Harrah's Cherokee Valley River – A Caesars Rewards Destination

Food was the highlight for us. Ramsay’s Kitchen upstairs is worth the drive from Atlanta on its own, with a great setting, views, and quality. The casino food court was underwhelming, so we went to Brew Brothers instead. It was solid, but skip the wings. We liked the modern, spotless new tower and its spectacular mountain views. Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River feels like a more intimate sibling to Cherokee, with an easier layout and a more relaxed stay. You can see it investing in growth. The casino felt friendly and approachable, but during MLK weekend, with NFL playoffs and a poker tournament on, staffing and table availability didn’t seem to match the demand. Most tables apart from Blackjack were closed, which was disappointing and frustrating. Dealers seemed younger and, in our experience, less seasoned than those in Cherokee. Everyone was welcoming, though, and the casino lost money instead of me, so I can’t complain too much.

The room looked nice, but lady bugs were all over it, including the windows, above the bed, in the bedding, and in the nightstand drawers. Pretty gross. One charging port on one side of the bed didn’t work either. The casino is much smaller than Cherokee, though the food options are better. The room was a big disappointment.

I stayed in the new tower on February 16th and 25th and March 3rd. The internet was really bad on the view side, but good on the other side. The pillows felt like rocks. The bathroom floors were filthy all three times. On the first visit, they sent someone to scrub them because housekeeping hadn’t cleaned them. The next two visits, we ordered more towels and put them down to walk on. I shouldn’t have to ask for a room to be cleaned when it’s supposed to be clean at check-in. Train the housekeeping staff or find people willing to work, and pay them to do the job.

We had a good time here last weekend, and all the machines were working without problems. It’s a convenient choice for a night of gambling if you’re coming from Atlanta and want to save about 45 minutes on the drive. This place is a bit smaller than the Cherokee location, and if you’re staying more than a day, I’d recommend Cherokee. The campus is smoke-free, which could be a plus or minus depending on your habits. I liked the clean air. We arrived after 10 PM on Friday and found plenty of parking, but all the EV charging spots were taken.