On my list of preferred vices, gambling doesn’t even break the top ten.
So, I was a little out of my element when I checked into the Caesars Windsor hotel: a half-new, half-transitioned complex overlooking three miles of walking paths along the Detroit River.
They say that in the age of the “new” casino, you don’t need to be a gambler to have a good time; that the fine dining, glamorous shows and occasional bout with the nickel slots combine to give you a Vegas-style experience without having to hop on a flight to Sin City. Casino Windsor certainly proved the point. There’s nary a faux Statue of Liberty or Elvis impersonator within sight, and yet a non-gamer like myself can feel perfectly content and entertained far away from the roulette wheel.
It was late afternoon when I decided to take a quick walk through the casino’s two levels of gaming tables and slots. It was the Thursday before Memorial Day, and the energy of a long weekend was just starting to trickle in through the glass doors. Soon, the casino’s 95 gaming tables were crowded with customers counting on Lady Luck, their cheers and groans paired with the melodic rings coming from 2,600 slot machines.
While the newly installed ergonomic chairs in the slot areas beckoned gamblers to the gaming floor, I was drawn to the floor tiling of the casino’s Artist Café. The space is inspired by the work of Andy Warhol; the tiling resembles spilled paint, and it changes and squishes under the weight of customers’ feet. It served as a whimsical reminder that Caesars Windsor’s spared no expense during their $430-million expansion.
The results of that investment can also be seen in the hotel’s 758 rooms. The casino boasts the only Four Diamond hotel in downtown Windsor, and posh features such as 400 thread-count sheets, plasma-screen TVs and a 10,000-square-foot natural atrium fitness center certainly make it worthy of recognition.
The transformation to the Caesars brand also meant the addition of the new Augustus Tower hotel — the tallest building in Windsor, accessible without entering the casino — and the Colosseum entertainment venue/exhibit space, where headliners set to perform include Chris Rock, Reba McEntire and Michael Bolton.
That night, I decided to have dinner at Legends Sports Bar, one of the casino’s six restaurants and a space that offers a view of the gaming floor. The bar has 36 screens, not to mention another superlative: Canada’s largest sports ticker. Legends is also the only legal sports betting venue east of the Mississippi, meaning you can bet on pro hockey, baseball, football and more while you wait for your spinach dip.
I ended my evening at the bar in Neros, a classic, dark-wood steakhouse that made short work of my vice list with its wine menu alone. I struck up a conversation with a pharmaceutical saleswoman and her friend, who was celebrating his 50th birthday with a little cake and a Corona. The woman told me that she frequents the hotel of for business, and that Neros is one of her favorite spots in the province for dinner and a drink.
“But do you like to gamble?” I asked.
“Nope,” she said. “I’ve been here more times than I can remember — and I’ve never even set foot in the casino.”
Sometimes, it’s good to know you’re not alone.