We arrived at RIO the day after Super Bowl for a three-night stay in the Ipanema Tower. Check-in was smooth with about a 10 minute wait in line before being served. The registration clerk was friendly and paid close attention to filling our special requests. Since we are bugs on cleanliness (no pun intended), the condition of the room was our main concern and it was very clean, not a speck of dust. The room was large (600’) with two queen beds, full sofa, coffee table, 32”TV, and writing desk. Beds were very comfortable and room was quiet. There was a separate area with a closet, safe, sink, refrigerator, and large counter space. A door from there opened to a smaller room that contained a full size tub, shower, toilet and another sink. The shower was strong and drained quickly. The only negative was the hot water in the shower lasted just a couple minutes. When first turned on it was very hot and needed to be turned down, but soon turned cool. The deals available on the RIO web site made it a great bargain, and there were NO resort or any mandatory fees. If you had been to this hotel several years ago you may recall a small window in the wall of the shower so a lady could peer into the main room while showering. Of course being a gentleman, one would never peer back. Those windows are long gone. Gambling was OK, and we were able to play quite a bit without losing the kids college funds. While gambling on the machines, drinks were offered often and the time between ordering/receiving was only 3 or 4 minutes. Alas those poor young ladies who deliver the drinks must not be paid well because none of them seemed able to afford many clothes. Again, being a gentleman, one could not stare. With one exception everyone in the hotel was outstanding. The one exception was a security guard sitting at his station in the casino. When I approached to ask a question he greeted me with “What do you want?” Located a half mile or so from the strip was not a problem as the free shuttle ran every 20-30 minutes to Harrah’s on the strip. Currently the evening free show in the sky is running Thursday through Sunday.

While not as elegant as some of the other hotels on "The Strip",(notably Caesar's Palace), the Rio offers an attractive package of spacious rooms and a cavernous casino. We upgraded from the basic room to a suite for $20 more per night, which apparently was a great move judging from comments of the other members of the group we were with. We had a handsome view of the strip and mountains in the distance through the wall of glass.

The room had a comfortable couch with lounge section and about a 27" older tv on a swivel stand. A small window between the shower and the bed area allows for quick peaks into the bedroom and lets in more natural light. There is a vanity sink with dressing lights outside the bathroom which is especially convenient and allows privacy in bathroom while a second person is changing.

Complaints: The hotel is really too far away from the strip to walk to it, so you either wait up to a half hour for the courtesy van or pay for a taxi. The Irish Pub showed no signs of life. Sao Paolo, where we went for breakfast (while good), is quite pricey...$49 with tip for two with no liquor.

Pluses: Penn & Teller, famous magicians, perform at their theatre in the Rio almost nightly and the show is well worth the $60 ticket price (low end) - truly amazing and very funny as it is laced with Libertarian humor. The casino is clean and modern with a wide variety of slots and all the standard gaming tables. If you sit at a slot, and gamble, long enough, the scantily clad cocktail waitresses will offer free drinks.

While on the strip, we recommend viewing the incredible choreographed fountains (with jets up to 50 feet) just outside the Bellagio, going to the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower for a great view of the entire basin ringed by mountains and enjoy a glass of wine and cheese tray at the Eiffel Tower restaurant. The adjoining Paris casino is particularly beautiful. Caesar's Palace casino is definitely several notches above the Rio's and well worth the take.

Renting a car is well worth it if you want to see the Hoover Dam (about 1 hour away) and Red Rock Canyon (about 30 minutes away) which has several trails of varying difficulty. Both are superb spots for photography buffs.

I was here on business and stayed at the hotel for four nights. My company isn't willing to pay $22 for me to go on a 40 minute run. I can't justify spending $22 per day for my workout. I worked long days and wouldn't have time to really enjoy it for more than an hour. So, I didn't get my workout in because it isn't really situated in a place where I felt comfortable going out for a run outside. A couple months ago I was at the Cosmopolitan which I would give 5 stars and even their fee for fitness was less.

The rooms are large and if you are in the updated wing (which we were) it doesn't feel like you are stuck entirely in the 19th century. I like that their rooms are large and we had a great view of the strip. Because the Rio is off strip you get to see the city and are not blinded by it:)

They do have the #1 rated buffet in Vegas. That was fabulous. I will say the food was very good every day. With 12 restaurants we ate at the hotel a majority of the time. The Italian restaurant was very good but the portions were very SMALL. The Chicken Parmesan didn't even come with a portion of pasta...just the chicken BUT it was phenomenal! Melted in my mouth...yum!

As for the gambling, it was fair. Could get on a craps or blackjack table for $5-10. The "dancers" standing above the slot machines dancing I could have done without.

The rooms are very large and confortable. The staff was always helpful and friendly. Check-in and check-out was quick and smooth.
It is off the strip but don't think that is a problem. There are two free shuttles running every fifteen minutes. The view of the strip from the wall of windows of our room was great. The free show in the sky Thursday through Saturday is a must see. It is one of the few Vegas hotels which does NOT charge a resort fee so the price you see online is the price you pay - No surprises at check-out. We will definitely stay here again.