Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort — Attraction in Painttown Community

I've stayed at Harrah’s Cherokee multiple times, but this most recent visit (February 2025) has made me question whether they are prioritizing guests the way they used to.

THE GOOD: ✔️ Rooms: Stayed in Tower 4. The room itself was very good, comfortable, and clean. Street noise was noticeable but not unbearable. ✔️ Room Service: Food was delivered quickly and was actually pretty good. However, the pricing was stratospheric—clearly set to discourage use rather than provide value. ✔️ Cashier Staff: The folks in the cashier cage were polite, engaging, and had a good sense of humor. ✔️ One Exception at the Poker Host Desk: A polite and accommodating young woman stood out among the otherwise disengaged staff.

THE BAD: ❌ Poker Room Issues: I witnessed clear collusion—two players sitting side by side were seeing flashed cards from the dealer. When I brought it to the attention of the poker host, I was given a generic response that he would "talk to the dealer." That’s not how you handle potential cheating. Security should have been involved immediately. If management isn’t ensuring integrity, players should be aware of what’s happening. ❌ Customer Service Decline: Across multiple interactions (front desk, security, rewards desk, poker hosts), I encountered staff with negative attitudes. It felt like I was inconveniencing them just by asking simple questions. ❌ Late Checkout Issues: I was willing to pay the new late checkout fee, but both employees I spoke to seemed annoyed that I even asked. It was like they expected me to argue. That’s not how hospitality should work. ❌ Slot Machine Maintenance: Some of the slot machine buttons were dirty and even broken. For a casino, this is unacceptable. ❌ Room Issues: No body soap in the shower. The dispenser was completely empty, leaving only shampoo. For a casino resort, this is a completely avoidable, basic housekeeping failure.

BRIO NEEDS A REBOOT: This restaurant could be so much more. Right now, it feels like it’s one step away from becoming a buffet—uninspired decor, a static menu, and declining food quality.

💡 Brio doesn’t just need a new menu—it needs a full atmosphere update.

The lighting is completely out of place. Brio is supposed to be an Italian grill with a terrace-style ambiance, yet the ceiling is lined with literally floating saucer IKEA lights from 2008, hanging on thin wires like alien spaceships flying across the room. It’s a jarring, modern-industrial look that doesn’t fit the warm, inviting aesthetic an Italian restaurant should have. The restaurant itself feels as worn as the unreadable, tattered menu I was given. When the menu is falling apart, it says everything about the lack of attention to detail. The food quality is going downhill. My lobster and fettuccine had the texture of a microwaved Viola meal. That’s not what you expect at a casino restaurant charging premium prices. If you’re going to serve Italian, make it fresh—make it an experience. Frozen chunks of butter for the bread. Instead of a proper **spread, a dipping sauce, or seasoned oil—like you’d expect at an Italian grill—you get rock-hard butter that’s impossible to spread. Another sign that no one is paying attention to quality. If you’re going to be an upscale Italian restaurant, sell the experience. The food, the menu, the decor—it should all work together. Right now, it just feels like a missed opportunity to be something truly special.

THE OVERALL ISSUE: The biggest problem is that it doesn’t feel like anyone is spot-checking quality anymore. From the gaming floor to restaurants to customer service, it feels like a corporate cost-cutting experiment instead of a top-tier casino experience. I hope to see some changes next time. Harrah’s Cherokee has so much potential, but if they don’t fix these issues, they’re going the way of MGM—nickel-and-diming guests while letting service standards slip. Casinos thrive when guests feel valued, and right now, that’s not the impression I’m getting here. Hopefully, they turn it around before...

