A Couple Nights In A Rio Las Vegas Classic Studio Suite

RIO All-Suite Las Vegas Hotel and Casino is a fantastic casino hotel conceptually. The idea of an affordable all suite hotel with a casino is a welcome concept when visiting Las Vegas. Most of the suites in Las Vegas casinos are closer to $200 per night while Rio is closer to $100 per night.

Unfortunately the property has fallen into disrepair since being purchased by Caesars Entertainment (then Harrah’s) in 1999. The Rio has undergone some minor renovations since that time but the majority of the property seems as though it hasn’t been touched since that purchase. You can see that throughout the property and into some of the suites.

There are two towers at Rio and multiple room styles available at Rio. If you’re a lower level Total Rewards customer your cheapest discounts are most likely are for the lowest class of room called a “Classic Studio Suite.” My recent Total Rewards room offers had this room offered complimentary. Since I’m merely Platinum level at Total Rewards my complimentary room actually cost $25 for the resort fee each night.

You should generally not assume things but you wouldn’t be wrong to assume that in this case “Classic” means that the suite is old. The suite appeared as though it hasn’t been renovated in many years. The Classic suite is the entry level room at Rio so it wouldn’t be wise to expect much more given how Caesars tends to scale their room product. That said, besides looking old the room was mostly functional and fit the price point ($0 and $25 per night for resort fees).

The Classic Studio Suite is 600 square feet and included an L shaped couch, 32” non-HD flatscreen TV, 2 queen beds, a desk/table and an awkwardly laid out bathroom area (more on that later). The room could use better outlet distribution as finding a convenient place to plug in my mobile devices was a little chore. Since the resort fee includes wifi for two devices it would make sense that they have at least two easily accessible outlets.

The decor is about as ugly as you’ll find in a hotel in 2015. The newer suites at Rio have a similar layout in the main room but a more contemporary design. If I was on vacation the decor would probably bother me but it didn’t on this visit since my main functions of this trip were to be near the Vegas Strip and to do work on my laptop. I barely looked up from my computer in the few hours I spent in the room.

In the photo above you see a strange placement of the TV in front to the window. I left the drapes closed to emphasize how dark the room was. I’m guessing this is a 2 queen setup because I’ve stayed in a king suite before where the desk/table was next to the window. There was much more room in the king room so maybe single bed offers more room for the table and chairs. That setup was better as not only did it allow for a better view but it had a more comfortable work area.

The desk/table (not shown because it was a mess from the minute I set my things down to the minute I left) was pushed up against the only open wall in the room. This was function but not comfortable or aesthetically pleasing.

I requested a single king bed with VIP services but they were out by the time I checked in. My shrinking play with Total Rewards allows me some of VIP offers but only gets me “P service.” The Serta mattress was typically comfortable as is the case with most Caesars beds. The three pillows on each bed had varying densities and weren’t comfortable even when I used all 6. The different firmness levels just makes it difficult for me to sleep. I guess the good news is that I was awake early for work both nights.

The main suite decor wasn’t pretty and showed its age but where the bathroom is really where it felt like stepping back in time. The open vanity area had built in cabinets that offered nothing useful besides a place to hide a refrigerator. The fixtures seemed to be a combination of renovation attempts going back to when the property first opened.

The actual bathroom itself was too small to get a photo that would actually show how small it was. The room was probably less than 50 square feet. The room was as long and wide as an average bathtub. The door opened until about an inch before the toilet and the shower wasn’t accessible unless the door was closed. The water pressure in the shower was strong but the water never entirely turned off. There was a tiny sink hidden behind the wall in this photo that was never used. The faucet leaked and the sink was slightly stained.

The different suite layouts seem to have different layouts for the bathroom. I’ve been in two or three other types of suites and I think this was the worst I’ve seen. Even some of the other Classic Suites have nicer bathrooms. Try asking for a corner room if the bathroom matters. I think these are larger suites.

If you like having a nice view the scenery of the Vegas Strip and the mountains was nice. It was probably the best thing to look at when staying in the room. Too bad the desk/table is on the other side of the room.

Overview

For the purposes of this stay the Classic Studio Suite was fine. I slept, showered and worked and that’s really all I wanted. The wifi speed was good enough to stream music on one device while work on another. The ugly decor, which would normally bother me, was fine for two days and nights where I barely spent any time in the room not staring at a computer.

Such as the case with most Caesars entry level rooms I recommend paying for an upgrade even if you’re just looking for an affordable large hotel room where you plan on spending time awake in the room. The difference from entry level rooms at Caesars properties to middle or top level is usually quite drastic. This suite was worth the price of the $0 for the room plus $25 for resort fee but not much more than that.

Despite the negative thoughts the suite wasn’t horrible. The suites are huge and functional and would be great for an oversized party looking to spend just a few dollars per day per person on a hotel room near the Las Vegas Strip. The RIO LAS VEGAS – SHUTTLE TO THE STRIP runs pretty frequently if you don’t want to walk or pay for a taxi.