Hollywood Casino at Greektown Review for July 2024

Hollywood Casino at Greektown, formerly known as Greektown Casino-Hotel, is situated in the heart of downtown Detroit.

With a 30-storey hotel tower built in eye-catching blue and some neon signage that even a few Vegas properties would be proud of, it certainly stands out.

Despite undergoing various transformations and ownership over the last few years, Hollywood Casino at Greektown has remained as popular as ever.

But, why is it so popular? What does it have to offer? I went along to review it to find out.

Originally opened in November 2000 as just a casino, Hollywood Casino at Greektown added a hotel tower seven years later, in November 2007.

The resort was originally owned by the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians but swapped ownership several times after filing for bankruptcy in 2008. 

It is now jointly owned by Vici Properties and Penn Entertainment who look after operations. It was rebranded as Hollywood Casino in 2022, which is Penn Entertainment’s primary brand.

The site upon which the casino is built is steeped in history. Originally the site of a successful fur tannery back in the 1890’s, it was turned into an indoor shopping centre in the 1980’s called Trappers Alley. 

Unlike modern malls, what was unique about Trappers Alley was that it retained much of the industrial structure and architectural elements to celebrate the historic building. And I’m pleased to say that Hollywood Casino at Greektown has kept this too. 

Walking around the casino it’s obvious that it’s a converted building. With casino games spread over three floors and lots of metal walkways, exposed brick work, and even an inner bridge, I thought it really added some unique character to the resort.

Location

Just a few blocks from downtown Detroit, right in the centre of Greektown, Hollywood Casino is right in the thick of the action.

It forms the centrepiece in the busy and historic Greektown area and is surrounded by restaurants and bars too. On a weekend, this part of the city is jumping.

Situated on Lafayette drive, the casino is easy to drive to and has its own 13-storey parking lot which is free to use.

If you use the free DPM (Detroit People Mover) tram service, then the Greektown station is right outside the casino.

Hollywood Casino at Greektown is also conveniently located for sports fans, and this is one of the reasons that it’s so popular. 

Close by you’ll find Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team. You’ll also find Little Caesars Arena which is home to both NHL team Detroit Red Wings and NBA team the Detroit Pistons. 

Finally, if football is your game, then Ford Field is only half a mile away and is home to the NFL team Detroit Lions.

Although the casino floor at Hollywood Casino Greektown is around 100,000 square feet, it doesn’t feel that big. That’s because it is spread over different floors and sectioned off in various places to provide smoking and non-smoking gaming areas.

It has a really unique feel, bringing that industrial and historical element to both its layout and design. And I particularly liked the bridge walkway connecting some of the casino spaces.

Overall though, I felt the casino floors were a bit too dark in some places. The carpets were patterned with a mix of grey, purple, blue, and burgundy while most of the walls were painted grey too. 

The lighting was also patterned and felt a little old-fashioned which made it feel more enclosed.

However, I have to say the casino was well-maintained throughout and clean, which was surprising considering how busy it was. Props to the casino cleaning team for that. 

Table Games Selection

I saw around 60 table games offering all the usual casino favourites as well as some interesting variations and side bets too.

Of course there’s 6:5 blackjack, but I also saw free bet blackjack, perfect pairs and double deck blackjack which is hard to find even in Las Vegas unless you’re playing high stakes.

I saw craps and crapless craps, and different baccarat and poker pit variations too. If baccarat is your game then there’s a separate baccarat lounge on the third floor inside the high-limit area.

I do enjoy a bit of roulette and found myself playing for a while on a double zero wheel. I couldn’t see a single zero table on the floor. The table had some wear and tear on it but it was more than acceptable and the dealers were friendly enough. 

Classic table games:

• Blackjack
• Roulette
• Craps
• Baccarat
• Three Card Poker 

Variants: 

• Free Bet Blackjack
• Perfect Pairs
• Double Deck Blackjack
• Crapless Craps with Firebet
• Craps with Fire Bet
• Four Card Poker
• Pai Gow Poker
• Dragon Bonus Baccarat
• Mini Baccarat
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em
• Criss Cross Poker
• Mississippi Stud Poker
• High Card Flush

For poker players there is a decent-sized separate poker room which looked like it was open every day. They hold regular cash games of Limit Hold ‘Em, No Limit Hold ‘Em, Limit Omaha High/Low and Pot Limit Omaha.

