I grew up in the Catskills. As a teenager, I went to basketball camp at Kutcher's. My Dad took me with him to the Concord many times for liquor industry conventions. The same for Grossinger's (My late friend Tania Grossinger wrote Growing Up at Grossinger's). I remember in the early 1970's staying over at the Concord with my now ex-wife for a Melba Moore concert. Jane Fonda was in our party along with her ex Tom Hayden. About 10 years ago I had dinner with Sally Jessy Raphael & her husband Karl at Monticello Raceway (opened in 1958) with its slot machine casino. That was the last time I was in the Catskills until late February when I was the guest at Resorts World Catskills Casino Resort for a tour and overnight stay.
It just a month before, I took the MTA subway to Queens near JFK airport to spend a few hours at Resorts World Casino Queens. My article appeared in several of my outlets and resulted in the Catskill invitation. The Malaysian based operation will open a resort in Las Vegas in 2020 and presently has an operation in Bimini in the Bahamas.
I bought a round-trip senior ticket at Port Authority bus terminal ($57) and my Short Line/Coach USA bus was nonstop to their Monticello terminal in around 2 hours. Note- I was told the company would begin direct service to the casino this April from Port Authority. Presently, there is non-stop service to the casino from Chinatown. Talya Shlang, the public relations manager, picked me up & spent a few hours showing the property.
Resorts World Catskills Casino Resort opened in February 2018 with more than 100,000 square feet of Las-Vegas style gaming including 2,150 slot machines and more than 150 live table games, including a 19-table poker room. The resort has 10 bars and restaurants including a sports/entertainment stage and two casino bar stages. The hotel has 332 all-suite rooms on 18 floors. I stayed in a corner room on the 12th floor that was 625 square feet. It included a comfortable king bed plus a pull out sofa bed that would be great for kids. The bathroom is huge with separate shower & toilet facilities. There is a very large TV next to the working desk. Pricing varies depending on the season and whether it’s mid-week or weekend. There was a winter mid-week special for $129 a night that included a $30 food credit. Summer weekend rates average $399 a night. The RW Epicenter has a capacity of 2,500 seats for both meetings and entertainment. There are seven meeting rooms as well as eight conventions/event rooms. Most of the guests are drawn from the NY Metro, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Hudson Valley areas. In a few months, the resort will add a Rees Jones redesigned golf course and Kartrite Resort New York's biggest indoor waterpark plus 324 suites. I have been to their Camelback facility in the Pocono Mountains. Get ready for fun. There is free parking for over 2,800 cars both in the garage and in outdoor lots. Valet parking is also available.
The adjacent hotel- The Alder features 101 rooms at a lower price point. It contains a Cantina-style eatery with classic Mexican fare. There is also a full-service bar- Dos Gatos with more than 120 brands of Tequila as well as Margaritas on tap. The lobby contains Ping-Pong and pool tables as well as NY's only Topgolf Swing Suite. Guests can use all the facilities of the main casino. There is a Crystal Life Spa, two fitness centers and a business center. I spent an hour in the hotel pool and hot tub. Next door to the pool is a private pool meant for high rollers staying in the 27 premium accommodations consisting of garden suites, penthouse suites, and two-story villas. The Palace High Limit Gaming Area is for top-tier players and features private gaming salons and a VIP lounge. I noticed that the signs are in both English and Chinese. In a few months, they will open a Sports Book operation pending regulation by New York State.
I had an excellent hamburger for lunch and a fabulous omelet for breakfast the next morning at 24/7 Bistro. There is also a Food Hall and Good Friends Market for fast-casual Asian dining. Lotus has a Hong Kong-trained chef with high-end Asian dining. My dinner was at Cellaio, an Italian-inspired steak house conceived by Chef Scott Conant. The head chef Mark Pollard was off when I dined but I had a chance to meet the Sous Chef Anthony.
Michael Beford , VP of Food and Beverage, joined me for a short while before I dined on boned sirloin steak and creamed spinach with gelato for dessert. Prior to joining the casino resort in 2016, Beford worked for restaurant and nightlife developer The TAO GROUP, where he managed hospitality offerings for the Dream Hotel brand in New York City. He began overseeing numerous boutique restaurants in Charleston, S.C. There are over 500 wines on the list with many iconic Italian varietals as well as a large wine by the glass selection. There is a bar and lounge area where I waited before being seated in the very large dining room (seats 120) featuring roomy crescent-shaped booths as well as a communal seating area. What I particularly liked was the spacing between tables. I never heard my neighbor’s conversations. Too many NYC restaurants make it impossible to even hear what the people sitting at your own table are saying.
There were many guests who brought their children (casino entrance limited to those over 21) and that is not something I see at other casinos. Overall, I was impressed with every aspect of the operation and look forward to returning.