Sam's Town Hotel & Casino, Shreveport

Aside from three problems, we had an excellent experience and the location was good. First, vagrants and panhandlers wandered the lobby asking for money. Also, our key cards wouldn't work on the elevator. The clerk made us wait at the back of the check-in line again instead of treating it as a priority, which was very rude. Then after breakfast at Smokey Joe's in the lobby, we found we couldn't get back into our room at about 9:30 a.m. on checkout day because the card had stopped working. Once again, the clerk sent us to the back of the line. She said their system deactivates cards when you leave on checkout day so you can't reenter the room. That's a ridiculous system and should be changed.

My husband and I make the trip from Dallas every couple of months and always have a great time. The staff have always been great to us, and our room and meals are complimentary. I never leave this casino at a loss. We have so much fun, and it'll always be our weekend getaway spot.

We'd had a bad impression after earlier trips, perhaps because we caught it on off days, but when we came back a few months ago, it became our favorite casino in the sbc area. Inside, we've found great people, rooms, food, a good range of games, and regular live music. They announce jackpot winners and sometimes walk the floor handing gifts to random players. Nothing inside has given us a reason not to return. Comps are good too. We're not high rollers, but visit often and live far away, so free rooms are very welcome. You can play for comps beyond just sbc as well. It's usually quiet except on weekends or when there's a big event in town. We think we may know why. On our first visit, we parked at the wrong end of the garage and had a longer walk. The rarely used stairwells smelled strongly of urine. Outside, between here and ballys next door, there are homeless people or beggars along the sidewalks, and we've been asked for money several times. The roughly 100-yard walk between casinos feels unsafe after dark. We heard someone was robbed on that walk one night. If, like us, you had a bad or less-than-ideal visit, give it another shot. Park on the third level and take the sky bridge for more safety. My wife and I walk across the street most days, but at night we drive next door. If beggars bother you, avoid walking between the casinos. I believe security guards or police patrolling outside both casinos would help a lot. Who wants to be asked for money on the way in to gamble after already saying no? Just my two cents!

The casino is lots of fun, and the players club is great. They offer free play and hold events all the time. Rooms are spacious and clean, the casino floor service is excellent, and the weekend live bands are always fun.