Newbie Questions - Memorial Day

Hi All,

My H and I are considering visiting Biloxi over memorial day. We were planning on going back to NOLA but have found extremely cheap flights out of Pittsburgh to Gulfport.

So, I have some basic Qs... sorry if these are a bit ridiculous:

The idea of casinos + beach (and not Atlantic City) is very appealing to me. I%26#39;ve never been to the Gulf (except Clearwater when I was 9 yrs old). Can you ';hang out on the beach'; here? Nice sand? Spread out a towel and relax?

Are any hotels oceanfront? How many casinos (I am reading 11? - yeah!!) If so, where you do recommend staying - we%26#39;ll be there 3 nights? Good pools? Is the IP as gross as the one in Vegas - it looks pretty good online? Are they in a %26#39;strip%26#39; - can you bop around from place to place? Do we need a car?

And - what is the crowd like? we are in our late 20s and like to have a good time. I am assuming drinks are ';free'; for players?

Thank you so much!!

Newbie Questions - Memorial Day

Balbacm, holy cow! Lots of questions...lol! Now let me see what I can contribute......

Memorial Day: busy time....book early

Casinos and Beach: Yes, you can hang out on the beach which is full of lovely white sand; but water is not the pretty blue/green that you find starting further east just past Mobile. This is due to Biloxi/Gulfport being not too far from mouth of Mississippi River and a small string of off-shore islands to keep the pretty water on the Gulfside of the islands. There is a Ship Island ferry that takes you out to Ship Island which has the pretty blue/green water and a beach on the Gulf side....and an old Civil War fort.

Hotels oceanfront: The Isle of Capri Casino/Hotel (o.k.); Hard Rock Casino/Hotel (newish, nice), Beau Rivage Casino/Hotel (very nice, very nice pool area, elegant atmosphere). I don%26#39;t think Isle of Capri and Hard Rock have a beach; but Beau Rivage is next to a beach area just to the west of it.

IP (Imperial Palace) on Biloxi Back Bay: Nice Casino/Hotel....big...no beach that I know of...has a pool though. It is NOTHING like the Imperial Palace in Vegas...thank goodness!

Casinos together: Only Beau Rivage and Hard Rock are comfortable to walk between....takes only approx. 5 minutes. The rest are short car rides in Biloxi; and a 15 to 20 min. car ride to Island View in Gulfport (lovely casino/hotel).

What is crowd like: Crowds are a good mix of all ages. We usually stay at the Beau Rivage; and the crowds get a little younger late at night (late night clubbing, bridal parties celebrating, etc.). Hard Rock usually attracts the younger crowds also...pretty good mix during day, though.

Drinks: They are free while playing......please, give a tip of $1.00 or $2.00 to the courtesy waitress, of course.

Number of Casinos: You read that correctly....11

As I said before, our favorite place to stay is Beau Rivage....

Newbie Questions - Memorial Day

thank you for your great reply! Ship Island sounds neat. I don%26#39;t have to have crystal blue water - i just like to relax w/a good book. Don%26#39;t worry, I am a good tipper, especially if I am winning!

This is all good info and i will continue to watch this thread.

If you are not renting a car, there is a casino hopper that runs frequently. Don%26#39;t think it goes back into Gulfport though.

As Nane stated, hopper doesn%26#39;t go to Gulfport. Website should give you the info you need.

http://www.biloxibus.com/casino-hopper.html

If you%26#39;re a slots player found IP to be the best casino for slots....good payoffs.

We%26#39;ve always enjoyed Hard Rock in the evening...such a great lively atmosphere.

Have a fab time!

Suthernbell gave you good info on the casinos.

If you want an oceanfront room, stick with the Beau Rivage or the Hard Rock, and the Isle of Capri would be the budget choice.

If you%26#39;re in your 20s, you might prefer the atmosphere of the Hard Rock casino to the Beau (not saying everyone will, but I%26#39;m in my 30s and I feel very young at the BR and prefer the HR).

I agree that the IP in Biloxi (they don%26#39;t want you to call it the Imperial Palace anymore) is better than the one in LV. But it%26#39;s not on the oceanfront, it%26#39;s on the back bay which isn%26#39;t as nice a view imho.

OK...do you want casino%26#39;s or real Gulf Coast beach? By all means take advantage of the cheap flight to Gulfport and visit the casinos...Beau or Hard Rock are first class...I%26#39;m a regular visitor. Keep in mind that this is a very crowded time and a family vacation scene with many kids! Expect to stand in line to check in and eat. The real beach is east of Mobile Bay starting at Gulf Shore and running to Panama City Beach...sugar white sand and green-blue water with wave action. Biloxi/Gulfport beaches are imported sands (their sand is really brown) and no waves. Barier island%26#39;s (Ship Island) sandbars block the surf.

There are (or were) 11 casinos, several are still recovering from Katrina. Whole area is only a skeleton of what is once was. But, it will be hard to tell for an outsider since you have no reference. It is a fun visit and a great time...come on down.

tiller, actually, the casinos are up and running full blast. They are recovered ...... true, a couple of them had to cut back in size of casino after Katrina; but they are in good shape.

I also have a differing opinion about the sands in Biloxi/Gulfport...it is a pretty white sand. True, the water isn%26#39;t as pretty as your area....but the sand is pretty close to the same as yours. ....and, yes, it was brought in. No biggy there.

The sand is definately white and the beach is fun for both relaxing with a book or renting the various water toys (paddle boats, jet skis etc). I would recommend the Hard Rock for you because it is a young crowd. Beau Rivage is very pretty but you will find mostly an older crowd, and I do mean older. If you stay at the Hard Rock, it%26#39;s a 5 minute walk to the beach where you can rent very comfortable beach chairs with thick mats and umbrellas. You can catch the casino hopper right outside the hotel to visit the other casinos. The pool at the Hard Rock is great. It has 2 hot tubs, music playing underwater, and a great bar poolside. The rooms are very special.

oily skin