| rev:text
| - When I think of places to stay in Vegas, I rarely think of The Riviera first. I like to stay closer to the center of The Strip. In fact, when I stay anywhere north of the Venetian, I am always afraid that a giant wrecking ball might reduce my room to rubble in the middle of the night. "Really? $24 rooms? Great deal, I'd like a room with a vi. . . CRUNCH, SMASH, KA-BOOM!" Frankly, I am surprised The Riviera is still standing.
I booked a "package" through US Airways, which included a round trip flight from/to SFO and 2 nights at this beautiful hotel for $230, all taxes included. Wrecking ball be damned, it's a deal! Sure, I had to rent a car to drive around, but it was still worth it.
The Riviera is a living, breathing testament to the all-important saying "don't judge a book by its cover." From the outside, it looks like a dilapidated, outdated monstrosity. On the inside, it looks like a good value hotel on The Strip.
I stayed at the Monaco tower, which is the tall tower behind the main hotel. I was very surprised to see that the rooms were newly remodeled. They seemed more modern than rooms in more luxurious hotels. Each room featured an iHome clock radio with an iPod dock and a 42'' flat screen TV. How about that? I kept thinking, am I at the right place? Last time I stayed at The Riviera was 2.5 years ago. Here's the main difference: in 2006, my main concern was "Will my toilet overflow and flood the room with you-know-what?" In 2009, my main concern was "Should I wake up to the Backstreet Boys' best hits or New Kids on the Block most successful album?" Quite an improvement.
Now, for the bad part. This goes out to the people who occupied room 6244 on February 14 and February 15. You see, I had the misfortune of staying in room 6242 which is adjacent to room 6244. In fact, our rooms had a door that, if need be, could combine the two rooms into one awkward 2-room suite. The presence of said door made paper-thin walls even less soundproof.
So . . . thank you, annoying Filipino family, for talking loudly, for yelling at each other until 4 am AND for bringing a screaming toddler to Vegas with you. What was he doing up at 4 am, what was he doing in Vegas and why wasn't he sedated?
Thank you, two loudmouthed twenty-something couples for yelling and describing your clubbing experiences at 4:30 am the next day. Why were you staying in the same room? Shouldn't you have stayed in separate rooms and ... umm ... spend quality time with one another? Good thing you were too drunk to stay awake and make noise for more than 20 minutes. I was going to steal your "do not disturb" sign, so that an anxious housekeeper would wake you up at 9 am, but you forgot to hang it on your doorknob in the first place. I guess the joke's still on you.
Valet parking at The Riviera is awesome. It fills up fast, but if you're a guest, it doesn't matter. They retrieve your car in a matter of seconds, and I still don't understand how they do it. Cabs are harder to come by, and the lines are usually long. If you stay here, designate a driver and rent a car.
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