Travel Blog

We have just been made aware that along with Hotel Fees Increasing at the Aquarius Casino in Laughlin, they are adding a resort fee and they are not as free with giving out river view rooms. First as of May 1st, the Aquarius hotel is charging a $10 resort fee on all rooms per night. While this is far less than the $35, hotels in Las Vegas, this will come as a big surprise for many patrons. It will not be long before they also charge for parking. But so far as at the time of writing, there is no word of a parking fee yet. If you are a slot card member, you may have these fees waived.

Hotel Fees Increasing at the Aquarius Casino in Laughlin

We received complimentary rooms the last time we stayed at the hotel and the resort fee was also complimentary. If we had to pay for the room, $10 would have been added to the cost of the room along with associated taxes as well.

Many patrons will be upset over this increase especially since there will be no decrease in the cost of the rooms per night. If you are comp’d for the room, there will be no resort fee charged. At least that was our experience the last time we stayed at the hotel at the beginning of May. Parking was still free, however we are not sure how long this will last.

Some patrons will clearly move to other hotels to avoid paying these fees. However we suspect that all of the hotels have banded together and will be charging this fee. In the case of the Aquarius, the hotel was purchased last year by a new owner. They have to generate added income to help pay for the debt they incurred as part of the purchase.

We will provide further updates as more information comes available.

There are Changes at the Aquarius Casino in Laughlin and it is going to cost you more money! The Aquarius Casino and hotel was sold to a new owner last year and while it took them a few months, changes are now beginning to happen that will cost patrons more money. After all the new buyer must pay for the debt they took out to make the purchase.  For starters, anyone staying at the hotel will begin paying a resort fee of $10 per stay beginning May 1st, 2018. This is following the trend in Las Vegas and other locations. Many high end hotels in Las Vegas are charging as much as $35 resort fees per night stay.

Changes at the Aquarius Casino in Laughlin

What other changes are coming. Although there was no mention of parking fees yet, but it is just a matter of time before they begin charging parking fees as well. Laughlin has an entertainment venue where thousands of people come to listen to entertainers. Many use the parking garages, but do not go into the casino at all. The parking garages were built for the casino patrons. Many  casinos will start charging for parking in our estimation.

Those casino patrons who have a slot card and perhaps have a higher value slot card will likely be comp’d for rooms and meals. Patrons receiving free rooms will not be charged the resort fee as of the date this post was prepared. The same likely will apply to parking fees.

Casino hotels who charge resort fees may initially find that customers will complain and some will stay away from hotels in protest. Casino management find that this is temporary and customers just want to have a good time and they believe that their clients will just absorb it as part of their vacation costs or business costs.

If Las Vegas is any indication, occupancy rates are higher than ever and patrons have just ignored the extra charges. It is just part of the cost of doing business or going on vacation.

The Aquarius Casino Hotel Laughlin sold to Golden Entertainment is the latest news for the Laughlin Nevada casino market. We just got an email from the hotel advising of the change. We are slot members at the Aquarius Casino Hotel and are on their email distribution list. The hotel was sold to the Golden Entertainment group.  There was not much other news. Further, we have lots of questions. What is the impact on various comps we usually receive?

They offer free rooms and free play. Will this change, will they tighten up the slots? Will the continue with various upgrades that the Aquarius has been working on? The Aquarius Casino Hotel Laughlin sold to Golden Entertainment in June 2017.

Aquarius Casino Hotel Laughlin sold to Golden Entertainment

We included a copy of the email sent to us for your information. More to come on this deal and the impact on gamers and players in the future.

From the desk of the General Manager
Sean Hammond

As you know, our goal at Aquarius Casino Resort has always been to deliver the most entertaining experience possible. We consistently seek out new ways to make your time with us memorable. Consequently, whether it’s an upcoming event or tournament, or an improvement in our amenities, we look forward to sharing exciting news with you.

Our parent company, American Casino & Entertainment Properties, LLC is being sold to another renowned gaming organization, Golden Entertainment, Inc. Our team is excited about the opportunity to grow with Golden Entertainment. Especially because we know we’ll be able to provide the same level of superior service you’ve grown accustomed to. Your winning experience here at Aquarius is priority. You know from your history with us how sincere we are about that.

Golden Entertainment

I also wanted to give you a quick overview of Golden Entertainment. Golden Entertainment will operate over 15,800 slot machines, 114 table games. Also more than 5,100 hotel rooms across eight casino properties (currently, the four casinos they operate include three in Pahrump, Nevada: Pahrump Nugget, Gold Town and Lakeside, and one in Flintstone, Maryland called Rocky Gap). Golden Entertainment is also the largest tavern operator in Nevada. They have 55 locations that include PT’s Pub, PT’s Gold, PT’s Brewing, PT’s Ranch, Sean Patrick’s, Sierra Gold, and SG Bar.

The purchase of ACEP was announced on June 12th.  The management of Golden Entertainment maintains a long history of gaming experience in the Las Vegas region. They have an outstanding reputation for creating successful, well-run properties. We expect a smooth transition.

I will keep you updated as things progress. I am also proud to be able to share this news with you.I look forward to seeing you at the Aquarius!

Sean Hammond
General Manager

For more information about the Aquarius Casino Hotel in Laughlin, click here.

There are 10 Laughlin Casinos and Hotels in the Laughlin Nevada area. We have listed them in alphabetical order later on in this post. They all have their positives and negatives. However for our money the Aquarius and the Golden Nugget are probably the nicest of them all. Some accept pets. Some have accommodations for RV parking. All but the Tropicana and the AVI are located next to the Colorado River. The Tropicana is across the street and within walking distance of the walkway that runs along the river to all of the hotels except for the AVI and Harrahs. Harrahs is located off by itself and really can only be reached by car, although it is in the town of Laughlin and on the river. The AVI is several miles away on Indian property, with a really great beach and pool area on the Colorado River.

