Hi all,
We spent two nights in Blackhawk mid October courtesy of Ameristar. Since no one has commented on the new hotel yet, I will share our impressions. As far as decor, the hotel is very nice, kind of a cross between the Augustus Tower at Caesars and Harrah's New Orleans. The rooftop pool seemed to be a big hit with everyone and is a bit of a novelty at 9000 ft. The pool is a level 4 ft. depth and not especially kid friendly. There is a small hot tub and fire pit outside of the pool area on a deck. On a busy weeekend evening, the pool area was a mix of parents w/ kiddies and couples hoping for a romantic interlude.
We only ate at the Fireside Kitchen where the food was tasty and portions huge. Service however was abysmal. The parking garage was a nightmare as the casino was extremely busy. This place has got to be a gold mine for Ameristar.
We didn't know what to expect in the way of changes in the VP inventory since the new limits went into effect. Unfortunately, our target game, 9/6 JOB has been taken off the 8 STP machines. Gone--poof!! There were a few AllStar Poker machines that had 9/5 JOB STP a couple of aisles away but no more 9/6. I also saw 3 multi line machines upstairs in the new VP area that had regular 9/6 JOB. My scouting was limited as one of our party was under the weather all weekend and needed attention.
Hubby walked down to the Isle one day and was disappointed to see that NSUD and SA were gone from the 32 slant tops. Also some of the machines now only allowed 5P and up. His was a cursory search so maybe some of you can comment more specifically. He said the Isle was dead w/ very few people playing. And I know why--they were all at Ameristar!! Ameristar seems to be following the same pattern as L'Auberge duLac in Louisiana. They now have the nicest hotel/restaurant complex in the area and can justify having only good VP games at the $1 and up level.
What amazes is that the Isle somehow thought that they could eliminate their good games and still hope to compete with their inferior product.
Hopefully this limited report will stir up some discussion on the state of affairs regarding VP in Blackhawk. The data base definitely needs updating. Everyone please chime in.
Thanks, Robar