Last time we were here in Cherokee, my husband and I vowed to stay at this hotel-casino next…read moretime...
So our latest excursion to Cherokee (mainly to resupply our stock of THC lol), we stayed overnight at the hotel.
First of all, the positives! The hotel-casino is quite unique in many ways. It's definitely NOT The Venetian or the Mandalay...with its Vegas-style loft and splendor. It's a MUCH more subdued, modest version of a hotel casino...much smaller. In fact, you can walk from one of the hotel-casino within 15 minutes. Still large...but not Vegas Large. The hotel is also very senior-friendly...with its lush carpeting throughout. Walking on these carpets make you feel as if you're roller skating. Very easy on the joints...so for someone like my husband, with knee issues, and me with my sporadic ankle issues (a long life in heels!), this had to be a lush walk in the park! The hotel also has a rustic style...almost a ranch housing style...complete with a rustic creek right outside. It really matched the Cherokee vibe.
Despite the size, the hotel-casino houses plenty of eats and drinks, including a Gordon Ramsey food court...an upscaled food court with chef-inspired street foods. The foods were pretty good (for a food court especially!), but my repeat complaint is that the place is understaffed...and possibly under-managed. Also, the online-screen ordering system is NOT senior-friendly. They also have nicer restaurants on site, like the Guy Fieri's Kitchen + Bar, Ruth Cris, Soco Smokehouse, Amici's, etc.etc.
Now the disappointing parts. Again, the entire hotel-casino seems understaffed. Even during busy check-in hours, there were only 2 reps working the hotel reception desks!
We stayed in the Mountain Tower, the newer buidling...so newer rooms! As expected, the room was quite nice upon entering. Seemed very new...and clean. However, as you look closer, you'll see and feel all the cracks. The room and bathroom amenities were quite weak (not even water bottles offered in the rooms, for one)...yet you pay nearly 40 bucks a night on resort fees! The bath amenities were also cheap! As new as the room was, the the toilet lever and the tissue holder was already looking like it was cracking. The mattresses on the bed were super soft and super cheap...and ridiculously creaky! Possibly the creakiest mattress I've experienced in decades!!!
The A/C was also very weak (felt 72 at 67 degrees)...and you can hear this fairly loud noise (almost like a mini helicopter flying over your bed?) the whole time! You can just tell that the hotel management did a ton of cost cutting within these rooms...even the newer additions! On top of these substandard room amenities, the worst part?!? Their check-in time is 4 pm! I know more and more hotels are going toward later check-in times, but I feel this is a huge scam. Guests are expected to pay more for less hours in a room...one that isn't even being cleaned on a daily basis (but every few days). Not sure how often they cleaned these rooms, however, since we only stayed 1 night.
Overall, we still managed to enjoy the stay...walking around the plush carpeted hotel, doing some minor league gambling (slot machines), and eating-drinking in (without having to drive out of the hotel). However, be warned...this is NOT the Vegas quality you might come to expect from hotel-casinos.