While vacations in sunny beach resorts hit the spot for many travellers – others need a little more entertainment. Thankfully, casino hotels cover both bases. While these first-class, five-star resorts cater for tourists’ every whim with opulent interiors, sun-soaked pools and dining options galore – casino hotels also offer the opportunity for exciting, edge-of-your-seat gaming by night, just in case the great outdoors gets a little boring.
But where are the best casino hotels? There are plenty to choose from – but thankfully, we’ve cherry-picked the best of the best.
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The Ritz Carlton, Aruba
Situated off the coast of Venezuela, the tiny Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba is only twenty miles long by six wide and yet possesses one of the most luxurious beach resorts with stunning facilities and beaches. Opened in 2013, The Ritz-Carlton Aruba also has a 15,000 square foot gaming room with 17 traditional table games, slot machines and live entertainment. The Casino hosts most of the usual games – Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Poker (Caribbean Stud, Three Card, and Texas Hold’Em Bonus), plus Baccarat.
Adorned in a rich, opulent design made up of enchanting oranges and purples, the casino itself is open 24 hours a day and the table from 4.30pm to 4.00am. Guests have praised this venue’s level of service, food options, and location – at the mellow end of a crowded beach. It’s a truly sumptuous location with an elegant and understated hotel with a sophisticated casino – and a solid choice for a casino holiday.
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Aria Resort and Casino, Las Vegas
When it comes to a holiday, sometimes it’s best to take a break from the norm, but sometimes it really pays off to visit somewhere tried and tested. It would be impossible to make suggestions of this sort without including the Aria Sky Suites in Las Vegas. The Suites aren’t the usual Vegas fair and have been designed at the top of the 61 storey resort towers, high above the strip. The suites themselves are the height of luxury and have every imaginable amenity. One of only 46 destinations in the world with both the AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star Award, the Sky Suites are very special indeed.
Added to the luxury space of a Suite, visitors are given their own personal concierge, and, of course, access to the Aria Resort Casino. The casino is owned by MGM Resorts International, and opened in 2009. Today, following a recent renovation, it boasts 150,000 feet of gaming space, the casino has slots, pokers table games and a race and sports book. Take a step inside and you’ll find it just as glamorous as the Sky Suites, with elegant lobbies and cutting edge design giving you one of the best casino experiences imaginable.
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Cratos Premium Hotel, Cyprus
If you’re a fan of the soft blue waters of Mediterranean Sea, then you might want to consider the Cratos Premium Hotel and Casino on Cyprus. Officially opened in 2010 by Boz Group, this 400-room resort set on the edge of the sea with a stunning port (and its 22 Maldives villas) and a variety of bars and restaurants also has a casino with 24 gaming tables and over 265 slots machines. Covering over twelve thousand square feet, the Cratos Premium Casino should satisfy most gamblers who have a hankering for poker, blackjack and roulette. Its exterior glitters like a jewel, and the interior is just as classy, with chrome finishes and ambient lighting adding to the premium look and feel.
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Hodelpa Gran Almirante Hotel and Casino, Dominican Republic
If you’re working from a slightly smaller budget but still want to experience the glamour of a casino in the Caribbean, the 155-room Hodelpa Gran Almirante and Casino in the centre of Santiago de los Caballeros should suit. Calling itself, Santiago’s Grand Hotel, the Gran Almirante is a luxurious destination for tourist to the city and casino lovers alike.
This is the Dominican Republic’s version of Vegas, with a paradise of slots, craps, blackjack and poker tables awaiting casino gamblers – and a range of one-armed bandits, too. Owned by Grand Victoria Casino, the Hodelpa Casino stands out for its bold interior visuals, with a consistently plush designs all the way from the foyer to the very back of the gaming floor.
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Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Lovers of Formula 1, will recognise the three towers of the Marina Bay Sands Resort with the sky park sat on top. One of worlds most expensively constructed resorts (over $8 billion in 2010) the hotel has 2,500 rooms and the world largest atrium casino. Owned by Las Vegas Sands, the casino has an amazing 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. Clearly, the resort isn’t going to be cheap, but if you’re looking to stay at one of the very best Hotel Casinos in the world, the Marina Bay Sands has to be right up there.
You can gamble at any high-class hotel – even one that doesn’t have a casino attached – in the age of online gambling. Some leading gambling operators offer live casinos, which accurately simulate the experience of gambling better than ever before. As well as being able to interact with live dealers, you can also chat to other players, providing the human element that’s until now been absent from the online gambling experience. You can find a great example of this by checking out live casino games at 888, one of the industry leaders.
All the hotel casinos above offer spectacular levels of service and work incredibly hard to impress their customers. A returning customer is a happy customer and, since the huge global growth of the online casino sector, the land-based businesses have turned up the quality their games to counter the perceived threat from the online games. The reality is that the online sector has provided a whole new set of customers who want to visit these spectacular destinations and feel the real-life drama of the gaming tables. If you’ve not been to a real casino before and you’re planning a vacation, then check out one of the destinations above. You won’t be disappointed.
