I visited Gala Casinos one midweek night and after just coming back from a trip to Vegas and…read moretherefore I had low expectations of the British attempt! I was pleasantly surprised that Gala Casinos wasn't actually a seedy old man casino which I expected. It is new, well designed and actually very similar to some of the casinos I visited in America. You have to sign up (which is free) and they give you a swipe card but this does take around 15 minutes which is a bit irritating. You do, however get a free £10 bet on Roulette as a reward for joining. I put all mine on red and lost! Oh well, it was free! The main casino is upstairs and it is very large. There are several Roulette and poker tables, and although it was midweek, it was busy. Additonnaly there is a huge selection of slot machines. The staff are very good at their jobs. They don't talk much, but that's good for me! There is a large bar which is a little expensive but not extortionate and lots of seating for those not wishing to bet. You need to be well dressed to get in. For men you need a jacket or at least a smart shirt, and ladies need to have heals or very posh pumps! No trainers, hoodies or Uggs!!!

I went to a Gala casino for my 21st thinking it would be something a little different to do. We all…read moregot really dressed up in cocktail dresses and the guys wore shirts and smart shoes...we stood out like a sore thumb! There was nothing classy about this place at all. Apart from wardrobe mishaps though, we all had a genuinely good time. Free £5 voucher when you join up, and because it isn't a swanky casino you don't have to feel guilty about not spending loads of cash. I enjoyed watching other people lose theirs! One man was losing hundreds of pounds a go. My friends and I had fun putting 50p on the roulette table. There is a bar with a good selection of drinks and a poker area for those skilled enough to be able to keep poker-faced.

Mint Casino is a relatively small (by Las Vegas sizes!) casino out in the inner city area of…read moreBristol. It doesn't look too inviting from the outside and its not too much better on the inside. They have your standard slot machines and tables, however it lacks atmosphere and class. Having tried my hand (illegally, I was 19!) at one game of poker in Vegas I now class myself as a professional (joke) so I feel that I can safely say that this casino isn't really worth the trip out here. There is a much larger and better casino in the centre of town. Having said that, I really am no professional so if you are seriously into gambling then maybe you should see for yourself.

If gambling is your bag, then Mint Casino will more than likely meet your casino expectations. A…read morelarge, spacious building decked out with the usual electronic gambling machines, leather sofas and flashy bar area, this is every inch your bog standard casino. The venue boasts favourite casino games such as Blackjack, Electronic Roulette and American Roulette. Drinks err towards pricey, and the outlet doesn't cater for poker tournaments. And if you're hoping for live entertainment whilst you fritter away those precious coins, you won't find it here. This place is strictly gambling.

I can't stand casinos, but a couple of times I've found myself dragged here in the early hours…read moreafter works nights out - and since this place opens until 6am (although the bar shuts at 3am) I'm sure it has attracted plenty of others who aren't quite ready to go home after the clubs shut. Cardiff isn't exactly overflowing with casinos, and I think this is the only one in the city - so it's here or nowhere if you like that kind of thing! You have to be a member to get in, unless you're a guest of another member - it's free to join, and anyone over 18 can apply. When I went there, they sorted out the photo and membership card there and then for us - but I have only hazy recollections of the details, so can't elaborate much more than that. What I can remember about the place is that there were lots of comfy lounge-style chairs, a few lecherous gentlemen, a few drunken younger groups gambling small amounts for fun, and plenty of smart businessmen going about their more serious gambling pursuits. The casino has lots of the classic games such as Roulette, Black Jack, Mah'Jong, and Poker - and there were also staff bringing around trays of free sandwiches and hot food, which was pretty welcome at that time of the night/morning! Even though I loathe casinos, I'm giving this 3 stars in a bid to be fair, because as small-city casinos go I'm sure it's fine!

I was sad to see Les Croupiers leave the city centre. I'm not a massive casino fan, as I know the…read morevery basics of probability and realise that if I stood a significant chance of winning, the place wouldn't be able to stay in business for very long. Despite this, I just keep getting dragged back to them at ridiculous o' clock in the morning. When you've gone out after working all day, and you're feeling tired, and sweaty, and drunk, and sleepy and still your friends just want to carry on with the night despite the fact that it's six am and we've just been kicked out of the last chance saloon (Club X), you really don't have much of an alternative. You're too invested in the night to go home by that point, and even if you could escape, you'd be THAT guy on the bus. No! There's only one thing for it. To the casino! Les Croupiers had one thing over everywhere else though. When it opened, it knew exactly what its customers wanted: hot, free food, brought by waiters who were too polite to wake someone if he was happily passed out after his ninth free ham sandwich. And I loved them for that. I wish them all the best in their new location, and having been once since, I can affirm it's every bit as entertaining to watch your friends blow all their money in Leckwith as it is in town. Les Croupiers: I salute you!

