Foxwoods Casino and Hotel - The wonder of it all?
Written: May 26 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Arising like a monolith on the Connecticut Horizon
Cons: Poor Service, cleanliness.
The Bottom Line: If you have another casino within driving distance, head to that instead. This place is a big disappointment.
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| vickylan's Full Review: Rowland-Days Inn South Of The Border Exits |
I often hear the commercials for Foxwoods playing "The Wonder of it All..."
I decided to give Foxwoods a chance. I live in New Jersey so normally I would make the trek down the Garden State Parkway to Atlantic City. Additionally, I have been to Las Vegas, so I did have other Casino venues to use for comparison.
The drive to Foxwoods was lengthy. It took about 3 1/2 hours as opposed to my usual 2 1/2 hour drive to Atlantic City. We were fortunate not to be caught up in any heavy traffic on the I-95 corridor. We ventured up early on a Saturday morning to try to shorten the length of the trip. Crossing the George Washington Bridge, Cross Bronx Expressway and I-95 through Fairfield County, Connecticut can be ominous. By leaving early, we avoided all the heavy traffic.
Upon reaching our destination, Foxwoods loomed ahead. It was a large structure that appeared in the middle of nowhere. There are three hotels on-site at Foxwoods. The Two Trees Inn (least expensive), which is across the street from the complex and has a convenient shuttle bus. The Great Cedar which is in the main complex and The Grand Pequot Tower which is the most deluxe of their accommodations.
As I drove up, I followed the signs, as directed, to the appropriate hotel. I had opted to stay at The Great Cedar. It was cold out and I had to wait a considerable amount of time for a bellhop to come and retrieve my bags from my trunk (about 7 minutes). Mind you, there were no other cars waiting. Just mine.
I was early, but was permitted to "pre-check in." I waited on line for about 45 minutes. There were only 2 employees at the Reservations Desk and maybe 8 guests waiting to be checked in. It took an eternity to take my basic information. They arranged to hold my luggage, and "pre-checked" me in. I was given a slip of paper with a phone number on it. I was told to call from any house phone and they would tell me if my room was ready.
We proceeded upstairs to the main level. Foxwoods is a very attractive property but it lacks the "glitz" of Atlantic City or Vegas. The decorators definitely had a love of fish and it showed up often in the fish motifs found throughout and the tank with trout swimming in it.
The first thing we found was, everything was CROWDED. We wanted to grab a bite to eat. The lines were unrealistic. The whole facility was "screaming" for additional help. We opted to eat at the Festival Buffet. The buffet is located right near the statute of the Indian that does an hourly show. The line to get into the buffet was LOOONNNNGGGGG. It took 45 before we could even get the the cashier to pay and be seated. There was a very large selection available, but it was standard buffet fare.
Afterwards, we decided to sign-up for Wampum Club cards (an attempt to earn comps). More line standing of course. We spent some time playing slots and walking around. Foxwoods is a huge complex and has several different gambling areas. What is really nice, is you can find both smoking and non-smoking casinos.
At this time (about 4 pm), we called from a house phone to see if our room was ready. It was. We headed back downstairs to the check-in desk and stood in another line. For 30 minutes?????? We were given our room keys and waited another 30 minutes for our luggage. It would seem they definitely were understaffed. Upon initial inspection, our room seemed pleasant enough. Possibly of Holiday Inn quality. Upon further inspection, we noticed the carpet was sorely in need of a vacuuming. It was obvious they had not bothered with that detail when they made up the room.
We attempted to make a reservation at one of the many restaurants. There were no reservations to be had at ANY time and we did not want to eat at the buffet again.
We headed down to the main bar which was overly crowded, not enough seats and once again, poor service. You had to elbow up to the bar and attempt to get the attention of a bartender in order to obtain a beverage.
We eventually ventured over to the "Nite Club District." A few people in our party decided to be brave and try the Simulator Thrill Ride. One member came out a little green looking but the rest seemed to enjoy it.
We headed over to the night club and danced the night away. Overall the DJ spun some good tunes.
We retired to bed and found our beds to be comfortable and clean. There were a nice selection of bath products available in our room.
The next morning, we ventured down to the food court for coffee and stale croissants. The food was definitely sub-par. The coffee was passable.
I was not impressed with this facility. I have found much better service and quality in Atlantic City and Las Vegas. Now that the Mohegan Sun has added a hotel, I think I will give that property a try next time. Foxwoods just didn't meet up to my expectations. All to be noted, this is NOT a family destination. This is geared towards adults.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
vickylan
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Reviews written: 5
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