Red Lion Hotel & Casino Elko

Group of us will be here for the next 3 – 4 months, the buffet at Red Lion is really good. Everyday they have a different theme so you won’t get tired of the same olé thing. They have a nice salad bar. If you only have soup and salad, it’s $ 9.95, full buffet is $ 11.95 including the drink. Friday’s might be higher because it’s seafood.
Manager is on the floor of the restaurant monitoring what is going on.
The restaurant is 24 hour but at some point the buffet shuts down and it becomes menu only.
With Denny’s shutting down due to fire, it’s another option.

Staff could not have been friendlier! From front desk to f&b. Not a problem when we locked our selves out! Dinner and service at Aspens was fantastic. Drink prices and bar tenders super! Comfy bed, fluffy towels would stay here in a heart beat!

Dealers are great!!! Pit boss Steve is the most unfriendly and rude pit boss you could find. I will play Stockmans or Gold Dust from now on. 5 guys playing and Steve walks over and whispers to the dealer «I’m closing this table in 10 minutes», not even a hi to all of us playing. Less than 5 minutes later he walks back and tells the dealer 3 more hands. Again not a word to us at the table. After three hands he takes the cards and walks away, not a thank-​you or have a good night to those of us who had been playing for hours. Done with Steve and the Red Lion…

We had planned to stay here for one night during our trip across country. The rates are low (as low as $ 65 per night), and they had decent reviews, so we decided to head toward the hotel to check in.
My husband and I are traveling from San Francisco, and happened to have a truck packed full of belongings and our teardrop trailer in tow, so we really needed a safe place to park. Within five minutes of pulling into the lot, we saw three cop cars, two groups of cops looking underneath buses with their flashlights, and a group of men starting catcalling at me as they drove past the hotel parking lot where I was standing.
My husband had been inside waiting in line to make a reservation, but had a strange feeling about the hotel and property as well. We agreed to find a hotel elsewhere. We were concerned about the safety of our vehicle in their lot and did t want to take a risk. Also, when you ask a cop if your car is safe in a particular parking lot and he responds with, «Park in view of your room so you can keep an eye on it,» it’s probably not a good place to be.

Stayed here on a Saturday night in mid April. It was reasonably priced by using a AAA rate. The entrance to the hotel registration area is just a set of double doors opening to the parking lot with no real area to park. We pulled up to what we thought was the registration area but it ended up being the main entrance to the casino. NBD, but it’d be nice if the registration area was better noted.
When you step into the hotel registration area, which is in the casino, you smell cigarette smoke and the area is very dated. I was concerned about what the rooms would be like, but more on that later.
We got in around 915pm, and after checking in, we headed to the buffet because the buffet closes at 10, but the café stays open 24×7. The beef ribs were good and they had prime rib, among other things look like tri tip, catfish, chicken, salad bar and dessert bar. Frankly, at that hour of night, the food was a little over cooked, but we didn’t care because we were hungry! All the staff was friendly.
After dinner we headed to the room. When I opened the door I was pleasantly surprised. The room was big and clean. Yes, the room was also a little dated, but it was still very nice. The towels were big and thirsty. The hotel had really nice soap, body wash and shampoo.
I gave the hotel 3 stars because it really was an average hotel, but the cigarette smoke smell was a bummer in the registration and casino area. That being said, I definitely would stay here again because the room was nice.
Good, reasonably priced, average hotel. Great staff.

Aspens bar and grill… This place ain’t so bad for a hotel/​casino restaurant. I appreciated the fact cigarette smoke did not cheap into the restaurant because the casino floor it self smells like a febreeze factory trying to hide decades of cigarette smoke… Very nasty stuff! Once you enter the casino and battle through the pungent curtain and enter the restaurant, it’s actually a very nice setting… The bread and the two dips were legit.
My friend Zach thought it was romantic and sensual… Whatever that means… Anyways I ordered the prime rib… That meal was legit. The prime rib was cooked medium which I enjoyed thoroughly.
Devin ordered the Gouda-​stuffed chicken breast which he devoured like a young hyena… He also ordered a side salad… The staff was kind enough to bring the salad to the table so that he could toss it himself… For reasons unknown…
Anyways the drinks were great, the staff was very nice. Great work Aspens B&G!

The rooms are great and clean. The check in process is bad. No drive up area to check in. We walked 100 yards from where we parked. Then waited for 15 min in the line at lobby with 3 people working but only 1 with customers. I suppose it’s a casino first with hotel as after thought.

