Golf, fine dining, along with inexpensive buffets, are also available, as are trips into the desert and visits to real ghost towns. Once the weather turns cold, recreational options seem limited except for those inside the hotels and casinos. The hotel/casinos are on a smaller scale than their cousins in Las Vegas. The amenities seem to be much the same with the exceptions of large production shows. Some big names were advertised but only for short runs. For example, Wayne Newton was scheduled to appear on October 30, for one night only.

I stayed at Harrah’s Laughlin for several nights during October. It was the off season, between the weather approving to Colorado River recreation and the time the snowbirds arrive to escape the ravages of winter in other parts of the country. Harrah’s Laughlin is at the southern end of the group of hotel/casinos on the Laughlin “Strip”. Harrah’s advertise “100% Satisfaction” or your money back.

While most of the hotel/casinos are located on fairly level land, Harrah’s sits off from, and is substantially lower in elevation than, Casino Drive. The several hotel/casinos close by are not easily visible from most of the property. The views are of the Colorado River and attractively landscaped desert hills, giving the guests a feeling of peaceful solitude that the desert offers. Valet parking is available and free parking plentiful. There is even a large amount of covered parking. Separate areas are designated for vehicles with trailers. Due to the canyon type, winding road design of the approach to the hotel, you could get a little confused trying to get to the hotel entrance from the street. I suggest paying attention to the signs. The hotel has a main building and three towers, including an adults only tower. The exterior’s motif is a southwestern style, done in shades of adobe brown. Harrah’s has a private beach and beach club with personal watercraft rentals, a good size pool and spa, along with a well-equipped gym. A water taxi to other hotels on the river is readily available.

There is a small shop area with a McDonalds, Baskin-Robins and a clothing boutique. The gift shop is across from the registration desk by the main entrance and is well stocked with almost anything a guest would need. Next to the gift shop is a coffee bar for those of us who need an early morning, get started, jolt.

The casino is divided into two areas, smoking and non smoking. The main casino had a good variety of table games, Craps, BJ, Let it Ride, Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow and Roulette. There is a small race and sports book and Keno area but no Poker room. I noticed a good selection of slot and video poker machines including the popular Odyssey and Wheel of Fortune types, along with Mega and Super MegaBucks (now up to about $27 million).

The non smoking casino had fewer table games with no craps table and a fair to good selection of slot machines and video poker. Neither casino area was crowded and had about half of their tables shut down, obviously due to the season. The good news was I never had to wait for a seat (this was also the case with the several other casinos I visited while in town).

Bars were thoughtfully placed for the convenience of the players and had comped drinks to those playing the $.25 to $5.00 video poker. Most of the table games had a $5 minimum with $.25 roulette during the day and $.50 at night.

Harrah’s “Gold Card” is their slot club and is also used for rating table players. I do not spend a lot of time playing machines so I did not earn much in the way of cash back points or prizes. However, I did use the card to get rated while playing table games. When starting, the card is given to the dealer who tells the pit, “Harry’s gold card is here!” A pit supervisor comes to the table, welcomes the player, goes back to the pit, watches for a while and records the play. I am a minimum bet player and was not up or down anymore than $20 during my entire stay. Even at my level of play Harrah’s was very liberal with their meal comps, mainly for their buffet and coffee shop which were both excellent. According to their advertising, their Gold Card is honored at any Harrah’s in the world.

Harrah’s offers several dining options including the Fresh Market Square buffet, Colorado Cafe (coffee shop), La Hacienda (Mexican) restaurant and William Fisk’s Steakhouse (named after Harrah’s founder).

The Fresh Market Square buffet was excellent, comparing favorably with those in Las Vegas, although on a smaller scale. I enjoyed their buffet at three different times and found each had a good selection of high quality, well prepared and tastefully presented items. I was especially impressed with the breakfast pancakes and the blueberry sauce, the firm but tender ham at the carving station for lunch, the prime rib (thick cuts on request) and crisp cooked vegetables at dinner. The salad bar always had fresh items. The desserts were great, except I would have preferred whipped cream to custard in their filled pastries. All selections were promptly refilled when low. The service was great; it was rare to have even a half empty coffee cup or cold drink before it was refilled or replaced. The table was always cleared of used dishes before I got back from my next trip to get more great food.

The Colorado Cafe was also excellent. Great food at a great price. I found it difficult to believe I was in a coffee shop from the service and quality food.

Due to commitments elsewhere in Laughlin, I did not dine at William Fisk’s Steakhouse or The Hacienda but talked to several people who had and heard only high opinions of the food and service.

Most hotels where I have stayed appear to be fairly standard, almost interchangeable, having few unique features. Their employees tend to range from indifferent to acting as though they are doing the guests a favor by doing their jobs.

