The Landing Hotel at Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady — Hotel in City of Schenectady

It is very rare that I have the money to take a decent vacation and the best I can do is the occasional Staycation in a motel or hotel. My standards of accommodations are not very high to be honest. If it does not have filth, infestations, or look like a horror movie scene...I am comfortable in most forms of lodging. As someone who once hiked the Appalachian Trail and often had no choice other than to camp in filth...it does not take much to make me happy.

I chose the Landing Hotel for the first time ever even though I used to go to the Rivers Casino during the period of my life when I was dealing with a gambling habit that thankfully was overcome before it escalated into a full-blown problem. Gambling is one of the most exciting and finest things anyone could ever do with their free time. That is...IF they are A) able to know when to stop; B) if they are good at it; C) if they do it for fun and do not take it seriously; and D) all of the above. I possess neither of these qualities and was able to cure myself of this habit by becoming a major investor in the stock market. At least when the stock plummets, I still own the shares that were originally bought. If a player has a miserable bout of luck at the casino...they end up owning squat! This was the first time I actually tried out the hotel accommodations, which looked elegant enough to avoid any temptation to resurrect the hollow thrill of fickle luck. I just invested the amount of money in my hotel I could have very well lost, which sometimes happens with gambling. If everyone won every single time...it would not be called, "gambling." LOL

Not only did I visit the hotel...but I had walked to this hotel all the way from Guilderland, NY. This is a distance of 10 miles. I have been diagnosed with health problems such as pre-diabetes and extremely high cholesterol as a consequence of runaway bad habits for approximately 12 years! If I do not nip this in the bud soon then I am looking at a future of heart attacks, strokes, full-blown diabetes, and continuing to be obese forever. To be honest, these past two years have been brutal considering that I have been plagued by severe depression and poor self-esteem. I am a semi-celebrity author who has written two books and been featured in three other works of nonfiction literature. Being in the public eye has taken a huge toll on my mental health because I am a magnet for criticism that I often take to heart even if it is unfair and ridiculous. (Even though this is a fair price for such extravagant accommodations, I do not make enough for this to be any more than an occasional luxury.). Walking to the prize of this hotel changed the game. I did not feel like a lazy failure. I was starting the slow process of turning my life around by walking all these miles and soon felt like I was entitled to experience the Landing Hotel for the first time and all of its glory.

The hotel is extremely close and within walking distance of countless amenities in Downtown Schenectady! The Landing Hotel is one of those rare and special hotels that greets guests with a warm, chocolate chip cookie, Despite the fact that I am not supposed to eat stuff like that, I figured it was also a reward for hiking ten miles. It is also extremely difficult to reject such delicious treats when thrust in front of my face.

I ended up having a really good night's sleep in a room that looked untouched by humankind as though I were the first person to taste it's elegance after a meticulous construction. The room has all the works and if you are ever writing a book...the room is perfect for overcoming Writer's Block because I believe there is also a desk inside. It was wonderful to have a perfect and restful night for the first time in a long while. The only negative part about this experience was having no choice other than to leave the hotel three hours before checkout time at 11:00 PM considering that I had work obligations the...

As I was trying to construct this review, I read another review that covered some of what we experienced. Our room was obtained as part of a block of rooms for a wedding. We could set aside the annoying $50 charge for early check-in, but we could not let go the experience that we had on Sunday after the wedding. Many of us (most of us over 55 - not kids) were at the bar in the lobby enjoying ourselves with laughter and conversation. The bar was closing, which was evident by the fact that they were wiping the bar down and removing the alcohol. Not a problem, as we knew this was going to happen and we didn't care. However, shortly thereafter, with no announcement that the bar was closing, or that they wanted us to vacate the space, three goons zeroed in on my brother, and cousin threatening to call the cops. We asked why and we were repeatedly told "We don't have to tell you. You are visibly drunk". They also prevented my sister - in a very rude way - from going to the casino to cash in her voucher. What they did here was not only create a situation that didn't exist, but they contributed to its escalation. So, I will reiterate the excerpt below from another unhappy guest whose situation was different but expressed my thoughts perfectly.

"On several occasions a male working the front desk bizarrely reprimanded us while our kids were harmlessly playing with the Jenga blocks. We paid the same $350 a night as everyone else so it was extremely off-putting to be the target of his comments. His level of hospitality was non- existent, and he should not be working at a hotel. It was one of those experiences where you look back and scratch your head trying to figure out what...

Before we left for the day we put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on our door since we're only here for two nights and didn't need housekeeping nor did we want anyone entering our room. When we got back later in the evening we found the sign was removed from our door. Upon entering the room we discovered the room was made up and the "Do Not Disturb" sign was laying on the floor all the way across the room near the window. That means whoever made up the room took the sign down and threw it on the floor. They also moved our bags and there was evidence that they rummaged through them. Thankfully nothing was stolen.

When I informed management of the issue their response was a half-hearted apology and basically an "oh well." Definitely will not ever be staying here ever again.

Edit: The hotel manager's response below is completely disingenuous. I filled out the form on the hotel website as advised and the response I got was about the same as the response I got at the hotel. He says he checked the housekeeping logs and they show the "do not disturb" sign was not on the door. He makes no mention of someone rummaging through our bags. He offered no apology or any attempt to make the situation right. He said housekeeping would have no reason to remove a DND sign and make more work for them and insinuated that I am lying. For what purpose would I have to lie about this? I have no reason to lie and the hotel has every reason to lie to try and cover their butts. Their behavior, especially management is disgusting. Do NOT stay...