Las Vegas, NV
(702) 365 7111 or (800) 675 3267; 4500 West Tropicana Avenue 89103
Date of last visit: 22 July 2007
Category: Hotel and Casino
Overall rating: You Rock!
Wi-fi rating: You Could Suck Worse.
Fitness rating: You Rock!
Pool rating: You Could Suck Worse.
Safety rating: You Rock!
Price: You Could Suck Worse.
Description of room:
Very upscale, as far as cheap hotels go. Large bedroom area and bath with separate vanity and shower area ... phone by the toilet. Extraordinarily comfortable and inviting. I wouldn't necessarily want to have my honeymoon there, but this is definitely the place if you want a cheap version of a luxury vacation. The accommodations are worth more than the hotel is charging, in terms of Vegas pricing.
Sleep Conditions:
Not bad, not bad. Noise woke me up a few times, but generally less than other hotels ... and housekeeping doesn't get totally pissy at you for sleeping in. Of course, this last trip housekeeping woke me up at 3 a.m. to deliver towels I didn't order, even though I had the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door ... so you may want to bring along your earplugs.
Description of wi-fi:
Yeah, ok, we don't want to pay for wi-fi. We are paying enough as it is to stay in your hotel. They charge in $11.99 a day--PokerMouse says "that sucks!"
Description of fitness room:
They formerly had a lower rating for charging $10 a day (3 days for $25) but this visit I found they had changed that policy. Now you are charged $5 a day as a "resort fee" and that includes free access to the fitness center. Much better deal considering that they actually have a very nice fitness center.
Description of pool:
Big. Very big. There's nothing stylish or flashy about it ... it's just a big hole in the ground. But there's lots of room for laps. Hit it before about 10 a.m., though, if you're going for a workout 'cause after that it's crowded as hell. Plus, before 10 a.m. it's still shaded from the building so you'll avoid the nasty sun exposure.
Safety:
Love it. The area across the street looks a little seedy, but I feel totally at home here. I'd go for a walk around the property by myself at night. With a stick. A very big stick. But, seriously, I always use the garage 'cause it's easy to park near the door and I never feel uncomfortable in the least.
Price:
These are more than basic accommodations, so the price is good for what you get. I've stayed with and without the poker room rate (which only saved me a couple hundred dollars for a three week stay). Prices fluctuate from around $60 weeknights to around $130 weekends (lower with the poker room rate).
Additional Information and Links:
Subway (across from the poker room) is open 24/7. Woo, hoo ... rock on. Oh, yeah, and you can get pretty decent brownie fudge sundaes from Kate's Corner.
Restaurants: Canal Street, The Prime Rib Loft, Big Al's Oyster Bar, French Market Buffet, Don Miguel's, Courtyard Cafe, Koji, T.G.I. Friday's, Brendan's Pub, Seattle's Best Coffee, Kate's Corner, Terrible Mike's, Subway