2/17/2026-*****/Server Kim is excellent. So is Kayla. They are lucky to have them both and probably never again get anyone as good. ** Food choices have gone down, as has food quality.Long lines because of only one cashier cause people to give up and leave Casino & not comeback.. if the Senior buffet & other buffets are meant to attract Casino customers, They are doing THE EXACT OPPOSITE.. JUST TELLING IT LIKE IT IS Carl L read more

Worst hotel my husband and I have ever stayed at. We had upgraded to the honeymoon suite for our 4 night stay. this was 11/19/25-11/24/25. snow flurries , rain and cold. One of our rooms ac/heating unit spew out cold air, when it worked and didn't make a horrendous grinding sound. The sink leaded all over the floor. They did have us move to another room, but no assistance was given. They advertise room service but when we tried, we were told they were understafed and could not accommodate us. FYI we are seniors and my husband is disabled. Wales all the way thru the casino to the only available area to get hot chocolate, 4 flights down and into another building only to be told the hot chocolate machine was broken. This was all in the first 2 days. We would NEVER tetnus place. read more

Just like TS you can win hundreds of free spins,make it to the bonus and never get the extra number to win the jackpot and you can do that thousands of times and win nothing. I came into that place a dozen of times or more and lost everything. The machine didn't win until most the $ was gone and it didn't give me half back that I started with. You can hit big it's a guarantee no matter what you play all your money if you stay or come back,will be gone. read more

I was here for the weekend because my fiancé is a celebrity and we were doing a Sci-Fi show signing. The hotel room looked out over the racetrack, it was so fun seeing them warm up the horses. The room was clean and I enjoyed the bed, it was very comfortable. We ate at the restaurant inside the casino a few times. The tables aren't amazing, so we did take out. Overall I liked the food, we didn't eat at their nicer restaurants. But I loved their salads, they were huge! Great portions. Wonderful customer service. For drinks they do a stiff pour and they're relatively inexpensive. I appreciate how clean the casino was and how it's smoke free. All in all we had a great time! read more

First time at Vernon Downs - came special for "The Kitchen" buffet. Upon arrival, I noticed the upkeep of the facility is a large contrast to the other casino in the area Turning Stone (which has a buffet as well) I did not gamble or go on the gaming floor so I can't speak to that- but I'll write about the buffet. First I'll start with all the good... It's clean which was a huge plus for me. The staff were ALL very friendly and accommodating.. something I noticed from each person I interacted with. The price is very inexpensive when considering a buffet. Different days are even cheaper, which was great considering the other buffets in the area are much higher priced.. However I see why the price difference I think.. here goes the negatives... The food is extremely lack-luster. Slim to no options. The vegetables tasted like microwaved canned ones. The only meat that looked appealing was the pork chops which were dryyy and chewy. The photos that are listed on the website and in the generic google reviews are not what you'll get here. Very very slim choices. Our poor waitress was the only one working (serving probably 40ish people) while there were probably 6 staff standing behind the buffet just standing there. No one was cooking. I saw one man just scraping two knives together while leaning over a prep table. Meanwhile she was running herself ragged. Really unfair. The buffet was literally only two small sections and the rest were empty trays. When I asked staff if this is all they'll have out .. they told me "this is what we have" For my children, who are picky and traditional there was hardly anything they'd eat. Which surprised me as the website states it's known for its comfort food.. They ate fruit, and rice and some veggies. Nothing I ate I'd go and get again.. My whole party I was with, felt disappointed in what we thought it would be. I won't be back. read more

I would recommend that you check for bed bugs in your room. We stayed here over the long weekend because we were in town for a wedding. I noticed itchy bug bites on my upper body after checking out. When I got home I noticed that the patterns and look of the bites were textbook descriptions of bed bugs bites. I called the hotel to inform them of this and suggested that they check the room for bed bugs. Having worked in hospitality before I wanted to inform them since bed bugs can become a big issue. The manager called us back to tell them they didn't find anything, which I am skeptical about how thorough of a search they did. So I suggest that if you stay here please check your bed and room for any bed bugs. I'm 3days out from checking out of this hotel and still have itchy bug bites and had more bites show up in the line/zig zag pattern that bed bugs are notorious for. Customer service of the staff was fine. They were nice, nothing exceptional. read more

