Beau Rivage in Biloxi: A Bit of Vegas Luxury on the Gulf Coast
Written: Mar 24 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Has a vast array of amenities offering guests virtually no need to leave the grounds
Cons: Very few places in the lobby to sit; long walk to parking garage from lobby
The Bottom Line: A welcome bit of Bellagio and French Flare on the Gulf Coast.
|
|
|
| AshleyA's Full Review: Beau Rivage |
When one thinks of going out of town to gamble in style, most people think of heading to Vegas. Who would have thought that going to Biloxi, Mississippi would even be considered an option? Since the construction of the impressive Beau Rivage resort and casino, it's possible to enjoy some Southern hospitality with the blue Gulf waters serving as an impressive backdrop and play to your heart's content in their expansive casino.
Decor and Accommodations
When entering the lobby, it's difficult not to stop and smell the flowers. Huge flowerbeds line the marbled and carpeted walkway, which is well-lit by three large skylights. In the spirit of the upcoming Easter holiday, the colorful palette of fresh hydrangeas was replaced by white Easter lilies, and rabbit-shaped topiaries. The scent of the lilies was nearly overwhelming, but appreciated nonetheless. Faux French-inspired balconies with colorful awnings decorate the second story facade of the lobby.
The rooms themselves are simple, elegant, and very comfortable. We were placed in adjoining rooms, and the color scheme of our room differed from that of my grandparents. The rooms were large (400 square feet) and quite clean except for some overlooked crumbs between my bed and the nightstand that must have been left by someone before us. The bathrooms offered ample counter space, a magnified lighted mirror, a hair dryer, a large shower stall and a separate bathtub. The beds were extremely comfortable, and the rooms themselves were very quiet with the only audible noise from any of the other rooms to be that of water running through the pipes. Other amenities included a phone in the bathroom, an iron and ironing board, an in-room safe, an alarm clock, and a TV with DMX and cable.
Dining
Aside from comfortable accommodations, good food is also imperative, and the Beau Rivage does an excellent job in offering many options.
Upscale restaurants include the aquarium themed Coral, Italian La Cucina Italiana, and Take Maku featuring flamboyantly prepared Japanese cuisine. Restaurants featuring mid-priced options include Noodles, Cafe Jardin, Coast Brewing Company, and Memphis Q. There are four bar/cafe eateries within the hotel, as well that serve coffee, sandwiches, pastries, ice cream, and beverages. Let me not forget to mention the staple of every casino the Buffet.
My family and I had the opportunity to eat at Noodles and Memphis Q. Noodles' menu included a variety of Asian dishes from different regions. The food was absolutely delicious, from the fried prawn appetizers, to the Korean beef ribs served with a side of kim chi, to the fried rice, and the fried bananas for dessert. The dining room itself cannot hold large parties, and while cozy, the contemporary Asian decor makes it feel spacious and airy. Service was quick and courteous, and we left there feeling very satisfied. Memphis Q serves a variety of typical American fare. Set in an open dining room directly adjacent to their brewery, the bright copper brewing vats were in plain sight from every table. I dined on the fried catfish and found it light and tasty. Their raspberry and peach cobbler and banana pudding desserts were enormous and required sharing. We left there far from disappointed.
The snack bar options within the hotel were also generously portioned and tasty. The prices seemed a little steep, but being that the sandwiches we ordered could easily be split between two people, it helped to curb the sticker shock a bit.
Casino
Casinos can either be the bane of hotel guests or their favorite places. For me, I had mixed results. Noisy, mesmerizing, expansive, smoky, and alluring, the casino floor is difficult to avoid and quick to cause disorientation and hypnotization. Hundreds of slot machines of all bet values line the floors surrounding a large row of table games. The casino floor itself was generally very clean considering the number of drinkers and smokers present. Being from a city where most places are non-smoking and city ordinances are strictly enforced, I thought the non-smoking gambling signs to be very deceiving as I saw no demarcation of where the non-smoking area started and the smoking areas ended.
For bet payouts, the staff was slow to respond. We heard many times that they were short-handed, and that was very evident. Backed up with other machine malfunctions and bet payouts, we waited up to 15 minutes to be handed our winnings. Change carts are not available, and a wait in line at the change counters is required for all your change needs.
Other Hotel Features
Given the variety of things to do at the Beau Rivage, I could easily write a novella. For fear of boring you all any further, I will refrain from going into too much more detail about its other amenities, but I will mention some of them.
A very decorative promenade to the parking garage is lined with shops including high fashion boutiques, an emporium, a small gift shop, and two cafes. The on-site theater plays host to many big-named groups and performers such as Hall & Oates, Lionel Richie, Chicago, and the Beach Boys.
For relaxing and getting away from it all, a seaside pool and whirlpool invites all guests to take a dip and enjoy themselves. For an added charge of $15 daily, a state of the art gym and spa await visitors. A beauty salon and massage parlor allows patrons to further indulge themselves.
Overall
My first stay at the Beau Rivage was memorable and enjoyable. Given the few minor problems we encountered in the casino and the overlooked crumbs under my bed, I would gladly give the Beau my business in the future. One one side note, I would like to point out that there were many times where I felt as if I were the youngest one there, which I very well could have been, but that did not curb the amount of fun that I had or detract from the pleasantness of my stay.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
AshleyA
|
|
Member: Ashley
Location: Austin, Texas
Reviews written: 59
Trusted by: 49 members
About Me:
Livin' the good life in Texas.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.