Laughlin Casinos and Hotels – List

• Aquarius – smoking, RV parking, on the Colorado River, ok pool
• AVI – smoking, RV parking, on the Colorado River, beach, golf, nice pool
• Colorado Belle – smoking, limited RV parking, on the Colorado River
• Edgewater – smoking, limited RV parking, on the Colorado River
• Golden Nugget – smoking, limited RV parking, on the Colorado River, nice pool
• Harrahs – smoking, on the Colorado River, ok pool
• Laughlin River Lodge – smoking, RV parking, on the Colorado River
• Pioneer – smoking, limited RV parking, on the Colorado River
• Regency – smoking, limited RV parking, on the Colorado River
• Riverside – smoking, RV parking, on the Colorado River, antique car display
• Tropicana – smoking, RV parking

The rates vary a great deal at these hotels. However unless there is some large event taking place, you can usually find rates that we much less than $100 a night. They may even be free if you are using a slot card and call the casino host.

There are several ways to find Laughlin hotel’s best prices. There are the usual ones such as going on one of the many travel web sites. However they are in the business of making money. They only get paid if you make a reservation with a hotel and pay through their website. The casino will never offer you prices based on your casino play for example. They will never offer you group deals and they will never offer you a negotiated price. You can find excellent deals and often the best prices that the hotel is offering online. However there are other ways to find Laughlin hotel’s best prices. Even the online prices by hotels are sometimes not what they will offer when you call direct and book a room. The best method by far is to comparison shop using all of the tools available to you.

Laughlin Hotels Best Prices – Slot Cards

By far the best approach, particularly if you have played the slots at any of the casinos in Laughlin is to call the casino and see if you are eligible for any casino rated rooms. Check the travel web sites first so that you know what the hotels are asking via the web site for a room on the dates that you are looking for. Armed with this knowledge, call the hotel-casino directly, give them your slot card number and request a room rate.

Chances are you have played the slots on previous trips and used your slot card. There is a good chance that you will be offered a reduced room rate or perhaps even a free room. If you are going to the casino and plan to play the slots you may as well get the best deal you can. Laughlin hotel’s best prices are always better than Las Vegas hotel deals. It is a smaller market and fewer hotels, however, they are competing with Las Vegas and must offer lower prices.

Always call the casino slot host for the best deals, what have you got to lose?

Did you know that Aquarius Casino entertainment is sometimes free to patrons of the casino.  During the early afternoon and evening, Casino patrons can sit and enjoy free entertainment in the lounge. Patrons can also purchase drinks or get up and dance if the music moves you.

We spent an enjoyable evening listening to a country and western band and watching line dancing in the lounge area. It was quite entertaining and very enjoyable. The band was very good and the dancers were just people visiting who enjoyed dancing. There were two women who with the band and they got up often to dance and help others particularly with the line dances which are a complicated sequence of moves as far as this writer is concerned. It was all very entertaining and absolutely free. Patrons needed to pay for drinks while watching, however you could also just bring in a drink that you got in the casino for free if you wanted.

Aquarius Casino Entertainment

There is only one lounge area with entertainment as far as we could tell. There is a sports area where you can also watch races and sports games as well, while betting if you enjoy that sort of thing. The city of Laughlin in conjunction with the casinos also sponsors big name entertainment from time to time. Their objective is to book rooms and attract customers to the city and to their hotels and casino’s. It works and Laughlin is often a booming place on the weekends.

The Aquarius Casino is a big casino with high ceilings and a fairly large non smoking area for those that cannot tolerate the stale cigarette smoke. The Aquarius Casino Entertainment also includes all of the latest slot machines and table games that everyone looks for. Golfers and also take in a golf game on one of the local courses and spend the evening at the casino.

The Claim Jumper in the Golden Nugget casino in Laughlin Nevada is one of our favorite restaurants to visit whenever we are in Laughlin. The Claim Jumper is located near the front entrance that sports a tropical setting. This restaurant offers great food at reasonable prices with great service. We always go for breakfast and usually split the meals. The meal size is large and more than enough for two people, at least for us. Many people never finish their meals leaving food on their plates. I guess it is a sign of our age or upbringing that shows through when we mentioned this point. We were always told to finish our plates when we were growing up.

Claim Jumper – Golden Nugget Casino

The Golden Nugget is a nice casino to visit as well. Although the ceilings are a bit low, they have lots of slot machines to play. The entrance has a tropical setting. There is access to the boardwalk that runs along the Colorado River to all of the other casinos. Drinks are free while you are playing slots and you also can sign up for a Golden Nugget Slot card which may provide you with various comp’s based on how much you play.

Food comp’s build up on your slot card as you play and these comp’s can be used at the various restaurants in the casino including the Claim Jumper. Apparently it is also part of a chain of restaurants across the US which you can sign up for to obtain free meals depending on how often you dine. It did not work for us since we do not go to the areas that the restaurant chain is in, but it sounded like a good deal.

We recently enjoyed the seafood buffet at the Aquarius Casino and Hotel in Laughlin Nevada. This particular buffet is offered on Friday afternoons and evenings. The prime attraction for us is the crab legs that they offer in both hot and cold varieties.

These crab legs, the hot ones, were absolutely excellent. The meat was sweet and tender, not salty at all, and easy to extract. The Aquarius pre-cuts all of the larger pieces. As a result, they are easier to open and extract the meat from the shells. This is one of the best crab leg and seafood buffets for the money anywhere.