I thought things were ok and tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, but gross! They don't change the sheets! I'm here for a work conference, and I'm NEVER coming back! read more

Hotel was disgusting. Room was dirty. Smelled of mold. Price was relatively cheap for the area. But you get what you pay for. Never again. read more

This review is for the buffet at the casino, not the hotel. I've never been disrespected like this in my lifeeeee... It wasn't the staff or patrons.. the food was HORRIBLE. This place made Golden Corral feel like Ruth Chris. Everything offered looked like it came straight out the microwave SMH. I bet I could have went back in the kitchen and put my hand right on the stove with no worries about being burned because the damn thing hadn't been used all day lol. In the picture I added that grayish glob right below the fork was supposed to be mashed potatoes. Instead of loaded baked potatoes or potato skins they sprinkled cheese and bacon over potato chips. That was my first time ever seeing that lol. I'm crying as I type this lol. I'm not sure if it's from laughter or disgust. Even prisoners deserve a better meal than this. read more

Vernon Downs - a plate of food with a fork and knife - Casinos Near Me - Vernon, New York

Not a great option for a hotel $150+ per night with what they call continental breakfast that consists of only bagels donuts and all kinds of sugary options. Most hotels have actual breakfast options for that price eggs/bacon and waffles read more

Alright. So we're here for a wedding. I'm not from Rome, NY, so I don't really know the area. The hotel looks like a classic 3 star; clean but not TOO clean. The crowd is older here, especially in the casino. I'm talking 75+. No issues with that at all, but it's worth mentioning for those who are looking to meet people while partying or gambling. The facilities are huge, but it's mainly because of the horse track and slot machines. The view from the terrace on the third floor is BEAUTIFUL, but I'm not sure how it is in the winter when it's brutally cold. The rooms are NOT good. They smell weird, the beds are very small, they weren't fully cleaned, and there was ONE outlet. ONE!!!! We had to take turns charging our phones. The air didn't work very well, so we were sweaty as heck. Also, no fan in the bathroom or iron for clothes. Lol. See ya. read more

Vernon Downs - Lobby - Casinos Near Me - Vernon, New York

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Buffet/Sep 12, 23-Kayla, server very good, as usual. Food much improved. Our party of 4 had stayed away from the buffet and casino for some time because the food had gotten bad and cold. Our last 3 trips there have been much better. Kudos to the new chef, and I lot of new restaurant people that we noticed behind the counter. Glad till see Kayla is still there. She is a real assett to the Vernon Downs Kitchen Buffet. read more

After reading the reviews, I will start with "I completely agree with majority of them." The hotel needs a facelift. The paint is old and the furniture is dingy looking. There is mold in the bathroom and chipping paint in near the windows. However, upon entry, there is a nice fire pit. The staff is very friendly. There is a decent sized pool on the main floor. There is also a jacuzzi but it's a bit on the small size and usually always full. They offer free WiFi and complimentary breakfast. For breakfast, there are mini bagels with butter or cream cheese, mini blueberry muffins, Thomas's muffins, 3 choices of dry cereal, oatmeal, 3 different juices, water, coffee, and tea. There's also a nice view from breakfast of the track where you can see the horses practicing. The casino only has slot machines and they close pretty early. There's also no shuttle service to any of the nearby clubs or casinos. Also, my room had a really strong "damp" smell that wouldn't go away longer than an hour or two at a time, even after spraying Lysol spray. I'm not sure if I'll be back. I like to give second chances but this one is a toss up. ‍ read more

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This hotel is not worth $200 a night. Rooms were not ready, did not have enough staff even though they had back to back weddings the restaurant was short handed and waitresses had nasty attitude. I drove a long way and would stay in my car before paying $200 again. read more

