2009 Hotel/Casino Guide to Laughlin, Nevada
Colorado River Location Provides Added Attraction
Jan 23, 2009
People who like neon-light gambling combined with lots of other low-cost activities head for Laughlin, Nevada. Not only are its hotel rooms in this border town along the Colorado River much less expensive than comparable lodgings in Las Vegas. Food and entertainment cost less, too.
Don Laughlin’s Riverside
Oldest of the border-town’s hotels, the Riverside started out as a boarded-up motel when Laughlin bought it in 1966. Now it’s a high-rise hotel with 1,404 rooms, five restaurants, a showroom, $15 million bowling alley, six-screen movie theater, an auto collection and supervised day care center (1650 S. Casino Drive).
Aquarius
Opened in 1990 as the Flamingo Hilton, the 1,900-room Aquarius is the largest in Laughlin and recently completed a $20 million room renovation project. Its 3,000-seat outdoor amphitheater is the setting for spring and fall concerts by various well-known groups. There’s also a 300-seat cabaret inside the casino. Other favorite dining/drinking spots at Aquarius include the Windows on the River Buffet and H2OH, its open-air lounge on the River Walk (1900 S. Casino Drive).
Harrah’s Hotel Casino Laughlin
With three hotel towers, Harrah’s Laughlin is one of the little city’s most popular hotels. Top name entertainers perform in both the hotel’s showroom and outdoor amphitheater. The restaurants are among the best in town and it’s one of the few casinos where people can play slot machines while looking through the windows at the river. An added attraction is Harrah’s stretch of sandy beach (2900 S. Casino Drive).
Colorado Belle
One of Laughlin’s oldest hotel/casinos, the Colorado Belle is decorated with a 19th Century Mississippi River theme, and hotel guests can travel the Colorado River on a paddle-wheel style boat. The Belle also contains Laughlin’s only microbrewery (2100 S. Casino Drive).
Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall
The Pioneer’s façade of a wild-west town in the 1980s looks like a movie set. Inside, too, the rooms are furnished in Victorian style. But despite its down-home, western flavor, it boasts a restaurant that’s definitely not folksy. With an ambience of casual elegance, “Granny’s” menu is as equally interesting. Entrees feature seafood, veal and wild game with gourmet sauces and side dishes. Desserts are sophisticated versions of those grandma used to make. The casino offers a variety of weekly gaming tournaments, including “Doc’s Slot Shoot-out” every Thursday (2200 S. Casino Drive).
Golden Nugget
Operated by Landry’s Restaurants, Golden Nugget (2300 S. Casino Drive) was formerly a MGM/Mirage property. Its 300 tropically themed guest rooms and one-bedroom suites have views on either the river, the courtyard or pool. The hotel/casino’s four eateries are among the most interesting in Laughlin. At Joe’s Crab Shack, every table comes with a bucket and mallet to deal with the house’s crustacean specialty (chicken, sandwiches and pasta are also available. Other restaurants are Saltgrass (angus beef and Sunday Cowboy’s Breakfast), The Deli and Harlow’s (salads, sandwiches and pizza).
Tropicana Express, Avi Resort and Casino, Edgewater and River Palms
Although Tropicana Express (formerly the Ramada; 2121 S. Casino Drive) fronts on Casino Drive, it’s not on the river. The hotel/casinos restaurants, however, are considered among the best in town.Among the five eateries are a steakhouse and a sushi bar.
Avi Resort and Casino (10000Aha Macav Parkway), owned by the Fort Mojave Tribe, is the only Native American casino in Nevada. In addition to the casino and a hotel with more than 450 rooms, the resort includes an 18-hole championship golf course, boat launch ramp and a highly recommended 260-space RV park with full hookups and Internet access.
The 26-story Edgewater’s amenities include a wedding chapel and a casino that’s among the largest in Laughlin. Two restaurants, a buffet, snack bar and five fast food dining options plus 1,500 guest rooms are all part of this mid-price hostelry (2020 S. Casino Drive). Centerpiece of the casino at River Palms (2700 S. Casino Drive), one of Laughlin’s largest hotels, is a 3-story atrium.
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