Riviera Casino & Hotel Las Vegas

I've stayed twice at the Riviera Hotel & Casino for business travel. Since we were having technology-related meetings and display of contractor wares, we had our meetings in the huge Riviera Convention Center which is inside the Riviera Hotel & Casino. The rooms only go up a few floors, so the view is not all that great of Las Vegas, but it is located right on The Strip, across from other famous landmark hotels and casinos. It is also located near the Las Vegas Hilton, which houses the Star Trek Experience--for a diehard Trekkie it was fantastic and was my personal goal to see on my second trip to Las Vegas.

The rooms and beds were fine, but the bathrooms were a bit rusty and musty. I'm not sure if it is a rule that all hotels on the Strip in Vegas need to have a sign like this but the Riviera has a sign that reads something like:

"For the safety of our employees, do not dispose of used needles in the trash. Please inform the front desk to obtain a needle container."

I understand there is a high rate of drug usage in Las Vegas, but I thought a quality hotel would not have to place this type of sign in all the rooms. It was a little disconcerting for me.

There is a gift shop, buffet, restaurant, and casino with free drinks like all the other casinos on The Strip. Be careful of the nearby shady food establishments since Jenny got ill from the chicken--no matter how good the "special" looks.

Riviera Hotel & Casino is a good place for a convention and near to the airport, less than 15 minutes away. If I were staying in Vegas for vacation, I'd only stay here if the bigger hotels were not available. The Riviera Hotel & Casino is fine but I think I'd try another place to compare on my own. The Riviera has some historical significance regarding the original "Rat Pack" but that did not beat out other hotels like the Venician, Circus-Circus or the Parisian for overall impressiveness.