In Detroit, there are three Casinos, and there is one just across in Windsor. Since they are not within walking distance of each other, many people will just go to one, and stay there if they are interested in gambling. I recently received an email from another AC Producer who wanted to know which the best casino in the area was. She explained that she was coming out this way in a few weeks, had seen my articles on Las Vegas and wanted to know what I thought.
The four casinos are Motor City, Greek Town, MGM Grand, and Casino Windsor. All of the casinos have either easy access form the expressway (in the case of the Detroit casinos) or a quick stop from the bridge to Canada (in the case of Casino Windsor). All of the Casinos have free valet parking, which is a plus for those of us who do not like parking garages.
There are a few things to keep in mind about these casinos, though. Unlike Las Vegas, these casinos do not offer free drinks to players. There is also much less cocktail service in these casinos, then there is in Las Vegas. Also, both Motor City and MGM Grand are in bad neighborhoods. It is not wise to wander around the outsides of these casinos for any reason, at any time of day. In my view, none of these casinos have decent poker rooms. All of the rooms are cramped. You may not wish to take my view on this, but I understand. You will agree with me if you ever step foot into the poker rooms in Las Vegas.
Motor City is always my last choice for a casino. This surprises many people because many Detroiters prefer Motor City. To me, Motor City reminds me of a Vegas casino in it’s last days of operation. There are very few friendly staff members. Most of the workers seem like they are preoccupied with some problem. I am not sure if this is because of overly strict management, or if they just hire unhappy people. Mush of the casino is also fairly dirty in casino standards. The air circulation system is the worst of all of the casinos in the area. I am a smoker, and the air there just seems too thick and smokey to me.
The casino was recently taken over by Marrion Illitch, the wife of the owner of the Red Wings, and Tigers. I am hoping that she has plans to bring the casino up to the standards that it should be at. One of the first things that she needs to do is open up the casino a little more. The aisles in the casino are very tight, and will make most people feel cramped in. The next thing that they need to do is teach the staff how to smile. After that, vacuum the carpet. I do not want to feel like Pig Pen from Peanuts with a cloud of dust and dirt always at me feet.
Greek Town Casino is a fairly nice casino. Greek Town itself is one of, if not the, safest places in the city of Detroit. Within walking distance are some of the top bars in the city, Hard Rock Detroit, and some of the finest restaurants the city has to offer. The staff at the casino is friendly, and the casino is fairly clean. This is the casino to go to in my mind if you are a video poker player. There is a range of video poker games here that rival many of the casinos in Vegas. Service is very fast at all of the bars on the casino floor, and the drinks are not too weak or strong.
On the down side, Greek Town does have a few cramped areas in the casino. The casino is sometimes difficult to maneuver, and it is easy to get lost. There are main aisles where only one or two people can cross at a time.
MGM Grand Casino is the best casino, in my view, in the city proper. The aisles are very spacious, and it is the least cramped of all of the cities casinos. The circulation system will keep at least most of the smoke away from the non-smokers. The staff is friendly and the drinks are pretty good. The entertainment is usually top notch. Every so often they will have a few mid level celebrity singers on stage for a night. During the Super Bowl last year, almost all of the major celebrities that were spotted in casinos in the city were here. My wife spotted Usher here that weekend.
Another major plus for MGM Grand, is that it is an MGM casino. You can use your player’s club card for MGM here. It has surprised me though, that with the nationally recognized name for the casino, that more major acts do not play here during the year.
On the negative side, MGM Grand is located is a very bad area. As with Motor City, do not wander around outside the casino. The casino can be difficult to drive around at busy times, and I have had to wait in line at valet parking for half an hour to get into the casino, and for over an hour to leave. The bars are usually difficult to maneuver also. They just never seem to have enough bar tenders working.
Even though MGM is the best casino in the city, the best casino in the area is only a twenty minute drive away. I am going to break with format now, and discuss the negatives with going to Casino Windsor first. If the weather is bad, expect to wait an hour or two to get over the bridge or through the tunnel. The second issue is that because of the Homeland Security changes, you are now going to need a passport to go over to Canada. Third, and most importantly to me, the casino is smoke free. I am sorry, but I enjoy smoking when I am gambling. I guess I like to take two chances at a time.
Now, let’s move onto the highlights of the casino. Out of the four casinos in the area, Casino Windsor seems to know how to get and keep your business the best. At every turn, you will find workers that seem to enjoy helping people. It is one of the nicest staffs I have ever come across in any casino. The casino is extremely clean, even in the areas of renovation. I have always enjoyed my time here, and probably always will. Another advantage is that you dollar does actually go farther at this casino. With the exchange rate, you will at least get an extra fifteen cents on your dollar. I do remember days when you could get over fifty cents on every dollar.
Another interesting aspect of Casino Windsor is its location. The casino is very close to Windsor’s club, shopping, and eating districts. You can literally spend a day and night in the area, or two.
Casino Windsor recently announced a major change. In early 2008, Casino Windsor will become Caesar’s Windsor. They will add many new additions to the Casino including a theatre. There have been rumors floating in the area that there will be some major acts that will be stopping there from time to time now that it is a part of the Caesar’s chain. Can you say Celine, or Elton?
Al in all, Greek Town is worth a visit if you are in the area. The places to be though would be MGM Grand or Casino Windsor. Just avoid Motor City.
Reference:
- Detroit
