Lone Star (pavillion overhaul)

[ElKabong]

I heard from an employee there today that the Pavillion "may not be ready until next year".

Disappointing to say the least, if true. The handouts I saw at the end of the TB meet stated the pavillion would reopen this Fall. The QH meet starts soon, if we TB players are going to share the 2nd level at normal seat pricing ($11), that's going to suck....and it'll run some of the regulars off. I've had 2 people there ask me "how do i bet from home"..., they know I've done so in the past. They don't own puters, don't know how it all works.

Looks like I'll be teaching some Olds how to use a puter and bet online soon.

The timing of this "renovation" was strange. Toga and Del Mar began when they closed the pavillion. Lot of regulars don't like the grandstand for simulcasting, some do. My only beef is the bad food and limited choices to order. No lunch / dinner specials ($8.95 drink not included), just fried foods and soup (soup isn't as good from what I'm told, the equipment isn't up to par w/ the pavillion's). Even the waitress' menus are limited. Sandwiches mostly

Hopefully what I heard was wrong. We'll see

[mannyberrios]

I always play from home. It's not bad at all

[FiveWide]

I actually somewhat like the grandstand for simulcasting 'cause I can go to the 2nd floor and not have to freaking be around all the smoke!

Hopefully this is one of the improvements they'll make to the pavillion but honestly I don't see how'll they'll do it.

I was there this past weekend and overheard a guy talking to a food clerk and all I heard was "I expect it will be crowded". Maybe that was in reference to what you are saying 'bout the renovations.

Imo, I'd rather them take longer and do it right than quickly and half ass'd.

Oh, and how do you bet from home in TX?

-Five

[ElKabong]

Youbet.com
TwinSpires

Also, I just got a card in the mail today from DarkHorseBet.com. Haven't looked into it yet.

I'm w/ you on the smoke situation. That's hard to take if you sit near the aisle separating the non smoking & smoking sections.

I wonder if LS will charge counter seat charges for TB bettors later this month when the QH meet begins? That'll clear the place out pronto.

[ElKabong]

The pavillion was re-opened this week. It sure is unpopular amongst the people I know & spoke to out there last night.

Overview:
it looks exactly what a half assed casino would do to a simo unit. A sports bar, a lounging area, then smoking and non smoking areas with carrels. Sounds ok, but it's done cheaply. It's pretty clear whoever designed the place didn't know the clientele. The long time staff members at the front desk admitted to getting a lot of bad comments / reviews, handed out cards for comments / suggestions....It's clear a lot of people don't like the new design

Pet peeves:
Carrel lighting is very insufficient. The carrels have no overhead light. Just the lights from the ceiling.

Carrel size: carrel desktops aren't very deep, and the monitors are sitting on your desk area since an overhang doesn't exist anymore at carrels.

Carrel availability: There are maybe 1/5'th the # of carrels in the non smoking area than the old design. Plus, the "standing only" area in front is almost non existant. When OP begins in January that place is always packed on weekends. I have no idea how the place will fit the crowds. Many non smokers will have to go out on the patio, in the cold. NO 2 ways about this.

Food / service: Awful. No more concession stand with entree dinners. Waiters / waitresses hound you non stop (like a casino), about every 3 minutes on food and drink beggings. The menu is way overpriced. I could go on for awhile about this....Beer can be had at the sports bar. I stood at the bar for 3 minutes trying to order (tea or whatever they had non alcoholic), the barkeeps were busy doing other stuff, so i went back to my carrel.

Smoke: the smell can be somewhat noticeable....even in the cheezy little "sports bar" which is a non smoking area.

Betting machines: Nowhere near enough of them in the non smoking area for the big racing days.


This is the best we can figure (me, 4 others that sit together).....the LS new ownership, indian casino types, lobbied the TX legislature to end ADW wagering here. Possibly promised to upgrade the pavillion to serve the customers better. End result > try to have a captive audience for simulcast wagering......

Problem is, the place sucks now. The old pavillion was pretty good, was simply in need of segragating the smokers from the real world......what happened is, the whole place lost it's functionalty in the redesign. None of it works well if you're a non smoker that arrives on weekends after the pre-noon rush

[forced89]

I went to the Pavalion today. Although I could take exception with a little of Tom's description, overall it is right on. For a Sunday about 1 o'clock in the afternoon it was pretty darn busy. I really didn't see an issue with betting terminals. Food, both availabily and cost, is an issue. I did like the Sports Bar though. Basically I'm ok with it, not estatic, but ok.