Going to Vegas for the first time...my travel mate has been there and stayed on the strip, and thinks the Rio would be a good bet. Money isn't the deciding factor, but a factor. The Rio isn't prime location but the room's seem huge. Yes, we'll be spending most of the time out of it - but I'd still like a nice one. Is the Rio worth it or too out of the way? I also have been seeing great deals on the new Aladdin - but have read some not so great things about it - any feedback on that? Thank you!

We lived in the Las Vegas area for a number of years and when we were in town always stayed at the Rio. You will have the nicest rooms for the price, great restaurants and if you like to gamble, you can actually play there and have some fun. You are off the strip, but, who cares? If you want to go, there's always a shuttle. Have fun!

Aladdin is a beautiful resort. We stayed there in April had a wonderful time. We were upgraded to a Resort room. This room is bigger than the standard rooms. We had a large marble bathroom. Our room overlooked the fountain at Bellagio. Be sure to ask for an upgrade to a Resort room overlooking the fountains at Bellagio!
Rio is a nice hotel also. We haven't stayed there, but we love the Carnival Buffet. HUGE!!! Food is delicious. I would stay there one time. I've heard good things about the Rio. All the rooms are suites. The only negative is it's not on the strip. They do have a Shuttle bus that goes to Harrah's which is on the strip.
Good Luck!

For your first trip to Vegas, i would recommend staying as "mid-strip" as possible. Almost anything from MGM to Treasure Island. My favorite area is around Mirage, Venetian, Bally's, Flamingo, Paris.

5 years ago Rio was the best deal in Vegas for rooms based on size vs. cost vs. quality.
The Rio hasn't changed, but the competition has.
These days you need to look at price to decide what your best option is. Prices vary greatly from one day or week to the next and change frequently.
If you want the best you can get for a good price, you have to go down the list of what's available and compare cost. There are times that top end places like Venetian and (rarely) Bellagio have good package rates (slower summer weekdays for instance).
Be sure to check Paris. Great location, very good rooms, sometimes very affordable (not always, though). Also check Mandalay Bay (one of the best all around properties, but not cheap and at the end of the strip). Check Treasure Island and Mirage. I'm not a fan of MGM or Excalibur or Harrah's. Luxor and Monte Carlo are OK, but I'd choose Rio over these even if it was a little more $ wise. Aladdin I've not stayed at, but reviews seem mixed.
Rio's rooms are large, but they're somewhat dated IMO. They're not on a par with the newer places from the standpoint of decor and bathroom quality. Rio is one of my favorite casinos, though. A lot of fun at night. Must disagree with the comments about the Carnival buffet. It used to be better. It's still very large, but quality has tapered off noticeably IMO.
So what to do? If Rio has better rates than Paris and MB and Mirage and all the other mid to upper end places, stay there. If other places are more competitive, I'd select based on price. For the same price, a 500 sq foot room mid-strip overlooking the volcano at Mirage or the Bellagio fountains is better than an 800 sq ft room over a half mile walk from the strip IMO.

Hi Carole!
I have stayed at the Rio 6 times and the rooms are big..600 square ft. Keep in mind these are not "true suites" as they are just 1 large room but dollar for dollar value, in my opinion you can't do better. I generally book my flight separately and book through the hotel directly. I have always been able to get rates at $59-$69 per night by booking Sun-Thurs. and staying away during major conventions and holidays. Rates go up quite a bit on the week-ends. If you can, try to book in the newer section as I think they are more nicely decorated than the old section. It's also so nice to have a small fridge, coffee maker, safe and iron and ironing boards in the rooms offered as basic ammenities.I didn't find staying there limited my excursions to the strip at all! The hotel has a shuttle that runs to the strip every so often and if its not running we just walked across the street to the Gold Coast and took theirs. The Carnival World Buffet was excellent, the price has gone up quite a bit but so has the quality of the food and if your a guest at the hotel you can avoid the long line-ups. The only other hotel that can match the Rio in a standard size room in Vegas is the Venetian. Their guest rooms run 700 sq. feet, but you are looking at much bigger bucks. Hope this helps you out and may the forces be with you and you win BIG time!!!

The quality at the Rio Carnival buffet has gone up?
Even www.cheapovegas.com says the food quality at Carnival is only fair, not great...and that's a budget oriented reviewer!

Stayed at the Rio last summer and it was fantastic! The pools are wonderful-the atomsphere was great. Got a great deal that included tickets for the David Cassidy/Sheena Easton show. Loved it, too! Didn't go to Vegas to gamble so don't know about all that... (I know, don't laugh!). Took the shuttle anytime to the strip and enjoyed walking around there and seeing all the sights. The Carnival Buffet is worth it, once- but not all the time. A lot of great restaurants on site, too. Had a reasonable meal ($7) for GOOD chinese food downstairs away from all the noise. It was delicious. Can't remember the name, sorry. I would highly recommend the RIO> My view from the 27th floor overlooked the pool areas and the mountains in the background... Have a great time!

Have stayed at both the Aladdin and at the Rio recently. Thought the Rio was real nice, the casino had a lot of energy - you had the feeling that there was a party going on. Enjoyed the buffet, thought it was amazing to see all the different foods. The only drawback was that it is not on the strip. Liked the Aladdin a lot, rooms were spacious (like the Rio) with a huge bathroom. Quieter at the Aladdin (in a good way for me), really enjoyed the shopping at Desert Passage, and their location on the strip is great, you are in walking distance of so much. (Just my opinion, but you could certainly skip the buffet at the Aladdin).

Take the advice to "stay on the strip", the Rio is out of the way and a bit tired. The extra few feet of room size is small compensation when compared to the newer resorts on the strip. The Buffet can't compare to the Mirage or Bellagio Buffet's.