Lots of Questions for the 1st timer - staying at the Riviera

http://www.cakecamp.com/

I am doing a girls weekend, for a cake camp event. (yes I am spending my weekend in LAS VEGAUS learning how to decorate cakes.. seems crazy I know.. )

So my top questions are as follows:

1. Airport to hotel - whats the best/cheepest way - sharing with a girlfriend

2. Hotel Pool at the Riviera, do they do poolside drink service, or should I bring a cooler?

3. Best Spa that will not cost me an arm, leg, and 1/2 my budget?

4. Best CHEEP place to eat

5. Best place to eat within $30 bucks *USD per person, no booze.

Thanks so much for all your help~

Lots of Questions for the 1st timer - staying at the Riviera

Not crazy at all! I%26#39;d look for most any excuse to get to Vegas =) And I assume you%26#39;ll have free time.

1. Taxi.

2. Haven%26#39;t stayed at Riviera . . . sorry, can%26#39;t answer. Most pools, however, have drink service.

3. Doubtful that you%26#39;ll get better prices than at the Riv. (Prices are on their website.) However, again . . . haven%26#39;t stayed there so (nor used the spa services) so can%26#39;t attest to the quality.

4 and 5. How cheap is cheap? Are you meaning $30/meal or $30/day? Are you meaning at or near the Riviera or will you be venturing out?

Lots of Questions for the 1st timer - staying at the Riviera

BEST/CHEAPEST---these two are never the same which option would you like? i%26#39;m guessing cheap.

1. Shuttle is the cheapest.

2. There is drink service,

3. Don%26#39;t know your budget so I can%26#39;t know what 1/2 of it would be. A good general rule--the better the hotel the better the spa. Better costs more.

4. Not sure what cheap means, but Riviera has a food court and there is also a large one at the Fashion Show Mall which is within walking distance.

5. You have a lot more options than you probably think. What type of foods do you like?

Riv. is not a good place to stay. It has a musty mildew smell, not very clean. The pool is nothing to talk about. I spend 1 night %26amp; left in search of another hotel. The rooms weren%26#39;t very clean, staff is very rude %26amp; not accommodating at all. I had comp rooms %26amp; I left %26amp; went to pay for my room.

You need to define $30.00 is it a day, a meal, or what??? You have Slots of Fun for cheap eat. I%26#39;m not sure the price of the hotdog now, but it used to be .99 for a 1/2 hotdog. You should look at staying at another hotel for your 1st experience.

We%26#39;ve stayed at the Riv in the past on found it to be OK. Nothing special but clean rooms. It%26#39;s one of the older properties and is not as flashy as other newer hotels. The pool is small but there is bar service available. The coffee shop at the Riv as sandwiches and meals for well under $30. We were not impressed by the buffet.

The cheapest way to get to the hotel is the shuttle. I think it%26#39;s about $14/pp roundtrip. It is not the fastest as you have to wait for the shuttle to fill before you leave the airport. You%26#39;ll probably stop at one or two other hotels before geting to the Riv but it%26#39;s a chance to see a little of the strip. DON%26#39;T try walking to the Stratosphere, it%26#39;s further than it looks! %26lt;grin%26gt;

SS

If you can share a cab, it is the cheapest and best way. Cant help you with the ?%26#39;s.

Mr. K

There is a bar at the Riviera pool and they do have poolside drink service. You might be interested to know that the Riviera pool is one of the few in Vegas that has an actual deep end and where you can swim laps.

Most spas are open to guests of other hotels during the week, but many are restricted to their own guests on weekends. Spa treatments are expensive everywhere, but some are more expensive than others. You can usually find a great deal of information including prices for treatments on the various hotel websites.

Taxis from the airport would be better, especially since you%26#39;ll be sharing the cost with your friend. Shuttles just take too long, and when you get to VEGAS I%26#39;m sure you want to get to your hotel quickly!

If you%26#39;re specifically looking for the least expensive option to get to the Riviera from the airport (aside from walking all the way) that would be the Local bus route 108. You can get it right at the airport and ride it north on Paradise road until you reach Riviera Blvd by the Las Vegas Hilton. From there you%26#39;d have to walk a short ways West (less than half a mile) over to the Riviera entrance. It would most likely be quite hot and uncomfortable, especially carting bags. But it would be cheap. $1.25 per person. Enjoy your stay.

The Riviera is old school but the ';vibe'; will leave you underwhelmed. (Click on me for my review.) Assuming your camp is at the LV Convention Center, I%26#39;d suggest looking at other non-casino properties closer to the convention. That said, I have read here that some rooms have been renovated from their spartan appearance since I stayed there last September. Whether they are available at the lowest price point is another question.

The Riviera does have a relatively affordable spa as well as ample dining opportunities that are mostly within your budget.

Thanks everyone!

I think we will share a taxi, a bus ride does not sound like fun.

No the event is being held at the hotel, so we have to stay there. Its to much of a hassle to carry stuff back and forth.. let alone having it melt!

Dinner 30 bucks per person, with tax, tip, and a drink is what we are looking for.

Cheep place to eat would be under 10 bucks.

How is the food at the hotel?

I am pleased about the poolside drink service - a relaxing day by the pool, no matter how basic it is, is a relaxing day by the pool.

Do they also serve lunch/snacks or just drinks?

And does anyone know the menu/prices poolside.

Taylor