Aquarius Casino seafood buffet – Pricing

The price started at $26 plus tax, however, if you hold a yellow slot card or higher, you are eligible for a 25% discount which brings it down to $19.95. Then you can apply your slot comps to the cost of the buffet which can often mean you eat for free! How good a deal is that.

In addition to crab legs, they have many other types of sea food that is prepared in a variety of ways. In particular, the shrimp were large and fresh. They also had several different kinds of salmon, oysters, clams, mussels, etc. in addition to prime rib and other more traditional foods.

This price also includes two glasses of wine, beer, or mixed drinks. for the price of $26, it is a good deal and if it is free, due to comp’s, well that is a  fantastic deal! The wine is ok, although it is from a bulk tank. It is actually on tap and not poured from a bottle. Still, after the first drink, it is just fine and it is included in your meal. We have not tried the beer or the margarita, however, we have seen lots of people enjoying these drinks as well. Friday or Saturday night are the nights to try the Aquarius Casino seafood buffet!

The Colorado Belle is adding a new pub to the area just outside the north entrance to the casino. It is called the Colorado Bell Brew Pub. The area shown in this picture was taken a few years ago. It is an open area where there are various activities from time to time. They set up open-air parties, pubs, and dances along with bands that play on the weekend. This entire space is now under construction.

The entire area is now closed and boarded up and a new pub is being built in this space. O course we did not take a picture. Since all you would have seen are the barricades and part of the new roof. The pub will be open in the summer of 2014. We will be back at this location in May and will provide an update for our readers at that time.

Colorado Bell Brew Pub

Update – The Colorado Bell Brew Pub is now open with an inside and outside dining area. We visited and tried the breakfast buffet which was ok, but not great. We think this would be a great place to spend some time sitting outside on an afternoon or evening enjoying some munchies and a couple of beers.

All of the hotels are making changes and upgrading their facilities. As the economy is improving, they are benefiting and investing in their properties. Laughlin is in need of some updating. We are happy to see that they are now beginning to spend some money upgrading their facilities. Every casino and hotel is slowly investing some money. But they are not doing a wholesale update at this time.

Laughlin is on the Colorado River at the southern tip of the state of Nevada. It portrays Las Vegas the way it used to be many years ago. Therefore, it is a much more relaxed place to spend a few days and the prices are also much more reasonable as well.

Don Laughlin created Laughlin Nevada. His Riverside resort Hotel and Casino is the signature location for all of the casinos in the area. You can’t miss it as you drive down casino drive. It is located right on the Colorado River.

We have other posts on this website that provides a review of the casino. This post is about his antique car collection displayed on the third floor that is free for anyone to visit.

We included several pictures to show you the type of cars and motorcycles in this antique car show room. There are approximately 100 cars of various vintages and ages and models displayed in the show room. At any given time there are as many as five or six cars that are available for sale.

In addition to various models that are being shown in the showroom, also antique motorcycles of various kinds available for people to go to view.

The antique car showroom is located on the third floor. Access can be obtained by going up the escalators or taking the elevator to the third floor. It is free, all that they ask is that you don’t touch the cars and don’t go beyond the barriers. These cars are in excellent condition and pristine shape.

Riverside resort Hotel and Casino Laughlin Nevada

The hotel and casino is one of the original casinos along the Colorado River and also is home to a large RV parking lot where many vacationers in RV’s will park for a few nights or longer. There is also a large RV park across the road with services for those that want to stay longer.

The Riverside Casino also provides free water taxi rides across the river from a parking lot on the east side of the river which is actually in the state of Arizona. Many people who work at the casinos as well as tourists and casino visitors will park on the Arizona side and take the water taxi across the river. There is a huge amount of parking and the water taxis run every few minutes so no need to worry about schedules etc.

There is lots to do in the Riverside resort Hotel and Casino Laughlin Nevada, so don’t forget to at least take a walk through the casino. The only negative in our minds is the amount of people smoking in the casino. It can be a bit of a turn off for non smokers.

Save

The Golden Nugget Casino in Laughlin Nevada has been updating one of their restaurants. Harlows, a restaurants that many of you might know has been renamed to “Claim Jumper”. They have a new menu and spruced up a bit.

The menu has changed, the food is still excellent and the quantities are large. There is lots of food for those of you who want to split a meal. We often split meals simply because we cannot eat so much. The restaurant is really good about this. They will provide us with two plates with the meal already split equally. We ordered two eggs, a slice of ham with the bone in, home fries and toast for a price of $7.99. The meal was split and my wife actually could not finish her half.

Golden Nugget Casino – Restaurant

The waiters and waitresses at the Claim Jumper at the Golden Nugget casino in Laughlin Nevada, all are the same with new uniforms that are very tasteful. While the menu has changed, there are still excellent meals. the early bird meals are no longer available, so some people may pay a little more than they used to.

The Claim Jumper is located at the front of the hotel near the waterfall and jungle area. There is lots of light and it is a very enjoyable place to have breakfast or any other meal. Note that you can use the points on your slot card to pay for your meal as well provided that you use your slot card when you are playing the slots at the Golden Nugget.

We just had dinner at the pints brewery restaurant at the Colorado Belle casino in Laughlin Nevada. Designed to look like the interior of a ship, this restaurant combines a brewpub, a sports bar, and a bar that reminds you of being on an ocean liner.

Patrons can sit at the bar, watch sports or play one of their favorite video poker or slot machine games. They can also sit in the main restaurant and observe their favorite sports channel on one of the many TV screens located throughout the restaurant. This would be a great place to spend a few hours and chill. The area is safe and comfortable.

