Have to say that we stay in the Rio once or twice a year on business for the past 4 years and elect to stay there for couple of days r&r afterwards. NO MORE. No more attending trade conventions there, no more holidays.

Agree it was cheap, it always was a bit funky but that’s what we loved about it.
I also agree that currently the service is poor and the offering is even smaller. E.g. the buffet is smaller, the show in the sky is not on regularly and other services etc are poor and mainly outsourced

The most important thing to us is that we felt safe there, however we had ALL our business paperwork, orders cc receipts. i.e. every single piece of paperwork from a trade convention, stolen from a bag (with the bag) in the room.
The Rio outsource their security and have no interest whatsoever in managing the process or apologising. Turns out they use agency cleaners and so have no idea whatsoever who actually is cleaning your room and no way of tracking them either. Anyone could be in your room, /cleaning/ it.

The irony is not lost on me that they search your bag upon entering the pool area in case you have a bottle of water or a snack /hidden/ in there but anyone it appears can be in your room and take something from it and the Rio do nothing about it.

NEVER AGAIN

To start off I really like nice hotel rooms so I would not normally pick a place like the RIO. But they had a suite and we were only staying one night before leaving for our drive to Sedona. We arrived 11 pm so it was late arrival. We arrived exhausted and the line was huge and so slow to check in. One person working the desk and another working priority guests. When we finally got up we asked for an upgrade if possible since we were only staying one night so we did get upgraded to a nicer suite on a higher floor and asked for a roll away bed as well. We head for the elevators to find that all of them are out of service and there is another huge line to use a service elevator. What a nightmare. We finally get to the room, we attempt to order room service but since the elevators are down there could be a 2 hour wait. We were starving so we wait in line for the service elevators and go downstairs to eat. We are told there is a 45 minute wait to eat. WHAT??? I have never had to wait in one of the hotels cofffe shops for that long. Frustration has truly set in. We eventually get seated after 15 minutes with slow service on top of it. Food was good but slow. Exhausted at it being close to midnight Vegas time but since we flew in from Chicago it was 2am body time, we head back up to our room, wait in line for the service elevator. Get to the room and no roll away bed. I call down and they said it could be up 45 minutes. I said I had two teens and we are exhausted. The rollaway did arrive about 20 minutes later. We all went to bed but as we got ready for bed, the bathroom had crap all over the floor and was dirty. I was totally grossed out at this point but too exhausted to want to change rooms. We got up the next morning, had breakfast at the carnival buffet which was good and left. Never again will I stay here. The only positive is due to a deal we were mailed the room was only $39 a night.

We have visited vegas many times and have stayed at numerous places. TI, Mandalay Bay, Monte Carlo, etc, but our favorite was the Rio. We are harrahs loyals and visit their properties in Lake Tahoe and Reno several times a year. This trip to the RIO was much different than any other. we were traveling with about 11 freinds/famly. I raved about the rio and had some discounts so I booked 4 rooms. In the past i have never had to leave them a deposit, and this time they wanted one on each room.. Not a typical hotel deposit for the first nights stay. A deposit of 300.00 per room for incidentals charged to the room. After informing them that I we would not be charging to the room, they reduced the deposit. Mine was 200.00 @ of the others were 100.00 and the 4th was 300.00. Why they go up and down like that I have no idea.To say the least I was very disappointed as i was not expecting to pay an additional 1200.00 for hotel rooms. Shoot, I would have booked the Wynn if I had.
Checking in was a nightmare becasue of the 4 rooms. 2 of them were comp, so i guess you get what you pay for right? When we get to the front desk 1 of the 2 comp rooms is coming up with charges, they make me talk to the supervisor Scott, who was able to pull the tapes of my phone conversation when I booked the room, and verify that I was not trying to pull one over on them. Anyways he did comp the room and was very nice about the whole matter.
Well we get up to our room in the masqurade tower, and there is a large (what looks like remnants of sex) stain on the couch, the room was not an updated room, and there was no comforter on the bed, just sheets. I called down and they said this is their new look. the 3 sheets.. Which were white, and the remainign decor was that bright old vegas color. looked awful. Anyway Scott changed our rooms for us. He was absolutely wonderful. Next we were put into the impanema tower. By then It didn't matter anymore I was just happy to be going out to dinner as everybody had arrived by then and was finished checking in.
Our room, was better than the last one, but not nearly as good as the other 6 times we stayed at Rio. the carpet was shredded up.. I mean strands of carpet pulled up.
Also, by the internet cafe by starbucks there was this one I'll just come out and say it.. HOOKER.. that was there every night. She would be signaling men to come over to her. We caught her being turned down 3 times. Then there was another time we were in the elevator with one who had to have been 21 and the john was at least 50.. disgusting.

