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| Ladbrokes Paddington Casino and
Sports Bar (2006) |
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Above the Entrance of the Ladbrokes Paddington Casino and Sports Bar
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The new Ladbrokes
Casino & Sports Bar opened on the 18th July 2006.
Situated at one
corner of the new Paddington Hilton Hotel (used to be the Great Western Hotel
which had run dowm quite a bit) and officially listed as; 1 Eastbourne Terrace
London W2 1BA. The main entrance is situated at the corner of Praed Street and
Eastbourne Terrace. There is also an entrance directly from the Paddington
Hilton hotel lobby
A central location gives Ladbrokes its first foray
back into the land based casino business since it bought Stakis Casinos in the
1990s, subsequently selling them on to Gala in an ill-timed move in 2000. In
the first open attempt to marry a bookmaker and a casino under one roof in
Great Britain Ladbrokes are claiming a lot for their new baby.
Inside the style is clearly defined as modern British. The floor is covered in
black marble tiles, the decor sharp contrasting colours and the staff tailored
in suits with black open necked shirts. This is not a leap forward in casino
design but a polished version of the good old London gambling club.
The
major part of this venture is on one underground floor in a large "L" shaped
configuration. You enter the main entrance and walk down into the long bar
where there is copious seating and an area to watch a choice of TV screens
offering sports channels.
Through the bar you enter the main gaming
area, roulette in the centre of the casino and to the left, more roulette with
blackjack and casino poker. Both the bar seating area and the roulette section
both lead through arched cellar like walk-throughs into the sleekly styled
restaurant.
 The menu selection is designed to
suit the international hotel patron who has wandered down from their room.
Appetisers the like of Grilled Scallops on Black Pudding Mash are away
from the normal casino fare and to me (GGG Editor) a welcome change. Aim high
at least.
Private alcoves allow for secluded dining in groups or the
chance to savour one of their cocktail creations, the Black Lychee (A new and
delicious version of Champagne and Fruit-Lychee, Blackberries, Champagne and
something else?)
Beyond the restaurant there a large number of roulette
terminals. Some are linked to a mechanical roulette wheel which automatically
spins once a minute and seems quite popular. There are also terminals linked to
the two main live roulette games.
 In the
roulette terminal area you will find another unusual feature for a British
Casino, that being a second entrance/exit which leads directly up into the
Paddington Hilton Hotel foyer. This foyer leads backwards onto the Paddington
Station main hall so that it is possible to walk directly from your train into
a casino. A novelty which may or may not catch on.
Beyond the terminals
there is the cash desk, another bar and further still a second seating area
with TV screens and an alcove for private drinking.
Returning back
through the casino and up the stairs to the reception brings customers to what
Ladbrokes are calling their Sports Bar. This may signal to the reader something
of the Las Vegas style Sports Book where punters can bet on sports events
nation and world wide. This could not be further from the truth. Unfortunately
the still and continuing antiquated British law does not allow for the
integration of gambling choices such as Bookmaking and Casinos. The sports bar
is thus an upstairs room with windows onto to the street, containing TV
screens, slot machines, a bar and more roulette terminals connected to the live
games downstairs. If you want a drink whilst touching a terminal screen and you
need a bit of daylight (or you are claustrophobic like me) then this will
supply your needs. It is however less than sleek.
The styling of this
subterranean casino seems to work. The clientelle are a mix of asian and middle
eastern with the added flow of hotel guests and local Londoners. As of August
14th 2006 it is not overly busy which is fine as the air conditioning struggles
to cope with all the heat that the machinery delivers to the air. Some places
its hot and others too cold. I am sure they will to get to grips with it but
this is again a problem which haunts British casinos with low
ceilings.
I am prepared to give this new venture the benefit of a few
changes and award them 7/10. Those who want an American style casino will be
unimpressed but as an old fashioned club with modern styling and attractive
staff, this will do. Score an extra half of one point for complementary drinks
(like beer) for all those people playing, even a small punter playing one of
the machines. (So 7½/10 for as long as it lasts)
On a seperate
note, there is no Texas Holdem Poker being played, only casino
poker.
Nearest Tube: Paddington
Station
1 Eastbourne Terrace London W2 1BA View on Map
Tel : (0)20 3238 1000. Fax:
(0)20 3238 1010
| The Long
Bar |
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About
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes was first established in 1886 taking wagers in the
Gentleman’s clubs of London. Today Ladbrokes is the world’s leading
retail bookmaker, taking over 350 million bets a year at over 2,500 high street
betting shops in the UK, Ireland and Belgium and outlets at 47 leading football
clubs and 11 horseracing tracks. Online, Ladbrokes.com has over 2 million
registered customers from over 200 countries betting in 12 languages using 18
currencies. |
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