Soaring Eagle Trip Report - May 2008

Visit Duration: 3 Days, 2 Nights
Room Rate: $249 - Spring Bouquet Package
Package Details: $50 in Slot Play and $25 in Restaurant Credits per person, per night. Bottle of Champagne, Assorted Cheeses with Crackers, and Dried Fruits with Nuts delivered nightly.

Arrival was on Thursday and with no construction between the Novi area and Mt. Pleasant we made decent time (just over two hours via I-96 and US-127. We arrived just after 4pm and were promptly greeted by a very friendly casino host. The assigned room was exactly has booked, my upgrade request was denied and our room was at the far end of the building away from the casino (quite a hike). Not an 'exciting' start to a trip, but nonetheless it is tough to complain about receiving services exactly as booked. :-)

The main selling point for me on the 'Spring Bouquet' package (versus a standard reservation) was Slot Play and Restaurant Credits. So although the rate was $249 per night (instead of averaging $180) the additional credits more than offset the incremental per night cost. In a surprise to me we could have used the Slot Play credit for Table Credits as well; an unexpected bonus in my opinion. In addition to the Bouquet Slot Credits, Soaring Eagle was also giving $10 in Slot Play to all new Players Club members. All-In-All, Mr & Mrs Casino reviewer started the trip with a total of $220 in Slot Play compliments of Soaring Eagle. One small issue about the whole slot play process at Soaring Eagle. Not all slots are equipped with redemption software for use of Slot Play credits. Of course Mrs. Casino Reviewer's favorite game, Wheel of Fortune $0.25 was one of the 'older' machines without this capability.

Our evening started with some miscellaneous slot play and just walking the casino floor. We had been to Soaring Eagle in the past and were pretty familiar with the layout. As with any modern casino the floor is dominated by slot machines. The one unique factor to the Soaring Eagle is that they have three 'virtual' table games where I haven't seen elsewhere. One is a $2 Virtual Black Jack and the other is Virtual Roulette. It is the same format to a live give; semi-circle table with seating for six, but the dealer is a video projection and in my opinion is quite cheesy. While the blackjack dealer is cheesy, the roulette dealer is straight out of Max Headroom. Not something I would normally do, but definitely unique.

After perusing the floor we had dinner at Siniikaung Steak & Chop House. Dinner was very average. It started off great with a wonder Mushroom Bisque, but my Prime Rib, ordered Medium (pink with a touch of brown), was Well Done. I decided it wasn't worth the additional time to re-prepare a new entree, so I just let it go. As for the dining staff, punctuality was not their forte and they were disappointing. Our food was presented jointly with a table across the room and at on the serving tray for a couple of minutes while the other table requested their entrees be returned to the kitchen for adjustments. Despite the dining issues Mrs. Casino Reviewer really enjoyed the Seafood Pasta with Scallops. To quote her, she said "It was something she wishes she could prepare." The meal total (before vouchers) was $70. The overall dining experience was disappointing and while I won't go as far as to say not to dine there, it will take a lot to get me back to Siniikaung.

Our casino play the rest of the evening consisted of all Blackjack. Mr. & Mrs. Casino reviewer enjoying playing at the same table and being a Thursday night, had no issues with this. All of dealers were extremely friendly and entertaining. A gold star does have to go to the pit boss Joe. He was absolutely awesome. Using our first names, asking us if there was anything he could do to assist. Joe is what I would hope to have as a Pit Boss (for customer service) at any casino.

More Blackjack for the rest of night.

End of Day 1 ~ 2am

Start of Day 2 ~ 10am

I typically don't make a habit out of discussing bathroom fixtures in my writing, but you'll be 'blown away' by the shower head in the bathrooms at the Soaring Eagle It was incredible and Mr. and Mrs. Casino review are now looking for that brand for our new bathroom.

Back to things that matter...