Slots

With over 2,200 slots, there is a lot of variety on offer for slots lovers, like me. I saw all of my favourite games available and there was a good mix of new slots and old-traditional three-reel games too. In terms of variety, it was comparable with some of the best online casinos.

Because of the layout of the casino there was plenty of space around the machines, so they didn’t feel too cramped together. One of the locals told me they do change the slots around quite regularly though so it can get confusing.

If you love the pull of a progressive jackpot, then you’ll not be disappointed here as there’s plenty from which to choose. Some of the most popular games I saw include: 

• Quick Hits
• Dollar Storm
• Buffalo Gold
• Blazin 7’s
• Huff N’ More Puff
• Dragon Link
• Wheel of Fortune

Hollywood Casino at Greektown is clearly lucky for some as a fortunate player hit $3,086,007.85 playing Wheel of Fortune here earlier this year.

I opted instead for some Dragon Link Genghis Khan slot play and came out a little down overall. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. 

Bar-Top Gaming

I found bar-top gaming in at least one of the bars at Hollywood Casino Greektown, but it may have been at others as well. 

Rock Bar had around 15 bar-top terminals where you could play video poker, blackjack, and a few select slots. 

Unfortunately, comped drinks aren’t really a thing outside of Las Vegas so playing bar-top games doesn’t earn you free drinks. It’s still lots of fun though. 

If video poker is your game though, there’s a whole video poker lounge just over the small internal bridge.

Hollywood Casino at Greektown Sportsbook

The ESPN Bet sportsbook is the place to be if you love your sports. Offering a 30ft wall of sports and 25 HDTV screens, the sportsbook is situated at the top of the grand staircase.

If you want to place bets, you can do so at the 35 betting kiosks positioned in ESPN Bet and around the casino. Alternatively, on the lower floor, there’s ESPN betting windows to place your bet in person. 

For me personally, this has more of a sports bar feel to it rather than a sportsbook. I’m used to sportsbooks having low lounge seating and comfortable sofas, whereas this has high seating and tables. It’s still a great place to hang out though, and it was a hive of activity. 

What’s great is that it has its own bar and food menu, so you can enjoy food while you watch your favourite sports too. 

Waitress Service

I found the waitress service around the slots to be almost non-existent. I saw one waitress on one floor, but she was too far away and didn’t come to take my drink order. 

The waitress service was definitely better around the table games though, and I was offered a drink while playing roulette. Of course, drinks are paid for and not comped like in Vegas, so be aware of that. 

There are a few free self-serve stations offering soft drinks and water around the casino, however, these are quite hidden and quite spaced out. But I’d suggest locating one if you want to stay hydrated for free.

High Limit Gaming at Hollywood Casino at Greektown

There’s a substantial high limit area on the third floor of Hollywood Casino at Greektown.

I estimate there was around 100 slots, plus tables offering high-limit roulette, blackjack, and baccarat. A separate baccarat suite was also there. 

High-limit table games are generally out of my budget, but I do enjoy a high-limit slot session occasionally. For me that means betting around $5 a spin which you can do in the high limit areas – it doesn’t have to be anything bigger than that.

If that’s within your budget, then give it a try. The high-limit area offers a more refined gambling experience, and you’ll usually find nicer restrooms and better waitress service too. 

Cash and Payment Options

While cash is always the main currency on the casino floor, there is also a cashless option at Hollywood Casino at Greektown.

The first to introduce cashless gaming in Detroit, Hollywood Casino offers a way to pay for gambling both on slots and at the tables via an app on your mobile phone.

Once you’ve downloaded the app and set up a digital wallet you then debit money into the wallet to gamble with. For slot play you connect via Bluetooth to the slot from your phone and transfer money straight from the wallet to the slot machine.

If you play at the tables, you inform the dealer you want to buy in and you connect your phone to their tablet, again transferring money from your wallet. The dealer then presents you with the relevant value in chips.

