Just think “Vegas” or say, “Vegas,” and pleasant thoughts come to mind. Now think, “Vegas” and exciting great deals present themselves to you from the right, left and above----free gas to free shows to meal deals-----and all because of the economy. The hotels and casinos don’t like to feel a “dip in business,” so they are acting to offer deals you cannot refuse. Business in Vegas is down by as much as 10%, but if the new promotions work, that number will not be for long.
I just returned from a quick 3-day review of Las Vegas......had a great time........experienced “deals” that now I would like to share!
We stayed at the Riviera Hotel on the Strip which has over 2,000 rooms and suites and chose the new Monaco Tower (one of four separate towers). The hotel is spending well over 20 million dollars renovating their guest rooms and they look great. Visit their Web site and check everything out------mid-week room rates are as low as $50 per night......free show tickets.....free buffet breakfast......a great pool area and shows not to be missed.

Dining
If you have a group and some want Chinese food and others have a taste for Mexican dishes or BBQ, well the choice is simple----check out the World Fare Buffet. They offer five different stations as well as a carving station. Fine dining is offered at Kristofer’s Steak House which is celebrating 20 years in the Riviera, and having served over 1.5 million guests, it has the distinct honor of having the highest percentage of repeat dining customers for a Las Vegas steak house.
Our waiter boasted that the double lamp chops were the best ever IN THE WORLD. I had my doubts, but the group who ordered this dish were not disappointed and proved me wrong. I was happy with my selection of Alaskan king crab legs and thought they were the best ever also. The dessert menu even offered baked Alaska which you rarely see these days on any menu.
Have a craving for Italian? Try Ristorante Italiano! Excellent osso buco which is tender veal shank served over saffron rice. Another one in our party loved, yes loved the linguini del pescator.......scallops, shrimp, calamari and mussels sautéed in olive oil, white wine, garlic, fresh spices in an Italian tomato sauce. He raved about it. The appetizers were also so good (we know because I think we tasted them all).

Shows.....Shows......and More Shows!!!!!!
The Riviera Hotel offers nine different shows. The shows include “Ice: The Show From Russia” which some in our party loved the most. All the cast members are from Russia and their performances are amazing. It was created 20 years ago as the Moscow Ice Circus and was brought to the Riviera over a year ago. The party even thought it was better than “O” Cirque du Soleil presented at the Bellagio! That is a bold statement but true. La Cage is another show which features the most accomplished female impersonators in the world, highlighted by Frank Marino as a memorable Joan Rivers. Seeing is believing in this show. The third show we were fortunate to see was the tribute to Neil Diamond starring Jay White. Many in our party were Neil Diamond fans, and they loved his performance. Time being not on our side, we could not attend the other shows offered by the hotel: Crazy Girls (a topless review, and the long lines of people waiting to get in may say it’s good); the Riviera Comedy Club; and a concert called “Barbra and Frank: The Concert That Never Was,” starring Sebastian Anzaldo portraying Frank Sinatra and Sharon Owens as Barbra Streisand. It was not appearing the nights that we were there but we will definitely go back on our next trip.

Business Meetings - Conferences - Conventions
Got a meeting or convention you need to schedule? The Riviera Convention Center has 150,000 square feet of meeting space-----23 breakout rooms with a total of over 30,000 square feet of space----12 sky-box meeting rooms----15,000 square feet of prefunction area---7,000 square foot banquet kitchen and a fully equipped business center.

Summary
• Food excellent
• Service: All hotel employees are more than willing to help you and have a great attitude---just ask.
• Entertainment: You could not ask for better or more.
• Parking: Cool underground, valet service and free
• Pool Area: Perfect

My only disappointment: To access the Internet, you must give online your name, e-mail address, credit card number and information. I do not give credit card and/or personal information to online unknowns. It would be much better that Internet access charges be billed to your hotel room.

Recommendation:
Go! Go! Go! Get a deal! Get a gas card! Enjoy! We did!