If I could rate 0 I would. Food was nasty. It was only $19.99 but terrible. Everything had been sitting for a long time. Bread was stale. The workers were not helpful or friendly at all. Desserts were not out out and if they were they were there from before covid. The whole experience was terrible. read more

My husband and I had our wedding at Vernon downs. From the start we were very happy with all of the staff as they were very accommodating and very generous. On the day of our wedding we found out that the wedding coordinator was not able to make it and I was told that it was because his father was in the hospital and not doing well. I cried her my eyes out in sympathy for everything he was going through. We then had a new person thrown into the mix that was terrible to work with. Upon check out our bill had an additional $1,000 in charges and the front desk could not tell me where they came from, but expected me to pay. I called later to go pick up our wedding cake as we specifically pulled the replacement coordinator aside and asked that the remaining cake be set aside so we could wrap it for our 1 year anniversary. After a couple days I finally got a call back that they couldn't find the cake but would follow up with the coordinator to figure out what happened. It has been almost 2 months and still haven't received the replacement wedding cake that we were promised. To make matters worse we now just found out that our wedding coordinator was not at the hospital with his "dying father", he was actually in jail for a disgusting crime, because he was arrested the morning of our wedding. We went from being very satisfied to being extremely disappointed and would never recommend Vernon Downs due to the lying, throwing out the wedding cake and the billing issues and the front desks lack of ability to solve the issue. read more

Tight! I got a coin show for 2dollars and the lady next to me said don't feel bad I got a coin show for a dollar. That must be when big wigs are in the building because any other time it's as silent as a tomb. I taped it twice so I can prove it. Almost forgot.. the machine can turn right off while you're playing and pay zero no matter how many times you play your money. read more

This was my second time eating at the Buffet at Vernon Downs. The buffet packs a large crowd and there is always a long line because the prices are very fair. The room becomes crowded and people walk through the buffet line just inches form your table. On multiple occasions, people bumped into our table when maneuvering through the food line. Perhaps they should expand? I have not been blown away by their brunch menu either; Very basic food options. In addition, the omelet station was only serving 1 omelet at a time because they ran out of gas for the other burners. - This was Mother's Day and it was exceptionally busy. The gas shortage was not resolved during the hour we were in the Buffet. I prefer the Season's Harvest Buffet at Turning Stone much more. However, the prices are much higher! read more

Do NOT eat at the buffet. The food is disgusting. Everything frozen and from cans. It sits in the hot wells for hours. The $5 buffet is a freak show of greedy people. The staff are so demoralized. Overworked and underpaid. Find a decent diner where food is cooked to order. I suggest Apple Betty in Vernon. read more

It was a nice stay,staff was friendly and place was clean. The buffet was a little weak but the salad bar was good !

Hotel displays the exact opposite of World Class Service! Abysmal. In decades of business and other travel, I've never been treated so poorly or witnessed such an awful hotel operation. Why no zero star option? Many customers I saw would likely go for zero on this dump. Front Desk, "Security", Food, and especially Management - all the absolute worst. The worst. Do not stay here. Don't even attempt to speak with seemingly nonexistent manager. Prepare for misguided, offensive, and erroneous. Seriously. Yikes. read more

You know I'm not a fan of gambling establishments usually. So that might be the reason I didn't like this place at all. I mean I came here with my little nephew (who is an extremely picky eater and he only wanted to come here for the buffet). I knew I was in trouble but I stuck it out. What I saw, basically a bunch of slot machines and video poker machines. And then a bunch of people sadly throwing their money into predefined blinking lights and talking about strategy :( Uh almost cried. The few I interacted with were not nice either. But then the main reason we were here ... the buffet. I almost vomited. I stood there for about 5 minutes looking at everything contemplating which dish would least likely give me food poisoning. Then looked at my nephew who was smiling. Basically what I saw was a bunch of canned food dropped in a warmer. Then there entree like dishes of chicken, fish and beef. The beef was somewhat undercooked as I had to go back to get another one because it was a little frozen inside still and well definitely not cooked. All this could be yours for 15 bucks or 10 bucks if you are a member ... yikes! There is also horse racing here. But it being in the middle of an isolated field made me find this not too appealing. And again, I don't enjoy gambling. So take it for what it is. Maybe if I was into gambling this would be my spot, but then again you have turning stone just a little bit away. read more

