Flamingo vs. Bally’s
Me and a friend spent 6 nights in Las Vegas and stayed 3 nights at Bally’s and 3 nights at Flamingo.
It is hard to believe these 2 properties are owned by the same corporation. Here is a breakdown of the 2 properties from my experience.
Check-in desk:
Flamingo – arrived at 2pm and there was a long line that was starting to lead out to the casino. I noticed there were 4 check-in stations open and it took 55 minutes before getting to the counter. We received room keys and when we tried to go to our rooms, 2 of the elevators were not working.
Bally’s – arrived at 2pm and there was a long line but there were 6 people available at the check-in and it was only a 20 minute wait. We received a coupon book and the gentleman who checked us in was very friendly.
Rooms:
Flamingo – We reserved a GO room and while the room was clean and beds were comfortable the room was small in size. I did like the TV in the bathroom mirror feature. The room was high enough up that we did not hear any street noise and we had a nice view of the pool area. Room service was good as they had the room cleaned every day by the time we returned to the room about 5pm each day.
Bally’s – The room was in the Indigo Tower and it seemed about 50% larger than our room at the Flamingo. There was a lot of bathroom counter top space and had the standard tub/shower combo. Room service was also good as rooms were cleaned promptly every day.
Pool:
Flamingo – The pool area looks very nice but there is very little free seating at the GO pool and we were forced to sit at the family pool in order to get 2 chairs together and then we walked to the GO pool when we wanted to cool off. As with most places, cocktails were very expensive. I drank only water but the water fountain did not look sanitary and water was luke-warm. I asked for a cup of ice at the bar and they wanted to charge me $2 so I suffered as the ice would have melted in about 10 minutes anyway. Pool area had a lot of kids and music was on the loud side. The storm-troopers that inspect your bags on the way are very strict. You cannot even bring a bottle of water in. Several people were upset and this caused the entrance line to be longer.
Bally’s – Just your ordinary backyard pool but larger. Very few kids and a lot more peaceful. No problem getting chairs and they had free water and ice available at the front and back of the pool areas. I also found out if you buy a soda or water from the pool store just before you enter the pool area, you can bring it in with you if you show the receipt.
Gambling:
Flamingo – I liked playing at Bugsy’s Bar in the middle of the casino. Even though the video poker schedules are poor, the bartenders are fast and friendly. I never had a problem getting a seat there. I play mostly $25 blackjack and during my sessions, I found the dealers to be not too friendly. Even though I was winning and tipping, I rarely received a thank-you when I tipped. Cocktail service was only average.
Bally’s – Video poker schedules were not great here either. They did seem to have a larger variety of slots. Black Jack dealers were o.k. but on Thursday night there was a women dealer who was terrific. She enjoyed joking with some of the older men at the table and made the 4 hours go by fast. Even though I was losing, I tipped her because I really enjoyed her service. Cocktail service at the tables was excellent, at the machines it was above average.
I can’t comment on the food as the only meal we ate on premises was a hamburger place in the hallway between Bally’s and Paris.
To recap, for a lesser price (including a Friday night stay), Bally’s seems to have much more going for it than the Flamingo.
Me and a friend spent 6 nights in Las Vegas and stayed 3 nights at Bally’s and 3 nights at Flamingo.
It is hard to believe these 2 properties are owned by the same corporation. Here is a breakdown of the 2 properties from my experience.
Check-in desk:
Flamingo – arrived at 2pm and there was a long line that was starting to lead out to the casino. I noticed there were 4 check-in stations open and it took 55 minutes before getting to the counter. We received room keys and when we tried to go to our rooms, 2 of the elevators were not working.
Bally’s – arrived at 2pm and there was a long line but there were 6 people available at the check-in and it was only a 20 minute wait. We received a coupon book and the gentleman who checked us in was very friendly.
Rooms:
Flamingo – We reserved a GO room and while the room was clean and beds were comfortable the room was small in size. I did like the TV in the bathroom mirror feature. The room was high enough up that we did not hear any street noise and we had a nice view of the pool area. Room service was good as they had the room cleaned every day by the time we returned to the room about 5pm each day.
Bally’s – The room was in the Indigo Tower and it seemed about 50% larger than our room at the Flamingo. There was a lot of bathroom counter top space and had the standard tub/shower combo. Room service was also good as rooms were cleaned promptly every day.
Pool:
Flamingo – The pool area looks very nice but there is very little free seating at the GO pool and we were forced to sit at the family pool in order to get 2 chairs together and then we walked to the GO pool when we wanted to cool off. As with most places, cocktails were very expensive. I drank only water but the water fountain did not look sanitary and water was luke-warm. I asked for a cup of ice at the bar and they wanted to charge me $2 so I suffered as the ice would have melted in about 10 minutes anyway. Pool area had a lot of kids and music was on the loud side. The storm-troopers that inspect your bags on the way are very strict. You cannot even bring a bottle of water in. Several people were upset and this caused the entrance line to be longer.
Bally’s – Just your ordinary backyard pool but larger. Very few kids and a lot more peaceful. No problem getting chairs and they had free water and ice available at the front and back of the pool areas. I also found out if you buy a soda or water from the pool store just before you enter the pool area, you can bring it in with you if you show the receipt.
Gambling:
Flamingo – I liked playing at Bugsy’s Bar in the middle of the casino. Even though the video poker schedules are poor, the bartenders are fast and friendly. I never had a problem getting a seat there. I play mostly $25 blackjack and during my sessions, I found the dealers to be not too friendly. Even though I was winning and tipping, I rarely received a thank-you when I tipped. Cocktail service was only average.
Bally’s – Video poker schedules were not great here either. They did seem to have a larger variety of slots. Black Jack dealers were o.k. but on Thursday night there was a women dealer who was terrific. She enjoyed joking with some of the older men at the table and made the 4 hours go by fast. Even though I was losing, I tipped her because I really enjoyed her service. Cocktail service at the tables was excellent, at the machines it was above average.
I can’t comment on the food as the only meal we ate on premises was a hamburger place in the hallway between Bally’s and Paris.
To recap, for a lesser price (including a Friday night stay), Bally’s seems to have much more going for it than the Flamingo.
