Which Downtown Hotel? Exclude Golden Nugget

[emerld232]

Hi, I am visiting LV and want to stay downtown. I've aleady stayed at the Golden Nugget and am interested in either

4 Queens

Binions

Freemont

El Cortez

FizGerald's

Plaza

Which do you recommend or which should I avoid?

4 Queens is looking the best so far because of the rates and the good reviews I've read.

Thanks

Jennifer:o

[VPlady]

I can only comment on the Fitz. Stayed there a year ago, and found the room clean and quiet. It was small by strip standards, but worked fine for two nights.
I always had good coctail service there, and the check in was efficient.

[misterKeno]

I'd lean towards MSS (i know it's not on your list).

[KenoMom]

Everyone has their likes and dislikes, their limits to what is acceptable or not. The best advice is to read all the different hotel reviews - particularly on tripadvisor.com or to jot down your own likes and dislikes to allow others to see where you are coming from in terms of what best fits your own lifestyle.

But considering the fact that you will stay in a timeshare and the general concensus seems to be that the Vegas timeshares are not always on the luxury scale of things, I think you will generally be happy with most anything in the downtown - especially if you're only staying one night. I think that most anyone can tolerate something for 24 hours :)))

I'd vote for the following myself...

1. Vegas Club - Price, closeness to the actual Fremont Street experience and very large rooms (North Tower) compared to others. Probably the biggest negative for this place is the lack of food choices. I sort of enjoy the back area that while forcing you to insert money the old fashioned way, provides a nice quiet area away from the crowds.

2. Main Street Station - a lovely hotel overall with nice food choices. Best enjoyed if you don't like to walk around at night, by liberal use of the catwalk to the California, crossing into the Vegas Club and then exiting into the more active area of Fremont Street. The funny thing is that with the close proximity of all the downtown casinos, this always feels so "far away" compared to the others but it's a lot closer then strip casinos.

3. Four Queens - would never have been on my list except for the fact that recent renovations are apparently making this a hotel to at least check out.

Ones that I'm not inclined to choose...

1. Golden Nugget - call me the anti-snob. It's pretty inside but as the worse place downtown for video keno, I don't like the place. It also reminds me of a place that people use to "try out" the downtown area with really no intention of trying the downtown except to say they were there. The old reality show they had a few years back sort of bought into this being a place for "wanna-be's" and it probably rubbed off on me <G>. On the other hand, the pool is to die for if it's that time of year and the slot machine seating is the best in the downtown area.

2. El Cortez, Golden Gate, Horseshoe, Fitzgeralds, Plaza, California. Even I'm - not necessarily caring about where I stay in Vegas - inclined to think these places are even more basic then what I want to have.

(Note: Fremont is also owned by the same company that handles Main Street and California. I've stayed there and it was fine. We don't stay anymore because it brings back memories of being there when a family member died. So I wouldn't discount it for others, just not us anymore.)

[emerld232]

I agree. I think the Nugget is beyond my budget this year. I"m staying 4 nights April 2008.

The Fremont Hotel rates seem high to me also.

Anyone stay at Binion's recently?

[misterKeno]

keno mom -- have to agree with a lot you said... and, i'm sure you know, the Live Keno they offer has 2 factors:

1) absolutlely great chairs, but
2) the game is computer drawn :mad:

grrrrrrrr!!!!!

[Boston_Bill]

Of the ones you mentioned Ive only stayed at the Plaza. It wasnt horrible by any means but Id like to try 4Q next.

[Sandypaws]

Stayed in a Tower Room with a view of the Strip during the first week of October. Have previously stayed at Golden Gate and Golden Nugget. I will definitely stay at El Cortez again.

[JMVegas5866]

Boyd Gaming has been doing business in the Downtown area for 30 years, so could give you some insight in choosing one of their hotels. I stayed at the Fremont last year and liked it a lot. I posted a brief review of the Fremont in the thread in this section titled 'local casino hotel or downtown'. Boyd also owns the California and Main Street Station. I have a strong feeling Main Street Station might be their best of the three based on the consistent friendly service I always receive when I go there to gamble or eat. I am adding that one to the top of my list on places to stay on my next visit.

I also did a brief review on the 4 Queens in that thread in this section titled 'local casino hotel or downtown'. The have decent rooms too. Look at the virtual room view on their web site, what you see is what you get.

Binion's I would put on the list to avoid as disingenuous HET ran Benny Binion's DT prize into the ground as they had other motives and agendas in purchasing it, then passed their mess to MRT which they never straightened that place out. Read reviews on Binion's on the internet and you'll notice currently there isn't anything spectacular being written about it. That should change within the next 2-3 years as the owners of the 4 Queens, TLC, recently bought it and will soon take it over.

[misterKeno]

I was DT tonite .. and 'The Cal' had a lot of 3/2 double decks. Nearly all of them were @ the $5 level.