I had a similar experience when we had a work meeting at a casino hotel in a midwest state. The folks suggesting it as a location built it up as a really nice place, but my impression was that it was a dark, smoky, stinky, trap set up to hook people who had no business gambling with the little money they had. It was a national chain place and the rooms were fine, but the casino floor smelled like a smoke filled restroom. I couldn't stand the smell for long enough to want to try any gambling. It was depressing to see the old couples side by side at the slot machines gambling their savings away without saying a word to each other.