I think I

Kestral -

Thanks for the great TR! I visited the Seneca Niagara last Summer and was really impressed with what I saw.

I enjoyed your descriptions of the rooms, restaurants, and spas. I'm glad you and your friend Cindy had such a great time and congrats to Cindy on her jackpot - that must have been quite a thrill for her!

Yes, it's possible you created a monster. I've created several of my own and I'm sure many of our other TV friends have done the same - but it can't be helped - visiting casinos and gambling is too much fun!

Since I visit Buffalo several times per year to see my folks, I'd definitely be up for a mini-meet in the Falls sometime.

Hope you didn't get too much snow in Rochester. I have a few friends in the snow belt outside of Buffalo and they got buried earlier this week.

Take care,

Mike

More monsters, just what we need.

I enjoyed reading about this casino/hotel.

It's about a 6 hour drive for me, probably the same for Mike and Lee. Maybe a good place for a summer TV meet?

Be careful, Kes, you might also create a retired monster<g> ... that hotel sounds worth the trip all by itself, and a mini-meet would really make it enticing.

Have you explained the "controlled greed" theory of video poker to your friend? It can be applied to slots too.

Mike, we've been lucky with the snow in Rochester. Nothing like the Buffalo area, but we have had white on the ground for 3 weeks. Last saturday night we had a lake effect plume come through. I was out shopping, and saw what I've only heard from inside the house before: white-out snow conditions(4 inches in one hour) highlighted by thunder and lightning! It was amazing to see all that snow lit up by lightning.

Now we're just coming out of the deep freeze, finally back to double digits of 16 degrees - warm!

Jeff - it is a very beautiful area to visit in the summer, but packed with tourists. I don't know what room rates and availability would be like (and could we get Lee and Sharon away from their boat?) The rack rate on our hotel room door label was something like $300. Spring and Fall are more accessible - actually the falls are beautiful in winter, the mist freezes on everything - but it was too cold to go out this week.

lol, Daisy, I think I did mention the term but did not explain it to her!

And - the hotel does not compare to the Bellagio or the Wynn, but it is pretty amazing for Western New York. The only strange thing about Niagara Falls, NY. You've got this fabulous hotel, and nice casino - surrounded by streets that don't appear to have benefitted from the casino money at all. So if you have a Falls side room, you look out and see the roof of the casino, a few 6 story hotels, a few motels, a beautiful church - and a bunch of parking lots. And the mist rising from the Falls, with Canada across the away. If you have a room on the opposite side, you can see the Niagara river in the distance, but mostly what looks like a depressed town of 2 and 3 story buildings.

How would you describe it, Mike?

Of course, there's no windows in the casino, so you don't have to worry about the view!

You can get to the Falls on foot - it's a 2 long block walk to the NYS park, then through the park to the rapids, and along the rapids to the Falls. Very nice in nice weather. You can even walk across the bridge to Canada if you want (still don't need a passport to get back into the US by foot or car - but that's coming, the end of the year maybe.)

But hey - visitors to a mini meet could take in a number of casinos in a relatively small area, plus the tourist attractions (the butterfly place and the bird aviary are two wonderful places on the Canadian side)

Let's do it this year! Guess I will have to start suggesting some dates...

Isn't it fun?
Showing someone the ropes is always a good time....so when is Cindy ready to go back? LOL

As for a NY mini meet, I'm game! Now I'm just sitting here hoping I'm free that weekend.

When is she ready to go back? I just got an email from her saying, when do we go again?

Kestral - You pretty much described the surrounding area of the casino accurately. On the American side, other than the park and the immediate area surrounding the Falls, the area is pretty depressed. I'm hoping the new casino and hotel will spark new businesses and improved conditions in the area. But all of that takes time. I hate to admit it but the Canadian side of the Falls is the better part.

Glad you've been okay with the snow! My friends in the snow belt are finally digging out!

Thanks for the room description Kes. We live in Canada about 40 minutes from Niagara Falls and always go to Seneca instead of our own casinos. We just recieved a free night room offer so hopefully will stay over one night.

The Canadian casinos have one purpose and that is to suck every dime they can from you and give back as little as possible. The attitudes from the front line workers is usually pretty good but try to talk to anyone with a little authority and all you get is attitude. A bottle of beer will set you back $5 and if you don't have a players card be prepared to pay $10 to $20 to park.

One time I got to the booth when you are leaving the parking garage and realized the guy didn't give me back my players card when I had registered in the poker room. This was at Fallsview and on a Saturday night. The guy in the booth says I will have to pay ($20). I said here's my drivers licence, bring it up on the computer. He says "I don't have that information availabe here so you will have to pay." I put the car in park, shut it off and got out. I said either you open the gate or I will walk back and get my card and leave the car right where it is, your call. He grunted at me and opened the gate.

Absolutely ridiculous. I realize its my responsibility to get the card back but really, after a long day of contributing to thier coffers ($6 session fee to the house every thirty minutes and I was there for about 7 hours) the last thing you need is someone trying to pry another $20 over stupidity.
Sorry to rant but believe me Seneca Niagara is far and above what Fallsview will ever hope to be. Beautiful casino and nice to visit and take in the sights but thats it.

rukidding, Are they still nicking you on the exchange rate at the Canadian casinos? That was an early ploy, and it really turned me off to the places.

Lee. I haven't been to the Fallsview casino in about a year, but when I was there the exchange rate was comparable to the exchange at the border.

Rukidding, as a Canadian - when you go to Seneca Niagara do you get U.S. dollars in Canada or exchange at the Casino?

For us US citizens, the exchange rate is getting better in favor of the Canadians. But when we cross the border to Canada the prices are higher. That was okay when we got more Canadian dollars for the us dollars, but now it keeps me on the US side more often.

Lee.. I haven't gone into the Canadian casinos in Niagara falls for at least a year and a half so I really don't know about exchange rates but I am sure if there is an extra nickel to be had they have it covered.
I mentioned it in another thread but would like to thank you for the pin and pens, so Thank You.

Kes... I went to Turning stone last year for a poker tournament and got lucky and finished 2nd so I opened an American bank account and draw from there. I have been able to avoid sucking it dry with the odd winning session when I get to Seneca which is about 3 or 4 times a month.
Let me know if you get a mini meet set up. I would attend if at all possible.

LOL, I wish I could understand American banking law. I live in California and can't even make a deposit to a branch of my own bank when I cross the state line into Nevada. As a Canadian citizen, did you have to fill out a ton of paperwork to open an American bank account?

Daisy.. Sorry. I wasn't very clear was I.
I opened an american money account at my bank here in Canada. I have a debit card for that account and when travelling in the U.S. I use that.

Ah, now I understand. When I took my parents to Toronto/Ontario/Quebec City, I was able to use my debit card at local banks to get Canadian dollars ... also had some travelers cheques in Canadian dollars through American Express.

LOL, I just got back from Reno ... sure wish I could have made a deposit in Nevada.