My wife and I have traveled to many places early this week we stopped here at Harrah's a big property. This is a very busy Resort and Casino valet parking always very busy so is the front check in desk. As with any first visits to any new resort one never knows what why or when. I have to say we did have quite a few issues from check in to our room above the building with the casino losing tv than all power. Spoke to the front desk they said they would send someone to have a look. So we went off to enjoy ourselves for the evening at the casino and stop at Gordon Ramsay food court as we were looking for something quick and easy. Well if cleanliness was first on the list it would have to be moved to the bottom as it was Sunday night and quite a mess. The tables were not clean or wiped down the self serve soda all over the floor with wet napkins on the small counters next to the machines. When I asked would we be called when the 2 hamburgers and fries were ready the man behind that counter said "WE WILL YELL YOU NAME VERY LOUD" I looked down to the left and saw what looked like a pick up window. I expected a better burger served in a cardboard box with fries. While on the subject we wanted some ice cream they have gelato they were out of cones so we had picked our flavors 1 scope for my wife and 2 for me I never thought that 3 scopes could cost so much. There were a lot of children running about not any place to sit quite and enjoy. Funny I never remembered so many young kids in a resort like this with parents that did not know the meaning of behave for the children. So back to the room they sent us across the resort to a new and much better room the next morning as again the room lost all power. The bell man came we moved and went out for the day when we returned from the park and shipping about it was late evening. We had to remember how to get to the new and improved room well once we were there and were set for a short rest before going down to play my wife took a very bad fall in our room. It seems that the floor was cleaned with some polish and the floor was wood as slick as ice. My wife was hurt at our age hitting her head that hard on a hard wood floor took her breath away and not in a good way. I reached for the phone called security they were concerned and sent 2 EMT to our room they arrived pretty quick to help my wife. We asked questions about a hospital how far how long and what if she get worse the answers were not all that great. The had my wife sign a paper we were both very upset my wife now in bed with ice packs wanted to just not move. That night we made the choice to head for home and her doctors in the morning as she was clearly not recovered. The over all experience at this resort was not 4 star not even 3 star it is lacking in house keeping nothing looks clean or feels clean. The first room was at best a 2 star room not very nice I guess that it gets a lot of use. When we checked in we were not told about any choices in rooms they just assigned us one. After the accident in our room we were told that the hotel management would reach out to us by the 2 women that came to look at the floor than sent people to try to remove the slipperiness if that is even a word. Both those women would not walk on that floor I asked them to remove their shoes NOPE the EMT told them that the floor was very slick . Over all a lot of traffic in this place not friendly no ever asked us if we wanted a drink while in the casino. The bar tender in front of Ramsay's was coughing as he was serving drinks that is never a good sign. Shame on him cover you mouth wash your hands. Maybe our expectations of a resort with Harrah's name attached were to high. One thing today is always first and for most that is you should have a clean appeal to all guest soda on the floor in elevators remained for two trips and was still there when those 2 women came to the room, I asked them. Wipe down the machines after all we all know what is said about...

Title: I Lost My Money, My Dignity, and My Edges—but at Least Safiya and Tracey Were There to Catch Me

Let me tell you something: I did not walk into that casino expecting to leave with more money than I came in with. I’m not delusional—I’m just gay. And while I may not have had Lady Luck on my side, I did have two absolute queens holding me up through the financial massacre that was my blackjack session: Safiya the dealer and Tracey the Tables supervisor.

Now, when I say I got wrecked at the tables? Baby, I got steamrolled. I got dragged, flipped, and flopped like a pancake at a church brunch. My chips were vanishing faster than straight men when you mention emotions. But somehow, I stayed at that table for HOURS, clinging to the last threads of my hope and credit limit—because these two women made losing feel like a damn good time.

Let’s start with Safiya. This woman isn’t just a dealer. She’s a show. She deals cards with a twist of sass, a dash of drama, and a sprinkle of Broadway-worthy flair. I’m talking jazz hands meets precision mathematics. Every card flip was a performance. Every “17” felt like she was casting a spell. I’m pretty sure she made eye contact with me while giving me a three on a double down just to make sure I felt it. And I did. Deep in my soul. But somehow, I still giggled like a fool.

I’d be like, “Safiya, please, I need a ten.” And she’d flash that mischievous smile, flick that card like she was in a Vegas burlesque revue, and BAM—another 5. And I’d say, “You know what? You’re right. I did need to learn humility tonight.”

And then there’s Tracey. Oh, honey. TRACEY. I don’t know what she puts in her coffee, but I want it. That woman was floating around the pit like she owned the place—and she probably should. She walked over mid-round, saw I was in the trenches, and with one wink and a perfectly timed comment about my “bravery,” I suddenly felt like I was playing for Team USA at the blackjack Olympics. She gave encouragement, attitude, and just enough snark to make me feel seen in my full dramatic misery.

She was like my spiritual coach, my fairy pit boss, my blackjack therapist. She didn’t just supervise—she supervised with style. And even when I started whispering to the cards like they were my exes, she didn’t flinch. She just nodded like, “Go through it, queen. Let it out.”

Now listen, not everything was glitter and glam. Can we talk about the cocktail service? Or should I say, the urban legend of cocktail service? I swear, by the time I got my watered-down gin and tonic, I had aged five years, gone through a full breakup, and rewatched all of “Schitt’s Creek.” I don’t blame the servers—they were working hard—but there were only two of them for what felt like the entire population of the casino floor. I almost started hallucinating drink trays.

Also, what’s this nonsense with no face-down cards on a double down? And no burn card reveal? I mean, if you’re gonna rob me blind, at least do it with a little foreplay.

But you know what? I’ll be back. Because of Safiya. Because of Tracey. Because if I’m going to lose my money in spectacular fashion, I want to do it while being cheered on by two badass women who understand that gambling is theater—and they are the leads, the directors, and the lighting crew all in one.

Give these women a raise, a tiara, and their own reality show. And maybe throw in a cocktail server or three while you’re at it.

Final score: Me – $0, Emotional Damage – 10/10, Safiya and Tracey –...