Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia

I was there for my birthday and did enjoy parts of the stay, but the smoke made it hard to breathe. I wanted to play the slots, yet the whole area smelled strongly of cigarettes even though there were no-smoking signs. If you don't smoke, you probably won't enjoy that space. I ended up staying in my room, and the restaurants didn't have allergy-friendly food either.

The stay itself felt like a luxury break. The rooms are gorgeous, the shower was amazing, and the front desk staff were lovely. Joe, the only bellman, was especially sweet and accommodating. My one small gripe with the room was how easily noise came through from loud neighbors. The money issue after checkout changed the experience. They charged me $1,100 while the $1,300 hold was still on my card, so I was out $2,400 at once. It was Tuesday, and I understood the hold wouldn't clear until Friday. I'd effectively paid for the room twice and just wanted my money back. I've never had this happen at another hotel. My bank was willing to release the funds if the hotel manager emailed to confirm they'd released them. He refused. The staff had been so nice, but the manager... well, I'll leave it there. We left the room in perfect shape and got a final bill with no extra charges. The place is beautiful, but don't book if having more than a thousand dollars tied up for a week would be a problem.

Christina, the manager who checked us in, and Robert, head of casino security, were phenomenal. The Live Casino staff couldn't run things properly without them. Their professionalism and expertise are why I'll come back and hold events here.

I walked in with $350 and left with $1,500, and I loved the poker room. It's clean, the dealers are friendly, the vibe is great, and there are TVs, chargers, snacks, and professional employees. The slots are fun too. My favorite small touch came after I cashed out, when the floor manager stood by the cage to thank me and ask me to come back. After decades in service, I really appreciated that. I only had one complaint from the tournament. Table 22 is right by the bathroom, and we played from 6 pm to 1 am with 20-minute levels and breaks every two hours. The drink servers came at level 3, then maybe level 12 or 14. I saw one at 6 and again at 11. I didn't want to get up and miss hands, so I asked a dealer what was going on. He said the servers stay in the cash area because they think tournament players don't tip. I do tip, but didn't get much chance. That part wasn't cool. Otherwise, I had a wonderful time and will be back soon.