Recently, I had the opportunity to return to my home town of Biloxi, MS. I used this as a chance to stay at couple of the larger post Hurricane Katrina renovated casino hotels. Unlike many other cities on the Gulf Coast, Biloxi is completely back at its best with a healthy group of both adult and family friendly tourist attractions. For the purposes of this stay, I wanted to review the IP Casino Resort and Spa and here’s what I found.
Check-In Process: D
When pulling up to the casino, sadly the organization for the valet parking is a jumbled and confusing mess. When pulling up to most casinos, you get a very organized and direct parking system. The Imperial Palace seemed short staffed and it took a while for anyone to even notice that we were there. When you enter the hotel, it doesn’t get much better. If you’re an Elite Players Club member, you have an expedited check-in process, but for those of us with the Premier Card or those that aren’t members at all a long line is the order of business. I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt by going back to the lobby area several times to see if the valet or main desk was any more efficient. While the valet service did appear to get better, long lines was the standard operating process for the front desk.
Accommodations: B+
We stayed in a Jacuzzi Suite that included a king sized bed, modest flat screen TV, a pay per usage mini bar and of course an in-room Jacuzzi bath tub. The room came at a modest $79 per night, but this rate could have been higher or lower depending on your player rating. The standard internet advertised rate for our stay was $199 the first night and $119 each additional night. As expected the room was huge and had ample size to include an optional roll-away bed. The pool area was immaculate, but extremely crowded at all times of the day. The hotel has wireless internet, but we found the range to be extremely poor. In typical casino style, there just weren’t many channels available on the TV either.
For anyone who has not had the opportunity to stay at one of the major casino resorts, this is one of the best perks. The Imperial Palace meets the bill with dining choices that would satisfy the pickiest of eaters. We dined at the IP buffet for breakfast and lunch and found the selection, quality and prices all to be exceptional. Being a huge sports fan, I also took the opportunity to eat at the IP’s in-house sports bar and wasn’t disappointed. Highlight’s Sports Lounge serves huge portions that will fill even the largest eaters. The Imperial Palace also has a host of other dining options. We ate at Thirty-Two which is now considered to be amongst the best restaurants in Mississippi and it didn’t disappoint and finally the Infusion Coffee Bar offers 24 hour deli type services and some of the finest brewed coffee in Biloxi.
Service: B+
The Las Vegas casino industry has set the standard for service in the tourism industry. While the staff at the Imperial Palace attempts to mimic the Vegas style of courtesy, they fall just a hair short of that goal. The gaming staff could certainly use a few customer satisfaction classes, while the hotel, dining and restaurants staff emulate top of the line service with a smile. Overall, the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino in Biloxi gets a B+ and should provide the whole family with an enjoyable stay.
