We got checked into a suite with a strip view at the Ipanema tower, despite the fact that the Masquerade tower still is dark from about floor 14 up. Thanks to my good host at the Rio. (Expect those floors to remain closed for several more days) as
Fireworks were less than impressive this year, only 8 minutes and stagnant air kept the smoke right above the rooftops, soon obscuring a lot of the fireworks. The Stratosphere had a really big smoke cloud on top so their fireworks were quickly almost entirely unviewable from our vantage point.
The Rio's New Years buffet continues to go downhill. Food was semi warm and consisted of sushi, meager salad, salmon, chicken breast, carved steamship round of beef, mashed potatoes, and a few more. No shrimp or crab legs. Most of food was bland. The deserts were really poor, hardly any flavor, in tiny portions of unidentifiable cakes or whatever for the most part. Wait staff did a good job of filling wine glasses and cleaning plates. But the food stations were in some disarray, with some stations almost devoid of deserts while others were full. Our station was closed out early so we had to go a distance. Cravers didnt know how to carve steamship correctly. Open bar had no cordials (like baileys irish cream).
Music was muzak, some sort of dj dishing not very good selections and no one danced and no Christmas music. The worst thing was announcements every once in awhile that were not really appropriate for a crowd of 7 star and diamond members, like telling us this meal was invite only, which we knew full well from the tickets and wristbands, and hawking $5 drinks at some bar while we were getting sauced on the free drinks being served at the dinner. It would seem like the Rio should have been able to afford a small band of some sort, even a two piece combo or something.
The only saving grace was that this event came with the most free play, versus having picked another Caesars venue. (Though the tight machines quickly gobbled everyone's free play and more.)
Due to the Rio fire, many people were sent to other venues for rooms and ate at those venues. This would have meant the buffet would have been much smaller, but people who had booked the Voodoo Lounge or Restaurant (closed due to Masquerade power problems) were sent to join us in compensation.
Strangely, like last year, the Sunday brunch spread was much better than the New Years dinner. Even the beef was better, prime rib. The salad was much better with more dressings and ad ins. There was a big selection of the deserts that we hardly found the night before, as well as some good breakfast pastries. Also nice turkey as well as omelet stations, bacon, sausages, and more.