Ameristar Casino Hotel East Chicago

We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of this hotel, considering the location and the general reputation of "the boat" locations.  They really did a nice job on this one.  The hotel is large, but well laid out.  The lobby is expansive and pretty grand.  The upstairs hallways and rooms are boldly decorated.  We had a double smoking room and there was no lingering smoke smell upon arrival.  The rooms are well-appointed, and the bathroom is huge, with both a large tub and a separate shower stall.  Our room also had a mini-fridge, which was great for keeping cocktails or waters in.  It's always a nice touch.  

The room was almost perfectly clean (the toilet was one area missed by housekeeping though), and the beds were incredibly comfortable.  I'd suggest the hotel consider upgrading to the whole pillow instead of those annoying squares that seem popular these days.  They're useless.  

The housekeeping staff were very helpful and cheerfully provided us with extra towels and coffee packets for the in-room machine.  They always greeted us warmly when we encountered anyone in the halls.  

The vending area is enclosed, with a door, so it mutes any obnoxious noise that most hotels have when your neighbor decides he needs ice at 3 a.m.

My only guff is with the flat-panel tv and remote--the on-screen channel guide does not reflect the actual channel selections available.  They do provide a laminated card for the channels, but it's confusing to be greeted by a guide that bears no resemblance to reality when you turn it on.  The remotes are barely functional and seem like something out of the early nineties.  But that's a minor issue.

The food choices are solid, and nothing beats an Italian beef at 2 a.m.  We also hit the buffet for lunch and it was pretty good as casino buffets go.

this casino sucks big time. they are racist! i will never go back here again i will stick to the horse shoe they should get some friendly staff especially at the front!

FOR SOME REASON IT WONT LET ME USE THE STAR RATING, I GIVE AMERISTAR 5 STARS!!!!

I've stayed in the Ameristar Hotel over 3 times and each time has been wonderful.  The hotel staff has always been very accommodating and nice to my boyfriend and I every time we stay with them. The hotel is completely renovated and gorgeous, not to mention meticulously cleaned. The rooms are very romantic, the red and black decor is a nice touch and the beds are very comfortable (in my opinion).  The bathrooms in the hotel rooms are beautiful, the stand up shower and sunken tub are a favorite of ours (TMI sorry). The 24hour Sbarro's Pizza is great after a late night of gambling, nothing better than hot fresh pizza at you convienence!!  I've also dined at the Amerisports Bar, I've only had their burgers and fries - they were very tasty. Ive never been able to make into the buffet or Buggati's but the smell walking past the both of them makes them seem pretty good.  Im sure the buffet is a step up from Old Country Buffet.  All in all if your looking for a quick overnight getaway this is a great place, I just booked a room for next week - ill let you know how it goes.

OH BY THE WAY -
if you dont have a rewards card i recommend signing up for one, its free and you earn free $$ to gamble and buy food with. I get discounted/free rooms all the time which come in handy. :)