Colorado Belle Casino – Decor

The Decor is meant to be a river boat back in the 50s or 60s. You can also sit near the windows which is meant to be at the front of the ship, looking out on the Colorado River. This is a neat place to have breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is somewhat authentic, not meant for fine dining and more of a pub atmosphere.  Service was also fine, nothing exciting or memorable.

We found the prices to be about the same as any other restaurant in the Laughlin area. We had macho nachos which was a huge plate, with refried beans, tortia meat, onions, jalapeno peppers, and cheese. It was delicious and well worth the money. In fact it was one of the best plates of nachos that I have had in a long time. Next time we are in Laughlin, we will go back and try another dish at this location.

We did not try any of the other items on the menu, however we could see the other diners and some of their meals. They were large and looked delicious.

For more posts about casinos in Laughlin, Nevada, click here.

The Aquarius Casino in Laughlin Nevada has opened up their new Aquarius casino coffee shop – Duet. It replaced the Starbucks restaurant that used to be at the Aquarius Casino. This is a modern up-to-date clean, and smartphone and computer-friendly restaurant/coffee shop.

Wi-Fi is available within the coffee shop and within at least 100 feet of the entrance to the coffee shop. There are lots of chairs and tables set up. In addition, there’s a counter in the middle of the coffee shop that has lots of room for laptop computers with power outlets which are lacking in many coffee shops. This is truly a computer-friendly coffee shop.

Aquarius casino coffee shop – Duet

Background music is peaceful and not too loud which was a problem for the previous Starbucks restaurant. There are more food items available although they are expensive as usual in any casino coffee shop or restaurant.

This is a huge improvement to the previous Starbucks restaurant that used to be here. They still offer the 10% discount with your Aquarius card and you can charge your food and beverage to your room for later consideration to be comped.

There are other areas within the casino that are under construction and we look forward to these improvements as well. They are updating some of the other restaurants and have already updated the elevator lobby.

The Aquarius hotel is located on the banks of the Colorado River on the Nevada side of the river. Patrons can walk along the banks of the river from one end of the casino row to the other in comfortable and safe surroundings. Some of the casinos have outdoor dining on warm nights along the river. Although most are indoors with large windows that look out on the river. The Aquarius hotel has floor to ceiling windows in the buffet restaurant that allows you to look out on the river while enjoying your meal. The Aquarius casino coffee shop – Duet is located inside and does not have windows.

This picture is not the greatest, since it was taken from the 17th floor of the Aquarius Casino Laughlin in Laughlin, Nevada. The reflection through the window is a bit bothersome. But you can see the Colorado River and Bullhead, Arizona on the other side.

Bullhead is actually is in a different timezone from Nevada, mountain time! If you are visiting or living on the other side of the river, one must keep track of what time it is and take note of the one hour time difference across the river.

We have been to the Aquarius many times and always have fun and great food. The Aquarius is starting to spend some money on updates to its casino, and hotel. These updates are needed since the hotel was in danger of becoming tired looking. For example the old Starbucks is now closed. The area has been reopened as a coffee shop under the Aquarius name. Note, you can still obtain free WiFi at the coffee shop. This makes it a very popular spot for many people who wish to check their email or check on air schedules at the airport.

Aquarius Casino Laughlin – First Time

If you are visiting the Aquarius for the first time, take advantage of the boardwalk along the river. Meander along the river from casino to casino. This is a nice way to spend an hour or so taking in the river and the fresh clean air. You can go into any of the casinos. However in our opinion the Aquarius is the best of them all in terms of cleanliness and fresh air. Many of them have low ceilings and not enough air movement to get rid of the cigarette smoke that seems to hang around.

The buffet at the Aquarius is also something to visit and enjoy. You get the standard buffet for the price that you pay plus wine or beer with your meal. On the weekends, they have a seafood buffet. They have the best crab legs we have seen at many other locations. Try to get a seat down by the window where you can look out on to the boardwalk and also observe people as they walk past. They can see you as well, so if you wish a little more privacy while you enjoy your meal, you may not want to sit right beside the window.

We ate at the Outback restaurant at Aquarius casino hotel in Laughlin Nevada tonight and enjoyed the meal very much. We sat in the bar area at a booth rather than wait in line for a table.  It measured up to other Outback restaurants we have been to in Canada and other parts of the US. The Aquarius Casino and hotel are in Laughlin Nevada. It is situated along the Colorado River along with about 8 or 9 other hotels in the area.

The restaurant is inside the hotel and does not have outdoor access. We found it to be quite dark and not endearing to us. The service was ok, although one of the servers lost a plate and it went screaming to the floor with a lot of food etc spattered all over the place. this was a bit of excitement we could have done without. These things happen, however, it was just one more thing that we think will persuade us to not go back to this particular restaurant.

Outback Restaurant at Aquarius Casino vs. Texas Roadhouse

However, when we compare it to a Texas Roadhouse or Logan’s roadhouse, we found it somewhat lacking. We have been to these restaurants as well in many places and have come to enjoy them very much for their atmosphere, their food, and of course their happy hour drinks and specials. A Texas Roadhouse is at the top of our list in terms of places to go for pubs and eateries of this particular class.

We found that portion size, tenderness of the meat, size of the baked potato, no salad all for a price that is more expensive than either of the other places mentioned just did not cut it for us. Of course, we are in a Casino, so the prices tend to be a bit higher, however, most casinos go out of their way to make sure that the portion size of the meal is way beyond what you really need to have. These portion sizes were actually quite small and not really appetizing at all. The baked potato was suitable for one person for example and not really shareable. A baked potato at a Texas Roadhouse for example would be twice the size and very sharable.

