Last week was a lot of looking back at my trip to Las Vegas. There will be a few more in the coming weeks. Unfortunately ECG is having some problems, which I’m working on getting fixed but that won’t stop the goods from going up. I’m back home for a week before I take off again for another adventure.
Speaking of adventures, football season starts this week with some NCAA games. I’ll be sharing my picks on my tumblr and twitter once again this year if you’re interested. I’ll also have JMP back with his NFL picks. So get ready! Here are the highlights in the past week on ECG.
I’ve stayed at the Palazzo for my past two trips to Las Vegas and enjoyed the suites both times I stayed. This time I figured I’d stay with (Enrico) Palazzo’s sister (whoa) the Venetian. Poor girl’s insides haven’t aged very well.
The Palazzo is still relatively new, so I was expecting a little wear and tear on the Venetian suite, but there was a little more than I expected. Fortunately, the bathroom was still in excellent shape. The shower and tube were spotless and cleaned daily.
The vanities both had marble tops and gold fixtures.
Unlike the Bally’s room I had in Atlantic City there was nothing gaudy about anything in the bathroom.
Unlike the Palazzo suites, the door to the water closet does not shut automatically. That’s a good thing.
I started to get some stuff up from my trip to Vegas 2 weeks ago. Of course, now that I’m caught up on sleep I’m off to another destination. Postings will be slow, but keep an eye on twitter as I’ll always pass on anything good I see.
Funny enough I was working on ECG 4.0, when I decided to work on an idea I had last year and was never able to get to. If I did things right, that will launch shortly after my next trip. Here’s the fun from this past week.
I haven’t stayed at Bally’s in about a year and my last few visits have had me at the Garden and Dennis Towers since they’ve been renovated more recently than the main tower of Bally’s. In fact, with the Claridge currently being renovated the main tower should be up for renovations next.
I heard that the rooms are still top notch even though the main tower at Bally’s hasn’t been renovated recently. I didn’t expect to be blown away because, between Las Vegas and Atlantic City, I’ve been staying in newer rooms for the past couple of years.
I asked for, and received, a corner room in the main tower and got the kind of room I expected – a nice and big room that was build for the 80′s. The room was oddly shaped, but very large. Complete thoughts on the room at the end of the photo tour.
The room was kind of triangular as you can see from the image above. You can also see the old tube TV. I haven’t had a room with a tube TV in a couple of years. I think that might have been the last time this TV was cleaned.
The seating area was nice and spacious and while the chairs were ugly and uncomfortable they were near an outlet (as you can see by my phone charging).
There was also a pretty sweet view of uptown Atlantic City and the Atlantic Ocean.
Bally’s steakhouse, The Reserve, was renovated about two years ago and a bar, Preview, was added outside in the lobby. The bar is usually empty, but it’s a nice quiet place to grab a drink with little disturbance.
Recently Preview added a burger bar and I decided to check it out. I started with an excellent glass of wine. I believe it was a 2005 Malbec.
I decided to get a simple cheeseburger with cheddar on brioche for the burger. I like to keep it simple when trying out a burger joint. If anything, I’ll add bacon. The burger came with a side of fries in a little basket.
I don’t have high expectations for food at Bally’s as I’ve never been wowed by any of their restaurants. However, I was happily surprised with my burger at the Preview Bar. Even though the burger came out a bit faster than I expected, it was excellent. The brioche bun was really good and even the fries were good. I’m not much of a fry guy, but I finished everything on the plate and even ordered a second glass of wine for dessert.
The Preview Bar doesn’t open until Happy Hour where they have half priced drinks and appetizers. I will definitely make a return trip and would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick drink and bite to eat. If you’re not inclined to eat dinner at a bar, there are tables.
There’s a first time for everything. My last trip to Atlantic City had me in a Bayview Tower room at Harrah’s Resort for the first time. I’ve read and heard good, but unspectacular, things about the rooms. That just about sums up my thoughts on the rooms too.
The Bayview Tower is a newer tower at Harrah’s Resort, but not brand new like the Waterfront Tower. The rooms feel bigger than the Waterfront counterparts, but the decor of the rooms is horribly out of date. To give an idea, I’ve only seen a picture tube TV once in a hotel in the last few years.
You notice the 1980′s feeling wood in the photo above. If the main room didn’t make you feel like you were in the 80′s the huge bathroom might give you a complex as you see the gold trim on the shower and tub.
When you look at the more modern granite counter top and marble floor you my get a little confused and think you’re in the 90′s.
The water closet brings you even closer to the 00′s with no phone (thankfully) and a super powerful toilet.
