http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2009-11-21T20:48:13Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelhotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/local/425 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/10/6/113342/042 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/Sapphire_Pool_at_the_Rio_LVW.jpg" class="imgborder"> <p>A <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Rio+All-Suite+Hotel+and+Casino/local/425">Rio Hotel and Casino</a></b> staffer was quoted by <a href="http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/travel/story.html?id=c74932a7-e214-4e46-be11-53189b524fed">a Reuters reporter</a> as saying, "My life now is, if I'm not stripping or at the pool, I'm sleeping." <p>Well, wait. She's <i>kind of</i> a Rio staffer. Technically, she's part of a fleet of strippers that the Rio now stocks poolside. <p>See, the property has established a partnership with the nearby Sapphire gentleman's club -- the first hotel/stripclub partnership of its kind. Essentially, Sapphire strippers are offered incentives by the club and perks by the hotel to take off their tops and sit by the adults-only pool to lure dudes to the Rio (and probably to the strip club later on). <p>Sigh. Where to even begin... Jenna 2008-10-06T11:35:31-05:00 36.1156028 -115.18832 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/6/11/232716/174 <![CDATA[<img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/surface.jpeg" class="imgborder"> <p>The future of dating is looking bleak. First there was the explosion of online dating (which cannot be stopped) -- and now flirting via computer while you're <i>in the same bar</i> is a reality. We can thank Bill Gates. &nbsp; <p>After the Microsoft Surface computer <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/6/12/231159/697/hotels/Microsoft_Surface_Tested_Out_at_the_Sheraton_NYC">debuted</a> at the <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Sheraton+New+York+Hotel+And+Towers/ian/105816">Sheraton NYC</a></b> this fall, the technology made its way out west and into in an "iBar" in the <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Rio+All-Suite+Hotel+and+Casino/local/425">Rio Hotel and Casino</a></b> in Las Vegas. <p>Six of these $10,000 (!) machines are in the bar, essentially turning tabletops into touchscreen controlled computers with Harrah's <a href="http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g5ta2_Fat38VD1YKSc1U8nZJAiDA">custom software</a>: <blockquote><p>A "Flirt" feature in the Surface computers lets people exchange original messages or choose from suggested come-on lines. Jenna 2008-06-12T09:00:01-05:00 36.115595 -115.18853 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/9/25/155240/646 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/luxor_ad.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>Upon landing in Las Vegas on Saturday we couldn't help but wonder if the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Luxor+Las+Vegas/local/56"><b>Luxor Hotel</b></a> was hurting for money. Why? Because the whole building has been covered in black and features a huge advertisement on one side for Absolut Vodka.<p>Things get a little more down-market over the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Rio+All-Suite+Hotel+and+Casino/local/425"><b>Rio</b></a> which sports an ad for Jim Beam liquor on a side of its hotel. <p>The <a href="http://www.lvbusinesspress.com/articles/2007/09/21/news/iq_16753390.txt">Las Vegas Business Press</a> noted, as did we, that while wrapping the buildings is not new, the advertisements for products with little to no association with the hotel are.<p>Case in point: last May we noticed the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/5/25/125330/710/hotels/Snapshot_Toni_Braxton_at_the_Flamingo">Flamingo wrapped in an ad for Toni Braxton.</a> Similarly the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Venetian/local/38">Venetian</a> has plastered juliana 2007-09-25T15:59:33-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/9/12/132931/578 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/RUB_Racks.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>Even we're still getting over our Vegas hangover (thanks, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/VMA%20Hotels">VMAs</a>!), we should tell you that <b>RUB BBQ</b> is coming to the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Rio+All-Suite+Hotel+and+Casino/local/425"><b>Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino</b></a> on November 1. It'll be the next in a long line of coastal exports to Vegas, but supposedly Rub will remain a two-outpost chain with operations in only NYC and Vegas. <p>The New York location garnered plenty of praise when chef Paul Kirk opened the doors in 2005, serving up platters of St. Louis-style ribs, smoked duck and other slow-cooked protein. (Deep fried Oreos are also on the menu in New York, and we'd love to see them in Vegas.) <p>Chef Kirk will supposedly make some appearances, but the BBQ pbb 2007-09-12T13:46:11-05:00 36.115595 -115.18853 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/5/8/122132/8858 <![CDATA[<p><b>[Ed. Note: This is the Bad Rate in our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature. This rate was valid on May 8, 2007 and is subject to change. Enjoy.]</b><p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/rio_website_br.jpg" class="imgborder"/><p>It's a strange day when the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Rio+All-Suite+Hotel+and+Casino/local/425"><b>Rio Hotel &amp; Casino</b></a> costs as much as the Bellagio, don't you think? Well, when the MTV Music Awards roll into town on September 9, that's what's going to happen. <p>The Rio is closest to the host site, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Palms+Casino+Resort/local/40"><b>Palms Hotel &amp; Casino</b></a> and as an all-suite hotel, it's not usually a bad place to stay. But it's no <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Bellagio/local/57"><b>Bellagio.</b></a> Rooms at the Rio are going for around $360 on the hotel website with Sunday night costing $260. On Hotels.com for that same weekend, juliana 2007-05-08T12:33:51-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/