Tuscany Suites & Casino

The first thing that impressed me about the Tuscany Suites & Casino at 255 E. Flamingo Rd. was the architecture. It’s very Mediterranean. And the landscaping is so tasteful, with winding pathes between buildings, lots of palm trees, grassy lawns, hanging sage, flowers, fountains. There’s even a round-about where the parking lot wraps round the casino. Very European. The designer of this hotel took a page out of the old Desert Inn handbook: the front desk has a separate entrance from the casino, so you don’t need to walk past flashing, ringing machines and through smoking areas to check in. The lobby is a perfect place to meet people, with comfy chairs and a modern fireplace. The pool can be seen just behind. And all the rooms are suites. As a local, I don’t get much use out of the hotel amenities, but I highly recommend it to visitors. It’s away from the Strip just far enough to be secluded, but near enough to walk to the Bellagio.

If that was all there was to it, I’d probably not rank the Tuscany so highly. A main attraction for me is the casino facilities. Two circular bars on the gaming floor and the new Tailgate sports bar are great for wetting your whistle. The pub grub includes Prices are reasonable. The Cantina restaurant serves up some of the best Mexican fare in town (and that’s saying a lot!). I’m not a big fan of Marilyn’s Cafe, the only 24/7 eatery here, but many like their Chinese menu. There’s a small sportsbook for punters and a relatively new poker room for card sharks. All the usual table games, and some pretty loose slots. And the Tuscany Player’s Club is hard to beat: cash back, restaurant and bar comps, free gifts every week, free slot play, weekly drawings, 3X points, discounts, gift shop purchases, and check cashing perks. Best of all, for me at least, it is right around the corner from Ellis Island. It doesn’t get much better than this.