THIS IS AN UPDATED REVIEW… Thank you to the 342 individuals who suffered through it the first time.
I am a fan of historical sites, and we were excited to stay at an establishment with such an impressive backstory. Alas, the excitement was short-lived. The check-in staff was argumentative and rude beyond measure upon our arrival on July 14th. The structural condition of the hotel was in utter disrepair and boasted more health and fire hazards than one person could count. Water dripping from the ceiling in the hall of the 16th floor was reported to the front desk on Monday afternoon, yet no action was taken until Tuesday night. Even then, their only remedy was to place a row of towels… which were soon saturated… in front of two rooms. A blower was finally placed on Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to dry the carpeting and remained there upon our checkout on Friday morning. The cord for the blower extended across the entry to the rooms, which created a trip hazard. While the cleaning staff was courteous, they lacked any degree of competence. My room remained uncleaned for all but one of our five-night stay. The single time the housekeeping staff decided it was appropriate to clean my room was the day I darted from the shower to answer my phone while wearing nothing but a hand towel. The hotel rooms and hallway carpeting were filthy and could have easily been cleaned using a broom and vacuum. Unfortunately, I did not realize I would need them, so I failed to place them in my checked baggage. The furnishings were visibly worn and were more akin to what you might find at a Motel 6. As for the water… all I can say is holy crap! If you use a medical device requiring water, bring your own or purchase bottled water at the local convenience market. The sediment in my new water chamber was thick after only two days. I would not consider the water at the Flamingo to be potable. If I had noticed the sludge on day one, I would have purchased enough bottled water to bathe and brush my teeth. There is no excuse for the establishment to be in this state of disrepair. It is a Vegas landmark and should be treated with the respect it deserves. I dropped $2,000 in the slot machines (I am not complaining... Only an idiot would take cash to a casino in anticipation of retrieving it.) Still, the least they could do is put 5% of their revenue into maintenance of the property. On a (singular) positive note, the flamingos were pretty.
************ The Flamingo’s Response**********
From - Ryan Bennett, Owner at Flamingo Las Vegas
Our apologies for your poor experience, Janet. Please provide your contact information so we can have the correct team look into this further and follow up accordingly. Thank you.
************ Dearest robo-Ryan Bennett **********
First and foremost, allow me to congratulate you on your purchase of the Flamingo from Caesars. I thought it was removed from the real-estate market last year. You must be very proud to have assumed ownership after serving as the “Corporate Manager of Digital Reputation.”
I believe my review provided adequate details, enabling you to address at least a fraction of the issues we encountered during our stay. I am not seeking some hollow form of recompense. This trip was a 60th birthday celebration shared by women who have been best friends for forty-five years. We planned and saved for two years so we would have the opportunity to celebrate this milestone together. Any solution offered by Caesars will not make us 59 again, it will not re-establish our savings, and it certainly won't make the Flamingo a more desirable destination. I see no benefit in aiding Caesars in a fact-finding mission. The staff at the Flamingo had more than adequate time to rectify every problem at the time it occurred. The “correct teams” you have indicated a need to contact include the Registration Desk, Maintenance, Room Service, Ticket Sales, and Housekeeping. If I speak with my three fellow travelers, I’m sure we could discuss more areas of concern. Unfortunately, we’re too tired and just want to put the trip behind us. Any further involvement on my part is moot. I prefer to let my single (undeserved) star rating stand as a warning to other TripAdvisor visitors. Golly! My initial review may have already saved 302 fellow travelers the agony of staying at the property. Score one for me! I am hopeful that Caesars will begin reinvesting in the Flamingo and preserving its place in history. As for now, Bugsy Siegel would be ashamed!
Finally, you already have my name and contact information. All you need to do is search your hotel registry for the specific date I mentioned in my review. I doubt there were a plethora of Janet W’s on the 16th floor who checked-in on July 14th. Of course, if your guest ledgers are as old as the hotel furnishings, a paper-receipt review of your records may prove rather challenging. In the mean time, I will await your next robotic response.
Wishing you all the best in YOUR future travels.
Janet
