Having recently returned from a nice 5 day visit to the old EC, I thought I would share some of my thoughts about this venerable old casino with the board.
During the past couple of years, most of the EC casino and public areas have been revamped and reconfigured. This has resulted in a quite an improved appearance. Unfortunately, many of the best VP machines are now missing MIA. This is most notably apparent in the loss of the fast TITO M/G machines which formerly housed FPJW, DDW, 10/7DB, 9/6JOB & 8/5BP. Actually, the machines are still there, but the good games are not.
Outside, a nice looking, tree lined walkway, leads from Las Vegas Blvd. directly to the much more attractive Porte-Cochere which graces the new entrance to the EC. Using the walkway allows one to bypass the still seedy section of Fremont St.,between Las Vegas Blvd. and the EC.
This new path also borders a very large, tall new Condo structure, recently completed, and partially occupied. I was amazed to learn that the largest Condo units sold for $1.5 Million! Downtown is certainly going upscale these days!
The EC revised their card club last year. Players are now rated by tiers which range from the highest of the four tiers, Diamond, to the lowest, Emerald.Their card also works a little differently than the cards at some other casinos. As you play, two separate accounts are building in the system; one account for points and one for comps.
Points, which can be used for same day CB, build on a one point for one dollar basis, EXCEPT for 100% EV games which require $3 per each point. In addition to CB, the points can be used to pay for room, meals, gift shop etc. When points are used to pay restaurant charges, the bill is first reduced by 50%. OTOH, when comps are used to pay for meals, 100% of the cost of the bill is deducted from the comp account.
The comp account builds slowly. I haven't tracked the exact dollar amount required per comp dollar, as it didn't seem worth the effort to keep track. It is certainly a doable thing to calculate, as the card reader illustrates both earned comps and earned points each time that the card is removed and re-inserted.
The newly re-decorated rooms, though certainly not of luxury strip hotel quality, are, IMO, quite nice for a downtown hotel. Only the Golden Nugget, where there's almost no good VP to play, has nicer rooms.
The EC also has spacious and well furnished suites, available to their stronger players. The suites consist of two spacious rooms; a living room with a couch, love seat, armoire with large screen TV and refrigerator, end tables with good reading lamps, a coffee table, a buffet with a coffee maker and a large desk with available Internet connection. A separate bedroom is comprised of a kingsize bed, end tables, lamps, another armoire with a TV and dresser drawers and a huge double closet containing a safe. In one corner of the bedroom is an inviting looking spa tub. The adjoining bathroom is spacious and appears to have been recently remodeled.
Of all the improvements that the management has made to the old EC, IMO, the best have been in the food and beverage department. With the exception of the breakfast buffet, which is awful, and the not-so-great Chinese buffet, both the food and service in Careful Kitty's Coffee Shop and Roberta's are vastly improved. The Subway Sandwich Shop and Ice Cream Parlor, located in the back of the casino, also feature made to order and tasty treats.
On my recent trip I ate almost all my meals at the EC, and didn't have a single disappointing meal or dining experience. For most of the meals, I was with friends, both local and from out of town. They all expressed their pleasure at the quality of the food.
As far as the VP inventory is concerned, the EC still has FBKBJW in denominations from .25c to $1.00. The boxes with that game are all old and slow coin-droppers, but at least the game is still available at higher than quarter play. There are also two Downtown Deuces Wild coin-droppers in the "classic area" and many DDW machines from .25c to $1.00. There is a bank of six VERY fast TITO M/G machines that contain DDW and 8/5BP in denoms. from .25c to $1.00.
The EC has also remodeled their Sports Book, which now features two walls of TV screens. One set of screens festures horse race action and the other Sports events. The book advertises that they they are taking the same size bets as South Point, which is owned by Michael Gaughan, son of Jackie Gaughan, the Patriach of the EC.
To sum up my thoughts on the EC; I think that a pleasant stay and a good gamble is available to those who are tolerant of less than luxurious surroundings.
The negatives for me are too many smokers, the inconvenience of coin-droppers, and the less than stellar location of the hotel. For me, the positives still outweigh the negatives, and I will continue to stay at the EC occasionally.
Good luck and lots of royals to all!
~Babe~
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