This article first appeared in the May/Jun 2012 issue of World Gaming magazine.
The Orleans is one of Las Vegas’ hidden gems. It’s not the biggest or the best and it’s not right in the heart of the action, but it offers visitors a Vegas experience with all the bells and whistles at a fraction of the cost.
Las Vegas’ casinos fall into three categories:
- The Strip: where the biggest and best casinos are situated.
- Downtown: an area situated around Fremont Street, which is the “old Las Vegas”, and has a host of small casinos crowded into one small area.
- Off strip: all the other casinos.
The Orleans is an “off strip” casino. Many of the off strip casinos focus on catering to one of two markets: Las Vegas locals, or tourists who prefer to be away from the hustle and bustle of the Strip. The Orleans is unusual in that it caters to both these markets. It is close enough to the strip to spend a lot of time there but far enough away to have a different feel.
Many Vegas casinos have themes and the Orleans certainly fits this bill. “Orleans” comes from the American city of New Orleans, down south in Louisiana. New Orleans is synonymous with great music, swamplands, alligators (or gators if you are a local), football, and Creole and Cajun food and culture. You certainly have a taste of all this at The Orleans. Themed casinos are not for everyone but they offer nice touches and give each casino a unique feel.
You can spend insane amounts of money in Las Vegas. If you have it, there is always someone waiting to help you spend it. One of the great things about Las Vegas is that you can do it without breaking the bank. The Orleans is one of those casinos where you won’t have to mortgage your home to enjoy yourself.
Like nearly all casinos The Orleans offers a range of accommodation prices with over 1,800 rooms in total. I have stayed in their basic rooms and while they aren’t what you would expect at Wynn, Bellagio or the Venetian, they are clean, comfortable and most importantly, inexpensive! You should easily be able to get a mid week room at The Orleans for around US$40 which will leave plenty of money in your pocket to spend elsewhere. You can find even better deals if you do a bit of research on the internet, but remember Las Vegas is always more expensive on Friday and Saturday nights no matter where you stay.
There is a free shuttle bus that runs from The Orleans to its sister property The Gold Coast, and on to Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall on the Strip, and then back again, every 30 minutes between 9am and 12:30am every day. This may not sound like much but it is a huge selling point. Taxis in Las Vegas are expensive, you have to tip them and they can be very hard to get when it’s busy, so it really pays to use the shuttle.
The gaming is well run with plenty to choose from. All your favorite table games like baccarat, blackjack, roulette, pai gow poker and fortune three-card poker are spread. For all the lucky tigers out there you can clink away on over 3,000 of the latest slots. There is a 60-seat, 24-hour keno room where you can chill out and watch the balls drop till your eyes drop out. An excellent 35-table poker room looks after the poker players and spreads a great range of cash games and daily tournaments.
The sports book is busy and action packed. Sports books are one thing that Vegas does better than Macau, especially given that Macau doesn’t have any in-casino sports books – but that is a discussion best left for another day. The Orleans has a great sports book full of colorful characters. You can bet on nearly every sport imaginable and wash down a hot dog with an icy cold beer while cheering on your favorite team.
If you like promotions and special deals you will be in heaven in Las Vegas. During March The Orleans offered a keno graveyard special which gave a free meal ticket to the Courtyard Café when purchasing a $25 keno ticket between midnight and 6am. In April there were US$60,000 worth of hold’em and omaha high hand giveaways in the poker room. Currently, Tuesday is “seniors day”, and there is always a host of other promotions on offer at the Orleans. The Orleans “B Connected” players card will also see you gain plenty of benefits.
Las Vegas locals and tourists alike enjoy The Orleans
Race and sports book
The Orleans Table games
Las Vegas really leaves Macau for dead on the entertainment front. There is just so much to see and do off the tables in Vegas. The Orleans Arena opened in 2003 and since then has staged Monster Trucks, championship boxing cards, Disney on Ice, the Harlem Globetrotters and the Las Vegas Gladiators arena football team, to name just a few. The Orleans showroom is an 850-seat theater, showing local and international acts. There is also an 18-screen cinema complex, ten-pin bowling complex and a long list of bars, clubs and music venues that would even see World Gaming’s The Stallion struggling to fit everything in.
There are multiple food options to choose from, ranging from fine dining to Subway. My personal favorite is Big Al’s Oyster Bar where you can get freshly shucked oysters and some good “ole fashioned” Creole and Cajun flair.
The Orleans is simply a good place to spend time. It’s well run, clean, friendly and cheap. If five-star service seems a waste of money to you, then you could do a lot worse than checking out The Orleans next time you are in Vegas.
| 10 great things about The Orleans |
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