Of course, this service is only really for the most tech-savvy of players. For the rest of us, cash is still welcome on the casino floor as always. Winnings are still paid in cash, via the cage or TITO redemptions machines, and they are done so quicker than even the best payout online casinos.

Card payments aren’t accepted on the casino floor but are welcome for all other spend such as hotel stays, restaurant bills, drinks and shopping.

Penn Entertainment has over 35 casino resorts around the US and all of them operate the Penn Play rewards program.

This works like all other casino rewards programs in that you earn points for spending money in resort and then claim rewards in return.

Anyone 21 or over can join up, you just need to download the Penn Play app and set up an account. You can also join in person at the rewards desk at Hollywood Casino at Greektown or any other Penn resort.

Once registered you can earn points every time you gamble, pay for hotel stays, buy meals or drinks or even when you place sports bets. 

The more money you spend, the more points you build and that means you can climb the status tiers and elevate your benefits. The tiers are as follows:

• Play (0 – 999 Points): lowest hotel rates, special offers and promotions
• Advantage (1,000 – 17,999): as above with annual points rollover and Norwegian Cruise savings
• Preferred (18,000 – 49,999): as above with complimentary cruise and M Resort hotel offers
• Elite (50,000 – 199,999): as above with VIP Lounge access and companion card
• Owners Club (200,000+): as above with annual $500 travel reimbursement and complimentary hotel stays

Should you join Penn Play Rewards?

I am an advocate for joining rewards programs in general as I think it’s a great way to get something back for all your casino spend.

As long as you don’t spend more than you normally would trying to reach higher levels, then it’s all good.

Just show or use your card every time you pay for something in a casino and the points will add up. Often you don’t need to even reach higher tiers to start getting offers and promotions through.

With this specific rewards program you can also earn points by gambling and betting online too, so it’s not just restricted to in-person spend. How many points you earn differs for each though as explained below:

Slot Play

• In person - Earn 1 Tier Point for every $5 of coin-in
• Online on Hollywood Casino - Earn 1 Tier Point for every $12 coin-in
• Online on the PENN Play Casino app - Earn 2 Tier Points for every $1 of purchased credits

The same applies to video poker, table games, sports bets and horse-racing bets which all have different points applied to different methods of betting. For full details make sure you check out the website.

When it comes to dining or hotel stays, then you earn one Tier Point for every $5 of purchases.

Whatever points you’ve accumulated can then be used to redeem benefits such as hotel stays, dining, shopping and freeplay. 

There are 400 rooms at Hollywood Casino at Greektown all housed in the big blue distinctive hotel tower. The outside of the tower has a new casino feel and commands a big presence on the downtown skyline, reflecting light through the day and lit up on an evening. 

There’s also some cool neon signage outside the front of the resort which is Vegas-esque in nature.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the inside of the hotel, with the outside being quite flashy, but was pleasantly surprised with how chic it looked. 

It had quite a boutique hotel feel with neutral colours, smart décor, cool hanging lighting and pieces of art. I particularly liked the picture behind the main reception desk of a car with light up wheels, which is obviously a nod to Detroit’s motor city routes.

The rest of the resort reflected this boutique kind of feel and was actually a really nice place to walk around.

Hollywood Casino at Greektown Rooms

I booked an Executive King Guest Room and had a really comfortable stay. I couldn’t find out the square footage of the room, but it was quite cosy. It was decorated and cleaned to a very high standard though.

With a predominantly white and grey colour palate and floor to ceiling windows, the room looked a lot more spacious than it actually was. 

As well as the bed, there was a desk with chair, an armchair overlooking the window, a single wood wardrobe beside the bed and a small alcove seat too.

I would say that although the room was small, it made really good use of the space and was decorated to such a high standard that you didn’t mind the size.

This was the same for the bathroom too, fairly small but decorated well and the shower was really powerful.

In terms of room amenities, it had a lot. As well as the usual hairdryer, iron/ironing board, mini bathroom toiletries and safe, there was a large TV, mini-refrigerator, and a coffee machine which came in handy in the morning. 

I would say the view was probably the highlight of the room though. My room had stunning views of the Detroit River and Canada which were incredible and made it really special.

