you on karaoke nights. The food court is kind of cool and there are always a couple of good value shows. And, like the Midwest, it’s a friendly place where most anybody will feel comfortable.