The next morning we had breakfast sandwiches at the snack bar. $8 for two sandwiches and beverages.... Not outrageous. Food quality at the snack bar was not gourmet, but was very acceptable for quick service. After breakfast we migrated to the Casino Floor and split up. I found my 'Star Wars' video slots for a little guilty fun while my Mrs. Casino Reviewer found here Wheel of Fortune ($0.25).

We left for our afternoon spa appointment and were blown away at the massages we got. The masseuse was extremely professional and the hour long massage went way too fast. It was well worth the time and expense and great way to breakup the day. After our spa services we had lunch at the bar in the Water Lilly restaurant. For me it was a Burger with fries (just had a taste for it), for Mrs. Casino Reviewer it was the Reuben. The food took excruciatingly long to arrive but thankfully both sandwiches where worth the wait. A reoccurring theme became more apparent in our dining experiences Decent food but less than desirable service.

When I'm on vacation, I take advantage of my time and enjoy afternoon naps. Even though I'm a relative young man, afternoon naps rock. Sure enough, about 4:30, it was about that time. Next thing you know it's now 7:00pm.

We head downstairs and get a table at Water Lilly for dinner. Our appetizer was Lobster Chowder and it was sensational. For dinner, I order the Surf & Turf and Mrs. Casino Reviewer once again goes for Seafood Pasta, but this time with Lobster & Shrimp. To me, Surf & Turf is a Fillet with Lobster Tail. To the Soaring Eagle, it was New York Strip with Lobster Medallions. Once again the meat wasn't prepared exactly as requested, but it was acceptable. Our server was the exception to our prior experiences and was quite friendly and knowledgeable. Her punctuality diminished towards the end, but that may have been something to do with processing our dining vouchers.

While were on the subject of food vouchers...One complaint that I had about the program was the limitation of where they could be used... Only restaurant where the average entree was $25-$30. To me food is food, why does it matter where it comes from. Just limiting the credit usage to two restaurants wasn't a friendly measure.

Back to gaming... I hate slot machines at this point. Not winning a single thing. After experiencing this and speaking with others, I now have a hypothesis on Soaring Eagle slot payouts. Since the nearest casino competition is over 100 miles away, their slot payouts seem extremely low. I'm not the first one to say this, but I didn't see a single 'big winner' on the floor all weekend long. When I've been to the Detroit Casinos in the past, I've just about seen a 'big winner' ever time I've gone. Unfortunately, it's not me. :-) At the end of the day, it was good that their slot payouts were low, as it pushed me to the Blackjack table.


End of Day 2 ~ 1am

Start of Day 3 ~ 10am

Checkout time is the standard 11am. We get everything packed up and load up the car by 11am. We head to the Players Club to get our comp values from Slot & Table play and then go to check out at the front desk. Simply put, I've never been physically laughed at by a casino host in my life... Until today. While we had three hours (each) of table time on Day 1, six hours on Day 2 and then another two hours on Day 3. I was told that Mrs. Casino Reviewers comp balance was $2 and mine was $25. She then pointed to a stack of rating cards sitting behind her and said that they haven't entered any table ratings since Wednesday and their 'backed up' and won't be able to provide comps based on table during this visit. I reluctantly take my $25 down to the front desk and check out. After I walk away from the front desk, adding insult to injury, the front desk clerk didn't even take the $25 off. It was quickly fixed, but it just added to my frustrations.

Overall, I was moderately satisfied with the trip to the Soaring Eagle. While I was disappointed in the punctuality and 'sense of urgency' of several of the casino staff, the Blackjack dealers and Pit Bosses were rock stars. Without their efforts, the probability of a return visit would have been reduced.

Trip Highlights: Dealers & Pit Bosses

Trip Lowlights: Restaurant Staff, Package Value, Players Club

Ratings

Casino: *** (3 Stars)
Dealers & Pit Bosses: **** (4 Stars)
Food Quality: **1/2 (2.5 Stars)
Waitstaff: *1/2 (1.5 Star)
Hotel Facilities: *** (3 Stars)
Hotel Staff: *** (3 Stars)