PROS: - Sign up for the card and new members received 3, $10 free-plays. Play just 1 penny and you can cash in the remaining balance if you wish. If you win, they don't take the $10 back like at Turning Stone. - Buffet is only $7 during the week -- $5 if you get there between 4pm - 6pm. It's not the same size at Turning Stone, but it won't cost you $26, either. - The payout is A LOT better than at Turning Stone -- I've already won more money here in just a couple months than 10 years at Turning Stone. - You put the money directly in the machine -- you don't load a card like at Turning Stone. The winnings do print out on a slip that you use to cash out. - NO SMOKING!!!!!!!!!!!! You won't walk out of there smelling like an ash tray like you do at Turning Stone. CONS: - Small, it's only 1 big room. - No live dealers. If you like playing tables, you won't find it here. - If you're into major gambling and expect to win thousands, this isn't your place. If you're going up with $20 to waste some time, it will last you a while. read more

So my wife's cousin had a wedding nearby and we stayed at Vernon Downs. It was an OK experience and if I were in the area again I would stay here again as well, but I would not make a trip to here for the strictly for the "casino" aspect. For the hotel, our room was clean and suitable for our stay. Check-in was a bit of a pain as there was no early check-ins available and they actually didn't have our room ready until almost 3:30 when we were supposed to be able to check in at 3. Outside of that there were no other issues. As to the casino, well if you are into penny slots, this place is right up your alley. Outside of that there are some other slots with a few higher values, but no table games at all. You can play the NY state run keno at the bar, but that's about it. Not much of a casino in my opinion but I guess it gives degenerate gamblers a place to blow their money. Bar was at least inexpensive and they did have a cheesy cover band playing, which got the wedding party dancing during after hours there. They did have a breakfast buffet for the wedding party the day after on a nice balcony terrace over looking the racetrack. It was pretty picturesque. So for a hotel stay this place works, as a casino its a big thumbs down. read more

Great hotel the room's are clean the A.C are new Thea have a continental breakfast on the 3rd floor Monday through Friday an don't forget a Casino right next door so if you like to gamble and you like to travel you can stay at the hotel and gamble have breakfast the next morning and hope you win at the casino read more

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Our experience is best described as average. Hotel staff was attentive, room was clean, beds decent as far as hotels go. This is definitely not a gambling destination, extremely limited options gaming wise. The bar is inexpensive, which was surprising for a casino, and bartenders were friendly. I signed up for their players card for a free $10 bet, the girl at the counter was annoyed to have to serve a customer, I glanced and she was shopping for clothes online at the counter. Left a poor taste in my mouth. Breakfast buffet was as expected, mediocre but edible. The waitress was poor, I got one glass of water and no coffee refills. All things considered, Vernon Downs is what it is, not a destination resort, but a decent place to stop for a night or what have you read more

Usually buffet is very good. Food tasted good but found it disgusting how cooks were touching their faces, hair and beards with gloves on and then touching the food. The gaming floor was great, made some money but after working in food for over 30 years, sanitation issues ruined the day. May go back but not for the buffet. read more

Not to bad for an older building. Elevator needs some attention was scary every time I used them. Casino small, but not to bad. Not overly crowded like the near by casino Room was good, could use some up dates I think they are more concerned about the race track than the other parts of the property read more