The physical aspects of Harrah’s Laughlin’s are pleasant and upscale for the area but it is their employees whom make it a special place. I found Harrah’s Laughlin’s employees to be a warm, friendly, helpful bunch, who’s mission in life seemed to be making the guests of the hotel/casino as happy, welcome and comfortable as possible.

I noticed this when I first arrived. The valet parkers were available without being overbearing. Their service was quick but not too hurried to always have a friendly greeting.

Checking in was easy and took about ten minutes. It would have been quicker if I had not asked a number of questions. In some other hotels clerks grunt, “Uh huh,” type answers to the guests questions while typing in their computers. Harrah’s clerk gave my questions her full attention and seemed happy to answer all my queries.

My room was tastefully done in the same southwest motif as the rest of the property. The king size bed was firm and comfortable with several pillows. The bathroom was large with a full tub and shower, hair drier and plenty of towels, soap and shampoo. The room had good lighting and a 27” TV. There was a small service charge to use the phone in the room for calls outside the hotel but it was the same charge as using my phone calling card from a pay phone. Housekeeping was very responsive and I never had to ask twice. Ice machines were by the elevators. Even though my room was only three rooms from the elevators, it was very quiet.

The servers and staff at the bars, buffet and coffee shop were happy, friendly and pleasantly patient, especially when I forgot my glasses. The server just about had to read me the Colorado Cafe’s menu and seemed happy to do so.

The casino employees appeared to be somewhat younger than those of other Laughlin casinos but, as with the rest of Harrah’s employees they had the same “we are here to pamper the guests” attitude. In most casinos, asking an employee for an explanation of the rules on some of the lesser known games (Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow, etc.) would result in being handed a pamphlet by the dealer with a bored look that says, “Where did this guy come from?” I asked several Harrah’s dealers to explain the rules of some of the games. All of them were happy to do so even though I said I probably would not be playing just then.

The first night I was in the casino I had a conversation with one of the craps dealers (no one was playing) about my experiences dealing and how little things have changed during the intervening three plus decades. The next night I walked up to the table (it was about half full with some good action) and the same dealer said to me, “Hey, tap me out so I can go on my break.” This comment would have gotten a nasty look from supervisors in other places but the boxman got a chuckle out of it and I though it was nice of him to remember me.

I played four to five hours a day, trying to vary my times and dealers. All were proficient and friendly. Each time they were toked they seemed genuinely appreciative, a far cry from some other places where dealers begrudgingly take the tip, acting as if it should be more.

The drink service at the tables was friendly and, for the most part, timely. The cocktail waitresses were sometimes gone by the time I turned around with their tip.

Even the pit crew took the time to come over and say hi. No players were ignored when they walked up to the pit to speak to one of the floor supervisors or the pit boss. Most of the disputes between dealers and players that I noticed, where the players were reasonable, were resolved in the player’s favor by the floor supervisors.

The only problem I had in the hotel or casino during my entire stay was a thirty minute wait for a cocktail waitress at my BJ table (I need my diet soft drinks while I play) my first night there. As soon I mentioned this to the dealer she signaled a pit supervisor who immediately came over to the table. When I told him what the problem was he got a cocktail waitress there in less than a minute. For the rest of the time I was playing the drink service was great.

The next evening, as I walked around the casino, I was greeted by name by the floormen who had dealt with the drink service problem. He said he had looked for me the night before to comp my bar bill to make up for the problem, but I had already left. I thanked him but declined, explaining I do not drink alcohol. He offered me a dinner comp which I thanked him for. I mentioned that the drink service problem was not a big deal, especially since it was taken care of so quickly and had not happened again. He politely disagreed, stating that they did not just pay lip service to Harrah’s “100% Satisfaction” guarantee. He did laugh when I asked if it applied to gambling losses, even though he has probably been asked this a thousand times before.

This typified the service at Harrah’s Laughlin and the demeanor of its employees. I did not see one forced smile or grumpy employee during my stay. Granted, it was not crowded while I was there. I got the impression had it been, the service and attitude of the employees would have been the same. I asked some of them about any special training they had received regarding their attitudes. The response was always in line with, “There isn’t anything special in our training. They just look for a certain up-beat type of person to hire.”

The best compliment I can give Harrah’s Laughlin is, if I were in a position to do so I would try to hire away as many of their employees as possible. For those going to Laughlin I strongly recommend Harrah’s Hotel and Casino. Harrah’s rooms cost a little more than the other hotels ($2 a night more to be exact) but it is money well spent.

...and no, I do not work for or have any financial interests in Harrah’s.