I'm not going to lie to you, I don't like gambling so I'm never going to give a casino 5 stars…read more This is in fact one of only two or three casino's that I have been to in this country. The problem is that I was taken to Las Vegas when I was about 16 and the noise was enough to put me off for life, but also its made me very disappointed when I have visited a casino's here. Grosvenor is typical of my disappointment. Its huge, and brightly lit and lacks any kind of atmosphere that I really expect from a casino. I know they do it to keep people awake, but its dull for anyone who doesn't having a gambling addiction. The other thing about this place is that they have random karaoke type entertainment that reminds me of being in Butlins. Oh and the drinks are ridiculously expensive too, but i'd rather waste my money getting drunk!

I love to play poker. And sick of the standard fare pub poker nights, decided to go for the casino…read moreexperience and something a little bit more fancy. I've been fairly regular here over the years, and it's certainly getting less and less popular. About a year or two ago, the poker room was booming, with about 50 or 60 entrants on average and big money wins for top ten finishers. My most recent (and probably last) visit here though saw only 9 people show up, meaning we all sat down for a cash game rather than a full tournament. It was sad to see and rather disappointing, as they don't really advertise anywhere or promote the tournaments in any way. I haven't seen this casino full in a long time though. This is probably just a sign of the times though and to be honest, is probably a good thing, as you are less likely to drunkenly blow that £100 you've been saving if there's none of the hustle and bustle of a booming casino. Onto the other games, and they generally have everything you'd expect - roulette, blackjack, slots etc. These aren't really my thing to be honest but I've had a dabble and the dealers are friendly and decent enough to chat to. The Grosvenor also used to be my main port of call if I ever missed the last train back to Bridgend. It's open 24 hours which is good and we had free tea and coffee for a couple of hours until our next train. Being more of an upstanding, responsible adult nowadays though, it's been a while since I've tried this but worth a punt as a last resort!

I'll always have special memories associated with Eastnor Castle as my wife and I were married…read morethere. Located about two hours west of London and about an hour west of Oxford, Eastnor is a picturesque, Gothic Revival castle built in 1810. The Hervey-Bathurst family owns the castle today, and lives there, but it is open to the public during certain times and one can book the castle for weddings and receptions. For selecting this site for the once in a lifetime event, there were a number of factors which guided us: pictures of the castle found first in a Castles of England book and then online which were breathtaking, good Web site and email communications (a must if you are to plan a wedding from overseas!), the proximity to London and ease with which to get there by train, cost (the exchange rate was a little better than it is today!), and the ability for the wedding party to stay overnight in the castle. For all of the effort it took to plan a wedding overseas, it was well worth it. The staff at Eastnor was the epitome of excellent service, looking out for our every need. They connected us with many superb service providers such as musicians, hair stylists, bakers, florists, and so on. Staff kept us on track with our planned activities (dinner, carriage rides through the grounds, dancing, karaoke, cake cutting, and casino). Everything went smoothly. We thought we would be safe by booking a date in May, but the lovely English weather was terrible the day before and the day after the wedding - fortunately, the skies parted just for us on the wedding day itself and indoor contingency plans did not have to be used. The interior of the castle is gorgeous, and we had so much fun going fro room to room, marveling at the grandeur. The drawing room was designed by Pugin who also worked on the Houses of Parliament. In true castle fashion, there are some secret passageways connecting some of the rooms. Staying in these rooms overnight was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the whole experience. If anyone has any questions about having a wedding at Eastnor, feel free to contact me. The countryside of Malvern Hills around Eastnor Castle is lovely, and I hope we can get back there soon for a visit.

is eastnor castle worth the visit? heck yes!…read more there is a lot of rich history tied to this castle. many people book it for corporate events or weddings. if you book it for a wedding you're able actually stay in the castle. the castle is so big that there's areas where you can hire performers/entertainers to have stations where you can keep your guests entertained. you can put up a tent and eat outdoors. staff here are really nice. they provide castle tours and the part i love the most is they let you touch or sit on some of their old furniture. you don't see that in the states. i couldn't help but sit on as many chairs/furniture as i possibly could. one of the eastnor tour guides said "if you treat people like adults they will behave like adults". therefore you don't ruin things!!! ahh.. if only every historic landmark thought that way. eastnor castle is definitely 2 thumbs up! if you're visiting the UK and eastnor castle is open for a visit. i say make the drive out and see it for yourself. if you're looking into eastnor castle as a place to get married. then i say you got yourself a very magical venue! it looks amazing and i can only imagine how the pictures would turn out. fun fact: madonna actually paid to get the chandelier cleaned. tips: *free wifi doesn't really work. *not open everyday throughout the year. *they allow you to take pictures. *there's plenty of restrooms in the castle. *love the gong that they allow you to hit at the bottom of the stairs.