We probably will not go back to this particular restaurant chain, preferring to go to other places that provide better value. We will definitely not be going back to the Outback Steakhouse at the Aquarius and instead will go to some of the other restaurants at this hotel and other casinos along the Colorado River in Laughlin.

Starbucks at the Aquarius hotel and casino in Laughlin is now closed as of March 2013. It was replaced with a new coffee shop run by the hotel which will be opened in a few months.

They still have Subway and now also a McDonald’s restaurant. McDonald’s does not have wi-fi. However, the hotel has replaced the Starbucks wi-fi with a guest wi-fi service for people to use. The McDonald’s is pretty nice as these restaurants go and are a great place to meet. They offer the traditional free refills of coffee, which we enjoy a lot. They have a limit of two refills per customer.

Aquarius WiFi

I am using free WiFi now to prepare this post. During construction it has been intermittent, however, once the construction is finished, hopefully, it will be better. The new restaurant or coffee shop will be ready in a few months.

There is no guarantee that they will keep the free WiFi going, however many clients of the hotel have come to depend on it and use it to stay in touch with their friends and families, make reservations and update blogs as I am doing. Since we wrote this post, they opened the new Duet coffee shop, and the WiFi is operating as it was when Starbucks was in operation.

The Aquarius appears to be on a general upgrade program that is slowly improving their property. They have been changing a few machines and expanding the nonsmoking areas, which is a huge improvement as far as we are concerned.They still have the great buffet as well as the ala carte restaurant, however in our opining this could use some improvement. It is a little depressing to eat in this particular restaurant.

I cannot wait to see what they do next.

We have visited the Golden Nugget Laughlin Nevada several times over the past few years, but never have actually stayed at their hotel. My wife and I plan to remedy that in a month or two. We thought that in preparation for our visit we should do a little research even though we have been their several times. The Golden Nugget is situated at the south end of the board walk along the Colorado River.  It is all white on the outside and has a tropical flavor as you enter the main lobby. There is a waterfall and tropical gardens with the check in counter to the right and Harlows restaurant on the left. We will write more about Harlows in a moment.

Golden Nugget Laughlin  – Visitors Enjoy this location

We spoke to one patron who is staying at the hotel. They have stayed at this hotel many times in the past and enjoy the hotel very much. The rooms are apparently clean with period furniture and most if not all look out onto the river which is a nice view to have. We will confirm this and update this report in the next few months. Stay tuned. The pool looks great too judging from this picture that we were able to find.

There is ample surface parking and there is a large parking garage as well to provide protection for your cars from the sun and any wind that sometimes comes up. We always prefer to park in the garage to protect our car from the hot sun. The parking lots are also observed by security with regular rounds being made by security guards.

Casino Facilities

The casino itself is on par with other casinos in the area, however the ceilings are low compared to many others which might bother some people. They have all of the common machines and tables that many people will look for and we also noticed a lot of penny and nickel slot machines. In particular they have lots of poker and keno video slot machines which the writer likes to play. Unfortunately there is a lot of people smoking and the low ceilings do not help with regards to removing it.

While we have only played at this casino several times for a hour at a time we have already received an offer for two free nights at the hotel, which we plan to take them up on during the spring.

Golden Nugget Laughlin  – Restaurants in the Casino

On the river side there is Joes Crab Shack that is on a deck that extends out over the Colorado River. On a sunny warm day this is a great place to spend your afternoon or evenings over a few drinks enjoying a meal and watching the boats go up and down the river. It is a casual environment, with shorts and sandals welcome. You can also observe the distant shore which is actually Arizona and in a different time zone as well.

Harlows is a restaurant that we have been to several times. The service is excellent and the meals are large and of really good quality. You get real home fries and not those frozen cubes that a lot of places like to serve. It is always busy and that tells a lot about the food and the service at Harlows Golden Nugget.

We will add to this post later this spring. In the mean time if you have stayed at the Golden Nugget Laughlin Nevada, please leave a comment. Let us know what you thought.

Save

We visited the AVI Casino again this year and thought it would be appropriate to give an update to our previous post. You can refer to the previous post by, clicking here.

For those of you who have not been to this casino before, the picture on the left gives up some idea about the property.  It is located on the banks of the Colorado river. It is a sprawling property with a show area for conventions and entertainment. There is also RV parking and a golf course all within walking distance of the hotel and the casino.

We visited the casino on two different days and enjoyed ourselves both days. We even participated in a slot poker tournament. You start with 1350 credits and have 10 minutes to see how well you do. I ended up even, which is not very good as it turns out. Several players were up over 500 credits and this is on jacks or better video poker.

Pool Area

One of the comments we made last time was how much we admired the pool area and the beach along the Colorado river. Since we are not guests at AVI, we cannot enter the pool area, however we did take a picture and also made a short video of the beach and pool area. Since a picture is worth a 1000 words here it is.

The Beach on the Colorado River

The following video shows the beach area on the river during off season.

AVI Casino – Environment

One of the issues we had with this casino along with many others is the amount of smoke from smokers that you have to deal with. We are not sure if there are less smokers or they have a better ventilation system. But the air in the casino was much better than previous times we have been there.

Visitors should note that there are smoking areas in the restaurants since this casino is in Nevada. It is also on Indian tribal lands were they make their own rules. I wish someone would bring them up to speed about the problems with smoking and the impact it has on cancer rates. Their machines and casino would be a lot cleaner as well.

All you can eat hot juicy crab legs,at the Aquarius buffet on Friday or Saturday nights, or perhaps you like prime rib or both! We just ate at the Aquarius buffet for two for the huge price of  .92 cents. Can you imagine what a deal this is. We also had  4 glasses of wine! There was a choice of red wine, white wine, beer or margaritas and we could have had more to drink, however this was enough for us.

