HEY HEY! (the only Krusty the Clown reference I'll use, I promise)
Today's review is all about Circus Circus. Located at the far end of the strip near the Stratosphere, the SLS and Westgate, CC is not really a place you'd want to go back to.
In my opinion, the place was dark and dated, when wandering through it, it gave me a feel of being at a cheap British coastal town penny arcade. Now, I'm from Britain and I love our coastal towns and their penny arcades but that's where they should stay - there's not really a place for it here in Vegas. The hallways to walk through before getting to the actual casino are littered with tacky gift stalls. Again, I know what you're thinking ... this is Vegas and Vegas IS tacky. Yes it's bright, its colorful and it's vibrant - a melting pot for all however it doesn't need to be a tack-fest. CC seemed very touristy oriented, a lot of the hotels and casinos are, don't get me wrong, but the "buy me buy me" stalls were everywhere and you don't need that in a hotel/casino. To me, it was kind of off putting.
So, I don't want this piece to be all doom and gloom. CC DOES have some great features too. It is THE family place to stay. With it's circus theme, its obviously very child friendly and features an amusement park inside it called Adventuredome, which is spread over 5 acres.
Unfortunately it's not included in the price of your stay but, if you're a Nevada resident you get $2 off the all day pass on a Monday (with a valid Nevada ID) and for non Nevada-ites a daily pass is way better value at $32.95 than $12 per coaster ride and $9 per premium ride. If you're under 48 inches tall your day pass is only $18.95. We had a little wander around in there and even at around 11am on a Saturday morning, it was starting to get busy. Seemed like a popular spot and a great place for the kids to play all day long while Mom and Dad head to the casino (just kidding, I don't promote ditching your kids in a theme park whilst you go off and hit the gaming tables!)
Speaking of gaming, there were plenty of gaming tables and the slots were a decent mixture of old and new. We had a go on Monopoly and the Flintstones ... that one always cracks me up - we hit the Dino bonus and watched him lick Fred as he came through the door. Very amusing to me :) The other aspect of gaming in the building are the midway games and huge arcade featured upstairs. The arcade had lots of games to play on - Angry Birds Arcade, PacMan, Crossy Road, Luigi's Mansion Arcade (which neither Mr G or myself had ever seen before) and Guitar Hero to name but a few. There were also lots of traditional fairground type games - darts, hoopla, ball throwing into a tub - all to win a modicum of current gaming and pop culture plush..we were very tempted to have a go to win a giant Pikachu but, at $5 for as few as 3 balls, we gave it a miss. A lot to do in the midway arcade area though - definitely a lot of fun if a little pricey.
So, to food and drink ... Circus Circus is home to the best steakhouse in all of Las Vegas. Simply called, The Steak House it is voted Vegas's best year after year. As we haven't visited it, here's their own blurb from the website ...
THE Steak House at Circus Circus has been voted Best of Las Vegas for over 30 years and was named Zagat's 2011 Top Steak House in Las Vegas and received Zagat's award ratings for the 2014 year. Our award-winning restaurant features mesquite-grilled steaks, prime rib, lobster and crab legs in a traditional steakhouse setting. The mouth-watering cuisine and impeccable service make this the best kept dining secret in Vegas! Those who know fine dining know THE Steak House.
CC does have other options too - it has your regular snack places such as Auntie Anne's Pretzels, a Krispy Kreme donut stand and a Starbucks. There's also a buffet, Blue Iguana (a Mexican place), Westside deli featuring regular all American cuisine and a pizzeria. Of all the places in CC, we'd likely visit the Steak House as it has such a good reputation and have heard nothing but good things. If on the basis of this blog, anyone ever goes - feel free to leave me a comment - I'd love to know how it is!
Last point regarding Circus Circus - no poker room but there was a very small sportsbook - it was also guarded by some security men - not sure if they're a permanent fixture or just happened to be there as we walked by ... made me a little reluctant to take a photograph though I have to say!
Summary of Circus Circus - go there if you're taking your kids to Vegas - it's the idea spot to stay. No strip hustle and bustle as it's right at the far end and there's plenty of family friendly activities to do on site. If you're a couple or lone traveler, stay elsewhere - it's likely it won't be for you.
More reviews coming this week ... we did a bunch this weekend!
Viva
Speaking of gaming, there were plenty of gaming tables and the slots were a decent mixture of old and new. We had a go on Monopoly and the Flintstones ... that one always cracks me up - we hit the Dino bonus and watched him lick Fred as he came through the door. Very amusing to me :) The other aspect of gaming in the building are the midway games and huge arcade featured upstairs. The arcade had lots of games to play on - Angry Birds Arcade, PacMan, Crossy Road, Luigi's Mansion Arcade (which neither Mr G or myself had ever seen before) and Guitar Hero to name but a few. There were also lots of traditional fairground type games - darts, hoopla, ball throwing into a tub - all to win a modicum of current gaming and pop culture plush..we were very tempted to have a go to win a giant Pikachu but, at $5 for as few as 3 balls, we gave it a miss. A lot to do in the midway arcade area though - definitely a lot of fun if a little pricey.
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