Can I ask what your negative experience was? I stayed at the Rio for one night during last years WSOP, and had no problems or complaints. I planned on staying there more this year, but not if there are potential problems. Thanks for the info

I have stayed there for years during the WSOP, and have never experienced a problem. It's not swanky by any measure (as good a room or better than Bally's or Harrahs imo) but to me, there is no substitute to having a short commute after a late night grind or having a place to go back to on a dinner break to do your business or to go clear your head for a couple of hours between games. My standard move is to always lock valuables in the safe, and keep the privacy sign on the door keeping the maids out. I can make my own bed, thanks.

+1
A room for us on our trip is just a place to sh**, shower and sleep so nothing fancy needed.I don't think the RIO is any less/more safe they any comparable hotel. Rio rooms are bigger at least then comparable strip rooms.
I have stayed at the RIO for entire WSOP trips, have stayed on the strip for WSOP trips, have also done half/half. Always go with my same poker buddy and we choose not to worry about a rental car and just cab it everywhere, comes out about the same but don't have to worry about parking, driving drunk etc...

Staying at RIO is convenient if you plan on playing bunch of cash/wsop events there for sure but there are less food options etc... Strip is convenient if you are also going out on the strip a lot during down time, so both have pluses/minuses. Neither option is bad. If you are going for a long trip (we go for 2 weeks), try half and half if this is your first trip.

Stayed at the RIO for my first wsop 2 years ago -- hated it .. but then again I like a nice hotel room .. and most of my stays in vegas are at the Wynn ..

if you're on a budget the RIO is fine. -- For me, I find that i play my best when i stay at a resort without a casino and with nice rooms. -- So this year i'm staying at vdara.

Last year i stayed at the MGM Signature, really enjoyed that place.

For starters, I find the walls paper thin, there is constant noise, making it hard to sleep. I also find the air very musty, I find that as I spend longer in the hotel area, I start to feel sick.

I have even been put in the pet stay area without being told, and only once I heard barking did I figure out why I was struggling with allergies - there'd obviously been a cat in room previously.

Lastly, the fittings are quite old and I've seen stains on the carpets / curtains. I also had to have a fridge replaced as it made such I racket I couldn't sleep.

ive been to vegas the past god knows how many years, think staying in a house off strip or in a condo closeby is the best option.

rent a car, have a kitchen, have a backyard, enjoy life.

It's old, no doubt about that. They have been trying to sell it for years, and not willing to put any money into it.

If you appreciate a good meal at all then the Rio is the worst imaginable casino hotel. Their restaurant selection is like Tunica level stuff.

+1, however the Rio is close to Spring Mountain Road where there are a lot of great options. So, tip if staying at Rio, get a car or take an Uber/Lyft for meals in "Chinatown".

Check out Yelp for your options which include Korean BBQ, Thai, Sushi, Chinese, Pho, etc..

Any experience with taking Uber to ChinaTown? Cabbies used to get upset at me and tell me they won't take me next time they see me standing there, etc. I never have a car in Vegas and hotel hop b/t Gold Coast, Caesar's properties every year, but love the food in ChinaTown. #TofuHutFTW

Hey Brauda,

No problem at all with Uber/Lyft to Chinatown!

TofuHut rocks, so does Mr. Tofu, & Chada Street (new) all located just 5 minutes from back of the Rio.

I've also had problems with cabbies not wanting to go to certain parts of downtown, worse was getting them to pick-up from any place not a casino or airport! Ride share services are rapidly changing the transport scene in LV.

This is why cabbies as we know them in LV will hopefully be distant memory in next 7 to 10 years! Seriously the Cab Companies and many of their drivers are some the worst scamming, low-life, lying SOB's I've encountered in LV and that is saying a lot.

One more tip, when possible avoid using LV cabbies, especially for any trip off the strip.

I always rent a car. It basically costs the same as a single return trip anywhere and is way more convenient. This would obviously change if more properties charge for parking, but it still holds right now.

I generally rent a car as well, and I do like having that flexibility to get around. One point worth noting for anyone who hasn't been to Vegas in the past few months, there is some new construction around the rental car terminal. It takes more than twice as long as usual to get to and from the airport terminals from the rental cars. I actually missed my last flight out of town because I underestimated how long it would take to get the car dropped off.

$$$$ Advice. Thanks for the heads up. Decided to stay at rio because I am comped. Last trip I thought cab would be cheaper than car. I was wrong.

I'm also planning to rent a car again, as I did last year. But parking at the Rio can be a serious pain in the arse.
I stayed at the Rio 2 years ago, and also had some bad experiences. Things like the room wifi was really bad, and having to constantly login and pay for it every day (they did refund a bit of it though when it wouldn't work), and also their pool playing ABSURDLY loud and bassy music on Friday-Sunday, which was brutal and meant basically 0 sleep after like 10am.
Last year I stayed at the Westgate, and then the Extended Stay, which were good, other than cleanliness being an issue at the Ex Stay.

This year I'm looking into airbnb. But it's tough to find places for the full 6-7 weeks, particularly that are cheap.

Lucky for you that you no longer have to worry about paying for wi-fi because you have to pay (in the resort fee) whether you use it or not.

No. The resort fee is actually optional technically. It's for the wifi and the pool.
I no longer have to worry about it because I don't intend to stay at the Rio any more.

Resort fees are not optional if you are below diamond status. Caesars for a while plastered billboards advertising that all their properties didn't charge resort fees like all other casinos. They removed the billboards and started charging resort fees like other casinos, not sure what date this changed but it was several years ago.
They waived them for Paltinum/diamond status by default, then around 6 months ago they even stopped doing that for platinum.

Yeah, they even backed up the expiration date on their Tier status from April 1 to January 1. This only affects players who fail to maintain their status, but the rep I asked about it had the gall to tell me it was so "players can get their benefits earlier". Right, that's why our status expires 3 months earlier now. What a crock of &@$!. They actually think we're that stupid.

Caesars has got to be one of the worst run companies in the US.

Well, nope. 2 years ago it was optional for me. And I wasn't Diamond (yet) 2 years ago.
Though iirc I think that was because when booking it, on my booking form it said that there are no resort fees charges. And then I think I showed them that part of it upon arrival.

2 years ago is an eternity when discussing Vegas hotel changes. Since then CET has changed resort fee policy at least twice.

Just stay at palms place. Super nice and walking distance to rio

Thanks for all the feed back. Now I'm second guessing playing the colossus. I don't mind the size of the tourney, but would hate to wait hours to play cash.

The first week of the WSOP is something that any poker fan should experience at least once. The energy in the air is almost palpable.