Horseshoe Bossier City Hotel & Casino
Horseshoe Bossier City Hotel & Casino
Updated: 5/16/21
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Overview and historyHorseshoe Bossier City Hotel & Casino opened in 1994 and was the first Horseshoe outside Las Vegas.
Hotel overview
The 24-story hotel has 606 rooms. There are 3,200 spaces of free parking, including free valet service, as well as covered parking in an adjacent garage.
Inside Information
NOTE: All shows, events and deadlines are subject to postponement or cancellation due to temporary casino closings and/or safety and health measures implemented by the state.
■ If you're playing to earn a daily tier bonus, and you're playing at both the Horseshoe and Louisiana Downs, you'll have to manually calculate your combined tier credits. The amount shown as your daily play on the kiosk reflects only your score at the casino in which you are playing.
Just before you enter the garage, look to your left where you will see special Seven Stars reserved parking, left, in a small outdoor lot adjacent to the valet parking exit. I was advised to put one of my Seven Stars players cards on the dash to identify my "status", but none of the other vehicles parked there had any sort of similar identification.
As you enter the impressive two-story atrium from the front door, the casino and restaurants will be straight ahead, hotel registration is to your left and a retail concourse is on your right.
If you valet your car at the front entrance, to retrieve it, look for the valet kiosk. left, as you exit – exiting the casino, Jasmine's Noodle Bar will be on your right. Swipe your ticket, then proceed through the retail concourse to pick-up your vehicle.
Open only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. is VIP Hotel Services, right, where Seven Stars cardholders can check in. (On other days, look for the Seven Stars/Diamond Check-In sign at the front desk.) The center has a self-service wine bar, as well as snacks such as fresh strawberries, cookies and mixed nuts.While Seven Stars and Diamond cardholders are exempt, Horseshoe charges a daily resort fee of $16.94. The fee – which can be paid with Reward Credits – includes admission to the pool (seasonal) for guests 21 or older, two passes to the fitness center, unlimited local calls, and WiFi connection for up to two devices at standard speed.
If you need to print a boarding pass, use the complimentary "business center" in the hotel lobby. The center consists of three computers and two printers.
Hotel guestrooms
■ Download the Official Visitors' Guide To Shreveport-Bossier, as well as the most popular brochures from the Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau. Click here.
■ Show your Caesars Rewards card at BeauxJax Crafthouse in Bossier City and get a 10 percent discount.
■ Harrah's Louisiana Downs is less than 10 miles from the Horseshoe. In addition to live racing, Louisiana Downs has a casino (with a Laurel Lounge) and several restaurants. Read more about it by clicking here.
All rooms are classified as "suites" but not in the traditional sense of the word. There is a sitting area, a small table, a desk and bed(s) but it's basically all one large room with floor-to-ceiling windows. All rooms have coffeemakers, refrigerators, and upscale amenities. Some have a small microwave oven. Both smoking and non-smoking rooms are based on availability. The 25th floor has recently been renovated, and the remaining floors also are scheduled for renovation at a date to be determined.
Casino overview
The three-floor casino is actually a riverboat permanently moored on the Red River. It's a bit claustrophobic compared to many land-based casinos, and even the newer Margaritaville nearby, or the Eldorado (also a riverboat) across the river in Shreveport.
The entire casino is "smoke-friendly" but the ventilation system works pretty well unless you happen to find yourself among a group of smokers. With that ventilation system, though, comes chilly air and "temperature-sensitive" guests may want to bring along a light sweater or jacket.
The casino offers 68 table games (blackjack, roulette, craps, Let It Ride, Mississippi Stud and Three Card Poker), 1,500 slot machines, 130 video poker machines, plus a 14-table World Series of Poker Room on the first level. However, if you're looking for some of the newer slot machines out in the market, you'll have to visit one of the other casinos in the Bossier City/Shreveport area.
In addition to the Poker Room on the first level, there are video poker machines, as well as penny and nickel slots.
Table games – including electronic table games – take up most of the second level, along with more video poker, and quarter, $1 and $5 slots.
The third level has a dedicated High Limit Slot area, as well as quarter, 50-cent, $1 and $5 slots throughout the floor.
Complimentary drink service is relatively frequent; and dealers, slot attendants and servers all are extremely friendly and helpful.
NOTE: Federally-taxable jackpots of $1,200 or more also are subject to a mandatory six percent Louisiana state income tax – withheld even if you are not a Louisiana resident. Nonresidents must file a Louisiana state income tax form in order to recoup this, probably not worth the time and expense unless you have substantial winnings in a calendar year.