Nice View at the Aquarius

We sat by the windows along the Colorado river, had our meal of crab legs, desert and coffee, and we could have also had all of the other selections such as mashed potatoes, gravy, prime rib, salads, soups, buns and a hundred more items from this fabulous buffet. So how did we have such a fabulous buffet for only .92 cents. Well it is all about using the casino slot card while you play and then taking advantage of your comps! Some of our other posts have talked about the advantages of using slot cards, however this just demonstrates why everyone should have a slot card and use it when they play.

The following is a short video of Laughlin Nevada, taken from the eastern side of the river in Bullhead City, Arizona. Click on the following link.

Colorado River in Laughlin Nevada

We are also taking advantage of a free rooms offer from the hotel while we stay here. This is  because of the slot card that we use. We have had breakfast as well on the comps which was also actually a brunch. We had one of the best omelets we have had on our trip.  For more information about slot cards and why you should always carry and use them when you are playing the slots at any of the hotels, click here.

If you would like more information about the Aquarius Hotel and our original review of the hotel and casino, click here.

Aquarius Hotel Casino Updates

There has not been a lot of changes at the casino or the hotel. We noticed that the elevators are being updated. Some of the rooms have been redone since we here last. There seemed to be more poker and keno machines around the floor. We spend most of our time in the non smoking section of the casino. However there are just as many people smoking as ever. So if the stale cigarette smoke bothers you, then this is the place to be.

We noticed one new penny slot machine which was getting a lot of action. This is the wheel of fortune with 6 seats or slot machines sharing a giant 10 by 8 foot TV screen were you get to watch everyone’s wheel of fortune wheel spin when they get the free spin award. It is fun and exciting to see people win, however as with all of these machines you must be careful about how much money you bet. The maximum is $2.70 per spin, so you can go through a $100 in a hurry. We watched one lady work her credits up to over $300, only to lose it all over a period of 30 minutes.

As the saying goes, know when to fold them. It was fun to watch these players as well as play. Unfortunately for us we did not win anything on this machine.

Buy Gas on the Arizona Side

A note to readers if you drive to Laughlin, Nevada. While you may be tempted to fill up with gas on the Nevada side, take the time to drive over to Bullhead, Arizona. It is just on the other side of the river. Gas is a lot cheaper on the Arizona side. You can even get better deals if you wash your car at the same time. When we filled up, gas was selling for $3.09 on the Nevada side, while it was $2.91 on the Arizona side . I also got my car washed and while the car wash cost $10.00 for the works, the gas was further discounted to $2.71 a gallon for regular gas. A great deal!

They even scrubbed the car  first with a brush to get the worst of the dirt and bugs off the bumper before we went through the car wash. They gave us a cloth to dry the car and an air  freshener, what a great deal.

There are water taxis along the Colorado River which you can take for $6 a ride or $10 a day. check with the local taxis to confirm prices, since they seem to change on a regular basis.

Satisfied with the Aquarius Casino

We were very happy with the service and the quality of the food and drinks that we received at the Aquarius casino. Although we did not win anything at the slots, our room and food was comp’d and we had as much as we wanted in terms of drinks. All in all not a bad deal.

We are off to Vegas next, staying at the Mirage Casino and Hotel. If you would like more information about the Mirage, click here.

Your comments are welcome, to assist our readers enjoy their vacation in Laughlin Nevada. Spam comments will be auto-deleted. For more posts about Laughlin, click here.

The AVI casino and hotel is a rather nice place to visit as well as stay at. Although it is a bit far from the other Laughlin Casinos, it is definitely worth the 30 minute trip. The casino is lively , the restaurants offer good value at the right prices and there is always some form of entertainment at the AVI.

Patrons who book a room at the hotel will find then very reasonable both on the weekend and during the week. You can also enjoy the pool area, which is fabulous or actually swim or boat in the Colorado river. There is actually a nice sandy beach to take advantage of. Take in a movie at the movie theater or some of the live entertainment that is booked there on a regular basis.

RV Owners

RV owners can find lots of room to park their RV’s while enjoying the Casino , the restaurants or just taking in a movie in the middle of the desert along the Colorado River. We had dinner at the buffet one night and found the food and the service to be excellent. We also had the 99 cent breakfast which is available to all slot card members and found that to be excellent as well. The restaurant also offers free coffee to any veteran that comes into the restaurant for breakfast, which we thought was a nice patriotic thing to do.

AVI Casino & Resort Hotel – Slot Machines

There are over 1,100 slot machines of all types in the Avi Casino, with more than 530 penny and 2¢ slots, including over 80 penny GameKing multigame machines, plus we have all of your favorites in reel slots such as Double Diamonds, Red White & Blue, Five Time Pay and Blazing 7’s.

Video Poker is one of the most popular forms of machines, with all the most entertaining versions of poker available; Bonus Poker, Double Double, Triple Double, No Aces Pay the Faces, White Hot Aces, and hundred play machines that let you play one hundred hands at once.

Table Games

There are 27 table games at the Avi Casino,  including Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Let it Ride, Three Card Poker, Hold’Em Fold’Em and Pai Gow. Avi has some of the most liberal table odds offered in Laughlin, triple odds on craps and double down on first two original cards in Blackjack.

Restaurants

Feathers cafe, Moonshadow Grille, Restoriante  Avianos, Native harvest buffet, a fast food area and several bars including the poolside bar.