This is the fifth time in which I have stayed at the Red Lion over five years during my annual treks to attend the annual Cowboy Poetry gathering in late January. I can solidly say the Red Lion in Elko is a 3. Probably a 3.5 if I could slice a star in two.
In a Unilocal review when giving a rating, especially if you are a globe trotting Unilocaler, you have to take in consideration the city, environment, demographic, competition. in which you are located. A 3-​star Unilocal review for me for a hotel means something different if I am rating a hotel in Elko vs. Las Vegas vs. NYC vs. Hong Kong vs. Taipei vs. Paris. My expectations on service and quality are higher in some cities and lower in others.
3 is not a bad rating my mind, just middle of the road. Even with a 3, I would absolutely stay again and absolutely recommend to others.
Compared to other options in Elko, this might be one of if not your best option. Rooms are adequate, moderately updated and comfortable. Staff is very friendly and accommodating (this is particularly a most worthy notable point to this property!). Property in general is clean, rooms are very clean. Restaurant outlets are consistent, reasonably priced and OK. There is the casino, a Starbucks, a gift shop, restaurant and lounge on site.
If in Elko and you know nothing about nothing, you could not go wrong by staying at the Red Lion. Consistent, reliable, comfortable.

Decent room and facility for the price point. Finishes in common area are dated but again for the area and price point it’s decent. Food at the Aspen Bar and Grill wasn’t seasoned and was pricy for quality.
Casino is nice with a built-​in Starbucks.
Premium Room, 1 King
Non Smoking, King Bed

Stayed here on 1÷21÷16. Stopped early so we could play the one armed bandit before turning in for the night. Our first priority was pet friendly. They are and charge an additional fee:-(The rooms were AWESOME, clean, well appointed but HOT! We turned off the heat as soon as we checked in and 4 hours later it was still hot. We did have a outside patio door, we opened it and cooled the room off. Had to leave the heat off all night to keep it acceptable. I took photos of the pet damage on the doors and door jambs. Nice HEAVY wooden doors, but need to be refinished.
We ate at the buffet at 5 pm: BBQ night. Started w the salad bar, small, items had that «discoloration» things get that have been out tooooo long. The buffet offerings were a little sad, the only hot veggie was corn in the cob, really? In Jan in Nevada??? NOT! Rice, mashed potatoes, gravy, pizza, enchilada, beef ribs, pork ribs, sliced pork loin, fried chicken, brisket, sausage and peppers, small selection and kinda old (looked like it had also been there awhile). Dinner rolls were like hockey pucks. We tried a small bite or two of the desserts, and they were typical pre made items, thawed cakes, pies, jello, an ice cream machine w banana? Ice cream and vanilla. The coffee was AWESOME!
A POSITIVE was the staff, everyone was pleasant, desk clerk, wait staff, buffet attendants, and casino personnel.
I did not tell the front desk about the room temperature.

I stay here once or twice a month when I am in town for business.
The hotel is a bit dated, but well in line for the price. Clean, comfortable rooms. Spring for a King room — closer to the lobby and casino. The two-​queen rooms are a bit of a hike. Great for my Fitbit (10,000 steps, right?!)
Also, Aspens restaurant, located in the hotel, is awesome. Probably half the reason I stay at the hotel. Like the hotel, prices are very reasonable. Halibut fish and chips, steaks, French onion soup. $ 6 martinis. What’s not to love?
Did I mention they have a Starbucks?!

My family and I perform here at the Red Lion every few months and I’ve got to say, it is one of the best places we have ever played! The staff are always incredibly pleasant and greet us with smiles and hugs. The cabaret has had a face lift and looks amazing and cozy. I love that there is a Starbucks inside so I can feed my addiction (mmmm… java chip!!), and also the coffee shop, oh my! Such a variety on their buffet! I’ve only ordered off the menu a couple of times and what I’ve gotten was great, but the buffet is always fresh and hot. Friday is my absolute favorite night… SEAFOOD! They served crawdads one night while we were here, first time I had ever had them and I loved it… haven’t seen them again, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed they’ll have them again one of these days while we are there. This is the only place I can get Asiago oysters. The only issue I have is they won’t let me just take the whole tray to my table! I’m not being a piggy, the oysters are smaller so I wouldn’t feel bad about taking the whole tray haha! They are so tasty! And the wait staff in the coffee shop are so delightful! All in all, this casino is the best! Totally deserving of 5 stars.