Pros -Best pay out with slots compared to Turning Stone, trust me, there is a huge difference. Cons - Always understaffed and the staff looks miserable, being a former employee there I know exactly why. -Also it's kind of shady having your corporate office's on the same floor as some people's hotel rooms, that just screams being desperate with conserving space. -Times of when this business just makes no sense, why stay open until 2am? Stay open all night, considering you have overnight staff. read more

I came over 2 hours away to this place. Thought it would be bigger. Had to spend $10 to get a free play. Only got $10 free play. My buddy got $-1 free play(how does that happen) had no beverages my mouth was so dry I thought I was gonna pass out. The machine sucks balls. Nothing But old people. Bad staff. I could literally throw a dime from one side to the other it was so small read more

Nothing seriously wrong just a run down hotel. WiFi service was really bad and electronics in room didn't work.

This place is horrible. All they do is take your money. They wont even help you when you need something. If you need like a lost 1099 they have all kinds of excuses. No one willing to provide customers service. I will never play here again. Noah was not helpful. The cage is not responsive. Pass the buck is the only customer service they know. I have been trying to get help on a problem for over 2 weeks. They told me if i faxed a request they could send right out my 1099. That was 2 weeks ago. When i call the manager who is "handling it" is not in and no one can tell me when she will be there. If i ran a business like this I would be out of business. When I call other casinos they have much better service. read more

I know casinos as I have been a visitor to hundreds of them in numerous countries. Vernon downs calls itself a "casino" but has nothing more to offer than a box like building with only machines in it. No table games at all and as a visitor for the first time, I was very disappointed that I made the trip to what I can easily say is the worst excuse for a gaming destination I have ever been in. No atmosphere at all, tired and uninterested staff and I can't blame them as to have to work in that dull, drab dump would be hard on anybody. Just a real waste of gas and time. I stayed 30 minutes and left. A real s***hole. I felt dirty when I left. read more

My wife and I won a free night in a raffle to stay at the hotel at Vernon downs. And the rooms are horrible. The couch has stains. The jacuzzi tub has three jets and fits one. I blow in a straw and I get more air throw it. The bathrooms are small and the toilet seat is broken. There are to much to list of what's wrong but they need to update their rooms and people who work here. If it's a tourist spot for horse racing maybe they should have some standards and rules to live by. read more

One of the worst buffets i have ever eaten sorry couldn't eat. Had to wait for 30 minutes outside, to only have a dirty table, and nasty over heated frozen food. Nothing made fresh here. Salad had rotten, and black lettuce. I have seen school cafeterias do a better job. Wait... I have had hospital food that was better. Staff was rude, and trying to push older folks out the door as they were closing in 30 minutes. read more

Horrible Buffet. Selection is horrible. You have to wait for service or keep going to cashiers to get help. Today 1/6/13 I experienced cold food (room temp) & a Wait staff they left my beverage empty for over 15 mins. This may fly with the senior clientele they are filled with, but I'm amazed how horrible the whole experience was. Beware if you select to eat here. You will get a better meal at MC Donald's or Wendy's read more

We stayed for just one night. Double bed room was freezing one minute and hot the next. TV kept freezing up too. The room was acceptable clean but not amazing. The bathroom shower curtain was disgusting. Best part of the stay was watching the horses go around the track during a free continental breakfast that is unimpressive. I bet it is a lot of fun during races though. Good place to stay if you are drunk after a day of gambling and races. read more

Absolutely terrible - the couch in the room had holes in it, the shower curtain had mold on it, the second bed had some sort of stains on it, and the cereal was stale!!!!! Oh, the coffee was pretty bad too ... Terrible!!!! read more

Great place for a weekend getaway. If you love horses, live music, casinos and Buffet restaurants you should check this place out. The hotel rooms are nice, clean and very comfortable. They also have a very friendly and nice staff. I will be back!! read more

The staff was amazing and very nice! The room was very modern, and well kept.. We had a great time at the casino! The only problem that we had with our stay was the food that we got at the champion buffet... it was poor to say it nicely, and had definitely been sitting there a while. Other than the food, we will definitely be back soon!! read more