What We Liked

Variety of slot machines

Free drinks while gambling

Buffet

$.99 breakfast with your AVI slot card

Pool area and spa free to hotel guests on the Colorado River

Take your pick, swim in the cool waters of the Colorado or lounge by the adult pool or spend time with the kids at the pool dedicated to the children

Fabulous pool as well as swimming and boating on the Colorado River

Multiple pools with palm trees and lots of lounge chairs to relax on.

Drinks and food can be obtained at the poolside bar

Hotel rates are very reasonable

Covered garage parking and surface parking

Easy access from all highways

Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas

Movie theater showing current movies

Fast food area for a quick meal

Huge RV parking area

What We Did Not Like

There are no real complaints about the AVI Resort hotel & casino.

It is a 3 star hotel in our estimation and quite adequate for our needs

As usual with Nevada casinos, the quality of the air can be pretty bad at times due to the heavy number of smokers that seem to enjoy this casino as well as other Nevada casinos.

AVI Casino – Slot Player Card

They are part of the AVI Resort  casino slot players card system. Slot members can take advantage of benefits offered by the AVI Resort hotel & casino.

If you have not taken advantage of slot player cards, there are a number of benefits that many slot players should consider. Free or discounted rooms, email mailing list of promotions, free or discounted meals, access to entertainment, and a tax report outlining your losses and wins for tax claim purposes.

Parking

There is ample parking at the AVI Resort hotel & casino in a large parking garage beside the hotel. There is also surface parking that we observed for cars and there is also a large RV parking area as well with full hookups. You can access the hotel from the garage via an elevator from all levels. The parking garage is also patrolled on a regular basis and it also protects your car from the weather.

AVI Casino – Directions:

Kingman :

Take Hwy 68 South 35 miles to Hwy 95 South, BullHead City. Continue South approximately 11 miles to Aztec Rd. and turn right. Continue on Aztec Rd. 2.5 miles to the Avi.

Laughlin & Las Vegas:

Take Needles Hwy South 11 miles to Aha Macav Pkwy. Look for the AVI sign. Turn left and continue 3 miles to the AVI.

Needles :

Take I-40 to River Road Cutoff , which becomes Needles Hwy, North 14 miles to Aha Macav Pkwy. Look for the AVI sign. Turn right and continue 2 miles to the AVI.

The picture below is  of Harrahs Casino Hotel in Laughlin, Nevada. This casino is part of the chain that Harrahs has established across the country. In fact there are approximately 35 locations were you can gamble at a Harrahs Casino. Many casinos have hotels as well, so you can stay and gamble at a Harrahs nation wide and one location we are aware of in Windsor , Canada.

Harrah’s is located at the far south end of Casino Drive and you might not even see it if you decide to stop on Casino Drive without going all the way to the end. Many people walk along the street or along the river walk to the hotels. Unfortunately for Harrah’s Casino & Hotel most people will not walk since it is so far and you must walk up a fairly steep hill at the south end, so for many people it is better to take the car.

Harrahs Casino Hotel Rates

Rates are quite reasonable. When we stayed in April 2007, we paid as low as $28 a night for a decent room. The property appeared in need of a major over hall, however it provides everything that you need at reasonable rates. There are two pools overlooking the Colorado, one for adults and the other for children.Some customer reviews mentioned that the rooms are gradually being updated.

There are over 900 slot machines of all types, a variety of table games, poker games, keno and Race & Sports book betting. They also offer state wide progressive slot machines. Always bet the maximum if you want to win the progressive jackpots.

More Information about the Casino Hotel

The hotel offers 1505 rooms and 170 suites, some rooms on non smoking floors as well. Based on some of the reviews about the rooms it appears that Harrahs Casino and Hotel has been updating many of the rooms. Although we have not seen them ourselves, writers have indicated that new flat screen TV’s have been added and the rooms have been updated as well. When you check in, ask for a remodeled room since all rooms may not yet be updated.

There are also three towers to stay in with some rooms offering river views while many rooms do not. Although you may pay more for the river view of the Colorado river, it may be worth it if you would like to enjoy the views of the river and the town of Bullhead across the river in Arizona.

Harrahs Casino and Hotel offers a number of activities aside from gambling that customers can consider. There are stay and golf packages, you can try the salon & day spa, there is the fitness center, shopping, entertainment night life, the beach or pool, and a variety of other local attractions.

Many people will come to Laughlin, Nevada for other reasons than just gambling. There is ample hiking near by, the river provides lots of boating and fishing and there are Indian ruins as well that folks will view.

Restaurants

Baja Blue restaurant serving Mexican food
The Range Steakhouse,
Cabo Cafe,
Fresh Market Square Buffet
and fast food chains such as Starbucks, Baskin Robbins, Cinnabon and MacDonalds

Harrahs Casino Hotel – What We Liked

Variety of slot machines – over 900
Free drinks while gambling
Overlook on the Colorado River from the pool area
Access to the Water Taxi to all hotels, except the Ramada Express
Sandy beach along the Colorado River for hotel guests
Inexpensive hotel rooms
Choices of fast food such as Macdonald’s and Starbucks coffee
Lots of slot machines to play in two large rooms
Ample Parking
Buffet
Pool area and spa free to hotel guests on the 3rd level over looking the river
Hotel rates are very reasonable
Covered garage parking
Easy access from all highways
Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas
Great stopover point on your way to Las Vegas

What We Did Not Like

We have a few complaints about Harrah’s Casino & Hotel

Unable to access the River Walk at all, from the Harrah’s Hotel and Casino
Far end of casino drive and up a rather long high hill to gain access
Pool areas are in the shade in the afternoon sun
Hotel is tired looking and needs an over hall
No Internet access , wireless or other wise
Business office really does not provide good service

Slot Player Card

They are part of the Harrah’s Casino slot players card system. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at many Las Vegas hotels,  as well as sister hotels in Tunica, Biloxi, Laughlin, Atlantic City and Reno. There are other locations as well and this particular slot card membership is one of the best if you travel across the country a lot.