Special Seven Stars benefits*
There is priority seating at dining venues – look for the special Seven Stars/Diamond entrance at The Spread Buffet (see below). In addition, all Caesars Rewards cardholders receive a $1 discount at the buffet for lunch and a $2 discount at dinner, and Seven Stars and Diamond cardholders get a free glass of wine for each person in their party – breakfast, lunch and dinner. There also is a special seating area for Seven Stars and Diamond cardholders. Look, too, for dedicated lines at Caesars Rewards, as well as at the cashiers.
Red Star Room Lounge The Red Star Room Lounge has opened in the location formerly occupied by the Laurel Lounge. “Come and experience luxury like never before!” the webpage raves. Guests must be 21 or older and no outside food or beverages is allowed. A dress code is enforced, though none is specified on the site. I'm waiting for details on this new nightlife venue.
Retail concourseHorseshoe Bossier City is the only casino offering a variety of unique specialty shops. Impulse is a women's boutique, featuring upscale apparel such as bentley a. and Joseph Ribkoff, along with accessories, handbags and luggage from Brighton. The Gift Horse features men's wear, with labels by Robert Graham, Nat Nast, and Cutter & Buck, along with leather belts, jackets and satchels. The gift shop has essentials you may have forgotten, jewelry, watches and Horseshoe Casino logo apparel. The newest addition is the Rocky Mountain Candy Factory. While the shop accepts Reward Credits, like 8 oz. Burger (see below), the ratio is 2:1, i.e., 1,000 RCs = $5.
Dining, entertainment and other amenities
Dining choices at the casino include Jack Binion's Steak House, Four Winds (upscale Asian fusion cuisine), The Spread buffet, Jasmine's Noodle Bar and 8 oz. Burger Bar (open 24 hours) for more casual fare. There also are JB's Cafe and the Hot Dog Stand near the second floor casino entrance (open only Thursdays through Sundays). There is a full-service spa and salon, The Spa at Horseshoe Bossier City, and a fitness center. The Riverdome is the venue for concert performances by groups like The Beach Boys and comedians such as Bob Newhart. CMT Crossroads offers music and entertainment.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, DARE will be open only to registered hotel guests this season.
The sign advising this seems to appear and disappear – mostly disappear, but 8 oz. Burger, while it accepts Reward Credits, it's at a 2:1 ratio, i.e., 1,000 RCs = $5. However, if you are visiting the Horseshoe on your Seven Stars Annual Retreat folio credit, you can charge meals to your room and the amount deducted will be dollar-for-dollar.
DARE Dayclub and Ultra Pool, open seasonally only for guests 21 years and older, due to Louisiana liquor laws – has a Las Vegas feel with cabanas and palm trees. Guests can enjoy their favorite cocktails at the bar, while DJs and bands perform on the outdoor concert stage. When the sun goes down, the pool transforms from a dayclub into a nightclub, with more live music.
Should you choose this for your Annual Retreat?
It’s unlikely you will find a friendlier or more helpful team of employees. Jack Binion’s Steak House, Four Winds Asian restaurant and The Spread Buffet are excellent so you’ll enjoy eating your way through the $500 folio credit. While it’s not the easiest place to get to, the Shreveport Regional Airport is only about 15 minutes from the casino. Checking in for your return flight and clearing security are a breeze.
If you have your own transportation – which I would highly recommend – there are lots of museums, gardens, historic homes and cultural events in the Bossier City-Shreveport area. Without a vehicle you could feel a little isolated, though, if the weather is decent, you could probably walk to the nearby Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets where you’ll find all the usual stores, as well as a Regal Cinema 14 (with IMAX) and a beautiful new Margaritaville Resort Casino. About 10 miles away is Harrah's Louisiana Downs Casino and Racetrack (see box above).
The downside?
Compared to the other casinos I visited in Bossier City/Shreveport – even though Horseshoe is the largest – it seems more cramped and in need of some “refreshing”. It also lacks many of the newer slot machines found not only in other markets, but even at Sam’s Town and the Eldorado Resort Casino in Shreveport and Margaritaville. (The Eldorado is beautiful, by the way, as is Margaritaville where the casino is on one floor and not spread among three levels like the riverboat casinos around town.) While the Friday night “Seafood Extravaganza” at The Spread Buffet is wonderful, the excessively loud music coming from CMT Crossroads across the way is a little annoying. Perhaps the entertainment could reduce the volume a bit until the buffet closes.
As always, when you check-in, be sure to verify that your $500 comp account has been set-up and what it can be used for. Also, if you visit Harrah's Louisiana Downs and decide to enjoy a meal there, you cannot charge it to your room so it won't go against your folio credit. However, gratuities may be charged to your room and settled at check-out with your credit card on file. Best advice is to keep all your receipts until you settle your final bill.
Where Horseshoe Bossier City is located
*subject to change
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