Rio has always held a special place in my heart because of the nostalgia. This was one of the main spots the wifey and I would visit back in the day (before kids). My wife even won a video poker tourney here one time netting a cool 12K; royal flushes are possible and people do win. My wife wanted to take the money and throw it all on the bed but we took a check and some cash for fun. We spent many summer days out by the pool and have had cabanas in the past. The Rio has always been good to us and just like in the past on our most recent trip the Rio did us right.
This time we visited during the Thanksgiving week from Sunday thru WednesdayI. Make sure to use the new self check-in kiosks. It makes the process so much quicker. On this visit we used our Total Rewards players' cards to secure us 3 complimentary nights. Unfortunately, you will still be charged a resort fee of $30/night so I figured that was a wash for us since we had over $180 in rewards credits to use. The room was decent for us. 2 queen beds, mountain view, 10th floor. What I like about the Rio is the rooms are large. The rooms are mini-type suites. The couches and good sized desk are perfect. Plus, there is a nice lounge chair to kick up your feet. There was a refrigerator in the room but I did not figure that out until our final night. The bathroom area is great as well. Plenty of room for all your stuff and 2 sinks, one in the shower/toilet room and the other on the outside.
The fitness center is located in the Spa, which is across from the large Starbucks. The fitness center is included with your resort fee. There are plenty of treadmills and ellipticals, free weights, weight machines, etc. The weight area was very cramped and there was only 1 bench to use with the weights. I was able to get some good use out of the place. If you get there after 8am you might be competing for space.
There are plenty of places to eat. The carnival world buffet is okay. I should probably do a different review for that place. Room service is not available during the day after breakfast and begins promptly at 5pm and runs til 11pm. All of the employees at the hotel were great. I enjoyed myself at the Sportsbook. Plenty of drinks as long as you are betting. Overall, it was a great time. If you are looking at being close to the strip you should probably check out a different Harrah's property. They do offer a free shuttle but I suggest grabbing an uber/lyft back to the hotel. The uber/lyft area is next to the free shuttle and parking garage. I suggest visiting during the warmer months to get the full experience of the resort by taking advantage of their pool. Have fun and good luck!