So we stopped here for dinner at their coffee shop and buffet. Two children, two adults. We ordered milk for the kids… they brought large adult-​size milks instead of the smaller ones. No kids menu (understandable as it is a casino). So the girls split a very unseasoned Fettuccini Alfredo. Where’d they get the cheese, bland central? I had the chili cheese dogs. Bland, boring, cheap dogs. I could only eat half of the two dog order that came out. My partner ordered a ginger ale because she’s been a bit under the weather. What appeared was a Sprite with a dash of Coke in it. I went to acquire at the bar about the drink and the bartender said, «We don’t have ginger ale, but I can make one.» The Dairy Queen has better food and service than here. Or, if you want a casino, go to the Cattleman.

Friday Seafood Buffet: Good food and great service. Gloria was of great service during my meal.
David,
I tried the crab legs, sweet and spicy crab claws, Asiago oysters, peel and eat shrimp, raw oysters, creole and that’s about all I can remember. Everything was good but I would have liked to have some saltine crackers for the raw oysters.

The casino manager Rita is extremely rude to the customers. Her actions dictates her as a racist, especially towards Hispanics ! I have lodged complaints with her supervisors Wesly Bartons and Dave Zorns. Hopefully they will able to fix her attitude or replace her. I’m a frequent guest here and got the worst treatment from her. I spoke to other employees at Red Lion and they have same opinion about her! I will no longer do business with red lion Elko as long as she is there and I encourage others to do the same.
Btw, I’m not just another Joe to be treated by her like this. I will reach out to Elko media to fix this. Enough is enough !

The rooms are nicely setup and the beds are comfortable. Check-​in was fast. They couldn’t provide a receipt because I booked through a third party. That part annoyed me. The glass they provided in the room had mold in it. There was a person sleeping in the stairwell, not sure if just a homeless person or employee. I wished the experience had been better. Definitely should have stayed someplace else. Tons of potential but they failed miserably.

Went here for the Sunday buffet.(starts at 4). The food was good but a bit bland, which is nice because I was able to session it the way I like. The brisket was outstanding I must have eaten two pounds. Ribs were killer. And I liked the carrots with rice. The people were friendly, and my Pepsi was always filled.
The separation between the gambling floor and dinning area is pronounced, but still a good view of the very large T.V.s, and the goings on around the rest of the place.
With so much happening I was almost to distracted To notice that I cleaned three plates of food. (I rarely eat that much).
The staff was friendly, and helpful. I think the chefs did a good job!
Thanks for the meal. I’ll be back again.

If you get a good deal and are looking for a super quick spot to rest your head, this works!
Decided last minute as we were driving through on our way to CA to stop for some rest. Used Hotels Tonight and found a deal, arrived and walked it to pull up the deal and it was $ 20 cheaper when you are closer, SCORE!
Daphne checked us in and was very nice and welcoming.
The lobby def smells of smoke and alcohol because it’s a casino but we scored a sweet non-​smoking room. King size super comfy bed and huge bathroom was a nice surprise. Definitely a great deal at $ 80 for the night.
Wouldn’t go out of my way to stay here but it def helped in a time of exhaustion and wanting a nice, hot shower.

This is the reply to David Z.:
Thank you for your respond. The night we checked in was ⁰⁷⁄₂₉.
Again, I think the hotel has a very good potential to be on the top for the area if some problems were resolved.
Especially cleanliness and smoke situation. After staying there I have checked some other reviews which were also complaining about same issues.
On the other hand I saw the reviews about the receptionists. I, personally, didn’t have any issues with the staff (Eli and Daphne). They were very polite and communicative.

If I could give 0 stars I would. Crystal the front desk manager is very rude and the executive manager Myron is even worse. I use to book rooms for my employees every month. Since Feb 2014 they kept my credit card on file for when my employees needed to stay in Elko– I’d call a book a room for them. Long story short –they told me they had been breaking policy for the last 15 months and I need to send them credit card authorization each and every time I book a room.
It is clear that the manager is not a very bright person. All he had to do was look up my info and see I have a direct bill account. Myron hung up on me twice!!! I will be taking my business elsewhere and recommend you do the same. Plus, they charge over $ 100 for a Motel 6 quality room.