If you don’t mind spending a bit more, then other room options include corner rooms and luxury suites, which I assume are bigger and have even better views.

Hollywood Casino at Greektown does not allow pets, only service dogs. So, if you want to bring your furry friend on holiday, you’ll have to choose a different hotel. 

Also be aware that there is no pool complex at Hollywood Casino at Greektown. 

Bars

There are three main bars at Hollywood Casino at Greektown.

Rock Bar is right in the middle of the casino and it was really busy. I sat there for a while, got a drink and just enjoyed people watching in the casino, which I love to do. It’s ideal to take a breather from gambling but also remain in the hustle and bustle of the casino crowd.

Of course, it also has bar-top gaming so you can gamble when you’re here too. And there’s a happy hour Monday to Thursday 4pm to 6pm with $1 off all drinks.

Urban Cocktail is more of an upscale cocktail bar in an intimate setting away from the casino. It serves premium spirts and hand-crafted cocktails and is only open on Fridays and Saturdays. 

The bar itself is pretty spectacular, with vibrant colours, elegant seating and unique chandelier-like lighting hanging from the ceiling, it is worth popping in just to see it. 

ESPN Bet is the third bar which is much more of a casual sports bar. With a huge TV wall, high seating and a bar food menu, you can relax here with friends, watch the game and grab a beer in comfort.

Buffets and Restaurant

Prism is the only fine-dining restaurant experience at Hollywood Casino at Greektown. Serving steak and seafood, it offers luxurious surroundings and a top menu for when you want to spoil yourself. 

I didn’t get a chance to eat here myself but the restaurant looked beautiful and it had stunning views of the Detroit skyline too. It is only open Thursday through Sunday, though, so I would recommend making a reservation. 

Other than Prism, the other food options are more casual. 

ESPN Bet has a menu consisting of all your usual bar specials – burgers, sandwiches, pizza, wings, but also has traditional pub favourites such as fish and chips. There is a big breakfast menu here as well serving omelettes, waffles, breakfast sandwiches, and Steak and Eggs.

The Bar opens most days from 5pm, but on Saturday and Sunday it opens at 9am.

Meanwhile, the Monroe Market food court has four options – 313 Burger Bar, Red Lotus Asian Kitchen, Detroit Taco Company (DTC), and Dunkin’ Donuts. 

All Monroe Market eateries are open every day apart from Red Lotus which is only open Thursday to Sunday from 5pm.

If you want food on the go, there’s a 24-hour Market Express shop which is powered by Amazon's Just Walk Out technology. Basically, you just walk in, scan a payment card on entry, choose what you want and walk out again. 

You don’t have to wait in line or scan each item. It’s designed to be an effortless experience and means you can get back to gambling as quickly as possible.

Shows and Entertainment 

Although there is no specific entertainment at Hollywood Casino at Greektown, other than the casino of course, there is plenty of entertainment close by.

As I mentioned earlier, the resort is right in the heart of Detroit sports action with baseball, football, hockey and basketball all around.

It is also in the centre of Greektown which is packed full of bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and cultural activities too.

The Detroit Music Hall is just a ten-minute walk away hosting all kinds of music and live entertainment.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this resort, but whatever it was, I wasn’t disappointed.

The main positive for me was how different and quirky it was. When I think back to some casinos I’ve been to, many of them blend into each other, but this one won’t. 

A lot of that has to do with the layout and design. The historical building gives it that extra bit of character which makes it stand-out from the many purpose-built casinos.

Of course, the layout also means its not that easy to navigate and there’s a lot of going up and down the floors when you’re gambling. But, as a whole, I found it to be an enjoyable place to spend money.

The room was well-designed if a little bit small, but the view and décor more than made up for that. Both the room and casino were clean and well-maintained throughout too.

Hollywood Casino at Greektown has just about enough of everything to make you want to visit. A great variety of slots and table games, a mix of eating options and some great bars. 

My only real criticism is that a lot of the food options are only available Thursday to Sunday so it can be limited when visiting earlier in the week.

Although lacking in entertainment of its own, it benefits from a great location with lots of sports and attractions close by which is why it is one of the busiest casinos in Michigan.