Rio used to be a classy place, and my favorite place to be. we love the atmosphere in the casino it is different then the other boring ones, but we have never liked to eat there. For some reason, the food there to me, is all way overpriced for mediocrity. One of our favorite things to do in vegas is have nice dinners. We don't mind paying the a la cart prices, but I can't stand paying too much money for something that leaves you disgusted afterwards. So usaully we never eat at the rio. On this trip however, because there were so many of us, you have to consider everyones budget, and 6 of us were looking to eat. Well the two old ladies in the group (my mom and my aunt) decided they wanted to stay at the hotel and eat, so after walking around undecided we settled on McFaddens. We went up to the host, and he said you have to wait for the hostess she is inside. So about 10 minutes later she comes out. This was on Saturday June 27th in case her boss is reading this. She informs us that there is a party and we can't come in. the house was not full by any means adn it was about 9:15. After my girlfriend was talking with her a while she comes back and says well "we can seat you but you'll have to be done by 11:00." Mind you my friend who was talking with this young lady is african american. I could only have imagined how she must have felt. I don't believe the young lady was racist, but we sure did percieve it that way. Perception is reality. Anyway, we declined her not so inviting invitation to eat in their resturaunt, and decided on RUB.. I kept telling my mother, mom i don't want to eat at the rio we need to go somewhere else, but the boys wanted BBQ so the 6 of decided on RUB.. OH MY GOD.. our waiter seemed very attentive at first then distracted. He would ask me if i would like a refill, and when I confirmed he would walk away and right in front of us at the hostess stand, be palying with his iphone. He would then come back around ask how everything was, and then still not bring me my drink. And the food.. Come on.. Famous daves has better BBQ than this place for half the price.
Anyway, we will not be staying here again, i am sure my husband will remain a harrahs loyal in the reno/tahoe area, as those hotels are really so much nicer than the ones in vegas. But we all agreed we will NEVER stay at the RIO again.. Free or Not.. we recieve offers from the MGM properties as well, but rio was our favorite. Its like a love affair has ended..

Do yourself a favor and stay on the stip and be treated 100 times better then you will get at the RIO. This hotel not even deserving of 1 circle only reason it did is because I had too. Stayed there from June 20-27, 2009 worst hotel of the 4 times been to Vegas even the Stardust (yeah no longer there - put this hotel to shame). Okay first time ever in Las Vegas playing the slot machines ordered my second drink - never recieved and the waiter ignores me while playing, so I go to the fromt desk and the food and beverage manager (I was told) finally arrives 10 minutes waiting - explain situation and all he has to say can I get you that drink - give me a break I said how about a low $25 food voucher or 2 drinks at the Voodoo Lounge - his reply I'am not able to give that out (what a joke, although consider where I was staying I guess it was expected). Oh yeah by the way be prepared to be treated like a jerk if not ordering alchol by the pool - because when ordering ice water before noon is a sin and if you do the bar water (dispenser) ain't for you no you get the tap unless you tip for WATER?? Top the off the very nice rude server at the cuzan bar (by non- heated pool) said it best when I order 2 ice waters - just like yesterday. (give me a break they get paid by the rude comments) Looking for deals on food to eat - Have I mention the strip yet - If money no object then yes do stay at the rio - but if you want any extra spending money at all - avoid at all cost.