Review: Route 66 Casino Hotel in New Mexico

The Route 66 Casino Hotel is located just 10 minutes west of Albuquerque at Exit 140 and Central. The Route 66 Casino Hotel offers an amphitheater, slot machines, restaurants, a nightclub and the newest of all, their hotel that has only been open for a few short years now. The place is always booming with business and activities to engage in.

As you drive along Interstate 40 you can see the lights of the Route 66 Casino Hotel from a distance away. It gives the impression of a Las Vegas with its lights and large structure. The hotel and casino are linked together and both offer free VIP parking. The place is clean and colorful with an atmosphere of fun on the casino side and a sense of relaxation on the hotel side with their large waterfall as you step in the door.

Hotel room:

Over the summer of 2008, I won a free night's stay at the hotel, as well as dinner for two. We requested the top floor so we could overlook the town and see the pretty outside casino lights from our large hotel window. The hotel was decorated in a modern sort of Southwestern feel, which is not unusual considering many New Mexican hotels do the same. It was a pretty room, though and nicely furnished with colorful carpet, bedding and curtains. There is a TV in each room with cable (or satellite) but no microwave. There are two comfy queen beds and a large enough tub for a bubble bath. The soap is a nice smelling coconut lime that looks like it was purchased at a bath and body store.

Pool area:

After unpacking, we decided to try out the indoor pool. The water was a nice, warm temperature, making it perfect for the kids and adults alike. The pool area is decorated in a tropical scenery that makes you feel like you're somewhere special. There is a large waterfall, palm trees, beautiful foliage and a mural. It is a large enough pool to accommodate several families. If you are up to it, there is also a wonderful jet spa that is very bubbly and relaxes tense muscles. The lounge chairs are plentiful and are perfect for relaxing and reading a book or watching their little tv's located all over the hotel casino.

Restaurant:

The restaurant I won tickets to was the nicest one; there with meals costing about $18/plate. I decided to get the rack of lamb and was not disappointed. The meat was tender and had a delicious lemony sauce over the meat, as well as encrusted herbs. My mom got a tilapia and it was so tender and flaky and not disappointing either. The part I didn't like is that it took quite awhile to get our meals. However, I loved the ambiance of the place with the vines running along their lattice "ceiling" with white Christmas lights. It had the feel of a small bistro in Italy at night. The restaurant was incorporated right into the casino, however still gave privacy to the restaurant and was not loud with slot machines in the area we were in.

Casino:

Although I'm not much of a gambler, I decided to play the penny machines that night. I probably only played a dollar or so but it lasted me awhile as I went from machine to machine with my player's card testing out the different slot machines. I loved the colorful ones such as Cleopatra or the dancing fruits. There are a lot of variety to choose from! I didn't head to the KXX nightclub but saw dancers there and people lounging around having some drinks. I have attended their amphitheater in the past and it's a very nice and spacious area for entertainment.

I plan on returning to the hotel for a night's stay in the future to take my family swimming and to get away from Albuquerque for the weekend. With a (free) player's card, the room only costs $66 which is a great price.