Not terrible for the price. Our experience is best summed up in a list of Pros & Cons.
Pros:
-Wicked cheap! If you are looking to go to Vegas on a budget and don't plan on spending a ton of time in your room (who would in Vegas?) it's worth considering.
-Comfortable beds.
-Great fitness facility - equipment is new and the view from the 12th floor location is great.
-Good restaurants on site.
-Freebies! We received a coupon book with some great discounts to shows and restaurants on site as well as two free tix to the comedy show which was awesome!
Cons:
-While they play up the retro/classic angle quite a bit the hotel is old and outdated. If you are looking for a new hotel or a themed experience (a la a Luxor for example), stay elsewhere.
-The bathroom in the room is pretty tiny. Really. Like peeing in a closet. I had to shut myself in and sweat it out while blow drying my hair because otherwise my elbow was hitting the door.
-Parking is a big issue. We had a rental car and drove to several casinos while in town, not having any problems parking in any of their garages. It might be beneficial for the Riviera to look at expanding their garage or designating it for hotel guests only. After spending a day out and about the Vegas area I was incredibly annoyed that as a paying guest upon my return I had to go and park in the convention center's ramp and hoof it back to the hotel after a long day. The Riviera's garage and all adjacent lots were completely full. Well, at least we thought it was full. Although parking attendants were directing traffic away from the garage, it appeared that there were plenty of spots open outside of the valet area.
-Your Do Not Disturb sign means nothing. When staying at a hotel, unless I plan to be there for five days or more I usually forgo maid service. This particular trip we were staying only three nights, so I set out our Do Not Disturb sign. On our last night there we arrived back at our room to find our Do Not Disturb sign missing and our room "cleaned" (I use quotation marks because other than the beds being made and clean towels being put out it really hadn't been touched). Not only that, but we requested late check out (noon) for the next day and then had a maid walk into our room at 8 AM! Then again right at 11! This is the situation I was least happy with. Be advised that your Do Not Disturb sign is not a guarantee and anytime you are in the room it's best to put the chain on the door. I was going to discuss this with the desk upon check out, but the line was so long that we simply dropped our keys and left.
If not for the parking and the issues with housekeeping I would have given Riviera three stars. Overall it's not bad for the price - great if you are trying to do Vegas on a budget, but don't expect a perfect experience.