Isleta Resort and Casino

We were staying in town and visited this casino every day from December 21-25. The staff made it the best casino for me. At the table games, you could have a real conversation, and if you asked a question on the floor, staff would answer in an open, friendly way. I loved how engaged they were with guests. At many other places, you feel invisible. That human connection makes all the difference. From top to bottom, the people running this business made it the best of the best for me. We’ll be back.

I only tried the restaurant inside, Chile ristra. The food was good and the servings were generous. Everything was clean, and they also have a lovely bakery. Our waitress was lovely, though the hostess was a bit gruff.

I’m a woman and a truck driver. After stopping at a Love’s truck stop about 25 miles away, I drove to this casino looking for food and a safe place to park. Finding somewhere I could stay overnight without trouble was a stroke of luck. My main concern was getting something to eat, preferably on the healthier side. The casino looked clean, organized, nice, and inviting, though I only played five dollars. I decided to look for food instead and got a delicious ice cream cone. At $5.99 for two scoops in a waffle cone, it seemed very cheap to me. I checked the Chile Ristra menu afterward. The food looked decent, but I wasn’t hungry enough to buy a meal until the next day. This morning I ordered a hamburger to go. The packaging was very nice, but the meat was burnt, and I didn’t realize until I was back in my truck driving. I’d planned that as my only meal stop, so I felt a bit annoyed. It couldn’t be helped, I suppose. They also have pies and plenty of other attractive, affordable-looking desserts. The desserts really were delicious: I bought a lemon bar for about $3.50, very inexpensive. Maybe I should’ve eaten there, so I could have exchanged anything I didn’t like. The place is lovely and feels cozy.

We came for a wedding, and otherwise would’ve stayed closer to town. The reception was in the very large convention room, which was very nice, and the hotel catering was good. The casino itself was clean and smoke-free, though we didn’t gamble, and the food court looked fine, but we didn’t eat there either. The hotel was okay, if expensive during our stay. The rooms were dated but in reasonable shape. The bathroom was clean aside from a few stray hairs in the sink, the bed comfortable, and the AC worked okay. The lighting was minimal, so the room felt dark, especially with the mottled dark ceiling. There was stale smoky air in the room at times. The adjoining room was unused and its doors were closed, yet I could hear the couple there pretty clearly. Housekeeping was also very loud in the hall in the mornings. Front desk staff were fine but didn’t seem very experienced. The elevators were quick, and the lobby was large and open, with some nice seating. Parking wasn’t very convenient, since most of the hotel’s frontage was taken up by valet lanes. It was quick to get to the airport, but that’s about all nearby. Stores were far away, at least 15 minutes from anything decent. Since I didn’t gamble, I’d stay closer to Albuquerque next time.