I have never stayed at the Rio as I never wanted to be off the strip. I have enjoyed the MGM, Four Seasons, Alladin, Bellagio, Westin, Hard Rock, Caesars, Hilton, Paris, etc. But I think the Rio is the "funnest" place I've been to in Vegas.

It started with my boss who is a Platinum member at the Rio and invited me to dinner at Antonio's. There are a lot of great restaurants in Vegas and this is one of them. Excellent Italian fare. They brought the regular wine list and I said no, I want the real wine list. This thing went up to $95,000 per bottle! The Osso Bucco is great, but make sure you try the rib appetizer. The bones are removed and the meat just melts in your mouth. For dessert I had a glass of their best Grappa and I think it had a big effect on me.

Later I wandered the Casino and saw a group of Blackjack tables with extremely scantily-clad female dealers. This is near the excellent Bikinis club. I sat down and proceeded to take the Rio for an awful lot of money. This is single deck blackjack with no blackjack bonus, but I didn't care about style of game. I didn't care about what I was dealt, I was just having fun with a beautiful dealer. I was very high on the wine, beef and Grappa and played blackjack unconsciously. I think I started with $100 and left with $4000.

The next day, as I knew it would be, was not so lucky. However I was given some free passes to the VooDoo lounge at the top of the Rio. I met some people up there and had a great time in the VIP area. Later that night I went back to see my girlfriend/dealer and even though I wasn't lucky that night I managed to fight my way to a $500 profit during the final session.

My boss likes to hang out at a bar in the middle of the casino called Shutters. I wondered why he liked the place when all of a sudden lights and music came on and a beautiful go-go dancer jumped up on the little nearby stage and started singing and dancing. I guess this goes on quite often through the night. This is also a great spot for people-watching. I was very well entertained just sitting there for over an hour.

I was invited to Masquerade too, but I didn't make it. I think I have a lot more to see at this hotel. While I like earning Starpoints at the Alladin or Westin, I think I may stay at the Rio next time.