While the Riv isn't my favorite hotel (I actually liked the Trop) I would stay anywhere ON THE STRIP. The Orleans was nice enough but my wife and I would never stay there since she has no means of transportation and we enjoy walking the strip early in the morning and stopping at the various casinos for breakfast. I understand the difficulty of our group getting convention facilities and with our members not will to pay up for the fancy places we will always be at the second rate places. Fine with me so long as they are on the strip.