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| - I came to the Grey Eagle for a concert and also spent the night at the hotel. I didn't spend much time in the casino so I can't comment on it except to say that it can be tough to get a drink in there. Most casinos have little mini-bars set up for people who want to quickly grab a beer or cocktail without having to go into one of the crowded restaurants or bars. Not here. You'll have to wait for a cocktail waitress to find you or go looking for one, but be warned - they're pretty rare. If you find one - draw a map. The casino is either understaffed or the waitresses get lost easily. It has a blatantly incomprehensible floor plan typical of most casinos so customers can't find their way out. Apparently it also confuses the drink servers.
The Hotel:
Check-in was quick and organized. The front desk staff are polite but they're also curt and impersonal. They're not interested in being overly social, they just seem to want to get you processed and on your way. It's weird for me to be put off by such behaviour because I'm not much of a talker myself. I had a different desk agent for check-in and check-out and both had that same android-like personality. The hotel room was narrow and shoebox-y but had all the modern amenities (except for a microwave). It's a great place to crash if you're taking in an event but if I were on vacation in Calgary I would look for someplace closer to downtown. The room service menu is pretty expansive and is available until 1 AM. Most hotels shut down their room service at around 9 or 10. Best of all, Grey Eagle doesn't add "phantom charges" to your room service bill such as automatic gratuities or in-room dining fees like many hotels do. The room service staff have the same personality as the front desk clerks, but what can you do?
The Event Centre:
Unlike any other casino I've been to, Grey Eagle has a separate entrance for the Event Centre itself but you can also access it from the casino. Most casinos will only allow you to enter their event space through the casino as they're in hopes that you'll drop a week's pay into the slot machines while on your way to the concert or whatever you're going for. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the Event Centre. I wasn't expecting much as most casino concert halls have all the charm of a mosquito-infested backyard wedding in July. They're both cheap and trying to pass as something they're not. Truth be known, Grey Eagle isn't really a concert hall either, it's a generic event space but at least they try and make it somewhat comfortable and bearable. For concerts, they have chairs laid out on the floor and unlike River Cree in Edmonton, they also place bleachers in the back. The bleachers have padded chairs with retractable arm rests and provide a decent view of the stage. The disadvantage to bleachers is that they're rickety and bouncy. If anyone seated in your row farts you feel it reverberate under your own ass. The drink prices are a little high but that's the casino norm. You're a captive audience, so what are you gonna do? Domestic beers are $8 and imported beers are $9. They're cheaper than hockey prices at least. Of course, I've probably jinxed the prices by reporting them. Beers will be $12 next time I go. The bars are set up outside of the event space in the main hall. Some of the other reviewers seemed to have a heartache about that but I didn't think it was a big deal. There's always that one pain-in-the-ass person seated near you that has to get up every 10 minutes to grab more beer and he's always in the middle of the row - never in an aisle seat. I thought having the bar a little further away would discourage such behaviour. It didn't. Thirst for booze will always trump laziness.
Getting to Grey Eagle Resort & Casino if you're unfamiliar with the area is bitch-and-a-half. Imagine the logo for the Olympics with the 5 intermingling circles. Now imagine having to drive through those circles with 100 other cars around you going in different directions while doing a crossword puzzle at the same time. Grey Eagle does have a large billboard hidden amongst the circles but they failed to paint a directional arrow on that billboard so people know where to turn to get to it. Next time I visit this place I'm parachuting in.
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