If you have not taken advantage of slot player cards, there are a number of benefits that many slot players should consider. Free or discounted rooms, email mailing list of promotions, free or discounted meals, access to entertainment, and a tax report outlining your losses and wins for tax claim purposes.

Parking

There is ample parking at the Harrah’s Casino & Hotel  in a large parking garage beside the hotel. There is also some  surface parking that we observed. You can access the hotel from the garage via an elevator from all levels. The parking garage is also patrolled on a regular basis and it also protects your car from the weather.

Directions:

Located at 2900 S Casino Drive, in Laughlin , Nevada, access from kingman is from Route 68 in Arizona, and also from route 95 and 163 from Las Vegas.

We appreciate your comments and we will also be updating this post next time we are in Laughlin in the spring of 2010.

The Aquarius Casino & Hotel is located in the middle of the casino drive resort area along the Colorado river. With over 1300 slot machines, a variety of table games, live poker and state of the art race and sports book, this hotel and casino is a great place to enjoy your self in the old Las Vegas style.

This hotel used to be part of the Flamingo hotel chain with it’s sister hotel in Las Vegas. Several years ago it was purchased by another group and renamed the Aquarius Casino and Hotel. Next time we visit the Laughlin area we will update the pictures with the new name of the hotel prominently displayed. The hotel is gradually being upgraded  and improved. Without the volume of Las Vegas, the process is a bit slower, however we really enjoy the ambiance of the river and the ability to walk along the tranquil boardwalk along the river.

Aquarius Casino – Water Taxi’s

These pictures were taken from one of the many water taxi’s that ply the Colorado River between the hotels and also across the river to Arizona. There is ample parking on the Arizona side of the river and a water taxi provides free service from this parking lot to the Riverside hotel which is just up river from the Aquarius Casino.

We arrived here in the middle of January on a beautiful sunny day with a day time temperature of 80 degrees! Fantastic. We walked along the boardwalk and enjoyed the sun and the warmth. Only approximately 5 hours from Flagstaff at 7000 feet elevation and 50 degrees cooler, this was pure heaven.

There are two 18 story hotel towers and this is the best hotel in Laughlin in our opinion. We will provide additional posts in the future covering the other hotels in the area. Wireless internet is available for $11.99 in the room while it is free in Starbucks as of April 2010.  There is surface parking as well ample parking in the parking garage located beside the hotel.

There is a tour that patrons can take along the Colorado river for 90 minutes with drink service provided. The captain will regal you with tales of various stories about the area. There are also themed cruises and wedding cruises as well.

Soak up the sun, and swim a few laps, while spending a sunny Southwestern afternoon around the Aquarius Casino Resort’s refreshing pool. Located atop the roof, the pool area is surrounded by the rustic Arizona desert and, being perched above the Colorado River, offers some breathtaking views. Cocktail service is available providing refreshing drinks and snacks to pool guests. There are also tennis courts to play on.

Staying in Laughlin is much less expensive than Las Vegas with hotel rates under $100 per night and usually much less for customers who qualify for casino rates with the Aquarius Casino slot card known as ACE. Always play with your slot card in place to qualify for comp’s, free meals and free rooms.

Restaurants

• Vineyard – a fine dining restaurant with authentic Italian cuisine
• Windows – buffet on the river overlooking the Colorado river includes free beer and wine during dinner buffet meals, excellent food and nice open dining area
• Cafe Aquarius – dining around the clock for a quick bite to eat
• H2OH – indoor / outdoor open air restaurant located int he heart of the river walk
• Fast Food – Burger King, Subway, Panda Express, Dreyers Ice Cream
• Outback Steakhouse – great steaks, prime rib, chicken and seafood
• Duet Cafe shop – with free internet last time we were there

What We Liked

• Variety of slot machines
• Free drinks while gambling
• Buffet
• Pool area and spa free to hotel guests on the 3rd level
• Hotel rates are very reasonable
• Covered garage parking
• Easy access from all highways
• Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas
• Great stopover point on your way to Las Vegas only 70 miles away
• Coffee shop offers free internet
• They provide a fridge and coffee maker in the room
• Located along the Colorado River
• Access to the boardwalk along the Colorado river

What We Did Not Like

There are no real complaints about the Aquarius Casino & Hotel

It is a 3 star hotel in our estimation and quite adequate for our needs

We do not like the amount of smoke that seems to permeate just about everywhere. The hotel responds by using deodorizer which can be a problem for anyone with a breathing issue. The smoke odor is pretty strong. Recently they have placed no smoking signs in all restaurant and food serving areas.

Aquarius Casino – Slot Player Card

They are part of the ACE slot players card system. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at the Stratosphere hotel in Las Vegas and at Arizona Charlies in Decatur and Bolder.

If you have not taken advantage of slot player cards, there are a number of benefits that many slot players should consider. Free or discounted rooms at casino rate, email mailing list of promotions, free or discounted meals, access to entertainment, and a tax report outlining your losses and wins for tax claim purposes.

Parking

There is ample parking at the Aquarius Casino & Hotel in a large parking garage beside the hotel. There is also ample  surface parking that we observed. You can access the hotel from the garage via an elevator from all levels. The parking garage is also patrolled on a regular basis and it also protects your car from the weather.

Directions:

Located at 1900 S Casino Drive, in Laughlin , Nevada, access kingman is from Route 68 in Arizona, and also from route 95 and 163 from Las Vegas.

We appreciate your comments and we will also be updating this post next time we are in Laughlin in the spring of 2010.